By TCN News,
Aligarh: Ninth IG Khan Memorial event was held in Aligarh Muslim University campus with the theme of ‘Hunger and Social Justice’, a layered and relevant idea that was explored from different angles.
The event saw participation by AMU students in workshops around art and video that created discussion on the theme of hunger and social justice.
Jean Dreze at Kennedy
March 29 & 30, 2014:
The IG Khan Trust, in association with the AMU Film Club and the Literary Club organised a Film Festival on ‘Hunger and Social Justice’ over the course of these 2 days. Aamir Hasan Khan curated the festival. Some of the movies screened were ‘Flight 208’ directed by Parvez Imam, ‘The short term memory of atrocity’ by Javed Iqbal, ‘Walk for Water Justice’ from EWASH Palestine, ‘Empathy at 35’ by Sana Amir and Komal Sachdeva, and ‘I became’ by Arwa Mamaji.
Most of the films screened on day 2 were made by AMU students. One of the films documented the filmmakers experiencing hunger as an effort to create empathy with rickshaw pullers and laborers, by living on the same amount that they earn every day ie Rs 20. The film was called ‘Aadhi Roti’, or ‘Half a piece of Bread’
Art and Hunger
The screenings were followed by discussions, with the students offering opinions and reflections on the incidences of hunger and starvation in the country.
Earlier, the AMU Literary Club had organized a creative writing workshop on the same theme.
Discussion after films
Art workshop
Students from various faculties participated in the art workshop conducted by Aban Raza, a Delhi based artist and Waseem Wani, a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine arts, AMU. Students painted on jute bags and food cartons. The Fine Arts students created a giant bread (roti) that was composed of images of hunger and text that revealed statistics about hunger.
The art works were displayed in the CEC lawns on 31stMarch, on the sidelines of the lecture. Joe Sacco’s work from Kushinagar and the powerful famine art of Zainul Abedin and Chittaprosad Bhttacharya were part of the exhibition curated by Sana Amir. These were displayed on ‘huts’ made of gunny sacks, giving the sense of fragility of the dwellings of the poor, as well as their tenuous links with food and the material it comes packed in. We are grateful to all the artists and photographers who contributed images to this exhibition. A special thanks to Ashok Bhowmick and Joe Sacco for their generous participation, and Moosa Khan for his hard work.
Making Roti
March 31, 2014
The 9th IG Khan Memorial Lecture was delivered at the Kennedy Hall, AMU, by Prof. Jean Dreze, a noted development economist who has been influential in Indian economic policymaking. The theme of his lecture was ‘Hunger and the Indian Enigma’. Referring to the economic growth in south Asia, he said India lagged behind its neighbours “in education, health and food and availability of medicine to the people despite the country’s economic viability in terms of GDP growth”. He expressed his concern over the fact that India has not been able to reduce malnutrition and improve the quality of life of a large section of its population. This, he said, was in stark contrast to the situation in Nepal and Bangladesh, which, although “poorer” than India, economically performed very well on these indicators. Dreze, whose work in India includes issues like hunger, famine, gender inequality, child health and education, and the NREGA, expressed disappointment at rampant malnutrition in rural and under-developed suburbs, when it needs only a boiled egg or a banana and lemon to provide every child the required amount of nutrition. He said privileged people in high positions and power were opposed to ambitious programmes like MGNREGA — which he had conceptualised and drafted the first version of — and the food security scheme because of lack of perspective and their inability to associate themselves with the conditions of the poor. The lecture was chaired by Ms. Saba Naqvi, a prominent journalist with Outlook magazine and Prof. Parvaiz Taleb of the Faculty of Management Studies, AMU, President of the Club for Short and Evening Courses (CSEC), which co-hosted the lecture.
The lecture was followed by a discussion and video screening on the theme of ‘Hunger and conflict in Muzaffarnagar’ at the Lecture Theatre, CEC complex. Neha Dixit and Nakul Sawhney, a prominent journalist-filmmaker couple who have been documenting the conditions of the riot victims in the various relief camps in and around Muzaffarnagar, presented video clips and readings at this discussion. The nature of atrocities committed on the hapless victims, especially the women, was an eye opener for many of the audience. Discussions with Nakul and Neha subsequent to the screenings revolved around the political constellations around these ‘riots’ and the danger they presented for the future of India’s secular ethic.
Roti
After an intense round of discussions, the audience made their way to the lawns of the CEC for street plays by the acclaimed Jan Natya Manch, based in Delhi. The pioneering theatre group presented two plays, the first called ‘Mehngai ki maar’, or ‘The Stick of Inflation’. The audience was in splits at the dramatization of these very familar struggles which the common man faces on a regular basis. Jana Natya Manch also performed their iconic first ever play, ‘Machine’.
Street play
At the close of yet another wonderful session of discussion and debate, the IG Khan Memorial Trust would like to thank its guests, Prof. Jean Dreze, Ms. Saba Naqvi, Nakul Sawhney and Neha Dixit for being a part of our events. We are grateful for the support we find at AMU, and thank Lt Gen Zameeruddin Shah, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sherani, coordinator of the CEC, Prof. Parvaiz Taleb, the AMU Film and Literary Club. We thank all the student volunteers who participated so enthusiastically in these events and made them a success, and the staff at Kennedy Auditorium and CEC for their constant support. We are grateful to the faculty and larger community of AMU and Aligarh for being such receptive hosts to this event each year. Our work would not be possible without you, and all the family and friends across the world who support us with donations, inputs and good wishes.
Photo exhibition
In these difficult times, it is more important than ever to hold onto the ideas that defined Dr IG Khan-compassion, a commitment to secularism and justice, fearlessness. Many thanks to you all for joining us in celebrating and carrying on this, and we look forward to expanding the circle over the coming year.
Links:
Lecture – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gdrAVn0EaE
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/igkhanmemorial/
Website: http://www.igkhan.org