1. Campaign for Building Basic Human Communities : With the support of Manos Unidas, VJC has completed a two-year campaign in 30 villages for building basic human communities irrespective of caste, class and creed differences. The artistes of Prerana Kala Manch visited each village every month and performed street plays on various social issues. Social animators in the villages continued dialoguing with the people and helped them to organize Self Help Groups, women’s organisations, and youth wings.

2. Campaign against the evils of Globalization, Liberalization and Privatization : VJC has joined hands with various social action groups in Varanasi to fight against the evils of globalization and privatization of the natural resources of water. The people of Mehendiganj, a village close to Varanasi city have become victims of the exploitation of a Coca Cola bottling plant. The effluent of this factory has destroyed the crops of the peasants and also the economy of the people. It has also divided the community of people between the trading rich minority and the suffering vast poor. VJC through its songs and dramas has been communicating to the common people the evils of globalization. It has assisted the people of Mehendiganj and other villages in organizing foot marches, seminars and cultural programmes on this issue.
When CSE found through laboratory analysis that soft drinks contain pesticides, and the whole nation was alerted, VJC took out a special campaign with the slogan, “Pure or Impure: Pepsi-Cola Quit India”. In this campaign our focus was on the evil of privatization and illegitimate marketing of water, which is one of the five elements of the nature. We performed street play titled “Hai Re Pani”, on this issue in the schools and colleges of Ajmer and Jaipur thanks to the collaboration of Fr. Clement Coutinho, the Director of Diocesan Communications Centre, Ajmer. During the interaction with the latter, the students decided to boycott the multi national soft drinks, which are harmful to our economy, culture and health.

3. Campaign for Right to Shelter and relief to cold wave victims : In collaboration with other social organizations VJC made a campaign for relief to the homeless during the extreme winter in Jan 2003 & Jan 2004. Through songs, leaflets and various other media, the activists went door-to-door requesting people to donate old clothes, blankets, woolen laundry and cash. A sum of Rs.7000(in Jan 2003),Rs.8890(in Jan 2004)and 5000 clothes were collected. Blankets were bought with the money collected and all these were distributed among the migrant workers, beggars, and other shelter less people.

4. Inter-Religious Communication : Under the banner of Kashi Qaumi Ekta Manch (Forum for Kashi’s Communal Harmony), VJC organized a series of gatherings on the occasion of national festivals like Eid, Holi, Easter, Diwali, Ramzan, Guru Nanak Jayanti and Christmas, bringing together people of various religious groups. During Ramzan, Roza-e-Iftar (Breaking of fast) was also organized. The feeling of oneness in brotherhood, unity in diversity and national integration were visibly felt and experienced during these get-togethers which were attended by lawyers, Judges, Doctors, Businessmen, poets, artistes and others. Kavi Sammelan and Mushaira (Poetry recitation) on communal harmony were also part of these get-togethers.

5. Co-ordination of Social Activists : The joint forum of Sajjha Sanskriti Manch (Forum for United Culture) has entrusted to VJC the responsibility of coordinating various social action groups and people with a commitment to harmony, peace and social change. Different activities, rallies and seminars were organized. On Women’s Day a human chain was formed in support of the suffering women and against the exploitative policies of the then woman chief minister of UP. Similar rallies and seminars were organized against war on Iraq, against multi-national companies, against economic globalization, liberalization and privatization.

6. Campaigns for Girls’ Literacy :As in the past, in collaboration with CRS Lucknow, VJC continued its special campaign for girls’ literacy in different parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It covered every nook and corner of 38 villages performing three plays on gender discrimination, abilities of girls to study and emphasizing the need of girl’s literacy. The discussion that followed each performance resulted in immediately enrolling girls to nearby schools. This has augmented the literacy rate in these villages.

For performances in Street Plays in your areas
contact: vjcoc@vjcoc.org