Editor: Rekha Saraswat

Vol. 78 No 2

MAY 2014

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST (Since April 1949) Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949) Founder Editor: M.N. Roy

530 Historical Role of Islam: The Mission of Islam —M.N. Roy A Social Formality? Open Source Politics —Uday Dandavate Jumble of Indian politics —Kuldip Nayar For “God’s Sake” - Keep God Out Of Electoral Battle —Rajindar Sachar Does Muslim Manifestation Make Others Secularists?

—K.S. Chalam The God of Einstein —Jawaharlal Jasthi A Plea for Humanism — Ramesh Korde Lawrence’s Women: Emergence of The Feminist Identity —Bonani Misra —Andleep Parvez Bharti The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and For Humanism —David Chivers Feminism: A bi-product of Democratic Values (Editorial Comment) —Rekha Saraswat

THE RADICAL HUMANIST FOUNDER EDITOR

APRIL 2014 EDITOR

M. N. ROY

REKHA SARASWAT

(Page 3)

(Page 2)

THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTORS

UDAY DANDAVATE

KULDIP NAYAR

(Page 5)

(Page 7)

RAJINDAR SACHAR (Page 12)

BONANI MISRA

K.S. CHALAM (Page 16)

JAWAHARLAL JASTHI (Page 21)

RAMESH KORDE (Page 25)

(Page 32)

DAVID CHIVERS

MEDHA PATEKAR

N.D. PANCHOLI

KAVITA KRISHNAN

(Page 36)

(Page 37)

(Page 38)

(Page 35)

ANDALEEP BHARTI (Page 32)

THE RADICAL HUMANIST

MAY 2014

The Radical Humanist Vol. 78

Number 2

www.theradicalhumanist.com Contents

May 2014

Monthly journal of the

1. From the Editor’s Desk:

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

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy Editor: Dr. Rekha Saraswat Contributory Editors: Prof. A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr. R.M. Pal, Professor Rama Kundu Publisher and 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

Feminism: A bi-product of Democratic Values —Rekha Saraswat 2. From the Writings of M.N. Roy: Historical Role of Islam: The Mission of Islam 3. Guests’ Section: A Social Formality?; Open Source Politics —Uday Dandavate

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4. Current Affairs’ Section: Jumble of Indian politics; Test of Democratic Values; Modi Lacks Knowledge of Kashmir; —Kuldip Nayar 7 For “God’s Sake” - Keep God Out Of Electoral Battle; Political Over-reach by Election Commission/ Reserve Bank Governor —Rajindar Sachar 12 Does Muslim Manifestation Make Others Secularists?

Less the Government, More advantage for Market Democracy —K.S. Chalam

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5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: The God of Einstein —Jawaharlal Jasthi A Plea for Humanism

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—Ramesh Korde 25 6. Academicians' Section: Lawrence’s Women: Emergence of The Feministic Identity —Bonani Misra & —Andleep Parvez Bharti

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7. Book Review Section: The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and For Humanism, —David Chivers 35 8. Humanist News Section: a. NAPM Report on Elecion Campaign

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From the Editor's Desk: Feminism: A when the movement for Women’s suffrage had just begun in Europe. I am reminded of the bi-product of Democratic Values-

British political activist Emmeline Pankhurst who was a suffragette (and not a suffragist) who wanted immediate action and change through an agitation and would not settle with the slow pace of Constitutional amendments in favour of the woman’s right to vote. And we need to always remember that the value of equality of both sexes comes from the basic value of democracy. Only after we learn to give importance to the rights of an individual being born as a human being can we understand the discriminations inflicted upon women and the weaker sections of our society. Both the Indian men and women are still caught in the cobwebs of caste, creed, and religion, communal and regional quandary and cast their votes for immediate gains and favours. One should watch the anchors in various T.V. channels walking through the remotest villages in all parts of our country and hear with wonder how the women-folk are equally vocal in their concerns about their own and their families’ living conditions and in their specific likes and dislikes towards various parties and their leaders. There seems to be no lack of awareness about their voting rights in both the men and women but the criteria of how to make the right choice and who to choose is still soaked in nepotism and feudalism. Our democracy has not evolved; it has been enacted and forced upon us on the Westminster model and therefore, this apprehension that women will be neglected if sufficient caution is not taken. Until and unless, the women-folk, the dalit communities and the minority classes get their rightful place in the socio-cultural milieu of our country no amount of political facilities will give them any physical security, status and respect. Meanwhile, our friends need not be shocked and disappointed over a phrase mistaken as a faux pas and may find some solace in Akshay Raut's statement that women turnout has been higher than men in the 438 constituencies, so far. —Rekha Saraswat

Rani Drew in her letter to the editor writes from Cambridge, U.K. that she was shocked and disappointed on reading this 2nd headline on the cover page of the April 2014 RH issue, which said, “Will Democracy succeed in Parliament this time? Will the Voter regain his faith in his MP?" because of the use of only “his” for the Indian voter and missing out on “her” saying that the “use of the pronoun ‘his’ for the ‘voter’, stood stark wiping out the ‘her’ voter!” And that “she wasn’t expecting the exclusion of the female voter.” She further wrote that, “I know people would say it is difficult to work out a neutral pronoun in English, but it’s precisely this indifference which either makes or breaks the gender equality. If we continue to use the male pronoun for the female it does create an unequal balance somewhere. We have to make a conscious effort to balance the unconscious bias we continue to have for centuries when it comes to the male.” She was so much perturbed that she was afraid this usage “would certainly rule out all occasions of hope for the Indians” as expected in the 3rd headline “Another occasion of hope for the Indians”. Rani Drew is an Indian lady settled in the U.K. for over half a century, married to a British poet John Drew. Her sharp reaction surprises me. She being a playwright and a poetess in English language, with her dramas enacted in many European and Asian theatres must be aware of the usage of unisex phrases and terms. The voter may be either he or she; the editor’s stress upon an honest and impartial voting opportunity which has been made available this time after six decades of Indian independence would have lost its emphasis. In the present circumstances after the arrival of a non-stereotype political party on the election scene the voter has for the first time a third choice as well as a fourth one in NOTA. The highlighting of ‘her’ was more needed in the early part of the twentieth Century, I suppose,

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From The Writings of M.N. Roy:

Historical Role of Islam Chapter II: The Mission of Islam Para repeated from the last issue to maintain the continuity of the statement....

(Under certain conditions, trade is a potent instrument of spiritual revolution. The aspiration of the Arab merchant produced the monotheism of Mohammad. This, in its turn, inspired the nomads of the desert to establish one of the vastest and most flourishing empires of history. The laws of the Koran revolutionised social relations. Increased production, the result of this revolution, quickened trade which ushered in an era of cosmopolitanism and spiritual uplift. Trade broadens the vision of man. Visiting distant lands, getting used to the sight of strange customs, mixing with peoples of diverse races, the trader frees himself from the prejudices and limitations born of the local conditions of his native land.)

Contd. from here.............. e develops the capacities of toleration, sympathy and understanding for the habits, views and faiths of others. Observation and inquisitiveness, which guide his voyage on the unknown sea or direct his steps in strange lands, kill in him the comfort of credulity. The growth of critical faculty places him at the gate of knowledge. The essence of his occupation teaches the trader to think in abstraction. He is not interested in his merchandise as such. His mind is occupied with the idea of profit. It is all the same for him whether his camels or ships are laden with wool or corn or spices. He is concerned with something which is neither these nor other things he handles. These are simply the means to attain his end- to make profit, which is a category abstracted from the concrete commodity he buys or sells. He

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appreciates things not in their intrinsic value, but according to their capacity to produce profit.

Toleration for strange things, the attempt to understand them, freedom from prejudice, faculty of observation, ability to think in abstractall these qualities acquired by the trader, thanks to the nature of his occupation, go into the making of a philosophical outlook. Having seen different people cherish diverse forms of superstitions as divine wisdom, practise equally absurd rites and rituals or expressing devotion, extol prejudices to the dignity of eternal truth, the cosmopolitan mind of the travelled trader, indulgently smiles upon the credulity of all, deplores their depravity equally, and respects the common element of faith beneath the superficial diversities of theological dogmas and forms of worship.

The main arteries of international trade of the medieval world ran through the countries which embraced Islam and were united in the Saracen Empire. The northern routes of trade with China, which passed through Constantinople to Italy and other countries of Western Europe, had become extremely risky owing to the Scythian inroads and the ruinous fiscal policy of the Byzantine Empire. After their conquest of Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia and the territories across the Oxus, the Arabs captured the Chinese trade and diverted it to pass through their domain of North-Africa and Spain, ultimately to reach the markets of Western Europe. During the eighth to the eleven centuries, practically the entire trade between India and China, on the one hand, and Europe, on the other, was done by the Arabs.

Thousands of traders travelled with their caravans, loaded with precious cargoes, from the remote frontiers of China and India all the way to Morocco and Spain. They were not persecuted or detested as their kind had been in all the countries of antique civilisation with the honourable exception of Greece. In the Empire of the Saracens, they belonged to the ruling class. Consequently, the learning and culture that thrived so luxuriantly, owing to the

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MAY 2014 possession of the founders of modern civilisation through the Arab scholars who had not only preserved the precious patrimony, but added to it handsomely. The historic battle, begun by the nomads of the Arabian desert under the religious flag of Islam, was fought step by step through a thousand years on fields scattered over the three continents, to be won finally in Europe under the profane standard of the eighteenth century Enlightenment and Bourgeois Revolution.

Continued..............

prosperity of the Saracen Empire bore the stamp of their naive broad-mindedness, cosmopolitanism and incredulity.

Under the leadership of a martial aristocracy and jealous priesthood, human ideology takes the form of dogmatic faith or misty mysticism.

Philosophy- the search for a rational explanation of the Universe – originates in a society ruled by an aristocracy engaged in trade. The city-states of the Ionian Greeks were therefore, the birth place of philosophy.

Islam was a necessary product of history – an instrument of human progress. It rose as the ideology of a new social relationship which, in its turn, revolutionised the mind of man. But just as it had subverted and replaced older cultures, decayed in course of time, Islam, in its turn, was also overstepped by further social developments, and consequently had to hand over its spiritual leadership to other agencies born out of newer conditions. But it contributed to the forging of new ideological instruments which brought about the subsequent social revolution. The instruments were experimental science and rationalist philosophy. It stands to the credit of Islamic culture to have been instrumental in the promotion of the ideology of a new social revolution.

Capitalist mode of production rescued Europe from the chaos of mediaeval barbarism. It fought and in the long run vanquished Christian theology and the spiritual monopoly of the Catholic Church with the potent weapon of rationalist philosophy. This weapon, invented by the ancient sages of Greece, came to the

[Publisher’s Note: This book, first published in 1939, was written when Roy was in jail in the early thirties under a sentence of twelve years rigorous imprisonment, later reduced to six, for ‘conspiring to deprive’ the king-Emperor of his sovereignty in India. Looking back at events in the intervening period, one might wish that this book had been read more widely in the decade before the Indian sub-continent became independent and at the same time partitioned into two States. A better knowledge and more objective understanding of the history of Islam on the part of Muslim as well as non-Muslim India might have prevented much of the later tragic developments and human suffering. But it is never too late for knowledge and understanding to undo the harm that the lack of them has done. Hence, this small book on the historical role of Islam, in East and West, may itself have a historical role to play, apart from its intrinsic value as a scholarly treatise, beautifully written, on a fascinating chapter of human history.]

Dear Friends, Your article for the RH should be emailed at: rheditor@gmail.com; or posted at: C-8, Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P. Please send a passport size photograph and your brief resume if it is being sent for the first time to the RH. A note whether it has also been published elsewhere or is being sent exclusively for the RH should also be attached with it.

— Rekha S.

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Guests' Section:

A Social Formality?

—Uday Dandavate online publication, The Citizen, Anreports that a Supreme Court ruling that the returning officer can reject the nomination papers of a candidate for non-disclosure and suppression of information in September last year has compelled Mr. Narendra Modi to acknowledge that he was married after hiding the fact from the affidavits he filed for four assembly elections.

I am reminded of Mahabharata where Yudhishthir misled Dronacharya by responding to his question about the rumor of Ashwathama’s death with an ambivalent answer, "Yes, I believe Ashwathama has died, but I don’t know whether it was the person or an elephant named Ashwathama". Such ambivalence may have served Yudhishthir well in Mahabharata, but the legal counselors of Mr. Modi clarified to him that Supreme Court’s ruling did not leave any option of ambivalence about his marital status.

Mr. Modi’s real attitude towards the marriage and about the legal rights of his wife is clear from the explanation offered by his brother, who dismissed it as a “social formality”. Mr. Modi knew all along that he was wrong. He knew that he would be committing perjury if he explicitly denied his marital status in the nomination form. That is why leaving an ambivalent blank space in the nomination form smacks of an attempt to hide the truth, as a substitute for a blatant lie.

Another important aspect worth investigating is whether Mr. Modi has a living will and whether he has provided for inheritance to his wife. If there is no mention of his wife in the will, his true intentions in denying her the legal rights due to her, will be further exposed. It is alarming that a

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person, who subverts legal rights of his own wife by reducing the marriage to a social formality, is making a pitch for occupying the high office of the Prime Minister of India where he will be required to take a oath for upholding the constitution of India. He has already breached the oath he took as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

In the past Mr. Modi and the RSS have made “Uniform Civil Code” a key feature of their ideology. They have particularly repeatedly questioned why Muslim men in India were allowed to have three wives, while Hindus could only have one. The RSS has been on the forefront of exposing the hypocrisy of the Congress Party during Shah Banu case. They have frequently criticized the congress party for its gross neglect in protecting the rights of Muslim women. Now, before he seeks vote from his constituents, Mr. Modi should prove his commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting dignity of women by making public his living will and let people know whether he has ensured inheritance to his wife.

I hope Mr. Modi will now learn that upholding constitution of India will take more than the recklessness with which he dismissed the dignity of a woman with the excuse that his marriage was just a social formality.

Can we afford to have an icon of modern India, who takes an ambivalent stand on his marital status, touts his not having a family as a basis for his incorruptibility and at the same time lies four times in his nomination papers?

