NeW DELHI: Children’s films like Stanley Ka Dabba, Chillar Party and I Am Kalam have been able to carve out a niche for themselves in an industry that mostly knows big budgets and megastars. But commercial success of meaningful children’s films remains a will-o’-the-wisp for many.
Now, Smile Foundation has come up with the first edition of Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) to showcase the diversity and meaningfulness of children’s cinema. The event is on at Siri Fort Auditorium till December 27.
The festival received over 2,000 entries from over 100 countries and picked up 80 critically-acclaimed films that have won awards at various international film festivals. It has the support of renowned National Award-winning directors like Nagesh Kukunoor, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Santosh Sivan, Jahnu Barua, Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, and critics like Saibal Chatterjee and Utpal Borpujari. “Audio-visual is the most powerful medium to sensitise the masses. This is how the concept of a festival came up, ” said Jitendra Mishra, festival director, SIFFCY.
SIFFCY gave out awards in eight categories where Franco-Belgian film Birds of Passage was declared the best feature film. The best actor award was given to Ramesh and J Vignesh for the Tamil film Kaaka Muttai.
Smile has conceptualised and created over 60 short films, including I am Kalam with an aim to create a space for good cinema beyond entertainment. “While working for underprivileged children, we realised that privileged children also need to be sensitised about the conditions of the former. There is a need to expose them to the right content and cinema plays a very important role in this because of its larger-than-life size,” said festival chairman Shantanu Mishra.
The festival features short films, feature films and documentaries, There are also filmmaking workshops for children and interactive sessions with filmmakers, producers and experts from the industry.
“Good cinema is the need of the hour. By that I mean cinema that give more than entertainment; movies that make us cry, laugh, and provoke us to think,” said Dhulia.
The Times of India Entertainment (22 December 2015)
Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi and filmmaker and National award winner Tigmanshu Dhulia among others inaugurated the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY), an initiative to showcase meaningful global cinema for children and youth, here on Monday.
The festival which will have films made by and made for children, was opened by ‘Celestial Camel’ (Russia) and ‘Birds of Passage’ (Belgium – France). The inauguration ceremony of the event by NGO Smile Foundation saw a packed Siri Fort auditorium, which was full of children from different schools of the capital.
The guests at the event also included Jitendra Mishra, SIFFCY festival director, Santanu Mishra, co-founder and executive trustee of Smile Foundation and chairman SIFFCY and Raji Thomas, chief branding officer, Indira Institutes, Pune. Reminiscing about her childhood days, Gandhi shared that the first film she saw was ‘Dak Ghar’ and then ‘Kabuliwalah’ in the 1960s.
We still remember songs like ‘Aa chal ke tujhe main le ke chalu… that era, those movies wove magic,” Gandhi said at the inauguration of the festival here. “I would also like to request National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) to do more funding and encourage films for children,” Gandhi added.Stressing that nowadays movie tickets have become unaffordable for children, Dhulia, who has films like “Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster” and “Paan Singh Tomar” to his credit, shared that such platforms should be encouraged.
“I support good cinema,” is the tagline of the movie gala, but Dhulia said: “Good cinema is an ambiguous word.” “Good cinema is something which should entertain, and teach something at the same time… it should have an element which stays with you,” Dhulia said.The festival will premiere over 50 independent feature-length films, short films and documentaries during its run. It will conclude on Sunday.
Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi and filmmaker and National award winner Tigmanshu Dhuliaamong others inaugurated the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY), an initiative to showcase meaningful global cinema for children and youth, here on Monday.
The festival which will have films made by and made for children, was opened by “Celestial Camel” (Russia) and “Birds of Passage” (Belgium – France).
The inauguration ceremony of the event by NGO Smile Foundation saw a packed Siri Fort auditorium, which was full of children from different schools of the capital.
The guests at the event also included Jitendra Mishra, SIFFCY festival director, Santanu Mishra, co-founder and executive trustee of Smile Foundation and chairman SIFFCY and Raji Thomas, chief branding officer, Indira Institutes, Pune.
Reminiscing about her childhood days, Gandhi shared that the first film she saw was “Dak Ghar” and then “Kabuliwalah” in the 1960s.
“We still remember songs like ‘Aa chal ke tujhe main le ke chalu… that era, those movies wove magic,” Gandhi said at the inauguration of the festival here.
