Fundraising starts

Our formal fundraising started this week:

Here are some initial responses that are very exciting:

From Tennessee:

The Kansat funding campaign had a good momentum (relatively speaking) at my end. Last Sunday, I had a small gathering and displayed a poster with pics from the Kansat up-rise. After some daal-bhaat I sat down with a handful of grad students (all of them members of the BSA – BD students assoc.), and had some alochona. They seemed interested in the cause. We are planning to have a fund-raising Jolsha in early August (about the time the fall semester will begin). A young couple from Atlanta will be our guest performers.

 

We are debating on whether to make it a formal event – like reserve a hall and sell tickets, or make it more like an informal sit-on-the-living-room-floor like thing with a donation box placed in the corner.

 

- Z.

From Wisconsin:

I see it as an opportunity to be part of the history.

I offer to contribute in the following ways,

1. Donate from my limited means.

2. I can be part of the team that will review the historical aspects of the screenplay.

Let me know when and who to send the money.

Rumi.

 

Ain O Salish Kendro joins the project

From Mridul:

This is to inform that Ain O Shalish Kendra has agreed to give us some partial funding. This is very significant since we now have a recognized local partner and also since ASK has a number of lawyers on their board, their input into the approach and content of the documentary will add significant value.

 

Arek Kansat

Appeal to raise funds for "Arek Kansat", a documentary

Kansat has now become a distant memory. Yet, the historical significance of the movement in Kansat, which was the focus of the whole country for two weeks in April 2006, in the present Bangladesh scenario, is hard to overstate. Kansat, in short, presents the real state of politics in Bangladesh and shows when the "little people" stand up for their rights, how disdainfully the ruling elites treat them. Now that this story has shifted from the headline with a presumably happy ending for most, this story has to be told to a wider audience because what happened in that little village has a much larger significance to the future Bangladesh.

In Kansat, a village under Shibganj Upazilla in Chapainawabganj district, the villagers for many years, endured hardship due to lack of power supply; their lives were hindered, their crops destroyed. Lack of power supply compounded by limitless corruption of the government officials, ensured that they did not get minimum power supply for irrigation at the height of Boro season. When exploitation reached its limit, the patience of the peace loving agrarian community of Kansat was tried one time too many. They united under the banner of 'The Action Committee for Rural Power Development' (PBUSP). The peaceful and apolitical movement of common people for their rights met with an oppressive mindset of the government and trigger-happy law enforcement agency — ultimately leading to the killing of 17 people which included a few minors.

During the course of events, the people of Kansat were stripped off their right to protest, they were beaten brutally by the police inside their houses regardless of their age and sex, their homes were ransacked and looted, they were forced flee their habitat, they were arrested indiscriminately, their leaders were tortured while in police custody, and above all, they were denied a trial for the death of 17 people. Although, the government gave in to their demand after massive public outcry, till date, no one is held responsible for the killings and no judicial inquiry has been formed.

The story of Kansat needs to be told again and again so that it is not repeated — ever. That's why, we, at Drishtipat, working with Counter Foto – , a Dhaka based organization of cultural activistsa , have decided to make a documentary on the story of Kansat. The objectives of making the documentary are:

1. To document the chronology of events starting from the start of the movement and ending with the government accepting the demands of the people of Kansat.
2. To bring out clearly the extent to which human rights have been violated in Kansat and the government's blind eye to it and even an effort to cover up.
3. To investigate who were the people responsible for this indiscriminate killing and demand justice
4. To investigate the fairness of government policies regarding rural electricity distribution and pricing and also to bring into focus the nation-wide corruption regarding rural electrification
5. To produce a visual documentation of the Kansat-bashis' fight against injustice as a source of inspiration for the nation and
6. To expose the apathy of the political parties to tackle real issues of real people.

To make this documentary a reality we need your help. We need to raise $3000 as soon as possible to cover the cost of production of the documentary. The dedicated team in Dhaka is ready and they have already done the ground work and have started interviewing. By providing the funding, this is your chance to be part of telling the history as it should be told – without political colors. If you were outraged by the events in Kansat like millions of others were, you can now make a difference to help tell this story so that the ruling elite in Bangladesh, regardless of which party they are from, think twice before doing what they did to the innocent people of Kansat.

Will you take a stand with the people of Kansat and help us tell their inspiring story of courage, conviction and sacrifice during an era of unprecedented police brutality and elite corruption? Will you help us document some of the nation's proudest and darkest hours for generations to come?

 

Our hearts are in it — Ritu

Dear Asif bhai,

It is good to see that you have already engaged some people for fund raising. I hope with all dedicated people of Drishtipat you can make it happen. I have been following your activities for long and I am very aware that it is not a very easy thing to do. With all my optimistic spirit, I can only hope that if you try, you will be successful.

I hope the concept note I am writing will also help you write the synopsis/appeal letter. I had a meeting yesterday with the team here and we are trying to do our best with compiling information and writing the concept note. I am going to interview some bureaucrats from Palli Bidyut in Dhaka today or tomorrow. Our activists here have a lot of interesting information. We are also talking to those who already visited Kansat before and talked to local people. For now, our goal is to start somewhere and we know that the rest will evolve as we progress.

Omi is working on the budget. He will send it to you hopefully by the end of this week. We all have put our hearts in it and are looking forward to reaching our goals. Like Kansat movement, I believe making of the documentary will not remain inactive.

Ritu

on behalf of counter foto