ViBGYOR Spectrum

The corner stone of the festival and the activities of ViBGYOR is the theme ‘Celebrating Identities and Diversities‘. This theme in its breadth and depth, represents the most basic social issues, which we consider as the colours of the spectrum of ViBGYOR. They are:

Identities

Various minorities of the society are facing different kinds of discrimination. Many of these groups are struggling to keep their existence and to resist the encroachments of the mainstream.’ The issues of Indigenous People, Dalits, Sexual Minorities come under this. Women’s rights, Gender equality, Racial discrimination etc are some of the often discussed topics under this ‘colour’.

Rights

Basic human rights are enlisted by various organizations like UN and many of them have been legally approved as ‘rights’ by most nations of the world. But millions of people across the globe are still struggling to get their rights legitimized and implemented. This includes, Right to food/Shelter/Security, Right to Equality, Freedom of expression, Education, Employment and Health.

Environment & Developmentalism

A lot of activities are taking place in all parts of the world in the name of ‘development’. But ‘whose’ development is it? The issues listed under this ‘colour’ include, Industrialization, Corporate fascism, Displacement, Migration, Special Economic Zones, Genetically Modified Crops, Dams, Slum development, Roads etc. Human beings are slowly realizing that they are just one of the meshes in the giant web of nature. And a handful of dedicated people are taking it as a mission to protect the environment. The issues include Conservation, Pollution, Natural Resources, Energy, CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zones) etc.

Nation State

The role of the State in the well-being of the human being is significant. The use and abuse of State machinery can make long-lasting effects on communities. The topics include Authoritarianism, Terrorism, International Disputes, Corruption, RTI & PIL (Right to Information and Public Interest Litigation) campaigns etc.

Gender & Sexuality

Looks at the construction of gender, and the power-relations that are inscribed within it. It examines the questions of insidious prescriptions and proscriptions that are constantly at work in the fabrication of gender and sexuality divides.

Fundamentalism’v/s Diversity

Societal living inherently brings in certain norms and etiquettes for a harmonious life. This eventually resulted in various faiths across the world. Lately ‘this fundamental’ human need is more misused than catered for good. Religious harmony, Ethics and Values, Art and Culture are some of the topics discussed in this ‘colour’.

Culture & Media

With identities and diversities as its primary focal point, ViBGYOR takes keen interest in studying Culture, where in many dynamic ways evolutionary phases of the politics of identities and diversities are observed. Media, the principal vehicle of promotion and dissemination of culture, has assumed mammoth power proportions in the globalized digital age to the extent of pushing conventional cultural models and patterns into the background and achieving almost independent status. How consent is manufactured by media and other players involved in the power games is the question.