ISF Delhi 2006 and beyond …

By SAGARIKA CHETTY

2006 November 13

5 days and 50,000 people

Five days and fifty thousand people. Listening and talking, singing and dancing, networking and strategizing—above all asserting their space in one of the most significant chapters of contemporary history. That was the India Social Forum (ISF) 2006, also known as the World Social Forum—India 2006. ISF was the third event after the Asian Social Forum in Hyderabad in January 2003 and the World Social Forum, Mumbai in January 2004.

It was one of the unique link activities of the WSF process which of late emphasizes much upon the polycentric approach. Having the WSF Kenya ahead, with more than one valid reason for envisioning ‘Appropriate People Centric Development Paradigm’ in the context of neo-liberalism—ISF was truly a platform for the people from Asia and Africa. “Building Another World: Visions for the Future” was the theme. As a manifestation of the populist aspiration for constructive social change the event drew in thousands of participants and observers, from within the country and outside. Rallied around the call for an Alternative Paradigm, I too was one among them.

My engagement in ISF was little more than a mere participant. I was rather involved in the process of a collective effort of making the event happen. On behalf of NCCI, I was part of the India Working Committee and several other planning meetings that preceded the event. This was a learning experience for me, glimpses of which—I want to share with my fellow travelers.

A tribute to the Feminist Voice of People’s Movement

Nov 9-13, 2006 were the days of the India Social Forum in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Grounds, New Delhi.

The Inaugural function was a rich tribute to the struggle of women for Equity and Social Justice. It was an all-women’s brigade on the stage. Wahu Karra, the Global Social Justice Campaigner from Kenya, shared the African experience of people’s struggle.

The vibrant presence of Ruth Manorama, recipient of the Alternative Nobel Prize, epitomized Dalit women’s struggle for social justice in India and beyond. Padmashree Tulsi Mai Munda, a dedicated woman leader from Orissa spoke on the challenges faced by women in Independent India. Eileen Kuttab, the celebrated scholar and feminist activist from Palestine, narrated her vision for a new world and a new Palestine. She emphasized on pro-active engagement for meaningful transformation. According to her the women’s movement has become an Elite movement and lost contact with the grass-root women who are isolated and excluded. Medha Patkar, the noted Environmental Activist, who spoke on several other occasions in the Forum, stressed upon the need of strengthening the movements that are fighting against destruction, displacement and injustice.

ISF was also a time for deconstructing the past and reconstructing the present. Accordingly when Subhashini Ali, mentioned of the apparent setbacks of US-imperialism, the venue thundered with applause. A Trade Unionist and the National President of All India Democratic Women’s Association, Subhasini brought out effectively the prospects and predicaments of People’s Movement for constructive change.

That nothing can stop the message which envisages the building of a better world, was evident when the view of Irom Chanu Sharmila from Manipur was aired from AIIMS. Sharmila’s fight is against the draconian AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958) that grants special power to the Indian Armed Forces to arrest detain, interrogate or even kill any person on near suspicion with impunity. Manipur and her neighbouring states in North East India have been subject to this Act for about half a century. Sharmila has resolved to fast till this law is completely scrapped. Imprisoned for her protest she has been surviving on nasal feeding for more than half a decade now.

“Restore Right to Life”. “Repeal Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act”. These were the captions of the poster of Human Rights Alert and Sharmila was the face of the campaign. Also were named the people—who were victims of Arbitrary Killing, Torture and Forced Disappearance.

In the five days, ISF participants and audiences had a wide range of choices. Workshops and Seminars, Panels and Public meetings, Music and Dance, Stage Performance and Street Theater, Proscenium Plays and Film festivals, fun-frolic and serious thinking—it had it all. More than 563 were the activities revolved around the given theme.

A personal reflection on Churches’ Involvement in ISF

ISF was an opportunity for us (as Christians) to revisit our Mission Mandate and act proactively. Rising to the occasion, Churches had a substantial participation. NCCI had followed up the development towards ISF intently.

While briefing on the event preparation in Delhi, we in NCCI, had continuously encouraged the Member Churches, Regional Councils, Related Agencies, All India Christian Organisations, Church-based and nonchurch NGOs, Diaconal Ministry, Women’s Fellowships, Youth Fellowships, Sunday Schools and individual Christians dedicated to the cause of social justice, to join the ISF. The response was encouraging.

Furthermore as a member of the mobilization team for ISF, I was instrumental in mobilizing wider and meaningful participation of people for the event from both church and non-church sectors. This was interesting especially with the Juxtaposition of related challenges.