Let us not forget how there was an outcry in public at Tarun Tejpal trying to determine his own punishment after admitting to his misbehavior? This is a similar case of a Prime Ministerial candidate trying to determine that his lie was only to be forgiven because his marriage was a social formality and misreporting his marital status in nomination papers was a behavior worth a pardon. Will the election commission buy this argument?

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MAY 2014 rewarded while the apple computer and the stock market is still waiting for the new leader of apple to perform miracles.

The Aam Aadmi party is like the open source movement- the idea is great. It works. Youth are driven to it because it empowers everyday people to collaborate and participate in creation of innovation and content. It challenges the corporate establishment and everyone wishes and dreams that one day open source will show the way. But the corporate establishment does not understand it. Mainstream consumers consider it unconventional and not as stable as other corporate supported options. It does not conform to traditional notions of corporate governance. Infosys is like the regional parties.

Has great ambitions, but is limited by its history of serving a narrow agenda of building a business on back-end development as opposed to a visionary and innovative globally competitive product that would appeal to global markets. Additionally dynastic politics is creating unease amidst its leadership. We all hope to see open source technology prevail over the capitalist, monolithic corporate culture.

[Uday Dandavate studies people, cultures and trends worldwide and inspires people centered innovation strategies. He heads a design research consulting firm, SonicRim in U.S.A. He writes and speaks on topics related to people centered design and innovation in international journals and conferences. uday@sonicrim.com

This episode has become an inconvenient truth for Mr. Modi. His stand is evidence of his commitment to the intellectual legacy he inherited as a RSS pracharak groomed to follow the Manusmriti.

Open Source Politics morning I woke up with an idea- I This realized the key political parties in India remind me of some of the players in the tech industry. The Congress party is like Apple- a walled garden approach. An entire organization serves the leadership of a single person. Lately it is having problems with its new leader in inspiring the market. Its market share is declining. Stock price is down. Jonathan Ive, is in the meanwhile trying to inject some charm into the apple campaign.

The one to usurp its market share, Samsung, I compare with the BJP. It has smartly established its presence on Android platform which is relatively more open than Apple’s iOS. Samsung is embroiled in many court cases, but does not care. It continues to steal apple’s patented ideas and settles court cases while continuing to surge in the marketplace. Many people find Korean corporate culture autocratic and regressive (especially toward women) but consumers don’t care as long as they get ideas copied from others at a better price. “Let Samsung settle their cases, we will enjoy the fruits of their development” say consumers. In today’s dog eat dog world, Samsung’s ways are getting

"In the light of modern scientific knowledge, it is discovered that man’s rationality is a biological property. Reason is not a metaphysical category. Moral values are placed on a firm foundation when they are referred back to the innate rationality of man. They need no other sanction than conscience, which is not the voice of God, but results from rationality. The discovery of the physical basis of reason and the rationalist secular sanction of morality frees Humanism from the mystic connotation traditionally associated with it. The a priori systems of speculative philosophy belong to the past. But a comprehensive philosophy is indispensable to guide human life. A rationalist social philosophy must be deduced from a scientific interpretation of Humanism. On the basis of a humanist interpretation of cultural history, this work endeavours to outline a comprehensive philosophy which links up social and political practice with a scientific metaphysics of rationality and ethics."

—M.N. Roy (From the Preface of Reason Romanticism & Revolution)

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Current Affairs Section:

Jumble of Indian politics —Kuldip Nayar ndia is in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election process. Two factors have come to the fore so far: caste and money. I am dismayed about the caste. I had imagined that in some 67 years since independence, the nation would have matured enough not to be swayed by baser instincts. Lately, religion has been inducted by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

The appeal in the name of religion in the fifties was understandable because the country had been partitioned on the basis of religion in August 1947. The world’s biggest holocaust took place, followed by the exodus of 3.5 crore of people. The exchange of population was fairly rejected by both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, the arbiters of the country’s future.

First, Mahatma Gandhi and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru saw to it that religion was not mixed with politics. This worked for a few years.

In the sixties the defeat at the hands of the Chinese was the topic of elections. Nehru’s negligence not to prepare the country’s defence had engaged the voters’ attention. The seventies saw the domination of autocrat Indira Gandhi who also suspended the constitution and detained one lakh people without trial. Her Congress party was wiped out in the northern India. Her return in 1980 was due to the squabbles in successor Janata Party. It was not her triumph but the rejection of the Janata. Thus far the caste played a minor role. Some who highlighted it were generally defeated.

Money, of course, has counted from day one.

The Election Commission fixed the limit for a candidate’s expenditure at Rs. 40 lakh in 1951 when the first general election was held. Now it has been raised to Rs. 70 lakh. Still this is far less than what a candidate splurges—an average of Rs 3 crore is spent by a Lok Sabha candidate.

Many spend at least triple the amount.

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Despite the rules the Election Commission has laid down, no candidate has ever been disqualified on the ground of excessive spending. The catch is that political parties are not governed by any law or rule that forces them not to spend more than the ceiling prescribed.

In fact, the parties’ dishonesty is the real problem. The political parties are under no obligation to have any upper limit on their expenditure. They have unanimously rejected the application of Right to Information (RTI) to their internal working. If expenses during elections are to be curbed some accountability is necessary. An accountability commission can be appointed since the Election Commission has been too soft to take action. Since MPs are the ones to pass legislation on this, they would never adopt a bill which will curb them. Both the Congress and the BJP spend lavishly. The BJP tops the list because the corporate sector is fully behind the party, believing that Narendra Mori will be the next Prime Minister and would leave the field open to them.

Religion has, no doubt, taken a back seat. Modi’s most virulent speeches skirt around Hindutva but do not mention it specifically because secularism has a general appeal. The fact is that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is openly participating in canvassing although it claims to be a cultural organization. RSS chief Mohan Bhahgwat sat in election committees selecting the BJP candidates. This is ominous for the future.

My fear is that the religion will be increasingly mentioned with politics. True, no party is running down secularism, not even the BJP. The party’s manifesto does not use secularism even once. Yet the BJP talks about the freedom struggle and does not write off the sacrifices of leaders like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Abdul Ghaffar Khan. But the cat is out of the bag when it does not mention Nehru, the torch-bearer of independence struggle. What is disconcerting in the manifesto is that India will admit the persecuted Hindus from every clime and

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country. This is in line with the policy of Israel which says that it is a homeland of every Jew, who can walk in whenever he or she feels doing so. Against this stance of the BJP, it is not surprising to find the party supporting to Modi’s Man Friday, Amit Shah, who said in UP to take “revenge” in the Lok Sabha elections. He did not mention the word, Muslim, but everyone could infer what he meant was that they should be punished at the polls. The Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan, trying to be Muslims’ Modi, has had no shame in his attempt to communalize the armed forces. He has neither withdrawn his words nor is he apologizing. His remark that only Indian Muslim soldiers captured the Kargil heights, not the Hindus, indicates his polluted thinking. He even does not know that it is the regiments which fight and they have soldiers of all communities. A regiment wins or loses, not soldiers of a particular community.

Such persons, including Amit Shah, should have been disqualified from contesting the elections.

Yet the Election Commission has preferred to impose a ban on them from making speeches in UP, the state to which the two belong. The punishment should have been more severe.

The caste factor which has affected the electorate, in fact, is the sub-caste. Dalits have many castes and the creamy layer dictates the government. The upper castes have Marathas, Rajputs, Jats and so on.

Today, the biradari (community) members of the same caste are negating the fair election in a democratic society. How effectively we fight against the sub-caste menace will indicate whether we are really a democratic and pluralistic society. The manner in which the political parties compromise and conquer such malpractices will prove if democracy is really ingrained in us. The current Lok Sabha election gives little hope because the candidates are stopping at nothing to increase votes. The use of money, however difficult, can be tracked. Even religious appeals can be curbed. But the caste cannot be. I do not know how long it would take

us to raise above all these considerations. Until we do so, we should remain democratic on paper, not in the way the Western democracies are. And what do we do about personal attacks and abuses which leaders of political parties are exchanging? This is another story to tell.

Test of Democratic Values get many telephone calls almost every Iday from Pakistan and a few from Bangladesh to inquire about the polling in the Lok Sabha elections. Their fear is that Narendra Modi might be India’s next Prime Minister and destroy the democratic polity which they envy. I hope Modi does not head the next government.

True, most opinion polls give the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP and Modi, a clear majority. But their tally is unreliable because there is not even a ripple, much less a wave, in favour of Modi in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha.

Even in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where regional parties sway the voters, the BJP’s showing may be poor. As for the other parts of the country, the intemperate language used by certain leaders, blessed by the RSS, is alienating the intelligentsia and those sitting on the fence.

It has become a fashion in election rallies to threaten the Muslims and then saying that the leaders have been misquoted or that their remarks have been picked up out of context. It was good to see the BJP expressing strong disapproval against the party’s provincial leader who said that those who did not support Modi would be sent to Pakistan. The party would have earned credibility if it had ousted the leader from its organization. However, the comment by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah that he would rather go to Pakistan than stay quiet against Modi is immature in nature.

Moreover, the BJP and its mentor RSS are misreading the people’s response. They do not want to be divided into Hindus and Muslims. The society does not want a person whose politics is

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divisive and whose thinking may well be authoritarian. I believe that Modi would not be able to disturb pluralism whatever the RSS and the BJP may say. His complicity in the anti-Muslims riots in 2002 cannot be hidden even though a magistrate court in Gujarat has given him a clean chit. As the state’s chief minister he is overall responsible and has certain obligations to fulfill. The security of minorities is important. He even refuses to say sorry, much less seek forgiveness. A few days ago when he had an opportunity to express regret, he refused to do so. Still there is every possibility that a pro-Hindutva person heads India. Modi’s speeches, however jingoistic, have not mentioned Pakistan. But he continues to use development as a cover to hide his communal agenda. Some believe that Modi may face the reality of the country’s diversities and turn out to be another Atal Behari Vajpayee, the most popular Indian leader in Pakistan. Whatever is Modi’s agenda, he cannot afford to be on bad terms with the neighbouring Pakistan. He may well initiate the talks which have not moved after the terrorists’ attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Modi and the BJP, whatever their rhetoric, realize that a working relationship with Islamabad is in the interest of New Delhi.

Pakistan, where the shadows of fundamentalism are lengthening, is in the midst of attack by extremists on the media, bold and behind the democratic forces. Hamid Mir, an independent journalist, was injured by the bullets fired by the fanatics. However, the people are increasingly feeling that normal relations with India will give a fillip to democracy and liberal thoughts.

A Pakistani student from Oxford met me at my residence a few days ago. He had visited Pakistan and felt no hesitation in suggesting that Islamabad should normalize relations with India. This was the only alternative his country had because of the menace of the Taliban and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. His regret—and mine too—was that even known liberals preferred to remain quiet. I told him that India

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was also a prey to that. A soft Hindutva was contaminating more and more people, I said in reply. We both agreed that there was no go from good, amicable relations between the two countries.

My disappointment is that a democratic and pluralistic society in India is not playing its role in the region. There is too much of tit for tat. Our foreign ministry has officials who have a particular mindset on Pakistan and take the narrative to the partition days for their chauvinistic stance. The youth is especially bewildered. They want employment or openings in business that a big country like India can provide. What hampers progress in that direction is the enmity between the two countries? People are not to be blamed, the establishments and intelligence agencies are.

The few callers from Bangladesh did not doubt India’s secular credentials but the prospects of Modi’s success made them unhappy. Despite the growth of Jammiat-i-Islami in their own country, the Bangladeshis have seen how secularism during the liberation days has got eclipsed. They have never imagined that the fundamentalists, who were against the liberation of Bangladesh, would one day be so brazen faced that they would destroy Hindus’ temples as it is happening in Pakistan. I think that the revival of religion, which is taking place even in the west, is bound to be duplicated in the subcontinent. India is a target of Hindutva forces. They would want the country to be Hindu rashtra. But this is not possible because the people of different faiths have lived together for centuries. Hindus and Muslims have shared the land for more than one thousand years.

Regretfully, there have been communal riots.

The recent happenings in Muzaffarnagar in UP remind us that we live on the edge. The victims have returned home and the business is as usual. All realize that they are Indians first and Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs later. The feeling of Indian-ness binds north with south and east with west. The spirit of accommodation and the

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sense of tolerance are lessening because of parties like the RSS-BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Yet the constitution has brought about unity. The current Lok Sabha election testifies the faith of Indians in parliamentary democracy. One has to see how strong this feeling remains if and when Pakistan and Bangladesh come to be dominated by the fundamentalists. Modi’s supporters are aping them. Those believing in a pluralistic society should realize that their fight will begin if the country takes a right turn.

Modi Lacks Knowledge of Kashmir was happy when Kashmir was not the Ielection issue till two-thirds of the country had gone to the polls. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) did say in its election manifesto that it would delete Article 370 which gave a special status to the state. But this was nothing new. The BJP had been articulating the demand for many years. It never got very little attention. Bihar BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s outburst that those who did not vote for Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan spoilt the atmosphere for a while. But normalcy returned when the BJP distanced itself from the statement. No doubt, Kashmir leader Farooq Abdullah queered the pitch with the remark that those who voted for Modi should jump into the sea. But the irreprehensible Abdullah did not spoil the atmosphere because he had made such observations in the same vein in the past.

He was seldom taken seriously.

The real damage has been done by Narendra Modi who stops at nothing to garner votes. He has polluted the atmosphere so much that it would take time to repair the cleavage he has created between Hindus and Muslims. He has attacked popular leader Sheikh Abdullah for the situation prevailing in Kashmir. Modi did not have any information on the process of integration. But for Sheikh Sahib, there was no one else, tall and popular, who could have

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integrated the majority Muslim Jammu and Kashmir with the majority Hindu India.

The Sheikh son, Farooq Abdullah’s remark that Kashmir would not be part of communal India smacks of communalism. All secular forces should together fight against communal forces.

Farooq will have to be part of that confrontation.

We have to bring back the country on the track of secular and democratic. He is relevant to the solution but so are Pakistan and those who have sacrificed their lives for azadi (independence).

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru realized the importance of Pakistan’s interest.

