Another world? Better world?

A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and a public street party. The India Social Forum was no different

Akash Bisht Delhi

“Beware! Devil in the garb of Santa,” screamed a pamphlet being distributed at the entrance of India Social Forum (ISF), which took place at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi from November 9 to 13, 2006.

The pamphlets were being handed over by members of Disha Students Organisation, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Hundred Flowers Marxist Study Circle of Delhi University. Criticising the World Social Forum (WSF) charter, the pamphlet read, “This is simply a space for discussion and establishing coordination among various organisations. The corollary being this platform will never initiate any substantial action, as the charter of the WSF itself puts a cap against any such aspirations.”

The WSF was conceived as an open space for democratic discussion of ideas, actions, formulating proposals and resolutions, and a shared platform for civil society organisations and people’s movements that are opposed to neo-liberal globalisation, communal fascism, mass displacement, hunger and poverty, gender, race, caste and class discrimination, ecological destruction and unbridled corporatisation.

The first highly successful and radical edition of the WSF was organised in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001, marking opposition to the World Economic Forum held in Davos and serving as catalyst for protests against globalisation and militarism across Western nations. The WSF in Mumbai in 2004 was a huge success, with more than one lakh people participating; the Asian chapter of the WSF took place in Hyderabad in 2003. Much like its previous incarnations, the Indian avatar of the WSF, the ISF, also aimed to advance a larger movement against globalisation and social injustice, and create alternatives for a better world. But it turned out to be a mere cultural extravaganza amongst a host of chaotic, half-hearted, events, and, barring a few authentic struggle groups, basically served as yet another ‘marketplace’ for cash-rich NGOs to hawk comfortable issues without an iota of grassroots resistance or protracted struggles. So much so, the stadium became a cocooned utopia, untouched by the world outside, and vice versa.

The five-day ‘tamasha’ was aimed at building solidarity and alliances, and present alternatives for ‘a better world’ with a strong slogan of ‘Building another World’. Attracting activists, Left parties (mainly the ‘official Left’), NGOs, and intellectuals from all over the world, the forum featured more than 50,000 participants, 350 panels, discussions, conferences, protests, documentaries, street plays, song and dance by colourful tribals and enthralling performances by delegates from Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal and various parts of India.

The cultural events that turned out to be crowd-pullers were by Lou Majau (the Bob Dylan of the Northeast), Raghu Shetty’s band, Nepathya (fusion band from Nepal), Maya Rani (Baul singer from Bangladesh) and an eclectic show by African delegates. “Certain cultural performances were entertaining. The rest failed to create an impact or an atmosphere for serious dialogue,” informed a journalist.

Instead of attending critical discussions in tented halls, the audiences preferred to stay out in the sun and wait for various bands to finish their sound checks. For instance, one ‘international seminar’ had eight speakers and three listeners. In other places, most often, it was the convert talking to the converted, including Leftist big guns like Sitaram Yechury and NBA leader Medha Patkar.

However, some of the important issues raised were war occupation and conflict, democracy in South Asia, minority rights, globalisation and the social sector, caste and discrimination, issues from the Northeast, child labour, and WTO, among others. “Since most speakers spoke in English, the majority of us found no point in attending these discussions,” said Atma Ram, a tribal from Jharkhand. Calling the ISF a failure, most ‘radical activists’ wanted more participation in grassroot struggles and a planned strategy of collective, mass action that could stop the current onslaught on people’s movements all over the country. “In any case, the ISF has been totally taken over by the CPM and NGO corporates. Its radical edge has been killed,” said a feminist-activist.

Instead of treating the ISF as a common ground for solidarity with living struggles against globalisation, social injustice and communalism, the event became a mouthpiece of affluent NGOs. “It was more of an NGO show than a people’s movement. A lot of these organisations used the ISF to prove their legitimacy, they might not be visible otherwise and made sure they don’t go unnoticed,” complained Harsh Dobhal, Managing Editor of Combat Law, a human rights journal.

Most participants complained that discussions were on issues that are already under the scrutiny of activists, media and the public. “Instead of doing a five-day event they could have settled for a two- or three-day event. The rest of the massive funds collected should have been given to organisations working for the poor and marginalised,” complained Arvind Tyagi, an activist.

Others argued that the organisers should have gone for direct action — blocked the traffic, organised huge protests outside the prime minister’s house or Parliament, or gone in for a mass peaceful satyagraha. That would have given political meaning and substance to the Forum. “Why not an ISF in Kalinganagar or Kashipur, or in Vidarbha and Dadri? Why not capture an SEZ for five days,” said a radical activist.

According to Dobhal, the forum was urban-centric and there was little representation from the rural parts of India, where people are fighting for their basic rights. Most of the NGO counters had young boys and girls, who were more interested in catering to urban crowds and politely tried shooing away the rural participants. This reporter saw a hip girl in charge of a counter, who refused to respond to the earnest queries of an adivasi and continued fiddling with her swanky ipod.

However, to trash the entire event would not do justice to the forum, as it did create a huge, collective space for thousands of people from the grassroots and urban India, who shared their experiences of struggle against multiple forms of injustices and discrimination, and bonded with each other. They found a common ground where they could lend their voices and ears to those of others. 

The event focussed on deepening the WSF solidarity between the Asian and African movements; it was successful, to an extent, in attaining this solidarity, as African delegations could be seen interacting with the tribal leaders of movements in India. They even jammed with Raghu Shetty’s band and rapped about solidarity between “Mama India” and Africa. The event came to an end with a thundering speech by Magsaysay award winner Aruna Roy and a brilliant performance by African delegates who made the crowds sway to rhythmic African beats.

All in all, there was hope, there was anger, and there was joy. Yes, another world is possible. But where is that world?

Expressions, protest, vindication, globalisation, and repression, revolution: it was a spectrum of themes that spun the films at the Indian Social Forum (ISF). Started on November 10, popularly called ‘3 Screens Public Ka Multiplex’, this film festival was a major crowd-puller. Under the tag “3 screens, 3 days, 99 films”, the films were divided in four sections.

‘The New Images’ had 35 recent documentaries by Indian filmmakers. This section screened films by some of the best young Indian filmmakers. 1000 Days and a Dream (P Babutraj, C Saratchandran)  about the anti-Coca-Cola struggle in Plachimada, Kerala, AFPSA,1958 (Haobam Paban Kumar)  and Tales from Margins (Kavita Joshi) on army atrocities in Manipur, Bhal Khabar (Altaf Mazid) on the Assam movement and  Calcutta Pride March 2004 (Tejal Shah) on Section 377 were some of the best pick.

‘Other Worlds are Breathing 2005’ presented alternatives to neo-liberal, capitalist globalisation through 22 films in this section.  

There were 22 films in the forum ‘Labour on Screen’ with the central theme revolving around trade unions and workers; also ‘Working Lives’. The ‘Director’s Cut’ section, as the name suggests, was basically driven by the director’s creation. This section featured one film by the director and one of his choice. Anand Patwardhan’s In the Name of God Deepa Dhanraj’s Something like a War were also screened.

–Nasrin Sultana