Radical publications 174

Vol. 76 No 3

JUNE 2012

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST (Since April 1949) Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)

Founder Editor: M. N. Roy

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The Radical Humanist Vol. 76

Number 3

June 2012

Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute Devoted to the development of the Renaissance Movement; and for promotion of human rights, scientific-temper, rational thinking and a humanist view of life.

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy Editor: Dr. Rekha Saraswat Contributory Editors: Prof. A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr. R.M. Pal, Professor Rama Kundu Publisher: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Printer: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Send articles to: Dr. Rekha Saraswat, C-8, Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India, Ph. 91-121-2620690, 09719333011, E-mail articles at: rheditor@gmail.com Send Subscription / Donation Cheques in favour of ‘The Radical Humanist’to: Mr. Narottam Vyas (Advocate), Chamber Number 111 (Near Post Office), Supreme Court of India, New Delhi, 110001, India n.vyas@snr.net.in Ph. 91-11-22712434, 91-11-23782836, 09811944600

Please Note: Authors will bear sole accountability for corroborating the facts that they give in their write-ups. Neither IRI / the Publisher nor the Editor of this journal will be responsible for testing the validity and authenticity of statements & information cited by the authors.

Also, sometimes some articles published in this journal may carry opinions not similar to the Radical Humanist philosophy; but they would be entertained here if the need is felt to debate and discuss upon them.

—Rekha Saraswat

Download and read the journal at www.theradicalhumanist.com

- Contents 1. From the Editor’s Desk: Is Democracy An Impossible Feat?

—Rekha Saraswat 1 2. From the Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi: Spiritual Materialism: A case for Atheism 2 3. Guests’ Section: Cultivation for Innovation —Uday Dandavate 5 On Inclusiveness: Challenges of Inclusive Society —Sukhdeo Thorat 10 Need for Death Sentence: Capital Punishmment —H. Suresh 14 Deconstructing Indian History: The Roots of Dalits —B.P. Rath 18 4. Current Affairs’ Section: Is the Constitution a Log book?

Food Taboos and Nutritional Deficits Pseudo-educationists and Edupreneurs —K.S. Chalam 22 5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: Creative Imagination: Instincts, Impulses and Values —Swarajbrata Sengupta 28 6. Teacher’s & Research Scholar’s Section: Nuclear Deal and Nuclear Diplomacy —Anupam Tyagi 33 7. Book Review Section: Towards 21st Century Renaissance: An Introduction —Jayanti Patel 36

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interactions and we blame the outside arrangements, political or economic for Is Democracy an Impossible Feat? the decay of our social system!

A patriarchal society which is absolutely Democracy gives us the right to make parasitic upon anyone and everyone for our own resolutions in life, personal and its deliverance does not deserve even to social without harming others’ interests. follow the utopia of democracy. In our Do we take care of others’ welfare and society we believe that all our troubles Rekha Saraswat safety while taking our decisions? have their origin in someone else’s In a democracy the rulers get their power behaviour or decision. If there is through our consent. The people who serve us in corruption it is in the government; it is in the the governments are elected by us. We are the administration; it is in the business houses and it is highest authority to select or reject our leaders. But at all those public places where we go for aid and first we go all out to promote Anna Hazare’s support to fulfil our basic requirements. We accuse them of fraudulence and deceit but what do we do agitation against corrupt practices in the in our own lives? We easily use unfair means to get government and the administration and then we go a choice seat and a choice subject in a choice out of our way to support any candidate of a college in the name of our children’s secure future. political party who suits our personal interests, in We dole out all our resources to get a good job, a the ensuing elections. good posting, a good department or a good contract Democracy is considered to be the only morally in the name of our family obligations. We give and legitimate form of government in the world today. take dowry and purchase and sell our sons in Three in every five countries are now outwardly exchange for our daughters in the name of democratic. But because we are neither democratic traditions and customs. And what do we reap in nor civic in our behaviour and attitudes we have return? We weave an alliance of illegal demands conveniently distorted the meanings of morality and supplies, an interminable vicious caucus that and legitimacy to our benefit. We have the utmost capacity of altering the due process of law to suit has no end, once begun.

Exchanging gifts and presents with our guests, our requirements. friends and relatives is a necessary part of our After all who are the rulers in the government culture. But we measure each other’s love and headquarters? Who are the officers in the affection, deference and respect in direct administrative departments? They are none other proportion to the price and costs of the gifts. than we, the citizens ourselves who, sitting there Parents and children, husbands and wives, uncles have tarnished and besmirched the highest form of and aunts, grandparents and grandchildren, such an impartial, egalitarian and fair political acquaintances and associates, all of them judge system which, for the first time in human history each other’s sincerity and earnestness in the exact had tried to equate all individuals as one, to give ratio of their material contributions. And what them equal opportunities to grow and develop happens as a consequence? We enter into without any discrimination of caste, status, wealth, litigations turning sensitive social relations into class or race. We have succeeded in legitimising a crude legal affairs to the extent of abductions and new form of feudalism, a new kind of oligarchy and hired killings for personal gains. Then we try to a new type of mobocracy in the world in the name purchase the legal machinery to save our skins. The of functioning democracies. If this is the reality of entire moral fabric gets torn apart and values human nature, then is democracy an unnatural & become meaningless in our most personal impossible feat?

From the Editor’s Desk:

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From The Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi: Spiritual Materialism – A case for Atheism Translated by —Arundhati Khandkar

Laxman S. Joshi

[The book Spiritual Materialism – A case for Atheism, A New Interpretation of the Philosophy of Materialism written by Tarkateertha Laxmanshastri Joshi has been translated by his daughter, Arundhati Khandkar, who was formerly Professor of Philosophy at S.I.E.S. College, University of Mumbai, India. He passed away many decades ago but his contribution in building up the philosophical base of Radical Humanism has been no less. Roy acknowledged it in his life time and the followers of the philosophy continue to do so. I had requested Ms. Khandkar to translate her father’s major works from to Marathi to English for the benefit of the contemporary readers of RH. And to our pleasant surprise she informed that there is already the above mentioned book in English done by her. It is being serialised in The Radical Humanist June 2010 onwards. She has also promised to send us in English, gradually, more of his Marathi literature.

Laxmanshastri wrote this essay with the title Materialism or Atheism in 1941. How meaningful and necessary it is, even now, 70 years later, can be understood by the following paragraph given on the cover page of the book.

—Rekha Saraswat Bharatiya Darshana and Advancement of Indians in Bharata: It is said that the Indians possess a treasure of spiritual ideology than can lead the humanity on the path of cooperation and brotherhood. We, however, do not find any direct evidence of this generous spiritual glory in India’s modern social institutions. India’s modern politics and societal activity have been vitiated by envy and enmity. For many past centuries, the growth of the

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Indians in the various branches of knowledge, arts, literature, and polity seems clearly stunted. Under this state of affairs, it has become utmost necessary to look inwards for searching ourselves, instead of offering spiritual advice to the world. Our historical downfall for this reason is suggesting ironically to us that it is now the right time for us, to re-examine our so-called spiritual message itself. It is also probable that despite the heritage of the noble ideology being handed down to us generation after generation, no imprint of its specialty seems deeply rooted in the concrete evolution of our social institutions. No institutional restructuring, has turned out to be influential and powerful enough though originated in the Bharatiya spiritual culture and metaphysics. For achieving this kind of reconfiguration, it has become necessary to evaluate again our spiritual metaphysics. Bharatiya Darshanas, meaning the classical philosophies have been caught in the entanglement of concepts made null and void by the modern sciences.

Experiential and rational principles have to be selected casting away the network of the fixed concepts. There reigned a peaceful atmosphere in India for nearly a century and a quarter under the British Empire! During this period, instead of busying themselves in the reviewing and reforming of our spiritual culture, our modern literati out of their egotistical attitude, have not only created an environment of deeper mysticism, but have pushed further away the Indian philosophy from the world stage, reducing it to anti-intellectualism. As a result, the intellectual value of the Indian philosophy has also become less clear and almost disappeared. Inspiration necessary for revitalising the intellectual life in Bharata has not been available. Very few intellectuals exist, who have come forward to assess genuinley the intellectual culture here. Forgetting that in reality from ancient times, the Indian philosophies have been the ideal harbingers of high level logical systems, the new educated class of indigenous philosophers has darkened their intellectual brilliance, under the cloak of mysticism. As a result the metaphysical tradition of India is not only impaired to give a trail blazing message, but under the mystic veil, is also creating a false sense of success in life and is 2

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nourishing only self-deception. There is a dire need for both separation and selection of the ideas in Indian metaphysics, logically clear and precise for escaping deception. Limits of the murky mystical ideas need to be determined and long lasting moral values need to be rescued from the clutches of blind faith.

Background of Bharatiya Darshanas in Vedic Religion: Religion that reaches the stage of contemplation and analysis narrates first the science of construction of the universe and then formulates the broad background of metaphysics.

From historical point of view, philosophies after claiming the religious ideology as their own by the right of inheritance become themselves the latter-day authorities. There inheres power inside a religion that has reached a mature stage of involving a human being in the contemplation about the universe as a whole. Even before the emergence of the age of science, comprehensive and deep awareness of the universe, used to grab the attention of the religious mind. Without the rise of the intense curiosity in comprehending the infinite universe, theoretical research supported by the intellectual foundation cannot begin. The expectation necessary for the desire of knowledge in order to unravel the mystery of the universe finds its expression first in religion. The Indian philosophy is born first in the environment of Vedic religion, in ancient India. This has been mentioned in some of the ancient Upanishads. The child-like prior stage of the mature philosophy of Upanishads is obvious in that Vedic religion. Many well developed principles of philosophy seem to have appeared in the earlier past literature. The harmonious design of the universe enchants the minds of the Vedic rishis and arouses them in awe, respect and devotional attitude. Their mind is enamoured by the enormity and beauty of the universe. The infinite power of satisfying their countless desires is sensed by them in the energy of the universe. The powers in the universe as they see are the deities. From their point of view they are immortal and they feel they have the power to make

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the human soul free from death. A Vedic rishi says, “I a mortal being am appealing to the immortal god of fire.” The life here on this earth is considered by the Vedic rishis as much important as heaven if not more. According to them the heaven and the earth are equally holy. The in-depth mystical truth of the heaven and the earth is one and the same! In this way, one finds the complete material and the initial groundwork of the monistic metaphysics even in Vedic literature prior to Upanishad. The mystery of the beginning of the universe had engulfed the minds of the Vedic rishis with serious contemplative mood. At first, the Vedic rishis tried to unravel the mystery of the creation and construction of the universe through the medium of mythological stories and the medium of biographies of the various deities. They, however, remained dissatisfied forever with their own explanations. One finds examples also of this dissatisfaction in Vedas. Let us explore next the Vedic concepts of the creation of universe and man.

The fire, the starry sky, light, air, water, earth, sun, moon, rain and the other objects are the powers which represent different deities according to the Vedic rishis. All of these deities, however, were born to the same mother and the whole universe is the sphere of their active life. That mother-deity is no other than Aditi. The principle, ‘From one many are born,’ seems to be agreed upon from the very beginning in Vedas. Man is a being developed from the power of the universe in the collective image of the deities. The very powers of the universe inhere in the subtle sensory powers of a human being is a concept popular in the pre-Upanishad literature.

The sun became the eye, the air, the breath, while the earth became the body etc. are the various ideas postulated anthropomorphically by the Vedic rishis for the world design. In the latter part of Rigved and other Vedas, the concept that the project of building of the universe is like that of the human-body, seems to have acquired importance. The universe itself is the Prajapati, the Brahma of all creation!

Concepts such as: Brahma of all creation, himself exists first as a microcosmic ethereal body and

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assumes later the macrocosmic concrete form, are frequently found in the Vedas. The Vedics did not find reasonable success in bringing consistency and agreement in the disparateness of their initially formulated optional concepts about the universe, despite strenuous effort. In some narratives, the principle of fire or heat was regarded as fundamental and the universe was considered to be an explicit construct out of fire. Instead of fire, it has also been stated in Vedas, that it is the wind that is the original form of the universe, and all the various different deities and objects have come out of the wind. Water as the fundamental starting substance, is also a concept frequently found. After formulating the concept that the physical microscopic elements express themselves in explicit forms and thereafter, the inanimate and the animate world is born, they also thought of ideas such as desire, breath, mind, speech, sky, time being, non-being and others as optional, elemental base-roots of the universe. One unsatisfied rishi, however, did venture to say, ‘No one can solve the question of the beginning of the universe!’ The same rishi asserts the following, “At that time, at the beginning, neither nonbeing nor being existed.

And beyond that, the sky was also not there. At that time the death meaning the death-ridden mortal visible universe did not exist. And therefore, the other substance, the nectar, as a separate substance indestructible and eternal, did not exist. Moreover, there was no method to distinguish between the night and the day. Whatsoever did exist was heard by one and only one power – spontaneity, which was breathing without air. No one else or beyond it, nothing else, as such, existed. Who is here to tell us in detail, from which or from where, this real creation and its extension has come into being?

Who knows it for sure? Even gods came here after the birth of this reality. Therefore, who will know from where all this has originated? Who can say whether this whole real creation occupying the space came from somewhere out or not, and was created or not? Who can say whether that ultimate principle is known or not known even by the sky

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dweller, the president of the universe?” (Rigved, M 10, Hymn 129) Methodology of Upanishadic Thought: The nature of thoughts in Vedic literature developed prior to Upanishads is not like intellectual contemplation. It is formatted as poetic ideas and mythological stories. The nature of their questions and the queries about the mysteries does not possess logical form. Deep religious faiths and deistic ideas seem to dominate those all in all. But, it is in Upanishads first, expression of intellectual thought altering the body of faiths and prevalent theology seems to appear. The imprint of the concept that knowledge has been revealed by god or by divine visionaries blessed by god is found therein only occasionally.

In most places, however, the discussion therein amounts to intellectual exchange of thoughts among human beings. The Upanishadic theory of the ultimate is understandable by the subtle intellect of men. The myths have been used in their theory as a method, artfully creative and thought evocative. In deistic theory, it has only a secondary role. The anthropological concept of deities and god has made its entry in Upanishads only as a figure of speech. Because, even in Vedas, that concept, in clear and concrete form, had never taken deep roots. The human form of deities therein is uncertain. One can say the both, that it is there and it is not! To understand this, however, one must be able to differentiate between ideas at the various levels of thought processes. It is easy to recognise these various different levels by a trained mind. In Upanishads, the philosophical level is important and can be at once recognised as such. Each and every new subtle experience acquires a higher level status in them and introduces logical methodology free of contradiction. In Indian philosophy, Intellectual inquiry and logical thinking had just begun to develop for the first time in Upanishads; therefore they had yet to reach the stage of philosophical systems. They are the source of the present most famous systematised philosophical visions in India, since antiquity.