He sent Sheikh Abdullah to Islamabad to find a common ground. The Sheikh met General Mohammad Ayub, then heading Pakistan.

The last attempt to end the deadlock came when the Sheikh met Ayub in May 1964. Ayub told me in Islamabad in April 1972 that it was his impression that towards the end of his life Nehru had “realized the logic of the situation and had shown anxiety to come to terms with Pakistan.”

But not much came of the Sheikh’s visit, for even as the talks began Nehru was dying. Pakistan was anxious to pick up the threads. But the Lal Bahadur Shastri-Ayub meeting solved no problem. There was disappointment when Shastri did not want to discuss Kashmir, nor mention it in the joint communiqué in which an early meeting between the Home Ministers of India and Pakistan was promised. As for azadi, the militants do not realize that the Taliban have created such a scare in the world that the Kashmiri insurgents are regarded as fundamentalist. Hardliners like Syed Ali Shah Gillani only confirms the apprehension that the demand for the state’s independence is the other side of the same coin of religious fervor.

Pakistan, which was once strongly opposed to the idea of independence, is quiet now. Some in the establishment even voice their support to the independence demand. They do so because their expectation is that an independent Kashmir would ultimately join Pakistan.

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The ones that have raised the demand, however genuine, should appreciate that they—living in the valley—cannot decide the fate of the other two regions, Jammu and Ladakh. The first would like to merge with India if and when the future of the state is decided. The second wants to be a union territory of India. Therefore, the demand for independence is confined to the valley. I do not want to argue whether the landlocked valley would be economically viable or not. But I do want to know from the supporters of the demand if it is fair on their part to claim the independence of Jammu and Kashmir when they have practically no following either in Jammu or Ladakh. That is the reason why there are no takers of independence outside the valley. Moderate Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s appeal to the new Lok-Sabha members to rise above domestic politics on Kashmir found no resonance in the country. “Together we will be able to find some way to take a historic step,” he says. But he has no credibility in India. His father was far more realistic and favoured a solution within the Indian union but outside its constitution. He was killed by the militants. I can appreciate the concern over the victory of Modi or his BJP. But New Delhi has had a BJP government earlier. Modi may be the stern face of Hindutva. But the constitution is supreme and it assures all equality before the law. Even otherwise, India has been a multi-religious society for thousands of years. Modi himself has said in his speeches that he, if elected, would

take all the communities along with him for development, his agenda. Were he to disturb the diversity, the democratic and liberal forces in the country are strong enough to fight for pluralism, the ethos of freedom struggle.

Article 370 of India’s constitution guarantees a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Modi or his party cannot undo it because the state joined the Union of India on that condition. It is for the state to change the condition if it wants to do so.

Yet it is essential that Kashmir problem is out of the way of all the three parties—India, Pakistan and Kashmir. This is difficult because the BJP has even demanded the deletion of Article 370.

Deleting it will amount to betrayal of the understanding which Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah had reached. There is a point in the warning by Farooq Abdullah that the deletion of Article 370 can reopen the question of Kashmir’s integration with India. The Article originally gave New Delhi Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communication. Many Indian laws, relating to other subjects, have been extended to the state, some of them without the approval of the state legislature. Those would have to go. If the status which the state enjoyed soon after the integration is restored probably a solution to Kashmir is possible.

Kuldip Nayar is a veteran syndicated columnist catering to around 80 newspapers and journals in fourteen languages in India and abroad. He may be contacted at: kuldipnayar09@gmail.com

"Hegel said that the history of philosophy was the history of the world.Having learnt from him, Marx corrected the master and declared that the history of civilisation was the history of class struggle. A whole century has passed since these apparently contradictory doctrines of historiology were expounded. The contradiction is apparent, because both Hegel and Marx regarded history as an organic evolutionary process of becoming unfolded by its own dynamics. Because the contradiction is apparent, even now the controversy is not settled, dispassionate thinkers finding it difficult to choose one or the other view. Michelet advanced yet another dynamic doctrine of historiology, a generation before Marx and independent of Hegel, which seemed to combine the two apparently conflicting views. Feeling dissatisfied with the conventional views of history, the would-be historian of the French Revolution searched for a new method of writing history as a science. He hit upon the idea that philosophy, the study of the origin of languages, might yield a clue to the secret of the past history of peoples."

—M.N. Roy (From his book Reason, Romanticism and Revolution, page 1)

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For “God’s Sake” - Keep God Out Of Electoral Battle —Rajindar Sachar odi, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate is rushing through the country projecting Gujarat development model which he claims will be applied on All India level so as to make India as one of the envious countries of the world. It is a different matter that many credible critics like Peoples Union for Civil Liberties a Human Right Organization “founded

by Jaya Prakesh Narayan during Emergency 1975” has published a book Truth on Gujarat development, which shows all these claims to be false.

I can understand exaggerated claims by Modi and the disreputable attempt by Congress to cover up the corruption scandal and inefficiencies of UPA government as a part of normal election strategy. But when Modi invokes God to his support in the elections, as he did recently by saying “that he has been chosen by God to rescue the country…..that God chooses certain people to do the difficult work and he believes God has chosen me for this work”, is a statement that violates every teaching and tradition of Hinduism. Of course I know very little of Hindu Shashtras. But I know reasonably well to assert that under Hinduism God has never enlisted a mortal to save the country or lead the Nation. Rather it is sacrilegious for any Hindu mortal to claim that in worldly matters he is the chosen one by God. Hindus most sacred scripture, the four Vedas, which they believe were God’s spoken words are said to have been instilled into Braham Rishis, whose names are not even known. Hindus believe in Tri-Murti of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). They further believe that when there is injustice, anarchy on earth, Vishnu (Avatar) comes in the garb of man to save the world. So is the story of Lord Ram, and Lord

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Krishna whom God gave mortal shape and then sent them to earth to carry out his work. But nowhere under Hinduism has a mortal man (I hope Modi loyalists would not contradict the mundane claim that Modi is a mortal person, like the rest of earthly people), ever been entrusted by God direct to save the Nation.

More forcefully the same message and pattern runs through all the other religions. To Christian Christ was the son of God – no other Christian claims direct contact with God. The Holy Quran rejects the notion of attributing divine qualities to any one other than God. The Quran contains narratives of previous prophets such as Adam, Abraham, and Moses.

Prophet Muhammad (the last Messenger of God) never claimed that God revealed to him Quran direct. The Prophet submissiveness to God is so complete in shown by his open declaration that it was through Angel Gabriel that God revealed the Quran to him. So Modi’s claim that he has been chosen by God is sacrilegious, against not only the teachings of Hinduism or Islam, but of all religious. To claim such proximity to God is the most serious sacrilege.

Another declaration by Modi when he went to file his nomination from Varanasi attributes to him saying that he has not come on his own, but that he has come at the command of Mata (Mother) Ganga. It is well known that to overwhelming Hindus, Ganga is not considered only a river but above all divinity is attributed to it. I am not going into the question whether these words may not amount to invoking religious appeal during elections and a corrupt practice thus entailing disqualification. I concede that Modi is more conversant with Hindu Religion than me who could be called an ignoramus in this context. So surely he would remember that when Bhisham Pitamah, the greatest heroes of Epic Mahabharat goes to Mother Ganga (it should be remembered that Ganga was the real mother of Bhishm Pitamah, according to the epic), Ganga gets angry and tells Bhisham ‘why do you come running to me whenever you have

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any problem – use your own thinking and act accordingly) Bhishm Pitamah, the real son of Ganga accepts this remonstration in all humility.

So if Ganga the real mother does not want to get embroiled in worldly problem of his real son Bhishma why would Ganga especially call Modi who is engaged in petty worldly matters of General Elections. Mr. Modi, why are you cheapening the divinity and the worship of Mother Ganga for whom millions of Hindus have the highest devotion and reverence? Not to be out done Sonia has also invoked God to save the country from Gujarat Model. Who should God listen to because He is one God for all religions?

Can one not expect politicians to leave God alone to look after us small mortals who have only Him to save us? The low level exchanges between Congress, B.J.P. at the highest level is sickening and shows what degrading low can the fight for political plums drag the parties down. This was not always so. Let me give an example of the dignity with which Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Pt. Nehru known to be greatest political rivals acted in the thick of 1962 General Election when Dr. Lohia decided to stand for parliament against Pt. Nehru. He wrote to him thus: “Dear President”, In these elections, your victory is certain. But, if the certainty is turned into uncertainty and ultimately, to your defeat, then I would be extremely happy; and it would also be beneficial for the country. Then you would get the opportunity to improve yourself and become a better person. In the end, I pray for your long life so that I may get the opportunity to reform you.

Yours truly, Ram Manohar Lohia.

Pt. Nehru replied; Dear Ram Manohar “I am happy that a sober person like you is opposing me in the elections. I think in this election the discussion would be centered on the political programmes. Be cautious and

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ensure that the personal discussion should be curtailed.”

Yours, Jawahar Lal Nehru Later on in 1963 when Dr. Lohia was elected to Lok Sabha and went on the first day to attend the Lok Sabha session Pt. Nehru made it a point to be present there and to personally welcome him. The moral is – good grace mannerism should not become victim of political rivalry. Is it too much to expect that at least for the rest of election period let debate be on political level and not on personal vilification?

Political Over-reach by Election Commission/ Reserve Bank Governor parties have broadly agreed on Allvarious aspects of Model code worked out by Election Commission for a certain period before the elections – It has worked quite satisfactorily.

Fortunately the Election Commission still remains in command. Recently it denied the central government to make certain changes in some economic and subsidy policies (though the later would adversely affect the poorer sections of society) its neutrality was not challenged. It has therefore come as a shock to many of us that since Bank Nationalization in 1969 though only two licenses in Private sector have been allowed, the matter has been made controversial by R.B.I. by deciding to issue two fresh licenses. More astonishing is the comment by Governor, RBI that giving bank licenses is not in any way a political process. This plea is unacceptable in political circles because it cannot be forgotten that the economic crisis in 1969 created by Private Bank fiasco was avoided in 1969 by Nationalization of Major Banks. (Of course there was political angle in Indira – Morarji Desai power struggle at that time.) Since then however Central government with even different political Parties formation has taken place. But sensing

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the public indignation at allowing corporate sector to set up Banks, no central government seriously even remotely broached the idea of change of policy.

It was only is 2011, that UPA Government, known to be under Big corporate sector pressure, announced, though in low key, a policy for new banks in the budget for F.Y. 20011, but did not dare seriously follow it up.

Reserve Bank Governor, who evidently is a follower of Chicago school of economics of unadulterated private sector economy, was keen to go ahead with privatization, but the Ministry of Finance opposed it, even Mr. Chidambaram, no doubt also a believer in Chicago School of Economic policy (1990) opposed it, realizing the political dynamite of privatization.

But the Governor nevertheless referred this matter to the Election Commission. One would have expected a immediate curt negative from the Election Commission for the obvious reason that Banks Nationalization is one of the most explosive political decision, and which only an elected government is competent to modify. By what logic Election Commission has permitted the Reserve Bank the liberty to take decision independent of the government on such a delicate financial, economic and a political policy is beyond comprehension. Governor Reserve bank has ventured the unacceptable proposition that granting bank business is not in any way a political process. This stand is totally unacceptable both in principle and in law. R.B.I. can only move in after the central government has taken a political decision to allow private banking – and this decision, if at all can only be taken after the elections and new government has taken over. Such a change of policy requires full-fledged debate not only in legislatures but in the political circles. It cannot be done quietly at a bureaucratic level.

The unexplained hurry by Governor Reserve Bank to issue two private Licenses defies logic. It

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is not as if service by private Banks is helping the needy ones. Statistics show that 27 State run banks account for 75% of total deposits and 73% of total credit. If analyzed in depth the private Banks service its own private client and have no public purpose. As a matter of fact, in last couple of years, even in U.A.S. biggest banks, like Bank of America, were saved from bankruptcy by the U.S. Government lending huge amounts of money to them.

A fallacious argument in favour of privatization of banks that they are less likely to default and therefore are a less burden on the public finance has been authoritatively negative by international Monetary fund (I.M.F.) which has warned that the world’s biggest banks still get a total of about 590 Billion Dollars in subsidies from their governments. In that light this action of giving license for Private Banking by Reserve Bank Governor is mystifying. This decision has already been adversity commented by Members of Parliament and they have warned that R.B.I. should have waited, as decision had to be made by the new government after general elections and they have warned that “they would revisit the issue of new bank licenses”.

Bank Nationalization is a matter of government policy – the Supreme Court in Bank Nationalization case (1970) specifically refused to consider the argument of private bankers that under the scheme of social control exercised by Reserve Bank of India, the commercial Banks had achieved impressive results comparing favorably with the performance of State Banks of India. The Supreme Court said thus; “This Court is not the forum in which these conflicting claims may be debated. Whether there is a genuine need for banking facility in the rural sector………..whether administration by the Government of the commercial banking sector will not prove beneficial to the community and will lead to rigidity in the administration, whether the Government administration will eschew the profit-motive, and even if it be eschewed, there

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will accrue substantial benefits to the public……….and whether the policy followed by the Government in office or the policy propounded by its opponents may reasonably attain the national objectives are matters which have little relevance in determining the legality of the measure. It is again not for this Court to consider the relative merits of the different political theories or economic policies………….This Court has the power to strike down a law on the ground of want of authority, but the Court will not sit in appeal over the policy of the parliament in enacting a law.

The Court cannot find fault with the Act merely on the ground that it is inadvisable to take over the undertaking of banks which, it is said by the petitioner, by thrift and efficient management had set up an impressive and efficient business organization serving large sectors of industry.”

I feel strongly that Governor, R.B.I. should immediately withdraw the permission so as not to create unnecessary lack of confidence and want of rapport between R.B.I. and the new

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government. Already there is a bias against public sector – this is clear from the fact none of major political parties though at each other’s throat in their election offensive has even remotely praised public sector; rather all are promising to encourage private sector – ironically forgetting compulsion for socialism high-lighted in the Preamble to our Constitution.

