daily accounts- | by Saugat Datta - revised January 29, 2004 |

Day two: a tabloid size, heavy newspaper was handed to us on demand, the WSF 2004 official guide to the regular 9am-12pm and 1-4pm sessions. Four big discussions organized by WSF were being held simultaneously along with numerous other smaller discussion groups organized by various other NGO’s in each session. The very state of third world - high density and low surface area - from the look of it there were too many people making their point at the same time. Large number of empty seats and people on the streets meant only one thing, either traditional medium of communication is favored or a grassroots level activist has lost trust in podium based dialogue and discussions. My awe about mass activism was short lived as night stretched out and I walked out of the gate with my crew. Innocent shower of questions from inquisitive ones on the streets of Mumbai were contradictions a bit too much for a pea brain like me.

“What’s going on inside?”
“Is it a music festival or a sale?”
“What all these Firangis doing?”
“Do your lady friends need massage?”
“You want room? (Plus a weird grin)?”

To clear my conscience I tried relating the forum to the taxi driver on my way back home. No matter how much I explained, his recurring question kept my information onslaught to limits.

“When can we know about this kind forums? I hardly find time to sleep”

I am still not confident about his promise to communicate the forum message to his village.