ENVISAG (Endosulfan Victims Support Aid Group) is joining hands with Bangalore Film society to organize book launch and film screening session. Through this event, ENVISAG is inviting attention to Endosulfan tragedy, considered as one of the world's worst pesticide tragedy, in which hundreds have perished and many thousands are continuing to languish with critical and chronic health complications.
Dr UR Ananthamoorthy, Jnanapith winner and also the patron of ENVISAG, will launch the book OPPUMARAM (SIGNATURE TREE) – Envisag Rekhakal which chronicles the spirit and history of people’s resistance and agitation against the killer pesticide. Many eminent personalities from the spheres of art, literature, film and politics – Girish Kasaravalli, KG Sankarapilla, TJS George, MA Rahman, GB Valsan et al – have agreed to join. Envisag seeks to raise Rs 1000/- against each copy of the book towards the various rehabilitation programs it runs for the fellow beings affected by the tragedy.
There will be also screening of KR Manoj’s National Award winning documentary A Pestering Journey which questions the knowledge and expertise which pushes a pesticide like Endosulfan to a dubious position between poison and medicine.
All are invited to participate in the launch function and requested to support ENVIAG with their agitation and rehabilitation programs.
Schedule
May 11, Saturday
4 pm – Screening of A Pestering Journey
5.30 pm – Book launch of Oppu Maram (Signature Tree) by Dr UR Anantha Moorthy
Venue
East Cultural Association, 100 Feet Road, HAL II Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru – 560 008 Ph: (080) 2527 5241, Google Map
OPPU MARAM | SIGNATURE TREE
Envisag Rekhakal
304 pages, 27x18cm
Oppu Maram (Signature tree) has been a symbol of resistance against Endosulfan for the people of Kasaragod. Here, Envisag is trying to capture the spirit and history of that resistance and agitation in 150+ articles written by 60+ writers compiled into 17 chapters. The book contains many articles written by eminent writers and activists, artistic expressions, sketches, cartoons, paintings, photographs etc. connected with the last two decades of the movement. It also captures the history of of Endosulfan issue, health studies, medical reports, court judgements, major mile stones, govt orders etc. Oppu Maram also records Envisag's last two years of operations.
Major sections of this compilation are:
- Experiences – Binoy Vishwam, KR Meera, Civic Chandran, C Jayakumar, VM Sudheeran, Robin, Vijayaraghavan Cheliya, Khadeeja Mumthas, Dr Muhammed Ashil, E Kunhikrishnan, Simon V Kurian
- Viewpoints – MT Vasudevan Nair, VS Achuthanandan, MN Vijayan, Anand, TJS George, Dr MA Rahman, Dr Jayakrishnan, E Padmavathi, S Usha.
- Paintings – KA Gafoor, Jyothichandran, MB Sukumaran, Rajendran Pulloor, Biju Kanhangad, Sacheendran Karadukka, Vinod Ambalatthara, Mohananchandran Panayal
- Artistic Expressions – KG Sankarapilla's poem, Gopeekrishnan's cartoon, K Sherief's painting, Rajmohan Neeleshwaram's play..
- Photographs – Madhuraj, Nikhil Raj, Ramanatha Pai, Dinesh Insight, Austin Cherupuzha, Shafi Theruvathu, Achu Kasarkod. Prof AT Mohanraj's analysis.
- Leading lights – John C Jacob, Shivaprasad Master, KT Mohandas, Leelakumariyamma, Shree Pedre, Dr YS Mohankumar, Dr Sreepadi Kajampadi, KS Abdulla, BC Kumaran, Surendran Neeleshwaram
- Various records from the last two decades of Anti-Endosulfan war – Medical reports, Research papers, Govt orders, Supreme court judgments, Stock home order etc
- Details on various organizations, individuals, agitations, milestones in the fight against Endosulfan
ENVISAG (Endosulfan Victims Support Aid Group) is a collective effort to fight the Endosulfan menace and to help the rehabilitation of the affected fellow beings. The group unifies various initiatives from around the world to help and rehabilitate the Endosulfan victims. Some of the areas Envisag is trying to focus on are: medical guidance and support, palliative care, counseling, financial assistance, support in the areas of education, employment, agriculture etc. Envisag raised more than Rs 20L last year and distributed it among 224 families. More than Rs 50L has been committed for the various rehabilitation activities planned for this year.
MT Vasudevan Nair, Dr UR Ananthamoorthy, TJS George, and BRP Bhaskar are the patrons guiding the activities of the group. Eminent personalities like Leelakumari Amma, Dr YS Mohankumar, Sri Pedre and Dr Sreepathy Kajampadi are on the advisory board of Envisag. The group also has a strong panel of coordinators from around the world and a medical panel of eminent doctors to guide its activities in healthcare domain.
Contact: ENVISAG, c/o Praxis, Telephone Exchange Bldg, Paduvadukka, PO Muttathody, Vidyanagar, Kasaragod. Prof MA Rahman – 90485 76384, Valsan Master – 94473 23555, [email protected], www.envisag.org.
A Pestering Journey
(66min; English, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Kannada; by KR Manoj)
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Trailer of A Pestering Journey |
A voyage through two pesticide tragedies in post independent India, A Pestering Journey is an attempt to interrogate the legitimate forms and technologies of killing available in a culture. Taking a pestering turn, the journey blurs the boundaries of nature and culture, of self and other, of life and death and many other comfortable binaries we inhabit. It tries to ask how much regard for life a culture should have to ponder over the question, what a pest is.
Pestering Journey unravels the many interwoven layers of culture and agriculture and foregrounds the logic of green revolution. In an atypical move it challenges and changes the idioms of pesticide and genocide and reveals the claims over knowledge and expertise which pushes a pesticide like Endosulfan to a dubious position between poison and medicine.
Winner of:
National Film Awards 2010 for Best investigative film; National Film Awards 2010 for best Auiography; Vasudha Film Awards 2011 IFFI for best environmental film; Best Long Documentary, 4th IDSFFK, 2011; Best Cinematography, 4th IDSFFK, 2011; Best Film, Non-fiction category, IDPA Award 2010
