Nov 2009 rh

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Vol. 73 No 8

THERADICALHUMANIST (Since April 1949)

NOVEMBER 2009 Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy Thinking Animal -Simon Blackburn

Human Psyche...Soul or Mind?

-Khalid Sohail

Humanist Approach to Social Security: Street Children -R.K.A. Subrahmanya

Gilgit Package:Logical Conclusion for LoC as Kashmir Settlement -Rajindar Sachar

The Life and Death of Socrates -R.A. Jahagirdar

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Dr. Mukerjee on Hindutva and Article 370 -Balraj Puri

THE RADICAL HUMANIST

The Radical Humanist Vol. 73 Number 8 November 2009 Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute Devoted to the development of the Renaissance Movement; and for promotion of human rights, scientific-temper, rational thinking and a humanist view of life.

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy Contributory Editors: Professor Amlan Datta Professor A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed Justice R.A. Jahagirdar (Retd.)

Dr. R.M. Pal Professor Rama Kundu Editor: Dr. Rekha Saraswat Publisher: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Printer: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Send articles to: Dr. Rekha Saraswat C-8, Defence Colony Meerut, 250001, U.P., India Ph. 91-121-2620690, 09719333011 E-mail articles at: rheditor@gmail.com Send Subscription / Donation Cheques 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 In favour of: ‘The Radical Humanist’ 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

NOVEMBER 2009

—Contents— 1. From the Editor’s Desk: Can our Globe really be Hunger-free One Day? —Rekha Saraswat 2. Contributory Editors’ Section: The Life and Death of Socrates —R.A. Jahagirdar 3. Guests’ Section: Thinking Animal —Simon Blackburn Humanist Approach to Social Security - II: Street Children —R.K.A. Subramanya Human Psyche...Soul or Mind?

—Khalid Sohail 4. Current Affairs: Gilgit Package: Logical Conclusion for LoC being accepted as Kashmir Settlement —Rajendar Sachar Dr. Mukerjee on Hindutva and Article 370 —Balraj Puri 5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: Political History of Andhra Pradesh — N. Innaiah 6. Student’s & Research Scholar’s Section: Contemporary Relevance of UNO —Arshi Ansari 7. Book Review Section: You Are Sona —Dipavali Sen

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From The Editor’s Pen:

Can our Globe really be hunger free one day?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN U.S.Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in their meeting in New York on September 26, 2009 introduced a proposal titled “Partnering for Food Security: Moving Forward”. They did this in pursuance of the decisions taken at G8 “plus” meeting held in L’Aquila in July 2009.

In L’Aquila the participants had given a joint statement commending (in exact words of the statement) to “take decisive action to free humankind from hunger and poverty through improving food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture,” and to work together to: 1) support country-led processes; 2) ensure a comprehensive approach to food security; 3) strategically coordinate assistance; 4) support a strong role for multilateral institutions; and 5) sustain a robust commitment of financial resources, including $20 billion in resources pledged at the G8 Summit.

In New York they agreed to support the G8 decisions by developing a Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food Security (GPAFS) with the assistance of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Committee on Food Security (CFS) reform processes and UN High Level Task Force (HLTF). They decided to enhance global food security by supplying immediate food assistance to areas of crisis; by giving special attention to nutrition and agricultural development as well as to research and trade etc. Taking example of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) in Africa they decided to provide identical schemes to obtain food security and 1

agricultural development in all other regions. They even agreed to assist in all those programmes which were already functioning in various countries to improve their food situation as per the Accra Agenda for Action.

My apprehensions are: Will the above promised efforts be pursued honestly?

Can the U.S. really work selflessly towards a world free of want?

Will its own economy be able to bear the burden of the rest of the countries’ sorry affairs?

Can they help the poor malnourished masses of countries which are not at friendly terms with them without any bias or prejudice?

Will they not place prior conditions like those of “Good Governance” before the needy countries for giving them any kind of aid and assistance?

Will the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, be assertive enough to implement the above programmes with and sometimes without the U.S. support?

Can Heads of developing and underdeveloped countries forget their mutual animosities and personal hatreds to come forward and, for once, pay attention to the needs and wants of their country-men?

Will these countries be helped to work towards a sustained growth and development of their agricultural resources, so that they gradually become self-sufficient and self-dependent and do not have to depend upon the G 8 nations ultimately?

Can the separatists in all parts of this world look beyond their narrow, sectarian demands and convert their venomous energies into positive, constructive efforts and look upon all suffering individuals with equal sympathy helping the needy have nutritious food twice a day without any discrimination?

The biggest lacunae in such ambitious plans is the back seat given to the civic societies or to those people and social institutions who are directly in contact with the deprived; who are morally, emotionally and ideally involved with their problems. On the other hand, the bureaucratic set-up in charge of implementing these targets remains occupied in completing the statistical calculations, graphs and tables, mostly, superficially.

With much apprehension, therefore, I wonder, will this dream mission of the UN and the G-8 see the light of the day and make our Globe really hunger free one day?

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Contributory Editor’s Section:

R.A. Jahagirdar

The Life And Death Of Socrates title of the article looks – and indeed it is – Thestrange.

Normally, when one writes a biographical note about a person, the emphasis is on the life of that person; the death is incidentally mentioned.

The details of the life of Socrates are not easily available in the extant literature, but his unusual death is dealt with in great details. In America, a society of voluntary euthanasia is named Hemlock after the fact that Socrates voluntarily (?) took Hemlock to die. His death is regarded as noble, befitting a philosopher of principles.

Socrates did not leave behind an autography; we have no authoritative biography. Whatever we know about him is from what other people have written of him. He was a philosopher, but what he said has to be gathered from what Plato, his student, has written. His accuracy has often been doubted. Socrates himself bemoaned that Plato was not accurate. It is said that he has set down many things as having been said by Socrates, though Socrates has not said those things. Nevertheless, a clear picture of Socrates emerges from the writings of Plato.

Father of Socrates was a sculptor who had carved some prominent statues in Athens. His mother was a midwife.

Socrates himself joked that he himself was a midwife, but in ideas. His father was a sculptor but Socrates was not a sculptor of ideas. He did not write anything; he did not propound any ideas or philosophy. He questioned, but did not answer. Whatever we know that Socrates thought is derived from Plato who has told what Socrates thought or taught. Socrates never preached or discussed but put other’s ideas to test. He taught his listeners to think and think logically and clearly.

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Often people consulted the oracle whose answer was accepted by them. Oracle was a place at which advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in Greece. The Greeks were intelligent people who left behind an intellectual legacy, but were not free from superstitions.

They believed that events in life depended upon the will of demons and gods. Usually a maiden used to sit in the hollow of the earth below a temple and inhaled a gas generated by decomposed matter. Often she consumed narcotics. She fell into deliriums and uttered what the superstitious regarded as divinations or answers to questions. Sometimes what was uttered was not even clear. So there were specialists in the interpretations of these prophesies.

In our case, someone asked the oracle (at Delphi) as to who was the wisest person. “Socrates” was the answer because he knew that he did not know, but other people believed that they had knowledge. It must be remembered that the oracle was often manipulated. J.D. Burg in his “A History of Greece” says that the motive of the oracle concerning the wisdom of Socrates is an unsolved problem.

Burg should not have been so skeptical because Athens was, in those days, generally philosophical. Mass of the people admired the learned men. Scholars were adulated. A philosopher of the time said: “Athens has so distanced the rest of the world in power of thought and speech that her disciples have become the teachers of all other men. She has brought it to such a pass that the name of Greek should be thought of no longer as a better race but as a matter of intelligence; and should be given to the participators in our culture rather than to the shares of our common origin.”

No diplomas or degrees were awarded, but learning, knowledge and learned men were recognised. Sophists earned their living. But the age of Sophism was coming to an end. People were getting dissatisfied with sophistry. They longed for wisdom or knowledge. The Sophists were the beneficiaries of this longing of Athenians because they charged fees for their students.

Socrates, not a Sophist, was still a good teacher of philosophy. He had students of whom the greatest was Plato who became the most famous.

Prof. J.M. Bury, in his “History of Greece”, suggests that Socrates was a utilitarian. Utilitarianism did not raise its head till Bentham in 18th Century. His peculiar method

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of teaching, especially the young Socrates, did create some enemies. He was regarded as a dangerous free thinker because he thought that he spent his life in diffusing ideas which were of subversive order. Socrates was a democrat but did not believe in democracy. A prince ought to be a philosopher and a philosopher a king. According to his critics, Socrates spoiled the morals of young men. Socrates described himself as a gadfly. Trial of Socrates thus became inevitable. It should, however, be added that he was physically a strong man and had bravely fought in two battles on behalf of Athens – a city which he loved.

The indictment was brought by a religious fanatic, Meletus, supported by the politician Anytus and by the orator Lycon. For some reasons, Meletus was the leading accuser.

The indictment read as follows:-“Socrates is a public offender in that he does not recognise the gods which the State recognises, but introduces new gods of his own.”

Socrates was tried as per law of the land and not by the fiat of a king or despot or a dictator. Here was for the first time in history a Government of laws, not of men. But the system of laws was peculiar. Now in the U.S.A., Judges are elected; in India they are appointed by the Governments but on the recommendations. In Athens of Socrates’ time, Courts were popular Courts. A man was tried by jurors by majority – not by Judges or Magistrates. That was the concept of democratic jurisprudence. There were usually 300 jurors who were called. Important cases, like that of Socrates, may be tried before jurors numbering upto twelve hundred.

It was 399 B.C. and Socrates was nearly 70 years. The trial was before a popular Court (a people’s Court as in former communist countries). The jurors were mostly of the less educated class – common people who could be easily swayed. The charge against Socrates was not that he was an atheist but that he did not believe in gods in which the State believed.

The defence of Socrates had been made available to posterity by his disciple, Plato, in “Apology”. Plato was present at the trial. Hence it can be assumed that “Apology” is reasonably accurate. From “Apology” and other available literature, it seems that Meletus was the main accuser and he insisted that Socrates was an atheist.

Socrates points out that he does believe in godhead of the moon and sun. Anaxagoras had said that was stone and

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the moon was earth. Meletus was reminded of this historical fact. At one place in “Apology” Socrates says: “For I believe that these are gods, and in a sense higher than that in which many of my accusers believe in them.

And to you and to God I commit my cause, to be determined by you as best for you and me.”

Socrates compared himself with gadfly given to the State by God. He believed in the oracle of Delphi which told that Socrates was wiser than anyone in Athens.

Briefly referring to one person in Athens, he says”… I am better off than he is, for he knows nothing and thinks he knows; I neither know nor think I know. In this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him.”

Several methods were suggested to Socrates to escape conviction. He could have bargained for approval. But Socrates was defiant. He loved Athens and did not want to leave the city. “Men of Athens,”said Socrates, “I honour and love you but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching philosophy.” In the same paragraph he challenges Athenians … “Athenians, either acquit me or not; but whatever you do, understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times”. He was seeking martyrdom. Farther he said, “The difficulty, my friends, is not to avoid death, but to avoid righteousness, for that runs faster than death.” He took leave of his accusers by saying “The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways; I to die and you to live. Which is better God only knows.”

The language was throughout defiant, almost arrogant.

Does this explain – he was found guilty by a majority of 280 to 220, but he was sentenced to death by a larger majority of 360 to 140.

Cicero said of Socrates, “He called down philosophy from heaven, settled it in cities, introduced it into houses and made it necessary for inquiries to be made on life and morals, good and evil.”

Not all persons were of praise for Socrates. There was at least one dissenting voice. Lacey Baldwin Smith said: “As a corpus of evidence the Socratic sources engender little confidence, and the personality which emerges is so infuriatingly improbable the reader begins to suspect that the father of martyrdom was too noble by half and deserved the hemlock twice over; for his insufferable

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arrogance as well as his caustic humour and irritating logic.”

Socrates was, however, honest. He refused to escape from the prison. His wife came to see him in the cell. He reminded the debts he owed and asked her to settle them.

Socrates was 70 years old at the time of his trial. After his death, the citizens of Athens regretted their action.

They realized that a Golden Age has ended. They

ultimately put his accusers to death. Meletus was stoned to death. Others were boycotted to such an extent that they were forced to commit suicide.

To conclude, in the words of Will Durant: “All in all he was fortunate; he lived without working, read without writing; taught without routine; drank without dizziness, and died before serenity almost without pain.” (“The Life of Greece, p.366)

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NOVEMBER 2009 pivotal role in biological sciences is Darwin’s now matched by a similar position in

Guests’ Section:

Simon Blackburn [Prof. Simon Blackburn is Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University and a member of the Humanist Philosophers’ Group. This article was first published in NewHumanist.org.uk—The magazine for Free Thinkers. Some of his books published are Reason and Prediction (1973), Spreading the Word (1984) - a text, Essays in Quasi-Realism (1993), The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (1994) - compiled whole-handedly, Ruling Passions (1998) - a defense of quasi-realism as applied to ethics, Truth (1999) (edited w/ Keith Simmons) - from Oxford Readings in Philosophy series, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy.

(1999), Being Good (2001) - an introduction to ethics Reprinted as Ethics: A Very Short Introduction in Oxford University Press ‘Very Short Introductions series [1], Lust (2004) - one of an Oxford University Press series covering the Seven Deadly Sins, Truth: A Guide (2005), Plato's Republic: A Biography (2006) from Atlantic Books’ Books That Shook the World series.

