From vivek at sarai.net Fri Apr 1 15:44:28 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 15:44:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The LOC code Message-ID: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> If it is at all possible to make sense of or interpret geopolitically the implications of this hallucination below, I would really appreciate responses from you astute and various cultural studiers on the reader list. -V. Dan's brown haze: Kashmir part of America? TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2005 10:31:38 PM ] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1066268.cms Does Kashmir - the bone of contention between India and Pakistan for over 50 years - really belong to the US? This is the startling revelation made by Dan Brown, the internationally bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code , in a shortly to be released non-fictional work, The Secret of the K-word . Using spectroscopic analysis (a technique described in detail in The Da Vinci Code' the author claims to have discovered the original document over which the Instrument of Accession, signed by Kashmir maharaja Hari Singh and preserved in the National Archives, New Delhi, was later superimposed. The secret document reveals that Hari Singh, equally apprehensive of joining either India or Pakistan, covertly ceded Kashmir to the US. According to Brown, when the map of Kashmir is reversed it becomes, uncannily, congruent with the hilly state of Kentucky in the southern US. In a telephonic interview with The Times of India , the Houston-based author said... ...he had employed the ancient Kabbalistic form of numerological interpretation to discover "amazing co-relatives between Kashmir and Kentucky which by no stretch of the imagination can be put down to pure coincidence". For instance, when the longitude of Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, is divided by the latitude of Srinagar, the Kashmiri capital, the prime number so obtained has the same numeric valency as Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which accords a special status to Kashmir. Describing it as "one of the best-hidden secrets of the modern world", Brown acknowledged that his book would "create a global furore" and "open many cans of worms". Disclaiming that America's Central Intelligence Agency had any role in these developments, the author said, "The truth can no longer be suppressed. We owe this much at least to the long-suffering people of Kashmir. May the truth set them free, at long last." Copyright © 2005 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. From mikhail at vsnl.com Sat Apr 2 06:42:40 2005 From: mikhail at vsnl.com (Mikhail Esteves) Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 17:12:40 -0800 Subject: [Reader-list] The LOC code In-Reply-To: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> References: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> Message-ID: <424DF188.4010701@vsnl.com> Vivek Narayanan wrote: > If it is at all possible to make sense of or interpret geopolitically > the implications of this hallucination below, > I would really appreciate responses from you astute and various cultural > studiers on the reader list. It's an April Fools joke. See the last page of today's ToI. :-) Mikhail From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Apr 1 17:53:06 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 17:53:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The LOC code In-Reply-To: <424DF188.4010701@vsnl.com> References: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> <424DF188.4010701@vsnl.com> Message-ID: May be it is not an April Fools' joke after all. It's a fictional account of a reality that we all subconsciously know. Doesn't the US dictate the foreign and defence policies of the two countries anyway? Didn't the US broker the Kargil 'war'? It is only in an April Fools' joke that we can come to terms with reality. Shivam -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Apr 2 04:35:07 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 04:35:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Blogging + Privacy = Have we thought it out? Message-ID: High school bans blogging March 29, 2005 By Brendan McKenna Herald Staff http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050329/NEWS/503290316/1027 Officials at Proctor Jr.-Sr. High School have banned access from school computers to an Internet site that students have been using to post to weblogs, or blogs. Principal Chris Sousa said the decision to block the site from school was made because blogging is not an educational use of school computers. But he's also urging parents to keep tabs on their children's blogging, with a particularly close eye to what personal information the student may be posting on sites like Myspace.com. "It's not so much a school concern as it is an issue for students and parents," he said. "This site particularly was getting a lot of hits. It's a blog site but they also post pictures and biographical information and then send each other notes." He added, "My concern is less as a principal and more as a dad." Sousa said he found the prospect of students putting information on the Internet, potentially available to predators, was a serious concern. "As soon as someone has a name and a general geographic location, it can take an Internet predator 20 minutes to find their address and directions to their house," he said. "Any time a teen puts their own photo or biographical information on a Web site, it's something that parents at least need to know about." Sousa also suggests parents take notice of where their children are going on the Internet by checking the computer's history and cookies. "We have been doing our best to balance responsible use of technology with responsible guidelines around educational practices," Sousa said. "To that end, we frequently check student accounts and monitor network use by everyone in the building." He added, "If (parents) would like more information on how to navigate this site or look into others, please feel free to contact me." -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From sirfirf at yahoo.com Fri Apr 1 21:21:40 2005 From: sirfirf at yahoo.com (IRFAN) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 07:51:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Reader-list] FM:It is an attitude, a cult statement! Message-ID: <20050401155140.99717.qmail@web30709.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Radio has revolutionized the realm of entertainment in India. It wasn�t till 1977 that audiences could expect clarity, quality and entertainment from radio. Radio was perceived as the fallback option for entertainment and information and was primarily patronized for the regular news broadcasts. The introduction of Frequency Modulation or FM not only changed the styles and perceptions but also resulted in radio being considered as a chosen source of entertainment. This has not only given an opportunity for talent to be showcased but also invited an influx of investors thereby further enhancing it�s influence. Chennai was the premier city to have FM radio back in 1977 followed by Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Panaji. But it was in 1993 that radio in the form of FM was revived from near oblivion by All India Radio. It was then that initiatives were taken not just to programme shows to cater to the needs of the audience but also create an excitement among the listeners for radio. With the two-way planning of generating interest and offering quality entertainment with the latest in music and information, Radio soon became a household commodity. FM radio today is not just about music; it is an attitude, a cult statement - packaged with plenteous doses of fun. The fun does not however restrict itself to only the latest in music. FM today comes packaged with an interesting range of games, contests and promotions coupled with enticing prizes, not to forget the regular updates of current and useful information. Radio which was perceived to have a stereotypical style of presentation and a predictable range in music, today offers a range of music styles to choose from; be it Indian film music, pop, ghazals or western music. Air India Radio which took the lead in launching FM radio had adopted a bombastic campaign to launch it and within no time, FM has not only been accepted as a chosen medium of entertainment but has invited private channels offering the listeners a variety of music to choose form different channels. FM has changed the conventional image and style of broadcasting. It is interactive and friendly, enticing listeners to participate actively. Another indispensable aspect of FM programming are the presenters or Radio Jockeys as they are popularly called. The energy and exuberance the RJs add to the music with their friendly chatter further intensifies and strengthens the link between the listeners and radio stations and has contributed significantly to the success and acceptance of radio. The presentation style coupled with the latest in music and information and the contests and prizes has everyone from the morning office-goer to the housewife to the bus and truck driver all hooked onto radio. FM cuts through all cultural and economic divides and offers wholistic entertainment for all. Having caught every listeners pulse, the crystal clear acoustics, the games, the contests, the music all put together have all made Radio a winner! __________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. http://www.advision.webevents.yahoo.com/emoticontest -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: FM radio.doc Type: application/msword Size: 22528 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050401/efb09527/attachment.doc From stopragging at gmail.com Sat Apr 2 02:24:14 2005 From: stopragging at gmail.com (Stop Ragging Campaign) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 02:24:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ragging and the victim figure Message-ID: Ragging and the victim figure A third year student of a college hostel in Delhi University's north campus, who had rebelled against ragging in his first year and had got a couple of seniors in trouble, now says that ragging has its uses. He parrots the cliche, "Some amount of ragging can be useful," and explains, "Like fetching cigarettes for a senior on day one helped me get over my inhibition about being seen at a tobacco vendor's at home, lest my parents see me." But a little interrogation by me and he admits the weakness of his argument. Yeah, yeah, in time he would have gone to the cigarette shop, with his seniors or otherwise, and being 'sent' to buy cigarettes as though you were a slave is not at all important to losing such an 'inhibition'. As the advertisement says, zor ka jhatka dheere se lagay. But ragging ensures that such shocks or jhatkas become larger than they are, and can make a difference of a lifetime. So when you complained against your seniors, were you boycotted in the hostel? "I wasn't," he says to my surprise, "I wasn't because I didn't feel boycotted." I ask him to explain further and all he had to say was: "I am a very jovial sort of person, you know." Another student in another hostel, having rebelled against ragging, was both ostracised and felt