Tu Zinda Hai, Zindagi Ki Jeet Pe Yakeen Kar

On 13th February (Saturday) , it is 8 pm and .... Shabnam Virmani's 'Tu Zinda Hai' (Check here and here) was screened amongst a rural health activist audience (approx 80) engaged under the NRHM in 3 districts of Jharkhand. They were basically educated and gave training to the Sahiyas (village level health activists). The documentary proved to be an inspiring piece for these activist with 1-3 years of engagement at the community level.

The story is about women activists who worked to organise the community aganist alcoholism and land grabbing by external forces. It is a documentation of their journey as an activist and how the change is being felt by them and the community. It is a powerful statement against patriarchy !!

In the background the Shailendra's song ....Tu zinda hai, tu zindagi ki jeet pe yakeen kar ,

Agar kahin hai swarg to utar la zameen par, Ye gam ke aur char din situm ke aur char din

Ye din bhi jaenge guzar, guzar gaye hazaar din .. is immensely powerful and motivating. About lyricist Shailendra here

The documentary was followed by Gaon Chhodab Nahi and Kora Rajee, which helped the audience re-live the plight of livelihood scarcity, and the only way to struggle with a belief in life. 

Standing in Defence of Human Rights - Support to Irom Sharmila

During the fortnight to end gender based violence various events took place in Ranchi in support of Irom Sharmila's struggle against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur.

 

  

 

 

Some of the events were 

• Screening of Sharmila - The Iron Lady in Student Christian Movement's workshop on Human Rights organised in Don Bosco on 29th Nov 2009.
• Screening of Kavita Joshi's Tales from the Margins amongst the Education students of St Xavier's College on 4th Dec 2009.
• Signature Campaign amongst students of rural management in XISS Ranchi during the Quiz-Elocution organised on the issue of violence against women on 5th Dec 2009.
• Film Screenings on Human Rights Day in HPDC Bahu Bazar during the Women's Rights Convention organised by Mahila Hinsa Pratirodh Pakhwara Aayojan Samiti (Speakers - Prof Rose Kerketta and Malancha Ghosh) and in International Library organised by the Ranchi Film Club (Speakers - Stan Lourdswamy and Dayamani Barla) on 10th Dec 2009.

Fragrance of Peace - Irom Sharmila

When life comes to its end
You, please transport, My lifeless body
Place it on the soil of Father Koubru
To reduce my dead body, To cinders amidst the flames
Chopping it with axe and spade, Fills my mind with revulsion
The outer cover is sure to dry out, Let it rot under the ground
Let it be of some use to future generations
Let it transform into ore in the mine
I'll spread the fragrance of peace
From Kanglei, my birthplace, In the ages to come
It will spread all over the world.

How many more rapes, how many more killings, how much more suffering would it take? And more importantly, how much more patience are the people of the northeast expected to have? “I must be patient”, says Irom Sharmila , “For the time being, I must endure.” Already in her tenth year of fast, she displays the endurance and patience of a true yogi. In her poems she writes in an almost mystical vein of a “place with no birth and death"; a “place where truth is lucid and pure.”Engaging an immoral State in moral battle, Irom Sharmila has today become a symbol of hope not only for the people of Manipur but for people everywhere suffering State tyranny.

(Please go to www.manipurfreedom.org to know more about the movement against AFSPA)

Redefining Peace - Young Women and Men Countering VAW / GBV

The 16 Days Fortnight event at Xavier's institute of Social Sciences (XISS) on 5th Dec 2009 comprised of Film Screening, Quiz and Elocution.

KP Sasi's Redefining Peace a documentary was screened on Indian women leaders who were nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2005- Medha Patkar, Teesta Seetalwad, CK Janu, Irom Sharmila etc

The inaugural Address was given by Shravani and Dr Rose Kerketta, who have been part of the women's movement in Jharkhand and bring out a women magazine 'Adhi Duniya'.

Quiz Contest on Women and Violence Issues. There were five teams - Peace, Justice, Freedom, Equality, and Development. The Peace team comprising of Aastha Singh and Abhishek Chakravorty won.