Readers of ‘The Radical Humanist’ are welcome to send their comments upon this article directly on the online New Humanist magazine or through the RH. Or you may post your comments on the RH Website where also this article has been uploaded.—Editor]

Thinking Animal “Darwinism has profound implications for philosophy, but we need to remember the master’s caution,” warns Simon Blackburn

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philosophy—his discoveries stand at the centre of attempts to understand ourselves and our world. Darwin showed us, once and for all, that we are natural creatures, continuous in most respects with other animals. He showed us that our emotional and cognitive repertoires are formed in the service of survival and reproduction in the specific environments in which we find ourselves. In this we are the cousins of apes, wolves, sparrows and squid alike. This means that if we are to understand human attributes like consciousness or reason, we must “naturalise” them, seeing them not as magical intrusions into the natural world but as intelligible results of the workings of that world, the upshot of millennia of small variations, comparative advantages, adaptations, and thence survival. This Darwinian lesson dominates all cognitive science, neurophysiology and philosophy equally.

So what role is there for specifically philosophical thought? Philosophy has always had two goals: to understand the nature of the world, and to understand the nature of ourselves as parts of it. Each goal has become fragmented and specialised with the progress of science.

To understand the world we look to cosmology, physics and chemistry, while to understand ourselves we look to biology, neurophysiology and cognitive science. The role of the philosopher is no longer to lead those sciences, nor even, as John Locke thought, to act as an “honest under-labourer”, helping to clear the ground they are to cover, but more to try to interpret their results in human terms: that is, in terms of meaning, practice, ethics or politics.

The interpretive task does not disappear automatically with scientific progress. Scientists themselves are eager to explain what their results mean for human lives, and biologists have often led the charge. Yet all too often their explanations have more to do with ideology than with science. Consider, for example, the idea that an implication of Darwinism is that we are all selfish, or at any rate driven by selfish machinery within us. The philosopher insists on asking whether this is true, and whether in any event it is an implication of the theory of natural selection. There is excellent reason for supposing it is not true: we act on a very different variety of motives than the selfish hypothesis allows us. But then the biologist may be driven to suppose that this fortunate

THE RADICAL HUMANIST characteristic in turn must be explained by some kind of miraculous, unnatural capacity of human beings somehow to overcome their biological natures – thereby throwing himself into the arms of theologians and “dualists” bent on separating mind from matter.

Philosophers try to do better than this, and the first step is to point out that there are perfectly intelligible evolutionary scenarios in which the kinds of creature that are prepared to sacrifice something for the common good do better than kinds of creature that are not. If the environment is such that we must all hang together or we all hang separately, then we had better hang together.

Human beings, with their weak individual abilities but immense social capacities, their long periods of infancy and longer periods of mutual dependence, are that kind of creatures.

Seeing this, it involves no departure from Darwin, who himself wrote encouragingly and admiringly about the competitive advantage that moral, social, and even altruistic motivations would give to groups of people in whom they are found. It may be a departure from those biologists who thought it was unscientific to think in terms of groups and their competitive advantage, but this in turn was a piece of ideology rather than any kind of implication of scientific fact.

The selfish hypothesis illustrates the greatest danger in misapplying Darwin, which comes from neglecting the plasticity of our minds. The idea that our fate lies in our genes can strangle our thinking here, leading to fatalism, pessimism and a counsel of helplessness in the face of war, overpopulation and resource depletion. A valuable part of Darwin’s legacy is the understanding of variation within species and between species. Thinking of one “fixed” human nature, useless in the face of new challenges and forever cemented by our genetic inheritance is a misreading of evolution. Darwin tells us nothing about the relative importance of genetic inheritance versus cultural environment in forming the adult human being, any more than chemistry forces us to decide whether iron rusts because of its chemical constitution or because of the environment in which it is put.

There is nothing contrary to Darwin in noting that the children of a culture in which norms of cooperation are entrenched will be much more likely to grow into cooperative adults than children who start in a world of

NOVEMBER 2009 the war of all against all. Furthermore we must be clear that it is a political and social achievement to sustain such a culture. We cannot rely on our natures to do it for us, as the unhappy descents into bellicose equilibria of many parts of the world show.

Fortunately the life sciences are themselves in retreat from the genetic determinism that briefly seemed to piggyback on the triumphs of the unravelling of the gene. We now know that epigenetic factors due to the environments in which genes get expressed can themselves be responsible, quite literally, for the shape of our brains, and thence for the kinds of life we find ourselves able to lead. Wily Ulysses could adapt himself to face and overcome the many challenges his voyage threw at him, and so in principle can we. We need not choose between fatalism and a supernatural divine spark. There is open water between them.

There is also danger in supposing that because evolution by natural selection is the linchpin of modern biology, it can be applied with equal fertility and equal scientific credit elsewhere. A doubtful character on this stage is Richard Dawkins’s notion of a meme or unit of culture that survives in the Darwinian jungle in which things like songs, or fashions, or styles in art or architecture, ruthlessly compete until the biggest beasts of all finally triumph while others fall by the wayside. Dawkins’s idea has itself caught on, and there is certainly a kind of charm in the idea of a jungle of competing cultural objects, fighting it out for the prize of being taken up by the human beings who make up their environment. A librarian is a library’s way of making another library, after all.

But the first difficulty lies in the notion of advantage. In down-to-earth Darwinian explanations a feature of an organism can properly be thought of as an adaptation, that is, as conferring an advantage in coping with a problem the organism faces, only when we have a very good idea of the advantage in question. The colour of the polar bear’s coat helps its hunting because it blends with the environment; light sensitivity increases an organism’s capacity to respond to distant arrivals of predators, prey or mates; increasing length of neck enables giraffes to browse higher and guanacos to survive snowdrifts in the Patagonian winter. But we have no corresponding idea of what could count as an “advantage” to a song or style of dress. Indeed the whole

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idea sounds nonsensical.

And secondly when a song or a dance or a book or dress catches on all we can usually say is that “there must have been something about it” that assisted its catching on, but this is a post hoc judgment of no predictive or explanatory value. People talking of memes are no better at predicting fashion than the rest of us. After the event, sometimes, we can say that there must have been “something” – some need, some reason for catching on – but we do not know what it was. Abstract attempts to identify an unfilled niche in cultural space and then fill it are notoriously quixotic. So we are left only with the near-tautology that whatever catches on must have caught on for some reason. It may be an invitation for us to look for the reason, but it is not as it stands a piece of falsifiable or useful science.

Seeing ourselves as parts of nature can lead to worries about the extent of our own freedom and our own responsibility. These fears can be real enough, for there are limits to our powers. We find we cannot help but feel some ways, think some ways, hope for some things, avoid and fear others. But we also do not know what we can do until we try. When we face decisions we think of ourselves as free to decide, and that is a kind of clearing

of the decks for the play of reason which in turn highlights one or another aspect of the situation, and sometimes one or another boundary to conduct we could put up with from ourselves or others. We literally take responsibility for our doings, and of course responsibility is imputed to us when our doings fall short. We cannot know in advance how well we can do, and freedom consists in trying to push that boundary ever further back.

When we fail, we may try excusing ourselves as the victims of genetic or environmental forces that were just too strong for us. But the excuse may ring hollow: it was we ourselves who let ourselves be overcome. Perhaps we could, and should, have tried harder. We cannot shelter behind the giant figure of Darwin when we try to avoid such uncomfortable thoughts. Again, the choice between hopeless fatalism and pessimism on the one hand, and a Divine spark on the other – let’s say between John Gray’s nihilism and Karen Armstrong’s case for God – is completely false. As so often the most valuable role of the philosopher is to insist on the processes of interpretation, to remind us of the known complexities of human life, and to combat mistaken ideologies, however glorious their original inspiration in Darwin’s own imaginative, humane and cautious writings.

Tribute to Prof. Ruddar Datt It is a sad news for the Radical Humanists and the readers of The Radical Humanist that Prof. Ruddar Datt, a friend of the radicals passed away last March. He was a well-known author of Economics and wrote many books in English as well as in Hindi. Besides being a respected teacher, researcher and author he was an active leader of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) and was its President for several years. In 1991 he also became President of two professional organisations of teachers and researchers, the Indian Economics Association and the Indian Society of Labour Economics. He was for a long time Principal of the School of Correspondence Courses, University of Delhi, during its formative years. It was as a result of his administrative capabilities that the School grew into a very big institution enrolling thousands of students every year. What very few people know about him is that he was a great exponent of civil liberties and democratic freedoms. When Emergency was imposed in the country in 1975, he was one of those few who joined V.M. Tarkunde in opposing it boldly. In fact, on Mr. Tarkunde’s request, he was able to arrange the hall of Central Institute of Education, University of Delhi, for the Radical Youth Conference, which was organised by Mr. Tarkunde to give a call to the youth to oppose the Emergency. Few could have dared to do that, except those fully committed to saving democratic rights in the country, at a time when thousands were put behind the bars even on the suspicion that they could oppose the imposition of Emergency. Many articles written by Prof Datt have been published in the Radical Humanist. All Radical Humanists pay their respectful tributes to such a man, Prof Ruddar Datt.

–Mahipal Singh

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NOVEMBER 2009 seminars symposia workshops and training programmes on social security and written extensively, books and in journals and magazines. He was awarded a Medal of Merit for his contribution to the cause of social security by the International Social Security Association in the year 2000. Thus, the following article that comes in a series in this and the coming issues of RH is loaded with his first hand experience and labour in making all out efforts in the field of social security. ssanantha@yahoo.com ]

R.K.A. Subrahmanya

[Sri R.K.A.Subrahmanya, a post graduate in economics joined the Indian Audit and Accounts Service after passing the IAS and Central Services Combined Competitive Examination in 1950 He was Accountant General in Assam Orissa, Tamilnadu and Kerala.He was appointed Addl Secretary in the Union Ministry of Labor in 1979. He was Chairman of the Central Board of Trustees of the EPFO, the Standing Committee of the ESIC and the Central Board of Workers Education for some time. He represented the Government of India in the International Labor Conferences held in Geneva for four years out of which he was elected as Chairman of Conference Committees, including the one on Social Dimensions of Industrialisation in three consecutive years. He was a member of a committee set up by the ILO for studying the future of social security in developing countries.

He was a member of the Bureau (governing body) of the International Social Security Association, (an association of social security institutions such as the ESIC and the EPFO).

After retiring from service in 1984 he was Director General, Gandhi Labor Institute, Ahmedabad for some time before he was appointed as a Member of the A.P.Administrative Tribunal in Hyderabad. After his term in the Tribunal ended he joined the National Labor Law Association where he was the Coordinator of the Research Project called Simplification Rationalisation and Consolidation of Labor Laws and was largely responsible for the production of the book India Labor Code 1994. The Social Security Association of India was formed in 1991 and he has been the Secretary General of the Association since then. In this capacity he has conducted several

Humanist Approach to Social Security Part II Street Children: to the United Nations High According Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), India has the largest population of street children in the world. Some 18 million children live and work on urban streets all over the country. The estimates for street children in Delhi range between 100,000 and 500,000.

Who are the street children?

According to Wikipedia Street Children are those children who being deprived of family care and protection live on the streets of a city.

According to the UNICEF there are two categories of street children.

Children who are engaged in some kind of economic activity ranging from begging to vending. Most go home at the end of the day and contribute their earnings to their family. They may be attending school and retain a sense of belonging to a family. Because of the economic fragility of the family, these children may eventually opt for a permanent life on the streets.

Children of the street actually live on the street (or outside of a normal family environment). Family ties may exist but are tenuous and are maintained only casually or occasionally.

For purpose of this article we are concerned with the second category of children who are ‘subject to abuse, 8

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neglect, exploitation or even in extreme cases murder by “cleanup squads” hired by local businesses or police’.

(Wikipedia) Most of these children are between the ages of about 5 and 17.

A horrifying report about an incident concerning the street children has appeared in the press recently. This happened in the UK and could happen in India too. The brief facts of the incident are as follows: There were two children of the age of nine and eleven.

They were lured into a waste ground, robbed, beaten, burnt with cigarettes, sexually humiliated, strangled with barbed wire and stabbed while being told that they were going to die. One of the boys was found covered in blood and the other had been hit in the head and left for dead.

The perpetrators of this heinous crime were also young aged ten and eleven. They were raised by a violent and drunken father, who beat them and made them fight with each other and a drug addicted mother. She had seven children from three fathers and she had abandoned them to feed themselves from garbage bins.

This incident points to the responsibility of the society to create secure environment for such children.

Several NGOs have come forward to take charge of such children and to provide them a home. For example there is an organization called SOS Children’s Villages of India. The mission of SOS Children’s Villages of India is to bring home a child who has been deprived of the natural order of the family and help him/her to attain full growth as a decent human being in conditions like that of a natural family. The aim and objective of the organization is to help orphaned and destitute children by giving them a family, permanent home and a strong foundation for an independent and secure life. Children in these villages grow up in a family comprising of their SOS Mother and boys and girls of various ages who grow up as brothers and sisters. A SOS village comprises of 14 to 20 homes. Mothers are supported and helped by an efficient team of coworkers.

Today there are 34 SOS Children’s Villages and 122 allied projects like kindergartens schools, social medical and vocational training centres spread in every part of India.

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But the enormity of the problem of street children is such that no single NGO or even a group of NGOs cannot cope with it. Intervention of the State is unavoidable.

The Government at the Centre as well as several State governments have realized their responsibility towards street children and have initiated schemes for their protection.

But the implementation of these schemes leaves much to be desired. Harsh Mander, former member of the IAS, who has become a social activist, has commented, by personal experience, on the way the State looks after such children in a graphic fashion as follows: “Traditionally public authorities have tried to accomplish their duty of protecting children who are at risk mainly by locking away large numbers of these children in State run closed institutions for many years until the child grows to adulthood and soon after the child comes of age by abruptly discharging them without any further support into the larger society …

Children who have been brought up in various State homes routinely describe these as “children’s jails”, or sometimes chillar jails (chillar means small change).

