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Vol. 76 No 12
MARCH 2013
THE RADICAL HUMANIST (Since April 1949)
Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)
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Founder Editor: M. N. Roy
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—Important Announcement— Dear Friends, Indian Renaissance Institute (IRI) is organizing a two days’ International Seminar to commemorate the 125th Birth Year of M.N. Roy on 16th & 17th March 2013 at India International Centre, New Delhi. We read and hear about other humanists like us from distant places but are rarely able to meet each other personally. The priorities of various humanist groups may vary but their mission and vision is almost identical. Let us share it together from a common platform, this time in Delhi at the IRI seminar. I hope you will not miss this opportunity of meeting and sharing our views with many others in the fold. The theme of the Seminar is: Humanism & Contemporary Politics. The sub-themes are as follows: DAY ONE: 16th March 2013 (Saturday) Inaugural Session Topic: Challenges before the Human Society. Session I: Topic: Social & Political Crisis. Session II: Topic: Globalization & its effects. DAY TWO: 17th March 2013 (Sunday) Session I: Topic: Humanist Movements and their role. Session II: Topic: Effect of Science & Technology upon the Human Value System. Valedictory Session Topic: Relevance of Radical Humanism. We will be deciding about the sequence of speakers after we hear from you. Please send (email) your papers and their summaries by 28th February 2013. Do come and participate actively in the programme and make your travel arrangements now itself. Venue of the Seminar: (Annexe), India International Centre, Delhi. Registration Fee: Paper Presenters / Delegates: Rs. 500/- Research Scholars / Students: Rs. 250/Following facilities will be provided by the organisers. A) Food at the Seminar venue (on both days); B) Commuting facility from the place of stay at Tiwari Bhawan to India International Centre; C) Registration kit will be provided by the organisers; D) All the papers accepted will be published in The Radical Humanist Special issue of April 2013; E) The research papers will also be uploaded on the RH Web portal. Registered participants and delegates would be expected to bear the expenses of their travel and stay. Beds have been arranged for 15th, 16th & 17th March 2013 in Tiwari Bhawan, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, near Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. Cost of each bed is Rs. 200/ day + Rs. 100/- for registration on the first day of stay. You may write to or contact Sri. N.D. Pancholi (Secretary, IRI) to get accommodation booked as soon as possible (as limited number of beds are available there) at: azadpancholi@yahoo.com; Ph: 0120-2648691, (M) 09811099532; G-3, Plot No. 617, Shalimar Garden Extn. I, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad 201005 (U.P.) Awaiting an early and positive response from you. With best wishes. —Rekha S.
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www.theradicalhumanist.com
The Radical Humanist Vol. 76 Number 12 March 2013
Contents
Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute
1. From the Editor’s Desk: Ellen Roy -in synch with herself! All else - in synch with her!! —Rekha Saraswat 2 2. Guests’ Section: Magnetic Myths —Donald R. Prothero 4 A Plea for Promoting Entrepreneurship —Kamal Wadhwa 7 India: A melting pot or a salad bowl? —Uday Dandavate 9 4. Current Affairs’ Section: Developing alternatives to Petroleum Resources —J.S.C. Rao 11 Problems of South Indian Diaspora Autonomous Council for North Andhra Writers, Scholars and Freedom of Expression —K.S. Chalam 13 The Maturing of Bodo Dream —Sandeep Pandey 20 5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: AFSPA and the Sedition Law Must be Repealed — Mahi Pal Singh 22 Evolution of a patriotic new avatar of superstition —Sanal Edamaruku 25 Nationalism: Rabindranath & M. N. Roy —Swarajbrata Sengupta 27 6. Teacher’s & Research Scholar’s Section: Debacle of Indian Academics —Mudasir Nazar 30 7. Book Review Section: Laws For Dalit Rights And Dignity —R.M. Pal 32 8. Humanist News Section: 34
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 1
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From the Editor’s Desk:
Rekha S.
Ellen Roy in synch with herself! All else in synch with her!! Ellen Roy’s Reminiscing today when the Indian
significance Renaissance Institute is remembering M.N. Roy during his 125th birth anniversary year is very necessary and important lest we overlook the fact that she was equally indispensable for the building up of the Indian Radical Humanist Movement!! Ellen Roy came to India at a young age of 33. A woman whose canvas of existence was larger than the sailcloth of this universe wrapped it entirely around a person called M.N. Roy for more than half of the living years of her life. Even after his death she continued to remain in his surroundings till she met with such a gruesome end which of all people she did not deserve. A lover of humanity was killed for a petty pair of artificial studs by a person whose education and future career she was so keenly taking care of. Yes, Ralph Waldo Emerson was so right when he wrote that the years teach much which the days never know! What was in Roy that attracted Ellen to wait for him for a good nine years of her youth till she left Europe to join him in India in 1936 even though she
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had a wide range of intellectuals, activists and artists around her to choose from as her life partner in Europe itself? They all say it was Roy’s charisma that pulled her to him but I argue it was her own reflection in him that drew her towards him. She saw in Roy the echoes of her own dreams, her own vision and purpose of life as well as her own angst for the sorrow of humanity during the period which saw such a colossal loss of civilization between the two world wars; her own anger against the colonial cruelties on humankind; her own shattering of hopes and disillusionment with the communist endeavour of delivering relief to the pains and injuries of the poor, the weak and the down trodden all around the world. He belonged to a country that suffered the humiliation and she belonged to a continent that inflicted the pain. They together saw in communism the hope to remove the distress; both worked in it and with it but both realised that the methods as well as the resources were actually counter-productive to the cause, giving greater sorrow to the suffering humanity! They both wanted to find a new solution to the problem. He came back to India with lots of hope and positivity to put his viewpoints to practice in a new way. She followed him here to see their joint vision taking shape. He was in his own land more at home with the things around. She was in his land more dependent upon his insights and perceptions! He had been a part of the making of the communist history of the world she was a part of it too in her own way simultaneously working as its biographer as well. He gave logical conclusions to his beliefs to the people who came to listen to his views. She became the catalyst to collect and grow this list of individuals to whom his analysis mattered. Those who went to meet him and be with him came back with an impression that he was too towering to be approached. Had Ellen not been there with him 2
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to make his efforts more earthly and benevolent a lot many would have been forced to alienate themselves from his mission. She brought his sublime persona within reach to all his admirers and enquirers. He spoke well, she wrote well! He elucidated his philosophy in spoken words, she illuminated it in written scripts. He spoke for them she wrote for them. She jotted down even his mumblings and mutterings and articulated them into comprehensible readings. And she could do so because of her voracious reading background, her large multilingual vocabulary and her grip over the philosophical developments around the world. He concentrated upon the necessity of a cultural regeneration only after he removed his emphasis upon the need for a political reformation, while she was the personification of a universal and cosmopolitan cultural renaissance ever since she learnt to define her ‘being’ in this world! She, in fact, was a living example of what Roy visualized the society to be! That is why when he envisaged a gurukul of learning around him she, so naturally, gave her all to the making and evolving of this gurukul named Indian Renaissance Institute and kept working for
its progress till she lived even after he had left this world! And she could give her best and make all this possible only because she herself was burning with the zeal and passion of making this world a beautiful, humane community of spiritually free men and women endowed with a scientific spirit and a rational culture; beyond the barriers of caste, class, creed, sex and national geographical distinctions, with equality in opportunities of defining and designing their lives. She came to India with a confirmed confidence that M.N. Roy would help her make this effort to realise her dream as he too had the same obsession and ardour right from his childhood which made him travel around the world in search of means and resources to fulfil it. How much they together could or could not succeed is a matter of introspection and analysis for the followers who, I think, should be made responsible for the consequences and for not taking the banner forward to the extent it was expected. The two of them did their utmost; it is we who lagged behind!! I hope the coming seminar would give us another opportunity to join our heads and hands together to pave a stronger and firmer way forward to accomplish the cherished dream of our mentors!!
Ellen Roy opined.....“A rationalist movement is by its nature a movement of ideas. But its task is not an academic one. It is eminently concerned with the life of the people, of the whole community, in all its aspects. Its task is to show the approach of reason to all problems of individual and social life. It has a role to play in the public life of the country. It must criticise what is bad and wrong in our society by showing that it is not reasonable, and apply reason as the measure of all improvements which are suggested. If democracy is considered to be the best form of government, it must be shown to be the most reasonable proposition, and this can be shown to be so if the people who are to govern themselves learn to be conscious of their reason as their supreme and innate human distinction, and to apply it in the shaping of their own destiny. The solution of the crisis of our time depends on a valid sanction for a voluntary spontaneous morality. All other sanctions having failed to achieve this, let reason, scientifically and soberly defined, have its chance.....” [From the Inaugural Address at the All India Convention of the Indian Rationalist Association held in Meerut during January 28-30, 1955. And later published in The Radical Humanist, vol. 19, number 10, 6 March, 1955] 3
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Channel), Entelodon and Hyaenodon (National Geographic Channel) and Walking with Prehistoric Beasts (BBC). His website is: www.donaldprothero.com. Check out Donald Prothero’s page at Shop Skeptic.] Article Source: eSkeptic
Guests’ Section:
Magnetic Myths Why magnets and magnetic fields attract New Age flimflam and flap-doodle
Donald R. Prothero [Dr. Donald R. Prothero was Professor of
Geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He earned M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in geological sciences from Columbia University in 1982, and a B.A. in geology and biology (highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of California, Riverside. He is currently the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 32 books and over 250 scientific papers, including five leading geology textbooks and five trade books as well as edited symposium volumes and other technical works. He is on the editorial board of Skeptic magazine, and in the past has served as an associate or technical editor for Geology, Paleobiology and Journal of Paleontology. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, and the Linnaean Society of London, and has also received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Science Foundation. He has served as the President and Vice President of the Pacific Section of SEPM (Society of Sedimentary Geology), and five years as the Program Chair for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. In 1991, he received the Schuchert Award of the Paleontological Society for the outstanding paleontologist under the age of 40. He has also been featured on several television documentaries, including episodes of Paleoworld (BBC), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (History
the long build-up up to the Throughout latest failed prediction of a global apocalypse on December 21, 2012, you would hear people claiming that the earth-shattering catastrophe would include “pole shifts,” or “changes in the earth’s magnetic field,” and assorted other sciencey phrases, proclaimed by people with absolutely no idea what they were talking about. The idea of “magnetism” is one of the most popular memes in the lexicon of pseudoscientists and New Agers, since magnets operate “mysteriously” and exert a force at a distance. From the days of Franz Mesmer claiming he had “magnetism” over people, to the trite phrase “animal magnetism,” the concept of magnetism has always been mysterious and misunderstood. Hence the big market for sticking magnets on various parts of your body to “cure” you. All they do is waste money, and possibly demagnetize the magnetic strip on your credit cards. The idea that somehow the earth’s magnetic field will shift abruptly or that the earth’s core will stop rotating (as in the idiotic Hilary Swank movie “The Core”) or even more wildly, that the earth’s rotational pole will change, are all common ideas out there in Wacko-Land. Most of us know enough about science and apocalyptic predictions to guess that they are not worth taking seriously, but very few people have bothered to debunk this stuff. Unfortunately, we saw lots of sad consequences of people who did
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take the ridiculous apocalyptic predictions seriously, often with tragic results. Among my other specialties, my professional training is in paleomagnetism, and I’ve conducted over 35 years of published research in the field, so I’m very familiar with what we do and do not know about the earth’s magnetic field and how it behaves. First, some science:
The earth’s magnetic field has at least two components, the dipolar field, which makes up about 90% of the magnetism we normally feel, and a non-dipole field, which is normally hard to detect beneath it but makes up at least 10% of the earth’s field. The dipole field is not exactly lined up with the rotational axis of the earth (i.e., there is a small angle between magnetic north and true north), but over geologic spans of time, this magnetic north wanders around the rotational pole; this movement is known as secular variation. Studies have shown that over the long term, its position averages out to being identical to the rotational pole. The field is generated by complex fluid dynamos operating within the outer core of the earth (made of iron and nickel), which operates a bit like a spinning dynamo made of copper wire (a good conductor), which generates a magnetic field and electrical current when it spins within a magnetic field. The exact nature of how this works is a matter of the complexities of geophysical fluid dynamics, so scientists are still working on modeling what kinds of dynamos are found in the outer core. But whatever their configuration, the model has to fit the constraints that the direction can be reversed (so a compass pointing north now would point south 800,000 years ago), and also explain the odd behavior of the field when the dipole component weakens and the non-dipole component becomes visible. Now let’s consider some of the common false claims about magnets and magnetism that plague the Internet: Timeline of Polarity Reversals:1. Earth’s field is about to reverse! The earth’s field does reverse direction, but normally the process takes 5