Elocution Contest on the issue of 'My Perspective and Strategy for Countering Violence against Women' had 12 speakers, belonging to different streams of the Institute like rural management, marketing, personnel management and information management. The winners were Soumya Rani Gouda (first), Soumyojjwal Dutta (second), Reeti, Isha and Anupam.

The guests who also judged during the competitions were Dr Usha (Psychologist), Dr Kiran (Sambhava Women magazine) and Sarjeet Singh.The program was organised under the banner of Mahila Hinsa Pratirodh Pakhwara Aayojan Samiti which is collective of many women organisation and networks (GLRF, NAWO, Mahila Garima Abhiyan, etc)

Dr Kiran said it is very much wrong to say that domestic violence is promoted by women, as it is the patriarchal attitudes in which the society has been cultured. We need to hit at patriarchy, which might be present in women too, not solely a men issue.
Students expressed various opinions ...

• It is time for men and women to act beyond just talking about it. Boman Irani's (Bell Bajao) video spot which showed how people in one neighbourhood knock the door of someone engaging in domestic violence, need to be implemented.
• Men have looked at women just with eyes (concentrating on her beauty aspect) but now they have to use brains to look at women's other mental qualities too, which has been shown by Kiran Bedi and Arundhati Roy.
• Women should have the freedom to choose what they want to do as an individual, she should get dignity as a human being.
• There should be a policy of 'zero tolerance'. At least we students should feel it from our hearts and hope this effort kindles a new ray of hope amongst women.
• To counter violence against women, men need to be sensitised. Young men need to stand for women's human rights. 
• The film has helped asserted and help us realise that women issues are beyond 'reproduction', to contribution in production and efforts to create peace.
  

The Quiz involved questions related to Syeda Hameed, Smita Patil, Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu, Meerabai, Roop Kanwar (Sati), film Provoked (on Kiranjeet Ahluwalia case in England), Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen), Arundhati Roy, Aruna Roy, Pandita Ramabai, Simone De Beauvoir, Deepa Mehta film Water (on widows), Mahasweta Devi, Kalpana Lajmi's Rudaali, Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma), PCPNDT Act, Vishakha Sexual Harassment Guidelines, Tasleema Nasreen's book Lajja, Jharkhand Archer Dola Banerjee, etc

The event was coordinated by Elina Horo, Vandana Tete, Sweta Kujur, Praveer Peter, Anima Baa, Shravani and Prabha Lakra. INTREND, the XISS club of students with Anupam, Anupriya, Rajat, Tuhin and Khushboo expressed that they would like to have more of such student activities and be in touch through blogs www.lifeatxiss.blogspot.com and www.openspace-ranchi.blogspot.com.

Using Media Tools for Strengthening the 16 Days International Campaign Against Gender Based Violence

Open Space has joined the 16 days fortnight being celebrated collectively by women organisation and groups working on gender issues, with its inputs on media & communications. The collective Mahila Hinsa Pratirodh Pakhwara Aayojan Samiti, comprises of various groups like National Alliance of Women (NAWO), Gender Livelihoods and Resources Forum (GLRF), Adivasi Women's Network, etc. There will be hosting of various events in Ranchi and nearby districts in Jharkhand, in communities, schools and colleges. 

The use of following media packs will be done ..

• Buru Gara - A PSBT documentary by Sriprakash, based on the lives of two tribal women writers of Jharkhand, Dayamani Barla and Nirmala Putul.Check news
  
• Video Spots on Women, prepared by Jagori and Breakthrough like Mann ke Manjeere, Babul, Bell Bajao (Milk), Don't Suffer in Silence and Beauty Myth. Check site
  
• Sharmila - The Iron Lady - A 30 minutes CNN-IBN production on the struggle of Irom Sharmila against the Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, which has turned the civilian life havoc, with human rights violations by the armed forces (catching youth in the name of extremism, and rape of women). Check site
  
• Redefining Peace - This 58 minutes documentary by KP Sasi is about the Indian women leaders whose names were sent as a group of 1000 women to the Nobel Peace prize committee in 2005. Amongst those depicted are feminist Kamla Bhasin, anti-displacement activist Medha Patkar and adivasi woman of Kerela CK Janu, fighting for land rights. Check site
  

Some of the screening and discussion events are scheduled with ..