—Continued in the next issue 4

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Guests’ Section: Reflections from the U.S.

Uday Dandavate

[Mr. Uday Dandavate studies people, cultures and trends worldwide and uses the understanding gained from such studies to inspire people centered innovation strategies. Uday Dandavate heads up a design research consulting firm called SonicRim. He frequently writes and speaks on topics related to people centered design and innovation in international journals and conferences. uday@sonicrim.com]

Cultivation for Innovation recent draught of consumer Theconfidence has had an impact not only on the bottom lines of organizations but also on the spirit of innovation and collaboration in their daily operations. Cost-cutting measures across different sectors of the economy, has made employees insecure in their jobs, and averse to long term visioning and risk taking in pursuing new directions. This impact is felt in every sector of the society- Business, Public Administration, and Not for profit sector. For the past three years we are faced with recession of creativity.

However, we are now witnessing a slow change in the climate. Many established businesses have found their market share slipping away and start-ups are firing the imagination of the marketplace. Established political parties are beginning to find their traditional vote banks are being threatened by independents and new activist groups such as Tea Party and Occupy Wall street groups in the US and Anna Hazare movement in India. NGO’s are beginning to occupy greater relevance in national and international 5

development. The concept of micro financing pioneered by Mohammad Yunus of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, is only an example.

While companies like Nokia, RIM, Yahoo! are struggling to redefine their survival strategies in the new climate, the news of Instagram’s recent acquisition by Facebook for US $1BN and continued surge of apple, indicate that the climate is ripe for future focused organizations to start ploughing the barren space of people’s imagination and planting seeds of ventures that will serve real needs of people with fresh approaches.

The US Automotive industry, for example, should not take comfort in recent financial success achieved through restructuring, signing competitive labour agreements and shedding of legacy costs. Cost competiveness will not serve in the long term, unless US automotive industry begins to invest in redefining the automotive experience at the same scale as apple has redefined their customers’ experience. The pharmaceutical industry, similarly is faced with the challenge of business growth due shortage of diseases to fight, and the loss of revenues with expiry of patents that guaranteed steady cash flow for a long time. A shift in focus from fighting diseases to developing solutions for wellness, a shift from insurance company or doctor centric care giving to new approaches for participatory healthcare where patients and their families play a role in managing wellness, could open up new opportunities for innovation in healthcare sector. Rather than aspiring to bring back production of commoditized products to more expensive US factories, encouraging building of new production lines based on leading edge inventions would bring pride and profit back to the US manufacturing sector.

Through this article I suggest that a timely response to gradually changing socio-economic and psychological climate is required to ensure sustainable productivity, profitability and growth.

A timely response in today’s context means recognizing that rather than marketing the same old

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products and services and risking going back to the days of rampant consumerism. It is necessary to explore opportunities for meaningful innovation.

We are into the season of cultivation and during this season organizations need to cultivate the minds of people who have a stake in their future (both internal and external stakeholders) and re-energize them to envision ways of transforming life with innovation. Business models and product categories need to be re-invented in order to align with the needs of the market.

In anticipation of a season of reaping, companies are beginning to gear up production, commission new product development and rave up the engine of sales and marketing. Political parties too are hoping to cash in on their opponents’ weaknesses rather than exploring new ideas and programs inspired by the dream of a better future. The primary focus of this article is to bring focus on the season of cultivating. There is a season for reaping and a season for cultivating. We are into a season for cultivating.

The model of cultivation I propose here is envisioned for the benefit of individuals who will be the drivers of change in the future. Collectively they would lead the discovery, shared vision, inspiration and action aimed at a more sustainable enterprise of the future.

Figure: Driving Action through cultivation

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Cultivating responsiveness to Conscience: In an earlier article, I had introduced the idea of Innovation sparked by human conscience (not conscious). I consider Conscience a sensibility, or metaphorically- a light in human sub-conscious, that illuminates our path, and acts independent of free will. German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche believes that Conscience has arisen through evolution. According to him the central stimuli in the formation of conscience are a sense of responsibility and a trained memory. He suggests that Conscience is an introspective phenomenon brought about by a feeling of responsibility, in which one analyzes their own morality due to the internalization of the values of society. I believe Cultivating responsiveness to Conscience will help develop autonomous agent of change driven by a sense of responsibility. It is important to keep workforce from turning into slaves of an industrial complex that gradually pushes the organization to extinction due to misalignment with societal values and aspirations. Those who are in the thick of managing a business driven by capitalistic ideology, the suggestion of a business concept or business model sparked by the call of the conscience will seem like an impractical idea or a utopian concept. However, in support of this suggestion I would like to give the example of Varghese Kurien, the father of India’s milk revolution. He dedicated 35 years of his life to organize poor farmers in the Gujarat into a milk producers’ co-operative and built the popular brand of dairy products, “Amul” which has remained a formidable brand in India and abroad.

Through this organization, Dr. Kurien helped the needy create wealth. Amul transformed the life of humble cattle farmers throughout the country. His vision and effort has made India the world’s largest producer of milk today, and Amul its biggest brand name. The real contribution of India’s white revolution’s is in empowering the poor and initiating constructive social change in rural areas—the Amul revolution directly benefits about 6

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10 million dairy farmers. In the 1980s, he repeated what he did for milk in edible oils, with Operation Golden Flow.

Another example in the social sector is the story of Baba Amte, who built an institution for rehabilitation of people suffering from leprosy. As a child I heard Baba Amte narrating the story of what ignited the spark in him. During his daily walk, he came across a person suffering from Leprosy and his immediate reaction was fear combined with repulsion. However, his conscience prevailed and he realized the irrationality and unfairness of his reaction towards the man. At that moment he decided to dedicate the rest of his life in service of people suffering from leprosy. These examples lead me to believe those who build an institution sparked by their conscience inspire a sense of purpose in all their stakeholders.

Cultivating a sense of purpose: Not all businesses can be built in response to the calling of the conscience. However, there is clear evidence that most companies that have consistent record of innovation and sustained record of customer loyalty have cultivated in their employees a sense of purpose for what they deliver to the market. Apple Employees and customers are inspired to “Think Different” at every stage of the value chain, from design to use.

Employees of Southwest Airlines take pride in the company’s dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.

In the wake of September 11th, airlines suffered a major setback. Even after a $15 dollar attempt by the government to save airlines, American Airlines, Delta, and United collectively lost $4 billion; the major airlines lay off 16% of their workforce.

Southwest managed to make $151 million in profit, but with an entirely different approach: they didn’t lay off any employees and offered customers full refunds on their flights. Southwest’s maintenance of financial reserves to counter major setbacks allowed them to focus on what really matters: the

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employees and the customers. The employees and the customers were both grateful: Southwest employees donated $1.3 million to help the airline and customers began sending in donations and sending back gift cards to help with the financial struggle.

The turmoil in the world economy triggered by the subprime mortgage blow out has revealed the ugly side of the market driven economy. Unabashed greed for maximizing profits has led to subjugation of consumer interest in favour of a focus on feeding the insatiable appetite of the shareholders for quarterly growth. As a result US economy has turned away from its historical leadership in innovation and manufacturing, clearing the field for opportunist money-spinners. George Soros, the Hungarian-American businessman who is known for playing a big role in the peaceful transition from communism to capitalism in Hungary, admits, “Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It’s really a great invention and I wouldn’t under-estimate the value of that, but they (the markets)’re not designed to take care of social needs”. When businesses focus only on profit as opposed to being driven by larger humanitarian purpose, the rationale for their very existence must be questioned. On the other hand, when the leadership helps cultivate a sense of purpose and aligns its business with a larger framework of service to the society, the spirit of innovation grows within the work force. Often companies hire outside consultants to design and deliver a breakthrough innovative product or services to gain recognition as an innovative company. However, products do not make a company innovative, company culture does. In order to achieve reputation as an innovative company, a company must direct the imagination of its workforce by cultivating in them a sense of purpose.

Cultivating a culture of discovery: It is important to cultivate a pervasive culture of discovery within an organization. Many companies

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spend large market research budgets without establishing a process for socializing the insights and for translating insights into action. An overload of information from previous research has reached such a scale that some companies commission consultants to develop knowledge maps of “What they know and where the knowledge gaps are” after synthesizing hordes of research reports. It is obvious that these companies have not found enough time to process the research reports, and are looking for external agencies to summarize the insights and provide direction.

Approach to research in many companies is driven by a need to finding readymade answers, rather than going through the rigor of learning. Most executives are fighting against attention deficit and consider time spent in the field connecting with their customers, an exhausting process, which they would rather delegate, and concentrate on strategic planning. On the other hand, many future focused leaders invest in cultivating a culture of learning within their organization. Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of GE, who is credited with 4000% growth of GE during his 20 year long tenure at GE, believes, “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage”. Leaders who cultivate a culture of learning within their teams go home every evening with a sense of discovery and wake up in the morning with an epiphany. In Leonardo da Vinci’s words, “Learning never exhausts the mind”. Rather it reinvigorates it”.

In conclusion, cultivating a sense of “creative curiosity” within a organization leads to a record of innovations. On the other hand, delegating and commoditizing research generates “Garbage” of PowerPoint decks.

Cultivating empathy: Empathy fuels Imagination. Innovation fuelled by empathic imagination has greater chances of success because the product of empathic imagination has greater resonance with the people it is supposed to serve. Organizations that aspire to

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serve the aspirations of masses, as opposed to niches, must cultivate in their teams capacity for vicariously experiencing moments from everyday life of their target audience- the moments in which their product, service or value proposition will find a fit. Gaining access to the emotions and imagination of your target audience helps develop intuition for success. Oprah Winfrey’s greatest quality is her ability to empathize with her audience. She built a business empire, a strong brand and a loyal audience through the power of empathy. She believes, “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives”.

Helping leadership cultivate empathy for its customers can lead to meaningful innovation. For example, a technology company that has built its business through years of service to the economically weaker sections of the society recently commissioned Lunar Design and SonicRim to identify opportunities for disruptive innovation in service design. The project involved the client teams participating in ethnographic exploration of the emotions and imaginations of their customers. The client team was able to gain empathy for distinct unmet needs of their niche market. Especially since the executive leadership belongs to a social and economic class that is different from their customers’, they were able to discover opportunities for meaningful service innovation by gaining empathy.

An honest process of empathy generation leads to mutual empathy between an organization and its customers. Employees and Customers of an empathic organization feel a greater stake in a company’s success- more so in difficult times as the employees and customers of Southwest airlines did during recession. On the other hand, companies that are known to be apathetic to the pain and aspirations of the main street (such as the Wall Street, Automotive companies and Insurance industry) will find customer empathy towards them missing when they need it the most. According to 8

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Huffington Post, in 2009, 65 percent of Americans opposed bank bailout, 69 percent opposed car bailout and 77 percent opposed insurance bailout.

Through their lack of empathy for their customers these sectors of the economy squandered away customer empathy.

Empathic organizations earn customer loyalty. The top ten US companies ranked in 2011 Temkin Loyalty ratings have empathic relationship with their customers. The companies are Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Costco, Lowes, Sam’s club, USAA, BJ’s wholesale Club, Target, JC Penny, and Walgreens.

They have maintained a consistent record of taking responsibility for serving communities vs. being obsessed with the profits.

Mahatma Gandhi explained empathy through his concept of trusteeship,. In his words, “Supposing I have come by a fair amount of wealth – either by way of legacy, or by means of trade and industry – I must know that all that wealth does not belong to me; what belongs to me is the right to an honourable livelihood, no better than that enjoyed

by millions of others. The rest of my wealth belongs to the community and must be used for the welfare of the community." Warren Buffet pledging 85% of his Berkshire stock to five foundations is an illustration of Gandhi’s philosophy of trusteeship being put in action.

Call for Action In conclusion I would like to quote American statesman and senator from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster, “Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labour of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization”.

Cultivation of the collective imagination is the most important labour of a society. Regardless of its motive- profit, social justice or charity- an organization can follow the path of cultivating conscience, purpose, discovery and empathy to inspire all its stakeholders to collaboratively build a thriving and sustainable economy.

Towards Twenty First Century Renaissance Edited By: Ramesh Korde

Introduced By: Prof. Jayanti Patel Articles By: M.N. Roy – 12, Russell – 2, Einstein – 1, Edward Benes – 1, Erich Fromm – 1, Julien Huxley – 1, Paul Kurtze – 1, Ellen Roy – 1, Laxman Shastri Joshi – 1, V.M. Tarkunde – 1, Sibnarayan Ray – 2 Veteran Humanist Philosopher Prof. Jayanti Patel says this compilation would serve as ‘Manual of Humanism’.

Price: Rs.500/- (includes postage/courier charges in India) (20% concession to Radical Humanist Subscribers only) Contact Person: Mr. Sudhesh Korde, L/21, Satellite Park, B/h Star India Bazar, Jodhpur Char Rasta, Ahmedabad – 380015, Gujarat, Mobile No.: 09879545389/ 09375545389, Email: Sudhesh1959@gmail.com 9

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Sukhdeo Thorat

[Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), delivered the following M.N. Roy Memorial Lecture on the occasion of Roy’s 125th Birth Anniversary at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi on 24th March 2012.]

On Inclusiveness: Challenges of Inclusive Society, Economy and Polity in India Continued from the previous issue...............

Empowerment versus Equal opportunity policy We are caught in discussion over developing reservation policies for groups and communities suffering from social, educational and economic exclusion associated with caste, ethnicity, gender and religious identity. Experience of half century of economic development has brought to surface the exclusionary character of Indian society and its consequences for excluded groups. The alternative ways of overcoming the deprivation are suggested by the social scientists engaged in the discussion, particularly in the context of issue of reservation in private sector and extension of reservation for OBC in educational institutions and similar demand by lower caste converted to Islam and Christianity and certain religious minority group like Muslim. Two alternative set of remedies which can be grouped into strategy of “Social and Economic

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Empowerment” and of “Equal Opportunity” emerged from the discussion.

The policy of social and economic empowerment is essentially directed towards improving the ownership of capital assets like agricultural land, capital for business, entrepreneurial skills, and education level and skills of discriminated groups.

These measures are supposed to enhance the capacity of discriminated groups to undertake business and to enhance their employability through education and skill development to seek good quality employment. It appears that there is also a general recognition of need to empower the discriminated groups such as lower caste, particularly the former untouchable, other backward caste, women and some religious minority groups, for denial of equal economic rights to them in the past. However when it comes to giving equal opportunity through instruments of reservation and similar methods, it does not find similar favour. It is argued that the labour and other markets and educational institutions generally work in neutral manner and access to markets are therefore determined by merit and efficiency alone.