7000–10,000 years to complete. It does not happen in days or weeks, as some claim. We know this from detailed studies of thick stacks of lava flows that erupted over the span of a reversal, as well as high-resolution deep-sea cores that span the interval as well. So if the field were beginning to reverse, we would not know for at least a few thousand years. And we cannot predict when this reversal will occur, since they have been occurring on an irregular basis for all of geologic history, and at least a 300 times in the past 100 million years. Reversals typically occur roughly every 200,000–300,000 years apart, although the last reversal (the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary) was over 780,000 years ago. Some, however, are much shorter (less than 50,000 years) while in some cases the earth’s field remained stable for 30 million years. This irregular pattern of field reversals is completely unpredictable, but it also gives a nice non-periodic, non-repeating signal, like a bar code, that allows magnetic stratigraphers to correlate their local magnetic sequences with the global pattern. 2. When the field reverses and vanishes, we’ll all be bombarded by cosmic radiation! When the field slowly reverses over thousands of years, only the dipolar component of the field weakens. The non-dipole component of the field is always present, and there’s no evidence that the earth has ever been unshielded from cosmic radiation or completely lacked magnetic field. Nor is there any evidence that a slightly weaker magnetic field over the thousands of years when the dipole field is reversing will have any affect on life, or on our electrical grid, or anything else. Calculations show that during reversal, the field is only slightly weaker than we feel normally—about the difference between the field we would feel at the equator and the field we would feel at the magnetic north pole. In other words, it is undetectable except by sensitive instruments. In fact, a former professor of mine (Jim Hays of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a micropaleontologist and my co-author on several papers) conducted the crucial
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experiment on the issue over 40 years ago. He was the first to see the evidence of field reversal in deep-sea cores from the Antarctic, and wondered if there was any effect on life. Jim Hays’ first effort in 1971 (Hays, J.D. 1971. Faunal extinctions and reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 82, 2433–2447) demonstrated no association between field reversals and extinctions, and it has since been corroborated over and over again by a wide variety of statistical techniques. And why should there be any extinction? If the difference in the field felt by organisms is so slight, and the effect on the cosmic ray influx is so tiny, there’s no reason to expect otherwise. At very worst, a weaker magnetic field with a relatively strong non-dipole component might disorient animals (from bees to whales to birds) that navigate by the field direction, but there’s no way to test that hypothesis in the fossil record, and no evidence that it’s happening to organisms right now. 3. What about recent studies that showed much more rapid field changes? These were conducted by my former colleague Scott Bogue at Occidental College. Bogue was looking at a set of lava flows that cooled as the field was reversing and weakening, and he focused on just the field recorded when the dipole field was nearly gone, and the non-dipole field was revealed. The
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non-dipole field does indeed move rapidly and in weird ways, but there’s no evidence that anything has been affected by such weird field directions during the short period of time that it is the dominant field of the earth. And there’s no evidence that the much stronger dipolar field will ever change that fast. 4. What about the evidence that the magnetic pole is rapidly changing direction? This is a long-studied and well-known phenomenon called secular variation, as I have already mentioned. It is not news, nor is it some scandalously dangerous discovery being hidden by NASA. It is a constant feature of the earth’s magnetic field, but over time the average direction of the magnetic pole averages out to be approximately the same as the rotational pole. We can study secular variation over thousands of years as recorded in deep-sea cores, lake sediment cores, and many other records. There is no scary change that threatens us, just a lot of noisy wobbling of the magnetic north that averages out to nothing in the long run. So the next time you hear someone worrying about the earth’s magnetic field, you can assume that it is misinformed and false. There are plenty of real dangers to worry about, like global climate change, so we don’t need to scare people by hyping false ideas.
From the Writings of M.N. Roy: I have a strong dislike for the idea of writing one’s own history, be it mental or physical. History is a science. Critically composed biographies have a place in historical literature. Autobiographies, however, are worthless as historical records. The incentive to write an autobiography is supplied by egoism — by the belief in one’s own importance. Only people, obsessed with the idea that they are destined to play historical roles, write autobiographies. The inevitable results of that underlying motive can be counter-balanced only by an extra-ordinarily high degree of self-criticism. The two cannot naturally go together. One cannot be egotistic and self-critical, at the same time. Autobiographies are worth reading only as works of fine literature. Very few of them, however, can measure up to that standard. For these considerations, I have never been inclined to record the events of my life or to trace the development of my mind. [From the Preface To The First Edition of The Memoirs of a Cat—Dehradun, October, 1940]
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Kamal Wadhwa
A Plea for Promoting Entrepreneurship [Kamal Wadhwa is an Honours graduate in Literature from the University of Chicago and has also studied Economic & Social Development at the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at wadhwa.kamal@ymail.com] is time for the Indian republic to Itacknowledge that its favored agents for spearheading economic growth – the older business class consisting of the Tatas, Birlas, Singhanias and many others have failed in their mission badly. The Tatas, not too long ago, were even the target of litigation charged with dumping cheap Indian steel in a foreign market. This class of corporate firms has also flouted the law with impunity and has prospered at the cost of the national exchequer. It has manufactured shoddy, defective and often outdated goods based on imports of obsolete technology dating back to decades. To make matters worse, it has charged steep prices in the domestic market made possible by the formation of monopolies and oligopolies. In effect, it has undermined entrepreneurship in India. The older business class has also failed to succor the Indian nation when such succor was badly needed. While it has made profits, it has done so
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purely from a captive market and the perks and incentives offered by the Indian government. This business class has imported and exported sub-standard goods and flaunted its dubious achievements before an ignorant and credulous public. With the Government mollycoddling its enterprises, competition has been thwarted and a powerful, leisured class with bureaucratic connections has been created. The Indian consumer has been kept ignorant of the world outside India by the corporate establishment in collusion with the bureaucracy. Consider, for example, the tobacco industry. Even after six decades of independence, not a single quality and affordable cigarette is available to the masses because no tobacco firm has taken the trouble to study the cigarette market and the preferences of the Indian smoker. While cigarette brands such as Gold Flake, Bristol, Gold and Four Squares enjoy household popularity in India, Indian smokers have been kept ignorant of newer and quality cigarettes that use more refined tobacco and have less tar content. This is one more reason for promoting a new, independent and brash entrepreneurship based on our time-tested and ancient traditions. Next, consider the education bandwagon. Scores of schools and colleges of every hue and quality have been set up in India and an army of graduates and post-graduates enters the employment market every year. While literacy is a national asset, higher education of the Indian variety with its emphasis on filling in slots in the national economy, is a national disaster. The Indian economy is simply not big enough to absorb so many educated people, more so in view of their high material expectations. Even cooks and domestics have worthless degrees and diplomas that have alienated them from their true and tested vocations. As a consequence, we may soon become a nation where the majority of working people are either clerks or cyber coolies.
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The Indian government’s employment guarantee scheme is also non viable as artificial employment has to be created to feed the rural proletariat such as landless laborers. These people have abandoned their true vocations as farmers and picked up dysfunctional work that falls just short of drudgery. In the process, everyone has become discontented with work. Is entrepreneurship a way out for these people? An argument can also be made that the population boom is in part due to the Indian government’s mistaken policy of promoting artificial employment schemes and its maintenance of the public distribution system (PDS). Guaranteed employment and cheap food are a dangerous mix and possibly the easiest way to commit national suicide. The people most likely to procreate as a result of these amenities are the poor masses who are always in search of such manna from the national government. The above hypothesis is supported by the fact that birth rates are the lowest among urban educated Indians who follow Western lifestyles, marry late and procreate later, if ever. Even this class of people will lose out in the long run as it lacks the material resources to protect and preserve its own interest in self-propagation. Moreover, fewer and fewer resources allocated to this beleaguered class of people by successive governments means that it too might feel the burden of its qualifications. Given these circumstances, this stratum of citizens will have to deal severely with its own survival because there is simply no help coming from the State. Can this class overcome its fears and take to
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entrepreneurship? Then again, very little can be expected from the non-resident Indian (NRI) to save this country from its travails and tribulations. This class of Indians enjoys the best of both worlds – the West and India. In the West the NRI gets plum jobs and sells Indian culture thereby gaining vast prestige and income in the bargain! In India, the NRI expects and gets the maximum concessions from the Government because it is obsessed with earning foreign exchange even though it is so expensive. With the falling rupee in mind, the Government allows itself to be used and exploited in the vain hope that the NRI will prove to be patriotic in crisis situations. Nothing could be further removed from the truth. Simply put, the NRI has profitably absorbed the materialism and acquisitiveness of the West and his dealings with his former homeland are brittle and exploitative. Where else can he get 45 rupees to a dollar? Given this abject scenario of India’s economic prospects, it is time to move away from false solutions to India’s problems. India needs to place less stress on higher education of the elitist variety and it must abandon its goal of more intensive industrialization. In essence, what are truly needed are the recovery of India’s past and its ancient values of honest business dealings and greater entrepreneurship. Indiscriminate and total industrialization or full employment financed with public borrowings will prove to be a disastrous recipe for the nation as it runs up against environmental and other external constraints.
Dear Friends, Please email your articles at: rheditor@gmail.com. Send them by post (if you are not able to email them) at: C-8 Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India. Please try to keep them within the limit of 1500-2000 words. You should also inform me whether they have been published elsewhere. Do email or post your passport size photographs as separate attachments (in JPG format) along with your brief introductions, if you are contributing in the RH for the first time. Please feel free to contact me at 91-9719333011 for any other querry. —Rekha S. 8
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Uday Dandavate [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 in U.S.A. He frequently writes and speaks on topics related to people centered design and innovation in international journals and conferences.]
India: A melting pot or a salad bowl? the elections to the Indian Parliament Asapproach there will be a rapid increase in political rhetoric to capture the imagination of the nation eager for a new direction for freeing India of many of its lingering problems – corruption, communal violence, terrorism and lack of development. As political parties tune their rhetoric to appeal to the impatient India, I fear emergence of chauvinistic rhetoric in the national discourse paving the way for homogenizing of India. The melting pot, a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with a common culture is often used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the
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USA; the melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s. The melting pot metaphor supports theory of ethnic relations, which sees American identity as centred upon the acculturation or assimilation and the intermarriage of white immigrant groups, has been analyzed by the emerging academic field of whiteness studies. This discipline examines the ‘social construction of whiteness’ and highlights the changing ways in which whiteness has been normative to American national identity from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. (Extract from Wikipedia) While the leadership in many developing nations, including India have embraced the free market economic model of the United States, they have conveniently overlooked the struggles the United States had to go through in managing its ethnic diversity. It is increasingly being acknowledged that America’s future challenges and opportunities lay in its ability to harness the ethnic diversity. In this process, there is growing realization in the United States that the metaphor of a melting pot needs to be discarded in favour of a new metaphor of a salad bowl to best bring out the flavour of intercultural life evolving in the heart of America. The essence of the salad bowl metaphor being- in an intercultural society cultures will be juxtaposed — like salad ingredients — but will not merge into a single homogeneous culture. Each culture keeps its own distinct qualities. Most conflicts around the world are born from lack of respect for other cultures and a threat to cultural identify. Economic progress will not ease cultural conflicts. On the contrary, undue emphasis on economic progress and relentless pursuit of development without consideration to human issues will push cultural issues under the carpet, leading to a cultural and moral disintegration of the society. As India gets ready for general election campaign it is important to keep a balanced perspective on the need for development and cultural harmony. The
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metaphor of a Salad Bowl needs to be clearly understood and made a part of national aspirations as we go about searching for a new set of leaders. As much as corruption is the core issue in the minds of people- it would be disastrous for the well being of the nation to follow leaders who promise
development through crushing of diversity and creation of a homogenized melting pot. We should look for leaders who are incorruptible and at the same time understand and respect the diversity of India.
