Woodstock School alumni Puri’s project on caste discrimination

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 28

An interactive art project titled “Varna” based on the caste system of India by Philadelphia-based artist Antonio Puri succeeded in creating awareness against discrimination on the basis skin colour by involving students and staff of Woodstock School in Mussoorie. Puri is an alumni of the school.

Puri began the residency project at the school six weeks ago where he created a palette that incorporated the skin colours of a group of students and staff and also collected a symbolic DNA structure made of wood that will be placed on the school premises once completed. He said he would like to take these DNA structure to scientist where it could be determined that every skin colour was unique and part of one bigger cosmic envelope.

Puri said was his third project at Woodstock School and his first project was in Ahmedabad and then in Mumbai. He said he was inspired by the Varna system mentioned in the Rig Veda. “Discrimination on the basis of caste as followed today has no mention in the Rig Veda. On the contrary, the Varna system in the Rig Veda speaks about four castes or classes in a body and not in entire society. It divides the body according to its work, but people have created the caste system and divided society in a discriminatory manner. The project is to create awareness against such discrimination.” Working from his temporary studio in the Media Centre, Puri has documented the diversity of Woodstock School right from grade V to XII by inviting each student to match their skin tones and paint these tones onto strips of paper with the palette of colours given to them.

School principal Dr Jonathon Long also participated in the project and tried to match his skin tones during the project. Puri also took photos of the eyes of students and staff digitally and plans to carve out a massive eyeball picture to be placed under a tree at Chardukan in the Landour Cantonment board. The mandalas would be placed on the tree that would contain a written message against skin colour discrimination.

Dr Jonathon Long said the project was important for the school as it was in tune with the philosophy of the school that does not believe in any sort of discrimination. He said the school embraces students from every class, creed, caste and skin colour and provides them education without discrimination.

Tanuj, a student from Woodstock School, said the project would help him understand people with different skin colours and from different races. He would also work towards removing discrimination of any sorts from society when he grows up. “I really like the project because I’ve been subjected to discrimination in a lot of places. I think this will really help. It feels empowering. It is amazing that we are highlighting it,” said Samreen, a student from Grade 11.

Puri thanked Dr Long for his support and said the Landour cantonment board should provide the area in Char Dukan for the project as it was the need of the hour in a divisive world of today.