From 2007, World Comics India has started a Comics-Fellowship programme for its barefoot Comics Trainers spread all over the country. The idea is to encourage and help them in their ongoing activity in their respective villages or towns.
Meet our new Fellow Trainers-
Ms. Kabbu of Haathma village in Barmer, Rajasthan, told how she and Hansaram have started a “Comics Forum” which runs workshops mainly for children. They make stories mainly on gender issues. Kabbu was a central participant in the “Rights for our Daughters “-campaign in Rajasthan in 2006.
Ms. Babita Sundi of Chaibasa, Jharkhand; started publishing a monthly wallposter called “Mirror of Knowledge”, together with some women groups in the Chaibasa college and with tribal groups. The issues raised in the comics are mainly on health, education, elections, and alcoholism, all from a tribal angle.
Mr. Tawna of Mizoram Artists’ Society, Comics Division, told about the workshops and cooperation in MAS in making malaria-prevention and aids control comics. The challenge was that the involved organisations wanted them to be made in colour. The comics were published in the “Kawhhmuthu” series.
Mr. Suresh of “Comics Forum” in Rajasthan had created a monthly wallposter and had run several workshops in the villages, mainly with young boys. He had also made a locally distributed 8-page photocopied booklet on the issue of electricity. The comic was distributed during a public hearing on the issue in Barmer.
Mr. Rahul of Paridhi, Bihar, told about his running of workshops with the fisherman community, which was difficult as the fishermen left the harbour at 2 pm and returned back in the middle of the night (2-3 am). So he had them for one hour every day for two weeks. Rahul has also run workshops with middle class schoolgirls living in an area which was a scene of a hindu-muslim riot in the Eighties and never really recovered as a community. Rahul has also made comics on the issue of “rangari” (gangsters extorting money from shopkeepers, rickshaw-pullers, barbers and other small businessmen).
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