Letter to the Editor: Rekha, I have received the January issue three days ago. Your Editorial is intense, charged with emotion and also, through the bewilderment, makes an attempt to understand. Apart from the central role of the family there is also always the influence of the ‘milieu’ into which a child (let us say a boy) is plunged as soon as he steps out. I look back and think that I was fortunate as a boy. I had a proud nature and never accepted the domination of the ‘gang leaders’ of our locality. Sometimes, though thin and not strong at all, I fought. But looking back I know that those aggressive boys were not so wicked. They could have beaten me to a pulp. But they did not. They just wanted to show that they were stronger. The situation would be different now. At school there were no real bullies. In fact a ‘good boy’ (meaning also a good student) would be taken ‘under protection’ by the strong, athletic ones. I was enthusiastic about football, cricket and badminton. The Captains would often say “Amitabha, you must be in my team!” I was happy to be so. In college life it continued like this. I remember that once, selected for a match, I was playing a miserable game. I heard a supporter making an excuse for me in a low voice. “He is a very good student, you know”. I think back and feel “I was lucky!”. I do not know how different the situation might be now. I can only make guesses. May be my piece on Hypatia acquires an accidental, tenuous resonance in the present context — how societies have continued to treat men and women differently. I would like to make a remark concerning the article by K.S. Chalam: ‘University Education...’. He says (page 13) “......Srinivasa Ramanujan and several others have emerged from our university system.” Ramanujan did not emerge from any university system whatsoever. Though this is very well known let me cite some lines about his ‘lost’ notebooks which have been found recently and are being studied: “These notebooks were begun about 1903, when he was 15 or 16, and are a compilation of his mathematical discoveries without proofs. The last entries were made in 1914, when he sailed to England at the urging of G.H. Hardy.” This is from an article with Bruce Brendt as co-author —Brendt, who has found practically all the proofs that Ramanujan did not bother to write down. When Ramanujan, now famous, returned from England he was indeed given a post at the university. But he was already ill and died shortly afterwards. During his last illness he discovered ‘mock theta functions’ his last dazzling feat. There are several books about his life. —Amitabha Chakrabarti Chakrabarti.amitabha@neuf.fr Centre de Phys.Théor. (CPHT) of Ecole Polytechnique, France
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Current Affairs' Section:
J. S.C. Rao [J. Sharath Chandra Rao has been contributing articles to Newspaper like ‘Vaartha’ and ‘Andhra Jyothi’ and other periodicals on environment, economics and other social issues. He may be contacted at 1-2-593/40, Gagan Mahal Colony, Hyderabad, Phone: 040-27638039]
Developing alternatives to Petroleum Resources is needed Development of today was Industrial achieved largely through the extraction of fossil fuels from the earth’s crust. Transportation is another sector in the world being heavily dependent on oil whether the mobility is by land, air or water. Any price rise in petroleum resources will lead to higher transportation costs, as well as higher cost of power. Fossil fuel is still the main, basic resource of the world’s economy. The skyrocketing of International crude oil prices in recent times with the demand for oil ever increasing with the production of oil being concentrated in the hands of a few suppliers will affect the world economy. Shortage of oil in the coming years, the signs being already visible might land the world in a serious economic crisis. Building up the entire infrastructure all these years solely depending on one single source of oil for both the industrial and agricultural production usage as well as for domestic needs with the crude oil prices
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periodically increasing in the international market has affected poor countries and their people much more than the developed countries. For a country like India inspite of giving subsidies of Rs. 77,637 crores per year on petroleum and fertilizers, people are still facing great hardships because of high cost of essential needs. Higher crude oil prices will push transport costs which in turn will lead to escalation of prices of several essential commodities and products affecting the common man. With India importing about 80% of its fuel requirement with the rupee depreciation making fuel costlier be it petrol, diesel, gas or kerosene, we are fast becoming import dependent on a single petroleum source of energy. A study revealed a steep rise in the price of world crude oil will affect nearly five lakh products becoming prohibitively costly. Such a rise will also reduce consumer demand because of higher cost. Also usage of energy for avoidable consumer products will obviously reduce the energy available for Industrial and domestic purposes of the society in turn which in turn will affect the common man. Higher oil prices can give a boost to public transport system such as trains and buses as well as giving boost to alternative renewable energy option of solar and wind making them financially more viable and attractive to switch over. Renewable energy options are clean and free of pollution, which can also create tremendous employment opportunities. However higher oil prices will lead to not only the Government experiencing major loss of revenue collection but it will also lead to an increase in welfare expenditure to meet the rising cost of living. The conventional economic development based on fossil fuel usage in future can become a major risk factor for the security of the world with the possibility of rising conflicts and wars. The ever increasing oil prices in India led to a steep increase in the basic essential needs affecting the common man’s budget on his livelihood, the heavy price being paid for depending solely on oil. This is inspite of heavy subsidies being given on
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petroleum products of diesel, kerosene and gas which in reality is more than what is being spent on health and education put together. Such an approach of not curtailing oil usage for unproductive purposes of extensive consumerism and leisure entertainment also led to an increase in pollution and congestion and enormous wastage problems detrimental to human health. Rampant encouragement of consumerism and excessive commercialization had led to the misuse of several resources more particularly of oil on a large scale resulting in several destructive patterns of rise in temperatures, storms and cyclones erupting, glaciers melting due to green house gas emissions and also earthquakes inflicting extensive damage to the plant and human life. It has also resulted in causing ill-health problems making the planet less viable to live on it. Health problems like Cancer, Heart Ailments, Asthma, Lung diseases and allergies are all being caused due to the emissions of the fossil fuels usage. Switching over to non-polluting, clean alternative energy systems which do not effect health and the environment and which do not emit greenhouse gas emission and also of no noxious emissions of nuclear waste being generated in producing Nuclear energy will always be a better option. By doing so, many developing countries like India can overcome economic, environmental and social cost of petroleum fuels providing in the process enormous employment opportunities. We should not forget that by encouraging consumerism we have caused extensive damage to the environment affecting our very existence of livelihood. This led to the usage of more energy and materials discarding in the process our age old cultural tradition of the values of thrift and austerity. These have been systematically downgraded by giving way to needless material product purchases and avoidable
entertainment spending. Many household in India possessing T.V. sets and Internet had access to get to know various goods being available which led to an increase in purchasing of several products which in turn led to increasing energy consumption to produce all such products. Buying such products which include fancy products obviously will lead to consumption of huge energy requirement of oil. India is presently witnessing glittering office towers, shopping malls, luxury shops spreading consumer culture amidst plenty of simple houses. One can see a clear demonstration of the purchasing power of the trend setting classes and their lifestyles which is often in total variance with those of the ordinary citizens who are struggling for their basic needs. The development path of industrialization and agriculture has not visualized the impending shortage of oil resources. They have not reckoned with the fact that fossil fuels will no longer be easy and cheaper to procure. Also the present developmental model has no regard for efficient use of resources and energy, reducing wastage particularly in the developed countries. What will happen to agricultural production if there is a steep increase of diesel oil etc. more particularly when mechanization in farming is the order now? We have already replaced bullocks ploughing our lands with tractors and other mechanized harvesting machinery. Mechanical modernization in agriculture has already thrown countless individuals out of their traditional jobs making agriculture being dependent on fossil fuel energy. If the petroleum resources further go up are we to switch over from the present mechanical modernization of agriculture to our ancient methods of cultivation more particularly when we do not have sufficient cattle to do so?
Letter to the Editor: Dear Rékhâ, To celebrate the jubilee of Tagore's Nobel award, I am preparing a Bengali-French-English anthology with 110 poems. This will be released with a few recitals composed of songs and poems from the book. Warm regards.—Prithwindra-dâ, prithwin.mukherjee@gmail.com 12
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K.S. Chalam [Prof K.S.Chalam, former Member, UPSC, New Delhi, former Vice-Chancellor, Dravidian University, Kuppam, A.P., 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
Problems of South Indian Diaspora controversial visit ThePresident Mahindra
of Sri Lanka Rajapaksa to Tirupati recently evoked violent protests in the South while Telugus remained awestruck. It is strange to notice that very few are conversant with the Sri Lankan issue where millions of Indian-origin people were alleged to have been killed. In fact, some of the so called Tamils who were slain or persecuted are actually Telugus. I had the opportunity to meet some of the plantation workers in Colombo sometime ago when I was there to participate in a seminar. Some of them were migrants from coastal Andhra Pradesh particularly from Prakasam and North Andhra and they are lumped together with Tamils. It also reminds me of a phenomenon, had we not remained 13
complacent when the Telugu speaking workers from Telangana distressed in the Emirates? It is largely because of our insensitivity to the concept of Telugu Diaspora. But everyone seems to be aware of our migrants to USA (only from some parts of AP). Is this not a great besmirch to our common history and heritage? The term Diaspora is originated from the dispersion of Jews from Israel since the time of Old Testament and particularly after the decimation attempt by Hitler (seems to be their long lost kin) during the Second War. There are scholarly studies on the fascinating aspects of South Asian Diaspora including the economic networks that help hasten globalization in recent times. But, the issues relating to the South are hardly discussed though we were the first to widen our rule outside the peninsula in the historical past. It is really painful to observe that some of us keep on talking about the migrants of the North West or Jammu and Kashmir (like Pandits,Sindhis) while keeping speechless when our own South Indians are being killed or persecuted. It is necessary to raise the predicaments of not only the North western Indians but also about our own people when incidents of victims of genocide are discussed (in the South). Of course, the exclusive right to talk about Tamilians as Dravidians, seized by our neighbors may be partly responsible for this restricted action. Strangely, there is interesting discussion on the Net about the sabotage done to Tamilians in Sri Lanka by two important antithetical personalities from the state belonging to two different ideologies, yet united against the interests of the Tamils due to their alleged roots in the North. It is disgusting to read and discuss about the foreign threats only as a North Western phenomenon. The history, culture, language, politics and even cross border issues are deliberated as North or North western India as if nothing exists beyond Vindhyas or even in the East. In fact, the border with other nations is much longer on the Coast and in the Himalayas than the Western rim. No one appeared to be perturbed when the IPKF forces from
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Visakhapatnam had suffered causalities and tensions prevailed on the East or down South at Kacchativu or persecution of fishermen on a daily basis on our continental shelf. Are they not Indians? The Tamil problem as it called in Sri Lanka is neither of a recent hitch nor the so called Tamils did migrate from mainland India? We had a long history as old as the concept of Diaspora of Jews. Those who have an alien mind set or imaginary cultural roots with the cow belt while sustaining with the local resources for generations in the South, is responsible for this fallacy. Sri Lanka was once a colony of India and according to some sources, both the Sinhalese and the Tamilians were migrants from India while Prof Sudarshan Seneviratne show that there are some native indigenous populations in the Island. The Andhra/ Telugu people had a long link with Sri Lanka from the time of the Satavahana period when Hala the seventeenth monarch met the Sri Lankan princess Lilavati and married her. It was Pallavas who built Kovils there and Rajaraja Chola I annexed Sri Lanka as part of his empire. It is said that, Mahinda and Sanghamitra left for Sri Lanka through Kalingapatnam and the left canine tooth of Buddha was taken to Anuradhapura from Dantapura ( SriKakulam, A.P). However, the plantation workers and indentured labourers were exported from the coastal South during 19th and early 20th century by the British. Thus, we had long and cherished relations with the island that should have rattled our Telugu conscience when the issue of Tamil Diaspora surfaced. There are two categories of Tamils in the Island. The original Sri Lankan Tamils are known as Elam Tamils who had been there from 2nd century BC mostly in the North (Jaffna), and the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalee workers popularly called as Indian Tamils are alleged to be from the recent origin and spread in different parts of the Island. It is now estimated that out of 2.02 crores people, nearly one fifth (18%) of them speak Tamil. It seems, the social hierarchy prevailed in India had crossed the
border and have today around 20 uraikuts (castes). Though, Sri Lanka does not officially recognize caste, the cruel design of caste system prevails. It is reported in some studies that the Agricultural castes like Vellala, lower castes like pariah, pallar, nalavar and the numerically strong Karaiyar (fishermen) along with Brahmin sects like Salagama ( Nambudri) , Piraman etc do exist among ITs( Indian Tamils). It is claimed that De Silva or Rajapakse titles signify Brahminical allusion. It is surmised that the mainland social hierarchy had been moved on to Sri Lanka along with the Indo-Aryans who became the ruling elite. The issue of caste in Sri Lanka was raised by Convention on the Eradication of Racial Discrimination, CERD of UNO in 1996. There are conflicting views on the system of caste in the island; the Sinhalese claim that it is prevalent only among the Tamils and the lower castes retort saying that everyone has a hidden agenda of caste. But, the issue of lower castes seems to have played a very important role in the so called ethnic conflict. It is reported that Prabhakaran, the slain LTTE leader declared the aim of his movement is to achieve “casteless Tamil society by armed struggle’. Prabhakaran being a member of the lower caste Paraiyar (fishermen), banned scavenging and caste discrimination in the cadres and attracted majority from the panchamars ( dalit) . But, the problem of social contradictions among the Tamils particularly among the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) seems to have been surfaced once Prabhakaran and the LTTE were extinguished and their siblings are brutally killed (including Prabhakaran’s 12 year old son cruel end). It is reported that Prabhakaran has allowed the lower caste cadres to own land and now, after his death there seem to be conflicts between the lower castes and the upper caste Vellala or the Sinhala government might be playing the caste games by imitating India or getting tutored by some alleged Indian Intellectuals? It is not only in Sri Lanka, but every where the Indian migrants went either in the past or in recent period have the problems of divisiveness based on
