Cultural interventions for building secular communities Activism and Culture
Historically, there have constantly existed tension between organisations and their relationship with cultural forms, often because there has been a history of "using" culture reductively by the activist. Culture and cultural forms have often been a vehicle for their effect alone rather than seen, felt or observed celebrations, events or forms in their own right. Culture should not be seen, felt or viewed as a filler, a mere relaxation agent for the activist in the field, in this case the secular activist. It is important to realise that what we are dealing with is/are things/events/persons in active living spaces. We are often witnesses to real life situations where aggressors roam among us and victims live among our midst. We need to continually, culturally interact with these real life situation to enable exchanges and interventions to be vibrant and ever changing.
This could possibly inject a note of celebration into the activities of a secular activist, despite the grim, painful situations that this activists' work arises from. When we speak of building memorials in solidarity or observing/celebrating days in anniversary for instance, this crucial transition from grim, real-life situations reflecting pain and anger to laughter and joy will take place. Injecting a note of celebratory joy into our activities and interventions is an aspect that secular activists could explore.
The actual display of creativities
It might be useful, at this stage to prise open a few questions. In looking for the answers at different regional and local levels, we may actually be able to find pointers and suggestions to some crucial questions. When we speak of culture, and interventions in the cultural arena, we need to take stock of a very critical element. How strong, visible, consistent or creative is (secular) cultural intervention in public spaces? Why have public spaces, and their management, been almost entirely been dominated, or co-opted, by fundamentalists? Then comes the next question.
Why is intervention in public spaces so very crucial? To demonstrate that diversity in viewpoints exists to prevent the complete cooption and domination of the public space by such fundamentalist forces. Identification, Location and Intervention Identification, location and intervention in public spaces is crucial, therefore, for the cultural/ activist.
Examples:
In Delhi, a civil liberties group meets regularly at a fixed time, on a fixed day of the week at a public cafe to discuss its activities. In Calcutta, the local park has often been used as a fixed, venue for citizens action.
Similarly, the compartments of Bombay's suburban rails have been used by women's groups and secular activists too for display of secular slogans building an awareness on issues like violence against women etc. Without trying to dictate, this or that option/suggestion, it might be useful for the secular activist to begin to identify, locate or create public spaces for secular action and intervention. Already, in cases/situations where this has happened, creative and refreshing alternatives have emerged. Where we have been unable to move out of our set groove of "reacting" or intervention, our organisation events have fallen rather flat, our images and slogans have run dry and we have been unable to excite popular consciousness. Innovative identification methods are those that by their very concept/location involve the local community to participate. In Hyderabad for instance, after the first crucial round of post-riot relief work was over, a local group structured a "local reading room" activity situated close to primary health clinics. This automatically meant that women (and children) got drawn into the activity rather than being excluded. The activity of organsiing a local reading room involved the location and creation of a local, community group responsible for "manning" the activities. The collection of resource materials for this purpose, dissemination activities within and around the reading room etc. Similarly in the northern suburb of Bombay, a group has identified a local "corner" (nukkad) library as the activity to draw in youth and organise/discuss for secular action. Video shows of documentary films etc. are also situated at the same location.
Public Spaces
Railway platforms, train compartments and permanent corners, parks, bus stands, other landmarks are extremely important to identify for secular action.
At umpteen workshops and secular activist interventions, some observations are made and reiterated with great regularity: one is the fact that secular action has largely been reactive, not ongoing and pro-active is one of them; second that secular activity and intervention have rarely been able to come up with images and situation that move. Related to these is a third question that may suggest an answer: Why is the narrative tradition so little used in secular action despite the fact that we are culturally and traditionally critically linked to an oral tradition that is laced with mythology and story-telling?
The answer to some or all these questions may be that for secular action to come alive to be proactive, creative, appealing and challenging we, as secular activists need to step OUT, engage ourselves in REAL LIFE EXCHANGES, CONVERSATIONS & INTERACTIONS, from which experiences resonant slogans, phrases and lasting images will emerge Secular, anti communal slogans may then move out of "Mandir-Masjid" stereotypical image and reflect more vibrant images, words and colors that reflect real life experience of pluralism and diversity.
Festivals
In the Indian and South Asian context FESTIVALS (despite their inherent, religious connotations) are social, public events, secular in their celebration.
