India Social Forum-2006

What New Delhi stands for you? May be the capital of India, may be center of power, may be the city of so called big people but to be very sure from today thousands of people from every corner of India and world will remember it as a place where they shared their dreams with people like them around the world. They are going to remember New Delhi as the place where they shared their pains and rose their weak voices strongly. The difference is- they are participating in India Social Forum(ISF) 2006.

The ISF is third event organized by WSF-India; Asian Social Forum-2003 and the WSF-2004. Building another world: visions for the future'' -- as the theme suggests -- focuses on engendering dialogue, optimism and hope, by creating a space that will enable a greater mobilization of resources for an alternative future within India, Asia and Africa.. The event started on November 9, 2006 with a grand gathering of more than 60,000 people on the exhibition ground near JLN Stadium. The excitement, the joy and sense of belongingness with the ISF was more than visible in the gathering. People were there to say something about themselves, about others perhaps for the first time in their life. Every action and every scene was telling the truth that it is a self motivated gathering from grassroots.

The show began with folk music when Ramdayal Munda with his people from Jharkhand made a cultural presentation which was followed by a poetry reading session by renowned Urdu poet Shahryar. It was an all women panel to inaugurate the event showing the concern of the WSF for women empowerment. When weak but firm voice of Irol Sharmila of Manipur made the declaration that she will keep on her fast till the People of Manipur get justice, everyone in the ground was moved. She has refused food, water and medical attention, since November 2000, to protest Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Tulsi Mai Munda, a tribal leader of Orissa talked about dreams of a better status of women in India. While Eileen Kuttab, activist from Palestine, narrated her experiences while working with the women in her country. She had been at the forefront of the Palestinian struggle and women's movement during the days of the first Palestinian Intifada. Medha Patekar, the NBA activist, Wahu Kara, a global social justice campaigner from Kenya, discussed about the impacts of Goobalization. Ruth Manorama talked about her efforts to break the upper-class, upper-caste image of women's movement in India.

It was a dreamy evening where everyone was there to share dreams which contained simple wishes, the wishes which has the capacity to change the world. The small dreams which are powerful enough to make the world happier and pretty. At the end of the function when the small fog particles started to make the sight diminished, the dreams were getting clearer and the faces were getting brighter. You dont need some thing extra to read the clear message in their eyes saying- Yes! Another World Is Possible.