“I would also like to request National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) to do more funding and encourage films for children,” Gandhi added.
Stressing that nowadays movie tickets have become unaffordable for children, Dhulia, who has films like “Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster” and “Paan Singh Tomar” to his credit, shared that such platforms should be encouraged.
“I support good cinema,” is the tagline of the movie gala, but Dhulia said: “Good cinema is an ambiguous word.”
“Good cinema is something which should entertain, and teach something at the same time… it should have an element which stays with you,” Dhulia said.
The festival will premiere over 50 independent feature-length films, short films and documentaries during its run. It will conclude on Sunday.
Besides Dhulia, directors Nagesh Kukunoor, Hansal Mehta, Santosh Sivan, Jahnu Barua, and Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty are among the advisory members of the festival, along with film critics Saibal Chatterjee and Utpal Borpujari.
The hunt for the best cotton design is on…. ~ Renowned fashion designer Asmita Marwa was present to encourage kids participation from Smile Foundation and give them tips on the contest~
Hyderabad, Wednesday, July 14, 2010: Cotton Council International (CCI) has announced the second edition of its pan India T-Shirt design competition TeeZing on the theme “My Cotton World”. The competition offers every participant a chance to showcase their creativity and sketching skills. The competition is open to young and old to express what cotton means to them. To inspire participants, CCI is organising visits by fashion designer to various centres of Smile Foundation across 6 cities namely Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad. Today, renowned fashion designer Asmita Marwa who has won accolades for her designs visited a Smile Foundation centre in Hyderabad. Asmita shared tips with the participants to help them bring their cotton world to life in their designs. Asmita also shared her experience with cotton and how she has showcased cotton as a fashion fabric in her creations.
The competition will run from June 28th through July 22, 2010. Entries can be submitted online at www.allaboutcotton.com, via email to teezing2010@gmail.com or submitted at select Café Coffee Day stores in 9 cities throughout India – Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh. CCI has assembled a formidable team to judge the contest. The jury for this season will include leading names from the creative, design and fashion fraternity.
The top three national winners of TeeZing will be awarded cash prizes of Rs.1,00,000/, Rs. 75,000/- and Rs.50,000/- respectively. In addition, the best designs will be retailed by Flying Machine, a popular brand in the ready-to-wear segment. To increase the chances of winning for each participant, CCI has also allowed multiple entry options.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Sachit Bhatia, Senior Manager Representative, South Asia, Cotton Council International, said, “TeeZing is based on the premise of creativity, fashion and fun with cotton. We hope the competition will reignite India’s passion for cotton, showing how it touches every part of our lives. We are hopeful to get a fantastic response across all cities and expect to see a lot of unique designs in cotton.”
He further added, “Cotton has inspired a lot of creations in the Indian fashion industry and to take this association to a new level, we have on board a group of fashion designers from various parts of the country who are traveling to different cities and mentoring the kids of Smile Foundation for participation in TeeZing so that they can come up with their best cotton creations.”
Speaking on this occasion, renowned fashion designer Asmita Marwa, said, “I am thankful to Cotton Council International for giving me this interactive platform to mentor the participants of TeeZing from Smile Foundation in Hyderabad. Cotton has always been an all time favourite fabric of designers in India. Though cotton is perceived as a summer fabric, it is truly a fabric for all seasons. Cotton reminds me of comfort and hygiene. I have used cotton in many of my creations and have a strong affinity for it. ”
The competition was first held in 2009 as part of the International Year of Natural Fibers celebration. The competition was held simultaneously in 10 countries including India, with the objective to develop a positive disposition toward cotton, especially amongst the youth. The theme of the competition in 2009 was “Cotton’s Natural World”. It is one of the many popular outreach activities undertaken by CCI globally.
About Cotton Council International (CCI)
CCI is a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of cotton in India. It runs a “Generic Cotton Education”’ program, which strives to increase the demand among end-consumers for products made from 100 percent cotton, so that retailers, manufacturers and spinners could be encouraged to produce a higher percentage of 100 percent cotton products to meet this consumer demand.
CCI launched the campaign in India in 2003 under the Cotton Gold Alliance (CGA) program. The CGA program was launched at the trade level in October 2002 and at the consumer level in May 2003 under the “New Face of Cotton” campaign.