“Why the Church? Why NCCI? Are they supposed to be here? Is there any hidden agenda? Will it indicate in some way that the ISF has accommodated an element of fundamentalism?” These and many more similar questions, I had to face—in both formal and informal sittings during the interim phase of ISF 2006. Though the ISF program consultation booklet (that was widely distributed during the planning phase) had included the term ‘ecumenical’, sometimes it appeared to me that people did not understand it. Even if some did, many did not want to take cognizance of it. Hence I had to make extra efforts in explaining many of my friends from non-church background, as to why the Church was supposed to be there.

My understanding of this confused and not so welcome response is: Churches facing such challenges are unavoidable in a pluralistic context. It could be due to the perspective that subscribes to the dichotomy of Politics (here it is Populist Politics) from Religion. It could be also due to the ongoing debate on “Conversion”. Challenging though was the going; it gave me an opportunity to share about the biblical paradigm of Justice and Peace, in a number of gatherings.

Gradually we did see the ice of conventional thinking—concerning Faith Based Organisation’s participation in ISF breaking down, specially with regard to NCCI. Persistence was bearing results. We continued our effort to make our presence felt. While communicating to our constituencies and others, we had indicated that between 9-13 November 2006, Delhi will have at least 60,000 people more (apart from the lakhs of people who land up in Delhi every day in search of employment). Accordingly, accommodation, local travel facility and hospitality will be in high demand. Still people/organizations from Church and non-Church bases kept on calling NCCI, sending emails, writing letters to let us know that they are coming.

And they came indeed! Overcrowded were the church centers, guest houses, hotels—big and small, even relatives’ houses. But Delhi accommodated them all. The tropical weather, congested railway coaches, arduous journey, uncertainty of accommodation, the long-walk inside the premises of the venue—nothing could deter their enthusiasm. It was one of the few occasions, when people turned into the Capital in thousands with a vision, a dream and an expectation. Christians were asserting their space and voices as the conscientious Indian Citizens. Nay. It was more than that. They were truly from the global village.

NCCI with Ecumenical partners in ISF

With People and Perspectives, Pamphlets and Leaflets, Banners and T-shirts, hands and handicrafts showcasing creativity, culture and heritage and also spreading the message of alternate thinking—the ecumenical presence in ISF was equally interesting. I was witnessing an ecumenical gathering—varied yet coherent, different yet assimilated, like the salt of the earth.

In fact ISF had a number of activities held by the church sector which included Peace March, rally, training, exhibition, street theatre, folk dance, workshops and seminars People who came in thousands from churches, church based organizations and also in individual capacities-were more than passive onlookers making their presence felt in different activities. Some of the panels, public meetings, seminars and workshops had speakers who have served the church and society for long. Ruth Manorama, PBM Basaiawmoit (Rev.), William Stanley, Walter Fernandes, Sushant Agrawal, Vincent Manoharan and many other celebrated Christian leaders enriched the forum while sharing and inspiring the people with their vision of alternative paradigm. Periodicals of NCCI, leaflets of NCCI-Commission on Life, of World Social Forum CARITAS/AACC Ecumenical Platform were widely distributed. Copies of ‘Sudur Paschinanchal Vikas Kshetrama Garieko Haliya Sarvekshan Prativedan’—a publication of the Lutheran World Federation, Nepal typified the Global Church’s engagement in constructive social change.

It should be noted that we in NCCI had followed-up the ISF process much before the event. Ours was in fact a continuity of involvement dating back to Asian Social Forum, Hyderabad (2003) and the following World Social Forum in Mumbai (2004). Appropriately enough, NCCI-Commission on Life, in cooperation with South Asia Ecumenical Partnership Programme (SAEPP) and India Peace Centre (IPC) organized an “Interfaith Thinking Together for Peace and Development” in ISF. The Commission also conducted a Peace Training Programme with the continued support of SAEPP and IPC during this period. A workshop on “National Labour Policy—A Critique and Appraisal” was organized by NCCI-URM. The “National Workshop on Youth Ensuring Justice on Liberation for Dalits” was the third programme of NCCI, arranged in cooperation with the SAEPP, UELCI (United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India) and CNI (Church of North India).

Apart from this, ISF offered a space for cross cultural understanding as well. While widening its engagement with the Civil Society, NCCI was part of the several programs in the forum that focused on sharpening Asian perspective and exploring Afro-Asian solidarity. Accordingly there were expectations from the Interim WSF Asia Council as well. It was a disappointment, when the program was found to be cancelled.