Even though the confined children are physically provided for - food, clothes, schooling, medicines- they rebel against the loveless environments intrinsic to all institutions. Many street youth testify to spending their entire childhoods being captured and then running away from one or the other institutions. Children regard incarceration in such homes as a punishment. Cut off from the larger community behind their opaque walls corruption and institutionalized systems of bullying and sexual and physical abuse are known to pervade these homes. The children raised in these homes are typically withdrawn or violent and find it hard to integrate with the larger world into which they are ejected as soon as the State is not bound by the law to protect them.” (The Child in Need by Harsh Mander, Indian Journal of Social Security: June 2009) The Government of India has recently introduced a new scheme called Integrated Child Protection Scheme which seeks to address many of the limitations of the earlier schemes.

The objectives of this scheme are to contribute to the improvement in the well being of children in difficult circumstances, as well as to the reduction of vulnerability to situations and actions that lead to abuse,

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neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children. These will be achieved by (i) improved access to and quality of child protection services; (ii) raised public awareness about child rights and child protection in India; (iii) clearly articulated responsibilities and enforced accountability for child protection; (iv) established and functioning structures at all Government levels for delivery of statutory and support services to children in difficult circumstances; (v) introduction of operational evidence based monitoring and evaluation.

The ICPS will provide preventive, statutory, care and rehabilitation services to all children in need of care and protection or in conflict with law as defined under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 amended in 2006 and any other vulnerable child including but not limited to: children of potentially vulnerable families and families at risk, children of socially excluded groups like migrant families, families living in extreme poverty, lower caste families, families subjected to or affected by discrimination, minorities, children infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, child drug abusers, children of substance abusers, child beggars, trafficked or sexually exploited

children, children of prisoners and street and working children.

The services that are proposed to be financed under ICPS for strengthening/introduction are: (i) Emergency outreach service through ‘CHILDLINE’; (ii) transitional shelters for children in need in urban and semi-urban areas; (iii) family based non-institutional care through Sponsorship, Foster-care, Adoption and After-care; (iv) institutional services – Shelter homes, Children homes, Observation homes, Special homes, Specialised services for children with special needs; (v) General grant-in-aid for need-based/innovative interventions; (vi) Child Tracking System including a website for missing children; (vii) Cradle baby Reception Centre; (viii) Advocacy, public education and communication; (ix) Training and capacity building; (x) Service delivery structures for the above services at Centre, State and District levels.

The Central Government has provided an outlay of Rs.1073 crores during the XI Plan—period towards implementation of this scheme.

It is to be seen how the Scheme works.

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Khalid Sohail [Dr. Khalid Sohail is a practicing Psychotherapist. He has a clinic of his own, ’Creative Psychotherapy Clinic,’ in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. He has also written a book describing the ‘Zone’ therapy titled, “The Art of Living in your Green Zone,” White Knight Publications, Toronto, Canada, 2002. Besides his professional work, he has other diverse interests. He is a poet of Urdu and English verse and also delves in philosophical, spiritual and mystical issues.]

Human Psyche...Soul or Mind? was a time in history when human There psyche was believed to be a soul. Religious people believed that soul was independent and existed prior to the existence of the body. It entered human fetus at a certain stage of development, stayed in the body throughout life and left at the time of death to go back to the world of souls, so that it could be judged on the Day of Judgment and enter hell or heaven depending on its good and bad deeds. Such a concept of soul was predominantly popular in Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities.

Alongside this Juda-o-Christian-o-Islamic belief in soul, there were many Hindus and Buddhists who followed the tradition of reincarnation and believed that human soul returned to earth again and again to purify itself and acquire a higher or lower level of existence depending upon the good and bad deeds, the karma of the previous incarnation. This cycle of existence and suffering continued until the soul acquired enlightenment and found nirvana and then transcended the cycle of suffering by joining the Ultimate Soul, God. After acquiring nirvana the soul found eternal life and did not 11

have to return to earth for any more suffering.

In these models, religious as well as spiritual, there was a desire, a wish, a hope, and a dream for humans to have eternal life and live forever. Since human body was mortal human beings believed in immortal soul and connected that belief with the belief of immortal and eternal God. In the last few centuries there has been a third model that is becoming more popular in the world. It is the secular model. Followers of such model call psyche, mind, not soul. In this model the mind is intimately connected with the body and does not exist independent of body. It is an extension of the body, related to the functioning of the brain and is connected with human personality that makes choices of human lifestyle.

Secular model, in which human psyche is called human mind has been developed because of the advances of …biologists like Charles Darwin …psychologists like Sigmund Freud …sociologists like Karl Marx and …existentialist philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre.

Since secular people do not believe in life after death, they try their best to make their lives more meaningful and create a paradise on earth.

Based on these secular models contemporary mental health disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, nursing and social work have adopted a model that we call a bio-psycho-social model. According to this model mental illness and emotional problems can be diagnosed and treated based on biological, psychological and social understanding of the problems.

People suffering from schizophrenia and manic depressive illness might have a strong biological component as they might have inherited mental illness from their parents that have transmitted the illness through genes and these patients might have biochemical abnormalities at birth that were later on vulnerable to the psychological and social stresses.

Similarly people with neurotic and personality disorders might have experience emotional abuse or trauma as children growing up in dysfunctional and unhealthy families. Similarly immigrants might have emotional and social problems because of their difficulties adjusting to a new culture and not being able to resolve social and cultural conflicts. Secular mental health professionals try to find different factors that contribute to the emotional conditions and then suggest a

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combination of: - Medications for biochemical disorders - Psychotherapy for psychological problems and - Family and group therapy to resolve social conflicts.

Such bio-psycho-social model has been very effective in helping people suffering from mental illnesses and emotional problems.

In the last few decades there has been an ongoing dialogue between professionals and lay people, mental health workers and patients about the similarities and differences in their belief systems. Different professionals have adopted different attitudes. I know some psychiatrists and nurses who refuse to discuss their religious, spiritual and secular beliefs with patients as they feel it is not important for their treatment plan. In my clinical practice if my patients ask my views directly I share with them that I am a secular humanist that respects people from all religious, spiritual and secular traditions and support people in searching their own truth. I believe that there are as many truths as human beings and as many realities as pairs of eyes in this world.

Most of my patients are believers but we have mutually respectful relationship with each other. I share with them that my role in their life is not to get in any academic discussion about their ideology or philosophy. I am there to help them in reducing their emotional suffering whether depression, or anxiety, paranoia or marital problems, and improving their quality of life.

While there are some atheist psychiatrists who discourage their patients to attend church gatherings, I never object to it as I believe that their attending church services offer them emotional and moral support as long as their religious relatives and friends do not object to the psychiatric treatment they are receiving.

I remember the time when my aunt in Pakistan suffered

from schizophrenia. She was seen by a psychiatrist and was prescribed Modecate injection and supportive therapy. My uncle, who was a religious man, asked my opinion about taking her to see a spiritual healer because she had a lot of faith in him. I told my uncle that I did not object her going to see the spiritual healer if that is what they wished, as long as she took her Modecate injection and followed her psychiatric care plan regularly. It was interesting that a time came when Modecate injections were not available in Pakistan. My aunt started to regress and started having her psychotic symptoms and inappropriate behavior although she was still going to see her spiritual healer. My aunt’s illness became a great concern for the whole family. On my uncle’s request I sent Modecate injections from Canada and when my aunt started taking the injections regularly she started to improve. After that experience my aunt and uncle agreed with me that the psychiatric treatment was the cake and the spiritual practices the icing.

If we see the contemporary world we see all the religious, spiritual and secular practices existing side by side.

Some people believe in a soul and the Day of Judgment Some people believe in a soul and re-incarnation and Some believe in a mind that exists as an extension of body and brain that dies when the person dies. They do not believe in life after death and Day of Judgment.

Being a secular humanist and psychotherapist I belong to the third group but I have no hesitation in serving people from the first two groups. That is my way of serving humanity and people from all walks of life because as a physician I want to help people reduce their suffering and discover a healthy, happy and peaceful lifestyle. I am a psychotherapist, not a priest, and more concerned about caring for their minds than saving their souls.

Dear Friends, Kindly, post articles, news analysis and your comments on the RH website at www.theradicalhumanist.com Please register yourself on the website even if you would not be able to regularly contribute to it.

This is very necessary to allow those who visit it more often to know you through your profile on the website.

This way the Radical Humanists, the world over, would know about each other and would be able to keep in touch if they so desire.

Rekha Saraswat

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Current Affairs:

Rajindar Sachar

[Justice Rajindar Sachar is Retd.Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi, New Delhi. He is UN Special Rappoetuer on Housing, Ex.Member, U.N. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and Ex-President, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) India.]

Gilgit Package: Logical Conclusion for LoC being accepted as Kashmir Settlement Zardari’s address at U.N. General President Assembly reiterating his priority for resumption of composite dialogue with India and seeking a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues, including Kashmir has again opened a window through which possibly a permanently workable solution to J&K imbroglio can be worked out between India and Pakistan.

I am more than optimistic now, notwithstanding the brooding presence of 26/11 in all communications between governments of India and Pakistan because of the recently enacted 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan package announced by Pakistan government. It needs to be emphasized that in point of fact since April 28, 1949 Pakistan has had administrative control over this region, and it was governed through Pakistan Presidential ordinances. This admission that a good part of old J&K is under occupation of Pakistan and Gilgit area is now to be chaired directly

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under Pakistan Prime Ministers council coupled with Pakistan having ceded hundreds of Miles area in Aksi Chin permanently to China is a clear admission by Pakistan that all talk of ‘part of J&K on its own side of LoC was independent State’ was nothing but a concerted move to malign India as if India was forcibly occupying the whole of J&K – it deceived no one but quite a few years back that was the understanding of quite a number of international community, which was facilitated no doubt by the reluctance of our foreign office for years not to highlight it at international forums. Much less were they aware that Gilgit–Baltistan part of erstwhile J&K was directly under Pakistan government administration. But such was the unexplained attitude of our foreign office that they preferred to take all this blame on the misplaced assumption that this will strengthen the case of India to be able to retain whole of erstwhile J&K. It was only later that gradually, and mostly because of the representatives from Gilgit Baltistan area, it became open knowledge that Pakistan which in public expressed so much support for Independent J&K had put under its tutelage area without even the pretence of formal democracy and self rule. Such was the disdain of Pakistan for the sensitivity of J&K people that it has permanently ceded thousands of sq miles to China in sector, Aksi Chin which goes against the proclaimed desire to maintain the integrity of whole of J&K as one unit. In a practical sense these acts obviously were (though not expressed openly) a silent recognition by Pakistan that it would be agreeable to settle the J&K question on the basis of existing factual boundaries with LoC being made a permanently soft border and with more friendly ties of trade and travel between two sides of LoC. Much has happened since 26/11 which has put further pressure on Pakistan accentuated by USA debacle in Afghanistan to genuinely take some effective steps against terrorists, Talibans - army involvement in swat province, Pakistan’s quiet acceptance of Taliban leader Mausood being killed by USA drone (but no doubt with complicity from Pakistan Govt.) has opened a route through which mutually acceptable solution to J&K could be found between India and Pakistan.

Some people in India have justifiably raised their criticism at this sham of democratic set up for Gilgit–Baltistan. Govt. of India has obviously taken the usual official line to protest at Pakistan seeking to

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incorporate Gilgit–Baltistan region, on the obviously technically correct argument that as whole of J&K (which included Gilgit–Baltistan Region) acceded to India in 1947, the action of Pakistan is illegal. Speaking purely in legalese language this official position is incontestable. As a matter Mr. Alistair Lamb, the internationally known Jurist, who had been briefed by Pakistan to opine on accession of J&K by Maharaja to India, has said that the accession is legal. He has gone further to say that the announcement of Pandit Nehru, that there will be plebiscite subject to conditions approved by U.N. General Assembly was only obiter and has no legal sanction, because India Independence Act only empowered the Ruler of State to decide on the question of accession and the Maharaja having acceded unconditionally, the validity of accession can not be called in question by invoking the subsequent statement of Pt. Nehru.

No, I am not so cut off from practical realism as to advocate India’s claim over the whole of J&K because of the validity of instrument of accession. Both in India and Pakistan we have to realize and accept practical realities and acceptable formula. For India to lay a claim to whole of Kashmir is as unrealistic as is for Pakistan to insist on a plebiscite – which can only be voting for India or Pakistan.

The Hurriyat and other groups in J&K should also realize that the question of Independent J&K, outside India and Pakistan is a non starter.

Is it not clear to even a novice in the political domain that no government in Pakistan or India can agree to give up the territory of J&K which at present falls under its

respective jurisdiction, and no government either in Pakistan or India can survive if it acts differently? That is the ground reality, which constraints not only, the governments but any honest appraisal of the matter.

But this does not mean that India can underplay the sentiments and aspirations of the people of J&K and especially of the valley which has been in a state of turmoil and has raised many uncomfortable questions of violation of Human Rights in the state. Consequently, it is incumbent for all political parties in India to commit before the public their agreement that only subjects such as defence, foreign affairs, currency, and communication as were ceded by the Instrument of Accession will be Central subjects. All other subjects will be within the jurisdiction of the State of J&K. Article 370 will continue and therefore the Centre will have no jurisdiction over any other subject unless the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly so permits by a resolution.

The Central Government should withdraw all Central legislations which the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had authorized it earlier. (In practical terms this would not create a void because these are normal legislations like the Municipal Act and the Industrial Act which the state government itself will have to provide for proper governance). This exclusive autonomous power to legislate has already been given to certain areas in Assam and Meghalaya decades ago by a constitutional amendment. Can one hope for some such silver lining in Indo-Pak relations, clouded as they are at present by 26/11 syndrome?