Yet, festivals and their celebration is another crucial area that has been nearly completely appropriated by communal forces out to establish their hegemony. The result is that instead of retaining and reflecting the rich, pluralist and syncretic image which is their tradition, festivals in large part have become associated with images of aggression and domination. In many cases where secular groups and local activists have been involved and active at the community level however, it has been possible for them to creatively intervene within the public, social, secular spaces that these FESTIVALS provide to inject a more pluralistic and syncretic image. The crucial question for the secular activist is how does he deal with this appropriation of festivals?
Examples:
The Ganapati festival in Maharashtra, for instance, has always had a tradition of erecting "mandaps" (stages/backdrops) that depict a current social/national event or message. "Mandaps" in the past have depicted larger-than-life images and personalities from the freedom struggle, the wars with Pakistan and more-recently (with the permeation of "Hindutva-created" images) have been appropriated to depict Rama and Sita. Despite the fact that there has been a largescale appropriation of the entire Ganapati tradition (and the huge funds that this brings with it) by the Shiv Sena in the state, there have been noteworthy grassroot level efforts towards secularising this festival that has been appropriated by local, community groups, particularly post 1992-93. In Satara, a secular youth group, used the occasion to organise a poster and slogan competition for youngsters around the theme of plurality and non-violence. These posters and slogans were then displayed through the ten-day celebration on the stage.
In Bombay, in Dharavi (Asia's largest slum colony), a local youth group has been erecting "mandaps" with a deep social message for some years now. Last year (1996) the same group after intense discussions even created a small audio-visual that depicted a series of human created catastrophes including the world wars, Hitler's rule and the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The entire effort meant debate, discussion, (selection of theme) organising, fund-collection, the whole effort contributes invaluable to both organisation and secularization.
In Malad, a suburb of north Bombay, a local youth group came up with this idea of intervention: the last few decades have, apart from anything else completely "saffronised" the Ganapati festival. A rich and beautiful colour has been successfully appropriated by Hindutva forces to draw dividing lines of "us" and "then". During the ten-day long celebration saffron flags and head bands dominate the public arena. Roads and areas are simply doused in saffron. In response, this group in Malad came up with a interesting idea:though relatively small in number, they decided to produce a series of multiple-colour headbands which were then sported by this whole group through the ten days. It injected a break, a different image in the celebration.
Sahabhojan or inter-dining is another activity that has been created, and shared both within a festival celebration and on its own as a secular activity. Through KHOJ a secular education programme, parents (unfortunately it is almost always, mothers) cook together, the specialities of their community and caste. This is then shared and eaten together: in the process individuals and groups get familiarised with eating patterns and habits of different communities and caste (itself a secularising activity) and as importantly a very vital taboo (of eating together, interdining) is also in the process, broken.
Can LOCAL or NATIONAL festivals prove to be such an occasion for the secular activists? Without, once again, presuming to dictate that this is always possible, it would be seen that this is a very useful area and space for intervention for the local activists to explore. IMAGES/SYMBOLS
The area of generating live and meaningful images and symbols that communicate more and have impact on people with a strong secular message has been briefly dealt with earlier. The problem faced by the secular activist is that we have very rarely been able to move out of trite and dry imagery. Why? Why has the secular movement failed to produce images and slogans that move?
It was suggested in response to this question at the beginning that this is likely to be because it is rare that these images have in actual fact emerged out of, or reflected real-life situations. A very important area within IMAGES is that concerning subverting or challenging existing images, especially the stereotypes. ROLE OF THE ACTIVIST is equally vital in questioning SYMBOLS and STEREOTYPES as much as generating creative new ones? Instead of showing people HOW to make an image (the technical expertise), it is also important to try and list, and suggest activities that may help in generation of images.
The aim of the secular activist should be
1. create new images
2. subvert existing stereotypes
3. explore all forums and means for the generations of different
images in different mediums while recognising their limitations
ACTIVITIES (secular action) that can result in new IMAGES and SYMBOLS being
generated are elaborated upon here:
a. Songs and Song Creation
The attempt by the secular activist should be to create a situation/activity
when people, collectively and creatively, generate/create their own poetry and
songs. This can happen through workshops that include games geared towards song
creation.
