Sahmat Holds Safdar Evening on January 1

THE setting up of Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (Sahmat) was a spontaneous and organic response to the murder of a street theater activist, known for his commitment to the democratic and secular principles that undergirded the promise of Indian independence. Since it came into being in 1989, Sahmat has stood for preserving the very values that defined Safdar’s public work. And for those of us, whose path has ever crossed Delhi knows and looks forward to the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Day on January 1 every year.

BHOPAL JAN UTSAV: A Festival of Hope and Solidarity Celebrating Reason and Diversity

THE city of Bhopal witnessed a unique Festival – a festival of diversity, reason and resistance – from November 26-28. Named as Bhopal Utsav, it was organised by various progressive organisations, collectives and movements. The festival brought together activists from diverse movements, cultural activists, science activists and thousands of people from all walks of life. The festival was conceived as a response to the systematic assault on people’s lives mounted by religious sectarian forces and neoliberal economic policies.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA: Loud Cheers for Marx; Economic Crisis a Major Theme for Movies

THE 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala, held from December 8-15, 2017 in Thiruvananthapuram, became an occasion where political statements and debates capturing the spirit of the times we live in today attracted as much attention as the films.

Acclaimed actor Prakash Raj gave a powerful speech at the festival's Opening Ceremony, condemning the intolerance and hatred that are being foisted upon the country by the ruling RSS-BJP dispensation.

TAMIL NADU: A Literary Voice of the Village Falls Silent

MELANMAI Ponnusamy, a doyen among the progressive writers in Tamil Nadu and a Sahitya Akademi awardee, passed away in Chennai on October 30 after a brief illness. He was the founder of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association (TNPWAA) in the 1970s.

Provide Security to Prof Iliah

THE social and political hounding of Kancha Iliah Shepherd with death threats is another dark page in the recent turn of events, where intellectuals in the country have been at the mercy of hoodlums and fanatics of all hue and color, while the state is a mere bystander, said a statement issued by the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT), on September 3.

All India Meeting of Street Theatre Activists Held

JANA Natya Manch, Delhi organised an all India meeting of street theatre activists from August 13-15. There were 28 street theatre activists from 12 states who participated in the three-day meeting that was held at Studio Safdar, Shadi Khampur. The agenda of the meeting was to share stories about each other’s work and discuss strategies to counter the rising Hindutva forces through cultural resistance.

Artists Condemn CBFC’s Censorship

EXPRESSING shock and anger at the recent Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) demand that certain words be excised from a film based on the work of the Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, many academics, artists and cultural activists issued a statement on July 13, condemning this censorship. The movie is titled after Sen’s 2005 work, The Argumentative Indian, which was widely acknowledged for its deep and authentic explorations of India’s traditions of public debate.

Otto Rene Castillo: “The Poet is a Moral Conduct”

One day

the apolitical

intellectuals

of my country

will be interrogated

by the simplest

of our people.

They will be asked

what they did

when their nation died out

slowly,

like a sweet fire

small and alone.

Safdar Hashmi Memorial Observed With Fervour

FOR 28 years now, January 1 has been an important date on the Delhi calendar. What began as a spontaneous coming together of artistes of different hues, vocations and inclinations has become, arguably, the most prominent annual cultural and political event in the city. Routinely, the colorful drapes and banners adorned the otherwise dreary built structures of VP House. The events organised by Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust began at noon with the play “Desh Badal Raha Hai” by the theater group, Bigul.

“He Never Died”

IT was as if we were watching a recap of the year.

The first play to be performed at Dr Ambedkar Park, Jhandapur, Sahibabad –

the place where Safdar Hashmi and Ram Bahadur were killed 28 years ago – was on demonetisation. It was done by a group of school girls from NOIDA, and they spoke about a number of issues around the central theme, including unemployment.

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