Dear Rekha, Issue 473 has brought new ways of looking at events and thinking about them, including an awareness for Michael Jackson.

It is a bit surprising, however, to notice some lack of tolerance as expressed in the demand of Dr N. Innaiah: can we not live according to our conviction and let others live in the light (or, even, darkness?) of their own? Since all the major traditions of the world - Aztek, Chinese, Hindu (highly sophisticated owing to its solid ground on mathematics), Chaldean, Greek - seem to have attached a certain importance to this branch of knowledge, it is high time reconsidering the subject with a greater care and competence. Unfortunately my present schedule will not permit me to undertake it, but I shall look forward to seeing more capable persons examining it seriously.

All the best.

Prithwindra-da prithwindra@aol.com

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Balraj Puri

[Mr. Balraj Puri is an authority on Jammu and Kashmir Affairs. He is Director, Institute of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Karan Nagar, Jammu-180005 Ph.no. 01912542687,09419102055 www.humanrightsjournal.com]

Dr. Mukerjee on Hindutva and Article 370 Chief Rajnath Singh and the RSS TheChiefBJP Mohan Bhagwat reiterated the commitment of the two organizations to Hindutva and abrogation of Article 370 which grants a special status to Jammu and Kashmir State. They were speaking at a function organized by Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Research Foundation at the University of Jammu on the occasion of 57th death anniversary of the founder President of the Bhartiya Jana Sangh, Dr. Mukerjee on June 23.

As far as the concept of Hindutva is concerned, there was no clarity or unanimity among the leaders of the BJP. Much of the internal debate has been widely reported in the media. Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose affinity with the BJP and its top leaders like Vajpayee and Advani is well known, advised the party to keep away from Hindutva for the sake of its own future growth. In his view Hindutva had never been the foundational ideological representation of the BJP and its predecessor, Jana Sangh.

He quoted from a revealing conversation between Dr. Mukerjee and Vir Savarkar who met on August 26, 1952. The former requested the latter to bless the Jana Sangh. Savarkar wanted the philosophy of the Hindu

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Maha Sabha i.e. Hindutva to be adopted by the Jana Sangh, which Mukerjee declined to do.

The Jana Sangh had adopted “Integral Humanism,” as propounded by Deen Dayal Upadhya, its foremost ideologue and organizer” as the party’s guiding ideology, according to Kulkarni. He further added, “When the BJP was born it adopted Gandhian socialism as its ideology and changed its flag from saffron to add a green patch to it, perhaps as an overture to minorities.

Vajpayee, he says, never used the word Hindutva.

M G Vaidya, senior RSS ideologue asked the BJP to quit Hindutva agenda, so that it could win back its former allies like Trimamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Telegu Desam and ADMK. Striking a via media, Advani defined Hindutva as a way of life and not a religion and was inclusive and respected all faiths alike.

While the BJP may be able to resolve its dilemma on the issue in its meeting called Chintan Baithak, some time later, the wisdom of launching Hindutva offensive at Jammu is questionable. The BJP’s predecessor the Jan Sangh had launched its first popular movement in the country from Jammu in 1952 and led a very popular mass agitation over the Amarnath shrine land row last year. Yet it could not get majority in the state assembly election and lost both seats of Lok Sabha from the region because Muslims, who constitute a decisive vote in Jammu, did not respond to the Hindutva appeal.

A more relevant issue raised on Mukerjee’s martyrdom day, for the state was the claim of the RSS leader that “he (Mukerjee) laid down his life to oppose the theory of two constitutions, two flags and two heads of state within one nation” (which were agreed upon under Delhi Agreement between Indian Prime Minister and Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdullah in 1952).

This claim is factually not correct. No doubt that the Jana Sangh came to Jammu to support the movement of the Praja Parishad for this objective. But after a prolonged correspondence with the then Prime Minister Nehru extending for two months of January and February 1953, and considering the arguments of Nehru, Mukerjee, in his letter to Nehru dated February 17, 1953, offered to withdraw the agitation and support the Delhi Agreement, which he said, “should be implemented in the next session of J&K Constituent Assembly.” He further suggested that “both parties reiterate that the

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unity of the state will be maintained and that the principle of autonomy will apply to the province of Jammu and of course to Ladakh and Kashmir Valley.�

This was precisely the formula that he was able to persuade Nehru and Abdullah to agree upon which they announced at a joint press conference on July 24, 1952.

The unfortunate and untimely death of Mukerjee on June 23, 1953 only hastened the process of implementation of the offer he made to Nehru. The leaders of the Praja Parishad agitation were released on July 1 and invited to Delhi; and on July 3 they met Nehru where they agreed to the offer of regional autonomy made by Nehru and to withdraw their agitation. Meanwhile a 45 page draft on Regional Autonomy was sent by the state government to the underground leader of the Praja Parishad agitation Durga Dass Varma which he returned after approval by the party experts. There might have been no Kashmir

problem and further complications added to it if the agreement between Nehru, Abdullah and Mukerjee on autonomy of the state within India and of the regions within the state had been implemented.

Many months later, the Jana Sangh, under directions from Nagpur (RSS headquarters), according to Jana Sangh leader Balraj Madhok, withdrew support to Delhi Agreement and Regional Autonomy. The consequences of this viable force are well known and, in any case, cannot be gone into here.

Jana Sangh, originally formed by hard core Hindutva cadres had presentable faces in the personalities of Dr. Mukerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee who avoided hard core slogans. Now in the absence of such presentable faces, revival of hard core slogans cannot ensure the BJP as a viable force.

Book Release:

Political History of Andhra Pradesh Author— N. Innaiah M.N. Roy opined that politics should be studied systematically and history must be written in a scientific manner.

Following both these principles suggested by M.N. Roy Dr Narisetti Innaiah, chairman of Center for Inquiry India, has come out with a scientific study of the political history of Andhra Pradesh in the form of a book POLITICAL HISTORY OF ANDHRA PRADESH. This book with 300 pages covers 100 years of contemporary events commencing from pre-independence days and concludes with 2009 emergence of Mr. K. Rosaiah as Chief Minister.

This book narrates how Andhra Pradesh gained importance with the visit of two presidents from USA, namely Bill Clinton and George Bush. Mr. Bill Gates too visited. This happened due to prominence given to high technology.

Political parties and their power games, constant defections, hereditary power sharing, and innumerable regional developments, all these aspects are traced in this book.

Naxalite movement since 1969 and two turbulent agitations for separate state for Telengana have also been given a panoramic view.

How Congress and Telugu Desam parties ruled the state while all other parties remained in opposition and then N.T. Rama Rao dislodged Congress party within 9 months during early 1980s and established name for the state in Delhi circles is also discussed in it.

CFI India brought out this volume as model study. It is distributed by Akshara.

Chapters are divided according to the rule of chief ministers. No sides are taken and the whole presentation is critical and objective. It will be good addition to the institutions, students, libraries.

This book is being serialized in the RH this month onwards.................

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IRHA/IRI Member’s Section:

Narisetti Innaiah

Political History of Andhra Pradesh is a general misnomer that pre-independence Itdays were golden. We often hear that, by and large, the British rule was honest and corruption was unknown. Self-praise too is not lacking among freedom fighters regarding their past achievements and heroic deeds.

They say that until 1947 sacrifice for the country was everyone’s objective. While abusing the present generation these elders panegyrically talk of how honesty, altruism, and sacrifice worked as vital forces for them. Such people express shock at witnessing degeneration in all walks of life today, at how the means have become the end, how nepotism, favouritism, moneymaking and above all worship at the altar of power, have eaten into the moral fabric of the society.

All this looks very attractive but in reality it is sheer nonsense. There is ample evidence to prove that power, however little of it there was, always corrupted the persons who aspired for it. Without proper means of mass communication in pre-independence days, there existed a wide gap between the ruler and the ruled.

Hence, it was natural for innocent people to think that all was well. There was also another psychological factor, which should be mentioned here. Brown skinned Indians nourished an inferiority complex infront of the Britishers. The white skinned rulers were looked at with awe and wonder. People were afraid to go anywhere near the ruling class. A few Indians had access to the British administrators. All sorts of stories were concocted about

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the white-skinned bureaucrats and their honesty and efficiency.

We now have documentary evidence about the corrupt practices and nasty behaviour of the British in India.

Anyone interested in verifying the facts about the corruption of British administration can go through the excellent work of Frykenberg “Guntur district”.

Indians under the British rule were a match to the British Officers in corrupt practices, nepotism and groupism.

Though they had very little power at various levels, it was quite enough for manipulations and misdemeanours. Some of these facts are discussed by Christopher John Baker, D.A. Washbrook and Eugene F. Irsachick. These three foreign scholars have made valuable contributions to the political history of South India and have also cited a number of instances of the corrupt practices of Indians ranging from the villages to the State.

Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956. Till 1953 Andhra was a part of the composite Madras State. Eighty percent of the people in the State are agriculture - oriented.

Sir Arthur Cotton made it possible for the middle class in the Krishna-Godavari delta to rise up. The dams on Godavari and Krishna rivers were completed in 1848 and 1852 respectively. Guntur, Vijayawada, Eluru and Kakinada were fast growing into cities. The Marwadis and Vysyas and the Cooperative Banks lent money to the agriculturists, and labourers from dry lands who came to work in the wet areas for cheaper wages. That was how they earned their livelihood. Few villages were aware of urban fashions, the exception being the places which had railways nearby.

As long as the British ruled, the whole authority was centered in London and to some extent, at Delhi. Only nominal power was given to the presidencies like Madras. As much as 70% of the land revenue went to the Centre. The Britishers, due to communication problems, had to depend on local clerks, which gave these local officers a chance to play their corrupt game. From the Collector to the Revenue clerk, corruption was rampant, Selection of jobs had the stench of corruption, casteism and favouritism through and through.

Brahmins migrating from Maharashtra, established themselves in most of the jobs. The Britishers found it beyond their control to stop nepotism. For example, one Mr. Krishna Rao, who was the Hujoor Tahsildar of

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Ananthapuram, appointed 108 of his kith and kin in various jobs. As a punishment he was then transferred to Cuddapah, where he recruited 117 of his men for jobs this time. Among those 117 there were 80 of his own family members. Similar situations arose in the Krishna and Godavari districts. Karanams (village officers who maintain the revenue records) and village Munsifs divided the villages between them and ruled with British help. The wealthy families virtually controlled the people. In Kakinada and Eluru, money lenders had the local people under their thumbs. In other places like Vijayanagaram, Pithapuram, Kalahasthi, Bobbili, Parlakimidi, Nuziveed and Venkatagiri, the Zamindars made use of their power, and squeezed money from the people, a part of which, in the name of taxes, went to the British rulers. Zamindars of Parlakimidi made money by manufacturing locomotives. The Raja of Bobbili excelled others in business. The Raja of Venkatagiri minted money through his mica mines. The Zamindar of Pithapuram lent money to other Zamindars. Small Zamindars hoarded money through money-lending. The Kalahasthi and Polavaram Zamindars lived in opulence till they were impoverished. The Raja of Vizianagarm had an income of 20 lakhs per annum, and was famous for establishing educational institutions and promoting cultural activities. The Zamindar of Nuziveedu supported the cause of the spoken language, Telugu.

The Zamindars collected taxes as they pleased. In Kalahasthi many people went to court against the increase in taxes, and it was years before the land revenues could be collected there. Even Nuziveedu was in trouble due to the inefficient tax collection system.

The wealthy were no different from the zamindars.

Many employees in Eluru Collectorate were debtors to Mote Venkatswami. The people twice tried to send a memorandum against him. But he saw that those papers were intercepted and destroyed mid-way before they could reach the Kakinada Collectorate. Such was the audacity of the rich. The families which exerted unchallenged supremacy over the people were the Paida family, M. Satyalingam Nayakar, K. Basivi Reddy in Kakinada, A.V. Jagga Rao in Vizag and G. Appalaswamy in Vijayawada.

Through re-survey and re-settlement the Government had all records of land revenue by 1870 itself. The Karnams and Munsifs with hereditary powers bestowed

upon them, played key roles and not only enriched themselves but also exercised unchallenged power over the people. Those who opposed them either became victims of murder or were dragged to courts on false accusations. At the village level they were the law makers and prosecutors. It is impossible to guess the amount of land revenue collected in 168 villages of Cuddapah when Rs. 22,507/- itself was paid to the Government in the year 1875. The British gradually transferred to the local Government the responsibility of maintaining the forests, liquor business, tribunal for incometax appeals, selection of police, settlement of inter-community disputes and irrigation.

The courts were full of cases of corruption. Treasurers were being elected to Temple trusteeship. There was no effective control of crimes. Especially in the Krishna-Godavari delta, thefts were rampant.

Christian Missionaries slowly started preaching among the Hindus of the lowest rung. Various Christian Missions operated in Rayalaseema, especially in Jammalamadugu and at Vijayawada and Eluru in the Coastal area.

The Brahma Samaj branches too extended upto Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Guntur and Machilipatnam.

Gajula Lakshmi Narasu Chetty had drawn the attention of the Andhras in 1852 by founding the Madras Native Association. On16th May 1894, Mahajanasabha started under the leadership of G. Rangaiah Naidu and P. Anandacharyulu.

Kandukuri Veeresalingam had started a branch of Pradhana Samaj, originally founded in Maharashtra.

During 1851, the British issued a communal G.O. stressing the need for the representation of various castes in jobs like Hujoor Sirastadar, head-clerk to distribute jobs among Brahmins and non-Brahmins. The Brahmins formed only 3.2 percent of the total population. There were 492 graduate Brahmins as against 171 non-Brahmin Graduates in Madras University during the year 1880-81.