Mr. Justice, Rajindar Sachar, Chief Justice (Retd.) High Court of Delhi, New Delhi; Chairperson Prime Minister’s High Level Committee On Status of Muslims (Ex.) UN Special Rappoetuer on Housing; Member, U.N. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (Ex.); President, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) India (Ex.) may be contacted at: rsachar23@bol.net.in; rsachar1@vsnl.net A-19, New Friends Colony, New Delhi, 110065(India) Tel: 091-11-26847786, 2683019; 9810009644

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Does Muslim Manifestation Make Others Secularists?

—K.S. Chalam he present election scenario seems to be different from the previous polls in terms of the issues alluded for public debate. It is currentlyseen as personal vendetta and drama of various kinds that deprived likely disquiet during the time of democratic polls. It is curious to note that the presence of a so called obstinate Hindutva face like that of Modi has not created any verve in the campaigns as if there is some pre-set truce among the parties. The manifestos ritual is gone and the electronic war of words began to indicate that India, the Bharat Varsha has come of age to affirm our preeminent place in the Wold. It is however not clear from the manifestos and the speeches where our leaders leading all of us? Perhaps they themselves are not clear as they are simply doing their karma without anticipating anything in return, simply leaving it to the benevolence of the almighty.

Who is this almighty? Don’t question, lest your eyes be blustered?

In almost all our general elections, the one single issue that came up for debate was Secularism. Every other party is seen accusing the opponent of minority bashing or inducement is not found now. It seems the branded parties have also started cajoling the minority or observed silence so that the possible margins shouldn’t disturb their winning chances. This is really a significant change in our democratic polity signifying improvement. It can also be construed as a conspiracy against the common man by the privileged few in organised political parties. The political parties seem to have not been able to flag the suffering and pain of the poor, the marginalised, the deprived and the exploited with whose votes that they seize to come to power. There are no deviations in the election manifestos or speeches of the

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contending parties as if all of them are fighting on a single issue indicating a situation of referendum.Interestingly, more glamour with film stars in the campaigns are added to avoid real issues .Therefore, the elections appear to be fought for money, by the money power and to the moneyed interests. It is alleged that in a place like Visakhapatnam, outsiders and settlers together are going to spend about Rs 1000 crores for the Lok-Sabha seat.

There is however, a risk to the people if the much publicized party does not get majority.

There is every possibility of whipping communal hatred by the lackeys and not necessarily their leaders in future. Because, there seem to be trillion dollars’ worth of business in the faith market that is fast expanding in the USA, Europe, Middle East and other advanced countries where the local religions are waning and credulous people are searching for alternatives. Consequently, our experts, seers, pundits, babas, prophets, gurus and other religious leaders have developed sufficient strategies to expand the market particularly among the Indian diaspora. But, it all depends upon the situation in India. If the people demonstrate that they are rational and tolerant of other’s faith as a legacy of this country, there will be little chance to play on the emotions to expand the market. The amount of investment made on the publications, Institutes (Sindhology, Himalaya), places of worship and related activities would end up causing enormous loss to the assets. The investments are made not only in physical elements but also are extended to metaphysical arenasto lay a strong foundation for the survival of some injudicious and narrow minded opinion makers.They appear in different robes, but their objective is very clear, hegemony. Therefore, it is the duty of every sane Indian to bring forth the legacy of tolerance, fairness and non-interference (wrongly interpreted as otherworldly) in matters of belief systems of individuals. This is the unique identity of this

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su con inen in an ar of i s geogra h and his or .

Most of our leaders suddenly become secularists at the time of elections and appease the minorities, although all through their life stressed them due to indoctrination or false education. It is ridiculous to note that every politician addresses the Muslims as brethren as if other minorities like Christians, Jains, Buddhists and even non-believers are their enemies. This is a deep malady that needs to be pondered over by concerned citizens who talk about secularism. Interestingly, Secularism has been made a funny concept by our leaders and some activist Intellectuals with empty talk and rhetoric. None of the political parties has any programme of action or counter intelligence strategies to encounter religious bigotry except expressing lot of sympathy for the Muslims when they are attacked. Had any of the parties ever tried to make them strong and non-vulnerable with socio-economic and reform measures or some other concrete work devoid of speechmaking? The speeches are also aimed to get the label of ‘secularist’instantaneously through pampering ofsections of Muslims.

There may be serious internal diversity within the community that makes some of them feel frustrated without any resolutionof their difficulties and thus fall prey to tricks. Otherwise, Islam is not the only religion that was thrust on Indians. In fact several sects, cults and faiths including the ones that repose faith in ‘meruparvatha’ (Pamir) have descended on to this land from time immemorial. The Native Indians never bothered about the aliens and happily assimilated them till they had cunningly and with a devious vision made the local a stranger, may be an untouchable. This is unique to India and not found elsewhere in the World.

Therefore, new theories started pouring into establish that Indians have migrated to other countries and continents civilizing them some 5000 years back. None of the Nordic countries, Iran, Iraq etc agree to this story except the agents of the proponents.

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The history of mankind seems to have not witnessed bands migrating to hazardous places like the North Pole or to cold countries from the South where life is harsh. The drive is always a southward or Southern tip of the globe that included India, the most bountiful country. This is also true in the case of ancient fair skin descendants, Christians, Muslims and several others. They have settled here and became Indians through fusion of blood and beliefs.

There is also a group of dubious scholars in the USA who contend that their ancestors had settled there before the Native Americans and therefore the alleged genocide is not racial. It appears that the neo-fascists in India share similarnotion or may be a part of that intellectualconstruction. Therefore, we need to formulate an academic framework to infuse confidence and brotherhood among all those who became citizens of this republic or their progeny after 1950.

In fact, Indians can boast of the early beginnings of Christianity in Asia from Kodangalur, West Coast of India (present Kerala) where St. Thomas landed in 52 AD. Similarly, the first Jama-Maszid was built in 629 AD in Cherman, Kerala during the life time of Prophet Mohammed. But, some of our jingoists become intolerant if someone says that Buddhism, Jainism even Sikhism flourished as independent faiths apart from the imperial Hinduism. Indians should feel proud about the diversity and tolerance displayed by the original inhabitants, some of them still remained outside the system due to cruelty to our own people. The issue is that the faiths and the followers are from our own people, may be some are original people who had drifted to other faiths including Islam, Christianity etc. That does not mean they are aliens. However, it is established that most of the saints or their evangelization took place due to our trade with the West. But never, we succumbed to their commands. It is a huge embarrassment now that the trading companies in the name of Mega Corporations and MNCs are

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now prescribing procedures including the plank on which the current elections are political isometrics to our patriots,who ruefully contested by most of the parties. Therefore, the topic is of great importance for policy makers prostate and comply. Alas where do we go! and ordinary citizens.

Less the Government, Government is understood by Economists as an More advantage for Market agent commissioned by citizens to exercise power for the supply of public goods. Public Democracy goods are those that are non-rivalrous and here seem to be lot of discussion in the non-excludable like fresh air, street lighting, media aboutthe effectiveness of a public roads etc. (There may be a different constricted government. Economists of the meaning and definition specified by other Social neo-liberal era have produced volumes of Scientists.) Good Governance has also become scholarly works on the subject and were a topic of political issue in the current elections. rewarded with the Nobel. Their Indian Here we need to look at the World Bank counterparts both within the country and conceptsince it is taken as gospel truth and abroad mostly through their assignments in IMF, acknowledged in India. Good Governance is World Bank etc have popularised the theories defined as, ‘the manner in which power is and are still vocal. The popular allegory that the exercised in the management of a country’s invisible foot of state is unproductive is accepted economic and social resources for here through the mission mode of the motivated development�. Note the word management and experts. Already media reports are abuzz with not governance in the definition around which indications that such and such an academic the executives are trained to implement the best from USA is going to be the adviser to the PM practices generally certified by the Bank or its and he would make it sure that the state would associates. The parameters of good governance wither away as early as possible. It is also implicit are judged by accountability, transparency, rule in their contention that democracy is ultimately of law and participation (not the unfair policies made to serve the market to reap benefits. After and practices). All of them have been translated all, democratically elected governments are in to practice through various Acts or supposed to provide employment to people that Government orders like RTI; Results Frame is possible only through growth. How could Work, Lok-Pal etc. One can see them in broad anyone achieve growth without investment and print on glossy paper sent to funding agencies the investment short of accumulation? State is and some published by repute Publishers with incapable and unproductive to do these subsidy available all over. What else do we need functions. Therefore, we have to rely on the to witness the spirit of good governance in market as it is a perfect and unbiased institution India? for realizing growth.

Ever since the neo-liberal policies introduced by The experts, who advocate minimum role to the government in 1991, there has been a government, do not have any political or ethical discourse on new public management (NPM). barriers and therefore, we can find them There are persuasive studies and works by noticeable in any form of government either at retired bureaucrats and serving scholars on the the centre or in states. It is however, interesting need to follow this American innovation to save that their ideas are being voiced now through the Indian economy. There were also attempts political leaders, foretelling that the future by the ruling classes to infuse new ideas of government would be of more neo-liberal than administrationreplacing the old concept of the present ostracized one. This seems to be the governance. The subtle difference between

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administration and governance and management are erasing. It is almost accepted both by the executive and academics that governance in the Indian state is nothing but ‘the art of getting things done’, or management.

Treatises are published by former bureaucrats on this important issue advising young officers to cultivate the art of managing things. The government has designed and sponsored training programmes for civil servants through the Management Institutes or World Bank supported programmes mostly in the USA to learn about the nuances of making the state as a ‘facilitator’ of privatisation or economic reforms.

The process is almost complete by 2000. We have also witnessed rapid economic growth and much faster depletion of our resources for more than a decade. The publicity and media honchos worked day and night to tell us that the rate of growth and the model followed to accomplish the targets were incredible in some states in the recent history of the country.It is a success story.

Thanks to the UN MDGs, government took the issues of poverty serious and made adjustments in data to show that India is about to be free from the scourge of poverty. Yet, no bureaucrat worth his salt advocated a role for the state in delivering welfare to the people. All of them (may be some exceptions) have advocated that the young officers be motivated to work for the economic advancement of the nation through privatisation. Naturally, they understood the real meaning of it and became billionaires themselves and some joined private sector.

However, it is common sense that the job of the state is not to train its officers for private sector, if at all, let there be lateral entry of officers. It is alleged that the powerful lobbies have resistedthis to happen and conspired to finish the stateand made it tobother about growth and equity. But, strangely, we have now different report cards accusing the men who have sincerely implemented the model, may be subtly suggesting the need for a shift in the approach or loyalty. (See my forthcoming book,

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Governance in South Asia: state of the civil services by Sage) The message that we got from the current election season is that there is nothing wrong with the model, but only with the men who managed it. It means that the regulatory mechanisms, the rules of the game, the RTI, Lok-Pal, etc are to be replaced by leaders who are more pliable for corporate houses that do business with government. In the process, some of the experts are citing instances from states that have shown outstanding results. They however, fail to explain or intentionally avoid the consequences of the model and the specificity of the state, Vis -a -Vis other states. Interestingly, they appear to have accepted the comments of the West that India is a nation of snake charmers, but that did not bar to do business with them. Perhaps, intuitively the advisers and PR firms knew that the model can promote both capitalism and feudal administration without limitation of our doctrines. The engagement of clerics and babas as business gurus seem to have resolved the differences with an agreement to expand their business in India and our faith in the West. It seems the hypothesis of a contradiction between clergy and capital is either resolved or misconceived in the Indian context. Therefore, tradition and traders go hand in hand to do business irrespective of the type of government in power. The differentiation among social groups like castes including the dalits, OBCs etc is addressed by the experts and seems to have created models to resolve the likely discontentment during elections. It is alleged that only entrepreneurs or officers with business links are selected from these communitiesas the candidates in such a way that they are socially capable of dealing with them and suppress small irritants. In other words, a business-cum-political class has emerged and seen contesting the elections in 2014. They just do not bother about the larger issues or social concerns like poverty alleviation,

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dalit empowerment, women emancipation etc.

Is this a phenomenon of market democracy?

The essence of market democracy according to Noam Chomsky is engineering of consent through democratic process. Here some of the institutions look like democratic, such as political parties, elections, universal franchise etc but, their ultimate goal is to make the market effective. In other words, the democratically elected government would be given a mandate to ensure that necessary support be given to the instruments of market to decide economic and social policies including tax rates, welfare budget etc. The experts claim that they have worked well in the USA, Europe and elsewhere and it should work in India.The problem in India, they refuse to accept is that, being a federal state we have not yet reached the stage where the model can be uniformly employed in all the states. For instance, Gujarat has a higher man-land ratio compared to Seemandhra, Delhi, Tamil-Nadu etc. As per the 59th NSS Report, the per capita availability of land among 21.6 percent of SCs is 0.34 hectares, 41.6 percent of OBCs 0.76, 10.5 percent of STs 0.76 and others at 1.03Hcs, is the most iniquitous distribution. The arable land is not uniform across states: North India has 0.27, Central India 0.13, East 0.1, South 0.18, West 0.23 and

India 0.18 Lakh hectares per capita.How can we implement a land policy of giving thousands of hectares to business houses as in Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh or some other state?

In fact the noted economist Sheila Bhalla has pointed out that the unequal power relationships led to land grabbing by foreign Investors under FDI and FII investments leading to pressure on land. This is a serious question that can be engaged in by a market democracy if it is left free. Why should the state get involved in this contentious issue? In an election season, the advisers must have suggested for initiating a veiled debateon this to convince the voters on the merits of outsourcing governance?

[K.S. Chalam has been Vice- Chancellor, Dravidian University, Kuppam (AP), (2005); Member, Planning Board, Govt. of M.P., (2002-04); Founder Director, UGC Academic Staff College, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (1987-2005); Director, Swamy Ramananda Tirtha Rural Institute, Pochampally, Hyderabad (1997-98); Professor of Economics, Andhra University (1990-2005).

He is on several Committees as Hon’ble Chairman, Member such as UGC, NCRI, A.U. etc.

