Street groupwork in Kolkata

Tarun Bannerjee; Sagarika Banerjee; Mark Doel

doi:10.1921/gpwk20252562

Authors

Tarun Bannerjee
Sagarika Banerjee
Mark Doel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk20252562

Keywords:

community development, festival, geographical indications, group work, Kolkata, social education, street culture, groupwork

Abstract

The authors use the term ‘street groupwork’ to present the practices of Bharat Bhavna (literal translation: India thinking), a community-based movement in the Maniktala district of Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal. Notions of time and place are used to contrast street groupwork with more formalised groupwork, referencing the Gandhian notion of swadeshi, a commitment to immediate surroundings. This is not a parochial devotion, and the chapter explores how street groupworkers build alliances with other groups, linking groupwork with community organisation. Street groupwork is fluid, inventive and improvisational, and the group leaders live the lives of the community with whom they work. The style of their work is best described as immersive and the range of activities is enormous, from small group Indian dance classes to large-scale environmental and social justice campaigning. An explicit social and political philosophy lies at the heart of street groupwork – the Maniktala manifestation is environmental and socialist – with a mission to educate ‘the street’ to develop political awareness through group activities. The authors make the case that it is important to recognise the groupwork in street groupwork, and its significance for the wider family of group practice.

Author Biographies

Tarun Bannerjee

Tarun Banerjee is an engineer by profession and training. His chief social activity is the development of ‘science thinking’ with students via the Bharat Bhavna Organisation with youth. He is President of the West Bengal Socialist Party, a strong advocate of democratic socialism, in particular environmental (green) socialism, and he engages with a wide avariety of people’s movements – agrarian and human rights movements and environmentalists. He leads free coaching centres and develops cultural programmes to educate young people in the slums, using music, dance and drama.

Sagarika Banerjee

For the last 14 years, Sagarika Banerjee has promoted social and environmental movements in West Bengal and other parts of India. She is a cultural educational activist within Bharat Bhavna, working with groups in slum areas to teach and perform dance, drama and recitation, and forming self-help groups wth distressed women. She has taken part in the Save Gandamardan and the Niyam Giri hills and jungle movement to preserve tribal habitat and livelihoods, and has organised cultural programmes on environmental awareness. She is a National Executive committee member of the Socialist Party of India.

Mark Doel

Groupwork practice methods, generalist groupwork, activities in groups, international groupwork, what is a group, evaluation of groups, professional ethics and boundaries in groups

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