Impressions from the 4th edition of Vibgyor
Guest Post by Benny Kuruvilla

One of the common refrains that activists hear from the establishment is ‘what is the alternative’. The national conference on food sovereignty (4 February) that preceded the inauguration of the 4th edition of the ViBGYOR international documentary film festival at Thrissur highlighted many of the diverse alternatives that exist and are already being implemented by communities across the country. Indigenous peoples in Manipur have been practicing sustainable farming without external inputs for over 700 years and they use 1/10th of the energy required in conventional rice farming. Forest communities are reclaiming control over forests in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand using the provisions of the 2006 Forest Rights Act. Women in Andhra Pradesh are leading from the front and are in a sense autonomous from the state and corporations growing what they want and how they want. Two of these very women ( associated with the Deccan Development Society)were at ViBGYOR, video documenting the national conference. Kamla Bhasin the firebrand feminist activist provided an eloquent definition of what is food sovereignty ‘the right of of peoples and communities to define, design and implement agricultural, labour, fisheries, food and land policies that are economically, socially, environmentally and culturally appropriate to their unique circumstances’. Many worlds are possible, she added emphasizing that the uniqueness of food sovereignty is that it embraces diversity as one of its key principles. Smitu Kothari made the important point that the idea of food sovereignty provides a unique opportunity to forge alliances amongst diverse groups ( that otherwise might have conflicting interests) such as farmers, landless labourers, dalits, indigenous peoples, womens groups, progressive political forces and urban consumers. What was also clear is that the concept of food sovereignty comes from social movements and grassroots groups and not from Governments ( which are more interested in ‘food security’ which does not address fundamental questions of who produces the food and how is it produced).

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

The second session of the National conference had powerful testimonies from grassroots groups such as the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation and the Deccan Development Society in Andhra Pradesh.

The festival was inaugurated later in the evening by Dr. Illina Sen; activist filmmaker K P Sasi read out a moving tribute to her husband Binayak Sen who has been illegally jailed since June 2007 under the draconian Chattisgarh Public Security Act. Then after the usual set of speeches, ViBGYOR got down to doing what it does best; screening documentaries. Some minor technical glitches notwithstanding the inaugral set of films were an appetiser to the feast of films to the follow in the next 4 days. The highlight of yesterdays screening for me was Shabnam Virmani’s poetic tribute to Kabir ( Had-Anhad)which shows the progressive Ram that is so eloquently seen in Kabirs poetry, sung by some brilliant singers in Pakistan and India.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]