The emphasis should be on song creation or generation rather than song
memorization.
b. Theatre
Theatre, as a collective creative activity has tremendous potential that can be
explored by the local secular activist. ACTING is a physical process through
which many emotive and other processes emerge and link up: trust games within
theatre sharpen reflexes and an individual/group's capacity to improvise. Acting
also builds up an individual/group's capacity to build a story through physical
movement. The performance of a play, or acting also raises the question: where,
when, why and for whom are you acting?
THEATRE is always a local event, performed in a specific space where time and
locale coincide.
LOCAL NEEDS and PRIORITIES get absorbed into the script-building process:what
subject is handled? The local contexts, point of emphasis and techniques that
are used to make the script story effectively reach home/make its point, the
language, music and other forms that get woven into the script etc.
THEATRE is what happens in the playing space, in which the AUDIENCE plays an
active and crucial part;
ACTIVIST (FORUM AND INVISIBLE) THEATRE in many countries actively promotes the
participation of the AUDIENCE in its work by FREEZING a situation/play at a
point of time to enable audience reactions and participation. Opening a play
with the joker/ sutradhar/vidhushak is also a technique of drawing in people and
their reactions.
There must be an emphasis on trying on DEMOCRATISE the creative process of
theatre through a collective decision-making process.
c. Selection, Screening of Films,Film Jatras, ...
Secular Intervention through the use of multi-media skills Different kinds of
community processes can be brought into play or activated while using different
creative activities for secular action: for instance, a POSTER MAKING, THEATRE,
SONG GENERATION, PHOTO EXHIBITION, PUPPETRY - each of these can involve
different levels of community level participation and involvement as can FILM
SCREENINGS, READING ROOMS, POETRY WRITING AND PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL FESTIVALS.
Example:
In Kerala and Tamilnadu video jatras - screening of a collection of video films
along a pre-selected route with the film makers also present - have successfully
generated much local participation and healthy secular activity. Some local
groups in Madhya pradesh have also periodically used and developed such a theme
for secular action. This could be a very vital and necessary process. The
process of SELECTION of films that are being screened, AVAILABILITY of films,
PRESENCE of film makers, SCREENING itself, DISCUSSION thereafter - all these are
activities that have generated enthusiastic responses wherever they have been
used. The ACCOMPANYING activities like a PHOTO or POSTER exhibition, for
instance, in themselves generate their own exclusive interest and activity.
Often the occasion for such JATRAS has meant that local groups have produced
valuable RESOURCES - posters, cards, songs, slogans - on the occasion. WALL
SPACES get used for SECULAR GRAFFITI and BANNERS get displayed. DISTRIBUTION of
RESOURCES and INFORMATION: There is a need, however, to figure out a structure
and format of distribution of alternate documentary and fiction films that are
getting produced but not reaching activists at grassroot level. HOW DO WE
GENERATE GREATER AWARENESS ABOUT THE FILMS BEING MADE? WHAT ABOUT THE FACT OF
THE GREATER POPULARITY OF MAINLINE CINEMA AND TELEVISION? In response to these
questions what was widely felt was that the CREATOR should not think of
controlling creative agencies or choices. Our emphasis should be on MAKING
AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES: wider choices are made available, people have their own
negotiating powers to make their own decisions.
d. Local Forms,
Folk Forms and the Secular Activist
While we had a legacy of using folk forms for anti-imperialist and anti-fascist
movements - the tamasha, povadas, burakatha, bhavai, kabijaan, sawaal-jawaab, -
this tradition has certainly dried up in the past decade-and-a-half. WHY?
The secular activist needs to examine this question and look for the answers
because it is connected with the crucial area of how the entire cultural arena
has become dominated by communalists and fundamentalists (Fifteen-twenty years
ago we had phenomena like the (secular) povadas but not any more, WHY?)
Why has the secular movement abandoned the use of these forms? It is a question
that needs to be examined.
e. Poster Workshops
Poster Workshops can be used to bring people together, particularly the young.
They could not only help mobilize the local creature talent, but also give
expression to local issues.
All in all, apart from the specifics of the various forms mentioned, it is the
entire APPROACH of the activist, to culture that needs to be closely examined.