In 2006, CCI made some strategic adjustments in the CGA program and renaming it as the “Generic Cotton Education” program in India. Through its education program, CCI reaches out to various stakeholders including consumers of cotton, industry, media and the fashion fraternity.
For its activities in the past, CCI has successfully collaborated with leading fashion designers, trade bodies, Bollywood celebrities, media and design students for effective delivery its messages. The organization carries out these activities in metros and Tier II cities.
For further information, please contact Piyali Sarkar, Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, (+91-40-6712 8813
Press Release Published by : Sepia Digital on Behalf of Cotton Council International
The first edition of the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth aims to exhibit meaningful films for the young
It is not just the lack of children and youth-oriented films but also the non-availability of venues to screen them that hampers the making and viewing of this genre of movies. A welcome addition in this regard is Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) which commences today. The eight-day event is being organised by Smile Foundation which besides working with underprivileged children, their families and the community is also engaged in producing films to sensitise people and engaging them proactively in initiating social change, like Nila Madhab Panda’s I am Kalam and television series Chhoo Do Aasman.
Referring to SIFFCY as a special platform devoted for appreciating world cinema Jitendra Mishra the Festival Director, says, “The idea is to channelise the energy and enthusiasm of children and youth into a positive direction, by imbibing a conscious perspective and constructive value system in them through the medium of cinema.” Suman Ganguli whose Blue Mountains is scheduled to be screen, feels it is a great platform for taking films devoid of stars but wholesome in content and actors to people.
To be held at Siri Fort Auditorium, the fest presents more than 80 films including 30 feature films, 30 short and documentaries and 20 students’ films from India and world over. Opening with the award winning Russian film Celestial Camel (2015), directed by Yury Feting portraying animal welfare, perseverance, family and friendship other foreign films include Olivier Ringer’s Birds of Passages (France-Belgium), Lourens Blok’s A Christmoose Story and Pim & Pom directed by Gioia Smid both from Netherlands, The Living Forest (by Angel de la Cruz y Manola Gomez, Spain), The Buddha (Krismant Whattananarong, Singapore), Number Seven by Li Bin from China and Poland’s Brave Bunch Children Of Warsaw Uprising directed by Thomasz Stankiewicz. Focusing on Germany, one of the leading countries making children’s films there will be six films from that country like Veit Helmer’s Fiddle Stick, Arend Agthe’s My Friend Raffi and Lola On The Pea by Thomas Heinemann among others.
The Indian participation includes five films from Children’s Film Society of India – Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya by Shilpa Ranade, Batul Mukhtiar’s Kaphal, Gattu by Rajan Khosa, Pappu Ki Pakdandi by Seemaa Desai and Surabhi by Vishal Chaturvedi besides others like Kakka Muthhai by M. Manikandan and Father’s Name Is Gandhi (Pavel Bhattacharya). Showcasing a message these films portray varied aspects of the society.
Identified as a crucial medium, a number of short films are part of SIFFCY for their ability to deliver message in a crisp span of time. Besides a large number of them on a variety of subjects can be accommodated a fixed timeframe. Following the standard format of other festivals, here too workshops on filmmaking, photography, sand animation, story telling and other activities have being organised. With the basic idea to interest youngsters in the craft, these events will be conducted by film professionals. Indian Institute of Photography will provide hands-on training to children who will be then sent to capture moments on the topic Swachch Bharat.
Efforts to tap schools in National Capital Region to send their students to attend film screening and the workshops have yielded result with more than 20 institutions having confirmed their participation. Will the festival be confined to Capital thus reaching a limited few? “We are planning to make it a travelling film festival and will try to showcase the best movies of this festival in 300 to 400 districts of India,” reveals the director.
In the changing scenario there is a crying need to sensitise children and youth thereby turning them into agents of change in the family and community. Films being much more than entertainment are a powerful medium to depict reality and inculcate values. As an interesting and engaging alternative, Jitendra feels it can stimulate discussion among them about vital personal, societal, moral and world issues.
TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (MNA) – Iranian short films Red Dream and Cloudy Children will compete in the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), India.
Cloudy Children, by Iranian filmmaker Reza Fahimi, recounts the story of two students fighting over the ownership of things as the nature and the sky which they can never have.
