Vishy Teki (TVVV Rao), an alumnus of the Department of communication at the S N School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad (UoH) has won the Rex Karmaveer Silver Chakra award instituted by iCONGO in collaboration with United Nations. iCONGO is CITIZEN MOVEMENT to sensitize & create awareness amongst people at large about socio-political issues, to build Individual Social Responsibility and encourage Citizen Action for Social Justice thru the People Sector (i.e. the NGOs). iCONGO is the acronym for the “Indian Confederation of NGOs”. http://www.icongo.in/about_us.html.
Vishy who studied at the UoH in 1993-95 is a film maker who has been documenting diverse set of social issues for various campaigns organized by National and International development organizations. He is dedicated to making films that bring out stories from different nooks and corners of India, stories that would otherwise remain unheard, stories that have the power to impact both the subject and the viewer of the film. His films portray an India that does not make it into the mainstream media. With a firm belief in the power of communication for social change and using video as an effective tool, he has documented the lives of the fishing communities, persons with disabilities, HIV/AIDS positive people, unorganized labourers and dalits, migrants, conflict affected persons, children in difficult circumstances, displaced communities and farmers.
With over 15 years of experience in filmmaking, Vishy, through his videos has been constantly striving to open up space for grassroots work with leaders of various campaign groups and organizations working for the most deprived sections of the country. His films, ‘Fishing in Troubled Waters’ and ‘Suffering in Silence’ (voices of HIV/AIDS persons) are placed by the Australian government on National Archives as work on third world development. Vishy stood runner up for Communication for Social Change award 2014 in individual category instituted by Queensland University Australia, giving voice to voiceless through videos.
On winning this award Vishy says, “I dedicate this award to all grassroots level activists who are invisible and struggling to get the state attention on various issues whether mining, environment or women rights. My skills and knowledge acquired in S N School of Arts and Communication during mid nineties hugely contributed in my journey as a development film maker”. He is married to Manisha Agarwal, his batch-mate at UoH. Manisha has worked with Newstime for 10 years, with WWF, as News Producer for ETV two and currently she is the Manager Director of CRC.
Vishy is the founding director of Communication Resource Centre (CRC) that is dedicated to bringing out different minority perspectives to the attention of the mainstream. The use of video and film as his medium of choice was also a conscious decision to ensure that they can be seen and understood even by illiterate people. In 2014 Vishy traveled to Vietnam to document violence and sexual harassment faced by girls and women in public spaces as part of study conducted by ActionAid Vietnam called Dream Cities. Big Cities Small Children a short film involving children from 5 cities of India, captured child perceptions of a dream city an effort of Humara Bachpan Campaign to influence urban planning in India. CRC has also anchored video training program for barefoot social auditors to document corruption in India’s largest welfare program Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Program.
Vishy Teki is instrumental in bringing stories from grassroots of India’s biggest health project National family planning implemented by Ministry of Family and Health in collaboration with John Snow of India and John Hopkins University (JHPIEGO India). CRC is also supporting USCDC efforts in strengthening pre service education under SNEH project implemented by FHI 360 India. CRC is also helping organizations such as Aide et Action International and Save the Children in advocating on child rights in areas of education for the invisible groups such as internally displaced, migrant children and linguistic minorities. CRC videos promoted public debates on most vulnerable and marginalized communities in India. The upcoming works of Vishy include UN Girls Education initiative in Nabrangpur of Odisha, IPE Global initiative in Education and female feticide practices in India.
UoH Herald is proud of the achievements of Mr. Vishy Teki and wishes him more such laurels in his career.
-Source: Business Wire India and Ms. Amoga laxmi