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caste/descent. The problem appears to be serious in South Asia and America where our number is considerable. It is further provoked by those who imagine that they are the descendants of Purus, Baratas,Huns,Parthians, Sakas, Pahlavas, Yavanas etc and had come from outside and settled in India with the simple idea of ‘divide and rule’. Nevertheless, it would be an international problem if we fail to find out a solution to the social evil from the land where it is originated, and is being spread to Anglo-American countries. If we fail to find out a way out and try to fish in the troubled waters as is being experimented by the Sinhalese with the alleged support from crooks from India, the next war or Kurukshetra would be fought on caste lines. Is the World prepared for another discourse on Niti and Nyaya to be sermonized by Avatar SriKishan? II
Autonomous Council for North Andhra perception of an autonomous council Theto administer certain specific areas in the country came up for discussion during the Gorkhaland struggle. Interestingly, there was little public debate on this issue except among the people who are concerned with the problem and few bureaucrats. The subject has cropped up once again in the present context of Andhra-Telangana squabble. The Constitution has provided for autonomous councils for tribal areas. But, it is very specific. It is under Art 244 a mention is made about administration of Tribal areas in two distinct settings; the fifth schedule and the sixth schedule. The Fifth schedule is meant for ‘Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes’ while the Sixth schedule is provided for administration of ‘the Tribal Areas’ in the North East. There are differences between the two. While the provision in the Fifth schedule covers both the geography and the tribals living 15
there, the Sixth schedule is related to the region of the whole of North East where a stipulation is made for autonomous council. We need to understand the history of the region to appreciate the significance of some of the struggles particularly the Nepali speaking ethnic group, Gorkhas. It is important to recognize that the demand for Gorkhaland is present in the district of Darjeeling and in parts of the neighboring Jalpaiguri. Both the districts are in West Bengal. The division of Bengal was archaic and arbitrary (see my previous article) when we look at the 21 KMs length of passage to North East through Darjeeling. We have very little information on the Tea Gardens and how are they still under the control of certain dominant powers. Interestingly, all the Gorkhas are not tribals and some of them have mainland castes like Bahun, chhatri etc. In other words, Gorkha region is distinctly different from North East to get the label of a tribal region. This seems to be the real problem as they live in the Fifth schedule area and have been demanding special status like that of the Sixth schedule. However, their struggle seems to have yielded some result in the name of Gorkha Land Hill Council through an Act of the Parliament with Bengal state legislative action. In our system Parliament is supreme and it can take any decision in the interest of the country. It is necessary to keep in mind that the whole population of Gorkhas is about 10 lakhs and even as per the statements of some leaders, not even 50 percent of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. Darjeeling district has a population of 18.42 lakhs and Jalpaiguri 38.67 lakhs in 2001. Therefore, we cannot compare an issue like Telangana or some other region in the mainland India with Gorkhaland as it would be laden with several intricacies. In this context, the reckoning of the most neglected region in the country is found to be old Visakhapatnam region consisting of KBK in Odissa and Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh. They
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are found to be most neglected and underdeveloped in terms of every parameter of the economists. The state has a coastline of 950 KMs and half of it is in North Andhra, without any development except devastation in recent times. The matter is mooted here to show, if there is any region in the state that deserves an autonomous council like that of Darjeeling, it is North Andhra. Because, the three districts including the tribal areas of Khammam (till recently part of Araku Parliamentary constituency) constitute the largest concentration of tribal population in the state under the Fifth schedule. The total tribal population of the three NA districts is almost equal to the Gorkhas of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. The forest and unused land coverage in the three districts is about 55 percent and the tribal population is about 15 percent of the state. If the socio-demographic parameters of NA are taken, 90 percent are backward with the highest out migration. The irony is that there are no voices from this region in the current dialogue except, I am told about a brief memorandum submitted to the Sri Krishna committee. This is because of the hegemony of leadership that does not allow the local voices to be heard from this region. The political leadership of North Andhra is so weak that the voices from Visakhapatnam are dominated by some of the advanced districts signifying the pathetic situation there. In fact, late Dronamraju Satyanarayana , leader of the region used to argue in our seminars that outsiders have made politics in the district a costly affair so that the poor locals would be naturally sidelined. Thus, I am told that out of 5 legislators of the city, 4 are settlers and the locals have never been elected for the Parliament seat for about a quarter century. The newly emerging voices are either sidelined or rebuked. Does the dumb region deserve a Council? After having said this, I am of the opinion that most of the emerging issues of underdevelopment, inequality and political empowerment arise as a result of a policy framework. This would continue even after the formation of political or geographical
or even historically recognized regions. It would again create problems after some time. The issue of Telangana is unequivocal, and by this time everyone seems to have reconciled to the fact that it is going to be a reality sooner or later. The problem appears to be about Hyderabad. I have already said something of a parallel situation in Visakhapatnam. The city is swamped by outsiders through a process of marginalization of the locals. But, the wealth created in the cities with the help of local resources does not belong to them nor do the locals have access to it. In fact, the problems of North Andhra are amplified only after the advent of liberalization and marginalization of public sector. It appears that in an underdeveloped region like North Andhra or Telangana or Rayalaseema, the (over)expansion of cities like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Tirupathi should be regulated by the state and private ventures should be allowed only outside the swelling metropolitan centers. We have an interesting proposal from Vizag. If the properties in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam are transferred to state (like in China) and access to locals are given first priority (as they were earlier public or state properties and grabbed by private individuals), half of the problem would be solved. This would also give protection to public/private properties from mafia control and the clamor for Hyderabad or Visakhapatnam or Tirupati would soon disappear as the notion of property has undergone a change through capitalization of market. One can live anywhere in the World and still own property. What is left is Telugu culture and identity, that is beyond state and national boundaries and we should all strive to accomplish it as our common property. Bengalis living across the border in Bangladesh and West Bengal have shown during the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore that language and culture band together humans more than religion. It is also reflected in the hegemonic culture of Anglo-Americans and therefore the Telugu speaking people need not worry about the division of state on administrative or other grounds.
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III
Writers, Scholars and Freedom of Expression first century knowledge Thesocietytwenty has created weightless goods and is responsible for the demise of distance. This revolution has facilitated access to information to those who have the capacity to own or use ICT. At the same time, it is required to help the customer or user to have free entry that is either seemingly available without cost or at a price. This needs radical changes in the institutional structures that have been evolved over a period of time and are responsible for identity of the nations. One may consider this, as an element of transformation of the post-modern society, or hegemony of neo-liberalism. But, the required technology maintaining the useful information is cost driven, mostly acquired from the Anglo-American countries. Already, the WTO regime is in place with GATS to make even “expressions” capable of getting a patent. It is under this background, according to some cultural theorists, culture, knowledge and several other forms of intangible goods are packaged and marketed. Therefore, it needs a market place to trade. Though, market is now increasingly shaped by Internet, sometimes it is necessary to create a physical ambience to meet and exchange. If we extend the logic further, we see today that even the Media Houses are creating such facilities to ‘manufacture’ their own media products without depending on others. In a situation like this, International Literary Festivals in countries where there are potential customers and subjects are received with great enthusiasm. The recent controversy over the statement by a Non- Teaching Professor (Hon Fellow of a Research Institutive and not a University Department) is to be looked in to in the broad context of the changing times and the intolerance
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against certain excluded groups (when their voices are also heard feebly). It is alleged that some elite scholars from metropolitan centers under the guise of research studies have started popularizing the received theories without adequate discussion with students and or peers. It is not for the first time that the country has witnessed such outbursts of people on social or cultural issues. We have a long history of fights and duels in the country over petty issues like endorsing the status of a particular caste; inter faith and intra sect issues trickling out in public discourses and ending in legal battles. But, the present issue appears to be due to the misunderstanding or confusion to make a distinction between the statement/utterance of a writer and the proposition and observation of a scholar. This can also be interpreted as a phenomenon of social change (good or bad). The increasing market for leisure time activity owing to rise in incomes and alternative sources of entertainment have proliferated the publishing companies to bring, what is popularly called “non-fiction” categories. Otherwise, how do we account for the attendees like Ashis Nandy, Binayak Sen, Barkha Dutta, Dalai Lama, Gurucharan Das, Nandan Nilekani, Kiran Bedi et al at the recent Jaipur festival? There are some creative writers, poets and sundry authors who might have participated or visited the venue to show case their writings. But, how do we evaluate or understand this phenomenon? Writers are generally considered as those who write books, stories and other types of creative writing to appeal to the ‘senses or emotions’ of readers or people. They are not bound by any restrictions except to correspond to the aesthetic values if they care to. Literary critiques have developed several theories about the evaluation of literary pieces based on the aesthetics developed in each country grounded on their culture and society. Indians are fond of’ Rasa’ theory while the Western, African and other nations might have their own parameters to judge creative writings including poetry (I am not proficient to comment). Scholars are those who
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have specialized in a discipline and have aptitude for deep study and reflection. They can be broadly divided in to scholars of Social Sciences and Humanities and Physical and Natural Sciences. There seem to be a design to marginalize and outwit the social scientists who raise issues of social concern particularly in the emerging uni-polar world. Therefore, we have deep crisis in social science research that I have occasionally commented in my columns. I have touched the issue about a decade ago in my EPW article “Social Science Research: the Social Context” (2002). On the other hand, there are writers who can address anything from Nuclear energy to Nuclear family and publish without sufficient theory, data, methodology and deep study of the problem without much concern for the consequences, academic or social. After all Social Science research is to be considered as a ‘process of argument and not a body of settled conclusions’. Even established laws in Science are being questioned now and therefore, a social scientist should feel more responsible and cautious in making public statements on contested issues! (Creative writers are different and Journos are privileged people as the publicized word and voice are under their control). The scientists are responsible people and must be in a position to defend their argument or make it clear that they are only making a protocol statement subject to verification and falsification. In fact, serious scholars are not generally seen discussing issues in public except in the classrooms or informed groups or gatherings. Unfortunately, the decadence is seen much faster in issues relating to social science research with competing claims by everyone including the civil society action research based on limited and sponsored agenda. If Ashish Nandy has made the contentious issue as writer, I don’t think anyone would have an objection (subject to norms of the Constitution). But Nandy has a tag as Professor of Political Sociology, Social Psychology etc. It is not only Nandy, there are other characters, in recent times, who wanted to be in
limelight in the garb of (a new import from the West) Public Intellectuals. Some self styled PIs with civil society connections are ever ready to down load standard printouts with high profile names attached to statements, on any issue without a proper debate and concrete secular agenda, need to ponder over issues of social consequences in a pluralistic society? The post liberal society has invented several notions and categories on the basis of the experiences in the market economies of the OECD, and pushes them in to developing countries like India through World Bank, MNC sponsored publications. It is now debated that the concept of civil society originated in the writings of Hegel, Marx and even Gramsci is being inverted to provide the primacy of market over the state by some PIs. In fact, Gramsci, it is said, revived the civil society concept (to strengthen the superstructure argument) as a political activity of struggle against the tyranny of class state. PIs are neither serious scholars nor organic intellectuals, but are those who can translate complex ideas in to simple people’s language. In that sense, every thinking person including the media people starting from a stringer to cameraman who can project the degradation of basic human values should be considered as a PI. However, we know the standards of some of our PIs who privately manipulate and twist issues depending upon the reciprocal value of the transaction. Do we have public Intellectuals like an Edward Said to question the hegemony of the West? Do the Nandys or PIs come under this category? Some of the PIs including the media houses cite Article 19 of the Indian Constitution time and again to vent their views in the name of freedom of speech and expression. They just do not tell us why they have not been able to use it or have distorted Imrana case or Kharlanzi or the latest case of a Dalit Professor being attacked in Dhule, Maharastra when he spoke on reformation movement in the classroom that was captured in a cell phone and webcasted to incite communal hatred? In fact,
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article 19 is meant for citizens and not corporate bodies and consists of 6 other freedoms, with reasonable restrictions (of the Press Act of 1951, Press Council Act 1978 read with 1835 Act). Freedom of ‘opinion and expression’ is incorporated as Art 19 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of UNO and not the Indian Constitution. There are studies to show how the Corporate Media Houses particularly the dominant ones restrict the freedom of expression of citizens
by manipulating and distorting facts as episodes or what Chomsky calls the ‘manufacturing of consent’. It is perhaps with the indulgence of some representatives of the media; either confuse or deliberately put statements of persons like Nandy as conduits of their depraved feelings and abuse freedom of expression of citizens. It may be due to the willing cooperation of PIs who degenerate or get pampered by sectional interests, create ruckus out of nothing as perishable news value, but not a durable commodity of expert opinion.
