Politics of representation & realities of indigenous people under scanner at Vibgyor 2007 http://vibgyorfilm.com/node/43
Thrissur: The first Open Forum session of the ongoing VIBGYOR International Film Festival focused on the topic "Indigenous people, Representation & Realities". Dr. K Gopinath, Professor of Philosophy at Calicut University chaired the session. The panelists included Bhagaban Majhi, Leader of Prakrutik Sampada Surakshya Parishad (PSSP) from Kashipur, Orissa; JP Raju, Leader of the adivasi movement from Nagarhole, Karnataka; Meghnath, activist film-maker from Jharkhand; and KP Sasi, activist film-maker and VIBGYOR Festival Director. KP Sasi opened the discussion by pointing out that representations of adivasis in all cinema - popular, art as well as documentary - tended to be problematic, even vulgar. It was perhaps necessary for adivasis to be able to make their own film so as to be able to tell their own stories. And perhaps it was time that we, in the mainstream, began to speak less and listen more to what the marginalized have to say. The next speaker, Bhagaban Majhi from PSSP (which is leading a strong and militant anti-bauxite mining struggle in Kashipur in Southern Orissa) began with a song "Ei jami chhadiba nahi" (We shall not leave our lands!), which underscores the importance of land for the adivasi and describes the destitution that comes about through land alienation. He then briefly spoke about the anti-bauxite mining struggle. Since 1993, PSSP has been resisting the designs of large multi-national and national aluminium companies who wish to displace local adivasis from Kashipur, with an eye on the profits that are to be made from bauxite mining in this bauxite-rich area for aluminium production. The movement has however faced teriible repression. Three adivasis were killed when police fired on unarmed adivasis in Maikanch Village in 2001. Arbitrary arrests, detentions, false labeling of the movement as Maoist and other coercive measures are being put in place to break the adivasi resistance. The movement is continuing against all odds. "Ofcourse we want development", said Bhagaban Majhi, "but we want the control of the development process to be in our hands not in the hands of the companies." He ended by pointing out that like the anti-mining movement, this film festival too was part of a larger film movement, which was a positive development and needed to be supported. JP Raju from Nagarhole spoke next. The Nagarhole adivasi movement has been successful in resisting the Taj Group from building resorts in the ecologically-sensitive Nagarhole area, home to several adivasi communities. "The earth, the forest, rivers - these are nobody's property", said JP Raju, "As adivasis we have lived an independent life in the forests but today we are being forcefully displaced by the forces of development." JP Raju described the recent case of an adivasi woman whose untended child was eaten by dogs. "Is this development?", he asked. He described the local struggles against the World Bank-supported development projects in Nagarhole and emphasised the need for various struggles to come together to fight globalization as one. He ended with the slogan from the movement: Kadinu makkalu naveru! Kadina Raja naveru! (We are the children of the forest! We are the Kings of the forest!) The next speaker was Meghnath, activist film-maker from Jharkhand, who has made several films on adivasi/development issues. He spoke about the stereotypes of the adivasi that routinely appear in the media. "An adivasi man is always shown in a langoti, bow and arrow in hand, and the adivasi woman topless." Meghnath regretted that even a great film-maker like Satyajit Ray had fallen prey to such stereotypical depiction of adivasis and added that serious cinema must change such stereotypes. Meghnath pointed out that 70% of India's mineral resources were concentrated in lands that just 7% of its people - the adivasis - occupied. Adivasis were thus like a hen that is sitting on a mound of golden eggs. "How to get the eggs?" asked Meghnath, "Obviously by catching and killing the hen!" He pointed out however that it would be a mistake to think of the problem as "out there", affecting only the adivasis. Displacement, pollution, water crisis - all are gripping urban areas too. "The problem in at our very doorstep!" said Meghnath, emphasizing the need for broad-based, joint actions. Following this, the discussion was opened for audience comments. One person pointed out that the discussion should focus not just on adivasis but be more broad-based, given the universal nature of the problems created by globalization. Another comment was about the fact that documentary film-makers too can be prejudiced, patronizing and problematic in their depiction of adivasi issues. The politics of representation, the power of film and the dichotomy of film as a medium of modernity and at the same time, questioning the paradigm of modernity were also briefly commented upon. -- Anivar Aravind moving Republic Peringavu.P.O Thrissur-18 Ph. +91 9446545336 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
