Patna, Dec. 26: Those curious about how India emerged as a nation or how communal politics threatens its fabric can satiate their inquisitiveness at the workshop, Engaging with Rationalism, in the state capital.
Organised by Delhi-based non-government organisation Anhad, the four-day-long meet was inaugurated today at State Institute of Health and Family Welfare at Sheikhpura. Students taking part in the workshop will be provided with an opportunity to interact with experts from various fields, and discuss history and politics with them.
Documentary filmmaker Sohail Hashmi was the first delegate to address the students today. At an interactive session, he put a number of questions to the participants: “How did India emerge as a nation? What is the meaning of Indian? How is communal politics affecting India?”
After listening to the answers of the audience, Hasmi said: “When the British East India Company took charge of the administration of many kingdoms in India, they started to exploit the resources and people. The feeling of nationalism emerged as a result of this oppression.”
Other eminent personalities such as theatre actor Javed Akhtar and social activist Prakash Louis are also scheduled to address the meet.
Students, who took part in the workshop, were upbeat about the subjects in focus.
Bhagalpur resident Mohammed Mushtaq Khan, one of the participants, said: “I’m an undergraduate political science student. The topics being discussed at this workshop are closely related to my subject.”
Another participant, Saquib Abed, said: “I want to be a social activist. So, I decided to take part in this workshop and interact with the experts and the organisers. I learnt about the experiences of non-government organisation delegates at the workshop. I have a lot of expectations from this meet.”
The organisers claimed that they would try to live up to the expectations of the participants. Sanjay Sharma, one of the organisers, said: “Topics such as India’s position in the world, the history of the freedom struggle, terrorism in Ayodhya and Kashmir, gender and communalism, the condition of Dalits and communalism in Bihar, will also be discussed at the workshop.”
He added: “Experts from various fields will address the four-day workshop. All the participants at this meet are students from across Bihar. Our aim is to address some relevant issues and give a chance to the youth to understand these topics. “Usually the youth are not too interested in these issues. Through this workshop, we want to provide them access to a knowledge bank and encourage them to ask questions.”
The organiser also said the participants at the workshop would not have to pay any registration fee and would be treated to films. The first film screened at the workshop today was Dor.