This was the background of Andhra at the birth of the Congress.

Between 1885 and 1905, the Congress in the Andhra had existed only in name . Except the All India Congress Conferences held annually, there was no active programme for the Congress in Andhra. Even then, the people in cities only were familiar with the Congress.

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The villagers were blissfully unaware of it. Local bodies were not efficient in drawing the attention of the villagers. By the time Indians could find a place in the local bodies, the factional groups in Congress were already active. The local factionalism was reflected in the State level politics also.

P. Anandacharyulu, who was in the Congress from the very beginning, proved a misfit at municipal affairs in 1891. That was the year when epidemic spread in Madras, killing many. Investigation into the reasons proved that unqualified people were made Health Officers and the contractors had left the work unfinished. Anandacharyulu supported one of the corrupt men Jesu Dasan Pillai, and consequently forced his own departure from the State Politics. Later, he was to get elected to the imperial Council.

Y.L. Narasimhan and Tanguturi Prakasam belonged to one group in the local politics of Rajahmundry. Nyapathi Subba Rao was their opponent. In the same way, at the State level, Pattabhi Seetharamayya and Mutnuri Krishna Rao were in one group whereas Nyapathi Seetharamayya and Konda Venkatappayya formed the second and Prakasam and Narasimham the third. Tamil Brahmin lawyers and high level officers who favoured the Government were known as the Mailapur group.

Nyapathi Subba Rao, Macherla Ramachandra Rao, Puranam Venkata Subbaiah, K. Pera Raju, Kandukuri Veeresalingam joined hands with the Mailapur group and stood as opponents to Prakasam’s group.

Rayalaseema, especially Ananthapuram district which got divided into two between Timma Reddy and Chinnapa Reddy, witnessed at least two murders in a month. The leading Congressman Gutti Keshava Pillai, a lawyer, helped Chinnapa Reddy with British support.

These group politics continued for two decades from 1904 onwards.

The Congress was very much elite-oriented in the beginning.

The people who attended the 1st Congress Session (1885) were — P. Rangaiah Naidu, Anandacharyulu, Gutti Keshava Pillai, N. Venkata Subbarayudu, S.N. Narasimhulu Naidu, S.V.G, Panthulu and some others representing Machilipatnam, Cuddapah, Barahampuram, Ananthapur and Bellary.

In the same year a weekly “Andhra Prakasika” was started by A.P. Parthasarathi Naidu. A.P. Parthasarathi

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Naidu, Anandacharyulu, Rangaiah Naidu, Nyapathi Subba Rao Panthulu, Keshav Pillai, Sangapalli Ramaswamy Gupta and others from Rajahmundry, Vizag, Gutti, Gudivada, Penugonda and Nellore attended the Second Congress Session in 1886.

The Congress used to appeal to the British Government for many things. It requested them to find place for Indians in the Government.

P. Anandacharyulu played a prominent role in the Third Session of the Congress in Madras. The Raja of Vizianagaram was on the dias. The Raja of Venkatagiri sent his Diwan as his representative and the Raja of Challapalli announced his support to the Congress.

Lawyers with western education and businessmen played a major role in this session. The Vysyas from the Northern Circars notably extended a helping hand to it.

A.Sabhapathi Mudaliar - a businessman from Bellary, collected money for the session from various parts of Rayalaseema. The Lingayat businessmen from Rayalaseema had participated actively in the Sessions.

The Sardars from Ananthapur also took part and the Congress session included people of all castes. The Sessions had the unopposed support of Arcot muslims and the muslims from other parts also participated with all enthusiasm. Caste politics had not yet become rampant at that time.

45 members from Andhra, including Nyapathi Subba Rao participated in the Allahabad Congress Session (1888).

The 1889 Congress Session of Bombay attracted 151 people from Andhra. The Calcutta Session of 1890 had 22 representatives.

Anandacharyulu and 43 others attended the Congress Session of 1891 in Nagpur.

Seventeen represented Andhra at the Allahabad Congress Session in 1892.

It was a remarkable fact that 14 Andhras went in those days, when travel facilities were very meagre, to Lahore to attend the Congress Session in 1893. The Congress Session was arranged in Madras in the year 1894.

Because of the proximity, as many as 336 Telugu people attended it. Konda Venkatappayya was one of the volunteers in the Session. A proper record is not available of the number of Telugu people who attended the Poona Congress Session of 1895.

THE RADICAL HUMANIST

NOVEMBER 2009

After 1890 the political importance of the Congress Sessions began to descend. In the Madras Session, the membership was reduced from 607 to 267. Lethargy found a place in the Congress elite, except appealing to the Government for favours, there was no other activity.

Shankaran Nair presided over the Amethi Congress of 1897. Twenty one members represented Andhra.

Anandacharyulu was the Chairman of the Reception Committee to the congress of Madras in 1898. 208 delegates from Andhra participated. The next session was held in Lucknow in 1899 under the Chairmanship of Ramesh Chandra Dutt. Fourteen representatives went form Andhra. It is not known how many attended the Calcutta Congress Session in 1900. Only 143 attended the Madras meetings of 1903 where Lal Mohan Ghosh was the President. Only nine from Andhra participated at the Allahabad Congress Session in 1904. The Banaras Session in 1905 had 29 members from Andhra.

Till 1905 there was no constructive programme or able leadership in Andhra to invite the Congress Sessions to Andhra. Madras was the provincial capital. Through the Congresssmen a little knowledge of the Congress had spread in the towns and villages. But at the national or State level, Andhra had a very small role to play.

Groupism in the Congress: For over two decades Narasimham stood as an opponent to Nyapathi Subba Rao and Kandukuri Veeresalingam.

But Narasimham had to bow down before the reforms made by the Government. Tanguturi Prakasam, who continued his studies with the help of Narasimham, lost his hold in Rajahmundry. Narasimham’s prominence in the educational institutions was replaced by that of Veeresalingam and Subba Rao who had the help of the British. Narasimham’s position further deteriorated with an enquiry held against him when he was the Municipal Chairman of Rajahmundry.

P. Venkatappayya had a monopoly over the educational institutions of Krishna. The same situation prevailed in the Municipality as well as at the Bar Association where the opposition was led by Pattabhi Seetharamaiah, Mutnuri Krishna Rao and Konda Venkatappayya.

Narasimham and Prakasam in Rajahmundry, Pattabhi and Krishna Rao, in Machilipatnam stood to oppose the influence of Subba Rao and Venkatappayya. The disputes in local politics continued at the state level too.

Prakasam and Krishna Rao managed to sustain their

opposition through newspapers and magazines. They attacked the Mailapur group and criticised conservatism in the Congress.

Outside influences: The decision to divide Bengal into two, taken by Lord Curzon came into force from 10th October, 1905. The movement against this action was intensified, and had its influence in Andhra.

Magazines carried on an anti-British propaganda on a bold footing. ‘‘Krishna Patrika” was the result of the efforts of Konda Venkatappayya, (Mutnuri Krishna Rao-Editor) Dasu Narayana Rao and Avutapalli Narayana Rao in 1902. The initiation of a political atmosphere in Andhra became a strong support to the ‘Vandemataram Movement’. The British felt insulted whenever they heard ‘Vandemataram’. The youth adopted ‘Vandemataram’ as a salutation and wore badges with those words. Kantha Sreeram Sastry brought the song to the masses by singing it. The use of indigenous goods, the boycott of foreign goods, and the promotion of native education formed the nucleus of the ‘Vandemataram Movement’.

Gadicharla Hari Sarvothama Rao and Adipudi Somanatha Rao lent their support to the Vandemataram Movement and participated in the Swadeshi Movement meeting of 24th February 1906 in Madras. Students were encouraged to join the movement by K. Venkata Ramana Rao. The ‘Swadeshi League’ was formed with Nyapathi Subba Rao and Venkata Ramana Rao. The use of Swadeshi goods was averred at a decision taken in the 1906 Calcutta congress Session. Gadicharla Hari Sarvothama Rao, Munagala Raja, K.V. Lakshmana Rao and Pingali Lakshmi Narayana were the participants. This movement was given impetus by C.Y. Chintamani at the meetings in Nellore, Guntur, Kakinada, Vizag and Vizianagaram.

It was decided to send a few people to Japan for training in the manufacture of swadeshi goods. Funds were collected in Guntur and Kurnool to meet their expenses in Japan. Malladi Venkata Subba Rao and S. Rama Rao were sent to Japan for training in the manufacture of pencils, glass, watches and clocks. With the benevolent charity of A. Bhaskara Ramaiah, Goleti Janaki Ramaiah and Mamidi Devendram were also sent to Japan at a later stage. Munagala Raja came forward to start a weaving factory at Vijayawada.

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In 1906 the great leader, Surender Nath Banerjee was arrested. Protest meetings were held at Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Gooty. Celebrations were started in the name of Shivaji as encouraged by Tilak.Mutnuri Krishna Rao, the editor of ‘Krishna Patrika’ arranged the visit of Bipin Chandra Pal to Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Machilipatnam. Bipin Chandra Pal, an Arya Samajee, inspired the few educated men to join the Swadeshi movement by giving it a touch of spiritualism.

The youth gave him a warm welcome wherever he went.

Under his inspiration, Kopalle Hanumantha Rao of Machilipatnam took an oath to spread national education.

Pal’s tour was made a success by active members like Bhupathiraju Venkatapathi Raju, V. Jagannathan etc. V. Purnaiah, K. Peraraju, Ganti Lakshmanna, Kanchumarthi Ramachandra Rao, Tanguturi Sree Ramulu, Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao, Chilakamarthi Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao, Gunneswara Rao, Munagala Raja, Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao, Veerabrahmam, Poddibhotla Veeraiah, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, Kopalle Hanumantha Rao and

B.N. Sharma, a rightist, opposed Pal’s views in Vizag and Vizianagaram. Prakasam was the Chairman at Pal’s meeting at Madras.

Attili Suryanarayana’s book - ‘The Indian Poverty’, and ‘Bharatha Mathru Sakatam’ by Mangapudi Venkatasharma were famous during those days as they supported the Swadeshi Movement.

Under the Patronage of Valluri Maharani, Stree Bharatha Sangham (Indian Women’s Association) was formed in Vizag in 1905.

College students participated in large numbers in Pal’s meetings. Action was taken against many students and they were dismissed from colleges as they went to examination halls with badges of ‘Vande Matharam’.

Such students promoted the Swadeshi Movement.

Kopalle Krishna was beaten up for shouting the slogan ‘Vande Matharam’ against Captain Kemp in Kakinada.

It led to a fight wherein even the Collector was hurt.

Captain Kemp’s building was damaged. Despite the apologies from the prominent citizens of the town, fifty people and five dock workers were arrested.

Only after an assurance from the Collector, did the dock workers resume their work. Captain Kemp was made to pay Rs. 100/- to Krishna Rao as compensation. All this was understood as the emotional impact of Pal’s tour. ...............To be contd.

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

NOVEMBER 2009

Student’s & Research Scholar’s Section:

Arshi Ansari

Contemporary Relevance of UNO came into existence when the whole UNO world was facing the horrendous repercussions of World War II. USA’s atomic attack upon Japan was the final warning to all the nations that future wars may lead to human extinction. With this fear in mind the Allies formed the organization of UNO. And therefore, the main objective of the UNO was to save the coming generations from wars. Officially, UNO came into existence on 24th October 1945 and its main office was established in New York, USA. At present, 192 nations out of the total 195 are its members.

To analyze the relevance of UNO in the present world scenario, we have to evaluate its success and failure in realizing its objectives. According to the UN Charter it had four main objectives to fulfill. – 1. To maintain international peace and security with the help of ‘collective-security’ and to keep aggressive tendencies under control; that is, keeping wars at bay.

2. To solve international disputes by peaceful means.

3. Encourage nations to take their own decisions and motivate the process of de-colonization.

4. Promote mutual co-operation in social, economic, cultural and human areas.

Apart from this, UNO has also been making efforts towards the disarmament policy.

Now if we try to analyze UNO’s role in its first objective of stopping wars between nations, we may say that it has not been successful. The reason behind this failure is that whenever wars have had the support of big nations, like

USA, UK, Russia, China and France, UNO became ineffective because these nations used their veto powers to continue the wars. Korean War, Vietnamese War and the thrice fought Gulf War are examples of the same.

The same is the situation in matters of crises. Ever since it has been formed UNO could not play any influential role during various international imbroglios, such as Berlin, Cuba, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Afghanistan Crises or Operation Iraqi Freedom. In all of these, one or the other super power was involved and thus UNO could not play any decisive role.

It is true that there has been no major war in the last 64 yrs. And there has been no direct armed conflict between the US and Russia but its credit goes to the various mutual treaties between them as well as the fear of the pernicious after-effects of an atomic war and not to the UNO. That is why there were many wars but no world war.

The second objective of UNO to resolve political problems through peaceful means could also not succeed much, because the super powers either directly entered into negotiations with the involved parties or through the mediation of a third country without taking the help of UNO, e.g. after the Indo-Pak War in South Asia apart from Tashkent and Shimla Agreements three major disputes were resolved through either direct two-party negotiations as Shastri-Sirimavo Agreement between India and Sri Lanka in 1964, Farakka Agreement between India and Bangladesh in 1977 or with the help of an international tribunal to solve the Kutch dispute with Pakistan.

UNO has not been able to solve the Kashmir and Arab Israel problems. It has only played the role of declaring armistice after all the big wars. It is true therefore, that UNO could not be so successful in resolving political disputes as was expected from it.

