I think Maithri and Roshini has a point or two. We need to draft a moral code for solidarity struggles in Kerala. I could put few points and I hope the AIDWA, CPI(M), and other morally strong people will join in this endeavour for a code of conduct. This needs to be elaborated with uniform, yoga practises or slogans to control un controlled sexual urge, revolutionary urges, drinking, smoking etc.
1. Activists should not do protests at night. 2. They should cover their body properly. 3. No cigerette smoking, drinking, cocacola etc. 4. Donot wear fanciful dress, always go on minimum. (Men has to appear like 'real men'; no long hair, proper moustache, Mundu with colourless underwear- Learn this from the CPIM Local secretary) 5. No hugging between men and women. (even if they hug,it has to be with comraderie (brotherly, sisterly fashion), as in the DYFI, RSS camps) 6. Show respect to the watch dogs like Kairali TV and Deshabhimani. Donot provoke them by exposing anything. (this is applicable to men also) 7. Donot think in terms of local demands or struggles. Imperialism is too huge, you need to be repetitively chanting it and talking about it. 8. Cross dressers, smoking women (or any other loose women), trans sexuals, anarchists, maoists, all should be kept away from the solidarity. 9. In crisis situations, like for example when one has a moral dilemma, always go for an opinion with the local CPI(M) office or other morally right patrons. If you can't find people with left leanings then only go to the RSS office or the church. On 3/24/08, Dileep Raj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Read a report on Chengara and a comment on night vigil written by Roshni > Padmanabhan and Mythri Prasad Aleyamma in > today's malayalam weekly. > > let me share my feeling and response to the criticisms / allegations raised > against Night Vigil by them. > > 1.They try to teach / dictate others on how civil society should support > struggles and what should be the 'quintessential > spirit" of solidarity activities. being dismissive/ critical of others' > actions is most democratic. Is it democratic to advise > others on what / how to do? > 2.People came to Night Vigil in a picnic mood, they say.How do they arrive > at such a conclusion? what methodology ( except > accepting Kairali's repeated visuals ) did they follow in it? How are > they different from kairali photographer? > 3.We turned/ misused the Night Vigil into a platform for demanding sexual > freedom/individual freedom , they say. how do they support it? ( again, > except referring to Kairali's representation) . Are they not equaly > undemocratic in branding us as sexual revolutionaries? Not that fighting for > sexual freedom is a crime. But I am not clear what one mean by that > term.Secondly, there were Dalit activists, feminists, > sexworkers, students , professionals , writers ( not exclusive categories > but overlapping..) etc in the group. How can somebody homogenise this group > and question their intentions? > 4." Isn't there a contradiction in people veturing on supporting a Dalit > struggle without understanding its true essense claiming that it is a novel > form and complaining about Kairali's portrayal?" This is the most dangerous > part of the argument to my view. IT NORMALISES VIOLENCE . > 5.We should have expected such reprting and its less media's fault than > ours, accuses Roshni and Mythri. Really sad. Just like elders cursing a girl > for traveling at night upon raped. Just like cetain human rights activists > justifying state violence against naxalites > by asking " What else do you expect from State?" as if everybody engaging in > democratic politics 'deserve' to be treated undemocratically by media and > state and they should be 'prepared' to face assaults. Really really sad to > listen to this often repeated > advise from friends whom we expect to be sensitive. > 6.Final paragraph has to be quoted in full. " Night Vigil team's social > capital rocketed like anything as a result of this discourse( Any publicity > is good publicity). Chengara struggle suffer the loss." I couldn't imagine > a more insensitive observation. Isn't it analogous to accusing Roshni and > Mythri of gainig cultural capital and (economic ) capital by writing about > Chengara in a weekly? I think it will > be (selectively) quoted in tommorrow''s Deshabhimani. [ are they 'expecting' > it?]. At what cost do agents in Night Vigil gain this "social capital"? > Getting stigmatised( in society and activist circles)? By fasing social > fascism the way Reshma did in her locality? > 7. The way Roshni and Mythri grounds their view points reminds me of "sabda > Pramana vada" in Indian Philosphy. What matters there is not the reasoning > but the fact that the speaker has direct access to 'truth'.They claim to be > more 'near' to struggling people than anybody else. Granted , but one > question. couldn't ther be dialougue between struggling sections/ > individuals? ( Sanni M Kapikkad, > active in Chengara solidarity activities from the beginnig said, "if the > committe asks me to stay away from Chengara struggle > I will stand by night vigil and continue my struggle. But to my surprise, > the Dalit leaderships showed more belief in the 'young guys' than > Deshabhimani." We are not anchoring our actions/ arguments in the > authoroty of our relationship to the struggling people. We recognise them as > eqquals and are not afraid oof enagaging in a critical dialougue with them. > We are not patrons but equals to them. > > > > > -- > Dileep R I thuravoor > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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