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fighting for its right to be recognized as a distinct culture and people. Their demand is for a separate Bodoland within Assam. At the 45th annual conference of the All Bodo Students Union during 7-9 February, 2013, the wall writings in Tamulpur of Baksa district said ‘Divide Assam 50/50’. In 2003 when Bodoland Territorial Council was formed four districts – Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar and Udalgiri – were included within it. It is believed that half the Bodos still live outside this Sandeep Pandey area. Hence the Bodo aspiration is to create a Bodoland consisting of entire area north of [Sandeep Pandey is an alumnus of Syracuse Brahmaputra in Assam. The area under BTC University and the University of California, jurisdiction called Bodo Territorial Autonomous Berkeley. He has taught at IIT, Kanpur, founded a District has been created under the sixth schedule registered organization named Asha Trust which of the Constitution of India. In 2004 Bodo language has several centres /chapters across India. His was granted 8th Schedule recognition with team has launched a people’s group named Asha Devanagri script. Parivar in 2008 that focuses on strengthening The demand for autonomy is justified because the democracy at the grassroots. His work at Asha Constitution of India has envisioned self-rule for Parivar is focused on Right to Information and tribal areas. However, this dream for tribals has not other forms of citizen-participation in removing been realized anywhere. The state and central corruption and improving the efficiency of governments retain the control over tribal areas and governance. He leads National Alliance of have allowed only limited autonomy. The Acts like People’s Movements (NAPM), the largest the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) or network of grassroots people’s movements in Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest India. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) are not Award in 2002 for the emergent leadership earnestly implemented by most elected category. He has served as an adviser to CABE. governments of the country. His idea of education is based on empowerment In fact, the BTC doesn't have provision for by imbibing the spirit of cooperation instead of elections at the lowest and intermediate levels. competition. Currently he is working as a Visiting Unless the Village Committees are elected the Professor in the Mechanical Engineering grassroots democratic participation will remain a Department at IIT, Gandhinagar. He has been distant dream for people. These elections will also involved in numerous struggles from workers’ allow communities other than Bodo to have a say in rights, communal harmony to nuclear governance process. non-proliferation in order to protest the injustices The movment for autonomy had begun as far back to the underprivileged people. as in 1967 by a political party called Plain Tribal Ashaashram@yahoo.com] Council of Assam, however, nothing much came off its efforts. The ABSU started its movment The Maturing of Bodo Dream demanding a separate Bodoland on 2nd March, Tibeto-Burman tribe, the largest in the 1987, under the leadership of Upendra Nath Northeast, habitating in Assam is Brahma. In 1993 Bodoland Autonomous Council
A
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was created. But ABSU denounced the accord as it did not address the grievances or aspirations of Bodo people and began a fresh movement for autonomy in 1996. It is a classic case of how delaying tactics of government of India have been counterproductive. While ABSU believed in peaceful means of agitation, an armed group by the name of Bodo Liberation Tigers surfaced and was instrumental in signing the next accord with the government in another incarnation as Bodoland People's Front, which now controls the BTC through electoral process. Even after creation of BTC, the BLT was not disbanded completely and continues to attract youth to its fold in the name of Bodoland Royal Tiger Force, an illegal entity set up to counter the other insurgent group called National Democratic Front of Bodoland. The proof of existence of these armed groups is the occasional killing of intellectuals who dare to speak out against the BPF ruled council. It is also believed that these organised armed groups were involved in most of the killings during the recent communal riots which started as a provocation after killing of four former BLT and BRTF cadres. ABSU demanded a CBI enquiry into the riots. It has also repeated its demand for deweaponisation of BTC. Because of the bleak scenario of employment youth, especially the school drop outs from poor families, are easily lured by the insurgent groups. As the BTAD fails to fulfill the socio-politico-economic aspirations of the community more and more youth find the logic of joining the militant groups quite compelling. This on one hand means wastage of young talent who could otherwise be engaged in constructive society building and on the other results in weakening of democratic values. The literacy rate among the Bodo community is only about 33% with the rate among the women being lower than that of men. The community of 15 lakhs people living within BTAD has produced 4 IAS, 2 IPS, 2 IFS, 1700 Post-graduates and 4800 graduates. The ABSU is making special efforts to improve the status of education in the community
by organising career counselling for youth, creating healthy academic environment and encouraging teachers to upgrade their skills. The enlargement of its agenda from a movement demanding autonomy to ensuring development rights is a very curious phenomenon. They are now interested in learning ways of accessing their rights and benefits due to them through various government programmes. Hence they are learning about subjects like right to information and right to food with the help of external experts. ABSU has taken a conscious decision to focus on socio-economic and educational betterment of Bodo community and to develop a scientific culture to counter superstitions. The organisation has realised the futility of violence and is trying to wean away youth from that path. The ABSU now commemorates 30th July as anti-terrorism day and celebrates Gandhi Jayanti as International Non-violence day. They have matured to the next level where they are conceiving of an Arms Free Bodoland and have taken a clear stand against the illegal arms culture and killings since 2008 as they believe it spoils the future generation. With the adoption of non-violence and democratic agenda the ABSU has also opened its arms to other communities. The stage on 9th February, 2013, in Tamulpur, at the open session was shared by representatives from Gorkha, Missing, Tiwa, Rabha and other tribal communities. In addition to 'we want Bodoland', the slogan 'we want Gorkhaland' was also being raised. It clearly shows that they consider themselves part of the larger struggle for assertion by marginalised communities and are willing to joind hands with other struggles. In fact, the demand for Bodoland has received an impetus after the recent movement for Telangana in AP. Looking at development as human rights, adopting non-violence and reaching out to other democratic movements are welcome signs of maturing of the Bodo movement.
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IRI / IRHA Members’ Section:
Mahi Pal Singh
AFSPA and the Sedition Law Must be Repealed Justice Jeevan Reddy and Justice J.S. Verma Committees’ Recommendations
must be honoured and implemented: delivering the K. Subrahmanyam While Memorial Lecture on ‘India’s National Security – Challenges and Priorities’ at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses on 6th February 2013, the senior-most Cabinet Minister, P. Chidambaram, made a bizarre statement regarding making the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act a more “humanitarian” law, that the Union government could not move forward as there was “no consensus” between it and the Army on the issue. He further stated, “The Army has taken a strong stand against any dilution of the AFSPA… We can’t move forward because there is no consensus. The present and former Army Chiefs have taken a strong position that the Act should not be amended. They also do not want the government notification [of bringing areas under the AFSPA] to be taken back. How does the government move forward…to make the AFSPA a more humanitarian law?” His words, coming as they do from the mouth of the most powerful minister of the Union government, do not augur well, in more than one way, for the
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future of the world’s biggest democracy we claim to be. First, it is a stark admission of the fact that the policies of the government are determined by the ‘strong stand’ of the armed forces and not guided by the democratic and sacred Constitution of the country, nor are they bound by the opinion of ‘We, the People’ who gave the country that Constitution. Even Pakistan, which by no means claims to be a truly democratic state, has never admitted that its policies are influenced by the military generals or the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence), a fact accepted even by the close allies of Pakistan. Perhaps he forgot that the country is governed by a civilian government representing the will of the people who exercise their control over it through their elected representatives sitting in the Lok Sabha and its functioning is based on the principle of the superiority of the civilian government over all other departments of the government including the defence establishment. His remark also seems to throw into the dustbin the recommendations of the two important committees established by the government itself – one under Justice Jeevan Reddy and the other under Justice J.S. Verma – both of whom have made recommendations against continuance of the AFSPA in its present form. Justice J.S. Verma Committee has recommended the Review of Security Laws in Conflict Zones. Giving the reasons for it the Committee has, in a nutshell, made the following recommendations: “Due to the number of reports of sexual offences committed by the armed forces in India's conflict areas such as Kashmir and the North East, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) - a controversial law that gives sweeping powers to and often confers immunity on security forces must be reviewed. Security forces must be brought under the purview of ordinary criminal law rather than under army law. Special commissioners for women's security must be deployed in all areas of conflict. Such commissioners will have powers to monitor and take action in all cases of sexual violence against women by armed personnel. Introduce ‘Breach of command responsibility’ -
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making a senior officer of security forces or police liable to a jail term of at least seven years if his/her subordinate commits rape.” Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee has rightly observed, “While providing protection against civil - or criminal proceedings in respect of the acts and deeds done by such forces while carrying out the duties entrusted to them, it is equally necessary to ensure that where they knowingly abuse or misuse their powers, they must be held accountable therefor and must be dealt with according to law applicable to them. It is not unusual that there will be some indisciplined individuals in these forces as well, but their wrong actions should not be allowed to sully the fair name of the armed forces and the para military forces. While our armed forces are one of the most disciplined in the world, situations may arise when they are deployed outside their regular duties, i.e., when they are deployed for maintaining public order or for quelling internal disturbance in a part of the territory of India, when certain members thereof may seek to take advantage of their power and position to harass or otherwise trample upon the rights of the citizens of this country. The legal mechanism should ensure that such incidents do not take place and should also ensure that adequate remedial measures do exist where such incidents do take place.” “Keeping in view the material placed before us and the impressions gathered by the Committee during the course of its visits and hearings held within and outside the North-Eastern States, the Committee is of the firm view that: (a) The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 should be repealed. Therefore, recommending the continuation of the present Act, with or without amendments, does not arise. The Act is too sketchy, too bald and quite inadequate in several particulars.” Commenting on the constitutionality of the Act, the Committee says, “It is true that the Hon'ble Supreme Court has upheld its constitutional validity but that circumstance is not an endorsement of the desirability or advisability of
the Act. When the constitutional validity of an enactment is challenged in a Court, the Court examines (i) whether the Act is within the legislative competence of the Legislature which enacted it and (ii) whether the enactment violates any of the provisions of the Constitution. The Court does not - it is not supposed to - pronounce upon the wisdom or the necessity of such an enactment.” Was the minister’s remark of throwing the responsibility of not letting the AFSPA be ‘humanised’ squarely on the armed forces meant as an excuse for the government’s inability to amend or repeal the Act or is the government itself complicit in the whole affair? It is true that the army generals would not like the impunity clauses removed from the Act because they give their men the freedom to act as they will, without any accountability being fixed on them or their higher ups. If in the line of their duty they have to act tough one can understand it but, as the Supreme Court observed in a case related to the killing of five villagers in Kashmir by personnel of the armed forces in Pathribal incident, “You go to a place in exercise of AFSPA, you commit rape, you commit murder, then where is the question of sanction (for prosecuting such officers)? It is a normal crime which needs to be prosecuted and that is our stand,” the judgement by Justice Swatanter Kumar and B.S. Chauhan declared a year ago. This is exactly what the Justice Verma Committee has observed and it is this impunity from prosecution which Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee wanted to do away with when it recommended repeal of the Act. No wonder that because of this impunity provision in the last 54 years since the Act came into force in 1958 not a single personnel of the armed forces has been prosecuted for murder, rape and burning and destruction of houses and villages in Manipur or Kashmir where there are reports of disappearances of people running into tens of thousands and mass graves of unidentified people were recently discovered in the Kashmir valley. That the Union government has not published the Justice Reddy Committee report or tabled it in Parliament till date,
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though it was submitted in 2005, speaks volumes about the seriousness of the government to make the law more ‘humanitarian’. The minister’s remark shows not only utter insensitivity to the sufferings of the people, particularly women who ultimately suffer the brunt of the atrocities perpetrated on innocent people including tribals, apart from the pain of rape and murder they are made victims of, but also contempt of the public opinion and saner voices raised against draconian laws like the AFSPA, the sedition law and the UAPA which have been, and still are, used against the suffering masses who raise their voices in protest against forced usurpation of their land and means of livelihood,
their health and safety rights and their right to dissent – be it in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu or elsewhere in the country. In a democratic set up such laws have no place and go they must. These laws have only resulted in untold suffering to the people, alienating them and brewing more and more discontent among them. The government must also understand that it is not ‘impunity’ but ‘accountability’ which is the governing principle in a democratic country and that the ultimate ‘sovereign’, “We, the People”, have every right to demand it and the government is morally bound to honour that demand, particularly in the light of the report of the two Committees.
