Riot of Colours

On a bright Sunday morning,the rather scruffy park at Lajpat Rai Bhavan had talented visitors. With their brush and paints,a group of youngsters assembled in the greens with an endeavour to create artwork reflective of the current concerns. “The idea is to depict dissent through art and exchange ideas and opinions about what is happening in the country. There are several things that make us angry,” says Sukhmani Kohli,community activist and filmmaker,and the brain behind Cafe Kaffee Kuchh,located in Lajpat Rai Bhavan. “It’s time for art-ivism,” adds Kohli,25.

The aim seemed to be shared by the artists. So if a group of young boys expressed their anger at the fact that Bharatiya Janata Party did not manage to hoist the Indian flag in Kashmir on January 26,a young girl working with an NGO depicted the two extremes — a doodle with an angry message; and a serene landscape complete with lush trees and sun,with a banner of “home”. “Some painted as if it was for a school competition,but it was a good beginning. It gave an opportunity to connect with like-minded people and have a common ground for meaningful conversations and laughter,” adds Kohli,who had people ponder over a range of subjects,over home-made snacks and poha,cakes,tea and coffee,from the kitchen of the cafe.

“Many things happen at this cafe,including a lot of talk. We thought of introducing the concept of a studio to promote communication and express our feelings of anger and frustration in a constructive mannerm” says Gaurav Sahai a frequent visitor at the cafe.