ostracised. And it took him some time to realise that several seniors and batchmates were simply not talking to him as they regarded him a 'sneak' and a 'sissy'. This person, apparently not as socially adept, reacted further, becoming completely anti-establishment, the establishment being the community of students who dominate the social life of the hostel. The various ways in which the victim figure reacts are more complex than the usual sympathetic, somewhat condescending ways in which we see the victim figure. In the two examples above, the first one pretends as if nothing ever happened, and moves on, greeting people with a smile, and the 'ice' is broken despite a deviation in the ragging system. In the second example, the student is introspective and contemplative. He asks himself, "What is my fault?" People around him tell him that his fault is that he is hypersensitive, socially inadept and timid. While these may be true about him, it gives rise to another question: Is being hypersensitive and shy a crime? I ask this because ragging is a crime by law. A sociologist with his/her typically functionalist approach would not ask this question. Years of such a status-quoist approach by both academics and lay people ensured that the need to outlaw ragging was felt only in the '90s. One advice liberally offered to freshers by agony aunt columns and retired uncles is, "You must decide how much is enough for you and draw the line there. Then say no to the senior." As if the senior will take no for an answer. Freshers who do draw the line at a point and rebel in one way or another, often find that moment of rebellion turn into a moment of epiphany. That impulsive, deferential moment decides the future of your social life in the hostel. 'Rebellion', by the way, is not just simply complaining to the hostel warden. Rebellion takes place inside one's head: you tell yourself, "This is not fair, this is not done, I'm not game for it." This is opposed to telling oneself, "It's okay, it's momentary, I should be enjoying it, it's just a practical joke." In other words, how you receive ragging depends on how you want to receive it. That determines whether a few days later you can be categorised as a ragging 'victim'. The victim figure most often likes to forgive and forget, and move on; living with trauma is like being physically challenged. This is how all freshers psychologically orient themselves in the immediate post-ragging period. "Because ragging per se is a fact of life, the senior who harassed me had nothing personal against me, so I should become friendly with him." Once this happens, the fresher immediately though unconsciously forgets the harassment and abuse, and soon those days of ragging are romanticised in booze parties which begin in the night and end in the morning. To see an example of such a psychological transformation over the course of a few months, read http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/alls-well-that-ends-well.html . Excerpt: "These things however got over in about two months and soon these very freshers were being treated in canteens and K Nags food joints by these very seniors. The lack of resentment towards the seniors was surprising." [In this story notice how the narrator, a guest at the Kirori Mal College hostel, presents himself as a completely passive observer, as though he had gone there precisely to write this account for us! And why does write it on the condition of anonymity? He doesn't want his KMC friends to know that he has anything by the name of The Stop Ragging Campaign'!] One year is a long time in personal memory, and by the next academic session, when the fresher is a senior, he is found saying, "I enjoyed getting ragged last year by my seniors. I got to know them. We bonded very well. We are the best of friends in the world now. They helped me a lot." There is a desperate, defensive attempt to show ragging in a positive light, even when not asked to do so. And so he has no qualms ragging the new batch. This also means that I do not accept the theory that a fresher rags his freshers in the following year(s) in order to take revenge, or as a means of catharsis of his frustration at being ragged the previous year. However, the fresher who had rebelled in that moment of epiphany, is deprived of this opportunity to let time heal psychological wounds. That moment of epiphany when you rebelled against ragging doesn't leave you alone. It follows you day in and day out in your three or four years in college, because too many people have formed a prejudiced notion of you, that you are a sneak, a sissy. Or because you simply are marginalised because you never got to know them; because their condition to 'being friends' with you was that they will rag you, and you did not accept that condition and escaped away, or 'sneaked'. Victim figures, as I said, react in different, complex ways. The moment of epiphany, rather than the harassment and abuse of ragging, itself becomes the causative factor of trauma, and may be followed by any kind of reaction: depression, mental instability, even suicide. Or s/he may leave the hostel or the college itself, or may take to alcoholism or drug abuse. Or, like my first interviewee above, may insist, "I was not boycotted because I don't feel boycotted. I am a jovial sort of person," thus giving himself a commendable second chance for psychological wounds to heal. As an example, have a look at Aman Malik's story: http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/summer-of-2001.html His over-all theme - "I enjoyed getting ragged," as I said, means, "I successfully negotiated it in my head." Mark one sentence in his essay: "To be truthful, I quite enjoyed most of what happened during the rest of the period, barring two or three incidents that left a bad taste in my mouth, but more on them on some other occasion." We asked him to mention these in the story. He said he doesn't want to. We asked him to describe how he ragged his freshers the following year. He said he will some day, he's too busy. Almost all defenders of ragging want to tell you how enjoyable it was getting ragged by seniors. They will hesitate to tell you what exactly they did by way of ragging their freshers. Urban India has been suffering from the problem of selective amnesia at a very large scale and we need an army of psychologists to deal with it. Compare this with the first hand account of Atul Prakash Singh [ http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/my-first-and-last-day-in-delhi.html], who had a brush with what is popularly called "mild ragging", meaning ragging that does not involve sexual abuse or its threat. Atul visited Delhi University to take admission, and even before he could fill the form, "seniors" started ragging him! He told himself: If this has begun even before I take admission, what will happen later? So he didn't even take admission and went back home! The moment of epiphany arrived a bit too early. Here's one story where time had just begun to heal the psychological wounds inflicted by ragging when we asked the girl student to describe how she had been ragged [ http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/my-first-day-in-hostel-was-worst-day.html]. She had just finished her first year and the academic session 2004-05 was about to begin. She took a week to write the story, and this is how she ends it: "I had completely forgotten my unpleasant experience of ragging even though it ended only a few months ago. I had forgotten my pain, and I thought I would rag my juniors mildly, but won't make them go through what I have been. But when I heard of this Stop Ragging Campaign, I tried to reflect back at the one year that have I spent in this hostel. I realise that this entire episode, termed 'ragging', was the worst time of my life." Here is an example of how the moment of epiphany had the lifelong effects on the psyche of not an individual fresher but an entire batch of students: http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/masks-of-91.html Don't miss the comment that someone has added in the end. Reax? Team SPACE -- Society for People's Action, Change and Enforcement [SPACE] The Stop Ragging Campaign | www.StopRagging.org | info at stopragging.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050402/9287c08a/attachment.html From valedipiu at psand.net Fri Apr 1 09:34:34 2005 From: valedipiu at psand.net (valentina messeri) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 05:04:34 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: [Thk] "What The Hack?" Call for presentations In-Reply-To: <7509.194.109.161.142.1112262538.squirrel@194.109.161.142> References: <7509.194.109.161.142.1112262538.squirrel@194.109.161.142> Message-ID: <1112328274.424cc8529f1b6@webmail.psand.net> And who'll pay for 150 euros ticket? you? And who/what is organizing this "large hacker's festival" ? (which seems to be an alternative way to make money?, or not?) best regards vale Quoting acde at xs4all.nl: > Please forward as appropiate, thank you. > > "What The Hack?" (WTH) is a large hacker's festival been organized > (http://www.whatthehack.org). WTH is part of a interesting series of > events held every four years in The Netherlands. The events are known as a > great opportunity to meet others working on the same things. It started > with "The Galactic Hacker Party", also known as the "International > Conference on the Alternative use of Technology, Amsterdam". Since then > the festival moved outdoors, and the next three editions were held on a > large field. The last edition was visited by nearly 3000 people. Hackers > enjoy exploring the details and capabilities of tech-systems or engage > with technology on the basis of a do-it- yourself philosophy. Contrary to > popular misconception hackers do not, by definition, break into systems. > > The festival will be taking place between July 28th and 31th July, 2005 > in a camp near Den Bosch, The Netherlands. Common themes are freedom of > speech, government transparency, computer insecurity, privacy, open > software, open standards & software patents and community networking. > > Call for presentations and workshops > > Another focus has to do with independent media and networking in crisis > areas and so called developing countries, which goals and objectives are: > > ** Bringing together and building links between technical people of > different backgrounds and countries. Involve young professionals from > Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa in this broad > international event. Creating opportunities for hackers to think about > how they can help in the distribution of technology, support independent > media and so on. > > ** Show projects on the forefront of creative network development and > use of new media. > > ** Share practical knowledge, skills and experiences in wireless > technology, open spectrum, open technologies and free software. > > ** Make use of the power of a large group of technical people. One idea > is setting up a meshing experiment. Meshing is a way to self-organize > wireless networks. Up till now, nobody really knows how well it scales > to lots of users. A massive mesh experiment using thousands of laptops > on the camp can give some answers. If necessary, it's a challenge to try > to improve the Wifi protocol so that it will scale. > > ** Discuss global topics