Please join the Encyclopedia of Radical Humanists To be loaded on the RH Website
http://www.theradicalhumanist.com Dear Friends, This is to request you to send in your personal details, contact numbers etc. (along with your passport size photographs) as well as brief accounts of how you got associated with M.N. Roy/Radical Democratic Party/Radical Humanist Movement directly or indirectly through the philosophy of New Humanism. This is also a request to all those friends, whose deceased parent/parents were involved in or were sympathetic with Radical Humanism and its Movement, to send in accounts of their parent’s/parents’ association (as much as they can recollect and recount). This will be a loving and emotional tribute to their memories from your side. All this effort is being made to form an encyclopedia of the Radical Humanists right from the days of the beginning of M.N. Roy’s social and political activities in India and abroad. All this information will be uploaded and permanently stored on the RH Website in the Profile section for everyone to read and come in contact with one another. This will be a historical check-list to connect with all the crusaders who worked or are still working for the human cause on the humanist lines. —Rekha S. 24
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This wondrous product does not come in the usual transcendental wrapping. No mantra tantra business. The gentlemen who make a pitch for it are well educated, suave and sophisticated Congress politicians, widely respected for their modern, liberal and socially responsible approach. The head of the bangle business, Naveen Jindal, studied management at Dallas, USA. He is one of the country’s richest industrialists and a member of the Indian Parliament. For the high profile inauguration in January, Jindal was joined by Shashi Tharoor, once Under Secretary General of the UN and currently serving as Minister of State for Human Resource Development. Tharoor is another Congress politician cultivating a modern man of the world image.
Sanal Edamaruku
[Sanal Edamaruku is the founder president of the Indian Rationalist Association (IRA). He has been appointed an Honorary Associate of the Rationalist Press Association (RPA) of Britain and the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists (NZARH) in 2000. He is a well known author, columnist and speaker at conferences and universities in India and abroad, appears frequently in various Indian TV channels and is considered to be the most prominent and outspoken advocate of rationalism in India. edamaruku@gmail.com Article taken from: www.rationalistinternational.net.]
Japan - South Africa – India Evolution of a patriotic new avatar of superstition Bangle is the name of a new Tiranga product on the great Indian superstition bazaar. This copper bracelet promises to relieve you from pain, cure a range of illnesses including gout and arthritis, protect you from the damaging influence of radioactivity and boost your energy, strength and vitality. Such claims are nothing very special in a country where scores of lucky charms, miraculous pendants, protective amulets, healing crystals and holy oils are out to lure the gullible and the fearful. But this is a slightly different story. And it is alarming.
Jindal presents the bangles’ beneficial effects as achievement of cutting edge science. They are energized with what he calls Tri-Vortex technology. But despite all its pseudo-scientific blahblah, it is as baseless as witchcraft and voodoo. In an interview that appeared in the magazine OUTLOOK, I reminded at the Indian Constitution containing the fundamental duty to develop and promote scientific temper. “If ministers promote magical charms, they have no right to remain in power. They should be booked under the Magical Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act for not verifying the veracity of their claims”, OUTLOOK quotes me. Tharoor reacted quickly and distanced himself from the miracle claims. He
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only spoke about the good work of the Flag Foundation, Tharoor later clarified. Yes, that is the cue: Tiranga is the name of the Indian flag. The magic bangle has been launched and is now sold under the auspices of the Flag Foundation of India. That is an NGO founded by Jindal and his wife to promote the display of the national flag at every possible opportunity. They fought a successful court battle to get the flag code changed and won the right for every Indian to fly the banner on all days. Not too many people make use of this victory, but ever since the seventeen billion “Jindal Group” would show Indian colors in giant format. Patriotism pays in India. And now, Jindal and his NGO try to make Indians believe that wearing a bangle in flag’s name is a patriotic act. With the bracelet around your wrist you don’t just boost your personal health, you also do your bit to save the nation, as the bangle is designed to serve India’s ‘oneness’ and unity. Patriotism is highly respected and widespread in India. Seen as a positive and constructive force to create unity in a country of great diversity, it is close to everybody’s heart. It is not old fashioned, on the contrary. It is flourishing today among young and future oriented Indian achievers. In times of rapid developments and confusing globalism, they find stability and security in the pride to be Indian. Superstition, neatly dressed up as science and linked to patriotic feelings is an unscrupulous new business plan. It is aiming beyond the shrinking traditional circles of incense smelling psychopaths to delve into untapped markets with great future potential. To make it sustainable, customers are asked to register their bangle on the Flag Foundations website and get reminded when it needs to be recharged. As Indian as Jindals’ Tiranga campaign may look, it has international roots. The idea is imported from South Africa, where the energized copper bracelet is selling as “46664 bangle” like hot cake since 26
years. It is sold by one Dr. Anton Ungerer, who popularized his business by advertising that its proceeds were to benefit the Nelson Mandela Fund. Jindal refers to Ungerer’s elaborate scientific research on the Tri-Vortex technique that is described like this: In an electrical chamber, a powerful field of complex energy is generated “including properties of sound, light and geometry”. Within 24 hours, it creates “flowing molecule structures” in the copper bangles (or in anything else that you put in the chamber, like wood, food or water). By way of “biomimicry”, the energized items improve the “cellular coherence” and the flow of energy in plants, cows and humans, causing all kinds of beneficial effects. Sounds great, but is unfortunately only pseudo-scientific blahblah. Renowned scientists have dismissed such claims, and neither Jindal nor Anton Ungerer could so far present any evidence or independent scientific research supporting them. In South Africa, a respected consumer rights organization stood up against Ungerer. Meantime, the Advertising Standards Association of the country has ordered his company to withdraw their “unsubstantiated claims”. Ungerer did not invent the Tri-Vortex technique. He took it from Japan. The murky source of it all seems to be the work of one Dr. Mararo Emoto, who specialized on energizing water. Emoto presented his sensational “scientific” findings in 2003 – and was immediately challenged by James Randy. Randy offered him one million dollar if he could reproduce his claimed results in a controlled double blind test. Emoto was not ready to accept. Marato Emoto’s claim he could create healing water by transforming molecule structures and energy flows is far older than his Tri-Vortex technique. Before 2003, he used to propagate simpler methods: meditation and prayer. Or he would affix scrips with magic words on water tanks. Jindal’s Tiranga Bangle has come a long way!
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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; Modern Science: Philosophy of M.N. Roy; Science, Society and Secular Humanism; Gathering Fuel; Jean Paul Sartre; Surrealism; Poem in the Ear; Arts and Semitics. Ph. 91-033-6730398]
Nationalism: Rabindranath & M. N. Roy is a political philosophy in Nationalism which the welfare of the nation is paramount. But the word is used loosely to imply excessive zeal for the national honour and welfare. In general, nationalism may apply to nationality in both the political and cultural sense. Nationalism has played a vital and constructive part in the creation of modern nation-states. In states where this function has already been realised, however “the worst features of nationalism have emerged, as in Fascist Italy and National Socialist or Nazi Germany” (M. N. Roy). Fervent love of nation implies a belief in national superiority and generally involves the glorification of national history and cultural heritage, which are often used to justify narrow-minded national interest. “Thus 27
strong nationalism may lead to hostility toward other nations.”(Rabindranath) Internal conflict and economic depression may lead to nationalist aggressiveness and to the attempt to solve problems by the booty and glory of conquest. Such nationalism is thus frequently linked with imperialism. Blind belief in the superiority of one’s own culture and fear of rival cultures have been found to exist in primitive tribes. The feeling is akin to nationalism, and similar doctrines played a part in the history of most of the successful ancient states. Even stronger, however, was the tendency toward the creation of universal states. The development of ancient empires, especially of Rome, provided political and cultural concepts that bound together diverse peoples. When the Roman Empire was fragmented into innumerable small states organised around feudalism and manorial system, the tradition of universality did not die. A universal scholarly language and cultural heritage, and a universal Church still remained, and the Holy Roman Empire was based on universal concepts. But as strong centralised monarchies were built from petty feudal states, as regional art forms and languages were evolved, and as local economies widened, popular identification with these developments became increasingly strong, thus modern nationalism began to emerge. The religious wars of the Reformation set nation against nation, though the strongest loyalty continued to adhere to the sovereign rather than to the state. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the nationalist economic doctrine of mercantilism appeared. In areas such as Italy, which were not yet single nations, recurring invasions led such thinkers as Machiavelli to advocate national political federation. The growth of the middle classes, their desire for political power and the consequent development of democratic political theory were closely connected with the emergence of modern nationalism. A full-blown nationalist literature appeared with romanticism. Herder was an advocate of nationalism in Germany, where
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political national sentiment was lost in the localism of inconsequential independent states. He saw in the energetic development of national sentiment no danger to other nationalities; each could serve the world best, he thought, by fully developing its individual attributes. In England Jeremy Bentham advocated national development in his liberal utilitarian philosophy. Thus at first nationalism was closely linked to democracy and liberalism. Nationalism first emerged in politics in the French Revolution. The revolutionists glorified their nation as well as their principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, and they desire to spread their doctrines abroad by armed force if necessary. It was in opposition to the empire of Napoleon that nationalism rose as a vital force in European politics. In the era of reaction under Metternich strong efforts were made to put down nationalist strivings. But the Balkans was shaken, especially by the Greek War of Independence, and in Latin America the new Republics imitated the United States. The revolutions of 1830 were to a large extent nationalist, the revolutions of 1848 saw the Continent overrun with nationalistic fervour. Nationalism had become the driving force in nineteenth century politics. Italy obtained unity through revolution and bloodshed, and Germany was unified under the leadership of Prussia, though Bismarck’s policies led to three wars. The last of these, the Franco-Prussian War, raised another nationalist problem by the taking of Alsace-Lorraine, for irredentism is close to nationalism. In America the national unity was maintained at the cost of the civil war. Imperialist nationalism appeared in the attempts to ‘Russify’ Poland and to ‘Germanise’ the Czechs in Austria. Hungary, Bohemia, Ireland and Poland all experienced strong nationalist movements. There was widespread sympathy and support for the liberation of ‘suppressed nationalities’ such as the Irish and the Poles. With the emergence in Europe of strong integrated nation-states, nationalism became increasingly a sentiment of conservatives and it found outlet in pursuit of glory and empire.
