We've been getting lots of queries on the 377 case. As we know, the arguments are over, all material that needs to be filed by the parties has been filed, so all that's needed is for the judges in the Delhi High Court to write and deliver their decision. And the Delhi High Court reconvened this week...
Well, we still don't know when exactly we'll get the decision, but we need to plan for it. We've discussed this at the Queer Media Collective, and I'm sharing below a mail I wrote on the rough action plan we came up with for Mumbai, and the reasons why. Please could everyone take a look and decide: 1) If you're not in Delhi or Mumbai, is there any way you could do something similar in your centre. 2) Do you have any suggestions to offer for how we could modify this event for even more impact. As I said, this is only a tentative plan, so we are very open to suggestions. 3) Will you be able to come at really short notice? And will you be willing to speak to the media? Would your family members or friends be willing to do the same? If so, please mail me your cell number at vg...@yahoo.co.uk so we can sms you, in case you don't get to see the announcement on the Net. 4) We are particularly keen on people who can speak to the media in regional languages because that helps us expand our scope a lot. So, for example, while Hindi, Marathi and English are not a problem here in Mumbai, if we get someone like Kris who has volunteered to speak in Malayalam, we can call the local reps of the Malayalam press, who could then pick it up for release in Kerala, and nationally. So please, if you can do Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali or other languages and will speak to the media, let us know (mail to vg...@yahoo.co.uk) OK, here's the mail on what we plan to do: Just want to bring people up to date about the 377 decision, and to go over the rough action plan we'd agreed on at the last QMC meeting. The basic problem is that we have no idea when the decision is due. The judges could have written it over the year end break and could give it anytime now, they could be writing it now and give it in some months, they could even sit on it longer, though given this bench that seems unlikely. Our expectation is that a decision is imminent, but we will not know when. All we are likely to get is notice on the court's website the night before that the decision is due the next day. Its possible this could come on Friday so we would have the weekend to prepare, but if its a weeknight then all we'll have is that night. In Delhi, of course, I'm sure lots of people will go to the court that day, and that location will automatically become the focus for celebrations, if we win, or (peaceful) protest, if we lose. For those of us outside Delhi, its going to be harder coming together at short notice, but we need to, in order to give a focus for the media and to make sure the news makes a big splash. And we need to do that because, while this decision might technically be said to apply only to Delhi, if we win we have to give it the impression of sending a strong signal on queer rights across the country. For that, and for reaching the local media, local activities will be essential. We'll be helped by the fact that the news will be of big media interest (unless something else really big is happening). NDTV for example has assured us that the NDTV journo who covers the court will alert them to the decision and on that day the story will play big. Which, as we discussed at QMC, gives us a way to take part simulatenously across the country. We need to get people together at a venue where we can be seen to be receiving and reacting to the news. The Press Club in Mumbai is the ideal option here, especially since its next to Azad Maidan, where we can go for celebrations if they are warranted. Other cities could perhaps consider similar spaces? So, the action plan for Mumbai. Lesley, or someone else from Voices, will have to alert us when news of the date comes out. We'll then have to run and book the Press Club (or if that's not free, the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh hall next door) We'll find some way to take care of the money. Next we should do a basic press release which we can send out through the Press Club inviting media to the venue. I'll try and write this in advance. Perhaps we could then also get it translated into Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. Of course, we'd also have to alert our own organisations, and friends in other places. We then need to make sure that people will attend. We'll have to send out sms to people to come at that time, making sure there are enough people who can go on camera, and also people who can take care of different languages - Kris, for example, can do Malayalam, which means we can invite the Malayalam channels and mags. Lets try and draw up this list soon. It would be nice also to get family members and straight supporters. And as we learned at the March, celebrities get out the press like nothing else. The impression we could try to convey, if we win, is that this isn't just a victory for just one part of society, but a step towards freedom for all - so it should be even harder for the government to go on appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court. That's the rough plan. Any other thoughts or suggestions? The more we can do the better, but remember we will probably have only a night to prepare. Vikram