Only then can VIBRANT, MOVING and extremely COMMUNICATIVE IMAGES/SLOGANS/OTHER
CREATIVE EFFORTS emerge. CULTURE as HEALER
CULTURE as INSTIGATOR:provoking thought and provoking dissent CULTURE as
CELEBRATION
This is related to the content and approach of the cultural intervention by the
cultural activist.
IDENTIFICATION of LOCATION is as vital a process and a factor because PUBLIC
SPACES - their identification and their use - have been more or less abandoned
by us. All these aspects need to be carefully examined taking local and regional
factors into consideration. Sources
This is a tentative list of some of the important articles/books/films and
journals. You should supplement the regional sources to this.
Major sources
Asghar Ali Engineer: Communalism in India, Vikas, 1995, New, Delhi. Asghar Ali
Engineer : Lifting the Veil, Sangam, Hyderabad, 1995 Anandhi S. Contending
Identities, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1995. Balraj Puri, Kashmir,
Tracts for Times 4, Orient Longman, New Delhi. Chritophe Jafferlot: The Hindu
Naitonalist Movement and Indian Politics, (1925 to 1995) Viking, Penguin, 1996,
New Delhi. David Ludden (Ed.) Making India Hindu, Oxford University Press, New
Delhi, 1996.
Iqbal Narain (Ed.) Secularism in India, Classic Publishing, Jaipur Gail Omvedt :
Dalit Visions : Tracts for the times - 8. Orient Longman Hyderabad. 1996.
Gynendra Pandey (Ed.) Hindus and Others, Viking (Penguin) New Delhi 1993. Harsh
Kapoor : Resources against Communalism and Religious Fundamentalism in India :
Sahmat. Jan96, New Delhi.
Indian Peoples Human Rights Commission, The Peoples Verdict, IPHRC, 93, Bombay.
Jayant Lele : Hindutva:The Emergence of Right, Earthworm, Chennai, 1995.
K.N.Panikkar, Communal Threat Secular Challenge, Earthworm, Chennai, 1997.
, Communalism in Indian: History, Politics and Culture, Manohar, Delhi - 1990.
Lokshai Hakk Sanghtnana and CPDR, The Bombay Riots: Myths and Realities, Bombay
1993.
Madhari Yasin, Emergence of Nationalism, Congress and Seperatism Raj Publicatons,
Delhi 1996.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay : The Demolition, Indus, New Delhi, 1994. Peoples
Publishing House : Selected writings on Communalism, May 94. New Delhi
Rustom Bharucha : The Question of Faith. Tracts for the times : 3, Orient
Longman, New Delhi 1993.
R.Heredia, Edward Mathais (Ed.) Secularism and Liberation, Indian Social
Institute, New Delhi 1995.
S.Gopal (Ed.) Anatomy of Confrontation. The Babri Masjid Ramjambhumi Issue,
Penguin, New Delhi 1990.
T. Basu, P.Datta, S.Sarkar, T.Sarkar and S.Sen : Khaki Shorts Safron Flags
Tracts for the times : 1, Orient Longman, New Delhi 1993. Tanika Sarkar, Urvashi
Butalia (Ed.), Women and The Hindu Right Kati for Women, 1995, New Delhi.
U.D.Chopra (Ed.) Religious Fundamentalism in Asia, Gyan Publisher, 1994, New
Delhi.
Vasudha Dalmia, Himich Von Skeietencron: Representing Hinduism, Sage New Delhi,
1995.
Journals/Periodicals
1. Javed Anand, Teesta Setalvad : Communalism Combat, Sabrang Communications,
Juhu, Mumbai
2. A.A.Engineer, Towards Secular India, 9B,Himalaya Apts, Santacruz, West Mumbai
Films.
