The Hindu : New Delhi News : ‘Sanjha Safar’ begins in Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 05, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

‘Sanjha Safar’ begins in Delhi

Manisha Jha

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Melodious: A choir from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya performing at the ‘Sanjha Safar’ in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Bringing together over 100 non-government organisations including self-help groups, social activists and civil society organisations, a four-day event titled “Sanjha Safar” began at the India Gate lawns here on Sunday.

Day One saw several participants engaged in pitching up their tents and displaying various handicrafts and products ranging from paintings, jewellery to jute items. The opening day also witnessed several discussions on issues such as farmer suicides and child protection and child rights. A medley of colourful dance performances, rope tricks and acrobatics performed by youngsters at the event also turned out to be a major crowd puller on Sunday.

Conceptualised by the Asian Heritage Foundation in association with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation, the event plans to provide an interactive platform for the citizens to discuss and debate issues of governance and how they relate to ‘federalism’ as a Government structure.

Said co-ordinator of the participating NGOs Razia Ismail Abbasi: “For this event we gave the NGOs a number of issues and asked them to relate their own realties about it. Through this forum we wish to have a dialogue with the citizens about how phrases like ‘unity in diversity’ and citizen-Government relationships actually play out for them and how migrants and marginalised communities relate to the concept of a federal Government structure.”

Elaborating on the concept of the event, founder of AHF Rajeev Sethi said: “We have designed the event keeping in mind the three values of diversity, connectivity and empowerment and we have around 160 NGOs participating in this event from places right from Kashmir to Kerala.”

“We have not ticketed the event and want people to come in and freely participate in the discussions we have lined up during the four-day event,” he added.

This unique dialogue on federalism is taking place alongside the fourth International Conference on Federalism to be held at Vigyan Bhavan from Monday.

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