like Open Access/Content issues, freedom of > speech or Internet Governance. > > Anne Sedee > program committee "What The Hack" > reply to: acde at xs4all.nl > > _______________________________________________ > Thk mailing list > Thk at autistici.org > https://www.autistici.org/mailman/listinfo/thk > ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ From nagarikmancha at gmail.com Sat Apr 2 12:38:33 2005 From: nagarikmancha at gmail.com (nagarik mancha) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 12:38:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Do the workers vanish into the blue? Message-ID: <41ce1a9a05040123084dc05f2c@mail.gmail.com> Do the workers vanish into the blue? When a factory is locked out, the workers agitate. Soon the Government apparatus swings into action. A police picket appears in the vicinity. Maintenance of law and order seems to be the top priority. Weeks merge into months and by then the threat to law and order presumably subsides. Less and less of workers gather in front of the padlocked factory gates till only a handful are left behind. Things are back to 'normal'. Indeed the workers do not vanish into the blue. They factually cease to remain en-bloc and disperse into the 'inter-cellular' spaces of our society. The skilled and the experienced workers struggling away as a vendor or tea stall help or head loader or one of the many un-organised activities earning a pittance for a living. You can meet hundreds of these Rams and Rahims and the overall picture almost always remains the same. However the workers DO vanish into the blue as far as the civil society memory is concerned. Whether we like it or not, one can smoothly wish away the very existence of these workers once they disperse in search of their daily bread. And in most cases it is one less pain in the neck to bear. To study the plight of the workers in the locked out factories for preparing a research oriented presentation is indeed important. Yet weeks of interaction with these 'citizens' at different locations revealed that a study concerning them could very well proceed in tandem with mobilising support for them from the various strata of the civil society. It was indeed deemed important that these 'disassociated individuals' within the civil society could very well do with a lot of solidarity activity and lobbying in their favour. A fraternally placed support group drawing participation from the various sections of the civil society seemed to be the need of the hour. On 5th March 2005, a well attended Citizen's Convention was held at College Street, Kolkata after a month-and-a-half long campaign which was kick-started at a Press Conference held on 20 January, 2005 at the Press Club at Kolkata. During the intervening phase, ten thousand leaflets were distributed, a thousand posters were hung up, scores of news items appeared in the print and electronic media and dozens of participatory meetings with workers were organised. A broad issued-based platform dealing exclusively with the demands of the workers from locked out industries have taken shape, being referred to as Daabi Manch. The primary demands are: 1.Till all outstanding dues of the workers are settled, the monthly financial assistance of Rs. 500 should not be terminated. 2.If the State Government resumes the land of any locked out industry, the outstanding labour dues has to be settled by the Government. 3.Workers of locked out industries/establishments should be provided with a minimum of 100 days of work per year by the State Government. 4.Workers of locked out industries/establishments have to be provided food at an affordable price as per the orders of the Supreme Court already implemented in some parts of UP and Rajasthan and some tea plantations in West Bengal. 5.These demands in favour of workers of locked out industries/establishments will remain valid not only for those covered by the 'Factory Act' and the 'Plantation Labour Act', but also for those covered by 'Shop and Establishment Act' and there should be no attempt to fragment the workers on any basis. 6.The children of workers of locked out industries/establishments should be freed from all direct and indirect charges involved with their education. 7.Just like any worker covered by the ESI Scheme who can avail the Medical Benefits offered by the ESIS after superannuating, as per rule 61 of ESI scheme, the workers of locked out industries/establishments should be allowed to avail the Medical Benefits of ESIS and the State Government should bear the requisite annual subscription of Rs. 120 on behalf of these workers. 8.Till such time that the relevant Rules of the 'West Bengal Factory Dismantling Act, 1953' is finally framed, the District Magistrates or Collectors should be empowered to realise all the outstanding dues of workers on their behalf , whenever and wherever a closed factory is caused to be dismantled. 9.As per 'Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972', the workers will have to apply for their gratuity dues within 30 days from the date of the closure of their factories. This 30-day bar has to be suitably removed. 10. The employers who flout their statutory obligations of paying the outstanding dues of the workers should be punished as per the laws of the land. 11. Suitable budgetary allocations should be made henceforth for the construction of industrial housing for workers. During the month of April, 2005 an intense campaign will be launched. Fifty thousand leaflets, five thousand demand posters will be used and scores of street corners would be organised both locally and centrally. There will be a series of sit-ins, representations to the Chief Minister, press briefings and a Press Conference during the last week of April. All this will culminate in a 'Bhookhaa Michhil' – a rally of the hunger-stricken with participation from the civil society – on May Day 2005. This, in nutshell, is the second posting of the study Nagarik Mancha has taken up with support from Sarai/CSDS Independent Fellowship, 2005. Nagarik Mancha (meaning citizen's forum), way back in 1989, started to function as a solidarity and support group for workers in closed and sick industries in and around Kolkata. It is a non-funded, non-party citizen's initiative and is presently active in the field of labour, industry and environment. The second lap: 1.Two teams of activists have started shooting at various locations where factories have given way to multi-storey apartments and those factories which are awaiting the same fate. 2.Our activists have taken scores of interviews of workers still living in the vicinity of their erstwhile factories. 3.Efforts are on to try and collect old photographs of these locations which have undergone a sea of change after factories have given way to residential apartments. 4.Efforts are on to identify around 25 factories which have ceased to exist and has contributed to the change in the urban space at the cost of worker's. Let us conclude with the resolve that during the next few months we will conclusively show that the workers do not vanish into the blue and the civil society owes it to them to try and fight for their usurped rights. Maybe we can even win a few battles in the process! Posted by Ashim On behalf of Nagarik Mancha From aman.malik at gmail.com Sat Apr 2 18:00:28 2005 From: aman.malik at gmail.com (Aman Malik) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 18:00:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The LOC code In-Reply-To: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> References: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> Message-ID: <95be6356050402043050775e99@mail.gmail.com> I am rather amused that such a nonsensical article in The Times Of India has been taken so seriously by people on this otherwise well informed forum. AM On Apr 1, 2005 3:44 PM, Vivek Narayanan wrote: > If it is at all possible to make sense of or interpret > geopolitically the implications of this hallucination below, > I would really appreciate responses from you astute and > various cultural studiers on the reader list. > > -V. > > Dan's brown haze: Kashmir part of America? > TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2005 10:31:38 > PM ] > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1066268.cms > > Does Kashmir - the bone of contention between India > and Pakistan for over 50 years - really belong to the > US? This is the startling revelation made by Dan > Brown, the internationally bestselling author of The > Da Vinci Code , in a shortly to be released > non-fictional work, The Secret of the K-word . > > Using spectroscopic analysis (a technique described in > detail in The Da Vinci Code' the author claims to have > discovered the original document over which the > Instrument of Accession, signed by Kashmir maharaja > Hari Singh and preserved in the National Archives, New > Delhi, was later superimposed. > > The secret document reveals that Hari Singh, equally > apprehensive of joining either India or Pakistan, > covertly ceded Kashmir to the US. According to Brown, > when the map of Kashmir is reversed it becomes, > uncannily, congruent with the hilly state of Kentucky > in the southern US. > > In a telephonic interview with The Times of India , > the Houston-based author said... > ...he had employed the ancient Kabbalistic form of > numerological interpretation to discover "amazing > co-relatives between Kashmir and Kentucky which by no > stretch of the imagination can be put down to pure > coincidence". > > For instance, when the longitude of Frankfort, the > capital of Kentucky, is divided by the latitude of > Srinagar, the Kashmiri capital, the prime number so > obtained has the same numeric valency as Article 370 > of the Indian Constitution which accords a special > status to Kashmir. > > Describing it as "one of the best-hidden secrets of > the modern world", Brown acknowledged that his book > would "create a global furore" and "open many cans of > worms". > > Disclaiming that America's Central Intelligence Agency > had any role in these developments, the author said, > "The truth can no longer be suppressed. We owe this > much at least to the long-suffering people of Kashmir. > May the truth set them free, at long last." > > Copyright (c) 2005 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > From aasim27 at yahoo.co.in Sat Apr 2 23:19:38 2005 From: aasim27 at yahoo.co.in (aasim khan) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 18:49:38 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Shani Bazaar - mapping invisibilities Message-ID: <20050402174938.15732.qmail@web8304.mail.in.yahoo.com> Shani Bazaar is the weekly market at Shahpur Jat village and in the current phase of our research on it we are looking at two significant themes. We are simultaneously interrogating the emergence of the bazaar in the economically thriving South Delhi and also its internal psycho-geography. This posting links up these two broad themes as we interview one of the customers of the market. Aasim Khan and Shweta Pandit The Invisible Market: The road to Shahpur Jat is divided. On the left is Asian Games Village and on the other is the historic Jat village. At this diversion stands the most hideous of all buildings in Delhi. The Asiad Tower. This scabby structure of concrete is the worst nightmare of any admirer of the mughal architecture