As such there is no need of safeguards against possible market and non market discrimination.

Thus while the policies for general social, educational and economic empowerment of discriminated groups are favored, those ensuring equal share and participation in terms of reservation are marked with differences.

What are the insights from the theoretical and empirical literature on this policy issue? It is necessary to recognize that the problem of discriminated groups like scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, women, religious minority is dual in nature. First is the lack of access to income earning capital assets like agricultural land and capital for business, quality employment and education and skills due to denial of the same in the past for long periods of time, the consequences of which are visible today in the form of inter-group inequality in several indicators of human development. Second is the continuation of the

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discrimination in the various markets and non market transactions in the present, in some forms, if not its in full original forms. This is particularly the case of lower castes in Hindu society. Therefore, the discriminated groups require dual solution –a set of remedies for improving the ownership of land and capital assets, quality employment and education as compensation for that denial in the past, and another set of remedy to provide safeguard against discrimination in the present.

While the first remedy is based on the justification of the principle of compensation for denial of rights in the past (the consequences of which are visible in the present), the second remedy of equal opportunity is based on the assumption of providing safeguards against the discrimination in the present, in various market and non market transactions and ensuring the due share and participation in employment, education, business, legislature and other supportive services.

It is expected that policy of social, educational and economic empowerment will help to enhance the capacity of discriminated groups to take advantage of on-going social and economic progress.

Improved access to income earning assets will improve the capacity and enable to undertake business activity. Education and skill development is expected to increase employability and help them to get jobs in private sectors and public sector.

However it necessary to recognize that economic and educational empowerment alone will not suffice, it will only empower the discriminated groups to enable them to make use of the on-going economic and social progress, but will not ensure the ultimate use due to continuing discrimination in market and non market transactions including the supply of social needs such as education and health. In the absence of equal opportunity policy in the form of reservation, the discriminated groups may continue to face discrimination in the form of denial to access in private employment, education, business and civil amenities, like housing and water and other spheres. It is precisely for this reason the 11

complementary equal opportunity policy, (complementary to the policy of general economic empowerment) is developed, in the form of reservation to ensure them the due share in employment, education, selectively in capital for business and, housing and water and other amenities, in addition to the policy of social and economic empowerment. The complementary nature of these two policies will ultimately help the historically discriminated groups to receive due share in economic and social progress.

Multiple Group Exclusion and nature of inclusive policy The development of “Inclusive Policy” thus requires use of both policies, namely policy of social and economic empowerment and policy of Equal Opportunity (in the form of Reservation policy) Caste and Graded Inequalities However, formulating the reservation policy for the various caste groups of Hindu society and other religions needs to take into account feature of caste system in terms of its exclusionary character with wider social and economic consequences on different caste within the Hindu fold.

Let us first discuss the feature of caste system in the context of inclusive policy. The core governing principle of caste system is not the inequality alone but the “graded inequality”, which implied hierarchical unequal entitlement of rights to various castes. Entitlement of rights being hierarchically unequal, every caste (except for the highest caste group) suffered from a degree of denial and exclusion. No rights could be universal.

However, in the given framework of social relations, the loss of rights was not uniform across caste groups. As one moved down in the caste hierarchy, the rights and privileges also got reduced. By implication the caste located at the bottom of caste hierarchy suffered the most. The hierarchical structure determined privileges and obligations of different caste groups in a given

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network of social relations. Disadvantage of lower caste become advantage for higher castes.

The system of graded entitlement to rights results in disparities in social, economic and education condition of different caste groups. The lesson we ought to learn from this is that given the differential impact on each caste, the policy against discrimination and deprivation needs to be caste specific and governed by specific social, economic and education condition of each caste. Thus while the general exclusionary character of Hindu society, in which every caste suffers (except the highest) from denial of rights in differentiated manner, will require a common policy of social inclusion, to ensure equal participation for all castes in various spheres of society, however, additionally it will also have to be combined with group specific policies of inclusiveness. By implication equal opportunity policy will necessarily be different for different caste groups depending on the nature of discrimination faced by them and their social, economic and educational situation.

Ethnic, Religious Group and Women It has to be recognized that Indian society is characterized by exclusion not associated with group identity like caste alone but also with, ethnicity, gender, religion and other in various spheres of our society, polity and economy.

Therefore, beside caste it requires an inclusive policy to overcome deprivation associated with, ethnicity, gender, religion and other forms of exclusions. It appears that the development experience of last fifty years or so indicate that social and economic development has benefited the various groups in differentiated manner and therefore those who experienced exclusion or derived limited benefits from social and economic development are now seeking solution to their group specific problem.

How to develop inclusive policy for different groups suffering from exclusion associated with ethnicity, religion and gender is an issue which is

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being currently discussed by the policy makers in India. The lesion from the literature is that the nature of inclusive policies for India will have to be necessarily guided by nature of an exclusionary character of Hindu and non-Hindu communities of the Indian society. The policy framework will have to governed by the forms and spheres of discrimination and their consequences on the discriminated groups As regards the Hindu society, as mentioned above the principle of “graded inequality� implies that not all castes suffer equally from hierarchal entitlement of rights. While the caste located at the bottom of caste hierarchy, namely the former untouchables suffer the most, the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) follow closely. The OBCs probably did not suffer from untouchability and residential and social isolation as much as the former untouchable did, but historically they too faced exclusion in education, employment, and certain other spheres.

In case of non-Hindu communities the some elements of Hindu caste system seems to have been carry forward and spillover in to the converted religions, and therefore the lower castes converted to Christianity and Islam (like the lower caste converted to Buddhism and Sikhism) also faced discrimination, although not in a similar fashion as the Hindu low caste did.

Certain religious minorities, particularly the Muslims, also probably face discrimination as a religious group in a number of spheres, as reflected in their lower performance with respect to relevant human development indicators. Similarly the women face exclusion as a category of population but it varies depending on their caste, class and religious background. Some groups such as tribal and semi-nomadic and de-notified tribal communities suffer from isolation and exclusion due their ethnic background and stigma of criminality.

Due to variations in the forms and spheres of discrimination, the consequences on the deprivation and poverty across various

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discriminated groups also vary. Although unlike scheduled caste and scheduled tribe, there are limited studies on discrimination of other discriminated groups, however the visible presence of inter-group inequalities in various indicators of human development points towards the consequences of historical discrimination -reflected in differential access to income earning assets, property, business, employment, education and civil rights in varying degree to various castes.

Therefore although all of them require measures to compensate for denial of equal right in the past and also necessary safeguards against discrimination,

(in some forms if not in all of its original forms) in the present, however, the equal opportunity policy in the form of “Reservation”, in its essential elements may vary depending on nature of discrimination faced by each of these excluded groups and their present social educational, economic and political standing.

To be concluded in the next issue......................

Read & comment on full article posted on RH Web: http://www.theradicalhumanist.com/index.php ?option=com_radical&controller=article&Item id=56&cid=498&task=single

Socialist leader Prabhu Narain Singh who passed away in Varansai Veteran Socialist and trade Union leader former Member of Lok Sabha and former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Prabhu Narayan Singh passed away on 9th May 2012 at his native place Varansi. He was 93. The leader, who was not keeping well for the last one month, was admitted to a private hospital in Varansi on May 3rd after he complained of chest congestion. His condition worsened on May 8th and he went into coma, following which his family brought him back to their house in Kashipura area, where he breathed his last at around 10:00 am, according to his eldest son Arvind Singh ex MLC. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and three sons. Prabhu Narayan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1959 in a by-election on Socialist Party ticket and was also power, health and labour minister in Uttar Pardesh Government in 1967 and 1974 respectively.

Prabhu Narayan Singh son of Late Shri Pratap Narayan Singh, was born in Kashipura, Varanasi in 1919. He was educated at Varansi, and did B.A. L.L.B. He participated in “1942 Quit India Movement” while he was a student at Banaras Hindu University along with veteran Socialist leader Shri Rajnarain.

He was arrested and sentenced for three years rigorous imprisonment. He was in jail for almost two and half years and released in May, 1945. Prabhu Narayan Singh was Premier and Vice-President of BHU Parliament respectively. One of the founders of BHU Students Union, Prabhu Narayan Singh was associated with Congress and Congress Socialist Party. He resigned from Congress Party in 1948 and joined Socialist Party. Prabhu Narayan Singh was Member Socialist Party, Praja Socialist Party, Socialist Party, Samyukta Socialist Party, 1948-70, and later joined Congress party. He was elected to the UP Legislative Council as Socialist member, 1952-58. Elected to the Lok Sabha as M.P. from Chandauli in 1959 as Socialist Party candidate in a by-election, 1959-62 he was elected Member UP Legislative Council again in 1964-70. Prabhu Narayan Singh was Cabinet minister of Labour and Industry Department in first SVD Government of UP led by Charan Singh, 1967-68. Later he joined Congress party and was Cabinet Minister with Health portfolio, 1974-77, UP Govt., under Chief Ministership of H.N. Bahuguna and N.D. Tiwari. He was associated with Students movement during freedom struggle and later on associated with trade union movement and HMS. He was President UP Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Member working Committee HMS and later on it’s President during 2002-2004.

—Obituary sent by Qurban Ali

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H. Suresh [Justice H. Suresh (retd.) delivered this lecture on the occasion of M.N. Roy 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations by Centre for the Study of Social Change (CSSC) at M.N. Roy Human Development Campus, Centre for the Study of Social Change, Mumbai on 21st March 2012]

The Need For Death Sentence For Capital Punishmment Continued from the previous issue........ is the question: Who can say that “the That alternative option is unquestionably closed”? In the matter of life and death, who can say that the option for life is unquestionably closed? Interpreting this, S.B. Sinha, J. in the case of Santosh Kumar S. Bariyar (2005) makes the following observations : “Incarceration, life or otherwise, potentially serves more than one sentencing aim. Deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and retribution – all ends are capable to be furthered in different degrees, by calibrating this punishment in light of the overarching penal policy. But the same does not hold true for the death penalty. It is unique in its absolute rejection of the potential of convict to rehabilitate and reform. It extinguishes life and thereby terminates the being, therefore puts and end to anything to do with the life. This is the big difference between two punishments. Before imposing death penalty, therefore, it is imperative to consider the same.

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Rarest of rare dictum, as discussed above, hints at this difference between death punishment and the alternative punishment of life imprisonment. The relevant question here would be to determine whether life imprisonment as a punishment will be pointless and completely devoid of reason in the facts and circumstances of the case? As discussed above, life imprisonment can be said to be completely futile, only when the sentencing aim of reformation can be said to be unachievable.

Therefore, for satisfying the second exception to the rarest of rare doctrine, the court will have to provide clear evidence as to why the convict is not fit for any kind of reformatory and rehabilitation scheme.”

Justice P.N. Bhagwati did not agree with the majority view in Bachan Singh. In fact, the views expressed in his dissenting judgement were not seen by the other judges, as it was not in existence.

The majority judgement was delivered on 9th May 1980, and Bhagwati, J. gave his judgement on 16th August 1982. I quote the following paragraphs from his judgement : “The objective of the United Nations has been and that is the standard set by the world body that capital punishment should ultimately be abolished in all countries. This normative standard set by the world body must be taken into account in determining whether the death penalty can be regarded as arbitrary, excessive and unreasonable so as to be constitutionally invalid.” (para 8) “Death Penalty is irrevocable; it cannot be recalled.

If a person is sentenced to imprisonment, even if it be for life, and subsequently it is found that he was innocent and was wrongly convicted, he can be set free. But that is not possible where a person has been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death.

The execution of the sentence of death in such a case makes miscarriage of justice irrevocable.” (para 22) Observing that judicial error cannot be eliminated, he says : “No possible judicial safeguards can prevent conviction of the innocent. It is indeed a

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very live possibility and it is not at all unlikely that so long as death penalty remains a constitutionally valid alternative, the court or the State acting through the instrumentality of the court may have on its conscience the blood of an innocent man.” (para 24) Holding that judicial error cannot be eliminated, he says: “The awesome and fearful discretion whether to kill a man or to let him live is vested in the court and the court is called upon to exercise this discretion guided only by its own perception of what may be regarded as ‘special reasons’ without any light shed by the legislature. It is difficult to appreciate how a law which confers such unguided discretion on the court without any standards or guidelines on so vital an issue as the choice between life and death can be regarded as constitutionally valid.” (para 73) He further observes: “Death penalty in its actual operation is discriminatory, for it strikes mostly against the poor and deprived sections of society and the rich and the affluent usually escape from its clutches. This circumstance also adds to the arbitrary and capricious nature of the death penalty and renders it unconstitutional as being violative of Art.s 14 and 21.” (para 78) Both in Jagmohan and Bachan Singh, the Supreme Court relied on Parliament’s wisdom in not abolishing the death penalty, the Law Commission Report of 1967 and the so-called ‘public interest’.

It is time we move forward. The concept of judicial review itself indicates that the Parliament cannot have the last word. The Law Commission’s Report of nearly three-and-a half decades ago obviously cannot stand scrutiny, now that over 130 nations have abolished the death penalty. As regards the concept of public interest, based on public opinion, the assessment of public opinion should have no place while the Court deals with the constitutional validity of any provision of law. The assessment of popular opinion is essentially a legislative, and not a judicial function.

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It is in this connection we must refer to the South African Constitutional Court, which, in the case of the State v/s T. Makwanyane (1995) declared the death penalty to be a cruel and inhuman punishment and therefore unconstitutional. This was a unanimous judgement of the Constitutional Court, consisting of 11 judges, and having regard to the importance of the issue, each one gave a separate but concurring judgement. Chaskalson, J. in particular pointed out : “There is a difference between encroaching upon rights for the purpose of punishment and destroying them altogether”. He further said: “We would be deluding ourselves if we were to believe that the execution of a few persons sentenced to death during this period, and of the comparatively few other people from now onwards will provide the solution to the unacceptably high rate of crime. There will always be unstable, desperate, and pathological people for whom the risk of arrest and imprisonment provides no deterrent, but there is nothing to show that a decision to carry out the death sentence would have any impact of the behaviour of such people, or that there will be no more of them if imprisonment is the only sanction.