• Graduation and Inter students in Nirmala College on 30th Nov 2009.
• Education students in St Xavier's College on 4th Dec 2009.
• Rural Management students in Xavier's Institute of Social Sciences (XISS) on 5th Dec 2009.
• Matriculate muslim students in City Public School on 8th Dec 2009.
  
• Civil society representatives in HRDC on 10th Dec 2009.
  

Screening of Mahua Memoirs

In a seminar focused on 21st November 2009, on the theme of pollution and environment, with Rural Management and Mass Communication students, the documentary Mahua Memoirs seemed very 'out of the context' at the first instance.

 Later there was a realisation that the issue of impact of mining on the rural environment is very much, part of the larger debate on environment sustainability (climate change debate).

Vinod Raja’s Mahua Memoirs , a documentary film featuring Saloo, the bard and Thirku Baiga takes us on a journey through the lives of the Adivasi’s, living in the mountain tracts of the Eastern Ghats across Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand. The regions being rich in natural resources including minerals; the same resources have become the source of their greatest insecurities consuming their lands and their lives.

Iron is Hot .. Or Even Climate

On 31st October, under the hosting of Vriksh, Openspace (Ranchi) organized a seminar on Fire in Coal Mines and Human Settlement. About 100 youngsters from Xavier’s Institute of Social Sciences and Xavier’s College, participated. The discussions highlighted issues of climate change in the context of people inhabiting near mining areas.

Stan Lourdswamy (Human Rights Activist)

While on one hand the whole world is talking about climate change and how to counter it, the Indian State is ramping over the land and forests of the adivasis who have the history of coexistence with nature, and infact contribute through their lifestyles, in making the eco-system balanced.

There is people’s movement against displacement which is building up. And people are saying ‘We won’t give away our lands’. The intellectuals need to take position to stand in favour of the thousands of Adivasis.

Nitish Priyadarshi (Environmentalist)

The issue of climate change is not a new one. It has even been in our Tribal history, when the Asurs were making iron, and there are narrations that this will lead to more and more heat and the streams drying up.

Towards a Consensus View

The issues of climate change though a macro one, has to be tacked through sustainable practices at the grassroots with the communities. And the accountability with the Corporates needs to be defined, by the State.

Films like ‘Iron is Hot’ have to be screened more and more amongst the youth.

Social Networking Sites .. Worthwhile ?

Social Networking sites like Facebook and Orkut have a lot of easy chatting spaces. And many of the times a user might not like to see everything come as feeds. This can be controlled by setting ones privacy settings etc. But rarely anybody does it, and these sites too keep on changing their settings.

The sites have been mis-used and there is a big campaign in Delhi University where the sites were used for sexually harassing the student or academic colleagues with the ‘Let’s have tea at 5 pm at the canteen’, ‘Let’s meet at ..’ comments.

While internet has crossed barriers like age and caste in facilitating communication there are certain norms in communications which need to be learnt through personal endeavour, so that the personal borders are not crossed and rights are not violated.

Some of my friends are using social networking sites for the best of their social messages and sharing of their work. Surya Shankar Dash is sharing on ‘Save Niyamgiri Campaign’ (check site )Kamayani Bali Mahabal is sharing on human rights fronts ‘Repeal AFSPA & Irom Sharmila’ and likewise. Thus it is possible to create a community of your own and use the site for social purposes.

Check 'Irom’s iron in the soul' interview article on Tehelka site.

YouTube has been well used in these campaigns and the movement has been captured through small digital cameras. This has become easier with the improvement in internet technology, its access and expansion of bandwidths.

In this manner advancement in communication technology has created new opportunities for the social movements. These opportunities need to be grabbed.

Discussion rolled on as to how the Pink Chaddi Campaign (check Blog) against the Mangalore Pub incident created a large public support.

Blogs can be use to express your opinions on certain issues and these can be linked to your social networking sites so that postings in the blog are automatically fed in the network profiles. This helps to create a community of friends who are ready to receive and respond to your feeds. But for Blogs to be read by more and more people, 'aggregators' should be used.