[IMC Bombay] BOMBAY/MUMBAI

[Jay]

SUMMARY:
Clarifying current state of discussions about imc-bombay's outreach,
suggesting the discussions were necessary but now we should proceed.
***

Hi everyone, 

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Jay from the Philadelphia IMC.  I'm
often involved in the new-imc working group.  Apologies from my absence
this conversation as of late.  I've been far away from my computer for the
last several weeks.  

I've been following the progress of Indymedia in Bombay since I met Shekhar
when he was in the U.S. a while ago -- some time in 2000, perhaps?  Recent
developments have been really exciting.  The IMC group in Bombay/Mumbai
sounds well-organized, confident and pointed very much in the right
direction.  I'm thrilled to see all the organizing that has gone into your
group already, and expect wonderful results to come of it.  I don't think
anyone has had cause or reason to slight your collective's development, and
I hope you don't think anyone has done so.  We're all excited to (almost
assuredly) soon be welcoming you into the Indymedia network.

What has become the issue at hand is the work Boud has been doing in
assuring you appreciate and intend to grow in concert with indymedia's
principles.  Recently, some of this questioning has appeared to some of you
as much less gentle nudging than pointed inquisition.  Boud has what I've
found to be admirable characteristics of being dedicated to indymedia
principles while keeping high standards for local IMCs hoping to enter the
network.  Still, I can appreciate how this kind of questioning would appear
overwhelming, especially to those in these initial stages of organizing.  

My hope is that Boud's questions have all led to thorough discussions of
the issues at hand within the imc-mumbai.  That, in a sense, is the role of
the new-imc working group -- to encourage IMCs to have discussions at the
very beginning of their long life so they will work through fundamental
issues up front, rather than waiting for them to erupt in crisis later.  I
do fear that sometimes such persistent questions can appear to be
bureaucracy.  I also think in this instance some tensions developed that
need not have developed.

I'm sorry if imc-mumbai feels as if members of the new-imc working group
have tried to micromanage the way you plan to do outreach.  As Petros said,
we're most interested in making sure your IMC has a real appreciation of
the often complicated and difficult tasks endtailed in building a
sustainable, effective, inclusive grassroots media project, especially in a
place where proportionally few use the internet regularly.  I'm confident
your group appreciates the importance of orienting your project, from its
very inception, to include all groups in society.  The question of how
specifically you're going to do that should be your decision.  We're most
interested in appreciating that you've had serious discussions about these
issues, and have taken or plan to take action to act upon your plans to
address them.

I think we've had a good amount of discussion on the point of ourtreach,
enough to assure us all that these issues are at the forefront of current
meetings at the imc-mumbai, and I sincerely hope these exchanges will
inspire creative action regarding these issues.  Certianly now you know how
strongly those of us who have been involved in Indymedia feel about
involving all aspects of society in a new imc.  Cross-society involvement
is something that doesn't just "happen" -- as you know, sometimes the only
way to involve people from all groups in society is to be persistent,
almost to a fault, in making it happen.

All that said, I agree with others in supporting our passing the imc-mumbai
information to the imc-process list after a couple more days of formal
consideration, as Boud has described.    I'm looking forward to seeing
imc-mumbai develop.  I image we all would view imc-mumbai -- or any IMC --
as less than successful if it would not grow to include people from all
aspects of its society.

Thanks for hearing my thoughts,

Jay


At 04:27 PM 07/27/2002 +0530, Shekhar Krishnan wrote:
>Dear Everyone:
>
>I want to respond personally, after some distress at reading the 
>flurry of e-mails from Boud Roukema. Given that IndyMedia is such a 
>new concept in our circles, and that Boud's voice is one of the few 
>which comes from the global IMC circles and is authoritative, I am 
>worried at the impression generated. I do not believe, or at least I 
>had no idea, that we would be submitted to such a ruthless, 
>intrusive, and unfair questioning. Boud's postings reflect to me the 
>quotations of a bureaucrat inspecting our papers, silently hackling 
>at our lack of knowledge of the rules, but soothing us by saying it 
>will all work out.
>
>I'm never one for silencing criticism or asking penetrating 
>questions. But this is ridiculous, and goes completely against the 
>spirit of openness, transparency, and enthusiasm in our meetings and 
>other encounters around building the IMC. Boud recommends 
>decentralising, but then prescribes to us a minute-by-minute 
>presentation we should make to students. He counsels sensitivity on 
>caste and class issues, saying he believes our intentions but advises 
>us on how to go about recruiting people on the street. I find this 
>extremely condescending. Our "application" has been divided and 
>annotated like the way a municipal official scrutinises a building 
>plan. I feel like I'm in a Kafka novel!
>
>I want everyone on the list, both from Bombay and from other IMCs 
>worldwide, to please respond and comment on what direction we should 
>take in our dialogue with Boud's concerns. They are legitimate and 
>rigorous, but there is a time for questioning which comes in the 
>weeks and months ahead. Please everyone tell us how you feel.
>
>Best
>
>
>Shekhar
>_____
>
>Shekhar Krishnan
>9, Supriya, 2nd Floor
>Plot 709, Parsee Colony Road No.4
>Dadar, Bombay 400014
>India