Again, dealing with the argument of public opinion, he said: “Public opinion may have some relevance to the enquiry, but in itself, it is no substitute for the duty vested in the Courts to interpret the Constitution and to uphold its provisions without fear or favour. If public opinion were to be decisive there would be no need for constitutional adjudication. The protection of rights could then be left to Parliament, which has a mandate from the public, and is answerable to the public for the way its mandate is exercised, but this would be a return to parliamentary sovereignty, and a retreat from the new legal order established by the 1993 Constitution. By the same token the issue of the constitutionality of capital punishment cannot be referred to a referendum, in which a majority view would prevail over the wishes of any minority. The very reason for establishing the new legal order, and for vesting the power of judicial

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review of all legislation in the courts, was to protect the rights of minorities and others who cannot protect their rights adequately through the democratic process. Those who are entitled to claim this protection include the social outcasts and marginalised people of our society. It is only if there is a willingness to protect the worst and the weakest amongst us, that all of us can be secure that our own rights will be protected.”

Sachs, J. also says: “Executing a trussed human being long after the violence has ended, totally lacks proportionality in relation to the use of force, and does not fall within the principles of self-defence. From one point of view capital punishment, unless cruelly performed, is a contradiction in terms. The ‘capital’ part ends rather than expresses the ‘punishment’, in the sense that the condemned person is eliminated, not punished. A living being held for years in prison is punished; a corpse cannot be punished, only mutilated.

Thus, execution ceases to be a punishment of a human being in terms of this Constitution, and becomes instead the obliteration of a sub-human from the purview of the Constitution.”

Even in Bachan Singh, the majority judgement says that statistics are not determinative of the question whether or not death penalty serves any deterrent or other penological purpose. Certainly, in the 21st Century, we cannot still think in terms of deterrence or retribution, as the whole question of taking ones life is invariably and inherently mingled with “progressive humanism, tuned to the Gandhian thesis of reforming the criminal and making him a useful citizen – a sublime synthesis of punishment of crime and redemption of the criminal. This restorative chemistry, a bifocal strategy, is reflected in the Constitutional values” (Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer) There is one other aspect which we must seriously consider. What should be the fate of persons who have been on death row for a long period, such as in the case of the ‘Rajiv Gandhi killers’, namely

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Santhan, Murugan and Arivu, who have been in custody for nearly two decades? How do we justify execution – now – particularly when there is a U.N. Resolution for a moratorium on executions? We had no executions for about 14 years before Dhananjoy Chatterjee was executed in 2004. His death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1994. There was a serious doubt that he was not even 18 years old when he was tried and convicted for a rape and murder by a Sessions Court. The President, under Art. 72, while exercising the power of mercy, could have enquired into and corrected the mistake and given the benefit of the same to the convict. There was also a gap of more than 10 years, and to hang a man after keeping him all the while with a sword hanging above, is itself the most inhuman and degrading treatment, and it amounts to torture. An attempt was made by Amnesty International and the Asian Human Rights Commission in the Supreme Court to stop the execution on the ground of inordinate delay.

The Court however rejected the Petition on 12th August 2004.

The question arises again – now – in the case(s) of the Rajiv Gandhi ‘assassins’, Mohanti Das, Devendar Pal Singh Bhullar and Afzal Guru. They have been in custody for a long time. In the case of Rajiv Gandhi’s ‘assassins’ – particularly in the case of Perarivalan (Arivu, Acc. No. 18), and in the case of Afzal Guru – there are serious doubts about their conviction, on the ground of want of sufficient evidence and lack of fair procedure, as the trial was under a special Law, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA), and in the case of Afzal Guru, without proper legal aid.

All these are relevant materials for the President to consider while deciding their mercy petitions. It is unfortunate that the present Government seems to have advised the President to reject the mercy petitions of these convicts. We do not know if the President has accepted the recommendation or not.

She is not bound to accept these recommendations, but she herself has no powers to pardon any convict.

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It is true that the Court has a limited role in the matter of the President’s power under Art. 72.

However, a bold attempt was made in the case of Javed Ahmed Pawala (1985), in which the Court Said that delay of more than two years would automatically entitle the convict to have the death sentence commuted to life imprisonment; and this, the Court can do under Art. 21.

Certain observations made by Chinappa Reddy, J. in this case are significant. Referring to an earlier judgement (Vatheeswaran (1983)), the judge observes : “Of course, we cannot refuse to pass the sentence of death where the circumstances cry for it. But, the question is whether in a case where after the sentence of death is given, the accused person is made to undergo inhuman and degrading punishment or where the execution of the sentence is endlessly delayed and the accused is made to suffer the most excruciating agony and anguish, is it not open to a court of appeal, or a court exercising writ jurisdiction, in an appropriate proceeding to take note of the circumstance when it is brought to its notice and give relief where necessary? After referring to Ediga Annama, Lalla Singh, Bhagwan Bux Singh, Sadhu Singh, and Sahai, we proceeded to quote Justice Brennan’s observation in Furman v. State of Georgia (1), where he had said : “the prospect of pending execution exacts a frightful toll during the inevitable long wait between the

imposition of sentence and the actual infliction of death.” We then referred to the minority opinion of Lord Scarman and Lord Brightman in Noel Riley v/s Attorney-General (2)7, where they had said :“It is no exaggeration, therefore, to say that the jurisprudence of the civilised world, much of which is derived from common law principles and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments in the English Bill of Rights, has recognised and acknowledged that prolonged delay in executing a sentence of death can make the punishment, when it comes, inhuman and degrading.” He added, “while we entirely agree with Lord Scarman and Lord Brightman about the dehumanising effect of prolonged delay after the sentence of death, we enter a little caveat, but only that we may go further.

We think that the cause of the delay is immaterial when the sentence is death. Be the cause for the delay, the time necessary for appeal and consideration of reprieve or some other cause for which the accused himself may be responsible, it would not alter the dehumanising character of the delay.”

To be concluded in the next issue........................

You may read and commnet upon the complete article on RH Web portal: http://www.theradicalhumanist.com/index.php ?option=com_radical&controller=article&Item id=56&cid=500&task=single

Dear friends, Here are 8 more books of M.N. Roy on the following RH Web portal now for you to download and read directly on your Computers: (www.theradicalhumanist.com) ‘Revolution and Counter-Revolution in China’, ‘Science and Philosophy’, ‘Memoirs’, ‘India’s Message: Fragments of a Prisoner’s Diary’, ‘Materialism’, ‘M.N. Roy: Philosopher Revolutionary’, ‘Reason, Romanticism and Revolution’ Volume I & II. You may also download the following earlier uploaded books of Roy from this website: ‘New Orientation’, ‘New Humanism’, The Russian Revolution and the Tragedy of Communism’, ‘Politics, Power & Parties’, ‘Men I Met’, ‘Historical Role of Islam’ and ‘From the Communist Manifesto to Radical Humanism’.

You will be able to read the entire collection of Roy’s books on the RH Portal soon.

It is gradually being uploaded there.

Happy reading of the above mentioned books till then!!!

—Rekha Saraswat 17

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B.P. Rath

[Mr. Bhagwat Prashad Rath, who calls himself a

heretic, is a Gandhian socialist. He built educational institutions, got elected as a chairman of a Panchayet Samiti, resigned and worked as a lecturer in English. A believer in Lokayata philosophy, he is an editor of journals—Vigil-English, Sarvodaya-Oriya. He is also a writer of several novels, poems (in Oriya) and essays (in Oriya and English). He has often been subjected to police harassment, false cases and threats from anti-socials due to his association with people’s movements and connection with human rights organizations.

Presently, he is researching upon the works and literature on ancient Indian culture.

Bagwat_prashad@rediffmail.com]

Deconstructing Indian History: The Roots of Dalits Continued from the previous issue.... was the method used to Dalitization vanquish powerful enemies. Suvira Jaiswal in the History Congress (2007) referred to the weapon of social ostracism used by Nambudri Brahmins to destroy the influence of Budhiists in Kerala and convert their monasteries into Hindu temples. She quoted from the book ‘Budhism in Kerala’ by P. C. Alexander.

It is absurd to say that Nagas fell in the sacrificial fire because of the power of the mantras. The truth

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is that they were excommunicated which was equivalent to death. When the Brahmin Youngman Astika belonging to the famed Jajabar kula entered the sacrificial ground with Brahmins who were sympathetic to Nagas, the sacrifice was abandoned to avoid a rift in the Brahmin community.

Janmejaya was pacified by Takshak -daughter’s marriage to him.

Chandalas and Swapachas were the occupiers of the lowest space of the fifth caste. Chandalas were great warriors. Bharati Mukherjee quotes from Kadambri (Katha Mukham, Purbabhaga) thus, “Their (Chandalas) leader was compared with Ekalavya…, wide forehead and chest, sharp nose and marks of weapons on his body showing him as a great warrior.” Regarding Swapachas Bharati refers to Greek sources. “…….they were skilled workers…. they were apparently peace – loving and they maintained friendly relations through trade.” Life and Living of the Untouchables.

Beyond the Four Varnas (Book). Some discussion of the British notified criminal tribes among Dalits is relevant here.

That Dalits were having warrior qualities is emphasized by R.S. Sarma in his book ‘Rethinking India’s past’. He says “…. In my early days all the fourteen Chowkidars or guards of my village were Dalit Dushadhas (name of the community). The term Dushadh is derived from Dusadhya which means difficult to control. (….the British Government also recorded them as criminals).

‘Rethinking the Past’.

In the District of Ganjam in Odisha, most of the village guards belonged to ‘Dandasi’ Dalit caste.

The most daring and fierce dacoits belonged to this caste.

Bijaya Ramaswarmi writes in the book ‘From Tribe to Caste’. “The Maravas however found no acceptance in the hierarchical caste-based societies and consequently their frustrated militancy reveal them as anti-social elements. The Maravas and kallars who mainly inhabit the dry zones of Ramanath puram and Pudulkolttai acquired ill

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repute….The Sethupatis of Ramanath puram who offered such stiff resistance to British colonial rule, were Maravas.” The Kudi in Early Tamilham and Tamil Women.

Chhanodogya Upanishad which is supposed to belong to 700 BC (Sukumari Bhattacharya) expresses deep hatred for Chandalas though they were not yet treated as untouchables. “We are told that for committing bad deeds in this life one would be born in the next life as a dog, a boar or a Chandala…The status of the Chandala…was inferior even to that of animals.”

Many centuries elapsed before the elite successfully categorized Chandalas as untouchables. Why were Chandalas hated so much? The most potent reasons come from anthropology and genetics. To quote from Ambedkar’s volume seven of his collected works (Pge-302), where he gives a lengthy extract from Prof. Ghurye’s writings, “… it is clear that the nasal index of the chuhra (the untouchables) of the Punjab is the same as the nasal index of the Brahmin of the United Provinces”. (This means that the Brahmin of the united Provinces has close physical affinities with the Chuhra and the Khatri of the Punjab than with any caste from his own province except the very high caste of the Chhatri – Ghurye)”.

What is the reason for this strange phenomenon?

Summarizing the findings of the ASI’s (Anthropological Survey of India), D. Balasubramanian writes in his article ‘Who are we, the people of India?’. “All Indians have emerged from a small number of founding female lineages.

Either a small number of females entered India or a small number was drawn from an ancestral population.” (The Hindu –Nov.2003) Aitareya Brahmin says that the sons of Viswamitra joined the Dasyus. Suvira Jayaswal in the History Congress said that according to Manu Smruti Dasyus were Chandalas. Kshatriya and Brahmin intrepid Youngmen and women found greater adventure in living with the Dasyus than

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participating in sacrifices repeating boring mantras.

A passage from R. S. Sarma’s book ‘Rethinking India’s Past’ deserves attention.

“A case of the presence of an Aryan tribe in Ladakh valley in Kashmir has been reported in the Times of India in Patna on 11th March-2006. It refers to an Aryan tribe living in three villages…Till 1870, they practiced polyandry and polygamy and kissed one another openly.”

In the Punjab region, numerous Aryan men and women must have chosen to breathe the less ritualized and less custom-restricted lives amongst the virile merry Dasyus whose women and men enjoyed more freedom, sexual and otherwise. (A survey showed that white male preference for Asian women and white women preference for black men is prevalent in the US.) No other reason can explain Ghurye’s anthropometric conclusions.

Rig-Vedic Aryan society must have been upset by the phenomenon of Aryan women having sexual relations with Dasyus and bearing their progeny.

They intensely hated the prominent Dasyu communities. They were aware of the temporary punishment of social ostracism prevalent in pre-Vedic society. When they reached the Ganga Yamuna Doab in later Vedic periods, they perfected the method of Dalitization and thus effectively stopped Aryan Youngman and women from joining the Dasyus.

Dalit formation continued through many centuries.

‘Charmakaras’ became Dalits during 600 to 1200 AD. Uma Chakravarthy writes in the book ‘Gendering caste (Chap-7)’ that in the eighth century Jats were considered untouchables.

Because of their number and wealth (based on landed property), they got upgraded to the status of Sudra in the eleventh century. By the seventeenth century they were the leading peasantry in many areas. By absorbing the leading community of the pre-Vedic days which dutifully cultivated the values of non-violence and minimization of wants (Aparigraha) as Brahmins and gradually converting all types of Brahmins to accepting

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sacrifices that emphasized the purity pollution principle (Soucha) as the premier value of the ritualist and also by calumnyzing many communities as impure by birth, Dalitization became a reality in India.

As the disvalue ‘Soucha” has invaded the Psyehe of Hindu men and women, constant –hammering at it by the utilization of the irrational but equality – sponsoring God-devotion principle as utilized by Kabir, Dadu, Tukaram and others may prove fruitful. We have to tackle it at the psychological level. The spread of reinterpreted Jagannath cult (every cult is irrational) and Rama cult (Gandhi used it to telling effect) may help. Dr. Ambedkar rightly gave a call to Dalits to convert to rebirthconcept- free rational Nabayana Buddhism.

While Brahmin law-makers affirm that Dalit communities were formed because of hypogamy (Pratiloma sexual relations), Chandalas believe that in the past they were Brahmins who became Chandalas by eating the food of Sudras. (Prof.

Dipankar Gupta’s book ‘Interrogating caste’: Continuous Hierarchies and Discrete Castes).

Chamars believe that they were originally Brahmins but because a young Brahmin, obeying his brothers tried to rescue a cow fallen in a river and the cow died in his hands, he was shunned by his brothers and became a Chamar (Ibid). Dalits’ belief in an historical accident or trickery of the high castes played on their ancestors or gemological founder for their plight is not baseless.

Blaming imaginary miscegenation for caste-pollution is an example of learned trickery.

The question that troubles us is why this monstrous phenomenon was accepted by the whole society.

Dalits no doubt resisted but the protests were sporadic and not universal. Suvira Jayaswal refers to the servants of Sakyas revolting and forcibly marrying Sakya women when circumstances gave them scope. R.S. Sarma refers to Kali Yuga crisis and the challenge to Brahmin ideology.