1. Anand Patwardhan (a) Ram Ke Nam : CED - Duration 60 mts
(b) Father Son and Holy War -Duration 120 mts 2. Madhushree Datta : Behrampada
3. Teesta Setalvad : Bombay : A myth Shattered 4. Suma Jossom : Bombay's Blood
Yatra
5. Rajkumari Asthana: Aur Hum Dekhte Rehe 6. Popular films : Garam Hava, Mammo,
Salim Langada Par Mat Ro
Naseem
Audio Cassettes
1.Sahmat : Sampradayikta Ke Virodh Mein Kalakar Special Issues:
Economic and Political Weekly `Secularism, Modernity and State Social Scientist,
Vol.18, Nov 10, Oct.1990
Methodology For Community Building
Social intervention for building secular communities. Each locality
will have a facilitator. In selecting the facilitator the following may be kept
in mind
1. Employed in the locality
2. Respected for personal integrity and social concern
3. Preferably not a member of any political party
4. Reasonably educated
5. Capable of Playing leadership role
To the Facilitator
While working in the community you will have to implement your `soical project'
by struggling around issues related to secular democracy. The following
tentative guidelines may help you in charting out a proper course of action.
Depending on the situation you may have to modify the nitty gritty details as
per your judgement.
Background work :
1. Preparation of profile of locality
2. Identification of issues
3. Organisation of local community
4. creating of local collective.
Basically these were presented as a series of do's and dont's which you can
undertake in the given locality. The arena of activity would be in a specified
geographical locality rather than identifying a community per se - as there
could be many communities which would have to be brought together under the
umbrella of the local collective. The first activity which you should undertake
is to
1. map the physical resources of the area followed by a detailed microanalysis
of the locality which could encompass:
1.1 The Population - communities -class - caste
2. Land holding patterns - cropping patterns
3. Work, employment patterns
Castewise professions - eg. Artisans - muslim (and possible areas
of tension) Traders-Hindus as in Benarasi saree industry.
4. Gender wise analysis - involvement of women in different institutions mandals,
panchayats
5. Youth clubs, committees, their activities.
6. Political parties - how strong or effective the impact of their
presence/activities is.
7. Institutional Structures - their composition and functioning,
eg. Panchyats milk diaries.
8. Major Festivals - Cultural forms like traditional
songs, dances as opposed to satellite MTV culture.
9. The different Government schemes eg.EGS (Employment Guarantee Scheme) Housing
Schemes, irrigation etc. any organised demand for these schemes.
10. Any other bodies such as NGOs.
11. Formal Panchayat - Representatives of minorities and women. Traditional
Panchayats e.g. Dalit Panchayat, Adivasi Panchayat, Padmashali Panchayat (Telegu)
12. Any issues that divide the people - creates conflicts e.g. temple,
graveyard, tensions over syncretic cultural practices.
13. Profile of Health Care Systems.
14. Basic amenities - e.g. water, sanitation, education etc.
15. Infrastructural facilities - Road, transport, electricity, communication.
16. Function and relationship of State apparatus with the people.
17. Any major struggle by the community or interest groups.
18. Any "unique" issue .e.g. pride in their identity 19. Any `Senas' -
Castewise?
In the case of Urban areas the focus and emphasis might differ for e.g.
20. Housing conditions
21. Reasons for migration, community/caste composition of migrants, their
linkage with villages.
22. Gender dimension - women's role in employment wages.
23. Working conditions, facilities.
The facilitator would be creating the local profile, by interaction with diverse
sections of the locality and by engaging potential leaders (who could be members
of the local collective) to be part of the information gathering.
The other source would be from Panchayat, District office, and gazette. After
creating the profile the data could be presented to the people of the locality
for information and feedback. In this process potential members of the local
collective could be identified. After the local profile is made the next step is
to facilitate creation of a local collective. The type of person who would be
part of the collective should :-
1. have a social commitment to his/her community
2. be able to devote time
3. be acceptable to a large section of the community
4. have leadership qualities
5. have social and organisational skills
6. The Collective will be a non-party political forum With the creation of the
local collective, they would identify local issues, prioritise them or organise
the local community around these issues. Does the local collective organise the
local communities from issue to issue? - or is there a large longtime goal? The
local collective is aiming towards the creation of a non-communal community free
from exploitation, having good relationship with each other, able to create a
sustainable livelihood. The task of the local collective is to address various
issues relating to the creation of secular consciousness in society. It can
undertake a variety of acitivites. Some of these are :
1. Sports and cultural programmes
2. Environmental issues
3. Libraries/reading rooms
4. Challenge oppressive traditions e.g. alcoholism etc.
5. Sanitation
6. Study of local history
7. Drinking Water
further issues to be added dependent on the local situation : You should
1. organize ongoing training for the collective
2. create support system in the region by getting the involvement of writers, artists, lawyers etc.