of Delhi; imagine a tomb placed over a minaret It reminds you one of those alien warships in B grade science fiction films with its tiny claustrophobic windows. Towering over Asian Games Village, it exemplified the aspirations of Delhi to join the league of Metro cities in Asia. Today this modern relic signifies the death of that grand socialist dream. After the games ended, apartments built to house the athletes were auctioned by the government and the sporting facilities were constituted as a sports club. Senior bureaucrats, renowned artists, top politicians were allotted residences by their departments or councils (ICCR, GAIL, IGNOU, DRDO, ONGC et al) which probably bought the bulk of flats at subsidised rates. The rest were bought by rich businessmen or industrial groups like Reliance, IRCON, TCIL. Soon the properties here were declared POSH in the South Delhi real estate jargon. After all Jatin Das, Leela Sampson, the then DRDO chief, President Kalam, you name it, they were all here. The club too went EXCLUSIVE. The golf arena and the squash courts hummed the same tune as the one in the corridors North Block or the Parliament. But there was a problem. These houses were not planned for permanent settlement and unlike the Lutyen’s Delhi, there were no servant quarters. After all, the housemaids, the drivers, the maalis, they had to live in close vicinity to their masters. Some settled in the car/scooter garages or the storerooms within the village while others found refuge in the adjacent Shahpur Jat. If the women worked as housemaids washing clothes, mopping floors and babysitting the baba log, the men either worked as errand boys or found work outside as skilled labour. These were the invisible/unintended families of Asiad village and for them emerged an invisible/unplanned market - the Shani Bazaar 1987. Today such families from Asiad Village and neighbouring rich localities constitute a major segment of the customers at this weekly market. The invisible customer: Zeenat lives with her husband and their six daughters in a car garage in Asiad Village Complex. Although her husband is a skilled tailor, our focus is on Zeenat who as her husband puts it - “ ek dum expert hai samaan wagerah laney mein”[is an expert in getting things from the Shani Bazaar]. She makes an earning by working in one or two households as a cook, house cleaner and washerwoman. Their family belongs to Bhagalpur in Bihar. They first migrated to Bombay and then to Delhi in search of ‘better opportunities’ or to be more precise – a sustainable living. In her words she can now save a little and also spend at her own disposition, something that would be impossible back home. Zeenat’s monthly income is around Rs. 1500-2000. Her second daughter Saira is thirteen and used to work full time in a household and used to get Rs. 700 per month. Zeenat has a bank account in the State Bank at Shahpur Jat and she is saving money for her daughter’s marriages. Their monthly family expenditure is around Rs. 6000. Her husband’s income was not revealed to us and we didn’t pursue the matter forward. It is interesting to note that while children of the elite travel to distant areas in Delhi to attend proper schools, the children of these invisible families are restricted to local poorly maintained government schools in the near vicinity. But on the flip side they enjoy strolling to their schools with a fruit tucked in their cloth bags unlike the rich kids who wait endlessly in their AC buses looking haplessly at the mad traffic jams outside. Zeenat tells us that this is a critical year for them as the two eldest daughters enter class IX and X respectively. They study at Shahpur Jat Vidya Mandirs which charges a modest sum of Rs.60 per month as fees, though she complains that the expenditure in buying the books would bring the cost of her daughters education above Rs.5000 this year. Shahpur Jat emerges as the locus of daily activities in several ways for Zeenat. Her husband has a tailoring shop .Her children attend school and she maintains a bank account and offcourse shops at the weekly market held there. Imagine if Shahpur Jat was to become a POSH locality with one of those ‘international’ schools, with an elite community centre and a shopping mall???? Zeenat is a financially independent woman and this is evident in her visit to the Shani Bazaar every Saturday. Zeenat cherishes the Shani Bazaar. She and her third daughter who is seven years old have it on their weekend itinerary. The elder ones aren’t allowed to go there on grounds of ‘safety’ by their father. Zeenat is fully conscious that these bazaars are meant for “them” and not for the rich. Vegetables are much cheaper there, claims. The girls get their frilly frocks and shiny red boots from this tinsel town that animates itself every week. Zeenat is just one of the hundreds of customers of the Bazaar. Her subjectivity may not be common to all others who come there but the trajectory of her daily life is a telling comment on the nature of the bazaar. ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony From shuddha at sarai.net Sun Apr 3 04:05:36 2005 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sun, 03 Apr 2005 04:05:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Judges and iPods : MGM vs. Grokster Message-ID: <424F1E38.30106@sarai.net> Dear all, (apologies for cross posting to members of the Reader List and Commons Law) I have been spending some quality time recently enhancing my tastes in music, augmenting my fledgeling itunes music collection, and getting myself an education in the wilder shores of hip hop, apart from collecting a few rare Glenn Gould recordings, thanks to the generosity of digital technology, a community of p2p users and the internet. Now, as some of you must be aware, this is the kind of activity that grandmothers and teenagers have faced fines, and prison sentences for. Naturally, this causes me some anxiety, as I cannot afford a fine, and have no intention of doing time. The fate of millions of people like me, will be decided in the days to come in the United States (and hence will set precedents elsewhere) in the MGM vs. Grokster case that is now being heard in the United States supreme court. I append below, a report on the ongoing legal battel, which appeared in the New York Daily news and is written by Errol Louis. What I found particularly striking in this report was the image that it gives us of a US Supreme Court bench, with an average age of 70 between them, arch conservatives as well as committed liberals, seeming to come together (which happens very rarely) singing praises of the iPod, even as the lawyers representing the music and movie companies that claim to speak for and to young audiences, argued against technological innovation. Enjoy, and now I must return to my musical self education project Shuddha ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music moguls on wrong side of copyright fight Errol Louis http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/295250p-252770c.html The Supreme Court bars reporters from bringing technology into the main chamber where arguments get heard. No cell phones, laptops, tape recorders or cameras of any kind; pen and pad are the only tools allowed. A similar low-tech spirit governs the court's nonpublic work areas, including its nearly computer-free law library. The building only got Internet access two years ago. But during a landmark technology case argued before the court this week, MGM vs. Grokster, the nine justices, average age 70, almost sounded like teenage gadget freaks, firmly wedded to the high-tech wonders of the day. Justices Anthony Kennedy, David Souter and Stephen Breyer all sang the praises of the iPod. To make the irony complete, lawyers representing the youth-centered movie and music industries came off like tech-averse stiffs, begging for legal weapons to battle a tidal wave of digital innovation that's turning the business of culture upside down. Grokster, Morpheus and a handful of other companies distribute peer-to-peer software that allows computer users to swap digital files of documents, images, music and movies. Music files - perfect digital copies taken from original CDs - get downloaded 2.6 billion times a month, and half a million movies are downloaded every day. The moguls who run America's movie studios and music labels failed to understand the digital revolution would transform their industries - and were equally blind to market resentment over constantly rising prices charged for mediocre music and movie fare. Studios with the nerve to charge $10 a head for "Booty Call" or "Gigli" were practically begging for audience retaliation. By downloading movies for free, the public is telling Hollywood what such piffle is really worth. Music labels that once invested time and care to cultivate songwriters and musicians have been swallowed by profit-obsessed conglomerates that now rely on one-hit wonders by overhyped, underdeveloped performers to meet quarterly Wall Street targets. Rather than waste money on uninspired CDs, many listeners pick the hits they like via Grokster and ignore the rest. In the past, the entertainment industry bitterly complained about - but ultimately survived - the player piano, the phonograph and the VCR, although many users of these gadgets routinely violate copyrights. The justices, who have lived through many of these transformations, hammered the entertainment business from the bench. Arch-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia complained that making Grokster liable for free downloading might cause digital entrepreneurs to be sued the day after going into business. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal who normally disagrees with Scalia, wondered how anyone could prove Grokster caused its users to make illegal downloads. The suits in the entertainment business should brace for bad news when the decision comes down. They may actually have to use the one weapon needed to compete with Grokster: creativity. Originally published on April 1, 2005 From shuddha at sarai.net Sun Apr 3 04:19:01 2005 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sun, 03 Apr 2005 04:19:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Grokster vs MGM : Musicians for P2P Message-ID: <424F215D.6030000@sarai.net> Dear All, (apologies again, for cross posting to Reader List and Commons Law) A follow up on the previous post on the Grokster case More on the MGM vs. Grokster, this time from Chris Anderson, editor in chief of WIred Magazine, in piece that appeared in the Los Angeles Times, in which he argues that many musicians are actually in favour of P2P arrangments. cheers Shuddha --------------------------------------------- War on piracy victimizes innocent no-name artists http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opand014198110apr01,0,5368122.