No, there wasn’t any critical global issue brewing up as we walked out of Akshara
theatre today minutes before ‘The Vagina Monologues’ (a play that we very much
wanted to see) was to begin. However, our leaving the venue had everything to do
with a lot of irresponsibly fanciful, wild, and whirling words that one reads on
the website of breakthrough.tv… though most of those words must’ve been put
there to imply serious intent.

Breakthrough claiming to be ‘a global, human rights organization that uses the
power of media, pop culture, and community mobilization to inspire people to take
bold action for dignity, equality, and justice’ actually emerged to be true in
ways that the organizers may never have expected. For instance, here I am writing
this piece for my blog after having stood and watched an absolute massacre of
‘dignity, equality, and justice’ at Akshara today.

Let me recount some of the incidents that aught to be reviewed by Breakthrough
management before they even think about organizing such an event again in the
future.

1. There were more than double the number of people that Akshara could possibly
accommodate in their open air amphitheater. Even a cursory glance told me that a
majority of those present were twenty somethings more attracted to the drinks and
food than by any zeal for critical issues like ‘violence against women, sexuality
and HIV/AIDS, and immigrant rights and racial justice’. Was anyone monitoring the
number of invites being distributed… and to whom?

2. Even as we were leaving I could see at least 50 well-meaning people stranded
outside the shut main gate… with more joining this motley crowd. There was no
one responsible enough to explain organizational inadequacy to these people… I
wonder what PR Breakthrough was aiming at! In fact, there was another twenty
something girl who claimed to be from their PR agency who told me with a distinct
slur in her tone: ‘Our job is to call the media. You talk to someone else.’ Well,
someone please tell her that media boundaries have broadened to include a a lot of
serious bloggers… and the internet is possibly read more than three dismissive
lines in a remote corner of a supplement of a daily newspaper!

3. We did manage to get inside the amphitheater and one kind soul even offered
half a seat to my wife and i chose to squat on the aisle. Even this was not to be
though… one of the organizers (yet another 20-something female) came up to me
and rather brusquely asked me (and a few others) to get up and leave. This we did.
Promptly. Your staff in India had successfully managed to ‘transform my heart and
mind’! Social issues are my concern… and as I left I wondered if Breakthrough
was really serious about their vision and mission. They didn’t appear to be.

4. Our car was parked in the RML Hospital parking and as we came out and drove away
I noticed a platoon of harried traffic cops deflating the tyres of the cars of all those hypocrites who were inside Akshara! Who were these people who deliberately added to traffic woes by leaving their cars on a busy road at peak commuting hours? Who were these people who fancied themselves as saviours of the suffering population and
protectors of human rights but did not want to pay Rs 10 for legal parking? I
wouldn’t trust them.

E INVITE_Compressed

So far as ‘The Vagina Monologues’ is concerned, we will surely wait for a ticketed
show. So far as Breakthrough is concerned, I wish they learn to manage their
events better.

If you’ve read so far, I think it will be fine if I mention a few suggestions as
well:

1. Even Barbican in London stages a lot of plays where entry is free… but when
they say that entry is ‘first come, first serve’ they allot seat numbers before
the show and I’ve yet to see a mismanaged event there. Therefore, go ahead and
invite as many people as you want for the drinks and eats BUT ask invitees to take
a numbered entry ticket from a specified place at a specified time slot. This can
be half an hour before the event begins and at the venue itself.

2. If I were a part of the organizers in such a situation I’d have desisted from
asking people to leave the amphitheater and watch a beamed version outside. After
all the real thing is the real thing! Instead, I’d have announced and requested
all below-thirty guests to graciously offer their seats to all the above-thirty
guests. It is much easier for the younger ones to squat on the ground just below
the stage!

3. If you claim to be a social activist, your job doesn’t get over by just
announcing that cars illegally parked need to be moved to a valid parking lot. You
MUST have volunteers ensuring that no laws are broken by YOUR guests!

4. If I were you, I’d look for a better PR agency… or at least inform them to
train and mentor their executives to be more responsible and responsive!

5. In the event of such a catastrophic mismanagement, do consider releasing an
apology.

As I write these words a new day has begun. It is half past twelve in the night
and it is now time for me to upload this piece and sleep until dawn!

© ArvindPassey
17 December 2010