Mumbai: From ‘Cow Vigilantism’ to ‘The Proliferation of Fake News’ and from ‘The Crumbling Economy’ to seeking an answer to ‘Where was the RSS in Freedom Struggle?,’ the second edition of the Mumbai Collective looks set to stir social discourse. The event will be held on December 9 and 10.
Convenor R. Ramkumar said, “This is not just a lit fest, but a first-of-its-kind political-cultural-social programme. We want to link cultural activities with the present political and social realities in the country.”
The Mumbai Collective was established in March 2016 by a group of Mumbaikars, out of concern that the ideals of freedom, pluralism, inclusion and tolerance, as secured by the Indian Constitution, were under threat. The first edition was held on March 5 and March 6, attended by more than 1,500 people.
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Mr. Ramkumar said, “Over the past three years, we have seen an unprecedented rise in divisive and communal ideologies. This phenomenon has also had covert and overt support from the Central government and a set of State governments.” The event, he said, is a stage to call on eminent personalities to express themselves on these issues.
Among those listed as speakers are student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Manoj Mitta, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat and Ajit Nawale, convenor, standing committee representing farmer organisations in the State.