Nationalist conflicts had much to do with bringing on the First World War. Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points guaranteed the self-determination of peoples; national self-determination was the basic principle at the Paris Peace Conference and the League of Nations was founded on principles of internationalism. However, the years after the War saw a resurgence of nationalism, partly because of irredentism and partly because of economic difficulties. Nationalist economic movements (high tariffs and the like) appeared. Fascism, which emerged and took power in Italy. Germany, Spain and Japan, drew heavily on national sentiment. The Fascist dictatorship used nationalism to divide their opponents and to unify their own groups. At the same time a recrudescence of nationalism (‘nationalism painted red’ as name by M. N. Roy) seemed to appear in Russia. In Asia and Africa colonial territories, seeking to cast off imperial bonds, developed strong nationalist movements. The Indian National congress, for example, was the political aspect of a nationalist enthusiasm that had long pervaded Indian life. In the pre-colonial past Hindus, Bantus and Ashantis and other groups were glorified culturally and historically, in order to show the existence of elements endemic to nationhood. After the Second World War with the fall of Fascist Powers and the victory of ideals of freedom and democracy, nationalism that, in the long run, might have betrayed these ideals triumphed in the emergence of many newly independent Asian and African states. Nationalism in Europe, Asia and Africa has been most ardently promoted even by some leftist groups and leaders. Though the United Nations supports valid national aspirations, it primarily symbolises the ideal of world allegiance. Nevertheless, nationalism remains a powerful force throughout the world. Rabindranath Tagore, the poet-philosopher and Manabendranath Roy, the philosopher-revolutionary, these two Great
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Sentinels of our time did never give way to this powerful force. Rabindranath wrote, “when this organisation of politics and commerce, whose other name is the Nation, becomes all powerful at the cost of harmony of the higher social life, then it is an evil day for humanity (Nationalism, p.5). After two decades or more Manabendranath named it ‘an antiquated cult’, ‘a philosophy of the frog in the well’. While Rabindranath in his book dealt with bigoted ideas of nationalism in Japan, and India and the West, Manabendranath very boldly dealt with deluded ways of nationalist movements in India especially during the years of the Second World War. Both were equally conscious and cautious of the evils of nationalism. Rabindranath’s Nationalism was first published in 1917 and Manbendranath’s in 1942. The perspectives or the ways of regarding nationalism were, naturally, more or less different, though they stood on a common ground of all-pervading philosophy of human progress. Rabindranath’s ideas and views had great concern and anguish for warring nations of Asia and Europe. He was troubled and tormented if and when haughty and powerful nations did encroach upon the sovereignty of other nations in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The rise of Fascism, too,
had roused his agonised concern for humanity. Manabendranath concentrated his vision to the rise of Fascism (the other name for vulgar nationalism) in variegated forms in these two continents and its offensive attack on freedom and democracy in the last two decades of the century. He held the view that it might be the most dreadful destroyer of human civilisation, with which history of mankind had ever come in confrontation. In allegiance to this view, in the Second World War, he strongly supported the Allied Nations led by Great Britain in their determined attempts to destroy the ‘destroyer’. He could visualise that after the War and defeat of Fascism, and in the process of weakening of the imperialist nations, India and other colonies ruled by them would be independent sooner or later. He was a much abused man in the Indian nationalist circle. It is, however, in him- not in the nationalist leaders- that Rabindranath, an avowed idol of the Indian nationalists, had a kindred spirit. Both the savants drank deep in the ideas of the Renaissance and had great confidence in man and his rationality. Like Rabindranath, Manabendranath too had always spoken against orthodoxy of nationalism-nationalism that was degraded and dehumanised.
Humanist News: Dr Samaram in Telugu Book of Records for writing 200 books on Medical Science And Health Education Dr. Samaram of Atheist Centre has written and printed 200 books on Medical Science and health Education in Telugu language. He promotes science and scientific outlook and exposes blind beliefs and superstitions. His aim is to promote individual and social health. The Telugu Book of World records recognized his contribution and presented the Certificate of his Record. —News sent by Dr. G. Vijayam, Executive Director, Atheist Centre, Benz Circle, Vijayawada, 520010, Andhra Pradesh, India
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Teacher’s & Research Scholar’s Section:
Debacle of Indian Academics of TheIndiancondition academics has receded to worst in recent years. The absence of Indian universities figuring nowhere among the top 200 universities of the world, indicates the receding condition of academics, its low quality and poor performance of academicians throughout country. Why India fails to produce great thinkers and scientists and why Indian scholars fail to produce such research work as produced by foreign universities. No doubt, India had produced some good scholars but in meager numbers. There are multiple reasons for downgrading academics in India which range from structural problems, social problems, and system failures to student deficiencies. No one can escape from its responsibility behind the academic debacle; government, institutions, teachers, students and society’s socio-cultural setup, all are responsible for degrading academics in India. While in western countries academic institutions are autonomous, ironically in India they are under government control, whose influence is visible all over their functioning, management and control. Their autonomous freedom is curtailed, as universities are not immune from rigid administrative manipulations. The posts of chancellors in state universities are occupied by governors and in central universities by central political executive. This naturally connects academics with politics and forms interlink with political setup of the country. The political executive often warns universities to eschew politics, at a time when genuine demands are raised inconsistent with political objectives. The syllabus Mudasir Nazar
is modeled as per the wishes of politians. Having internal political connections and outer control, the recruitment process in universities is usually under question, where posts are filled on the basis of nepotism, favoritism and corruption. Many times merit is openly neglected, and in conflict prone areas, like Kashmir, status quo oriented people are recruited and those who raise a voice against the system are often rejected. Most universities have been turned into managing institutions and most of them neither teache well nor conduct proper researches, what they do is to produce ‘copy-paste’ dissertations. Least training is given to research scholars to do research and many times are guided even by teachers to apply the art of plagiarism. Often students lack research ability while pursuing research. It follows that the processes of selection and selectors are faulty. The method of selection of research scholars is simple; either you have high marks in masters or pass the entrance exam. To some later may seem good, but it is as faulty as the former. Student just memorizes some questions and writes them in examination, and in India it is easy to make guesses about examination questions. Recently, candidates who qualify NET JRF were directly selected for PhD. This is not correct for research because this exam is only a tag with memorization based examination, and there is no chance of showing research aptitude of students by it. Often those who qualify JRF actually have less research aptitude and ability. The problem of all ills is faulty examination process. No exam of Indian academics highlights intelligence of the students, evaluation is faulty; everything is done on short-term memory based process. With the result that there appears to be only a competition of obtaining more marks. The examination pattern is narrow focused, and not suited to the proper academic requirements. The teachers themselves merely disseminate the knowledge produced by others without doing creative original research work. They enjoy advantages, power, high salary, prestige, and privileges attached to their job. Even some teachers
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be found empirically in universities and race to get employment is the actual concern of scholars and not research. Why because Indian situation and Indian social setup both confirms to it. Moreover, students while pursuing research are actually preparing for civil services exams, and spend too much time in reading newspapers and magazines and precise information in order to pass exam. The civil service syndrome has taken away research aptitude of scholars, due to huge privileges ascribed to it by the society; and academic professions are considered subordinate by the people and often students are put under heavy pressure to choose their career to enter into civil services because of the benefits associated with it. This results in brain drain of higher education to administration and good and capable minds sometimes become defunct. The feudal attitude of people to encourage their children to enter into government services and not teaching would lead to serious repercussions on the academic profession. People claim that corruption should end but also want their children to become civil servants in order to manipulate the system for personal gains, earn money through illegal ways and get hidden benefits from the state. Such is the state of our higher studies! Mudasir Nazar is pursuing M.phill in South Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi, India, and can be mailed at mnazar00@gmail.com.
though getting one lack to two lack rupees salary per month, do not teach a single class. The noble profession has been polluted by many incompetent teachers. In most of the universities, teachers have developed authoritarian mind set and a very uncomfortable relationship with students. Bias in academics is like a poison in Indian academic institutions, which eats students’ creativity and harms their thought-process. Teachers often discriminate in giving grades during exams, on the bias of caste, color, class, religion, and ideology. Voice against injustice is taken as poison and its outcome often is lesser grades in their research works. Students themselves too are not immune from it. We often read selective information and read only in order to pass examination and as such have no culture of reading. Many students even PhD scholars are copying (cheating) in the so-called examinations. What does research mean in India? Nothing more than simply editing and imitating. A scholar brings 20-40 articles and some fifteen to twenty books and starts to copy and edit from them into a body of dissertation. Research is often done in AC libraries, and scholar fails to attain the field knowledge attached to his topic of study and so does not research over them. We are making fun of research and our country too when they pass our dissertations. Students disinterested in research can
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Rs. 15,000
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Book Review Section:
R.M. Pal [R.M. Pal co-edited Human Rights of Dalits with
Mr. G.S. Bhargava. He has also co-edited Power to the People: The Political Thought of Gandhi, M.N. Roy and Jaiprakash Narayan with Mrs. Meera Verma, published by Gyan Books, New Delhi in two volumes and ‘Human Rights Issues and other Radical Essays’, Aakar Books, New Delhi. He is the former Editor of PUCL Bulletin and The Radical Humanist. He is also the former President of Delhi State PUCL.] [BOOK: A. Ramaiah, Laws For Dalit Rights And Dignity, ISBN: 81-316-0057-2, Edition 2007, Pages 304, Price Rs.625 / US$45, Binding Hardback] have been greatly interested in the Iresearch findings of Dr. Ramaiah, because I myself since I took over the PUCL Bulletin as its editor introduced the topic of societal violations of Human Rights, i.e. atrocities perpetrated on Dalits. In fact, I introduced this topic as an agenda for the PUCL and lobbied with the NHRC. It is at my suggestion and persuasion that the NHRC held a conference on the subject of Human Rights of Dalits. The conference was held in Chennai in collaboration with the Chennai based NGO Dalit Liberation Education Trust. It was a successful conference held in 1997. I was first introduced to Dr. Ramaiah’s scholarship and research through one of his articles published
in the Delhi based weekly Mainstream. In that article he maintained after quoting increasing figures of atrocities on Dalits in spite of laws that existed for curbing such atrocities on Dalits. In the same article he gave evidence of his research ability when he refered to a village in Tamil Nadu where upper caste Christians who converted from upper caste Hindus to Christianity and yet followed the upper caste status. They compelled the lower caste Christians to drink human urine and eat human excreta. The fact that this can happen still in independent India drove me to the conclusion that without abolishing the caste and varna system it is not possible to stop atrocities on Dalits. I used this article of Dr. Ramaiah in my book ‘State of Human Rights in India’ stating that I expected to get these facts and figures from the annual report of NHRC and not from any research article. When Dr. Ramaiah received this note from me he was very kind to send me a complimentary copy of his book under review. When I was in Delhi I had come to know from Justice Ramaswamy, a member of the NHRC that a new law, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 had come into force and that the provisions of the act were so severe that the atrocities against the Dalits are bound to come to an end. I was not so sure of this assertion. It is after this that I read Dr. Ramaiah’s book, a product of massive research and massive scholarship. Let me start by quoting from the preface in the book Protecting Dalits (Scheduled Castes, SCs)who constitute a significant proportion of Indian population, from those who treat them as untouchables and subject them to inhuman brutalities and extreme forms of exploitation which have been a major challenge to both the State and the civil society organizations since India’s independence despite special protective laws such as the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) 1989. Even after their implementation for several decades, atrocities on SCs continue to remain a day-to-day reality in most parts of India. Unlike most other
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evaluated studies which rely heavily on empirical data the present study is based mostly on qualitative data and has depth in its rigour. The unique feature of this book is also that it presents to the readers the views of the stakeholders and others concerned as they have expressed to the author. These views have however been grouped under different sub-headings with a view to avoiding repetition of ideas and views. Such an approach on the one hand gives an opportunity to the readers for making their own judgment on the ground reality and on the other restrains the author from interpreting the reality either by over-playing or under-playing the data which are always there for the readers to check and recheck. I must quote a few lines from his introduction (in order to indicate his passion for uplift of Dalits). India, one of the oldest civilizations and second largest popular country housing over 16% of the world population, has achieved multi-faceted progress since independence. It has become self sufficient in agriculture production, literacy has increased from 18.33 in 1951 to 52.21in 1991, among the industrialized countries it stands 10th; it is the 6th
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powerful nation in the world particularly in the field of information and technology. More importantly, in all international forums India has stood against all kinds of discrimination including racial discrimination like apartheid. Yet a section of the citizens, the Dalits (SCs who constitute over 16% of its population as per census of India 2001), are subjected to inhuman and invidious indignities, exploitations and brutalities and treated as untouchables even today. Such a scenario defeats the very meaning of freedom from the British rule and also the ideal of Indian Constitution – Justice, Equality and Fraternity. I may add that as a matter of fact these Dalits have not even been recognized as person in India for centuries and this is all about what Dr. Ramaiah explains in this great book. Dr. Ramaiah has done a very useful thing for human rights activists in that he has given summaries of all the important acts like the PCR Act 1999 and POA Act in Tamil Nadu. He has also given the number of cases reported under PCR Act, nature of atrocities committed against the chosen 15 cases, and also factors responsible for acquittal in PCR/POA Act cases.
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Humanist News Section: I
Inauguration of Books written by Radical Humanist, Late K Radhakrishnamurthy.
a part of 125th birth anniversary Ascelebrations of M.N.Roy, a book release function was organized by Adarsh Publications, Hyderabad on 27th January 2013 at Press Club, Basheer Bagh, Hyderabad. Sri Ravela Somayya, a veteran socialist, presided over the function.
