Ahmedabad

... is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 5.3 million. Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district, and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970.

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Diet

Gujarati food is predominantly vegetarian, and all conference meals will be vegetarian only, but there are some restaurants and hotels in Ahmedabad that serve meat dishes. Those who enjoy Indian food will be pleased to know that Gujarat is home to the ‘Thali’, the round steel tray containing many small bowls of different breads, pulses and vegetable dishes.

Alcohol

Gujarat is ‘dry’, and alcohol sales are generally prohibited. Drinking alcohol is prohibited unless you have a license to do so.  If you would like to drink alcohol, you should apply for a ‘liquor permit’ when you apply for your visa, which can be used to buy drink at liquor stores to be found in some of the larger tourist hotels. If you do have alcohol, please exercise discretion about where and when you drink it.  It is not permitted in public places.

Currency

The local currency is of course the Indian Rupee. Conference participants are advised to bring US Dollars for exchange locally.

Money Changing

The local currency is the Indian Rupee. This currency is not available outside India.  Conference participants are advised that the US Dollar is the easiest currency to exchange, although it is possible to exchange other currencies. Most large hotels will be able to change money, and there is an exchange booth giving reasonable rates at the airport.

Politics

The government of Gujarat state is controlled by the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and in 2002 the state was convulsed by anti-Muslim pogroms, which left many hundreds dead. SEWA, with a membership of nearly one million women workers, both Muslim and Hindu, strongly defends the Gandhian ideology of unity across castes and religions. SEWA faces harassment and repression from the state government (see www.sewa.org/index_files/sewastruggle.htm), and our General Conference is an important symbolic gesture of international solidarity. State-wide elections are to be held just after our General Conference from 11th to 16th December, so SEWA requests that public statements may not be made while in Gujarat, but that the news about SEWA be carried to the international community after the Conference.

Weather

December is the winter season in Gujarat.  In the winters, the weather is mild, pleasant and dry. The average temperature during day time is 29 °C and 12 °C during the night. The days are usually sunny and the sky is clear.