Why to look beyond

Creating a congenial space for the people’s vision of alternative is no easy task. ISF has accomplished this to certain extent and the Indian Churches have played their role in it. Why to look beyond then?

The Gospel speaks of an Alternative Paradigm and invites the believers to be instrumental for translating Faith into Action. This necessitates continuous engagement in envisioning, strategizing and networking. That is precisely why the churches must stride along for an extra mile.

As mentioned earlier, though primarily it was an Indian event, ISF-Delhi had both Indian and non-Indian participation. The local was exotic for the visitors while the global appeared to offer both prospects and predicaments. It is the geo-political significance of the country, with its rich diverse cultural heritage and history of colonialism that drew in wider participation from our neighbors including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tibet, Burma and Nepal. In fact the contextual significance of this Asian geo-political nerve center has been so profound that people from the USA, Germany, UK, Finland and of course from Africa, were also there to feel the pulse of People’s Movement in India. They shared their stories and experience. They felt the challenge when Lebohang Phekoin, the Indigenous Leader from South Africa made a bold declaration in the closing ceremony saying: We are the people of the First World and not of the Third World. This mutual learning, mutual encouragement and challenge for Transnational Thinking Together for Global Well Being must continue.

As the World Social Forum meets in Nairobi in January 2007, it will “showcase an African Ecumenical Agenda to the world”, ensuring that “Africa is no longer a forgotten continent”. At the same time the futuristic agenda of the Global Civil Society is likely to centre around some of the crucial issues of our time. They include Ecological Crisis, HIV/AIDS, Holistic Health concerns, Justice, Peace and Appropriate Development at both Global and Local level—in the present context. It is the Kairos, the opportune moment for us—the Humanity as a whole, to get engaged in serious thinking with an element of introspection. It is indeed a clarion call to straighten our ways for the future; to save the Oikoumenia—God’s Household, from self annihilation.

Kenya in January will carry a constellation of ideas, models and perspectives from all over the world. As an inhabitant of the Green Planet Earth, as a Cosmic Element, and as a Church Worker who is also a woman from the Global South, I would wish that the momentum built in the ISF 2006 transcends the set geographical boundary. Let WSF Kenya be “the moment”—heralding a new era.

The year 2007 is also significant for India, as we turn 60 as an independent nation state in August. Half a century plus a decade. That has been our time—experimenting with Governance, Economics, Development and with the challenge of Peaceful Coexistence. We are a people experiencing the dialectics of an ancient civilization with modernity and neo-liberalism. Ours is a One Billion plus statistics, competing closely with Africa in the number game of HIV/AIDS. With the many dimensions of Poverty and Development, Racism and Ethnicity, Caste and Class, Religion and Cult, Gender and Age—we are the largest democracy(?) in the world. And ancient equally is the presence of the Church Community as a transforming agent in this land—dating back to AD 52.

The present day world order rests upon certain key contours including America’s declining ability to control events; EU’s inability to create an alternative pole of attraction to American power; the aggravation of old issues like Global North-South Inequalities; Skewed terms of trade and intellectual property rights and the upsurge of new challenges like Global Warming, Migration and Viral Epidemics. All this offers, as Praful Bidwai the celebrated thinker from India puts it a “tremendous scope for new ideas, initiatives and proposals for the reform of the global system.”

Being a part of the global south, of the Non-Aligned Movement, of G-77 and South-South Cooperation the role and voice of India can not be overlooked in this engagement. The challenge for India today is to channel its strength for the well being of Humanity. Standing up for this cause means an essential paradigm shift in its present domestic and foreign policies. This also means swimming against the current. People’s Participation and Public Opinion is crucial to this process. Accordingly, ineluctable is the Indian Church’s role—that essentially believes in envisaging “A New Heaven and New Earth”. The resonance of the Indian Churches’ voice therefore, must reach Nairobi and enrich the global-ecumenical involvement in WSF.

“Another world is possible: Peoples Struggles and Peoples Alternatives” is the theme of the WSF Nairobi 2007. It is indeed the war-cry of the Subaltern—the weak demanding Justice; the wounded psyche asking for Healing and the excluded communities seeking Inclusiveness. Profundity, prognosis and progress in Just Peace and Development concerns demands stretching Indian Churches’ engagement in WSF 2007 and beyond. Tathastu*. Amen.

Sagarika Chetty is executive secretary of the Commission on Life: Justice, Peace and Creation, National Council of Churches in India (NCCI); and member of the PfL Continuation Committee

* Sanskrit term for “may it be so”.