For exclusion of large communities from the mainstream, the principles of Dharma were

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distorted through manipulation and deceit. As stated earlier, the Brahmin Community gained in status because the pre-Vedic age Yogis, who had the highest rank in society (Megasthenes) were forced to join the post –Rig-Vedic Brahmin caste and accepted sacrifices as the kernel of Hindu Dharma. As stated earlier, the Lokayats who openly denounced Vedic Brahmins for their greed and violence were either co-opted through temptations (Brihaspati) or murdered (Charvak).

For ages the Vedic elite abused Lokyats as Raksasas and made Herculean efforts to vilify and eliminate them. Madhwacharya of the 14th century accused them of advising people to take loans to eat ghee. This is a malicious lie. Madhwacharya was a scholar devotee of Vedanta. He had biased opinions about Buddhists, Jains and Charvak. His famous treatise Sarva Darsan Sargraha contains prejudicial statements about these three Nastika groups.

Charvak was the greatest philosopher of the ancient world. He was against Patriarchy. He believed in the equal sexual freedom of men and women (Naishadha Kavya). He opposed male dominance and violence. His conception of human brain as an emergent entity tallies with the latest discovery in the field of science (Leading Biologist Francisco Varela’s idea of ‘Autopoesis’ is about such emergent entities). Charvak’s thoughts were ahead of Descarte. He did not recognize any dichotomy between body and mind.

The belief in Madhwacharya’s lie prevented even our great scholars from seeing the truth. Their misconception can get corrected by search for the true meaning of the word, Sukha in pre-Vedic India. (Both Dhammapada and the Gita clarify what Sukha is). Then only our scholars can appreciate Kautilya’s giving high status to Lokayatas in Arthasastra.

To summarize, not Kula but Sila (values) was the foremost Dharmic factor in elite-making in pre-Vedic society. (The Buddha emphasized it in Brahmin Barga in Dhammapada). Sila consists of values like non-violence, Aparigraha (minimizing wants) lack of greed, lack of anger or hatred,

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fraternal relations with all living beings (Maitri).

Surreptitiously Aryan community leaders added ‘Soucha’ (Purity pollution principle) to these values and this became the most popular and the most pervading value in Hindu society.

Particularly upper caste men and women found in this principle an easy way to a Dharmic life and rigidly adhered to it. The Mahabharata contains many slokas which do not show ‘Soucha’ as a value defining Brahmin hood. There are many interpolated slokas which mention Soucha as one of the values. The Gita and Manusmurti accept ‘Soucha’ as a defining value of Dharma. Deceit was used to link ‘Soucha’ with Kula (caste). Some communities were declared as polluted because of birth and no scope was available for these people to raise their status by any individual effort. Very cleverly miscegenation was given as the cause of this abomination. Sometimes the polluted occupations like scavengering and removal of dead bodies were cited as causes (They were consequences, not causes). Surprisingly even the value of non-violence’ was utilized to condemn them. Irfan Habib referred to the non-violence principle being utilized to condemn the hunter-gatherer societies by the land-based peasant communities in his presidential speech in the History congress 1982. The Jains and the Buddhists not only condemned the hunter-gatherers, they also asked their monastic followers for not ploughing land in the name of non-violence principle. The Buddha did not forbid his followers from avoiding meat eating though his ultimate aim was non-violence at every level. The Yogis of ancient India came from all communities including the

hunter-gatherers and never hated the hunter-gatherers for animal-killing or meat-eating.

Soucha (the purity pollution principle), the existence of Brahminic-Sastra name polluted castes, the Karmic theory which emphasized rebirth; the trio in combination proved so lethal that they sealed the fates of many communities to Millennia-old social ostracism. In the Vedic era, the ritualistic sacrificers were the purest people; in the Upanishadic age, purity resided in knowledge (”There is nothing purer than knowledge”—Gita).

When devotion to the chosen deity Siva, Vishu or Durga gained in popularity, a great reform rocked the whole of India. Many untouchables became revered saints. Hindu reformers in future can use devotion (Bhaki), modern discoveries of science which explode the myth of biological pollution and conversion to Nabayana Buddhism (the contribution of Ambedkar) to combat untouchability. With the caste system gathering strength in democratic India, fighting untouchability is an uphill task. Inter-caste marriages may gain momentum as Dalits improve their educational and financial status. Meanwhile all right thinking people should combine to prevent atrocities on Dalits anywhere in India. All efforts must be made to provide the poor Dalits with educational facilities and the minimum amount of land or other means of livelihood by the powers that be.

—Concluded.

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Current Affairs’ Section:

K.S. Chalam [Prof K.S.Chalam is a former Member, Union

Public Service Commission, New Delhi. He was Vice-Chancellor, Dravidian University, Kuppam, A.P. and earlier Prof of Economics at Andhra University. He was the first Director of Swamy Ramanand Tirtha Rural Institute, Bhoodan Pochampally during 1997-98. He is known as the pioneer of the Academic Staff College Scheme in the country as the scheme was strengthened by UGC on the basis of his experiments in 1985. He became the first founder director of the Academic Staff College at Andhra University in 1987. He was actively involved in the teachers’ movement, secular and rationalist activities and served as the National Secretary, Amnesty International during 1984-85.Chalamkurmana@gmail.com] I

Is the Constitution a Log book? that some chief Ministers in Ittheis reported recent meeting in Delhi on NCTC wanted the Constitution be reviewed to accommodate perhaps their grievances in a federal set up. Similarly, the Supreme Court in its fresh order on reservations in promotion has made the political class to appeal to the Prime Minister to amend the Constitution Art 16 (4) may be third time in a decade. The occurrence of these episodes made us sad due to the exiguous respect paid to the

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Constitution by those who are supposed to revere and uphold its values. The Constitutional history of India indicates how we have evolved and adopted it in November 1949 in the Constituent Assembly.

The federal structure of the country was already there in the 1935 Act. The Chairman of the drafting committee B.R Ambedkar was the only person who was eminently qualified at that time to take a view on the federal structure as he had already done Ph.D on Federal Finance under an eminent economist.

Even Benegal N. Rao or B.N. Rao, Adviser was not an economist in the sense of B.R Ambedkar in dealing with not only economic issues in a federal set up and even the structural and ideological concerns. Ambedkar used to refer to India in all his writings as United States of India indicating the federal nature of the country. In this connection, one may find few disconnects here and there in the federal composition that may not call for a review.

The Chief Ministers conference, NDC meeting etc. , are forums where such issues can be sorted out if a hard headed Home Minister is considered as an issue, but not a review of the constitution.

The Constitution is generally defined as a “frame work of political society organized through and by law, in which law has established permanent institutions with recognized functions and definite rights”. The apex court and its learned Judges in the past have delineated the basic structure of the constitution. Though, legal luminaries and administrators like Shivasankar had expressed very serious reservations on such judgments due to the tilt given to Mathadipathis and elite, the fact remains that we are now following the arrangement. In fact, the partial view given to the structure without considering the social vision of the constitution and the preamble has been a subject of academic discussion in the country for quite some time. It is in this context, we may bring in the history of the social clauses put in the constitution.

The country would not have emerged as the so called Nation on 1st January 1950 without certain agreements and reservations in framing the Constitution. It is relevant to refer to the agreement

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reached between B.R. Ambedkar and Gandhi in 1932 and the first amendment made to the constitution under Art 15(4) in 1951 due to the agitations in the South on caste based reservations. The guarantees given to minorities under Art 29 and 30 can also be considered as the serious concerns of the nation. They are very fundamental for a nascent nation that was emerging with several dichotomies in its social and political life. I feel that we should consider these as the “Social Contract” between the minorities (the vulnerable) and the majority or the ruling classes. If these agreements are not respected, the ideal of a unified nation might collapse at any time.

The visionary Judges of the apex court in the formative years of the country have shown great insight in to the Constitution with their wide experience, learning and maturity in delivering judgments dispassionately keeping the country’s future. It is difficult to find such class of people now due to the quality of legal education, training and recruitment. The Judges to the High courts are appointed from anyone who has ‘for at least ten years been an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession’, or a judicial officer for ten years”. According to one estimate 67 percent of the judges are coming from the category of advocates. It appears some of them occupy chairs in the apex court with limited exposure.

Otherwise, how do we understand the disarray in social jurisprudence in the country particularly in relation to caste based reservations?

Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy is respected and remembered even today for his exemplary clarity of thought and social purpose in his judgments. We may draw here the Judgment delivered by him in K.C. Vasanth Kumar vs. State of Karnataka in 1985 which is relevant here in the context of the recent Supreme Court order on reservations in promotions. He said that, “Efficiency is very much on the lips of the privileged whenever reservation is mentioned. Efficiency, it seems, will be impaired if the total reservation exceeds 50 per cent; efficiency, it seems will suffer if the ‘carry forward’ rule is adopted…But, the truth is

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otherwise. The truth is that the civil service is no paradise and the upper echelons belonging to the chosen classes are not necessarily models of efficiency….There is neither statistical basis nor expert evidence to support these assumptions…all that we mean to say is that one need not make a fastidious fetish of it.” It may be pertinent here to bring out the fact that out of 1.90 crores jobs in the government today at all levels and categories in the states and centre, scheduled castes get 15 percent only (population is about 17 % now). This comes to 28.5 lakh jobs and it constitutes 0.0139 percent of 20.40 crores of scheduled castes (it turns out to be abysmal if compared to total population). How does it affect the system though it would definitely contribute to the creation of a class within like in every other caste to demonstrate that through education one can reach the chosen goals?

Therefore, Art 335 made in the context of scheduled castes in 1950 appears to be redundant and deserved to be repealed to avoid litigations.

It has become a popular method now to ask for statistical evidence to prove that these categories are not adequately represented in services. It has happened both in Nagraj (2006) and in the recent U.P reservation in promotion cases. In fact the National commission for Scheduled Castes seems to have submitted a report to Government providing statistical data indicating that the representation is not adequate except in group D services. It is a common knowledge that the Departments in consultation with constitutional bodies like the service commission(s) prepare cadre strength and identify the earmarking of posts.

The exercise is based on data and other inputs from different layers of the system. It is strange that without understanding nor enquiring in to this process, superseding other constitutional bodies do not augur well for the judiciary. This would entice the political class resort to amendments to the Constitution to show their authority. This competing tussle between Judiciary and the Executive with puerile behavior even after 60 years of republic would reduce the Constitution a mere

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Log Book to make and or expunge entries. This would bring down the esteem and the vision of the founding fathers to build a liberal democratic republic.

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Food Taboos and Nutritional Deficits important events that took place in Two Hyderabad during the week made us to reflect on issues that are contemporary. K.R. Venugopal retired Civil Servant in the rank of Secretary to Prime Minister got his book ‘The Integrated Child Development Services: A flagship Adrift’ released in Hyderabad. K.R. Venugopal is one of our very few conscientious civil servants who stood for certain values in the system, has conducted a social audit on the flagship programme of the government in the area of child development in Andhra Pradesh and published the results in the book. He has examined the quality of supplementary nutrition food like the upma, kichdi and halwa in place of modified therapeutic food (MTF) powder and related it to the health status of the child and mother, early childhood education, caste discrimination in the supply of food and several other issues in a select district of Andhra Pradesh. He found how the package of services in the programme is inadequate, ill conceived, remised, vandalized and conspicuous by its failure to meet the stated objective- providing nutritious food supplement to children. The striking feature of the study is that he has related the study with the NFHS-3 survey on infant mortality rate, morbidity rate, maternal mortality rate etc that have bearing on malnutrition and push outs in pre-school education in Andhra Pradesh. The special focus on the scheduled caste children and their nutritional status brings us to another very emotional issue relating to our food habits. Most of the children

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from the disadvantaged families are found to be wanting in nutritious food due to non availability or may be social taboos in our society.

This takes us to another very interesting event of a food festival in Osmania University that became a newsworthy with headlines. Food and drink are evolved in each society over a period of time and has long history behind every festival that involves special food preparations. Food taboos are universal in all ancient societies due to either a custom or a religious sanction often without any valid reason. Interestingly, the taboos are socially accepted. In a country like India where there are several ethnic, social, religious and may be racial and cultural groups, each group has evolved its own norms, taboos or styles of living. But, the most contentious issue in our society is that a small minority of the so called settlers have been trying to impose their values on the majority of the native Indians just to exhibit their hegemony and constrain a democratic right to choose food. This is seen in recent debates on Telangana movement also. We may look at the problem from the point of view of the contemporary issue of lack of nutritional values in the food intake of children in certain families may be due to the change of habits or the restrictions imposed on them by certain vested interests. It is difficult to examine why someone has chosen to be a vegetarian and how one cannot force him to accept a non-vegetarian food simply because it is the norm of the majority.

Though the Constitution has not guaranteed any type of food as universally accepted, it is possible and competent for our apex court reasonably to give that guarantee under Art 21 (protection of life). In the normal course of life, this cannot become an issue.

The ‘pedakura pandaga’ or beef festival in university campuses is not new in the state. In the early 1070s students and others at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and other places have executed a similar programme. It was reported only in obscure pages of some news papers. But, cow has become a holy issue in the 1990s when it became a political

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subject for sections of a party and an identity problem for some. A few of the champions refer to the constitution for cow protection. But, the constitution has not referred to the so called holy cow alone. In the directive principles of state policy under Art 48, it is said that “the state shall endeavour to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.”Unfortunately, some states have given importance only to cow and passed Acts to prohibit its slaughter and endured lynching of humans to protect it. It was in Haryana a few years ago 5 dalits were lynched on the alleged killing of a cow that made some religious leaders to comment that the life of a cow is more sacred than the life of an untouchable. This led to heated debates and perverted discussions on the issue and the ‘holy cow’ has become a phrase now. It is in this connection, one can refer to the noted historian Prof D.N. Jha’s book “The Myth of Holy Cow” (proscribed in some states!) to understand the historical facts behind beef eating and also D.D. Sankalia for archaeological evidences. It is distressing to note the parochial and intolerant attention paid to an issue without understanding its context and particularly the Art 47 where the state is directed to raise the level of nutrition and bring prohibition of intoxicating drinks .Those who are conscious about the animals have paid scant attention to the needs of the poor and the disadvantaged . May be some of the fundamentalist activities of the parties are carried with the willing cooperation of the same clientele who are ignorant about their cultural identity. Neither the stake holders like the farmers nor the victims are ever consulted in making such laws on a vintage issue. It shows the command of the orthodox few on state policies in India.