He may be contacted at: chalamks@hotmail.com]

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

MAY 2014

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The God of Einstein —Jawaharlal Jasthi he only thing that can be said without controversy about Einstein is that he is a great physicist. Everything else about him is surrounded with controversy. He was a German who detested Germans and relinquished his German nationality twice. He was a pacifist who encouraged production of the most destructive weapon, the atom bomb. He was a Jew who was more sympathetic to Palestinians and hated the way they are treated by Jews. He used the word ‘god’ more frequently than can be expected of a scientist. But he had a different meaning for it.

There is a conflict between spiritualists and atheists ever since the idea of god has emerged.

The two groups were competing to get more people join their line of thinking almost to the level of proselytisation. Even now the struggle is not less intense but for atheists getting less interested in the struggle. If there is a man reputed in his own field that has nothing to do with god, they pounce on him and demand an opinion on god. One group claims he believes in god expecting to add weight to their spiritualism. The other group claims he did not believe in god and so god is false. Einstein is not an exception to this kind of controversial claims.

It is better to analyse his own statements to resolve this controversy. Einstein was born in to an irreligious Jewish family. His parents did not attend the local synagogue. They did not hesitate to enjoy beacon, ham and seafoods that were forbidden to Jews. They were not particular of kosherand took meat of any origin. In spite of it, Einstein was deeply religious by the time he reached the age of twelve. Perhaps it was a reaction to the atmosphere in the house. It was the first manifestation of his controversial nature. He did not stay in that mold for a long time. His mind was open. He read popular science voraciously. It started creating doubts about the veracity of many of the stories in the

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Holy Bible. He concluded “much of the stories could not be true.” This process of free thinking led him to conclude that the traditional educational machinery (which demands study and belief in the Bible) is deceiving the young by teaching lies. Added to this, his experience in the school made him defiant of teaching methods and authority. When he was bedridden with some childhood ailment, his father gave him a small compass to spend time in bed. He noticed that the needle of the compass behaved as if it is influenced by an invisible force. From then onwards his mind was completely dominated by science – to find reasons for whatever he finds. After reading Darwin, he was attracted to the study of biology and wavered for some time between physics and biology. “I do not believe that physics does not comprehend the processes of life” he told himself and decided to pursue physics first. Having stepped into it once, he was completely captivated by it.

The void created by discarding religious beliefs was filled by the scientific spirit. His involvement was so intense that he started isolating himself from other people and became lonely person. “I want my peace. I want to know how God created this world. I want to know His thoughts” he used to say. Using the word god has become habitually repetitious. He used it in his own sense “Words mean what you want them to mean” he said in a different context. Even when others interpreted in their own way, he did not think it necessary to contest. Cardinal O’Cromwell of Boston criticized his General Relativity Theory and told his group of Catholics that it “clothed the ghastly apparition of atheism and befogged speculation producing universal doubt about God and His creation”. Einstein did not react to it. Then on 24th April, 1929 the New York rabbi, Hubert Goldstein put a direct question to him, “Do you believe in God?” It came on his face and that too from a rabbi. He replied, “I believe in Spinoza’s god who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in the god who concerns himself with fates

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and actions of human beings.” This statement of Einstein can be taken as his conviction to the end, and all the usages of the words ‘god’ and ‘religion’ should be interpreted in the light of this statement. Some described him as an ‘agnostic’ which means “one who holds that nothing is known or likely to be known of the existence of god or of anything beyond material phenomena.” As a scientist, he is naturally concerned with the material phenomena. In 1921 itself, he is reported to have told Archbishop Davidson, who asked him what relativity is “It makes no difference to you. It is purely abstract science.”

He used the word ‘religious’ to describe his conviction about the natural laws. “I have not found a better expression than ‘religious’ for my trust in the rational nature of reality that is, at least to a certain extent, accessible to human reason.” It explains his belief in and respect for natural laws is in no way less than the respect religious people have for god and their religion.

He believed that the universe is comprehensible which is possible only if it is law-governed. His humility is also seen in saying that the reality “at least to a certain extent, is accessible to human reason.” The universe is governed by physical laws and the laws are comprehensible to human reason. What is there to know if it is a chaos?

He believed that‘reality’ is independent of the observer. In 1930 Tagore visited Einstein in Germany. They had a discussion on “Nature of reality”. Tagore asserted that beauty and truth are not independent of man. Einstein said he has no objection as far as beauty is concerned.

(After all, beauty depends on the observer.) “But I cannot prove that scientific truth must be conceived as a truth that is valid independent of reality (observation), but I believe it firmly. I believe, for instance, that the Pythagorean Theorem in geometry states something that is approximately true, independent of the existence of man. If there is a reality independent of man, there is also a truth relative to this reality. In the same way, negation of the

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first engenders a negation of the existence of the latter…. Our natural point of view in regard to the existence of truth apart from humanity cannot be explained or proved. But it is a belief that nobody can lack – not primitive beings even. We attribute to truth a superhuman objectivity. It is indispensable for us, this reality which is independent of our existence and our experience and our mind, though we cannot say what it means.” It can be observed how careful he was in using his words to reflect his firm conviction about reality and truth which are basic for any scientist. Contemplation of first principles progressively occupied his attention.

In all humility he said: “All our knowledge is but the knowledge of school children. We shall know a little more than what we know now. But the real nature of things – that we shall never know, never.” It indicates his conviction that there remains always something to know. There is no denying the fact that the universe is comprehensible. If that belief is not there, there is no place for science. That is what he said in his “Evolution of Physics.” In his “Religion and Science” he wrote about his religious experience. “Everything that men do or think concerns the satisfaction of the needs they feel or escape from pain. There are three stages of religious development – starting with the religion of fear that served primitive people and which, in due course, has become the moral religion whose driving force was the social feelings. This, in turn, could become the “Cosmic Religious sense” which recognizes neither the dogmas nor god made in man’s image. I assert that cosmic religious experience is the strongest and noblest driving force behind scientific research. The only deeply religious people of our largely materialistic age are the earnest men of research.” The word religious experience has a different meaning for Einstein than for others. But Dr.Fulton Sheen told his Catholic Teachers’ Association that “it is sheerest kind of stupidity and non-sense” because no one would be willing to lay down his

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life for the Milky Way (as people are ready to lay down their lives for god). For them the only sincere belief is the belief in god as it is only on that belief that people are willing to lay down their lives because they believe they will go to heaven by that. Alas, scientists have no heaven to go! An impersonal god, a deterministic universe, a churchless religion, disregard for money and material wealth, a world government, pacifismand socialism are some of the beliefs of Einstein.

Manufacturers of different products – from disinfectants to cloth – offered heavy amounts for permission to use his name to market their products. It created an adverse reaction from Einstein. “Is it not a sad comment on the commercialism and competition of our times that business firms make these offers with no thought of wanting to insult me? Why a popular fancy should seize me, a scientist dealing in abstract things and happy if left alone? It is a manifestation of man’s psychology that is beyond me. It is terrible that this should be so and I suffer more than anybody can imagine.” he said. His self-respect is hurt. What about our celebrities who lend their names for all and sundry products? They put a price (of remuneration) on their popularity. It is surprising that Einstein uses the word god so frequently in spite of not believing in it. It is just a habitual way of expressing himself, prevailing at that time, perhaps even now. We take the name of god without meaning it. When D.C.Miller made his statement refuting the Michelson-Morley experiments, Einstein made his comment: “God is subtle but not malicious”.

Those experiments were conducted to know if there is ether. From these experiments Einstein drew the conclusion that there is nothing like ether. Experiments shall not be written off with ‘malice’ without analyzing the ‘subtle’ results.

Quantum theory is just a consequence of his relativity theory and Einstein should be proud of it. But one of the main features of quantum theory is the uncertainty principle of

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Heisenberg. It states that the sub-atomic world runs on statistical principles, that is, on probability and not on certainty. It is one of the basic convictions of Einstein or any scientist that the world runs on strict causality, which implied certainty and classical determinism. That is what Newton said and proved. That was why the idea probability played a role in reality and the assertion that our observation would collapse those probabilities upset him. “Some physicists, among them myself, cannot believe that we must accept the view that events in nature are analogous to a game of chance.” The validity of any theory in science is based on the correctness of predictions based on it. That is possible only if there is a relationship of cause and effect. But the statistic principle is based on probability, not certainty. Einstein did not relish it and refused to accept it as final. He did not say it is false. He said it is an incomplete theory, a stage on the way to final truth. “Quantum mechanics is entirely imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the Old One. I, at any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice.”

That ‘dice’ travelled around the world faster than his relativity theory. “I can, if the worst comes to worst, still realize that the Good Lord may have created a world in which there are no natural laws, in short, a chaos. But that there should be statistical laws with definite solutions i.e. laws which compel the Good Lord to throw dice in each individual case, I find highly disagreeable” he said. The difficulty was that all the physicists were convinced of quantum theory and also its statistical laws. But nobody thought of consequences of such laws. It implies that each incident is to be decided individually based on its own statistics. It ‘compels the Good Lord to throw dice in each individual case’ which is highly disagreeable to him. Even if it depends on probability, there must be some thread to connect the individual events, so that the ‘Good Lord’ need-not throw dice in each individual

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case. Everybody was surprised that a physicist like Einstein was not willing to accept what was proved so clearly. Niels Bohr is reported to have told Einstein “Don’t try to tell god what to do.”

But the trouble is, for Einstein, it is the rules that were god. If the rules are not definite and certain, you cannot understand nature. It is one of his fundamental convictions that reality exists independent of our ability to observe it. For him, science is to find that reality. Each theory should be a step in that direction. If not, it is not acceptable or incomplete at best. That is what he said of quantum theory. One more feature of quantum theory that upset Einstein is the entanglement of particles. Two particles generated out of a common source appear to get entangled in such a way that, even after they are separated, the action on one shows immediate simultaneous reaction on the other, leaving no time for information to travel between them even if the information travels at the speed of light. According to relativity theory, nothing can travel faster than light. Then how is it that the action on one gets simultaneous reaction on the other? In fact, it is a problem still to be explained in quantum theory. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance”. He tried to disprove it. But all physicists are convinced entanglement is a fact, even if they could not explain the reasons for it. All these disagreements compelled him to find a unified theory that can explain all these problems and the urgency he felt for it consumed all his subsequent life. He did not like complications in science theories. For him it must be simple so that even a bar maid could understand it. Max Born observed that “Einstein has no belief in church, but he did not think that religious faith was a sign of stupidity, nor unbelief a sign of intelligence.” It is an attempt to save faith against Einstein. But in his later life Einstein showed signs of positive atheism. In 1954, a year before his death, he wrote a letter to Erik Gutkind stating that “The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product

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of human weakness, the Bible, a collection of honorable but still purely primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can change this for me.” In the month of June, 2013 it was reported that a Bible signed by Einstein came for auction in New York. It is stated that the book bears an inscription by Einstein that “it is an inexhaustible source of wisdom that deserves frequent reading”. It is stated that it was signed in 1932 along with his wife Elsa.

Leaving aside the date of his signature on the book, it is quite possible that it was in the family form his childhood days. His signature made it a valuable possession. The book was given by them as a gift to their friend Harriet Hamilton and thus it found its way to auction where it is reported to have fetched a price of $68,500.

There is an unbroken thread of development of his views about god and religion in his life. It is not a surprise since most of the atheists at present were theists in their earlier stages and converted to atheism by conviction. There are people who were atheists and later converted to faith. It makes no difference to spiritualism or to atheism however great the person might be.

There are people on both sides who were reputed in different fields. It is purely a personal conviction. Faith is different from knowledge. In spite of being a product of imagination, god has got embedded in human psyche as a ‘meme’ and it will not be uprooted by any effort. But the difficulty comes when the believers try to find a place for faith in science which will hinder the spread of scientific knowledge that is so essential to human welfare. Even the believers assert that god is something that cannot be subjected to scientific verification. So be it. But science is concerned with this universe and not with anything beyond it. That is what Einstein wanted to know. The laws of universe were god for him. —[Jawaharlal Jasthi is a vetaran Radical Humanist and Rationalist, writer and author from Hyderabad, A.P. He may be cotacted at: jjasthi@yahoo.com]

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A Plea for Humanism —Ramesh Korde ......Continued from the March '14 RH issue Humanist Pleas for Effective Democracy: emocracy, a word originated in the classical Greek city state, means the rule of Demos, the citizens’ body, the right of all to decide the matters of general concern. This can be defined as rule of the people and by the people, a true democracy which can be called a direct organized democracy. However, today owing to huge explosion of population in millions, it is next to impossible to gather all millions of people at one place to decide the matters of general concern. Intellectuals of Western Europe wedded to philosophy of liberation explore the possibility to establish democracy through representatives periodically elected by people residing within the specified national boundaries of respective states. It is popularly known as representative parliamentary democracy.

Under the circumstances then prevailing, this was the only possible available alternative to direct democracy then prevailed in ancient small city state of Greek. Ofcource, this parliamentary democracy is preferable and the best form of government developed so far by human intellectual ingenuity. With all its defects and inadequacies, this democracy is preferable to any type of authoritarian and totalitarian form of government which is antithetical to the fundamental rights of individual freedom of expression. However, this type of parliamentary democracy need not be treated as ultimate sanctify for human ingenuity or last word on human wisdom.

The present popular representative parliamentary democracy systems where in eligible voters periodically elect their representative to run respective national state government. This system does recognize the sovereignty of people. Its defect or inadequacy

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is, during the period between two elections, sovereign people have no effective control over their representative. Nor does it provide any means or instrument so that people’s voice could be reflected in the deliberations that takes place in apex body – parliament – affecting lives of people who have put their representatives at helm of state’s affairs. Unfortunate result is, electors who elect their representatives, virtually becomes helpless and could only witness electors being prosecuted. Sovereignty of people is the main plank of liberal theory of parliamentary democracy. However, in practice it deviated from its own basic doctrine. This deviation and its promotion of laizzes force economic doctrine reduced the sovereign individual to a legal fiction. Privilege small minority elites claimed, they are the fittest to run the administrations of state. The worst part is, these minority elites express their distrust about the ability and capability of large section of majority of population. They assiduously emphasize that these large sections of population who have elected them are bereft of thinking faculty and to act in responsible manner. This resulted into gulf between the rulers and the ruled. Very often these elites having gained power through elections, abuse it by suppressing liberty of their electors from enforcing their sovereign rights. Under this liberal parliamentary democratic system, political parties play a dominant role. The practice of political parties teaches us that intelligence, integrity, wisdom, moral excellence, knowledge count for nothing and also has no bearing upon their activities. And very often they under pressure have tendency to put mediocre at the helm of state affairs.