But there are other areas in which UNO has done commendable work, mainly in the humanitarian areas. It has been a boon to such internal and foreign problems of nations as civil wars, racial tensions, refugees’ issues, famines, draughts, floods and environment-pollution problems. It has also played a very important role in giving a new lease of life to the old, the handicapped, the homeless, the destitute and the suffering women and children. It has also vigorously campaigned for environment reforms; checks on population explosion

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and public health improvement.

Simultaneously, it has also fulfilled its responsibility of, to a great extent, reducing mutual tensions and differences within nations, as in the Unctand and Law of the Sea Conference.

But this fact also can not be denied that all the help and assistance given by the UNO in the above matters was possible because the powerful nations of the West and the US allowed the latter to go ahead. And in this also international level politics was played.

Any big or small decision taken by the UNO needs to have the consent of the European bigwigs.

China was not allowed the membership of UNO as long as the US did not like it. But when its bi-lateral relations improved with the latter it was made the permanent member of its Security Council and the separated nationalist part of China – Formosa (Taiwan) was turned out of the simple membership even.

In fact, it is only the US which is the all in all and to get the benefits of UNO one has to be in its good books.

If we take into consideration the nuclear disarmament issue, here also we do not find any relevance of UNO. We can clearly observe its passivity in the following illustrations: · China’s assistance to Pakistan in manufacturing space armaments. · Supplying of space missile technology to Pakistan by China. · China’s assistance to North Korea in developing long range missiles. · Supplying of space missile technology to Pakistan by North Korea. · USA’s permissiveness in tolerating all the above developments. (Despite CIA’s evidence it was said that there is lack of “actionable evidence”).

At present, UNO is truly at the cross-roads. On the one side, USA seems to be fed up and tired of UNO’s unending obstructive meetings and wants to bypass its interferences. On the other, many nations are demanding its restructuring in a manner that the super-powers are not allowed to hijack its functioning. In view of the above, the UNO is at a critical juncture of its existence and the leading powers of the world including the

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emerging ones have to ponder over the following questions: Will restructuring of the UN organs and making them more representative, especially the Security Council, would make the UN more effective?

Or, would reviewing its existing form and restricting it to its primary role of global security management and prevention of conflicts make the UN more effective?

Future Challenges of UNO: Future challenges to global security are not going to be global wars but more of asymmetric type of wars, limited wars, insurgencies and terrorism. All of these would possibly be driven more by religious fundamentalism, ethnic strife and ethnic genocide.

In terms of security management, the UNO would be challenged by a variety of happenings, namely, · Regional instabilities caused by ‘rough states’ specially those with a record of nuclear proliferation. · ‘Failed States’, where the state apparatus, rule of law and economic break down lead to state disintegration by exorbitant defense expenditure and corruption. · Conflict over control of energy, resources, strategic materials and water sharing.

What the UNO needs is real power, the power to create binding agreements among member states and the abolition of veto used by the member states of Security Council on important decisions. The UNO must make it clear to all member states that all should respect and follow the resolutions passed by it and the states with veto power should not misuse their privilege to disagree with the unanimously accepted decisions off the UNO. The one who uses veto should be made to face the whole house of the General Assembly and get two third majority to support it or the General Assembly should be allowed to over ride the veto by the same two third majority.

UNO was primarily charged with the responsibility of saving future generations from the ‘scourge of war’. The UN should exclusively concentrate on this role and divest itself from social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. The manner in which security challenges are manifesting themselves in the 21st Century and the desperate destructive forms that are appearing can only be combated by a United Nations exclusively focused on global security management.

THE RADICAL HUMANIST

NOVEMBER 2009

UNO could not get the success that was expected from it.

It could not stop the blind race for destructive weapons among nations. It could not promote the feeling of universal brotherhood. In so many places the ill-effects of colonialism and caste-based discriminations can still be found. Instead of peaceful co-existence countries continue to struggle to over-power each other. This organization could not stop wars among nations neither could it stop the violation of international laws. It could not do so because of reasons, such as, groupism among nations, cold-war, the theory of national superiority, lack of feeling of internationalism, lack of military power, misuse of veto power and the imperialist tendencies of the super powers.

In fact, while earlier UNO remained the battle-ground between the East and the West, the US and the USSR

now it is under complete control of the only super power – the USA. Former General Secretary of the UNO Butros Butros Ghali has rightly said that, “The UNO is in no capacity to say any thing. America is its boss which can stop its aid any time.”

The show in Iraq went on without UN approval and North Korea, Sudan, Iran and Myanmar regularly ignored the UN condemnations. In real world terms the UN is highly irrelevant with Secretaries General speaking to a deaf world and more bureaucratic hurdles occupying their time then concrete programmes.

Reference & Quotes from South Asia Analysis Group.

Paper number 1168.

Ms. Arshi Ansari is a Political Science M.A. Final year student in R.G. Post Graduate College for Girls, Meerut.

Prof. Iqbal A. Ansari is no more!

Prof. Iqbal A. Ansari, a tireless crusader of human rights left this world on 13th October 2009, in the early morning hours following a heart attack.

The Radical Humanists all over the world pay their tribute to their departed friend who was always ready to contribute in words and action whenever and wherever he found a suffering human being.

We wish there were many like him around us who would go on selflessly working for the cause of the down trodden, the minorities and the weaker sections of our society.

He was a regular contributor to the Radical Humanist journal and would often correspond with me. Some times we had difference of opinion on some issues, but we would never stop our conversations (made so easy by emails on the internet). He would never stop sending me his write ups and I would never hesitate in publishing them, even if I had to do that (once in a while) with a note of dissent with them, because The Radical Humanist journal always wants open discussions on different opinions related to human betterment in it.

We will always miss you, Prof. Ansari.

Rekha Saraswat

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NOVEMBER 2009

Book Review Section:

Dipavali Sen [Ms. Dipavali Sen has been a student of Delhi School of Economics and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Pune). She has taught at Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, and various colleges of Delhi University. She is, at present, teaching at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Delhi University.

She is a prolific writer and has written creative pieces and articles for children as well as adults, both in English and Bengali. Dipavali@gmail.com]

You Are Sona [BOOK—I Am Sona, HIV/AIDS Awareness Fiction, by Manorama Jafa, first published 2006, Khaas Kitaab Foundation, New Delhi, paperback, cover design by Papeeha, pp 141. Price US $ 10. ] carefree, like the rest of the lot, that is Happy, what most of us were in our childhood and teenage. Most of us had the luck of passing into youth and middle age and then old age perhaps, without that childhood world being shattered.

A few of us – and they are there whether we know them or not – have however received such shocks when the happy, carefree times have come to a sudden end with the knowledge that they are not like the rest of the lot.

Fourteen-year-old Sona received such a shock when she learnt – through a blood test taken at school – that she was HIV Positive. How come? Sona received another shock when she learnt that she was an adopted child of HIV Positive parents, who had worked for her adoptive

‘mother’, a widowed doctor- who had taken her in with complete awareness of the situation and its possibilities.

The third shock comes when her friend Gul also tests HIV Positive and begins to feel abandoned by her parents, also adoptive. What is more, Gul’s condition deteriorates and at the end of this novelette, she succumbs to AIDS. This, entire young teenager Sona faces and copes with, thanks to her mother and her school teachers, and of course, her own spiritedness. She joins the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS and takes part in an AIDS Awareness March. On this optimistic note, the book leaves her – battered but not shattered.

The author deserves special congratulations for taking up such a theme and treating it so well.

Manorama Jafa is a pioneer in the field of children’s literature in India. She has written short stories, novels.

Picture books – and contributed to every possible genre of children’s literature. More remarkable, she has written on the art of writing for children and conducted many workshops to encourage budding talent. But most remarkable is the fact that she has built up an entire team of writers for children – the Association of Writers and Illustrators (AWIC) – of which she is the Secretary General (since 1981).

Manorama Jafa was chairperson of the 26th Congress of International Board on Books for Young people (1998) and chairperson of jury for IBBY-Asahi Reading promotion Award (2001-2001) and member of the jury for the UNESCO prize for Books on Tolerance (1999-2000).

In this book she has done a most difficult job – that of weaving information with fiction, teaching with creating.

Nowhere is there pity or false assurance. Information is presented with clarity and precision. Naturally, this requires treatment of sex. Here Manorama Jafa does a service that is equally superlative. No other book in any Indian language explains the facts of sex so clearly and so helpfully to the section of humanity that needs those most, namely, the teenagers. Even apart from the treatment of HIV, the sex education this book imparts is urgently required by all who are in the process of growing up. Moreover, she does it in a natural setting, through a realistic tale about two school-girls. There are descriptions of party dresses and food that liven up the

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NOVEMBER 2009

narration and provide credible details. Snatches of poems and diary entries allow glimpses into young girl’s unfolding minds. When Sona realizes that Gul too has HIV infection and is mixing freely with boys, she tries to warn as well as help her.

“Gul, it is a reality and we have to face it”, Sona says, feeling like crying herself.

Gul rebels against the very idea. “Do not try to be smart, Sona. You may be having the damn HIV infection in your blood but not I.” She adds, “Sona, I will kill you” and goes away.

Later as the realization sinks in, Gul rings Sona up and sobs into the telephone, “Sona, I want to marry when I grow up. I want a home of my own. I want to have children”. Then she bangs the phone down. (pp 51, 108).

And, of course, she does not marry, or have a home or children. She dies (by p 234).

Sona lives on – at least long enough to tell us her story.

She has a mind stronger than the HIVirus.

Especially after the start of the recent globalization, HIV/AIDS has manifest itself as a spectre haunting the entire world. All infections grow with exposure.

Influenza in early 20th century came to spread in India as a consequence of British colonization. From plague to Swine flu, the main cause of the spread of infections is increasing contact among people across all sorts of borders.

The solution is naturally not in erecting walls and fences but in spreading information about how to guard against infections. In this era of information technology, this is possibly the most important information to be disseminated. The front cover flap mentions that, in the developing world, 90 per cent of the people with AIDS do not even know that they have it.

The back cover of the book excerpts the UNICEF presentation “Accelerating The Momentum in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in South Asia’, in which Kofi Annan, the 7th Secretary General of the UN, says: “The proper strategy has also become clear: prevention of new infection, above all by teaching young people how to avoid it and by providing the medicines that can prevent transmission from mother to child”.

It also quotes Carol Bellamy, the 4th Executive Director of UNICEF: “The future course of the HIV/AIDS pandemic lies in the hands of the young people. It is absolutely vital that we do everything possible to arm them with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their communities.”

This book is part of that effort. It will equip future generations against the erosion of their immunity against diseases and dangers of a fast-changing global lifestyle.

This makes it relevant for South Africa, South East Asia.

India and in fact all parts of the world. It needs to be translated into as many languages as possible, national as well as regional. Perhaps it needs to be trans-created or adapted to fit various localities and communities.

(Sona is, after all, advantageously placed in an educated and affluent milieu). Perhaps there should be a version for neo-literates. But the core value of this book by Manorama Jafa is undeniable.

The trouble is, we – the citizens of the world – the individual particles of humanity – deny our duties. We do not, in general, discharge our responsibilities. We want to remain happy and carefree and like the rest of the lot – till disaster actually strikes us. So translation and distribution activities are hardly there at either governmental or NGO levels. You are Sona, I am Sona – but what are we doing to spread aware awareness about— about anything at all?

NAV MANAV

Read, a Bimonthly in Hindi

for Humanist & Renascent Thought

By U.R. MOHNOT D-98 A, Krishna Marg, Bapu Nagar, Jaipur-15, Ph. 91-141-2621275

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

NOVEMBER 2009

“The Greatest Show on Earth The Evidence for Evolution”

Richard Dawkins’ latest book Released in September 2009 352 pages; published by Free Press/Banta In “The Greatest Show on Earth”, Richard Dawkins is promoting the concept of evolution through natural selection and is challenging the creationists and the supporters of ‘Intelligent Design’.

To quote from directly from the site Richard Dawkins.net he sifts through fascinating layers of scientific facts and disciplines to build a cast-iron case: from the living examples of natural selection in birds and insects; the ‘time clocks’ of trees and radioactive dating that calibrate a timescale for evolution; the fossil record and the traces of our earliest ancestors; to confirmation from molecular biology and genetics. All of this, and much more, bears witness to the truth of evolution. “The Greatest Show on Earth” comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is now flourishing as never before, especially in America. In Britain and elsewhere in the world, teachers witness insidious attempts to undermine the status of science in their classrooms.

Richard Dawkins provides unequivocal evidence that boldly and comprehensively rebuts such nonsense. At the same time he shares with us his palpable love of the natural world and the essential role that science plays in its interpretation. Written with elegance, wit and passion, it is hard-hitting, absorbing and totally convincing.

Source: Richard Dawkins.net

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

Messages Received for the RH Website: 1) Dear Rékhâ, Congratulations for this elegant site.

Warm regards.

Prithwindra-dâ, France 2) Dear Rekha, Congratulations on the launch of the online edition of the RH. The graphics and interface are excellent - simple and elegant.

It is a credit to your dedication, vision and hard work that the Radical Humanist has been brought into the global forum. M.N. and Ellen Roy would be astonished and delighted!

Best wishes for continued success, Dorothy North Woodside, California, USA 3) brilliant stufff mam.... keep the communication going.... m. Saraswat, London

NOVEMBER 2009 but was tempted to type in my congratulations to you first.

All the best and take care.

Kind regards Yours aff’ly madhvi k mathur, Noida 8) Dear Rekha The Rationalist conference is presented well.

I appreciate it.

N. Innaiah, Hyderabad 9) Thanks, Rekha. It is good to find you so active. Your magazine is also very good.

All good wishes.

Prakash Narain, New Delhi 10) Dear Dr. Rekha Saraswat Congratulations... For the web site.