Apart from the religious sentiments and hegemonic manoeuvring in the area of food habits of people, the issue of providing nutritious food to the poor 25

whose original sources has disappeared due to modern techniques of farming and vanishing of common property resources is relevant. The nutritional values of the intake of the poor and the disadvantaged has drastically gone down due to the use of pesticides and the extinction of mussels, crabs, fish etc and green leafy vegetables that were freely accessible once. Now the threat of lynching of humans for the sake of cow has further dented their entrée to nutritious food traditionally available (they were categorized as untouchables due to this). It is noted that 100 grams of beef has 30 grams of protein, 56 grams of sodium and other nutrients and the milk of a water buffalo has more energy than cow milk. Getting a patent for cow urine distillate (CUD) is possible for other cattle also is not pertinent here. Advanced countries like USA in whom some of our Hindu, Christian etc, patriots look for succour and guidance lob the highest amount of beef of 80 pounds per capita do also produce the largest number of Nobel laureates.

Should they tell us how to overcome the deficit in nutrition of the poor while protecting the cow?

III

Pseudo-educationists and Edupreneurs argument advanced in Onefavourimportant of the formation of a state, scholars confer, is to provide indivisible public services like education and health to the citizens.

They are called as ‘merit wants’ that can be provided by an institution that stands for sovereign political power. The World Bank economists have used their intellect to distinguish between public goods and private goods even in education. They have called only school education as a public good and higher education as private good as it provides benefits to the individual and not to the public (even if one becomes a Nobel laureate we should not claim him or her as a citizen of a country). Even this distinction could not save school education in India

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is a different matter. Those who are familiar with the American higher education know that around 65 percent of the students are provided with free education through scholarships. The private universities survive with the munificent endowments and the research projects that the distinguished alumni get from private sector.

However, they are very few. The situation in the higher education of the advanced countries varies from country to country. Now the Indian government is seeking ideas and recommendations from concerned citizens, business groups etc. as to how to expand higher education to meet the growing needs of an economy.

Indian higher education was initiated by the British to meet their requirements and to help create an elite class that helped them to survive and would run the state once they leave? There are several issues in this statement, but we concentrate on the current discussion on a report given by a group of business-cum-educationists recently in Delhi on private participation in higher education. It is reported that the committee wanted land free of cost (wanted on lease for 999 years like the Mulla Periyar dam) from the government and a 300 percent deduction from taxable income. The wish list continues; a 10 year multiple entry visa for foreign students, a national loan fund of Rs 1 lakh crores, no space index for institutions in urban areas to start campuses (like one room universities) and the Prime Minister should personally write to the business houses to take part in higher education.

We could not access the detailed report and could pick up only a few points from the media reports. It appears that neither the Professors nor the civil society organizations have voiced their views on this important issue that would impact the future generations and the country.

Some of the experts who have given the recommendation are being considered by a section of the media as great intellectuals and educationists who brought a turnaround in the system. While the critiques and a few educationists consider them as body shoppers with naked craving for money and

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success. It is also alleged that some of these self-styled educationists brought disaster to the system as they were responsible in influencing the whole system to concentrate on the production of men-machines or so called software personnel to meet the lower level skill requirements of USA and other advanced countries in their transition from manufacturing economies to service providers. It is difficult to evaluate the ultimate result from this transformation is a gain or drain; the country lost the best brains of few generations due to the private interests and profits of the few. We all know how the Engineering colleges in the country particularly in the South where English medium helped the boys and girls to access the job market of English speaking advanced countries flooded with BCA, MCA and such related degrees. Those who could not get in to it used the informal sector to get the tag of soft ware engineer certification even without a degree and left formal education in the mad rush for jobs in the 1990s and 2000s. The froth is gone now.

There is some kind of homogeneity and a guarantee of minimum salary structure comparable to some central government jobs now in the soft ware sector for a select few. The repugnance for these courses is reflected in the closure of several colleges in the South. Can a developing country with less than 15 percent enrolment in higher education and a dropout rate of around 70 percent at school stage afford this?

The collegiate education or higher education in the country was initiated through the Grant-in-aid system of the East India Company that promoted philanthropic organizations including private charities to establish educational institutions. If we look at the history of these institutions, we realize that those who have occupied important positions in India and abroad in the past and are being flaunted now as educationists were the beneficiaries of this phenomenon. We must pay our respect and gratitude to these institutes that have invested their resources without expecting anything in return. Some of them are still surviving along with the religious charities that have a

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different mandate, but have contributed for the development of education in the private sector. The funding agencies like UGC, AICTE, state departments of education etc have been providing grants to maintain these institutions that are generally declared as non-profit organizations. But, majority of these institutions that came in the boom period with the support of political and business interests have made money out of the social demand for a certain category of education. Some of these institutions have flouted norms and put all kinds of pressure on the regulatory authorities to get their licenses to operate renewed. As a result, some of the regulators are in jail and several professors are going round the CBI, CVC etc for their extraordinary service rendered to higher education. Majority of these characters are involved in the operations as educationists and are

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being unmasked as pseudo Educationists.

Amusingly, some of the professors who never taught in a school are producing text books for school children (not the school teachers) that create ripples in Parliament.

The land grant scheme to develop university education in the USA is different as there is a built-in character of charity in some of the well established private universities. They have shown results and produced Nobel laureates and transformed the economy. But, none of the entrepreneurs of education in India who can be called as Edupreneurs (including the experts of the Report) spelled out the benefit to the society at large. If public resources are provided to the Edupreneur how is it possible to reconcile this with the arguments of the World Bank that higher education is a private good?

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IRI/IRHA Members’ Section:

Creative Imagination: Instincts, Impulses and Values —by Swarajbrata Sengupta [Dr. Swarajbrata Sengupta is a celebrated

author, editor and linguist from West Bengal. He is a permanent Fellow, South East Asian, Underdeveloped Language Communities (Manila). He has authored many prominent books; some of them being—Modern Science, Man and his Imagination; Science, Society and Secular Humanism; Gathering Fuel; Jean Paul Sartre. Ph. 91-033-6730398] a time when a rationalist attitude to Atcontemporary problems of human relationship is slowly receding the writings of Freud and Jung are of special significance. Both Freud and Jung represent categories of similar experience; their subject is the psyche of man. Both are scientific in their methods, in as much as the principles of empiricism and reason are adhered to, those principles being related to their respective spheres of experience. To search, therefore, for a common denominator within their systems would be to falsify the dynamic character of two concepts complementary to one another. While Freud confronts us with a rational conception of the human psyche, Jung’s approach is that of creative imagination. In his earlier writings Freud explained the unconscious mainly as a storehouse of forgotten or repressed experiences; from the beginning Jung emphasized the creative activity of the ‘Precious Humanity’ within man. “In scientific matters,” wrote Freud in 1885, “it is always experience and never authority without experience that gives that final verdict.” This dictum still holds true both for those inside and outside psychological circles.

Starting as it were from hypnotism and suggestion, the ‘early’ Freud was conditioned to see mental

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experiences as coming from without and being repressed. In 1899 he wrote: “We must first inquire why it should be that precisely what is important is suppressed and what is indifferent retained, and we shall not find an explanation of this until we have thoroughly investigated the mechanism of these processes. We shall then form the notion that two psychological forces are concerned in bringing about memories of this sort. One of these forces takes the importance of the experience as a motive for seeking to remember it, while the other – a resistance – tries to prevent any such preference from being shown.”

In the course of its advance, however, psycho-analysis came up against the problem of dreams, which Freud considered to be abnormal products of the mind created by normal men under regularly recurrent physiological conditions.

Psychoanalysis discovered, however, in unconscious psychical processes the common ground in which the highest and the lowest of mental impulses (instincts) have their roots and from which spring the most normal as well as the most morbid and erratic of mental achievements.

These instincts which have fallen victim to repression – uncontrolled and indestructible, yet inhibited from any kind of activity (because they cannot be fitted into the organic unity of the individual or because they rebel against the individual cultural aim) – together with their primitive mental representatives constitute the mental underworld, the nucleus of the true unconscious, and are at every moment ready to make good their demands and, by hook or by crook, to force their way forward to satisfaction…It was a triumph for the interpretative art of psychoanalysis when it succeeded in demonstrating that certain common mental acts of normal people, for which no one had hither to attempted to put forward a psychological explanation, were to be regarded in the same light as the symptoms of neurotics – that is to say, they had a meaning, which was unknown to the subject but which could easily be discovered by analytical means.

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These means are – first, free associations; and second, the interpretation of dreams.

True to his theory of repression and wish fulfilment Freud considered that: The motive power for the formation of dreams is not provided by the latent dream thoughts or day’s residues, but by an unconscious impulse, repressed during the day, with which the day’s residues have been able to establish contact and which contrives to make as wish fulfilment for itself out of the material of latent thoughts. Thus every dream is on the one hand the fulfilment of a wish on the other hand the fulfilment of the normal wish to sleep which brought about sleep itself. If we disregard the unconscious contribution to the formation of the dream and limit the dream to its latent thoughts, it can represent anything with which waking life has been concerned – a reflection, a warning, an intention, a preparation for the immediate future or, again, the satisfaction of an unfulfilled wish. The un-recognisability, strangeness and absurdity of the manifest dream are partly the result of the translation of thought into a different, as it were archaic, method of expression but partly the effect of a restrictive, critically disapproving agency in the mind, which does not entirely cease to function during sleep.

In the Freudian method of approach to the unconsciousness, i.e., the interpretation of free associations and dreams, sexuality, and in particular, the Oedipus complex, played a dominant role.

An attentive examination (wrote Freud in 1922) of the sexual impulses, which were accessible only to psychoanalysis, had meanwhile led to some remarkable detailed findings. What is described as the sexual instinct turns out to be of a highly controversial nature and is liable to disintegrate once more into its component instincts. Each component instinct is unalterably characterised by its source – that is, by the region or zone of the body from which its excitation is derived. Each has further more as distinguishable features an object

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and an aim. The aim is always discharge accompanied by satisfaction, but it is capable of being changed from activity to passivity. The object is less closely attached to the instinct than was at first supposed; it is easily exchanged for another one, and moreover, as instinct which had an external object can be turned round upon the subject’s own self. The separate instincts can either remain independent of one another or, – in what is still an inexplicable manner – can be combined and merged into one another to perform work in common. They are also able to replace one another and to transfer their libidinal catharsis to one another, so that the satisfaction of one instinct ca place to the satisfaction of others.

Here, then, is the central position of Freudian theory. In Freud’s conception of the vicissitudes of instincts the rationalist character of his approach finds its culmination. What Freud has proved is, first, that unconscious symbolism need not mean what the symbol says, and, second, that it is not justifiable to interpret the symbolism of the unconscious only in terms of pan-genitalism. In Beyond the Pleasure Principle Freud himself makes an important step towards a widening of this approach. Starting from the assumption that the unconscious is the ‘repressed’, he goes on to say, “Psychoanalytical speculation takes as its point of departure the impression, derived from examining unconscious processes, that consciousness may be, not the most universal attribute of mental processes, but only a particular function of them.”

A much more significant aspect of mental life is the unconscious processes, of which dreams form an important part. Freud’s theory has been hitherto that dreams are the fulfilment of wishes and that under the dominance of the pleasure principle this has become their function.

But “it is not,” he writes, “in the service of the pleasure principle that the dreams of patients suffering from traumatic neuroses lead them back with such regularity to the situation in which the trauma occurred.” At this point we cannot escape a suspicion that we may have come upon the track of

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a universal attribute of the instincts and perhaps of organic life in general which has not hitherto been clearly recognized or at least not explicitly stressed.

It seems, then, that an instinct is a compulsion inherent in organic life to restore an earlier state of things which the living entity has been obliged to abandon under the pressure of external disturbing forces, that is, it is a kind of organic elasticity, or, to put it in another way, the expression of the inertia inherent in organic life.

Thus in Freudian terms the sphere of experience is approached which Jung has called the archetypes which are for him ‘the symbolical expressions of instincts’. Jung does not force the idea of the archetypes into any preconceived concept, as will be seen. Freud, however says, “It is tempting to pursue the hypothesis that all instincts tend towards the restoration of an earlier state of things to its logical conclusion.”

It must be an old state of things, an initial state from which the living entity has at one time or other departed and to which it is striving to return by the circuitous paths along which its development leads.

If we are able to take it as a truth that knows no exception that everything living dies for internal reasons – becomes inorganic once again – that we shall be compelled to say that ‘the goal of all life is death’ and looking backwards, that ‘what was inanimate existed before what is living.’… Seen in this light, the theoretical importance of the instincts of self-preservation, of self-assertion and of mastery greatly diminishes. They are component instincts whose function it is to ensure that the organism shall follow its own path to death, and to ward off any possible ways of returning to inorganic existence other than those which are immanent in the organism itself. We have no longer to reckon with the organism’s puzzling determination (so hard to fit into any context) to maintain its own existence in the face of every obstacle. What we are left with is the fact that the organism wishes to die only in its own fashion.

Thus, these guardians of life, too, were originally the myrmidons of death. Hence arises the

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paradoxical situation that the living organism struggles most energetically against events (dangers in fact) which might help it to attain its life’s goal rapidly – by a kind of short circuit. Such behaviour is however, precisely what characterizes instinctive as contrasted with intelligent efforts.

The true life instincts operate against the purpose of the other instincts, which leads, by reason of their function, to death; and this fact indicates that there is an opposition between them and the other instincts, an opposition whose importance was long ago recognized by the theory of neuroses. It is as though the life of the organism moved with a vacillating force.

One group of instincts rushes forward so as to reach the final goal of life as swiftly as possible, but when a particular stage in the advance has been reached, the other group jerks back to a certain point to make a fresh start and so to prolong the journey. And even though it is certain that sexuality and the distinction between the sexes did not exist when life began, the possibility remains that the instincts which were later to be described as sexual may have been in operation from the very first, and it may not be true that it was only at a later time that they started upon their work of opposing the activities of the ‘ego instincts’. It may be difficult, too, for many of us, to abandon the belief that there is an instinct towards perfection at work in human beings, which has brought them to their present high level of intellectual achievement and ethical sublimation and which may be expected to watch over their development into perfection. I have no faith, however, in the existence of any such internal instinct and I cannot see how this benevolent illusion is to be preserved.

It may be asked here, where does the person, with his own choice and will, come in? Freud asserts that there exists a moral responsibility for one’s dreams.

“Obviously one must hold oneself responsible for the evil impulses of one’s dreams. In what other way can one deal with them? Unless the content of the dream (rightly understood) is inspired by alien spirits, it is a part of my own being. Freud states

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further.

The ethical narcissism of humanity should rest content with the knowledge that the fact of distortion in dreams, as well as the existence of anxiety dreams and punishment dreams, afford just as clear evidence of his moral nature as dream-interpretation gives of the existence and strength of his evil nature. If anyone is dissatisfied with this and would like to be ‘better’ than he was created, let him see whether he can attain more in life hypocrisy of inhibition.