This liberal democratic system gave birth to competition between various political parties to scramble for power to capture state power which has done a great harm to the democratic way of life and led to concentration of political power in few hands. This vitiated the social atmosphere by having free play to corruption in public affairs.

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India is living example. Of course, power has always a place in human society. It is defined as ability to do things. However, its usefulness is eclipsed when it concentrated in few hands.

Result is majority section of population became totally helpless and powerless. Ultimately, democratic way of life would be eclipsed and will be replaced by authoritarianism having free play. This competition between power crazy political parties, on false non-enforceable promises tries to capture state power. This is not conducive to growth of democratic way of life.

Political parties are not the proper instrument to stimulate the growth of even parliamentary democracy prevailing at present. This well collaborated by their internal functioning. Its internal decision making processes are always monopolized by few powerful leaders, very often single powerful individual. Majority of its members are just camp followers like dumb driven cattle. It is an incontestable truth, particularly with reference to India and other Asian and African countries; power is concentrated in few hands through the instrumentality of political parties.

Radical Humanism does not intend to destroy representative parliamentary democracy. It is at least committed to have respect for individual freedom of expression. This provides an opportunity to the lovers of freedom to make efforts to remove defects and inadequacies of this limited democracy and expand further into government of the people and by the people, incorporating all the salient features of liberal values, known since French revolution – equality, liberty and fraternity. Humanist will make all possible efforts; intend to ensure that all those liberal values are rooted in the character of human beings. The historical experience has collaborated that where these values have preceded democracy, democracy is strong and effective as in Western Europe.

Where democracy preceded these liberal values democracy is weak and inactive as in India and other Asian and African countries. In brief, it can

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be mentioned, in absence of social democracy, political and economic democracy is not possible Economic conditions affect the daily life of people: the political democracy is intimately connected with economic system. Late Roy observed, economic democracy is no more possible in the absence of political democracy then the latter in the absence of former. They are not mutually exclusive. They stand or fall together. Need is economic system must also be democratized. What is needed according to late Roy is the creation of conditions under which democracy is possible. In first place, there must be conscious and integrated efforts to stimulate among the people the urge for freedom, desire to rely on themselves the spirit of free and independent thinking and will never to submit to any external authority by exchanging their freedom for the security of slave. To attain this true democracy, late Roy had suggested the structure of state should be pyramidal form.

Parliamentary at the apex founded on network of people’s committees organized at grass-root level. In between there may be committees at district and provincial levels. (For details refer to Draft Constitution of free India by M.N. Roy) These people’s committees will facilitate people at large to meet at a specific place to discuss problems confronting them and arrive at fruitful conclusions. Today, because of tremendous growth of communicative technology, it has become possible to convey the decision arrived at people’s committees to apex body – parliament. This will help this apex body to arrive decisions beneficial to majority of population.

One of the most important functions of these committees will be to make people conscious of their sovereign right and power to exercise it intelligently and responsibly so that they may not become a marionette to dance to the tune of power crazy politicians and economic bosses. It will also stimulate urge for freedom, make them self-reliant, and excite their critical thinking faculty lying dormant at present through rational

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and scientific education. Make them aware that freedom is their inherent birth right. It now well established fact that democracy with reference to India and other backward countries is very weak and ineffective. This can be traced to the absence of social democracy. What is needed to become even present parliamentary to be effective, the liberal values, equality, liberty and fraternity must reach the hearth of each and every homes so that these becomes the integral part of people in their day to day dealings and activities. Democracy can never be exclusively political. It must cover all facts of human life in day to day affairs of people. Need of the day is to raise intellectual understanding of large section of people to make them aware of their self-respect and self-reliant that is conducive to growth of effective democracy. To attain this present power politics be replaced by humanistic oriented politics where state power will not be concentrated in few hands. Power will be diffused to the lowest strata of society to attain effective democracy. Late Bertrand Russell said, man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.

Humanism Rejects Religious Obscurantism: It is just probable man’s religion began in nature worship. To ancient primitive man the world contains many objects which, because they appeared to posse’s mysterious power, he believed it to be inherited by spirits. Therefore he must have thought, the world in where he lives and grows is full of deities, controlling all the phenomena of nature, needing to be propitiated by worship and by sacrifice of animals. Thus religion arose, first as polytheism ended in monotheism. However, today natural sciences have exploded all the religious dogmatic beliefs as unhealthy illusions. It induces man to escape from the stress of powerlessness. Man has become powerless, because of teachings of religion. Karl Marx said religion is the opium of the people, a false and unrealistic sense of contentment among people.

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It deadens the critical thinking faculty of man.

Religious teachings: by impressing upon man that their doctrines are absolute and eternal truth for all time to come makes man docile.

Rising of any skepticism about its dogmatic doctrine are totally banned when people, as observed by late Roy, are disposed to accept any supernatural or religious authority, without investigating its veracity man will always be proned to accept any secular authority on this earth. This slavish mentality in India has further galvanized by present movement of religious revivalism, endangering democracy.

Most obnoxious and deliberately deceiving part of religious teachings are, it impresses upon the ignorant people that the world, the home of people, a permanent place to live in, is a vale of tears, a painful pilgrimage to imaginary heaven that does not exist. It further prevails upon the ignorant people to accept false beliefs – Brahma Satya, Jagat Mithya. This works as disincentive to improve his life in his permanent abode.

Voltaire said if religion was clear, it would have fewer attractions. They need obscurity, mysteries, fables, miracles, incredible things.

(Ref.: Writings of Will Durand) Today man is unhappy because they are ignorant. They are ignorant because religion conspires to prevent them from being enlightened and prevent reason to be sufficiently devolved. Religion has infiltrated the minds of large section of Indian population with false and unverified theory of creation. God is the creation of all things including man and as such man is subservient to god. This result into developing the psychology of slave that induces man to accept the role of servant or follower of any secular authority creates fertile ground for authoritarian forces to thrive not conducive to growth of human freedom and democratic way of life. This religious theory of creation by God had long back explored by the proponent of natural science. They say, a ball of flaming gas, cast out by or torn out of the sun, cooling down and condensed into earth. The process took place

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over a period of astronomical time, which is calculated in billions of years. There began geological evolution which estimated to have taken from four to five hundred million years.

The first sign of life, tiny specs of primordial slime floating on water appeared on the surface of the earth about one hundred million years ago. It means the earth was lifeless for about four hundred millions years. This falsifies the religious theory of creation.

The ‘Karma’ theory of Hindu religion made man fatalistic. It has impressed upon ignorant people that the affairs of present life are predetermined by the ‘karma’ of one’s previous life. This led Indians to resign themselves to fate, lost their human dignity and worked as disincentive to improve their human conditions on this earth where they live and grow. Most excruciating experience is that the modern educated middle class are supposed to be leaders of people, blindly adher to dogmatic and irrational teachings of religion have cultivated and spreading slavish mentality, totally trapped in superstitious beliefs of religious dogmas. The result is, they are totally devoid from the faculty of rational creative criticism. Even in 21st century, national sciences have made tremendous all round progress, exploding all the religious dogmas, religious revivalism is rampant among large section of Indian population because in India, religious doctrine was never subjected to crucible criticism and examination in the light of scientific discoveries and its implications. Therefore, religious beliefs were never exposed in all its irrational teachings and obscurantism.

It is also true that one can learn from world history that religion is not proper instrument to bring about unity and harmonious human relations among the entire human race. It is inherently wedded to divisible force. To achieve unity and harmonious relations among the entire citizens of India, the first and foremost condition is to liberate Indians from outdated and antiquated religious dogmas, particularly

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with reference to social life of Indians. They enchained the large section of human population to false legend that in ancient India, country had attained tremendous progress, never surpassed by any other countries. This has killed the innate exploratory drive and spirit of enquiry in search of truth, resulting into complacency among large section of Indian population, breed stagnation, social and cultural growth are retarded. Human history tells us, religion has always served the interest of rich elite minority, discouraged majority of population to revolt against social injustice they are suffering from. These elite have the audacity to advice the victims of social injustice to bear this suffering cheerfully because this is ordained by providence.

Again, with reference to India, the religious teachings: invariably associated with authoritarianism which is not conducive to growth of effective democracy. People pre-disposed to accept religious divine authority, they are bound to develop submissive tendency, further galvanized by religious revivalism selling under the guise of cultural movement. With reference to Western European society, late Julian Huxley said, the period of destructive criticism of religion is over. However in India, in spite of tremendous growth of natural sciences, exploding all the religious irrational dogmas, huge, large section of Indian population have yet to outgrow the religious obscurantism. At one time in history, Europeans were also entrapped in the spell of religious mode of thought. They outgrow this thought by adopting scientific mode of thought, initiated by Renaissance Humanist movement, attained tremendous progress in all human fields.

Unfortunately this has not taken place in India.

What India urgently needs is Renaissance Humanist movement on the pattern of European Renaissance Humanist movement of scientific center to develop free, open and democratic society.

Humanism Rejects Chauvinistic

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Nationalism: At one time in human history, nationalism did play progressive role. Develop first in Western Europe, with the consolidation of nation states.

Nationalism brought the reorganization of Europe in 19th century and early 20th century. In those days it was associated with liberalism and democracy civil and constitutional liberties.

However, today, nationalism has assumed aggressive, intolerant and chauvinistic forms. It has been essential element in fascism and other totalitarian cult demands absolute loyalty of citizens to abstract national state. Thus state has become Goddess to be worshipped. Nation is an abstract concept. It has no reality apart from or over and above the concrete human individuals composing it. Historically, it was placed insignificant minority elites of society had developed the concept of nation and nationalism to usurp the sovereignty of majority constituents of nation, fraudulently appealing to base instincts of people to capture states political power in their name. Thus acquired power, is invariably abused by these elites for their self-aggrandizement. Large majority of people are left in lurch and consequently large section of population become powerless.

It is a universal and incontestable truth that nation does not have independent existence apart from its constituents – MAN. Nation may become great as exemplified by Hitler in Germany and Stalin in Soviet Russia where large majority section of citizen liven in most miserable and intolerable political and social human conditions. The right to freedom of expression was totally chocked. They lived the life of dumb driven cattle. In vocabulary of nationalism, live human beings of flesh and blood are treated as of having no significance. It was Rabindranath Tagore, while giving warning to all wrote, nationalism is a cruel epidemic of evil that is sweeping over the human world of the present age and eating into moral vitality. The idea of nation is the most powerful anesthetic that man had invented. He further said that we

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never dream of blaming our social inadequacies as the origin of our present helplessness for we accepted as the creed of our nationalism that social system has been perfected for all time to come by our ancestor who had super vision of all eternal and supernatural power for making infinite provisions for future ages.

M.N. Roy, while commenting on nationalism wrote that abstract concept of nation as a metaphysical entity, which is more than the sum total all its constituents, very conveniently tend itself to the supervision of all freedom of vast majority of the nation. The power is captured by small minority which controls the state and is exercised dictatorially. According to Erasmus, Dutch great humanist scholar of 16th century said, nationalism is a curse to humanity and challenged statesman to forge a universal state.

(Ref.: writings of Well Durand) Human history proclaims and collaborates that nationalism had always solicited racial animosity. This has worked as greatest impediment and insurmountable obstacles to bring about unity among the entire human race. As observed by Roy, social politics without social human purpose will invariably degenerate into power politics, a breeding ground for political and economic corruption. Nationalism had never encouraged social politics with social human purpose. The first and foremost condition is to Humanist Plea for Secular Morality: Tarkunde wrote the inadequacy of the prevailing moral standards to meet the requirements of an increasingly complex modern society is undoubtedly the basic problem of contemporary civilization. It is particularly so in under developed countries like India. He further observed that the democratic experience in India cannot succeed in absence of higher moral standards. In absence of adequate standards of moral behavior on the part of elected members who are placed in power, political practice is bound to degenerate into mere scramble for power and political leadership would utilize this power for private gain. At present in India, we

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are confronting a burning problem of, how moral values became an integral part of political and economic public life more particularly with reference to social morality in public affairs.

Prevailing notion in India is that religious doctrine and penal code are the means to bring about moral behavior in man. However, what we experience today in India, crimes, at times heinous crimes, are not ceased but on the contrary have increased on a larger scale.

Morality in public affairs is almost at discount.

From this experience, it can be deduced that religion as well as penal code cannot make man to behave morally. Neither have they had even capacity to make man moral. In response to this human experience, late Roy had explored the possibility if man can be moral by himself without the aid of religion or penal code.

In pre-human level, life had no purpose.

According to late Roy, roots of purposes of human life can be traced in sub-human biological evolution. The purpose of human life results from the characteristic feature of pre-human biological evolution, namely struggle for existence. On pre-human level, this struggle consisted in mechanical adjustment and natural selection. But after the appearance of human attributes of will and intelligence, the struggle for existence is carried on, on a higher level, no longer mechanical adjustment, but by intelligent choice and in pursuance of that purpose, pre-supposes judgment. Ultimately, the capacity of judgment is the basis of all morality and all ethical values. Man is the product of biological evolution. Therefore, the moral impulse in man must have originated during the process of biological evolution. The fact is, this was very much essential for cooperative social existence. Thus moral impulse became the integral part of human nature. This co-operative attitude that results into mutual aid sentiment was necessary for the success struggle for existence. In absence of these moral values, Homo sapiens would not have survived. In order to exist, live and grow,

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cooperative efforts are absolutely necessary.

Man, as an individual is helpless. To obtain cooperation of other individuals like him who are also struggling for existence, he has to respect the desires and sentiments of other individual members of society. This is how mutual aid sentiment must have developed in man, leading to harmonious relations among the people.

It is an historical fact that the concept of moral values was originated on the appearance of Homo sapiens. Therefore certain moral values must have been originated during the ancient primitive times, having an abiding values.

Human values like cooperation, mutual aid, love for fellow beings, mutual sympathy, kindness etc. in absence of those Homo sapiens would not have survived. It is equally true even today.

