Dear Jmayler

Greetings from madurai collective, a small group of volunteers from down south of India. Seven of us have come together to initiate this process. There is Ms.Pavalam, an activist working for the rights of girl child, Mr.Babu, a painter and printer , Mr.Sundar, a theatre person and tamil lecturer , Ms. Vardhini from All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and a lecturer, Mr.Sethu, a writer and human rights activist, Mr.Prabhakar, a musician and lecturer and myself, Amudhan, a media activist and video producer.

We are collecting news from two soures. The first one is other friendly sites, who concentrate on specific topics. We simply give links with them. the second source is the new contacts that are building up all around the country. The activists, academicians and other friends have started sending information about the activities from their places. This information comes to our e-mail id:  maduraicollective@rediffmail.com, which is operated by all of us. We are also trying to find out volunteers from the other parts of the country, who will send views and news on activism from their places.

I, amudhan normally sit on a computer and do the actual work of uploading. We all meet almost daily and follow, influence, discuss and develop new ideas. All of us will visit the site daily and involve in a collective process of decision making and execution.

We use a computer and internet link at a commercial place, for which we pay almost Rs.300-400 per week. we are in need of support to have small set-up, in which we can have a computer, printer, scanner, cd writer and reader, internet and phone connection to do the minimum work of writing, editing and uploading the text and photographs.

We strongly feel that this work is very important, since our country is very big and complex. We are going through a period of indiscriminate privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation in India. We are also facing the traditional social structure, which is feudal, castist and anti-women. Communal politics is seen as the option by the confused middle class and young people, who face a ideological vacuum.

At the same time, there are continuous efforts by men and women to bring out change, to revolt against the oppression, to construct alternatives. We feel these secular, democratic, just and egalitarian voices should be shared with all and strengthened.

Our effort is small, but vital in disseminating the message of the 'others' .

amudhan
madurai collective