The ‘later’ Freud (1937) enlarging again the concepts of his theories, takes a further step in the direction of the Jungian conception of the archetypes by saying: We know that we must not exaggerate the difference between inherited and acquired characteristics into an antithesis; what was required by our ancestors is certainly an important part of what we inherit. When we speak of our ‘archaic heritage’ we are generally thinking only of the id, the unconscious, and we apparently assume that no ego is yet in existence at the beginning of the individual’s life. But we must not overlook the fact that id and ego are originally one and it does not imply a mystical overvaluation of heredity if we think it credible that, even before the ego exists, its subsequent lines of development, tendencies and reactions are already determined.

Before touching on the Jungian approach to the instincts, we may quote two of their respective pupils and followers. The differences of the complementary approaches of Freud and Jung are clearly coming to the fore in their writings. Ella Freeman Sharpe, in Collected Papers on Psycho-analysis, in an essay on ‘Pure Art and Pure Science’ speaks of the artist as follows: In the case of the artist, the sensory organs retain a great degree of their original method of apprehending the external world, and associated with them to a maximum degree are the original psychical feelings and fantasies concerning what is good and bad. The artist’s moral code, his range of

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values, is in terms of good and bad form, line, colour, sound and movements. His ethics are in these things, because of the intensity of feelings, good and bad, associated with sight, sound, intake and output, during infancy. He retains and maintains the vivid sense perception of infancy, associated with good and bad feelings.

Aniela Jaffe, however, prefaces her excellent essay on E.T.H. Hoffmann’s fairy tale ‘The Golden Pot’, which is included in Jung’s book – The Creative Activity of the Unconscious, with the following quotation from Jung: He who speaks in the language of primordial images speaks as with a thousand voices, he embraces and comprehends that which he experiences and lifts it out of time limited into the sphere of the eternal.

For Jung “the soul is the mother and the vessel of all knowledge as well as of every work of art.” In the introduction to his book The Creative Activity of the Unconscious he says: It may be possible to explain causally conscious experiences. The creative activity, however, which has its root in the unfathomable depths of the unconscious, will be closed forever to the understanding of mankind. It will only be possible to circumscribe it, to feel it, but we shall never be able to pin it down.

The Creative Activity of the Unconscious is therefore an attempt to demonstrate these manifestations. In true scientific fashion Jung reproduces a series of unconscious pictures without falling into the rationalistic error of ‘explaining’ them. His ‘interpretations’ of the archetypes are amplifications of the central theme of creation. He says: The archetype is in itself neither good nor bad. It is a morally indifferent numen which through its encounter with consciousness grows to be either good or evil or becomes a duality. The decisions as to which way it turns is created by our own attitude, be it conscious or unconscious. There are many such archetypes which do not appear in dreams of

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works of art unless they are stimulated by a conscious attitude. If our consciousness becomes one-sided and with it ‘untrue’, these ‘instincts’ (archetypes) are springing alive and are sending their images into dreams and into the visions of artists in order to balance our one-sidedness.

Therefore, to reduce the creative activity of an artist to childhood experience makes this activity into a substitute which loses its creative dynamic character and turns into a mere symptom. For what in fact appears in creative activities is an expression of the collective unconscious – namely, this peculiar inherited quality of psyche which expresses itself in archetypes and which is matrix and pre-requisite for our consciousness.

All psychological development is dependent upon this inner fountain of life, for, says Jung: The conscious personality is rarely at first what it might become later. In the first half of life there exists the possibility of an enlargement or change of it. It can happen through the assimilation of new and vital ideas and knowledge. In this way one can experience a significant growth of personality.

Therefore one is pleased with the idea that this growth comes only from the outside. However, the more one follows this path the poorer one becomes mentally. If, therefore, an idea from the outside holds us in its grip we should realise that this has only become possible because something within ourselves meets it and corresponds to it. Vital ideas are not inventions of consciousness, but spontaneous manifestations of the psyche, which, not being controlled by our consciousness (consciousness itself being only a part of the total psyche) has all freedom to present us with views which do not care for our conscious ideas and intentions. The unconscious, for example, has a

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tendency to view matter and sometimes to materialise spirit.

The fundamental cognition of the psyche seems to be that of wholeness. If man relates himself to this eternal sphere within himself he comes through this development on to the “via sancta” of which the mile-stones and sign-posts are the great civilizations.

The experiences of the wholeness of the personality are demonstrated in pictures of which Jung produces a great variety in his book. These images of wholeness, represent the Self. Jung represents as Mandalas, a term which he borrows from the East.

Mandala means circle. There exist many variations of them in both the East and the West.

The Self expresses the whole personality, the conscious Ego as well as the unconscious archetypal constituents of the psyche. The growing awareness of one’s Self to Jung is the process of individuation. In this process that which the individual unconsciously has projected on to the external world ‘flows inward’ again and becomes really his own, Self realization is therefore, neither individualism nor collectivism, but the experience of relationship between the person and his self, of man with man and of the person with Society. With it Jung has pointed the way to an experience of relatedness in wholeness, which unconscious society projects on to political systems of totalitarianism.

The complementary approaches of Freud and Jung have thus given modern man the means to a deeper understanding of himself, which in the end – if both systems can avoid the danger of crystallization – may serve immeasurably the problem of human relationships by bringing into new light – the value of values in terms of human relationship.

Dear Radical Humanists, We hope you will organise meetings & lectures or informal get-togethers wherever you are, in India or abroad, to acknowledge M.N. Roy’s contribution to modern Political Philosophy and participate in the celebrations of his 125th Birth Anniversary Year. Please send us the reports and pictures of the programs so that we may publish and post them in the RH & its Web Portal regularly in Roy’s entire Birth Anniversary Year.

— Rekha Saraswat

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Teacher’s & Research Scholar’s Section:

Nuclear Deal and Nuclear Diplomacy —by Anupam Tyagi Continued from the previous issue............. nited States and South Asia: Indian Scenario: When American President George Bush visited India in March 2006 in the context of this deal, he said – “Now the relationship has changed dramatically.” There is a deep meaning in this sentence. It means that America has changed its foreign policy in South Asia, especially with reference to India. But earlier it was not so.

In the mid 1970’s Asia as a region and India and Pakistan as countries were on the backside of America’s foreign policy. At that time the United States was following a definite foreign policy, “Wells of Power” by name in South Asia.5 The origin of Wells of Power can be found in the ideas of Sir Olaf Crave, the last secretary for the British Raj in India (1939-45). At that time India was the nucleus of British strategy in South Asia and the Gulf region as Winston Churchill had once said, “India was the heart of British Empire and Britain’s capacity to be a world power depended on its rule in India”.

By Well of Power means as Caron meant that “there should be a place serving our interest” and India was that well of power for Britain at that time.

But when India got independence, Caron favoured a separate Muslim state (Pakistan) for a new well of power to serve Britain’s interests in oil and for other strategic reasons in the gulf. By 1951, Caron published, Well of Power and the United States of America adopted this policy.6 United States followed this policy in South Asia as an off-shore balancer between two the countries, India and Pakistan. The United States used Pakistan as a “well of power” for its interests in South Asia and as a balancer to stop India’s hegemonic role in the region. Because of the end of the cold war and the collapse of Soviet Union, there was little role

U

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remaining for the U.S. as an off-shore balancer in this region. The United States always used Pakistan as a balancer to India’s role in the region and as a key-point to satisfy its role and interests in the gulf.7 Till 1998, America was more or less having the same foreign policy with India as in the 70’s and 80’s. But nuclear explosion in India changed the U.S. outlook towards India. Clinton’s visit to India in 2000 started a new era of relationship between the two nations. This visit provided a base for this nuclear deal. The incident of 9/11/2001 was a clear message for America to have close relationship with India in order to control terrorism in the South Asian region. This growing relationship has now resulted in the “Civilian Nuclear Deal 2005”8 The purpose behind this deal can be viewed by the statement given by Condoleezza Rice, secretary of State, United States. She said, “America’s global security interest took priority over India’s interest to become more energy independent and to do so in ways that encouraged regional cooperation.”

Behind this deal the U.S. has clear strategic and political message to the world and to the South Asian countries.9 After this deal, South Asia would be changed strategically and in political terms in some of the following ways: (i) India would emerge, as a strategic and regional power in South Asia even though Pakistan would be given due attention to control the other Muslim states.10 (ii) Pakistan would continue to gain support in the U.S. foreign policy. (iii) From the U.S. point of view – India would work as a possible counter weight to China’s economic and military rise.11 (iv) India would work as a “well of power” for America’s interests in this region but this partnership would be on equal basis. (v) This deal will lead to closer nuclear relationship between Pakistan and the China against Indian hegemonic role. (vi) U.S. would like to change the political conditions in South Asia with the help of Indian democratic model. In future, Pakistan may be established as a democratic state.12 (vii) India’s position will increase in the region as well as in the world order.

Other countries of this region would like to soften

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their relations with India. (viii) This deal will lead not only to the arms race in the region but also to stability and control of conflict in the region.13 (ix) India would become a key factor and key leader in the region to determine the balance of power and stability here.

The above points give a clear indication that situations in India and South Asia are going to change. But all is not a win-win condition for India.

India needs to play her cards tactfully in order to achieve her interests in the region. But at the same time India should not unconditionally agree on all points with the United States of America for India’s larger interests. It should follow independent foreign policy in cooperation with the United States. India also needs to harmonize its relations with China, and Pakistan for rapid development and stability in the region.

India’s interests in the Deal: No doubt, in international politics, everything is driven by interest and power persuasion and no step is taken without interest articulation as Morgenthau explained, “whatever the policy may be laid down, power acquisition is the core part of international dilemma and process.” India’s interest with the nuke deal can be describes as follows: (i) India needs enriched uranium for continuing her nuke reactors to work and for the production of energy as India’s energy requirements are changing day by day. This need can be satisfied only by this nuke deal and emerging relations with the Unites States.14 (ii) India must deepen her relations with the sole power in the world, especially after the end of Cold War witnessed the end of her chief ally, the Soviet Union. (iii) This deal will lead to the end of restrictions by European countries on Indian nuclear program that has been subjected for many restrictions since the last 33 years.15 After this deal, it is hoped that Indian nuke program will grow with maximum progress. (iv) This deal can satisfy India’s strategic and military requirements in South Asia and can get an access to a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council. (v) India needs an ally in the war against terrorism and U.S.A. would be the

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best option for this purpose. (vi) In balancing China in the mean time, U.S. may be taken as an ally like Soviet Union earlier was. This deal will put pressure on Pakistan and will create a balance of power in South Asia.16 Nuclear Diplomacy and India: India’s foreign policy passed through various phases, especially three, on the question of nuclear diplomacy. In the first phase, India followed the policy of nuclear idealism under the charismatic leadership of the first Indian Prime Minister J.L. Nehru and with his futuristic policies and internationalism. In the second phase, under the preview of many prime ministers and leaders, there was a kind of ambiguity on the question of nuclear power.

Although, Indira Gandhi left no stone unturned to enhance India’s nuclear programme, but the international circumstances prevailing at that time, obliged her to take cautious steps, even then she gave the way to the first Indian nuclear explosion in 1974.

But the successors could not dare to go ahead with India’s nuclear program. Only in the year 1998, B.J.P. led government came out openly with the statement that India had no nuclear ambiguity and wanted to give a clear message to the entire world through POKHRAN I and POKHRAN II nuclear explosions. Although India had to face many restrictions of technological transfer and economic blocking by the nuclear and the Western World yet it continued her policy of nuclear doctrine telling all that now it wanted to be established as a legitimate nuclear power in the world arena.

This third phase is dominated by India’s desire for being recognised as a rightful nuclear power, yet always ready for nuclear peace and disarmament based on equality and mutual understanding. 17 This deal will be the lawful approval for India from the world and this concern will lead to the emergence of a new world order in South Asia especially in relation to China and Pakistan.

Concluded.

References: 1. Varadaragan, Siddhartha, Bush,

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India and two degrees of Separation, The Hindu, 3 March, 2006, p. 10.

2. New America Moves in Asia, The Hindu, March 7, 2006.

3. Aiyar, Pallavi, China Returns to Nuclear Power, March 18, 2006, The Hindu.

4. India – US Clinch Deal on Nuclear Separation, The Hindu, March 3, 2006.

5. I Lloyd I Rudolph and S.H. Rudolph, US Foreign policy for South Asia, Economic and Political Weekly, Feb. 25, 2006, p. 703-05.

6. Go swami, Sapna, India – US Civilian Nuclear Deal, 2005-06. M.Phil Thesis, p. 36-38, Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut. 2006.

7. Chari, P.R.,ed , Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal, pub by Routledge,2009;p16-17 URL/W.W.W. address & Articles 8. Khuda, Shanay, Truth Behind U.S.- India Nuclear Deal, The Hindu, Dec.13, 2006.

9. www. Times of India.indiatimes.com

10. www. US India friendship.net 11. Shyam Saran, Transforming – India – US relations building a strategic partnership P. 25, www.cfr.org 12. Kapila, Subhash, Bush’s visit to India 2006 Review, p.10, www.cfr.org 13. www. BBC NEWS world south asia.com. Two standards question for Bush.

14. www. Asia times online south Asia news-Indo-US nuke deal blastsa a head.htm.

15. www.Indianexpress.com, Indo-US Nuclear talks proceed with cautions optimism,’ C. Raja Mohan.

16. Tyagi, Anupam, know About the Deal, Hind Chronicle, Jan 2008 vol. 12, New Delhi ;p14-15.

17. Mansingh, lalit, The Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal; Indian foreign policy, cited in Chari, P.R., IndoU.S. Nuclear Deal, Rutledge 2009;p173-175.

Mr. Anupam Tyagi is a Doctoral fellow, I.C.S.S.R. New Delhi, Mob.: 9410898872 anupam2020@rediffmail.com

Anna’s Agitation has become directionless! Are his team members really responsible?

Anna Hazare had successfully spearheaded a historical mass awareness campaign to voice the demand for a strong Lokpal Bill and also led a mass movement against corruption, during the year 2011. Response from the public at large was spontaneous and unprecedented. During that year, this was a reincarnation of movement launched by Jay Prakash Narayan way back in the year 1974. There was an overwhelming response from the public to the agitation launched by Anna Hazare. People at large became united and dedicated themselves to wage battle against corruption and social injustice. Thanks to the sincere efforts of Anna that there was a massive public flare up over the length and breadth of the nation against corruption. People increasingly became aware of the corrupt practices and policies of the Government. A feeling of new wave touched and prevailed all over the country. But in the year 2012 Anna Agitation was seen to have dipped down to a low and it came to a unilateral level. Entire agitation could not remain politically impartial or non-partisan. Because of the fiasco of protest fast organized at Mumbai, limitation of the strength of Anna agitation became exposed. Instead of transforming this mass movement into people’s agitation, it degenerated into a protest against one single party. The measures of becoming politically active instead of ideologically educating the masses turned out to be self-suicidal. Such an atmosphere was created in the country that, with enactment of a single law, corruption will be rooted out for ever.

