Everyman's City

Here is ( a very hurried) roll-call post on the proposed protest march.
A lot of people have said yes in the mails- since it is rather difficult to kep track there, I suggest that everyone willing to join in leave a comment here, so it's all centralized.
Moreover, as I've said in my mail to blogbang, we need a core team to co-ordinate this effort, and I suggest this core team be formed and meets by day after tomorrow morning if not tomorrow evening to chalk out a clear POA. So, if you are willing t5o be one of the chief perpetrator and can help with someting in particular, do holler here, and let's fix up the venue quick. Call me if you want: 9243122682.
Things to be discussed and formulated:
1) exactly how to keep the law in the loop
2) should we start from PTI and end at IIPM or how else can we go about it.
3) how to keep the media, especially visual media in the loop, so that, if they refuse to take the letter, which I'm sure is what the case will be, we can submit it to the media in a press conference.
4) mailerdemon has offered to design badges etc. for us. mdemon, please just cross-post your comment here.
5) most importantly, the date of the protest.
6) anything else i might have forgotten


UPDATE: I suggest we (whoever wants to take a very active role in this) meet up tomorrow, at eleven at Barrista, St. Marks' Road. The agenda is to finalize date, time and exact mode of protest: from where to march. I think after the march we should call a press conference at PTI where we can formally hand over a copy of the letter of protest to the media. Also, medemon pleaase try to make it as you said you have some ideas about this. Sunu, mandar, swar- please make it. chamique, you too. Vignesh is unfortunately out of the country, but he has promised virtual support. Does anyone know how to get in touch with the police. We also need to discuss media management tomorrow, both print and visual.


UPDATE 2: there was a meeting yesterday attended by arka, chamique, bem, sunu and mailer demon (who's been nice enough to agree to design nice arm-bands etc. for the demonstration.
Things discussed were:
1) Why this protest? Is it just an emotional response? What will it accomplish?
The general agreement: the fundamental issue at stake here is the freedom of expression. It was also discussed that freedom of expression is not a blanket endorsement of libertarianism, but that it implies the right to voice one's rational opinions, and that is what had been repressed in Gaurav's case. As an extesnion, it was a moment of truth for the blogging community, something which affected our identites as bloggers qua bloggers. Hence, this demonstration, more than anything, is to be symbolic statement- of our identities as bloggers, and of the fact that we take our role seriously and responsibly, and are willing to stand by our words.
It was also decided to highlight the fact that blogging now plays a mature and responsible role in dissemination of information and in coming to the aid of society at large, sometimes in ways that mainstream media cannot. (for instance the role played by bloggers in the tsunami crisis, in Iraq, after the London blasts, the Mumbai rains). In the same spirit, this too was an attempt by a blogger to voice his opinions and make society at large aware of what he thought to be unscrupulous practices by a so called educational institution. The price he has had to pay for that is unacceptable.
It was also discussed that after the initial flurry of posts, etc., the three people at the centre of it all, gaurav, rashmi, and varna, shouldn't suddenly find themselves alone and friendless. Hence, this is also to be a show of solidarity towards them.
Now about the when and the how.
THE DEMONSTRATION IS TO BE ON MONDAY THE 24,TH. IT WILL BE A SILENT SIT-IN DEMONSTRATION. WE ARE YET TO FINALIZE THE EXACT MECHANISM, BUT THE TENTATIVE PLAN IS THAT WE'LL SIT IN FRONT OF IIPM BANGALORE IN THE MORNING FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR, AND LATER ADDRESS THE MEDIA AT A DIFFERENT VENUE, WHERE WE SHALL HAND OVER A FORMAL STATEMENT, TO BE SIGNED BY ALL MEMBERS OF BLOGBANG, AND ALSO A MEDIA RELEASE.
Before this, by thursday, we shall give out a pre-release to the media. I, chamique and bem will co-ordinate the writing efforts.

It is also requested that all members of Blogbang carry the media-releases and the statement on their blogs
Other things that were decided: We shall speak to legal entities and the law enforcement authorities. We shall also, by co-ordinating with the media, try to make non-bloggers aware of this, especially, we shall try to garner support from well-known people in other creative fields (theatre, literature and the arts) academics (real management gurus for instance), and also take this to the campuses, especially journalism colleges and departments of journalism in mainstream colleges. To this end, I have already spoken extensively to one of the foremost newspapers from the mainstream media, and efforts to get in touch with the visual media are underway.
One last, and very important thing: A lot of people have already expressed their willingness to be a part of this. Many of you have already commented. If you are convinced that you want to join, in addition to leaving your name here, I request you to mail me your name and number at arka.01@gmail.com. This is just so that we have a way to co-ordinate and keep in touch, especially on d-day. please mark your mails as "protest" in the subject line. Once you have committed, please do not back out.