Dear Amit Bhaduri and Paul Diwakar, There is a limit of information that can be placed in a documentary film. There is no limit of information which can be communicated through the medium of writing. When I watch the film, I feel that is is already loaded with information. Some of the points mentioned by Paul have already come in the film. However, I have always felt that more films with serous pursuit are needed on this whole exercise of Kandhamal genocide. I hope such exercises will take place in future. The grave human rights violations can be seen from the perspectives of dalits, adivasis, christians, women, children, historical narration and many other angles. The propaganda by the Sangh Parivar can be confronted from many angles. This is only one effort to bring in many of these angles. But there is always a limit to penetrate to any one angle, since the format and the structure of the planned film have limitations. I hope you will understand that. Thank you very much for your responses. When we made the first film on Narmada dams, what struck me was that after the screenings of the film, many film makers were inspired to pursue different areas of the issue. I wish something like that happens with this issue also. Thanks again for the feedback. Warm regards and best wishes, K.P. Sasi
On Sun, Aug 29, 2021 at 10:27 AM Amit Bhaduri <[email protected]> wrote: > Sasi,I had visited Kandhamal soon after the violence as part of a fact > finding team. One aspect of it is the Dalit Christians have some English > and had low level jobs in the local administration. With this advantage > they came to own some land. The other Adivasis considered themselves > original 'rajas', even told us so , and resented this fact. Similar is a > story in Jharkhand I had witnessed before. This land issue needs focus. Amit > > On Sun, Aug 29, 2021, 10:00 AM Paul Divakar <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> *Dear Sasi,* >> >> Greetings! >> >> Thank you Sasi for the documentary. Thank you PMRC for sharing it with >> us all. >> >> Sasi, I would like to congratulate you for your painstaking efforts to >> bring this excellently well documented film. Thanks to Fr. Ajay, Fr. Manoj >> Nayak, Sr. Kusum, Sr. Christa, Mr. Dhirendra Panda, Fr. Dibyasigh Paricha >> and several others whose names may not be visible who have waged a great >> struggle to bring the story out and demand justice. >> >> The documentary starts off very well and traces the history of freedom of >> faith rather than religious conversions as the basis for the Kandhamal >> violence and the nature of violence. Once again I would like to acknowledge >> Sasi for his detailed diligent work. >> >> NCDHR has been the first body to have entered the area after the very >> first wave of violence (2007) and we saw first hand the trail of >> destruction and hatred. We engaged with communities and talked to people of >> both the survivors and the perpetrators of violence. Fr. Ajay, Fr. Manoj, >> Dhirendra Panda and those mentioned above were the key leaders who >> supported the communities and challenged the state demanding justice to the >> survivors of Kandhamal violence. >> >> Sasi, I feel this documentary may need to bring in two key elements of >> Kandhamal violence. >> >> The mainstream media and the state portrayed this violence as a result of >> the demand of Pano communities who are categorised as SCs to be recognised >> as Scheduled Tribes and so the violence is the result of the STs of >> Kandhamal and surrounding area abetted by the hindutva forces. It is >> interesting to note that a large proportion of Pano communities christian >> and have built institutions that gave them dignity. >> >> Secondly, the Kandhamal violence in 2007 has roots of Dalits, most of >> whom have chosen Christian faith, who challenged the dominant castes in the >> area through their economic assertion. During the Vinayaka Chturthi >> celebrations the Dalits set up their stall as big as the dominant castes >> stall, which got the dominant castes seething with anger and they broke it >> down. This was also retaliated by Dalit youth, many of whom happend to be >> Christain Dalits, resulting in the damage of the dominant caste stall!!! >> Then a rumour was spread virulently that 'Christian missionaries' have >> damaged the stall of 'Hindus' - thereby giving it communal twist. And that >> was the excuse for the hindutva forces, which were dominated by the traders >> from the neighbouring districts, to make it a communal divide. >> >> A related phenomenon, we have observed is that the dignity of Dalit >> communities in the district and in the state has been strongly supported by >> the Christian institutions. It gave them community halls, the youth a >> dignity of education, music and the practice of dressing well. Gave them >> exposure to the outside world through visits to other parts of the state >> and the country and also education outside the state. The stigma of >> 'untouchability' has been removed internally. Though there have not been >> any evidence of the Church fighting the scourge of untouchability >> blatantly, latently it has given a base for those youth who have been >> touched by the Christian institutions to chanllenge caste based >> discrimination. This story too must be told, because Baba Saheb Ambedkar >> has asserted that unless the deep roots of hindutva are wrenched away from >> the mind of the Dalits, the scourge of untouchability will not be removed >> from our culture. That is the reason for his Dhamma Parivartan - a >> transformation from the bondage of 'casteist' values. Without this element >> of the struggle for justice of Kandhamal survivors, the story may not be >> complete. >> >> *I believe Kandhamal violence is not a mere communal violence against >> Christian minority but another wave of violence against the asserting >> Dalits and Adivasis!* >> >> *Sasi, I do hope this element may find some space in your narrative.* >> >> *Congratulations to you Sasi and a salute to all the leaders who >> struggled and continue to struggle courageously against these forces which >> dehumanise people, especially the vulnerable communities. * >> >> With best wishes and Kind Regards, >> >> *N. Paul Divakar,* >> >> Organising Partner, >> *Stakeholder Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, * >> *MGoS, UN HLPF CSO coordination mechanism* >> >> Convenor*,* >> *GFoD *(Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent) >> >> >> *General Secretary*Global Advocacy & Networks >> National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights >> 8/1 South Patel nagar, 2nd Floor >> New Delhi - 110 008 >> Mobile: +91 99100 46813 >> [email protected] >> Skype ID: pdanamala >> Twitter: @paulncdhr >> www.ncdhr.org.in >> >> Towards a Global Forum of communities Discriminated by Work and Descent >> including Caste >> >> Global Caste and Discrimination Based on Work and Descent >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, 28 Aug 2021 at 19:42, [email protected] <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Kindly circulate this film within your network. >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9T5fmc05to >>> >>> Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with >>> the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics >>> and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate >>> Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space >>> with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International >>> on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC. >>> >>> You are receiving this message because you are a member of the community >>> Dalits >>> Media Watch <https://dgroups.org/groups/pmarc>. >>> >>> View this contribution on the web site <https://dgroups.org/_/qxwah92q> >>> >>> A reply to this message will be sent to all members of Dalits Media >>> Watch. >>> >>> Reply to sender <[email protected]> | Unsubscribe >>> <[email protected]> >>> >> Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with >> the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics >> and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate >> Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space >> with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International >> on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC. >> >> You are receiving this message because you are a member of the community >> Dalits >> Media Watch <https://dgroups.org/groups/pmarc>. >> >> View this contribution on the web site <https://dgroups.org/_/fj69811c> >> >> A reply to this message will be sent to all members of Dalits Media Watch. >> >> Reply to sender <[email protected]> | Unsubscribe >> <[email protected]> >> > __________ Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC. You are receiving this message because you're a member of the community Dalits Media Watch. View this contribution on the web site https://dgroups.org/_/2hljdyg6 A reply to this message will be sent to all members of Dalits Media Watch. To reply to sender, send a message to [email protected]. To unsubscribe, send an email to [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/greenyouth/CAEuZ0T305GdFCANX10VTCDn8Ghi7E4wjPxjnVmx%2B1_Lez-eN_w%40mail.gmail.com.