This was an entirely unrealistic and wrong thinking. Out of frustration or distress, Anna and his team members started loose talks, whether before the journalists or from the stage. Their incoherent utterances misled or misguided the public. They, very badly misused the freedom of speech. An impression had emerged as if their agitation was based on mobocracy. Because of this, leaders having full faith in the Constitution and the supporters of democracy felt that this was not proper. Team members who were quite close to Anna, appear to be responsible in thoroughly confounding the agitation. —Gautam Thaker

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Book Review Section:

Jayanti Patel [Prof. Jayanti Patel. is Retd. Prof. Political Science.

His special interests are Political Thought, African Studies and Political Violence. He has been the Vice-President of African Studies Society, India, President Gujarat Rajyashastra Mandal, Founder Secretary Gujarat Univesity Area Teachers Association and Gujarat Rationalist Association, President IRHA and Editor Vaishvik Manavvad (Monthly). He has written scores of books and scores of research articles and contributed number of articles on current topics in various magazines.]

Towards 21st Cent. Renaissance: An Introduction Humanism is a revolutionary Radical ideology. There are number of books and articles by humanists defining and elaborating its elements. This compilation by Ramesh Korde fulfils the need for easily accessible basic literature, defining its philosophical and scientific foundation as well as the renaissance movement.

The twenty four essays selected in this compilation explore, enunciate and clarify the basic assumptions of humanism. The essays are largely selected from the issues of Radical Humanist magazine founded by M.N. Roy. Here are twelve essays by M.N. Roy, one each by Sibnarayan Ray and Burtrand Russell, and one each

by Ellen Roy, Laxman Shastri Jishi. V.M. Tarkunde, Paul Kurtz, Albert Einstein, Erich

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Fromm, Julian Huxley and Edward Banes.

Ramesh Korde has been with the humanist movement since nineteen forties in Gujarat. He is an avid reader. His penchant for philosophical and scientific writings is reflected in this selection.

However, the political and economic aspect of humanism is only treated briefly in an article by V.M. Tarkunde.

Humanism considers individual human being as an archetype of society and an entity in itself.

Humanism does not recognise the divisive factors like gender, caste, creed or nationality. A collectivity like society, nation etc. are abstract concepts. Individual is the measure of freedom, well being and all the amenities enjoyed in the society. This assertion leads to the consideration of all human beings as equal and universal brother/sisterhood. Cultivation of universalistic approach requires a global culture, adherence to certain values and infrastructural supports.

Sibnarayan and Paul Kurtz support these factors and the need for universalism in their two essays.

These articles discuss the forces obstructing and furthering the cause of global society.

However, it needs to be categorically understood that although individual dignity was one of the core values of new humanism, it needs to be sharply distinguished in contradistinction to an atomisation of an individual as seems to be the case under globalised capitalism at present. Also, it needs to be emphasised that globalisation without a global culture, upholding humanist values, is an extended form of capitalist exploitation.

The articles by M.N. Roy are the main core of this book. Roy’s quest for freedom and truth is not only an ideological journey but also a voyage of an activist across the world. He outgrew nationalism and communism to arrive at humanism. In the later phase he was in search of philosophical and scientific foundations for humanism. Roy was a prolific writer. He wrote in Spanish, English, German and Russian languages. His selected writings – not collected – compiled and edited by

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Sibnarayan Ray (published by Oxford University Press), are spread over five volumes, more than three thousand pages. The selected works do not include some of his full length books.

Roy, like Marx, built his ideology on the foundations of philosophy and science. His sojourn in Russia provided him with the first hand experience of theory and practice of communism.

When he returned to India he was jailed for Kanpur conspiracy case. Jail provided him the leisure to re-examine the philosophical and scientific foundations of Marxism. During this period he wrote Philosophical Consequences of Modern Science. Some articles from this monumental work are produced here. (Also see: Science and Philosophy, Ajanta Publications, Delhi).

He explored the Western and Indian philosophy (see article 7&8 in this volume) and science. His book, Reason Romanticism and Revolution, (Renaissance Publishers, Calcutta) and writings on Indian philosophy are testimony thereof. This exercise led him to redefine Marxian concept of materialism and recognise the role of ideas and culture in the process of change. This ultimately led him to go beyond communism and develop the ideology of humanism. Materialism became ‘Physical Realism’ in the light of latest researches on the nature of matter. Thus, the basic element of the universe is matter. Matter is no more an inanimate object. Man has evolved from this matter. (See: Origin of Life).

Though ideas were the product of human brain, which is the product of matter, they have their own independent existence and rules of regulation.

Ideas, the human capacity to think, to reason and to imagine (romanticism), are the motive force for revolutionary change. This is totally atheist and secular approach. It denies the existence of any transcendental authority and creator or director of the universe, with arbitrary power to temper with the cosmic laws or processes.

Finding the roots of human values and society in science negates speculative, spiritualist, religious,

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faith based or theist approach of thinking. Scientific methodology has also an advantage of being open and is a democratic method. It is neither a privilege of a few nor the truth of a person having a special vision or an access to the divine authority. Its truth can be verified and claims tested by anyone.

Roy’s search for truth is not the speculative flight of rishis or saints. He investigates and gathers historical and scientific facts, relates them logically to humanist values to arrive at his theses. The twenty two theses of Radical Humanism summarize his ideological conclusions and his advocacy for an alternative political and economic system.

As the cosmos is law governed, everything in it behaves not arbitrarily but within the framework of certain rules and regulations. Similarly human beings and their ideas must adhere to these norms or rules. However, taking into consideration the probability syndrome in the behaviour of atoms it must be remembered that there is nothing predetermined. Marxian concept of determinism is rejected in the light of this discovery and role of human will is accepted in humanism. However, as human beings have arisen from the background of law governed universe his thinking process has the potentiality to think and behave rationally. Also, to behave rationally means to behave in accordance with the cosmic or universal laws that is, morally (See also – Bertrand Russell, Erich Fromm and Julian Huxley’s articles in this volume).

Human being possesses consciousness and therefore, he has the capacity to know. From sense perception he acquires data and facts which are processed by brain – analysed and synthesised – to arrive at a conclusion. However, each person’s perception is limited by his position and angle of view. It requires corroboration and interaction with others to arrive at a position nearer to the truth.

Even this truth may be tentative and be changed in the light of new facts. Hence, each person should have the freedom to acquire knowledge, form opinion, express them and interact with others for

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the sake of truth. This right to freedom of thought and expression presupposes right to life and liberty.

Also, implicit is the right to equality, not only because man is not created but evolved but also because knowledge and opinion of each is necessary for the movement towards truth.

Securing the philosophical and scientific foundations of materialism (physical realism), secularism, importance of human being and his freedom Roy moves on to conceive and advocate a social, political and economic structure which would support and enhance the values of human dignity, freedom, equality and brotherhood. A society based on democratic, egalitarian and non-exploitative principles.

Roy, during all the phases of his life, whether as a nationalist, communist or humanist, was closely associated with politics. His experience led him to conclude that democracy is the best form of government as it can protect human values.

However, parliamentary system and party system distort the functioning of democracy. He also visualized as early as in 1947, that party system is the main cause of all types of corruption. Further, without democratic culture and value system firmly embedded in the people the constitutional or the legal structure is not the guarantee for a democratic society. Political democracy without cultural, social and economic democracy easily degenerates into either a rule by a few or a mobocracy. As an alternative he suggested a form of direct democracy with devolution of administrative, financial and planning powers to the basic unit. He argued that the parliamentary form of democracy is not the government by the people; it inverts the pyramid of democracy (see also – Ethics and Politics in this volume). This advocacy of direct democracy and people’s committees is in consonance with Marx and Gandhi and has found an echo in Jayprakash Narayan’s Navnirman Movement.

This emphasis on cultivation of democratic culture led Roy to disband his party and strive for a renaissance movement. The movement aims to

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inculcate commitment to humanist philosophy, scientific mode of thinking and values of democracy, rationality, secularism, human dignity, liberty, equality and fraternity amongst the people (see – article, 11, 12, 13, 15 in this volume). The advocacy of building a renaissance movement and a humanist culture for a revolutionary change is a significant departure from Marxian concept of economic determinism. Roy desired to established an academic group similar to Frankfurt School (where he had a brief sojourn) to promote an intellectual climate for the cultural movement. The Renaissance Movement was established with such an intention.

Ellen Roy, Sibnarayan Ray, Laxman Shastri Joshi and V.M. Tarkunde were the colleagues during the evolution of humanist movement and ideology.

Their articles deal with the various aspects of and components of humanism. Ellen was not only a wife, a hostess and a secretary of Roy but also a scholar in her own right. Her article, Man’s Place in Nature, while interpreting the theses of Radical Humanism, traces the role and importance of human being. Sibnarayan, a man of literature, who considered humanist values from the view point of aesthetics, in his articles emphasises the cultural aspects. Laxman Shastriji was trained in Indian classical Sanskrit school system. His article on Rise and Development of Indian Philosophy is a precise analytical and critical evaluation of various schools of Indian philosophy. Tarkunde, in his article Radical Humanism – An Outline defines and explains the humanist ideology and its programme.

Bertrand Russell’s articles, while pleading for empathy, enunciate the faith of the rationalists and importance of individuality. Albert Einstein argues that, “ethical directives can be made rational and coherent by logical thinking and empirical knowledge”. Czech president Dr. Edward Banes, drawing lessons from the World Wars pleads for humanism against nationalism. Erich Fromm, a psychologist, advocates the need for a planned, peaceful change against a catastrophic, violent revolutionary change. Julian Huxley, a noted

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scientist, analysing the present malaise, considers scientific and humanist approach as a way out.

This compilation serves as a manual of humanism.

It covers the philosophical and scientific

foundations of humanism, its value system, cultural components and the need for a renaissance movement to inculcate them in the masses, so that a humanist society could be realised without bloodshed.

Humanist News:

Indian Renaissance Institute Meeting held on 24th May, 2012 at New Delhi A meeting of the Delhi members of the Indian Renaissance Institute was held at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on 24th May, 2012 to discuss the future activities. Shri B.D. Sharma, Chairman, IRI presided.

As there were many new comers, especially students, Shri N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, IRI, gave a brief biographical account of M.N. Roy and the Indian Renaissance Institute. Thereafter a lively discussion followed on the present problems facing India and as to what ideology was appropriate to resolve it.

Shri Ram Saran from Bhagalpur suggested that IRI should hold a seminar on the relevance of the Roy’s ideas in the present context, wherein Marxism, Socialism, Communism and Gandhism could be discussed. It was accepted. Two students who are working as legal interns with PUCL highlighted the problem of growing population and the need to have birth control. Ms. Thabitha Maitri, a young student from Pondicherry, drew attention to the problems of agriculturists and how corporatization and liberalization was leading to growing unemployment in the country. Ms. Malathi, one of the active leaders of the ‘People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy’ (PMANE) which is leading a valiant struggle against Koodankulam nuclear project in Tamil Nadu, dwelt upon the dangers of the nuclear power projects and sought the support of the members for the struggle. Other members contributed to the lively discussion.

Following decisions were taken: 1. Translation of Roy’s writings in Hindi should be undertaken.

2. Manuscript of Vth Volume of the Selected Works of M.N. Roy may be finalized by June end this year.

3. Support should be given to the anti-nuclear movements going on in various parts of India.

4. A seminar should be held on the relevance of Roy’s ideas in the present context.

Those who participated in the discussion included Shri B.D. Sharma, Chairman,, IRI, Shri Narottam Vyas, Treasurer, IRI, Shri Mahipal Singh, Secretary, PUCL, Delhi Unit, Dr. Dipavali Sen, Prof. in Economics, Shri N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, IRI, Shri Ghanshyam Singh and Shri Atul Wadhera, both Advocates in the Supreme Court, and Professor Ved Prakash Arya, a senior Radical Humanist. Special invitees included Ms. Malathi of PMANE Movement, Ms. Thabitha Maitri, a student from Pondicherry, Shri Ram Saran, a veteran activist of JP Movement, Shri Anil Sinha, senior journalist of Deccan Herald and secretary of ‘Concerned Journalists Initiative’ (a newly formed organization of journalists devoted to the movement for strengthening of independent media), Shri Prasson Latant, a senior journalist at prominent Hindi daily ‘Jansatta’, two students working as ‘legal interns’ with PUCL, namely Shri Sohil Yadav and Ms. Palak Sharma, amongst others.

39

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RENAISSANCE PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED 15, Bankim Chatterjee Street (2nd floor), Kolkata: 700 073, Mobile: 9831261725 NEW FROM RENAISSANCE

By SIBNARAYAN RAY Between Renaissance and Revolution-Selected Essays: Vol. I- H.C.350.00 In Freedom’s Quest: A Study of the Life and Works of M.N. Roy: Vol.Ill H.C.250.00 Against the Current - H.C.350.00

By M.N. ROY Science and Superstition - H.C.125.00 AWAITED OUTSTANDING PUBLICATIONS

By RABINDRANATH TAGORE & M.N. ROY Nationalism - H.C.150.00

By M.N. ROY The Intellectual Roots of Modern Civilization - H.C.150.00 The Russian Revolution - P.B.140.00 The Tragedy of Communism - H.C.180.00 From the Communist Manifesto - P.B.100.00 To Radical Humanism - H.C.140.00 Humanism, Revivalism and the Indian Heritage - P.B. 140.00

By SIVANATH SASTRI A History of The Renaissance in Bengal —Ramtanu Lahiri: Brahman & Reformer H.C.180.00

By SIBNARAYAN RAY Gandhi, Gandhism and Our Times (Edited) - H.C.200.00 The Mask and The Face (Jointly Edited with Marian Maddern) - H.C.200.00 Sane Voices for a Disoriented Generation (Edited) - P.B. 140.00 From the Broken Nest to Visvabharati - P.B.120.00 The Spirit of the Renaissance - P.B.150.00 Ripeness is All - P.B. 125.00

By ELLEN ROY From the Absurdity to Creative Rationalism - P.B. 90.00

By V. M. TARKUNDE Voice of A Great Sentinel - H.C.175.00

By SWARAJ SENGUPTA Reflections - H.C 150.00 Science, Society and Secular Humanism - H.C. 125.00

By DEBALINA BANDOPADHYAY The Woman-Question and Victorian Novel - H.C. 150.00

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