COLOUR, COLOUR AND yet more colour. It seemed to be the most-dominating theme on the second day of the India Social Forum 2006. From tribal dancers of Orissa on one side to the folk songs of Jharkhand and the Punjabi theatricals on the other. The culture curry offered by the assemblage apparently never tasted so good in Delhi. Nevertheless, the social message and the seriousness of voices beautifully entwined with the gamut of activities. As such, the bombastic response to the colourful evening was visible in the bright-eyed men and women who incessantly flocked from one ground to another at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in search of a new flavour.
The thought-provoking seminars by the Snehi Foundation on the state of mental health and its recognition as part of the health system as such gave an insight on the present scene of mental healthcare. “In India, there are only 3,500 psychiatrists and an added almost 1,000 clinical psychiatrists and 900 psychiatric nurses and only 47 mental health hospitals to look after a population of 1 billion people, ” revealed Dr A. Bimol Akoijam, elucidating the requirements to outgrow the mindset of limiting health to just physical health.
“An as such healthy person can suffer from serious mental problems. Such cases where a husband butchers wife or a father rapes his own daughter are acts conducted under mental illness,” he said.
He also revealed that 90 per cent of the problems have risen because of modern hectic living life. “While talking to a friend once, I realized that most of the so-called young DINK (Double Income No Kids) couples find the time for each other on phone while reaching office or coming back. Once they reach home, hectic preparations for next day’s office starts. So the only time they find for each other is on phone!”
Switching over to an entirely different arena where a Self-help group, CASA (Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action) dwelled on Search for an Alternative Paradigm. The participants discussed the need for chalking out an alternative paradigm of industrialization and privatization. “The origin of these problems began when human beings started considering themselves separate from nature and not a part of it. This made them think of exploiting all natural resources for they thought they are the masters and it needs to serve them.” This was one of the interesting parts of the speech of CASA director Anil Choudhary.
Meanwhile, the Narmada Bachao Andolan leader, Medha Patekar drew considerable attention to her plea of saving India from clutches of globalization. Citing an example, she said all sorts of eatables and drinks are banned inside Metro in Delhi. But the other day, I realized that Coke has been allowed inside as I could see some vendors selling the drink inside the local. What kind of hypocrisy is this where you pass an order only to make way later on for the ones you benefit from? Now, my question is, would the metro authority allow a jhaal-mui or chana-mumura wala inside the train? No, as he does not help them in any way. Is it not widening the gap between the rich and the poor?”
The fusion music band, Indian Ocean,gave the audience a music surfeit they would never forget. From 77-year-old Kankha Devi of MP to 14-year-old Shalja of Jharkhand, it seemed everyone present on the occasion is shaking to the groove of the band. Indeed music binds all souls.