Such moral values are eternal. These would be vanished when the entire human race is extinguished. Students of animal psychology say the social feelings are found innate and instructive among lower animals, why should not be so in highest product of biological evolution – MAN. Both are products of biological evolution. From this it can be well deuced that social feeling is biological heritage that gives birth to moral values. Morality is an appeal to and dictates of conscience. Conscience being attribute of our individual human being, never collectively held. It is owned and practiced by individuals. Therefore in absence of moral individuals, moral society is not possible.

Conscience is defined as inner feelings or voice viewed as acting or guiding to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior. (New Oxford Dictionary) It can be therefore, deduced that man’s intelligent and rational response to his surroundings is the foundation of morality. Man is evolved from law governed physical universe.

Law governedness is reason in nature. Having evolved from Mother Nature, man inherits this reason. This is the instrument available to man to discriminate between moral and immoral behavior of man. Therefore morality emanates

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from the rational desire of man for the harmonious and mutually beneficial social relations. In view of this, morality can be defined as the correct response to a given situation. It is obviously guided by reason. Therefore, morality is a matter of rational judgment. Since man is potentially rational and therefore moral, he is capable of rational judgment without any aid of religious doctrine or penal code. The reason is the only sanction of morality. As man becomes more conscious of his innate rationality and further develops it in the light of available scientific knowledge particularly of biological

evolution, the chances of secular naturalistic morality become possible. Since rationality is inherent in human nature, it is only necessary to remind man of his biological urge and heritage so that moral values are not divorced from public affairs and also from day to day.

[Ramesh Korde is a veteran Radical Humanist of 86 years age, associated with the Radical Humanist movement from 1946.

Tel.: 91-79- 26745389 Mob.09879545389,sudhes1959@gmail.com]

An Appeal to the Readers Indian Renaissance Institute has been receiving regular requests from readers, research scholars, Rationalists and Radical Humanists for complete sets of books written by M.N. Roy. It was not possible to fulfil their demands as most of Roy's writings are out of print. IRI has now decided to publish them but will need financial assistance from friends and well-wishers as the expenses will be enormous running into lakhs. IRI being a non-profit organization will not be able to meet the entire expenses on its own. Initially, following 15 books have been ordered for print: New Humanism; Beyond Communism; Politics, Power and Parties; Historical Role of Islam; India’s Message; Men I Met; New Orientation; Materialism; Science & Philosophy; Revolution and Counter-revolution in China; India in Transition; Reason, Romanticism and Revolution; Russian Revolution; Selected Works-Four Volumes; Memoirs (Covers period1915-1923).

Cheques /bank drafts may be sent in the name of ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’ at (address): Shri B.D. Sharma, Advocate, Chamber No.111 (Old), Supreme Court, New Delhi-110001 Online donations may be sent to: ‘Indian Renaissance Institute’ Account No: 02070100005296; FISC Code: UCBA0000207 UCO Bank, Supreme Court Branch, New Delhi (India) We make an earnest appeal to you to please donate liberally for the cause of the spirit of renaissance and scientific thinking being promoted in the writings of M.N. Roy. Thanking you.

B.D. Sharma President (IRI)

N.D. Pancholi, Secretary (IRI)

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Narottam Vyas Treasurer (IRI)

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Academicians' Section:

Lawrence’s Women: Emergence of The Feministic Identity —Bonani Misra —Andleep Parvez Bharti Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence is one of David the most versatile and influential figures in 20th-century literature. Best known for his novels, Lawrence was also an accomplished poet, short story writer, essayist, critic, and travel writer. The controversial themes for which he is remembered - namely, the celebration of sensuality in an over-intellectualized world - and his relationship with censors sometimes overshadow the work of a master craftsman and profound thinker. His central thought through his works is the ‘female mode of being’1 or the feminization of the world into which Lawrence saw the West entering. A lot of Lawrence subject matter relates strongly to the importance of the ‘feminine’ and he has placed it right into this ‘masculine’ world of art, ideas and action. “It is a trend that has continued in the twentieth century and can be seen in more recent attempts towards redefining life, morals and values in anti-war-movements, and the growing sympathy with women’s emancipation.”2 Lawrence’s works have been controversial ever since the publication of his novels. D.H. Lawrence is feminist because his female characters have strong self- awareness towards their love and life. Through his novels Lawrence focuses on the lives and visions of women and succeeds in depicting their transformation.

From Lettie to Connie, Lawrence portrays many shades of women, their journey from domesticity to the ‘bohemian’. Series of his novels track the changes in the portrayal of women and the attitudes of women characters through the 19th into the 20th century by evaluating and comparing the depictions of

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women characters. He presents women as ‘suffragist’, ‘the dreaming women’ and ‘dominating female’ and other contemporary stereotype in his work’.3 In addition, the subjectivity of the female protagonists in Lawrence’s novels challenges the ideas of his predecessors in the nineteenth century. The females’ character reveals their desire for love and knowledge. The Lawrentian women hold on an adverse view towards the conventional society. Hence, the conflicts and struggles which these controversial figures suffer from actually demonstrate Lawrence’s pro-feminist view. “To Lawrence, it is women who explore, progress, advance, think and feel.”4 Lawrence expresses even his own views, feelings, and ideas through the female characters of his novels. Of the women in Lawrence’s novels, Emily, George’s sister in The White Peacock, is the first to express Lawrence’s point of view.Emily is probably fashioned to somedegree after Louis Burrows, Lawrence’s friend and later his fiancée, “but in her expression of joy in independence it is Lawrence himself who come across.”5Through Emily Lawrence presents his own life experiences, when she gets away from small-town life to London, where she teaches. She lives in digs, as did Lawrence.in his Croydon years, she writes to her friend Cyril,(protagonist of The White Peacock): “at home you cannot live your own life.

You have to struggle to keep even a little part for yourself.”6 Lawrence’s strong feminine identification and empathy with women is due to his great intimacy with his mother which he reveals in his remarkable autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers. Even though, the novel depicts the story of a young man, Paul. But the story it revolves around his mother,and the two lovers ,Mariam and Clara. The spiritual, intellectual and physical development of Paul depends on these three women. So passively, but women are more important than men. “The real heroes of all his

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novels are the women…the man turn up and perform as secondary characters, relating to the women, or need by themes props.”7 Lawrence understands women, and the novels are written from that feminine point of view.

Lawrence’s next novel The Rainbow is completely female oriented. In this novel Lawrence describe the changing roles of women in the English society. In the Rainbow, there are many such clues and pointers; beginning with the epic quote about the Brangwen women who forced outwards to enlarge their own scope and range and freedom. “8The whole novel is a quest for the coming-out of feminine consciousness.

Ursula the protagonist of The Rainbow is perhaps the one most important character to reflect this theme, as the very embodiment of Lawrence on journey through life. She has courage to live life according to her own will and not bound herself in the narrow domestic walls.

She breaks the fatter of limited and conventional life ‘ the belittle circumstances of life, the little jealousies, the little differences, the little meanness…’9 so even as a girl of twelve she was glad to burst the narrow boundary of Cossethey, where limited people lived. In the end of the novels ‘Ursula landed alone the shores of an explored undiscovered world.”10the novel contains all the elements of ‘feminisation’ a woman’s search for identity and her struggle to establish herself in a ‘man’s world’.

And it continues in the sequel of The Rainbow, Women in Love. Gudrun, the younger sister of Ursula in Women In Love emerges in this quest, and takes over for the Lawrentian figure from Ursula, as artist, exile ,and longer in society. She expresses the views of Lawrence, on the importance of finding a ‘female art’.’ He sees it as the pure, sensuous art, of feeling and experience.’11Gudrun is the prototype of modern and pragmatic woman of the ‘destructive world’ after the war. Gudrun sees her lovers merely ‘as the fuel of this subtle knowledge.’12through love, she will experience

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such deep feelings; a ‘female art’ the art of pure perfect knowledge in sensuous understanding.

In his last novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover he creates such a character, who is fearless has strength to remove the pressures of class and society and live according to ‘“phallic consciousness” which is a “vital part” of whole consciousness’13 in human being, in shape of Constance Chatterley. She is much advance of her age, having the fact that the women of her age were becoming more athletic and withers as their spirits became shorter and less redundant.

These particular novels are important because every one of them features a woman character that is controversial in one way or another in her thoughts, actions or both.Clara Dawes in Sons and Lovers Connie in Lady Chatterley’s Lovers, behave in a way that goes against all established beliefs in society regarding how a married woman should act – they leave their husbands.Theyalso display an independence of thought and behaviour that does not conform to the norms of the age they live in. Thus these novels are set apart from other novels of the Victorian age which dealt with more conventional women and did not specifically treat women’s status in society as an important issue. Theseworks provide a greater wealth of material for investigating how the attitudes and outlook on life of women characters in novels varied over a period of time.

Lawrence had deep understanding of the feelings and sentiments of women which he explores by his works Norman Mailor’s in the Prisoner of Sex says that ” never had a male novelist written more intellectually about women heart contradiction and soul; never had a novelist loved them more, been so comfortable in the tides of their sentiments and so ready to see the murdered. His work held, on the consequence ,huge fascination for women” 14 Lawrence later fiction is that of the women is such of life more creative and fulfilling the and that which her milieu prescribes for her .It is the

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men spring of many of his short stories and ties 9. Ibid. pp.263-4. at the heart of his greatest novels.

10. Yudhishter, Conflict In The Novels Of D.H. Lawrence, Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, 1969, p. 156.

References: 1. Sitesh, Aruna, D.H. Lawrence: An Anthology Of 11. Sitesh, Aruna, D.H. Lawrence: An Anthology Of Recent Criticism, ACE Publication, New Delhi, 1990, Recent Criticism, ACE Publication, New Delhi, 1990, p.41 p.35 12. Ibid. p.41 2. Ibid.p.35 3. Simpson, Hilary, D.H. Lawrence and Feminism”, 13. Yudhishter, Conflict in The Novels Of D.H. Lawrence, Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh,1969, p.266 Croom Helm, London,1982 4. Sitesh, Aruna, D.H. Lawrence: An Anthology Of 14.Daleski H.M, The Forked Flame: A Study of D.H. Recent Criticism. ACE Publication, New Delhi, 1990, Lawrence, London, Faber, 1965, p.13. p.37 5. Ibid. p.37

[Bonani Misra, is Associate Professor and

6.Lawrence, D.H, The White Peacock, London, Head, Department of English, Raghunath Girls Penguin,1974, p. 299 Post- Graduate College, Meerut. She may be 7. Sitesh, Aruna, D.H .Lawrence: An Anthology Of contacted at: deyvaansh@gmail.com Recent Criticism, ACE Publication, New Delhi, 1990, Andleep Parvez Bharti is Dr. Bonani Misra’s p. 37 Doctoral Research Scholar at Raghunath Girls 8.Lawrence D.H, The Rainbow, London, Penguin, Post-Graduate College, 1975, p. 9 andleeb85415@gmail.com]

Meerut.

Letter to the Editor: Paris, 4 May 2014 Dear Rékhâ, Your sudden silence upon my proposal of celebrating the centenary of Bagha Jatin’s glorious battle in Balasore, (probably your colleagues in the movement did not quite appreciate it) I have prepared, however, a guiding line of what he did and what we owe to him. I shall be obliged if it comes to any use.

The merit of this sketch is to cover several of the points essential to understand a man who personified the aspiration of a generation, of a nation, of an epoch. There are topics which can be ably developed by scholars interested in this movement. There are hints of what he wanted his people to be and what they have become. Did not M.N. Roy dream of creating a new society founded on the ideals of his Jatin-da?

Beyond the limitations of the RH, as a free thinker if you feel like serving this cause elsewhere in any other form, do not hesitate. If you find other lovers of Truth inclined to join you, the more will certainly be merrier. Other than Bengali and Oriya, our regional languages ignore this chapter altogether, considering Bagha Jatin to have been a mere regional leader. Can you think of any solution? I had requested the National Book Trust authorities to get my little biography Bagha Jatin translated into other languages; even deaf ears would have responded; they did not. If you like, I can send you a copy of a petition signed in 1972 by more than eighty MPs representing major political parties, requesting the then Defense Minister to rename the Fort William of Kolkata as Bagha Jatin Durg; judging from the esteem the present President of India has for the memory of Bagha Jatin, can we get souls to move the matter? Sorry for this avalanche of ideas. Do whatever you can. Many thanks for that realization. Warm regards.

—Prithwindra-dâ (Dr Prithwindra Mukherjee) Docteur d’Etat, Indianiste (Hon.), Chevalier Arts et Lettres, 4 rue Louis-Nicolas Clérambault, 34

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Book Review Section: [Book: A.C. Grayling, The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and For Humanism, Bloomsbury USA (March 26, 2013), p.p. 288]

—Review by David Chivers his new book, The God Argument: With The Case Against Religion and for Humanism, A.C. Grayling, the London-based author of The Good Book: A Humanist Bible, gives us exactly what he promises in the book’s subtitle. The book is divided into two distinct parts: the first outlining arguments against religion, and the second part explaining why humanism is an appealing alternative to God-based religious thought. For modestly well-read humanists, the first part of the book will not cover a lot of new ground. But in eleven well organized and accurately titled chapters, Grayling simply and strongly marshals the arguments against God, including chapters on “Knowledge, Belief and Rationality,” “Arguing by Design,” “Theistic Arguments” and so forth. He presents them in good order and without angry rhetoric or overblown hyperbole. Indeed much of the strength of the first part of the book is the quiet insistence of his logic and observations.

His arguments against belief come across as well reasoned and straight forward, and will give humanists a handy reference to hone their own explanations and arguments.

The second part of the book, “For Humanism” (italics by the author) is also designed topically, with chapters on “Humanism and the Good Life,” “The Ethical and Moral,” “A Humanist on Love, Sex and Drugs,” and “Humanism, Death and the Ends of Life,” among others. Through this method he addresses the major issues that face us all in life: “What sort of person should I be?

