Press-Impress

There are some opinions on the press by well wishers. Here are some of the excerpts. 

Animesh Sen and others on the article of Harsh Kabra, Published in Outlook. We are waiting for your valuable comments and opinions. 

ART...captive..?
Posted 11/4/2005 @ 4:23 AM Candid Vision
Art...?... as dictionary says, is a product of human creativity. But, what uses of these products remain unless fellow humans have their faith or strictures bestowed upon them. Art is anything but an austere activity in which one resigns himself from the rest of the world and pours his creativity over a piece of paper or out of some instrument. Art is a form of human evolution and hence subject to social assessment. For it derives its motivation from the society itself, be it social subjugation or failure or suppression, or even the elation of mind. But then what about art in prison? What about the creativity of the people circumscribed behind the bars. Recently in Mumbai's jails there held a fest for creativity flow, in assumption that art, or expression of any kind, is a cathartic booster (Outlook, 7th November). Avitoko – Akshar Visahwa Ka Tosh Avivam Kosh – is a four year old organization that conceived the congregation in pursuit of establishing a connection between people of each side of bars. The Kavi Sammelan, had many veterans like Akshay Jain and Yagya Sharma, and even more many prison poets. They recited their verses in Hindi and English both. Their themes ranged from suppression to reformation. Avitoko is planning to publish their work, an idea that ail authority have eagerly welcomed. Ramesh Owale, an inmate of Thane Jail where he is serving life sentence, won a special award at a national painting competition. Another from Warli jail teaches painting to fellow inmates and wants to take it to prisons elsewhere. Life behind bars has not restrained the creativity. It's a tool that would connect the people outcaste through social and political means to the mainstream. Avitoko is working in this direction but solely on a single shoulder – 45-year-old Vibha - Hindi and Maithili playwright. Let's join hands on this side of the bar to help people on the other side and evolve a better tomorrow. 

http://mumbaigirl।net/2005/10/30/the-poet-in-his-prison/

There is a wonderful article in Outlook about the organisation Akshar Vishwa Ka Tosh Aivam Kosh or Avitoko founded by Hindi and Maithili playwright Vibha Rani that holds Kavi Sammelans in prisons and “has successfully used art, theatre and literature with mainstream and special children (like orphans or the mentally challenged), marginalised people, women, youth, even corporates to help them understand themselves, identify their strength, kill inhibitions and become confident.” You can read about it here

freakyTechie Says: November 15th, 2005 at 6:52 am
Nice to see Vibha Rani being noticed and discussed in Weblog world. I met her yesterday and found her home a collection of artifects and artworks. Before knocking the door of her home, I couldn’t see any number plate or something helping me match her name with the contact details I had with me. It was distinctiveness of even the outside of home, and surroundings of door, that made me be sure that that home belonged to Vibha Rani. The way she has manually decorated the in and out of the home was quite vivid in style and vibrance and so was the personality of the Lady, Vibha Rani.Ethnicity was quite visible in everything related to her, the effect of art was evident in her entire being.A great meeting, a great impression, result of a great luck!!- Vikas Agarwal