In the chaos that is the World Social Forum, 14 children from the Basoli Group Multipurpose Institute, Nagpur, found a quiet corner and promptly settled down to work. Their task? To put together a 50-foot canvas painting that would capture the essence of globalisation.
The work on the painting actually began in Nagpur, explains Ashwin Hatwar, 14, who has been part of the group for two years. "We were given the topic and were divided into two groups," he says. "Once we got our ideas together, we presented it to our Sir, who helped us finetune it."
And their ideas?
"We want peace, not war," says Sumit Wavarkar, 13.
"The future needs a stable world," adds Gaurav Gaikwad, 13, firmly.
"What will happen when the world's natural resources are exhausted?" ask the others.
Ankit Rokade, 13, meanwhile, explains the process that began in Nagpur. "We made a rough, 6 x 8 inches drawing on paper that would be our reference point when we made the painting in Mumbai." Ankit has been part of the Basoli Group for four years. The group, which was established in 1975, has had more than 80,000 child members over the years. Children who are talented in any kind of art, including pottery and sculpture, can be part of the group, which helps children exhibit their talent at the state, national and international level.
The Basoli Group arrived in Mumbai on January 17. After freshening up -- they are staying near the venue in three flats that belong to a former student -- they promptly made for the WSF venue at the NSE Ground in the city's northern suburb.
"We spent two hours sketching our canvas," says 12-year-old Shamir Lohe, "before calling it a day."
By 9 am the next day, they were hard at work again, this time with their watercolours and paintbrushes. As their teacher shouted instructions - "Time to change the water you are using"; "Work carefully, there's no hurry" -- the bland canvas began to take on myriad hues. By six in the evening, the paint-streaked young artists were done with their take on globalisation and ready to answer questions from the milling crowds and the curious media.
Coverage of WSF | Also See: Why Bush is hated
Text/Photographs: Savera R Someshwar