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FREEDOM FEST
RANCHI
Celebrating Freedom
Swati Chawla
email.swatichawla@gmail.com
(LACS Delhi 04)
The Freedom Fest, an
attempt to celebrate the work of Friends of Freedom groups and spread
the message of freedom through creative media, was held in
Ranchi on December
11 and 12, 2005.
The fest began with
an inaugural address by Prof Rajgarhia from St Xavier’s College, Ranchi
University and CCS President Dr Parth J Shah. Dr Rajgarhia dwelled on
the concept of freedom as being subjective and stemming from an
individual’s need of expression. He opined that freedom was more than
just an absence of restrictions, it was the capacity of an individual to
give and not be bound by wants, traditions and labels. Dr Shah shared
his vision of starting the Centre for Civil Society that is fighting
India’s Second Freedom Struggle. He said that his vision was of a long
queue for a work visa outside the Indian Embassy in the USA. This would
only happen when citizens of India got economic freedom. The inaugural
address was followed by a presentation on Friends of Freedom groups in
India by Swati Chawla (National Co-ordinator). Rajan, co-ordinator of
Friends of Freedom Ranchi, then introduced his group and their
activities. Shubhashish, a member of the Ranchi FoF entertained the
audience with songs of freedom.
The following events
were in store on the 12th:
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Quiz ‘How Well do
you know your Government’:
Thirteen teams participated in the prelims and four qualified for the
finals. The participants were quizzed on questions related to
governance (functioning of the legislature, executive and judiciary
with special emphasis on economic planning) and a special segment on
Right to Information.
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Debate on ‘Only
Government can preserve Jharkhand’s Natural Resources’:
The participants debated about the rights of state and dependent
communities over the natural resources of Jharkhand and who is better
equipped with managing them.
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Slogan Writing and
Poster Making on the theme ‘Express Freedom’:
The participants wrote slogans and made posters on the their
understanding of freedom. While the entries were as diverse as it
gets, some common issues like individual freedom, repressive laws,
constricting social practices and importance of freedom for
self-growth and happiness came out of most entries. The winning entry
in slogan writing talked about freedom as not being an absence of
restrictions, but being a state where the self (and not an external
body) regulates itself.
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Right to
Information Workshop:
Dr Parth J Shah took a workshop on the Right to Information act and
gave the participants practical tips on using this provision to better
the state of affairs in Jharkhand.
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Freedometer and
sharing of views:
The fest provided an opportunity for students from different
institutions to come together and share their views. To spark off the
discussion, we asked everyone to take the freedometer quiz. This
helped them start thinking on the lines of public policy and role of
state, civil society and individuals. We also gave them a registration
sheet to get their contact details and their feedback on the fest.
These entries were also eligible for a lucky draw.
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Concert:
The grand finale was a musical performance by college students.
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