3. Organize study circles
4. Organize interaction between collectives, between localities through using cultural activities, melas, utsavs, yatras
5. identify and invoke local traditions and history which bring people together.
6. should equip collective community in dealing with conflicts.
7. Arrange a meeting of the community at least once in a fortnight.
... a tentative list of some of the important articles/books/films and journals.
You should supplement the regional sources to this.
Major sources
Asghar Ali Engineer: Communalism in India, Vikas, 1995, New, Delhi.
Asghar Ali Engineer : Lifting the Veil, Sangam, Hyderabad, 1995
Anandhi S. Contending Identities, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1995.
Balraj Puri, Kashmir, Tracts for Times 4, Orient Longman, New Delhi.
Chritophe Jafferlot: The Hindu Naitonalist Movement and Indian Politics, (1925 to 1995) Viking, Penguin, 1996, New Delhi.
David Ludden (Ed.) Making India Hindu, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1996.
Iqbal Narain (Ed.) Secularism in India, Classic Publishing, Jaipur
Gail Omvedt : Dalit Visions : Tracts for the times - 8. Orient Longman Hyderabad. 1996.
Gynendra Pandey (Ed.) Hindus and Others, Viking (Penguin) New Delhi 1993.
Harsh Kapoor : Resources against Communalism and Religious Fundamentalism in India : Sahmat. Jan96, New Delhi.
Indian Peoples Human Rights Commission, The Peoples Verdict, IPHRC, 93, Bombay.
Jayant Lele : Hindutva:The Emergence of Right, Earthworm, Chennai, 1995.
K.N.Panikkar, Communal Threat Secular Challenge, Earthworm, Chennai, 1997.
K.N.Panikkar, Communalism in Indian: History, Politics and Culture, Manohar, Delhi - 1990.
Lokshai Hakk Sanghtnana and CPDR, The Bombay Riots: Myths and Realities, Bombay 1993.
Madhari Yasin, Emergence of Nationalism, Congress and Seperatism Raj Publicatons, Delhi 1996.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay : The Demolition, Indus, New Delhi, 1994.
Peoples Publishing House : Selected writings on Communalism, May 94. New Delhi
Rustom Bharucha : The Question of Faith. Tracts for the times : 3, Orient Longman, New Delhi 1993.
R.Heredia, Edward Mathais (Ed.) Secularism and Liberation, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi 1995.
S.Gopal (Ed.) Anatomy of Confrontation. The Babri Masjid Ramjambhumi Issue, Penguin, New Delhi 1990.
T. Basu, P.Datta, S.Sarkar, T.Sarkar and S.Sen : Khaki Shorts Safron Flags Tracts for the times : 1, Orient Longman, New Delhi 1993.
Tanika Sarkar, Urvashi Butalia (Ed.), Women and The Hindu Right Kati for Women, 1995, New Delhi.
U.D.Chopra (Ed.) Religious Fundamentalism in Asia, Gyan Publisher, 1994, New Delhi.
Vasudha Dalmia, Himich Von Skeietencron: Representing Hinduism, Sage New Delhi, 1995.
Journals/Periodicals
1. Javed Anand, Teesta Setalvad : Communalism Combat, Sabrang Communications, Juhu, Mumbai
2. A.A.Engineer, Towards Secular India, 9B,Himalaya Apts, Santacruz, West Mumbai
Films.
1. Anand Patwardhan (a) Ram Ke Nam : CED - Duration 60 mts
(b) Father Son and Holy War -Duration 120 mts
2. Madhushree Datta : Behrampada
3. Teesta Setalvad : Bombay : A myth Shattered
4. Suma Jossom : Bombay's Blood Yatra
5. Rajkumari Asthana: Aur Hum Dekhte Rehe
6. Popular films :
Garam Hava, Mammo, Salim Langada Par Mat Ro , Naseem
Audio Cassettes
1.Sahmat : Sampradayikta Ke Virodh Mein Kalakar Special Issues:
Economic and Political Weekly `Secularism, Modernity and State Social Scientist, Vol.18, Nov 10, Oct.1990
Indian National Social Action Forum Manual