How should I live? What is my route towards, and contribution to, the good?” At their root, these questions are no different than those posed by people who seek out their answers in religion, but Grayling answers them through the perspective of humanism. As he does with the

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first part of the book, Grayling puts forth the arguments for a humanistic worldview in a simple way. The value of this second half of the book cannot be stated too strongly. Books explaining the arguments against God are now readily and widely available. Books explaining an approach to life without religion are not nearly as common, although they are increasing (Greg Epstein’s Good Without God being perhaps the most notable example). By combining the arguments against God with the arguments for humanism, Grayling has made available to the general public in one, single volume a rationale and a pathway to a new way of viewing one’s life stance and personal philosophy. For the long-time humanist, Grayling’s book provides a solid reference for arguments against God and a simple, straightforward explanation of humanism. But perhaps for humanists, the most important function of this book can be as a ready recommendation to someone who is not a humanist or even an atheist, but is seriously questioning their own long held religious beliefs and might be interested in an alternative.

A.C. Grayling is professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of the acclaimed Among the Dead Cities: The History and Moral Legacy of the WWII Bombing of Civilians in Germany and Japan, Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius, Toward the Light of Liberty: The Struggles for Freedom and Rights That Made the Modern Western World, and, most recently, The Good Book: A Humanist Bible.

[Reviewer David Chivers is former administrative judge and now practices law in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is on the Steering Committee of the Greater Worcester Humanist and a Humanist Celebrant of the Humanist Society.]

Review Source URL: http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2 013-09-book-review-ac-graylings-ithe-godargument-the-case

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Humanist News Section: I Press Note: April 22, 2014:

With Tremendous Response from Voters, Campaign Ends on High Note: Vows to continue challenging the Modi-fied Politics and Expose the Corruption of NCP s the campaign for the 16th Lok Sabha draws to a closure today, the campaign witnessed tremendous response from wide range of people in the Mumbai North East constituency. This response and the large number of issues emerging is also because of the failure of Corporator, MLAs and MP in discharging their duties as elected representatives. None of them taken any steps to curb the fundamental corruption involved in the projects. There has not been any attempt to policy making focusing amenities and housing.

People’s response to our campaign was because of we raising these issues in the past years and because of their faith in our continuous work on those issues. Out of my nearly 40 years of work, the 17 years I worked in Mumbai has given me an inside out knowledge about the basic issues of the constituency. This election is important for us, as we seek larger representation of people in decision making and to continue raise those issue with more strength and vigour.

Hence we make a pledge to implement all national level commitments by Aam Aadmi Party in its Manifesto and in the Mumbai Manifesto.

Further, we issue Mumbai North East specific prime issues pledging that we will leave no stone unturned to fulfill those. We also reiterate that all our efforts will be participatory, transparent and accountable, involving the people of the constituency across the caste-class-creed-gender differences, and political ideologies. Hence we appeal to the voters to join us in these efforts, with their strengths and commitment, to bring in change

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and make our city corruption free. We will achieve this together with participation of people from all walks of life, contribution of professional skills and inputs from experts.

Modi’s lies and threat to not just secular fabric, but even dalits, adivasis and downtrodden In a rally addressed by Modi in Mumbai yesterday he said that “Maharashtra would get electricity worth Rs 400 crores for free if the project (Sardar Sarovar Narmada project) was completed.” The blatant lie repeated for the second time in this election season is another attempt t to mislead the people. Maharashtra, which has also sacrificed a few thousands crores of revenue, by submergence of 33 hilly adivasi villages, will lose 9500 hectare of land; parts of it are forests, in the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP). Additionally she spends Rs.3000 crores in proportion to the 27% of power from the project. SSP is an interstate project, with financial commitment by each of the party states. How can then the power be free to Maharashtra? While Modi builds his campaign on lies and twisted facts, he poses a serious threat to the secular fabric of the country. By his silence isn’t Modi supporting Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) president Pravin Togadia’s communal venom in Bhavnagar by saying “evict Muslims from Hindu areas”? His outlook towards the dalits and socially marginalised is evident from his reported statement sometime earlier where he, observed while releasing his book Samajik Samrasata, that dalits were like mentally retarded children.

What an irony, somebody who does not respect the dalits and marginalised writes a book with its title Samajik Samrasata (Social Equity)! Last year, The Gujarat High Court ordered the Gujarat government to strictly adhere to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of) Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the rules framed thereafter under this central Act. The order came on a public interest litigation (PIL) by a group of NGOs, which said the state government was violating the provisions of the Act in deciding the claims of

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ri als and had ar i raril re ec ed ore han one lakh such clai s. I ill e a fig en i agina ion, genera ed aggressive adver ise en ha Modi i h a roven rack record for eing an i oor, an i dali , an i adivasi and inori ies could lead he coun r hich is uil on he founda ions of secularis , olerance and res ec o each o her. We ill s and dali s, ho a ar fro asser ing heir iden i and digni , faces he challenge of ge ing he asic righ s, as u held in he Cons i u ion, as envisioned Dr. Ba asahe A edkar. The osi ive discri ina ion and reserva ion ill e i le en ed onl hen he s and uni ed. If Modi around, can CP e far ehind We ill challenge he corru ar CP, ho are involved in sca s or h housands of crores. o e of he include, irriga ion sca , osikhurd canal sca , sugar fac or sca , even he for er Me er of Parlia en see o have con ri u ed o corru rac ices in using he MP AD funds. B no raising he corru ion issues in his Cons i uenc , such as allo en of MHADA land, reha ili a ion of slu d ellers and in infras ruc ure ro ec s, he has er i ed he corru rac ices. He canno shrug he res onsi ili of his ina ili o cur corru ion, failure o address he funda en al issues of he cons i uenc and no eing around for he eo le hen he eo le needed hi os .

We ill launch en uiries in o all hose allega ions of corru ion once he elec ions are over. We a eal o all vo ers of he Cons i uenc o co e ou in large nu ers on he vo ing da , cas heir vo e and e a ar of he de ocra ic rocess. We a eal o he vo ers o cas heir vo e in favour of hones , accoun a ili and good governance and agains corru ion, co unalis and in us ice.

—Note sent by Medha Patkar medha.narmada@gmail.com National Alliance of People’s Movements www.napm-india.org II

Rejoinders to Barkha Dutt's article in The Hindusan Times: a) Muslims Fearful of BJP or Modi? arkha Dutt in her article eulogizing Modi “A good place to restart”

B

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published in Hindustan Tmes (26th April, 2014), writes “….he (Modi) must begin a more compassionate dialogue with a community that remains fearful of the BJP and of him”. I feel that the words ‘fearful’, ‘terrified’ are purposely used

by Barkha Dutt in order to deride and insult the Muslims. The Muslims may be angry or sad, but they certainly are neither fearful nor terrified either of BJP or Modi. Barkha Dutt should know that any number of ballads which may be sung by the likes of her in favour of a non-genuine person like Modi will not wriggle him out of the tenterhooks on which he has placed himself by annoying the Muslims.

—N.D. Pancholi ndpancholi44@gmail.com b) My response to Barkha Dutt’s @BDUTT story on Modi, Banaras and Muslims: esmerised by Modi’s “masterful” campaign strategy and the frenzied saffron surge at his nomination rally at Banaras, Barkha Dutt writes that “the weakest link so far is Modi’s failure in bridging the gap with India’s Muslims,” and suggests that now, in his triumphal ascent to power, he should initiate a “compassionate dialogue” with Muslims. I find this proposition outrageous and even obscene at many levels. First, the calculated anti-Muslim hatred that Modi’s campaign deploys isn’t some ‘weak link’ in an otherwise healthy and acceptable chain. It’s at the heart of the Modi model, deployed by him to hide and deflect attention from a multitude of weaknesses, such as BJP’s own track record on corruption, any probing questions on the actual state of Gujarat’s development, or any analysis of his economic policy. Modi’s election campaign has been communal, every step of the way.

Muzaffarnagar was no accident – as Amit Shah’s series of election speeches there shows. When Amit Shah says that “Beggars have become millionaires running slaughterhouses and BJP will stop it”; when Amit Shah says that BSP has

M

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given tickets to 19 persons from “the community that insults our mothers and sisters”; when a Jat leader next to Shah asks BJP to control the population, makes a sign indicating a beard under his chin and says “our votes won’t count and they will be present everywhere”; or when Modi gives speech after speech exhorting Yadavs and Hindus against ‘pink revolution’ causes by subsidies to meat industry, the communal signalling is deliberate and well-planned. 2002 and the series of fake encounters are not an embarrassment for Modi – they are his badge of pride, proving he can crush the ‘terrorists’, whom he takes care to identify with the Muslim community.

Second, there is a yawning ‘gap’ between Modi and democracy – not between Modi and Muslims. Barkha’s piece itself isolates Muslims, by suggesting that the rest of Banaras and the country are either part of a delirious Modi frenzy or have made their peace with the inevitability of his ascent to the PM post, and that there’s only this mildly regrettable ‘gap’ with Muslims that Modi can now correct. As long as Modi’s culpability for Gujarat 2002, and the series of fake encounters that Gujarat cops staged to make Modi look like a hero, Amit Shah’s hate-speech, and Snoop-gate go unpunished, how can this country’s democracy rest be at peace?

And finally, the idea that the answer to what Barkha politely calls ‘Muslim vulnerability’ (terror would be a better word) is ‘compassion’ from Modi is preposterous. What can she mean, when she says that “with the strength of numbers on his side”, Modi should initiate “a more compassionate dialogue with a community that remains fearful of the BJP and of him”? Can there ever be egalitarian ‘dialogue’ between a triumphalist Modi backed by frenzied crowds – and a vulnerable, fearful minority? Can that ‘strength of numbers’ for Modi ever mean

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anything but a reminder of weakness and humiliation for the Muslims? Are we now telling Muslims that they, as a minority in India, cannot expect justice or equality, but must remain at the mercy of the compassionate – or cruel – whims of a hate-monger whose entire brand has been built on venom and violence against Muslims?

Modi has undeniably shown his strength in Banaras. But it is just possible that Banaras might show him his own vulnerability, rather than his confidence in the vulnerability and irrelevance of those who fear what he represents. I am not questioning the authenticity of his show of strength. But there is a strong undercurrent against Modi – and not just among Muslims, but among other sections of society: small vendors, dalits, and backwards for instance. In the face of open saffron thuggery that seeks to silence the smallest question about Modi expressed in public spaces, these sections are muted – but definitely mutinous.

Undercurrents can become waves too, it is in their nature. Moreover, regardless of the outcome in Banaras, Modi’s road to the PM chair too isn’t all too smooth as of now. For instance, NDTV’s opinion poll that gave BJP 30 (later 24) out of 40 seats in Bihar, for instance, is certainly being belied by the voters of that state. In UP too, the Modi ‘tsunami’ isn’t quite working out, at least as yet. Journalists in a hurry to declare Modi’s ‘new innings’ should take the precaution of waiting to make sure he isn’t bowled out first.

And if indeed he does eventually begin an innings as PM, all those who are truly the body and spirit of our democracy won’t be expecting him to bestow ‘compassion’ on us; we’ll continue to seek to bring him to justice for every crime against humanity.

—Kavita Krishnan kavitakrish73@gmail.com (Rejoinder circulated by N.D. Pancholi)

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IV

Kuldip Nayar was not campaigning for Arun Jaitly in Amritsar: of certain comments being made Ininview social media criticizing Mr. Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar stating that he is campaigning for Arun Jaitly, we the undersigned met Mr. Nayar today evening. Mr. Nayar told us that his visit to Amritsar was a private affair for about a day i.e. he went to Amritsar on 17th and returned on 18th April. He did meet Arun Jaitly but he neither addressed any public meeting nor met the press nor made any public appeal. However Barkha Dutt of NDTV met Mr. Nayar in the hotel room where he was staying and requested for his bite. She asked questions about BJP, Modi and Arun Jaitly. Mr. Nayar commented that BJP is a communal and divisive party and it would not be good for the country if BJP comes to power. About Jaitly he said that he has a good reputation, he is well read, he is best candidate, that he was with him imprisoned in Tihar jail during emergency and that he is a family member. About Narendra Modi he commented that Modi is a collateral damage and some other unpalatable remarks.

However the part of the interview where Mr. Nayar dubbed BJP as communal and divisive party and not good to assume power and the other unpalatable remarks was not telecast for

reasons best known to the NDTV. Barkha Dutt in her introductory comments said that there were persons who were backing Arun Jaitly without backing the party and mentioned Mr. Nayar as one of those persons who was in town to support Mr. Jaitly. Such comments were introduced later on while preparing the 59 minutes report telecast on 18th April, 2014 captioned as “The Amritsar Paradox” in which Mr. Nayar’s bite was only for 24 seconds, and it seems to have created an impression that Mr. Nayar was there in the town campaigning for Arun Jaitly. To our knowledge not a single print media paper or any other channel except NDTV has referred to Mr. Kuldip Nayar’s visit to Amritsar which in fact was a private visit. Mr. Nayar’s views about BJP and Narendra Modi are well known which continuously find expression in his writings, though he does entertain affectionate feelings towards Arun Jaitly for the last about 40 years.

We the undersigned are pained to read certain comments being made against Mr. Nayar in social media about his visit to Amritsar which in our opinion are distorted, uncalled for, unwarranted and injustice to a person who has all throughout his life been fighting against communal and obscurantist forces.

—N.D. Pancholi ndpancholi44@gmail.com —Anil Sinha Mob. 9968777158

"The philological approach to the problems of historiology led Michelet to the conclusion that history was mingled with philosophy. In the introduction to his projected, but never finished, Universal History, Michelet wrote in 1830, “With the world began a war, which will end only with the world: the war of man against nature, of spirit against matter, of liberty against fatality. History is nothing other than the record of this interminable struggle.

One hundred years before Michelet’s effort to make a new science of history, an obscure teacher of Roman law at Naples, Giambattista Vico, had written a treatise on the Principles of a New Science dealing with the nature of Nations, through which are shown also New Principles of the Natural Law of Peoples. Michelet discovered a kindred spirit in Vico- a pioneer who had blazed a new trail of historical research. The central theme of Vico’s until then little known work is that humanity is its own creation.”

—M.N. Roy (From his book Reason, Romanticism and Revolution, page 1) 39

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