Subhash Khaire, Maharashtra

11) Hello Rekha Madam, At the outset congratulations for such a wonderful job. I am sure this will produce radical ideas more globally and 4)Thank you for your intellectual alertness and updated too. Madam you can think about having the promptness. archive of previously published articles. There should Warm regards, also be the provision of ‘Search’. I am sure this Iqbal a.ansari, Aligarh experiment will be welcomed by academic fraternity, and the credit goes to the visionary editor.

5) Congrats.

Sincere regards, Will definitely start reading now.

Ashish, J & K Cheers!

Ravi Sharma, Gurgaon Note by the Editor: Literature archive section and 6) Congrats Good job Keep IT up Anilg@iimahd.ernet.in, Gujarat

search option both are already there on the website.

Please check. —Editor

12) Dear Rekha Madam, Many thanks.

Its so nice of you to write to me.

And am very inspired to look into online RH. 7) Dear Ma’am This is excellent news! i am sure it goes to your credit I may contribute in future also. that RH has come this long a way—an almost Looking forward to working with you. phoenix-like reincarnation. i am yet to visit the website Vineeth RS, JNU, Delhi

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13) My Dear Rekhajee, I am really delighted to see your sincere efforts to put our Humanist values on the web. What an achievement!

Web is a very potential media to spread our thought.

Well done Sir! We are proud of you.

Presently I am in New Jersey about 800 miles away from Atalanta.

Bipinbhai., USA P.S. As soon as I will reach Atalanta I will send my details appreciations.

today’s world, going on to the internet is sure to add a different dimension to the journal.

I will definitely share any ideas /opinions I may have. At the moment, it is wonderful to see RH in this form.

With all the light and warmth of this festive occasion, Dipavali.

17) To log on to our own website!

How happy I am!!

Please add a provision to invite friends with the necessary disclaimers so that our well-wishers can carry the word to wider circles .

Provision to forward articles to the friends of our readers will defenitely help to enrich the discussions.

Hearty Congrats!

Abdul Majeed, Thrissur.

14) Dear Rekha As I have often remarked that you are doing well. I have been looking at your Views and News column. When I am not sending any comments please consider that I largely agree, If I have something to add or present another view point I will definately react. Wish you all the best. You are ‘allhopes’.

[Note by the editor: With warm regards, The provision of inviting your friends and Jayanti Patel, Ahmedabad forwarding/sending articles to them is already there on the website.

15) Dear Ms. Rekha, On opening any section the Trust this finds you in the best of health and spirits. Long news-analysis/articles/comments (i.e. On all sections of time. Good to know that Radical Humanist is online the web site) you will see a sleek rectangle on the right now. Will definitely try to involve myself with the side lower end with "ADD THIS" written on it. venture. Could not get the link to the editorial, however. If you click on it there will be 155 options of "BOOK Will try again.

MARK & SHARE" in it.

Best Wishes You may use any one of them according to your liking.]

Swati Amar, Tamil Nadu Editor 18) dear madam, evestimes thank you. its quite useful. i have sent information to all the internet groups i moderate/i am a member of about the launch of RH site.

16) Dear Rekha best wishes My Diwali wishes ! To you and to RH. You have done a great job with the webpage. It is quite Majeed, Thrissur. attractive and provides scope for interaction too. In Dear Friends, Please email your article at rheditor@gmail.com and attach a passport size photograph to it.

Or post it at C-8 Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India with a small introduction about yourself, if you are sending your write-up for the first time to us.

Feel free to contact me at 91-9719333011 for any other querry.—Rekha Saraswat

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Humanist News Section: I News from Delhi: Dr. Jugal Kishore, member IRHA, Professor Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi 110002, India, received Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Memorial National Social Service Award 2009 in a big function of Teacher Day celebration at Shah Auditorium on 4th September 2009 organized by National Child and Women Development Charitable Trust on the eve of 122nd Birth Anneversary of Dr. S Radha Krishnan Former President of India, for his special contribution in medical teaching by Padma Shree Dronacharya Mahabali Satpalji and Former Education Minister Dr. Narender Nath Govt of NCT Delhi. Dr. Dr. Jugal Kishore is the Hony President of Kishore Foundations and Sabasva Foundation. He is also Hony Director of Center for Inquiry, Delhi Branch. He is the author of the following books: National Health Programs of India, A Dictionary of Public Health, A Textbook of Health for Health Care Worker, Biomedical Waste Management in India, Vanishing Girl Child (on Female Feticide), Bhrun Hatiya: Apradhi Kaun?, The Pioneering Social Reformers of India and The Great Warriors of Human Rights Movement in India.

II

Bigyan Prachar Samiti Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter in collaboration with TRUST organized its ‘Annual Day Celebration’ with additional flavor of a Seminar on “Scientific Temper and Humanism” on 20th Sept. 2009 at P.G. Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. It was a unique one day program with the participation of more than hundred intellectuals and ‘science lovers’ all over the city; with a firm intention to promote Scientific Temper, Humanism and Spirit of Inquiry and Reform as mentioned in our Article 51 (A) h

of our Constitution.

In the first session the program was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Prof. Sahadeva Sahoo, IAS (R), Ex-Chief Secy., Orissa, Ex-VC, O.U.A.T. after lighting a lamp, followed by the Guest of Honor Sj. Gangadhar Sahoo, (OAS) Sub-Collector, Nilagiri, Dr Chitta Ranjan Mishra, Ex-DGM, NALCO, Dr. Sunder Narayan Patro, Working President, Orissa Environmental Society, and other esteemed dignitaries of the function.

After a brief introduction of Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter and TRUST had been given by Prof. Prafulla Ku. Mohanty, P.G. Dept. of Zoology, Utkal University, the program continued as per its agenda. In the beginning of the program, Dr Chitta Ranjan Mishra, Secretary, Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter read out the report of last proceedings and also gave a brief sketch of the society and its activities in promotion of Scientific Temper and Humanism.

Dr Jayakrushna Panigrahi, Jayadeva College, Naharkanta started his talk on “Designer Babies” with his scintillating presentation and said that in the future we may be able to use genetic technologies to modify embryos and choose desirable or cosmetic characteristics. Further he said, advanced reproductive techniques involve using InVitro Fertilisation or IVF to fertilize eggs with sperm in ‘test-tubes’ outside the mother’s body in a laboratory. These techniques allow doctors and parents to reduce the chance that a child will be born with a genetic disorder.

Prof. Dhaneswar Sahoo, former head of Dept. of Philosophy, B.J.B. College delivered an outstanding speech on “Scientific Temper Versus Superstition”. He said that behind every natural phenomenon there is a natural cause and to understand it is the scope of science.

On the other hand, superstitions are the beliefs which are detrimental to scientific spirit. Further he appealed to the people not to be carried away by false miracle claims, black magic and all such superstitions.

Beliefs in ghosts, fairy, holy and unholy things, lucky and unlucky days, auspicious and inauspicious moments etc. mould people’s mind to accept a set of beliefs without any reasonable ground.

Sj. Prasanna Karabar, Ex-Reader in English, Ravenshaw University enlightened the gatherings by saying that ‘man is called a rational animal because he uses his

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reasoning ability and asks questions and for this one has to keep one’s mind open. Further he said that the main focus of the scientific workers should be to make scientifically aware as many people as possible.

Prof. Dr. B.C. Guru aware the people regarding the devastating abuse of plants in unnecessary causes. He delivered a nice speech and talked about the various factors which are deteriorating the number of plants and to stop it in war-footing is the need of the hour.

Sj. Gangadhar Sahoo, Sub-Collector, Nilagiri joined the program as a Guest of Honor. He said during his address about the various superstition related to religions and show a way out from that bondage. Further he said, to fight the battle of ignorance of the gullible people there is need to take the spirit of science to the doorsteps of the common man. Science should not be made a mere academic discipline only, rather must play a practical role to educate people to accept its spirit.

There should be legal provisions to stop spread of superstitions in our society. Prof. Sahadeva Sahoo, Ex-Chief Secy., Govt. of Orissa, Ex-VC, O.U.A.T. joined the program as a Chief Guest. He inaugurated an E-journal for TRUST, “Here, The Search Begins…” edited by Sj. Nihar Ranjan Acharya, Founder/Dirctor, TRUST. During his speech, he said that developing scientific temper involves refining the natural process of thinking by inculcating certain habits and skills. These are to sharpen our observations, acquire a habit of quantification of our information. The inclination and inspiration to study anything systematically will always result in new discoveries and inventions. And these new inventions will always lead to addition of wealth and development for the society. Actions should be taken against persons who trade upon the ignorance of the common people and spread untruth. Further he said that a collective effort with a vision and mission to spread scientific temper would be of great help to combat superstitions.

Special Attractions: Felicitation to Prof. Sahadeva Sahoo, Ex-Chief Secy., Govt. of Orissa, Ex-VC O.U.A.T. as a “Kimbadanti Purusa” (A Living Legend).

We had a great privilege to honor Prof. Sahadeva Sahoo, Ex-Chief Secy., Govt. of Orissa, Ex-VC, O.U.A.T. for his outstanding contribution to the public life of Orissa.

He was an outstanding student who secured the 1st Rank through out his academic journey. Before joining Indian

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Administrative Service he had served as Faculty in the most prestigious Institution like Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Viswabharati University, Shantiniketan. Because of his academic interest he has also served as Vice Chancellor, O.U.A.T. and Chancellor, Supreme University, Raipur, where he has left his indelible mark in giving new direction to the academic life. As an Administrative Officer, he has served in different capacities as the Head of different departments. His honesty, dynamism and passionate involvement in work have brought his respect and honor from all categories of employees.

In Orissa, he is the pioneer of Philately Organization and a great writer on Philatelic significance. As a great columnist he has contributed hundreds of articles in different prestigious news papers. Besides, he has authored more than forty books, relating to various aspects like story, essay, children’s literature, philately etc. in different languages.

His valuable contribution to spread scientific temper to remove superstitions and humanism is also noteworthy.

He is a versatile, genuine and also a man of vision and integrity.

On behalf of Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter and TRUST, we wished him a long life so that Orissa will be benefited by his further contributions.

Felicitation to Prof. Patitapabana Mishra, Retired Principal of Khallikote College, Berhampur, Orissa “Kimbadanti Purusa” (A Living Legend).

We had a great privilege to honor Prof. Patitapabana Mishra for his outstanding contribution to the academic life of Orissa. He was a brilliant student and soon after his Post Graduation in Physics, he joined Orissa Education Service. He had served in different colleges of Orissa in various capacities and finally retired as Principal from Khallikote College, Berhampur, one of premier institutions of Orissa. During his academic career he has established his reputation as a researcher in India and abroad. His innovative research in Plasma Physics opened a new horizon in the higher study of Physics. His scholarly contribution and dedication to academic pursuit have brought him national fame. He has inspired generation of students by his intellectual excellence. He has authored a number of books and has published many research papers in most prestigious journals of international standard. His autobiography is a

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priceless contribution that reflects his passionate involvement in academic pursuit.

In recognition of his academic achievement and of the noble character, we took it as a great honor in extending our felicitation to him.

We do hope that he will be a centurion and go on contributing to the academic world as long as he is in the Universe.

On behalf of Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter and TRUST, we wished him a long life so that Orissa will be benefited by his further contributions.

Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter felicitated Sj. Abhimanyu Mohanta, UGC Research Scholar, Zoolgy Dept. Utkal University in the function.

2nd Session started with a dance on humanism by Ms. Arpita Padhy. She danced to the tune of “Hindu Banega na tu Muslman Banega… Insaan Ka Aulad Hai Tu Insaan Banega”, (Film: Dhool Ka Phool, written by Sahir Ludhianavi, Singer: Momd. Rafiji). The song itself is a message to the society on Humanism that we are only human being and we should be like human being.

Dr Sunder Narayan Patro, Working President, Orissa Environmental Society presided the 2nd Session.

Sj. Abhimanyu Mohanta, UGC Research Scholar, Zoolgy Dept. Utkal University, delivered a fabulous speech on humanism. He highlighted the oneness of all human beings, despite of color, caste, creed and sexual orientation.

Sj. Nihar Ranjan Acharya, Founder/Director, TRUST, a dynamic young man delivered an outstanding speech on humanism and stressed about the universal brotherhood.

Further, Mr Acharya said, “We have been bestowed with a rich cultural heritage. It’s well known that this cultural heritage has brought with it good things as well as certain avoidable concepts. We on our part have to decide what to accept and what to reject”. We have failed to do so for so many years and are still doing the same mistakes. The result is that our so-called modern day society of today is built on old building blocks of superstitions, irrationality, blind beliefs and what not. A society that stands on such values cannot stand tall and long. Mr Acharya gave a feedback on the E-Journal, Here, The Search Begins… which he has edited for the youths and intellectuals of all part of the globe.

Prof. Prafulla Ku. Mohanty, P.G. Dept. of Zoology,

Utkal University, enlightened the gatherings with his talk on “GM Food and Future”. Defining food, he told that material, usually of plant or animal origin, which contains or consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth and maintain life whereas prescribed food is Diet. Further he described that Meat and edible plants radically modified through genetic engineering (GE). Although humans have genetically modified animal and plants since the beginning of civilization, they did it through selective breeding possible only within the same specie through natural reproduction over decades or centuries. GE techniques, however, can transfer genetic material from any source to another to instantly create utterly different variants.

Since alien genes are not welcomed by the existing genes, suppressive GE techniques must be used to force the animal or plant to accept them. Such artificially mutated foods are a source of unresolved controversy over the uncertainty of their long-term effects on humans and food chains.

His talk followed a documentary film on “Poison On The Platter” by Mahesh Bhatt and Ajaya Kanchan which proved that so far GM food is a big flop.

Poison on the Platter – Film Review.