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines BY CHRIS ANDERSON Chris Anderson is editor in chief of Wired. This is from the Los Angeles Times. April 1, 2005 The Supreme Court received an avalanche of friend-of-the-court filings this week for its hearing of the Grokster case, pitting a peer-to-peer file-trading technology against MGM. Yet, the outpouring of concern in the case only hints at the true number of interested parties. Two decades ago, when the famous Betamax case set a precedent that protected the VCR, it was consumers versus the studios and record labels. But now there's an equally important third party: the creative amateurs - people like you and me who not only consume but also produce content. And they're on the side of Grokster and the extraordinary power of the new distribution networks. As anyone who's played with the software now shipped with any new PC or Mac knows, the same tools that allow you easily to copy and share music and video also allow you to make your own. As a result, we're seeing the rise of a peer-production generation, such as teenagers using Apple's GarageBand to create or remix their own music, and snowboarders distributing highlight videos of their tricks to, yes, bloggers like me. Once upon a time, the ability to manufacture and distribute media and entertainment was solely the domain of professionals. Only pros could harness presses, airwaves, trucks, warehouses; only pros could command shelf space in the media and entertainment markets. Videotape and audiotape were the first cracks in this wall, giving consumers the power to do a weak form of manufacturing and distribution. But digital technology collapsed the wall. Using no more than my laptop and any one of a hundred cheap or free online services, I can be a recording studio, record label, music store and marketing machine. The Amazons, eBays and iTunes of the world have broken through the distribution bottlenecks. Increasingly, their endless aisles of shelf space hold not just the manufactured hits of traditional media and entertainment powers, but also the remarkably diverse output of countless niche producers. Each may not sell a lot, but together they represent a cultural force that can rival the mass market. And they are not just in it for the immediate sales. Britney Spears may consider file-trading a threat to her royalty stream, but other musicians would be delighted to become a peer-to-peer hit. Getting heard is the challenge for most bands. Once they have fans, there are lots of ways to make a living off them, from touring to T-shirts to CD sales. Even legends such as Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne are on their side. As he told National Public Radio, "Most artists see nothing from record sales - it's not an evil conspiracy, it's just the way the accounting works. So, as far as the artist goes, who cares?" What's at stake is the realm of ideas, sliced and diced a million ways. The peer-to-peer music sites are the closest current approximation to the celestial jukebox we all want. Kazaa, for instance, has 25 million unique tracks, dwarfing iTunes' measly 1 million. BitTorrent has more videos than Blockbuster. Many of them are pirated, to be sure, but a significant portion - videogame highlights, say - were never intended to be moneymaking. The problem is that we don't know how to stop the piracy without chilling the creativity. The main flaw in the case against Grokster is that the action attempts to criminalize a technology rather than a specific use. It also fails to distinguish between commercial content and noncommercial content. Restricting these powerful new distribution tools to fight piracy would hobble the new emerging creative class, too. The potential collateral damage to legitimate users is much greater than in the Betamax case. The Supreme Court should recognize that there is a silent majority in this case, made up not of pirates or the pop stars but the millions of individual talents who risk getting caught in the crossfire. -- Shuddhabrata Sengupta (Raqs Media Collective) The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054, India Phone : + 91 11 23960040 Fax : + 91 11 23943450 E Mail : shuddha at sarai.net http://www.sarai.net http://www.raqsmediacollective.net From shuddha at sarai.net Sun Apr 3 04:34:03 2005 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sun, 03 Apr 2005 04:34:03 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The LOC code In-Reply-To: <95be6356050402043050775e99@mail.gmail.com> References: <424D1F04.2010606@sarai.net> <95be6356050402043050775e99@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <424F24E3.40703@sarai.net> Dear Aman, Vivek and everybody else, Please do not forget the serious and sanctimonious significance of the first day of April. Which happens to be the day, coincidentally, on the calendar, after the 31st of March, when this article appeared. Please see the link on the actual story in the Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1066425.cms Now, perhaps this is actually a clue about how seriously we should take anything that the Times of India publishes, on any given day, of any given year. Cheers, Shuddha Aman Malik wrote: >I am rather amused that such a nonsensical article in The Times Of >India has been taken so seriously by people on this otherwise well >informed forum. > >AM > >On Apr 1, 2005 3:44 PM, Vivek Narayanan wrote: > > >>If it is at all possible to make sense of or interpret >>geopolitically the implications of this hallucination below, >>I would really appreciate responses from you astute and >>various cultural studiers on the reader list. >> >>-V. >> >>Dan's brown haze: Kashmir part of America? >>TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2005 10:31:38 >>PM ] >> >>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1066268.cms >> >>Does Kashmir - the bone of contention between India >>and Pakistan for over 50 years - really belong to the >>US? This is the startling revelation made by Dan >>Brown, the internationally bestselling author of The >>Da Vinci Code , in a shortly to be released >>non-fictional work, The Secret of the K-word . >> >>Using spectroscopic analysis (a technique described in >>detail in The Da Vinci Code' the author claims to have >>discovered the original document over which the >>Instrument of Accession, signed by Kashmir maharaja >>Hari Singh and preserved in the National Archives, New >>Delhi, was later superimposed. >> >>The secret document reveals that Hari Singh, equally >>apprehensive of joining either India or Pakistan, >>covertly ceded Kashmir to the US. According to Brown, >>when the map of Kashmir is reversed it becomes, >>uncannily, congruent with the hilly state of Kentucky >>in the southern US. >> >>In a telephonic interview with The Times of India , >>the Houston-based author said... >>...he had employed the ancient Kabbalistic form of >>numerological interpretation to discover "amazing >>co-relatives between Kashmir and Kentucky which by no >>stretch of the imagination can be put down to pure >>coincidence". >> >>For instance, when the longitude of Frankfort, the >>capital of Kentucky, is divided by the latitude of >>Srinagar, the Kashmiri capital, the prime number so >>obtained has the same numeric valency as Article 370 >>of the Indian Constitution which accords a special >>status to Kashmir. >> >>Describing it as "one of the best-hidden secrets of >>the modern world", Brown acknowledged that his book >>would "create a global furore" and "open many cans of >>worms". >> >>Disclaiming that America's Central Intelligence Agency >>had any role in these developments, the author said, >>"The truth can no longer be suppressed. We owe this >>much at least to the long-suffering people of Kashmir. >>May the truth set them free, at long last." >> >>Copyright (c) 2005 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. >> >>_________________________________________ >>reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >>Critiques & Collaborations >>To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >>List archive: >> >> >> >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >List archive: > > > -- Shuddhabrata Sengupta (Raqs Media Collective) The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054, India Phone : + 91 11 23960040 Fax : + 91 11 23943450 E Mail : shuddha at sarai.net http://www.sarai.net http://www.raqsmediacollective.net From ish at sarai.net Sun Apr 3 12:02:11 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ish at sarai.net) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 08:32:11 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list](What--) FM:It is an attitude, a cult statement! (.Wha .?) In-Reply-To: <20050401155140.99717.qmail@web30709.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <20050401155140.99717.qmail@web30709.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <63d1ce3d802265bed6cc8671f145fda6@sarai.net> FM radio today is not just about music; it is an attitude, a cult statement (?) really don't get it ... well in what way it becomes a cult ... well the whole (radio)show is sold to the commercial suckers. (can say it because of some experience with radio ppl). Give the the right amount of money and you do what ever you want. ... your own show to make your own 'cult'. Still AIR sometimes plays good music and everything else is just like the TV game. The orgasm of radio(metro FM) will be to become a star TV soap. Just hoping some day POP will consume itself... What are you saying What are you playing Who are you obeying Day out day in? The world is collapsing Around our ears I turned up the radio But I can’t hear it ..Michale Stipe (radio song ,REM) <>ISh On April 1, 5:51 pm IRFAN wrote: > Radio has revolutionized the realm of entertainment in > India. It wasn’t till 1977 that audiences could expect > clarity, quality and entertainment from radio. Radio > was perceived as the fallback option for entertainment > and information and was primarily patronized for the > regular news broadcasts. > > The introduction of Frequency Modulation or FM not > only changed the styles and perceptions but also > resulted in radio being considered as a chosen source > of entertainment. This has not only given an > opportunity for talent to be showcased but also > invited an influx of investors thereby further > enhancing it’s influence. > > Chennai was the premier city to have FM radio back in > 1977 followed by Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Panaji. > But it was in 1993 that radio in the form of FM was > revived from near oblivion by All India Radio. It was > then that initiatives were taken not just to programme > shows to cater to the needs of the audience but also > create an excitement among the listeners for radio. > With the two-way planning of generating interest and > offering quality entertainment with the latest in > music and information, Radio soon became a household > commodity. > > FM radio today is not just about music; it is an > attitude, a cult statement - packaged with plenteous > doses of fun. The fun does not however restrict itself > to only the latest in music. FM today comes packaged > with an interesting range of games, contests and > promotions coupled with enticing prizes, not to forget > the regular updates of current and useful information. > Radio which was perceived to have a stereotypical > style of presentation and a predictable range in > music, today offers a range of music styles to choose > from; be it Indian film music, pop, ghazals or western > music. Air India Radio which took the lead in > launching FM radio had adopted a bombastic campaign to > launch it and within no time, FM has not only been > accepted as a chosen medium of entertainment but has > invited private channels offering the listeners a > variety of music to choose form different channels. FM > has changed the conventional image and style of > broadcasting. It is interactive and friendly, enticing > listeners to participate actively. > > Another indispensable aspect of FM programming are the > presenters or Radio Jockeys as they are popularly > called. The energy and exuberance the RJs add to the > music with their friendly chatter further intensifies > and strengthens the link between the listeners and > radio stations and has contributed significantly to > the success and acceptance of radio. The presentation > style coupled with the latest in music and information > and the contests and prizes has everyone from the > morning office-goer to the housewife to the bus and > truck driver all hooked onto radio. FM cuts through > all cultural and economic divides and offers wholistic > entertainment for all. > > Having caught every listeners pulse, the crystal clear > acoustics, the games, the contests, the music all put > together have all made Radio a winner! > > > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! Messenger > Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. > http://www.advision.webevents.yahoo.com/emoticontest From announcer at crit.org.in Sat Apr 2 09:19:40 2005 From: announcer at crit.org.in (GIRNI KAMGAR) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 09:19:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mill Lands Public Meeting Tomorrow Message-ID: <127c82029f694e091b4df714185455f2@crit.org.in> GIRANGAON ROJGAR HAKK SAMITI invites you to A PUBLIC MEETING on VISION MUMBAI and the MUMBAI MILL LANDS Date: SUNDAY 3 April 2005 Venue: Raja Shivaji School (King George High School) B.N.Vaidya Hall Hindu Colony Dadar (Central), Mumbai 400014 Time : 4.00 P.M. ONWARDS Speakers: Dr Shanti Patel (trade unionist), Nikhil Wagle (Editor, Mahanagar), Shailesh Gandhi (civic activist), Rambhau Patil (Fishers Association), Ratnakar Matkari (author) Datta Iswalkar (Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti), Gajanan Khatu, Meena Menon, Neera Adarakar and others. After the seminar held on 16 February 2005 at the Rachna Sansad on the issue of the development of the textile mill lands, the resolutions formulated there (see below) were sent to the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, with a request to meet him. However, there has been no response. These resolutions have also been sent to the Deepak Parekh committee constituted by the Government of Maharashtra to look into the mill lands issue. The committee has been requested to grant a hearing. The issue of the mill lands is closely associated with the future of Mumbai and the issue of what kind of development its citizens want. If we do not react immediately, 600 acres of prime land in the middle of the city will be up for grabs and there will be no way to stop it. The issue of mill land development is a story of greed, corruption, human suffering and gross violation of law. It is not being used for the benefit of the city and the local residents, only for shameless illegal profiteering by the mill owners. Even land whose leases have expired is being developed by mill owners with the connivance of politicians of all shades, the civic officials and the mafia. The government has now asked for huge funding from the Central government and from the World Bank, ostensibly to ‘develop’ Mumbai. The mill land scam shows how insincere these people are. The people of Mumbai cannot afford to be apathetic at this moment to the issues facing their city. If we want to stop this we have to act NOW! The meeting is to discuss a strategy to bring all sectors of people together and take the planning of Mumbai into the realm of public discourse. We have to demand full transparency in what they are planning; with mill lands, with World Bank funding, with slum land; to take the battle into the streets, against the illegal acts and the corruption at all levels in the government; to discuss a peoples plan for the city and fight for it.. We request you to make it convenient to attend. From Jyoti Berde, Yogita Salvi, Roshni Jadav, Pravin Ghag Girangaon Rojgar Hakk Samiti B-112, Saat Rasta S.S. Rao Road, near Apna Bank Lalbaug, Mumbai Phone +91.22.2417.4048 _____ Resolution by participants in the seminar TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE OF THE MUMBAI MILL LANDS 16 FEBRUARY 2005, Mumbai   WE, citizens and stakeholders in the city of Mumbai (list of signatories below) who are gathered here at Rachana Sansad, Academy of Architecture, Prabhadevi on 16 February 2005, resolved to place the following resolution before the Government of Maharashtra for immediate consideration: The Mill Lands are the historic industrial core of today’s Mumbai Metropolitan Region. As the city authorities and state government seek to makeover Mumbai into a global city, the government has not recognised that these valuable lands were entrusted to mill owners to develop the textile industry and provide employment, not to speculate in real estate. This important fact has been repeatedly overlooked in the rush by not just mill owners and builders, but by government also, to cash in on today's commercial value of the Mill Lands. In 1991, the Maharashtra Government addressed the issue by allowing sale and development of mill lands under certain conditions, framed in the Development Control Regulations of Greater Mumbai (DCR). In Section 58 of the DCR (1991) mill lands were to be shared in more or less equal thirds between the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) for civic amenities; Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA), for public housing; and the mill owners for modernisation and development of the mills. This DCR was amended in 2001, and a provision introduced that within the land provided for public housing, 50% would be set aside for housing textile workers, and an additional provision made for job opportunities for the family members of the textile workers. These provisions were included in response to demands made by the textile workers, who lost their jobs due to mill closures in Central Mumbai. However these provisions will only be on paper, since the land now made available under the amended DCR 2001 is miniscule. In the amended DCR of 2001, the land share of the mill owners has increased several times beyond the original one third. The land share of the MCGM, meant for creating open spaces and other facilities, as well as the land share for MHADA meant for public housing, have been reduced by more than 90%, in some cases to nil. This was done by making the one third divisions applicable only to vacant open land in the mills, and removing land on which structures are, or were, standing, from the purview of the one third division. This would have made sense if the mills were still running. Since the mills have been in a closed state, the land to be logically considered should the entire land, not just open spaces or those on which structures stood in individual textile mills. These structures have been or are being demolished, to make space for a real estate bonanza for mill owners and builders, development which gives nothing to the workers, or the city at large — as was proposed in the original Section 58 of DCR 1991. The closure of the mills has already deprived the workers their livelihood. The 2001 amendments to the DCR, while claiming to strengthen these rights, will actually hand over the mill lands to the mill owners to do as they wish. The amended DCR 2001 will also deprive the residents of the Island City of Mumbai of badly needed open and green public spaces in a congested city. Because of historic facts of land ownership and use, and the history of mass employment and housing in the inner city textile industry, we maintain that the Mumbai Mill Lands are different from other kinds of industrial land in the city, and require different treatment. We further feel that the amendments to the DCR do not constitute, as the Government claims, minor modifications in the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act (1966). Any planning of 600 acres of land in the centre of the city constitutes a major social environmental intervention and issue of public concern, both for the middle classes and working classes of Mumbai. The amended DCR 2001 is an attack on citizens rights to space and workers rights to livelihood. The committee recently appointed by the Government of Maharashtra and chaired by Mr Deepak Parekh to inquire into the mill lands issue is compromised by the interests of mill owners, builders and financial institution. Any representation by textile workers on the committee is conspicuously absent. We therefore demand that: 1. The land share of public housing and open and green spaces in mill lands, as per the 1991 DCR, should be restored and stringently applied, not just to vacant land or open spaces, but the total land area of the mills. It should be seen that the 50% share for public housing is maintained for textile workers and their families, and the 2001 condition that workers families be given jobs should also be retained and implemented. 2. The Government immediately freeze the permissions for building construction on the mill lands until the report of the Deepak Parekh committee is released and discussed with the various stake-holders, including mill workers and citizens groups. This should be implemented with retrospective effect, applying to permissions already given under the original 1991 and 2001 amended DCR. 3. The Government must publicly disclose (i.e. release in print and/or electronic form in the public domain) the list of the mills that have been already given or to be given clearance for development or redevelopment — including intimations of dissaproval, commencement certificates, approved/proposed drawings, true 7/12 extract of land ownership, and related permissions — along with their respective dates. 4. The Government must publicly disclose, mill-wise, the list of the dues that have been paid to the workers of the respective mills (or are still to be paid) so that this amount can be juxtaposed against the profits generated through the development of the mill land. This will help to verify the stated rationale of the government that the increase in land share through the 2001 amendement of DCR Section 58 is to pay the workers their dues — which was the original rationale for the 1991 DCR Section 58. 5. The Government must publicly disclose all information on the land ownership, leasehold and/or freehold status of the land, and the terms and conditions/covenants of every mill. The terms of reference of the Deepak Parekh committee should be extended in order to obtain and analyse the rights associated with mill owners use of the mill lands. 6. For purposes of these demands and resolutions, the mill land being considered includes both the mills of the National Textile Corporation as well as private textile mills, as originally existing. We resolve: 1. To set up an independent committee/study group of citizens groups, workers organisations and labour and housing activists to investigate into these issues and publish a report on its findings into the full range of issues relating to the mill lands. This committee will access all documents and information relating to land ownership, lease and tenures, development plans and building proposals cleared under the original and amended DCR 1991-2001. The committee will represent independent views and have a wide terms of reference to include land ownership, urban planning and comprehensive integrated area development of the entire mill lands. 