Collective Expressions ..

The event on ‘Identity in Metroplex’ took place on 27-28^th April 2009 in Vikas Maitri. Singing song of liberation तुम्हारे हाथ पत्थरो की तरह संगीन है, जेल में गाये गए गीतों की तरह उदास है ‘Tumhare haath paththaro ki tarah sangeen hai, jail mein gaaye gaye geeto ki tarah udaas hai’ (Your hand are strong and can cause a change) the mood of the topic was set. The song of Nazim Hikmat the turkish poet inspired to take efforts for freedom from bondage, exploited labour and lack of dignity. About Nazim Hikmat

Sriprakash, film maker - Art form is basically of two types in the context of present discussion, one of those who practice collective singing and music, and are not into profit making. The other art form is guided and controlled by capital interests. Mainstream art forms are in the dominated by the latter, capital interests.

There is need to work on how the collective singing and dancing amongst the adivasi communities are represented and given opportunity in the mainstream media and culture. Most of the mainstream cultural traditions are based in individual creativity and performance and hence when the adivasi cultural expressions are performed the hosts / producers overlook this collective endeavour.

In Jharkhand the traditional songs reached Akhra / Jatra, becoming a political voice in the Jharkhand movement and then now they have been taken over by Music casssette producers of Daily Market (in Ranchi). Now we have come to the stage of स्कूल के टाइम पे आजा गोरी डैम पे School ke time pe aaja gori Dam pe ..The song like कहाँ से लाऊँ मै छापा साडी Kahan se mai laoon Chhapa sari (From where should I bring printed Sari ..boy expressing to girl) reflects the aspirations developing in tribal youth.

Sunil Minj, freelance journalist said that it is very important to protect the tribal language otherwise the language will be die off. Only those languages have survived which have been used by people and has been scripted well. While it is difficult to maintain the dress and lifestyle as prevalent in the tribal rural forest heartlands from where we come, we all should make an effort to keep our language alive.

Efforts are required to interpret tribal identity on the basis of the commonality and the basic feature that our life values depict. This is what will be the distinctive feature which will bring us together.

Other opinions that were expressed were...

1. With focus on trying to retain identity let us not forget that we have to make space in the mainstream world, hence we should equip our children in such a manner through education and socialization that they are able to compete equally with other people.

2. Land is the basic identity of the adivasis. When land will be taken away by multinationals then how can we talk of separate tribal identity? Another New York will come up over the land of indigenous people.

3. Working on identity could be tricky idea too with the fascist interpretations being given by right wing forces. Sarna tradition is claimed by both the Church and Hindu forces to be close to the respective religious traditions. The topic is very vital to be discussed in the present context when the fundamentalist forces are on the rise.

Please CHECK Video Recordings on You Tube here and here. And send your responses.

Identity in Metroplex

Identity in Metroplex - Efforts to Rejuvenate New Energy

Venue - Vikas Maitri, PN Bose Compund, Near KK Memorial Hospital, Dangra Toli, Ranchi.

Where walking seems like dance, and talking seems like a song – this is how the artistic expression has been described in Jharkhand where the reflection of adivasi community lifestyle is also seen amongst the other ‘Sadan’. And this cohesiveness of the communities is reflected in all fields ranging from politics to social life.
We have five major tribal communities – Santhal, Munda, Ho, Oraon and Kharia; plus there are number of other tribal groups - the questions of identity, survival and development are very vital for each of them. And then we have Muslim, Kurmi, Koeri, and Bengali and... This diverse range of community life is what the beauty of Jharkhand is all about. This integration is witnessed in urban areas with languages like Nagpuri, Khortha and others.
The characteristics of adivasi identity - community living, language, etc are being challenged with the phenomenon of metroplex (with its market dynamics and competition). This is evident in the lifestyles of the first, second or third generation adivasi youth residing in Ranchi in different forms. They are now living a very different life, of what was written about their ancestors. How has this change impacted upon the tribal identity question?
Culture is not static; it changes with time, and other societal phenomenon. What are newer forms of cultural phenomenon that are now evident in adivasis living in Ranchi with their interaction / sanskritisation with other populations? How can new spaces, with justice, equity and dignity for the adivasis and all other culturally marginalized communities, be created in this metroplex phenomenon?

Workshop on Songs of Change
Time - 11am to 5 pm on 27th April and 10am to 2pm on 28th April.
We have booked the space for the workshop and participants are expected to contribute towards their tea / snacks expenses.
The thrust will on presentation, discussion and learning of the progressive songs in Hindi. Most of these songs will be from people’s movements since Independence, and from mainstream cinema. It is expected that during this exercise participants will discover cultural movement (beyond just cultural expression) and will be able to relate it to the personal and political struggles they are involved in. The youth energies will be rejuvenated.

Film Screening and Appreciation
Time - 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm on 28th April 2009
• Gadi Lohardaga Mail – Songs reflecting aspects (identity, migration, displacement) of the Jharkhand movement are sung during a train journey to Lohardaga More
• School Ke Time Pe Aaja Gori Dam Pe – Musical romantic hit amongst the youth More
• Baha - The Tale of a Wild Flower (Clippings) – Nagpuri feature film made by Sriprakash More
• Guru Gomke – Documentary on cultural movement of Jharkhand with special focus on the life and work of Pandit Raghunath Murmu More
The screenings will be interrupted with discussions on the theme Identity in Metroplex which will be facilitated by prominent resource persons and media artists.