“Right to choose safe food is a fundamental right of consumers in a democracy. However, the onslaught of GM crops has been robbing the people of their right to choose.” This is the theme based on which Mahesh Bhatt (Filmmaker and Presenter of Poison on the Platter) and Ajay Kanchan (Director) have put together the film ‘Poison on the Platter’ – portraying the introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India as the end of choice. The film was recently showed at Jayadeva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar in the presence of Dignitaries like Mahesh Bhatt, Sj. Ajaya Kanchan and Sj. Devinder Sharma of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security. The program organized by Living Farms, Bhubaneswar.

After the screening, Bhatt Sahab came forward and shared his personal opinion on the issue. He has called the production and promotion of Genetically Modified foods as an act of Bio-terrorism. Following this, the above mentioned two panel member tried to answer the questions raised by the audience including Bhatt Sahab.

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It too was viewed by an auditorium packed with intellectuals at the P.G. Dept. of Zoology, Utkal University. More than hundred top most intellectuals of the Bhubaneswar were present to witness the screening.

The film is aimed at raising awareness and to enlighten the people about the introduction of GM crops in the Indian market and the irreversible adverse impacts on human health. It shows the hazardous impact that has been felt by countries in Europe and America after using GM crops for the last two decades. Damage to human and animal health to the extent of causing death after consuming GM crops has been experienced by countries all across the globe, as shown in the film. Such untold miseries of GM food are highlighted in the film. The ethical and religious angle of the issue has been highlighted and the film warns how the introduction of GM crops will also hurt the sentiments of almost all religious groups.

The film definitely succeeded in getting across the message to the public at large and in making everyone think about the issue. Several people from the audience raised their questions and concerns and also came forward to help take the message even further.

Dr Asutosh Nayak, Former Prof. of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, joined as the Guest of Honor to the function and he said Genetically Modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering, unlike similar food organisms which have been modified from their wild ancestors through selective breeding (plant breeding and animal breeding) or mutation breeding. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s.

Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil, but animal products have been developed. For example, in 2006 a pig engineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids through the expression of a roundworm gene was controversially produced. Researchers have also developed a genetically-modified breed of pigs that are able to absorb plant phosphorus more efficiently, and as a consequence the phosphorus content of their manure is reduced by as much as 60%.

Critics have objected to GM foods on several grounds, including perceived safety issues, ecological concerns,

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and economic concerns raised by the fact that these organisms are subject to intellectual property law.

Mr Shantanu Kumar Das, Sr. Assistant, Ministry of Water Resources, gave his valuable suggestions from audience and further delivered a short note on humanism.

At the end of the program, Dr Sunder Narayan Patro highlighted the themes of the complete session and said Scientific Temper is very much essential for all groups, whether to ‘understand their own health and hygiene’ or to ‘understand the phenomenon of the vast universe’.

At the end of the program, BRUKSHYA BANDHAN, a unique plantation program was organized and around 25 medicinal and other valuable plants have planted in the Zoology Dept. campus of Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. These plants were sponsored by Mr and Mrs D.B. Mishra and Dr. Sunder Narayan Patro, Working President of Orissa Environmental Society.

Science Behind Miracles was not performed due the absence of Mrs. Basanti Acharya for her illness.

Silvana Uhlrich, President, IHEYO had sent a message on “Scientific Temper and Humanism”. We are very much thankful to her for such a mind blowing thought.

On behalf of Bigyan Prachar Samiti-Bhubaneswar Chapter and TRUST Prof. Prafulla Kum. Mohanty thanked the gatherings with his million dollar smile. We pay our sincere gratitude to Mr Satya Narayan Das, Basanta Publication, Dagarapada, Cuttack for his generous financial support to us. This program may not have been possible without the kind support of Mr Nalini Ranjan Acharya, a science lover, an Employee of Bhujal Bhawan and many other sensitive individuals.

News by—Nihar Ranjan Acharya, Founder/Director, TRUST. III News from Hyderabad: B. Premanand remembered Humanists, Rationalists, NGO organizations along with Center for Inquiry (CFI) recollected the services of Mr.

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Basava Premanand who died on 4th October in Podanur, Tamil Nadu.

A meeting was held in Press club, Hyderabad. Mr. Venugopal, president of Jana Vigyana Vedika presided.

Speaking on this occasion Dr. Narisetti Innaiah, Chairman, CFI India narrated the achievements of Premanand and explained how he exposed Babas, Gurus and their myths.

Dr. P.M. Bhargava, former Vice Chairman of Knowledge Commission asked people to continue the spirit of scientific enquiry. He admired the courage of Premanand in exposing Satya Sai Baba and also preserving the exhibition on scientific method.

Mr. V. Lakshmanrao, Mr. Vikram and Mr. Ramesh also spoke. Mr. Vijayam from Atheist Center gave details of Premanand’s sojourn in north Indian ashrams where he came to know about the fraudulent methods of Sadhus and Swamis.

A committee was formed to bring out a book on Premanand and it was decided that Dr N. Innaiah would be editing it.

News by – N.Innaiah IV Warren Allen Smith’s Humanist Shoppe – Philosopedia for Sale I am in excellent health but am cleaning house by selling many items (ranging from $1 to $100,000 - first come, first served): - Autographed books (e.g., Paul Cadmus, Corliss Lamont, Peter Ustinov, Yevgeny Yevtushenko - $10 to $750) - Rare reference books (Blue Laws of Connecticut, 1861, $100; American Academy Member List, hardcover, 1971 - $500) - Paintings (Miles Davis by Gabriel DeSilva - $5,000) - Stampers (jazz bandleader Sun Ra metal stampers and mothers used to press records - $10,000) - Correspondence and Envelopes (from 26 respondents to Who’s Who in Hell - not donated to Harvard’s Houghton Library) - Philosopedia ($100,000 or best offer)

See: http://wasm.us/HShoppe.html All are payable in any currency supported by PayPal, or by cashiers’ checks.

News by —Warren Allen Smith wasm@mac.com V Info@karmayog.org Mumbai city will soon get a new Municipal Commissioner, who heads the the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). The MCGM was established in 1882, and is one of the largest local governments in the world; it serves a population of 18 million people over an area of 500 sq. km. with an Annual Budget of Rs. 19,000 crores. The functioning of MCGM affects the daily lives of every citizen, as it is the policy-making and implementing agency for a wide range of services that include Public Health, Water and Sanitation, Building Proposals, Roads and Footpaths, Trees and Gardens, Zoo, Stray Dogs, Solid Waste Management, Education, Hawkers, Sewage, etc. (See www.mcgm.gov.in for details) a) What are the 3 targets to improve Mumbai that you would like to suggest to the new Municipal Commissioner for the next 3 years. e.g.: ensuring rain water harvesting to meet 20% of Mumbai's water needs. b) What are the guiding principles that an organisation such as MCGM should adopt: e.g. to tackle corruption or to increase effeciency?

Responses shall be compiled and forwarded to the new Municipal Commissioner.

Inputs and suggestions from individual citizens are essential to help government perform better. It is only when we all think of what we would like our city and country (and therefore society) to be, and start participating in the process to make this change, that we will achieve change at a faster rate.

Regards, Vinay www.karmayog.org - creating cities for citizens

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VI Janhastakshep, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) held a public meeting “No to use of Army & Air Force Against Naxalites” on the 24th October, 2009 (Saturday) at Constitution Club, New Delhi. The meeting was attended by a wide spectrum of people from political parties, intellectuals and political activists such as Mr. Surendra Mohan, Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, Shamshul Islam and many others. Many attendees had to sit at the aisles because of the large number of people who had come to attend.

Noted poet Pankaj Singh gave the introductory note, he emphasized on how the state and ruling parties are seriously attempting to distort our perceptions and notions in labeling the growing Naxal movement as “the single biggest threat to internal security”. The reality it is that it is the failure of the state and governance in India which are the biggest threat to the life and livelihood of millions and the army and air force are wrongly being used as means to resolve issues of bad governance.

Professor Randhir Singh emphasized, that those who condemn violence do not only condemn excesses but also demand an acceptance of the qualities of the current state. “Radical politics and extra parliamentary tools have to be emphasized, people have a right to choose their preferred method of resisting oppression. Today, the Maoists and Naxalites represent the dream for justice and a better future by those millions who have been marginalized by society and the ruling party’s plans to use the army to fight against them will be disastrous for the country”.

Retd. Admiral Tahiliani, former Chief of Naval Staff was adamant that The Army, Air Force and Navy must never be used against its own people and the government must take remedial measures to create a more equitable society with responsible governance. Denial of land rights to Tribal people, corruption and the failure of existing legal means of justice are solely responsible for growing discontent and violence.

Aparna, Secretary Delhi State Committee CPI(ML) New Democracy spoke on how Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh are wanting to unilaterally hand over India’s mineral wealth and resources for exploitation by foreign MNCs and big corporate houses. Aparna called upon the rest of India to also fulfill their “patriotic duty”

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in resisting such nefarious designs and also to beware of leaders like Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh who are attempting to obfuscate issues relating to allocation of resources within distorted, biased debates about ‘violence and non-violence’.

D. Raja, National Secretary CPI spoke on behalf of the CPI and A.B. Bardhan. He stated that the CPI was the first to give a strong No! to using the armed forces against its own people and also emphasized on the need to build a united front against state violence. Several states have refused to earmark funds for the development of ST SC’s and he stressed that it is neglect by the government and its anti people policies which are solely responsible for the alienating the tribal communities and growing violence.

G.N. Saibaba from RDF spoke about how this would not be the first time that the armed forces have been used by the state to oppress the people; in the 1950’s and 1960’s the army and air force was used in Telangana, and Mizoram and for decades the army has been used as an occupation army in Kashmir, Nagaland and Manipur.

The difference this time is because the army will be deployed in the hinterland of India, not allowing the ruling parties the privilege of using ‘divide and rule’ or the notion of ‘us and the other’ which used for a long time through creating false communal and ethnic divisions. He emphasized that such attempts to stamp out dissidence will inevitably back fire and further unite the people in their struggle against exploitation and state violence.

Himanshu from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram Chattisgarh made a passionate appeal to the intellectuals and the educated middle class to come out in open defense of the poorer people, especially the Adivasis. He was categorical that no amount of killings or threats will prevent the people from standing up against oppression until the question of equity has been completely resolved.

Noted Advocate Prashant Bhushan sent a written note strongly condemning the plans to use the Army and Air Force against the people and Prof K.R. Chaudhary from Hyderabad also spoke at the meeting condemning the same. At the end of the meeting a resolution was unanimously adopted opposing the use of the Army and Air Force against Naxalites.

—news by Mahi Pal Singh

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G.S. Bhargava passes away.....

Veteran journalist G S Bhargava, who was suffering from throat cancer, passed away in the national capital on 22nd September 2009. G.S. Bhargava (84), who held the post of Resident Editor of Indian Express in Hyderabad, breathed his last this morning at his residence in South Delhi’s New Friends Colony, his family said. He started his journalistic career in ‘Forum’ magazine in the pre-independence period. Before joining Indian Express, he also worked with Hindustan Times and Tribune. Bhargava reported from Pakistan for Hindustan Times for 18 months during 1961-62. He was also Principal Information Officer with Government of India during 1978-80. Bhargava also wrote a number of books which included ‘Pakistan in Crisis’, ‘Star Cross India-Let Down by Leadership’ and ‘Perestroika in India-V P Singh’s Prime Ministership’. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

I knew him since a long time. He delivered Narla memorial lecture at Hyderabad. I helped him with the background. I also helped to publish his political column in dailies like Andhra Jyothi and Eenadu at Hyderabad. He was related with late C.Y. Chintamani, famous journalist who edited dailies from Lucknow and was close with Nehru.

N. Innaiah The October issue of the RH had gone to the press on 20th September 2009, and so his obituary could not be placed in the October issue. The members of the Radical Humanist family send their condolences to the bereaved family of Mr. G.S. Bhargava.

The readers of RH will miss his comments of current affairs which he regularly sent to me. He had his own strong opinions on many issues to which the Radical Humanists did not subscribe many times. There was, at one occasion, some opposition to his views being published in our journal.

Veteran journalists like Mr. G.S. Bhargava, do not seek any editor’s obligations to find place in his or her journal.

And I have always tried to incorporate diverse opinions in our journal with the purpose that we may put our views in comparison to others’ and start a genuine debate upon such matters. But, we usually find that it is easier to criticise personalities than to debate with them upon their ideological stands. That needs more of our constructive time which we usually do not find.

Mr. Bhargava wrote so often to me, but, it is surprizing that he never told me about his continuing ailment that finally took him away from us. He was regularly encouraging and motivating me to go on with the journal, giving so many personal examples of his journalistic career. Never once did he mention that he was so unwell. Probably, as he had seen me go through extreme stress situations while facing the loss of my father and our senior Radical freinds, he did not want to add more, for the moment, from his side. Such is the class of good human beings who care for others more than their own self. The world continues to remain a tolerable place to live in due to them. May more of his kind propagate humanism through their personal behaviour and life-styles.

Rekha Saraswat

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Direct transfer of subscription amount from abroad may be sent to SWIFT CODE Number CNRBINBBAMHB in the Current Account Number

0349201821034 at Canara Bank, Maharani Bagh, New Delhi, 1100014, India.

Cheques should be in favor of The Radical Humanist, For outstation cheques: Please add Rs. 25.00 to the total. Cheques and information regarding the money transfer from abroad may be Posted to: Mr. Narottam Vyas (Treasurer), Chamber No. 111, (Near Post Office) Supreme Court of India, New Delhi-110001 Contact phone number 91-11-23782836 (Chamber) 91-11-22712434 (Res.) 09811944600 (Mobile)

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