2. To distribute and publicise this set of demands and resolutions across a broad section of the public, civic organisations and social movements and to convene another meeting on the issue within a fortnight of this meeting. Signed by: Aapli Mumbai AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India) CED (Centre for Education and Documentation) Chemical Mazdoor Sabha Citizens Forum for Protection of Public Space (Citispace) CITU (Centre for Indian Trade Unions) Combat Law Commitee for Right to Housing (CHR) CRIT (Collective Research Initiatives Trust) Workers of Crown Mills FOCUS on the Global South Girangaon Rozgar Hakk Samiti Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti Hind Mazdoor Sabha Hindustan Siddhi Vinayak Kamgar Sangh Kamgar Aghadi India Centre for Human Rights and Law (ICHRL) INTBAU India LEARN Maharashtra Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti Maharashtra Economic Development Council (MEDC) Majlis Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) Dock Kamgar and General Employees Union Mumbai Study Group NAPM (National Alliance of People’s Movements) Workers of New Hind Textile Mills Nivara Hakk Sangharsh Samiti Praja Foundation Samarthan Workers of Swadeshi Mills Workers of Swan Mills Textile Workers Federation of India Yusuf Meherally Centre Zhopadpatti Bachao Parishad _____ CRIT (Collective Research Initiatives Trust) Announcements List announcer at crit.org.in http://lists.crit.org.in/mailman/listinfo/announcer From chouaibis at yahoo.fr Sun Apr 3 23:12:47 2005 From: chouaibis at yahoo.fr (tarik chouaibi) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 19:42:47 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] TO Dr VEENA NAREGAL Message-ID: <20050403174247.49594.qmail@web26803.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Dear Professor My name is Tarik CHOUAIBI . i'm preparing at the present time a thesis in political science at the University of Agdal , Rabat , Morocco , which main idea revolves around " Different Modes Of Producing And Reproducing Elites : Anglophone Elite In Morocco ". I 'am striving to get your very interesting book titled " LANGUAGE POLITICS ELITES AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE : WESTERN INDIA UNDER COLONIALISM" for almost 7 months , especially that my supervisor strongly recommended it to me as a basic reference , but my biggest problem resides in two point : -The first one is that the book is not available in all bibliotheques in Morocco - The second is the difficulties that i faced when i tried to get your book from WWW.BARNESANDNOBLE.COM OR WWW.AMAZONE.COM , because opening an account in Morocco to obtain MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Visa, Diners Club, JCB, and corporate purchasing cards , is too complicated I will then be so grateful if you tell me where can i found your interesting book in Morocco or in the internet SINCERLY YOURS --------------------------------- Découvrez le nouveau Yahoo! Mail : 250 Mo d'espace de stockage pour vos mails ! Créez votre Yahoo! Mail -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050403/4cf3c375/attachment.html From madhuchopra at hotmail.com Sat Apr 2 16:51:07 2005 From: madhuchopra at hotmail.com (madhu prasad) Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2005 11:21:07 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] RE: [arkitectindia] William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan In-Reply-To: Message-ID: thank you for posting this very informative write-up. However, Dalrymple is unduly congratulatory about India and the educational system here. The formal system of schooling is actually declining replaced by alternative, distance and non-formal education guarantee centres for the mass of the indian people. In this situation the environment is ripe for the hindu right - vishwa bharti schools, books and ekal vidyalayas,friends of the tribal society, etc. are spreading (during the NDA regime crores of rupees from the education budget, budgets for NGO's etc were diverted to build up this base for the hindu right politics). Their lessons are so-called `hindu culture", which most hindu's would probably find difficult to recognise. Actually they preach a crude anti-christian, anti-muslim ideology and this mindset is being constructed to be exploited politically. I have before me a report of the functioning of these `schools' in Singhbhum district, Jharkhand and Insukhia & Dibrugarh districts, Assam. It makes one realise that we are being too complacent and not reading the signs in our country where the fundamentalists may only be of a different colour but their goals are the same >From: "arkitect95" >Reply-To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com >To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com >Subject: [arkitectindia] William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan >Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 17:35:22 -0000 > > > > >William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan >Monday 28th March 2005 >http://www.newstatesman.com/200503280010 > > >Madrasas are Islamic colleges accused by the US of incubating >terrorism and the attacks of 9/11. From Pakistan, William Dalrymple >investigates the threat > >Halfway along the dangerous road to Kohat - deep in the lawless >tribal belt between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and where Osama Bin >Laden is widely believed to be sheltering - we passed a small >whitewashed shrine that had recently been erected by the side of the >road: "That is where the army ambushed and killed two al-Qaeda men >escaping from Afghanistan," said Javed Paracha. "Local people soon >began to see the two martyrs in their dreams. Now we believe that >they are saints. Already many cures and miracles have been reported. >If any of our women want to ask anything special from God, they first >come here." > >He added: "They say that each shahid [martyr] emitted a perfume like >that of roses. For many days a beautiful scent was coming from the >place of their martyrdom." > >Javed Paracha is a huge, burly tribal leader with a granite outcrop >of nose jutting from a great fan of grey beard. In many ways he is >the embodiment of everything that US policy-makers most fear and >dislike about this part of the Muslim world. For Paracha is a >dedicated Islamist, as well as a wily lawyer who has successfully >defended al-Qaeda suspects in the Peshawar High Court. In his >fortress-like stronghouse in Kohat he sheltered wounded Taliban >fighters - and their frost-bitten women and children - fleeing across >the mountains from the American Daisy Cutters at Tora Bora, and he >was twice imprisoned by General Musharraf in the notorious prison at >Dera Ismail Khan. There he was kept in solitary confinement while >being questioned - and he alleges tortured - by CIA interrogators. On >his release, he found his prestige among his neighbours had been >immensely enhanced by his ordeal. His proudest boast, however, is >building the two enormous madrasas he founded and financed, the first >of which he says produced many of the younger leaders of the Taliban. > >"They are the biggest madrasas in the [North-West] Frontier," he told >me proudly after stopping to say a prayer at the al-Qaeda >shrine. "The books are free. The food is free. The education is free. >We give them free accommodation. In a poor and backward area like >this, our madrasas are the only form of education. The government >system is simply not here." > >Paracha got back in the car - the vehicle sinking to the left as he >lowered himself into the back beside his two armed bodyguards - and >added: "There are 200,000 jobless degree holders in this country. >Mark my words, a more extreme form of the Taliban is coming to >Pakistan. The conditions are so bad. The people are so desperate. >They are waiting for a solution that will rid them of this feudal- >army elite. The people want radical change. We teach them in the >madrasas that only Islam can provide the justice they seek." > >For better or worse, the sort of madrasa-driven change in political >attitudes that Javed Paracha is bringing about in Kohat is being >reproduced across Pakistan. An Interior Ministry report revealed >recently that there are now 27 times as many madrasas in the country >as there were in 1947: from 245 at the time of independence the >number has shot up to 6,870 in 2001. The religious tenor of Pakistan >has been correspondingly radicalised: the tolerant Sufi-minded >Barelvi form of Islam is now deeply out of fashion, overtaken by the >sudden rise of the more hardline reformist Deobandi, Wahhabi and >Salafi strains of the faith that are increasingly dominant over >swaths of the country. The sharp acceleration in the number of these >madrasas first began under General Zia, and was financed mainly by >Saudi donors (though ironically the US also played a role in this as >part of the anti-Soviet Afghan jihad). Since the oil boom of the >early 1970s a policy of exporting not just petroleum, but also >hardline Wahhabism, became a fundamental tenet of Saudi foreign >policy, partly a result of a competition for influence with Shia >Iran. Although some of the madrasas were little more than single >rooms attached to village mosques, others are now very substantial >institutions: the Darul Uloom in Baluchistan is now annually > enrolling some 1,500 boarders and a further 1,000 day-boys. > >Altogether, there are now an estimated 800,000 to one million >students enrolled in Pakistan's madrasas: an entire, free Islamic >education system existing parallel to the increasingly moribund state >sector, in which a mere 1.8 per cent of Pakistan's GDP is spent on >government schools. The statistics are dire: 15 per cent of these >schools are without a proper building; 52 per cent without a boundary >wall; 40 per cent without water; 71 per cent without electricity. >There is frequent absenteeism of teachers; indeed, many of these >schools exist only on paper. > >This education gap is the most striking way in which Pakistan is >lagging behind India, a country in which 65 per cent of the >population is literate, and the number rises every year. Only this >year, the Indian education system received a substantial boost of >state funds in the >government Budget; but in Pakistan the literacy figure is well under >half (it is currently 42 per cent), and falling. The collapse of >government schooling has meant that many of the country's poorest >people > who want their children's advancement have no option but to place >the >children in the madrasa system where they are guaranteed a >conservative >and outdated, but nonetheless free education. > > > >Madrasas are now more dominant in Pakistan's educational system than >they are anywhere else; but the general trend is common across the >Islamic world. In Egypt the number of teaching institutes dependent >on >the Islamic Al-Azhar University increased from 1,855 in 1986 to 4,314 >ten years later. The Saudis have also stepped up funding in Africa: >in >Tanzania alone they have been spending $1m a year building new >madrasas. > In Mali, madrasas now account for around a quarter of children