It has attended several national and international festivals and also won Japan’s 2015 Grand Prix of Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, the Best Screenplay Award of the 2014 Tehran Short Film Festival and bagged two prizes at the Dytiatko International Children’s Television Festival in Ukraine.
Red Dream, directed by Shahriar Pourseyedian, tells the story of Mohammad who sees the world around him from his own point of view.
The film has garnered awards at the 7th Annual Iranian Film Festival – San Francisco, Ukraine’s International Children’s Television Festival (Dytiatko) as well as Albania’s International Film Festival for Children and Youth Audience, “AniFestROZAFA”.
SIFFCY is a unique film platform devoted to a greater appreciation of meaningful cinema which can bring change in the society by showcasing films with substance, supporting emerging filmmakers, recognizing the pioneers and leaders of the entertainment industry, business executives, and by promoting the diverse perspectives of World Cinema.
It will cater to young people (aged 6 to 25) with every level of interest in film.
The first edition of the annual Film Festival (feature films, short films, documentaries) will take place at the Sirifort Auditorium, New Delhi, India during 21-27 Dec 2015.
International (CCI) has announced the second edition of its pan India T-Shirt design competition TeeZing on the theme “My Cotton World”. The competition offers every participant a chance to showcase their creativity and sketching skills. The competition is open to young and old to express what cotton means to them. To inspire participants, CCI is organising visits by fashion designer to various centres of Smile Foundation across 6 cities namely Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad. Today, renowned fashion designer Asmita Marwa who has won accolades for her designs visited a Smile Foundation centre in Hyderabad. Asmita shared tips with the participants to help them bring their cotton world to life in their designs. Asmita also shared her experience with cotton and how she has showcased cotton as a fashion fabric in her creations.
The competition will run from June 28th through July 22, 2010. Entries can be submitted online at www.allaboutcotton.com, via email to teezing2010 ( @ ) gmail dot com or submitted at select Café Coffee Day stores in 9 cities throughout India – Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh dot CCI has assembled a formidable team to judge the contest dot The jury for this season will include leading names from the creative, design and fashion fraternity dot
The top three national winners of TeeZing will be awarded cash prizes of Rs.1,00,000/, Rs. 75,000/- and Rs.50,000/- respectively. In addition, the best designs will be retailed by Flying Machine, a popular brand in the ready-to-wear segment. To increase the chances of winning for each participant, CCI has also allowed multiple entry options.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Sachit Bhatia, Senior Manager Representative, South Asia, Cotton Council International, said, “TeeZing is based on the premise of creativity, fashion and fun with cotton. We hope the competition will reignite India’s passion for cotton, showing how it touches every part of our lives. We are hopeful to get a fantastic response across all cities and expect to see a lot of unique designs in cotton.”
He further added, “Cotton has inspired a lot of creations in the Indian fashion industry and to take this association to a new level, we have on board a group of fashion designers from various parts of the country who are traveling to different cities and mentoring the kids of Smile Foundation for participation in TeeZing so that they can come up with their best cotton creations.”
Speaking on this occasion, renowned fashion designer Asmita Marwa, said, “I am thankful to Cotton Council International for giving me this interactive platform to mentor the participants of TeeZing from Smile Foundation in Hyderabad. Cotton has always been an all time favourite fabric of designers in India. Though cotton is perceived as a summer fabric, it is truly a fabric for all seasons. Cotton reminds me of comfort and hygiene. I have used cotton in many of my creations and have a strong affinity for it. “
The competition was first held in 2009 as part of the International Year of Natural Fibers celebration. The competition was held simultaneously in 10 countries including India, with the objective to develop a positive disposition toward cotton, especially amongst the youth. The theme of the competition in 2009 was “Cotton’s Natural World”. It is one of the many popular outreach activities undertaken by CCI globally.
About Cotton Council International (CCI) CCI is a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of cotton in India. It runs a “Generic Cotton Education”‘ program, which strives to increase the demand among end-consumers for products made from 100 percent cotton, so that retailers, manufacturers and spinners could be encouraged to produce a higher percentage of 100 percent cotton products to meet this consumer demand.
CCI launched the campaign in India in 2003 under the Cotton Gold Alliance (CGA) program. The CGA program was launched at the trade level in October 2002 and at the consumer level in May 2003 under the “New Face of Cotton” campaign.