Organisers
Openspace – Ranchi in association with CCDS (Pune) and Solidarity for Peace (Ranchi)
Contact – 09430367949 or praveer.peter@gmail.com

Screening of Film - Nanook of the North

On 19th April 2009 at 5.30p.m at Mini hall (ILCC), Club road, Ranchi.
Nanook of the North (The first feature length documentary - most popular and commercially successful) By Robert Flaherty (know as father of documentary films) 11 June 1922 (USA) - 79 minutes

Director: Robert J. Flaherty
Writers: Frances H. Flaherty (idea)/ Robert J. Flaherty (writer)
Music: Rudolf Schramm (1947) and Stanley Silverman (1976)
Producer: Robert Flaherty
Editing : Robert Flaherty, Herbert Edwards and Charles Geib

Tagline:
A story of life and love in the actual Arctic. Documents one year in the life of Nanook, an Eskimo (Inuit) and his family.
This film is the age old tale of the battle between man and nature. As the first nonfiction work of its scale, Nanook of the North was ground-breaking cinema. It captured an exotic culture in a distant location, rather than a facsimile of reality using actors and props on a studio set. Traditional Inuit methods of hunting, fishing, igloo-building, and other customs were shown with accuracy, and the compelling story of a man and his family struggling against nature met with great success in North America and abroad.

Background
Nanook of the North is regarded as the first significant nonfiction feature, made in the days before the term "documentary" had even been coined. Filmmaker Robert Flaherty had lived among the Eskimos in Canada for many years as a prospector and explorer, and he had shot some footage of them on an informal basis before he decided to make a more formal record of their daily lives. Filming took place between August 1920, and August 1921, mostly on the Ungava Peninsula of Hudson Bay. Rather than simply record events as they happened, Flaherty staged scenes -- fishing, hunting, building an igloo -- to carry along his narrative. The film's tremendous success confirmed Flaherty's status as a first-rate storyteller and keen observer of man's fragile relationship with the harshest environmental conditions.

this film also remind that documentary film is just as manipulative as fiction !!!!!
please forward message it to any one who might be interested to come and participate

Shriprakash
wish for film "BAHA" in berlin film festival
http://www.black-international-cinema.com/BIC09/bic_09.htm

Images - Thousand Days and a Dream

Following are some of the photos of the screening in Ranchi, on 28th March 2009, in the presence of C Saratchandran, one of the co-directors of the film.

Plachimada is a tiny village in the Chittoor area of Palakkad district. Since April of 2002, villagers have been waging a battle against Hindustan Coca Cola Private Limited, a subsidiary of the global soft drink giant. The struggle has been partially successful, since the plant has been off-line since 2004. But the company continues to re-apply for a license to operate, and has been getting favorable rulings from the Kerala State High Court......

Gaon Chhodab Nahi - A Political Statement

On 28th March 2009, 'Gaon Chhodab Nahin' a musical video directed by KP Sasi was screened amongst a committed audience in Ranchi.

With inputs from Meghnath, filmmaker and voice of Jharkhandi singer Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh the song is another statement (after KP Sasi's earlier work America, America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JeZ5oeAEyU ) on the current politics impacting Indians.
It depicts the situation of the adivasi and dalits population and their struggle against the development projects and corporates induced displacement. They voice - Gaon Chhodab Nahi, Jungal Chhodab Nahi, Maayer Mati Chhodab Nahi, Zameen Chhodab Nahi (We will not leave village, will not leave forests, will not leave motherly soil, will not leave our Lands!!). And finally Ladai Chhodab Nahi, that is we will not abandon our fight, our struggle.

With the elections around the audience discussed as to how these vital issues of displacement and secured land rights need to come up in the national agenda. The music video could be great tool to conscientise the people about the real issues and take stand.
****** ******* ****** ****** ****** ****** ******* ******
The 5 minutes video was followed by the screening of 'Thousand Days and a Dream' in the presence of C. Saratchandran, one of the co-directors of the film made on the struggle against Coca Cola in Plachimada in Pallakad district in Kerela.
After opening to great acclaim for bringing jobs and development to rural Kerala, local community members began to see a darker side of the neighboring Coca-Cola bottling plant as their water supply began to show signs of contamination and depletion. Despite ridicule and dismissive attitudes, local citizens organized and fought to bring their message to the outside world. Directors P. Baburaj and C. Saratchandran follow these groups as they go up against politicians, state police and corporations in hope of protecting their lands and children from the dangers brought by the plant. (http://indianfilmfestival.org/movies07/1000daysandadream.html)
The screening was facilitated by inputs from Meghnath, Dayamani Barla (anti-displacement tribal activist), Sandeep Pandey (Magsaysay Awardee activist), Sriprakash (filmaker), C Saratchandran and others. The young media students from Xavier's college, took an interest in the interactions with the film makers and activists.