Big bang start to social jamboree

New Delhi: The motto is 'building another world'. And at the India Social Forum, there is no dearth of causes and issues to achieve that goal.

But the message at the forum is shouted out so loud that you can't miss it: "It's these people who are the conscience of the people and this is the platform where they all meet."

"There is a lot of commanalities that need to be stressed and strengthened. It is certainly a situation today where on one hand there is the state and on the other hand, there is civil society. Not just NGOs, even trade unions and other activists are part of this. We all care. There is a total disconnect between the state and the civil society," Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan activist, says.

Beginning Friday, Delhi is playing host to the India Social Forum, a platform for social activists to showcase issues they're fighting for.

From human rights to sexual minority rights to the issues realting to the environment and rights of Dalits — all rights are represented here.

At this social jamboree, participants coming from all across the country say it's the real India with real issues that's being sidestepped.

"Things have changed across India. More and more people. human rights activists, women's rights groups, Dalit groups, adivasi groups — all are out to assert their rights. People still don't want to recognise our rights. We are being forgotten," Manohar Sangama, another social activist, observes.

With human rights rubbing shoulders with sexual minority issues and fair trade forum sharing the dais with rights for hawkers, this is where India and its causes find a mention.

It's a platform for speeches, presentations and folk dances with a social message firmly in place. And even when the response wasn't all that enthusiastic, there was enjoyment in between.

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