In 2006, CCI made some strategic adjustments in the CGA program and renaming it as the “Generic Cotton Education” program in India. Through its education program, CCI reaches out to various stakeholders including consumers of cotton, industry, media and the fashion fraternity.
For its activities in the past, CCI has successfully collaborated with leading fashion designers, trade bodies, Bollywood celebrities, media and design students for effective delivery its messages. The organization carries out these activities in metros and Tier II cities.
For further information, please contact Piyali Sarkar, Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, ?+91-40-6712 8813
Press Release Published by : Sepia Digital on Behalf of Cotton Council International
For tre ar sedan skakades Indien av en brutal gruppvaldtakt. SvD reste till Delhi, dar sexuellt vald ar en del av vardagen for stadens kvinnor. Men huvudstadens invanare anar ocksa vissa forandringar. Till exempel har valdtaktsoffer borjat ses som offer, och inte syndabockar. – Tidigare var installningen att offren lika gärna kunde do, sager studenten Salonee Shital.
I ett av Delhis slumområden berättar Shanti Devi, 36, att Indiens kvinnor har fått det bättre sedan hon var ung. Foto: Daniella Backlund Av Sven Carlsson 16 dec, 2015(uppdaterad) Spara artikel Dela 265 delningar
Missa inte Läs hur mycket du vill med SvD digital
Det är inte bara palmträden som gör universitetsområdet i södra Delhi till en oas. På Jawaharlal Nehru University finner nämligen stadens kvinnor en fredad zon om kvällarna. – Här har vi inga problem. Men det kvinnor upplever utanför området har inte förändrats, säger studentaktivisten Geeta Kumari, 23. Vi sitter i ett slitet kårhus, aktivisternas hemvist. Förmiddagssolen väller in genom fönstren.
Studentaktivisterna Geeta Kumari, 23, och Salonee Shital, 22, engagerar sig för att skapa en drägligare vardag för Delhis kvinnor. Foto: Daniella Backlund Fem minuter härifrån, för tre år sedan, skedde gruppvåldtäkten som skakade om hela Indien.
De grymma detaljerna lät inte vänta på sig i nyhetstexterna. Om metallstängerna som de fyra förövarna använde. Om den 23-åriga sjukgymnaststudenten som under två veckor svävade mellan liv och död med utslitna inälvor, och till sist avled.
Studentorganisationen All India Students’ Association (AISA), där Geeta Kumari är medlem, var bland de första att protestera mot könsrelaterat våld de där decemberdagarna 2012. När hon själv nådde centrala Delhi var stämningen hätsk.
– Vi hörde en massa slagord om att man skulle hänga våldtäktsmännen, säger hon.
Geeta Kumari och hennes föreningskamrater ville förflytta diskussionen. – Våldtäkter handlar inte bara om själva våldtäkterna. Det finns en maktkomponent. Därför ville vi börja prata om kvinnors frihet.
Budskapen tävlar med varandra i JNU:s kårhus. Foto: Daniella Backlund I kårentrén sitter dussintals lappar om socioekonomiskt och andra former av förtryck, men inte en enda om kvinnornas kamp. Frågan är hur mycket som har hänt sedan Indiens mest omskrivna våldtäkt.
Under 2014 ökade antalet anmälda våldtäktsfall i Indien med nästan 50 procent mot 2012. Siffran antyder att motståndet till sexuellt våld har växt sedan de stora protesterna.
Men sexuellt våld är en känslig fråga i Indien. Hjälparbetare rodnar när vi frågar vad som hänt på tre år. En av dem råder oss att inte rapportera om något som vid det här laget har hunnit bli “old news”.
Tidigare var inställningen att offren lika gärna kunde dö.
På en av lekplatserna i Shashi Garden får getter, kor och barn samsas om utrymmet. Foto: Daniella Backlund Ändå verkar attityderna skifta. Våldtäkter anses till exempel inte vara offrets fel i samma utsträckning i dag, säger studenten Salonee Shital.
– Tidigare var inställningen att offren lika gärna kunde dö, antingen under brottet eller efteråt. Nu har folk börjat acceptera att det är okej att överleva efter en våldtäkt, säger hon.
De ruttna soporna får luften i östra Delhi att surna. I en slum i området Shashi Garden betar gatuhundar, grisar och getter genom en avfallshög.