The book, Gandhian Way was inaugurated by Dr.K.P.C. Gandhi, founder director of Truth Laboratories, Hyderabad and spoke about the contents of the book, appreciating Radhakrishnamurthy for his balanced criticism on Gandhi. The book Marxism and Communism was
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inaugurated by Sri K.Srinivas, editor of Andhra Jyothi daily and spoke on the occasion about the merits and demerits of Gandhism and Marxism. Sri Ramachandra Reddy, Ex-member of parliament (Rajyasabha) inaugurated the book M.N.Roy –Life and Thought and appreciated the greatness of the philosophy of the Radical Humanism, proposed by M.N.Roy. Prof K.S.Chalam ex member of U.P.S.C., who was the chief guest of the function summarized the contributions of M.N.Roy on physical realism, party less democracy, social change and cosmopolitan humanism. Sri Somayya gave a brief account of Radhakrishnamurthy’s Life and Thought besides comparing contributions of Marx, Gandhi and M.N.Roy. He also congratulated the family members of Radhakrishnamurthy for bringing out the re-prints of above three books. On behalf of Adarsh Publications, Sri Jawaharlal Jasti welcomed the guests to the dias in the begining and also conveyed vote of thanks to all the participants, for making the function a success at the end. About the author of the books— Late Koganti Radhakrishnamurthy
Born on 18th September 1914 at Kuchipudi village near Tenali, Mr Koganti Radhakrishna Murthy was earliest Radical Democrat and follower of M N Roy philosophy. He established Nalanda Press in Tenali
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and brought out several radical publications in Telugu. He founded the journal Sameeksha fortnightly around 1945 in which several eminent persons like Kodavadiganti Kutumbarao, Chalam, Sri Sri, contributed articles. He also started publishing company called Praja Sahitya parishad under which several books were published. Besides writing a book on the Life and Thought of M.N.Roy in Telugu, Mr Radha Krishna Murthy also translated M N Roy’s articles in Telugu and brought out a volume entitled: Roy Vyaasaalu. Mr Radha Krishna Murthy contested as a candidate of Radical Democratic party in Tenali (Guntur District) Constituency during 1946 assembly elections. In those days only tax payers have vote and hence their number was very limited. Mr Radhakrishna Murthy lost the election but made vigorous campaign to propagate the ideas of Radical Democratic party. After independence Mr Radhakrishna Murthy with the cooperation of Mr M V Ramamurthy established Prajaa swamya prachuranalu and brought several Radical Humanist books in Telugu. He was actively associated with Lala Laja Pat Rai cultural club in Tenali. He participated in several radical democratic study camps and public meetings in Andhra. Mr Radhakrishna Murthy wrote lengthy preface to Tripuraneni Ramaswami`s revolutionary book Bhagavadgita. He passed away on 3rd January 1989. Report by— Gumma Veeranna, C.B. Rao II
An Invitation on behalf of Forum For All India Socialist Democratic Forces: RASALO MANCH sure you must be greatly disturbed by Itheam present socio-political situation over shadowed by all-round corruption, crime against women, dalits and other weaker sections, fast growing inequalities, erosion of human rights,
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politics devoid of democratic values, economic setup that is bent upon keeping the masses on dole revisiting the king-beggar relation of the past; in other words, crumbling of the edifice of secular, socialist, republic that we built 65 years ago. For last two years, we have been witnessing the explosion of young generation’s anger and frustration in agitations against corruption and atrocities against women, dalits and other weaker sections of the society. This new phenomenon, which has puzzled many, reminds us of several revolutions going on simultaneously, as mentioned by Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, in his lecture on ‘Seven Revolutions’, delivered in 1962. This is a call for a new setup, not only political but also economic, social, cultural and educational. This presents a challenge to intellectuals and activists of all fields and expects some guidelines from them. With this aim it is proposed to hold a meeting of activists and intellectuals and try to prepare the framework for future action. To begin with, we propose to deliberate on the agenda for the alternative political setup. The draft agenda which was evolved out of discussions held during last two decades is attached. It is proposed to hold discussion on this and try to give clear guidelines for the future. The meeting will be held, on Saturday, 23rd March, 2013 (birthday of Dr. Rammanohar Lohia and martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru) at Rajendra Bhavan, Rajendra Akademy, Deen Dayal Upadhyay marg, New Delhi, 110002, from 11.00 Am to 5 PM. The detailed programme will be intimated to you later. In the meantime, we request you to see the draft and intimate your suggestions as well as your consent to participate in the deliberations so that we may finalize the programme accordingly. We will eagerly wait for your response. Yours Sincerely Mastram Kapoor Phone: 22710479 mr_kapoor22@ymail.com
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III Bangladesh blogger murdered amid massive protests
Ahmed Rajib Haider (on Facebook) hile thousands of demonstrators continued their agitation and occupation of the streets and in particular the protest hot spot of Dhaka’s Shahbagh Squre intersection, a blogger activist was stabbed – his efforts joined those caught up in the hysteria of a mass demand for a death sentence for Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah, not just the life sentence handed down. Protestors included teachers, students, politicians and cultural activists, who vowed to continue the movement until their demand is met. Forty-two years after the Liberation War, old memories and sentiments of the Bangladesh liberation were rekindled as the multitudes refused to leave the street and go home until their demand for capital punishment for Bangladesh 1972 war criminals were met. The sudden agitation began on 12 February, 2013, after a Bangladesh 1971 War Crime Tribunal gave a life sentence to Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah, with the unrest continuing throughout the night. “The spirit of the protest spread to other parts of Bangladesh,” reports Nasrul Jashim, humanist activist, “with sit-ins and demonstrations taking place in Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Rangpur,
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Sunamganj, Barisal, Rajbari, Noakhali and Narsingdi,” and by 15 February, such were the heat of the protests in Cox’s Bazar there were three deaths – on top of the one in Dhaka and the other in Chittagong. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike for 11 February besides the daylong shutdown in Cox’s Bazar district for the 16 February in protest against the killings. These might be a last gasps because popular opinion now calls for the party’s dissolution. In the capital’s Shahbagh, different political parties and their student wings joined the rally that began as a people’s movement. The parties included the ruling Awami League, Workers’ Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD). “The spirit in Shahbagh is infectious as people kept breaking out in chants of ‘Tui Razakar’ [in English - you're a war criminal] and sang gono shongeet (mass song) in unison,” Jashim reports. “Dhaka University Art Institute students painted murals and caricatures of the known war criminals while others made effigies with papers and slogan boards and hung them from poles,” Jashim says. “There was even a life-size game of ‘Razakar ludu’ – a game of snakes and ladders with the war criminals as the main players. Street plays and dances lent the event a festive air, without lessening the gravity of the protestors’ demand for the death sentence. Candle light vigils and torch processions have continued after dark.” Now there is an added dimension among the young because news of the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider (blogger ThabaBaba – #shahbag) is circulating – he too demanded the death penalty. The so-called International Crimes Tribunal is questioned not only about that decision but about its credibility and fairness. Also, the government is under strong criticism. This is annulling any credit it might have earned for bringing the perpetrators of
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war crimes to justice, and this disjoint indicates a different perspective of the youthful who have largely distanced themselves from the ever squabbling political parties, the powerful families ruling either side of the political divide. …“A spontaneous uprising of conscientious and conscious young men and women, deliberately distancing itself from the established political leadership and entities, this is the most exciting moment in Bangladeshi politics for years,” is one line by Zafar Sobhan, editor of the Dhaka Tribune, a daily newspaper. As that commentator says, “It is richly ironic that the current opposition to the government is from those supporting the war crimes trials and not against them. This is opposition from a direction the government never anticipated, and if they are not able to either co-opt or cool down or otherwise contain this mobilisation of consciousness and awakening of activist emotion, it may yet consume them.” The prosecutions are long overdue. Over four decades the ghost of the atrocities and crimes committed during the war of independence have echoed around in the Bangladeshi psyche. Initiated by the Awami League on their return to power in 2009, the nation has begun to better come to terms with its past and could move forward as a whole. Each of the 10 of those on trial for war crimes had moved into senior political positions, in either the Jamaat or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and were figures of massive influence and respect and two were ministers in Khaleda Zia’s last alliance government. It was well known and was darkly spoken that people like Abul Kalam Azad, a fugitive from justice for the past 10 months, were able to avoid prosecution and were able to remain powerful and influential figures pointed at the underlying problems at the heart of the Bangladeshi society and government. 21 January, 2013, will find a place in Bangladesh history as the day the first war crimes conviction 37
was handed down, against Abul Kalam Azad aka Bachchu Razakar, 65, found guilty on seven counts of murder, rape, abduction, torture, and genocide, and sentenced to death in absentia. “A more punctilious judicial process that was not open to any question would have served the nation immeasurably better,” continues Zafar Sobhan, “even better than a judicial process, a truth and reconciliation commission would have been even more useful. I for one would be willing to trade punishment for a full and honest accounting and apology.” In this stand he is one of a minority on the streets that don’t support the death penalty for any crime, no matter how heinous. For now though, the heady street action has the populous fired up. As spoken by another commentator on the Bangladesh protests, “Something exciting is happening inside Bangladesh, and the verdict is simply a catalyst, but the people must exercise extreme caution not to allow passion to trample the fundamental underpinnings of democracy,” Frank Domenico Cipriani, founder of The Gatherer Institute. He says the fact that Abdul Quader Mollah was even brought to trial is remarkable considering the easy fate of some of the most of notorious war criminals in post Cold War history and goes on to list (as an apologetic USA citizen he concentrates on his own backyard!): “1953, Iran: Mohammed Mossadegh threatens to nationalize British Petroleum interests in Iran. The US supports the overthrow of Mossadegh and he is replaced by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The regime’s secret police, SAVAK, regularly tortures and murders any Iranian deemed “Enemies of the State.” Pahlavi rules as Shah of Iran until he is overthrown in 1979. He dies in exile, never standing trial for treason or crimes against humanity. 1954, Guatemala: After a democratic government is deposed by the CIA, Efraín Ríos Montt eventually comes to power in Guatemala. In a
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non-binding tribunal conducted by the Roman Catholic Church, Montt is convicted of massacres, rape, and torture, and for carrying out a policy of genocide of the indigenous people. He is purported to be responsible for the death of over 200,000 of his countrymen. He gained immunity, and is only now, in 2013, standing trial. 1959, Haiti: US helps install “Papa Doc” Duvalier. He and his son, “Baby Doc,” initiate a reign of terror in which over 100,000 people are killed. The Haitian government has recently put Baby Doc on trial for corruption only, despite the carnage of his regime. Duvalier may, in fact, dismiss all cases against him. The former dictator lives freely and opulently in Haiti. Dictatorships in Brazil and the Dominican Republic, killed thousands. No one was ever
brought to justice. Chilean Dictator Pinochet, Indonesia’s Suharto, Pol Pot, and Milosevic all escaped punishment of any sort.” It is timely and opportune that the trials take place and the debate and confrontations are necessary, the only caveat is, why the violence and on that score, why the death penalty when imprisonment for life gives that long period of isolation for a reconsideration of how changes should take place, with least harm to the nation and its nationals. Dhaka, Bangladesh- Posted by: Tony Henderson Posted date: 17 February 2013 In: Asia, International, Politics —Tony Henderson Journalist and Chairman of theHumanist Association of Hong Kong Mobile: 90487639 Tonyhen1@gmail.com
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An Appeal for Donations Indian Renaissance Institute (IRI) was founded by M.N. Roy, noted revolutionary and thinker, in 1946. The main objective of the Institute is to promote scientific thinking, rationalism and values of ‘Renaissance’. You may visit our website to know more about our Institute:
www.theradicalhumanist.com In its continuous efforts of pursuing its objectives and for commemorating the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary year (21st March, 2012-20th March, 2013) of M.N. Roy IRI is holding an International Seminar on the theme: “Humanism & Contemporary Politics”, on 16th & 17th March 2013 at India International Centre, New Delhi, India as already announced on the first page of this issue. The subjects chosen for discussion are, thus, focusing on the basic theme of humanism, such as Challenges before the Human Society, Social & Political Crisis, Globalization & its effects, Humanist Movements and their role, Effect of Science & Technology upon the Human Value System and Relevance of Radical Humanism. Large numbers of participants are expected to join from India and abroad.
We, therefore, appeal to members, subscribers and sympathizers of our movement to make donations to enable us to successfully organize the seminar and carry out our other activities for our cherished objects. Cheques /bank drafts may be made in the name of the ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’ and may be sent to the following address: Shri B.D. Sharma, Advocate Chamber No.111 (Old), Supreme Court, New Delhi-110001 Online donations can be sent to at the following address: ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’ Account No: 02070100005296 FISC Code: UCBA0000207 UCO Bank, Supreme Court Branch, New Delhi (India). Appeal made by: B.D. Sharma, President
RNI No. 43049/85 Post Office Regd. No. Meerut-146-2012-2014 to be posted on 2nd. of every month at H.P.O. Meerut Cantt. 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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