Ett tiotal nyfikna barn följer efter oss in i de smala gränderna. Elkablar hänger i drivor på fallfärdiga lyktstolpar. De pastellfärgade tegelhusen står staplade på varandra.
Ett 30-tal kvinnor har samlats för att prata om vaccinationer, med det bredare syftet att öka sin självständighet. Foto: Daniella Backlund På en uteplats mellan två av husen har ett 30-tal kvinnor samlats för att prata om vikten av vaccination med hjälporganisationen Smile Foundation. Vaccinationerna är ett led i kvinnornas strävan efter utbildning, jobb och en självständig tillvaro.
– Tidigare fick vi inte ens lämna våra hem. Om kvinnor vill nå ut och förbättra sin situation i dag kan de göra det. Livet är inte längre begränsat till att åldras, gifta sig och skaffa barn, säger Shanti Devi, 36, som kom till Delhi från den nordöstra delstaten Bihar för fem år sedan.
På mötet verkar de yngre flickorna mest glada över att befinna sig i ett rum avsett för kvinnor. Delhis blå himmel – och några nyfikna pojkar – tittar fram mellan cementblocken ovanför oss.
Vardagen kan dock se betydligt mörkare ut. Kvinnor, flickor och även små barn faller med jämna mellanrum offer för sexuellt våld i denna del av Delhi. Några veckor före SvD:s besök våldtogs en 15-årig flicka sedan hon hade försökt skydda sig från några gatuhundar just här i Shashi Garden. Parvdeen Kumar, som bor i området, berättar att ett två år gammalt barn nyligen våldtogs i närheten.
Överfallet är inte omskrivet av lokala medier. Men det har inte bara fallit i glömska.
Parvdeen Kumar, 24 (till höger), försöker sätta stopp för sexuella trakasserier i östra Delhi. Foto: Daniella Backlund – Folk samlades för att protestera. Vi anmälde det till polisen, säger Parvdeen Kumar.
Jag uppmanar mina vänner att låta bli att trakassera kvinnor
24-åringen poserar bredbent för kameran med dussintals barn omkring sig. Trots machostilen är han en av männen i området som försöker motverka sexuellt våld och trakasserier.
– Jag uppmanar mina vänner att låta bli att trakassera kvinnor öppet. De kan bli arga, men jag försöker förklara pedagogiskt att det inte är okej. Vissa män gör det svårt för mig, säger Parvdeen Kumar.
Bishnu Mondol, 45 (i mitten), önskar att hans döttrar ska vara fria att gå vilken utbildning de vill. Foto: Daniella Backlund En bit bort har ett tiotal män samlats under ett solskydd på sin lunchrast.
Många är migranter. De flesta har bara jobb för dagen, om ens det. Men de är ense om att kvinnorna i deras närhet borde få en chans till ett drägligare liv.
Teförsäljaren Bishnu Mondol för gruppens talan. Han var en av de första som engagerade sig i dessa möten. Han önskar att minst tio gånger fler män skulle dyka upp varje gång. Så är dock inte fallet.
– Jag har två döttrar och en son. Jag försöker se till att mina döttrar får en dräglig utbildning.
Får dina döttrar gifta sig med vem de vill?
– Ja. Definitivt.
I slummens dörröppningar och på marken kryper små barn omkring. Ingen förälder syns till. Foto: Daniella Backlund Framstegen är begränsade, och optimisterna försiktiga. Det var dock inte bara universitetsvärlden som drogs med i protesterna som följde gruppvåldtäkten för tre år sedan, enligt flera SvD talar med.
Även till Indiens lägre kaster spred sig nyheten, enligt Juanita Kakoty på organisationen Apne Aap, som erbjuder flickor i Indiens mest utsatta områden hjälp i vardagen.
– Det var många ur medelklassen som protesterade, men även folk från de områden vi finns i, säger Juanita Kakoty.
Organisationens målgrupp är lågt ställda kaster, ofta nomadiska folkslag, där det är vanligt att mannen i hushållet tvingar sin fru att sälja sex. Juanita Kakoty ser vissa förändringar under sina hembesök.
– I dag kan männen sitta tysta och lyssna när vi besöker dem. De protesterar i alla fall inte. Det är en enorm förändring, säger Juanita Kakoty.