in >primary schools. Seen in this wider context, Paracha and his >educational > endeavours in Kohat raise a number of important questions: how far >are >these madrasas the source of the problems that culminated in the >Islamist attacks of 9/11? Are madrasas simply terrorist factories? >Should the west be pressing US client states such as Pakistan and >Egypt >simply to close the whole lot down? > >In the panic-striken aftermath of the Islamist attacks on America, >the >answers to these questions seemed obvious. Donald Rumsfeld, among a >number of US politicians, fingered madrasas as terror-incubators and >centres of hatred, responsible - so he said - for propagating anti- >Americanism > across the Islamic world. There were many good reasons for people >jumping to this assumption. The terrifyingly ultra-conservative >Taliban >regime was unquestionably the product of Pakistan's madrasas. Much of >the Taliban leadership was trained at just one madrasa: the Haqqaniya >at > Akora Khattak, between Islamabad and Peshawar. The director, Sami ul- >Haq, > still proudly boasts that whenever the Taliban put out a call for >fighters, he would simply close down the madrasa and send his >students >off to fight. > >But as we now know, in the aftermath of 9/11, a great many of the >assumptions that people made about Islamist terrorism have proved >with >hindsight to be quite spectacularly ill-founded, the result of >inadequate and partial understanding of the complexities of the >contemporary Islamic world. > >There was, first of all, widespread misunderstanding about the nature >of > al-Qaeda. Bin Laden's organisation has turned out not to be some >structured multinational organisation; still less was it the state- >sponsored > puppet - with Osama moving to the tug of Saddam's Ba'athist string- >pulling > - that was depicted by the neo-cons and their media mouthpieces (in >this country, Conrad Black's Daily Telegraph and the equally >credulous >Murdoch Times) as they attempted to justify attacking Iraq. > >Instead, as Giles Kepel, the leading French authority on Islamists, >puts > it in his important study, The War For Muslim Minds: "al-Qaeda was >[and > is] less a military base of operations than a database that >connected >jihadists around the world via the internet . . . this organisation >did >not consist of buildings and tanks and borders but of websites, >clandestine financial transfers and a proliferation of activists >ranging > from Jersey City to the paddies of Indonesia". This central failure >to >understand the nature of al-Qaeda was the reason that the US >attempted >to counter it with such unsuitable policies: by targeting nations it >considered sponsors of terrorism, so inadvertently turning itself >into >al-Qaeda's most effective recruiting agency. > >In the same way, it was maintained that al-Qaeda's grievances were >unconnected to America's Middle Eastern policies. This also proved to >be > quite wrong. From al-Qaeda's "Declaration of War Against the >Americans", > issued in 1996, Bin Laden had announced that his grievance was not >cultural or religious, but very specifically political: he was >fighting >to oppose US support for the House of Saud and Israel. As he told the >Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir: "America and its allies are >massacring >us in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir and Iraq. The Muslims have a right >to > attack America in reprisal . . . The targets were icons of America's >military and economic power." > >In retrospect, the idea that madrasas are one of the principal >engines >of this global Islamic terrorism appears to be another American >assumption that begins to wobble when subjected to serious analysis. > >It is certainly true that many madrasas are fundamentalist in their >approach to the scriptures and that many subscribe to the least >pluralistic and most hardline strains of Islamic thought. It is also >true that some madrasas can be directly linked to Islamic radicalism >and > occasionally to outright civil violence: just as there are some >yeshivas [religious schools] in settlements on the West Bank that >have a > reputation for violence against Palestinians, and Serbian >monasteries >that sheltered some of the worst of that country's war criminals, so >it >is estimated that as many as 15 per cent of Pakistan's madrasas >preach >violent jihad, while a few have even been known to provide covert >military training. > >Some have done their best to bring about a Talibanisation of >Pakistan: >madrasa graduates in Karachi have been behind acts of violence >against >the city's Shia minority, while in 1998, madrasa students in >Baluchistan > began organising bonfires of TVs and attacked video shops. In this, >however, they have so far had limited success. Indeed, the >bestselling >video in Baluchistan last year was a pirate tape that showed a senior >Pakistani MP in flagrante with his girlfriend. The tape, which had >been >made by the MP himself, had been stolen by his political enemies and >circulated around the province, with the expectation that it would >destroy his career. However, so impressive was the MP's performance >in >the video that he was re-elected with a record majority; I recently >met >him looking very pleased with himself in Islamabad, where he says the >tape has transformed his political fortunes. > >It is now becoming clear, however, that producing cannon-fodder for >the >Taliban and graduating local sectarian thugs is not at all the same >as >producing the kind of technically literate al-Qaeda terrorist who >carried out the horrifyingly sophisticated attacks on the USS Cole, >the >US embassies in East Africa, and the World Trade Center. A number of >recent studies have emphasised that there is an important and >fundamental distinction to be made between most mad- rasa graduates - >who tend to be pious villagers from economically impoverished >backgrounds, possessing very little technical sophistication - and >the >sort of middle-class politically literate global salafi jihadis who >plan > al-Qaeda operations around the world. Most of these turn out to have >secular, scientific or technical backgrounds and very few actually >turn >out to be madrasa graduates. > >The men who planned and carried out the Islamist attacks on America - >all but four of them were Saudi citizens - have often been depicted >in >the press as being "medieval fanatics". In fact, it would be more >accurate to describe them as confused but highly educated middle- >class >professionals: Mohammed Atta was an architect and a town-planning >expert; > Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden's chief of staff, was a paediatric >surgeon; > Ziad Jarrah, one of the founders of the Hamburg cell, was a dental >student who later turned to aircraft engineering; while Omar Sheikh, >the > kidnapper of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, had >studied > at the LSE and was the product of the same British public school >that >produced the film-maker Peter Greenaway. > >Such figures represent a clash of civilisations occurring not so much >between civilisations, as the author Samuel Huntingdon would >maintain, >but rather within individuals, products of the sort of cultural >dislocation and disorientation that accompanies accelerating economic >change and globalisation. As Kepel puts it, the new breed of global >jihadis are not the urban poor of the developing world, so much >as "the >privileged children of an unlikely marriage between Wahhabism and >Silicon Valley". > >This is also the conclusion drawn by the most sophisticated analysis >of >global jihadis to be published in recent years: Marc Sageman's >Understanding Terror Networks. Sageman is a forensic psychiatrist and >former CIA man who worked in Pakistan during the 1980s. In his study, >he > closely examined the lives of 172 al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, and >his >conclusions have demolished much of the conventional wisdom about who >joins jihadi groups: two-thirds of his sample were middle class and >university-educated; they are generally technically minded >professionals > and several have PhDs. Nor are they young hotheads: their average >age >is 26, most of them are married, and many have children. Only two >appear > to be obviously psychotic. It seems that Islamic terrorism, like its >Christian predecessor, remains a largely bourgeois endeavour: "These >are > truly global citizens," writes Sageman, "familiar with many >countries - > the west as well as the Middle East - and able to speak several >languages with equal facility . . . Even their ideologues are not >trained clerics: [Sayyid] Qutb [for example] was a journalist." > >It is true that there are exceptions, and the line between these two >different worlds is certainly porous. There are several examples of >radical madrasa graduates who have become involved with al-Qaeda. By >and > large, however, madrasa students simply do not have the technical >expertise or conceptual imagination necessary to carry out the sort >of >attacks we have seen al-Qaeda pull off in the past few years. >Instead, >the concerns of most madrasa graduates remain far more traditional - >what the French Islamist expert Olivier Roy calls "neo- >fundamentalism": >the correct fulfilment of rituals, how to wash correctly before >prayers, > the proper length to grow a beard and how high above the ankles you >should wear your salwar kameez. As the laws of the Taliban regime >revealed, they are obsessed with the public covering of women, which >they regard as essential to a morally ordered society. Their focus, >in >other words, is not on opposing non-Muslims or the west - the central >concern of the salafi jihadis - so much as on fostering what they see >as > proper Islamic behaviour at home and attempting to return to - as >they >see it - the pristine purity of the time of the Prophet. > >That there are huge variations in the tone and quality of madrasa >education should not be surprising. Throughout much of Islamic >history, >madrasas were the major source of religious and scientific learning, >just as the church schools and the universities were in Europe. The >quality and tone of their education is determined by the nature of >their > curricula, which have always varied widely. > > > >Between the seventh and 11th centuries, madrasas produced free- >thinking >luminaries such as Alberuni, Ibn Sina and al-Khwarizmi. The oldest >and >greatest madrasa of them all, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, has good >claim to being the most sophisticated institution of learning in the >entire Mediterranean world during the early Middle Ages. The very >idea >of a university in the modern sense - a place of learning where >students > congregate to study a variety of subjects under a number of >teachers - >is generally regarded as an innovation first developed at Al-Azhar. > >When the Mongol invasions destroyed the major institutions of >learning >in the central Islamic heartlands, many learned refugees fled to >Delhi, >turning northern India for the first time into a major centre of >scholarship. By the time of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor of India, >the curriculum in Indian madrasas blended the learning of the Islamic >Middle East with that of the indigenous teaching of Hindu India, >which >resulted in the incredibly broad-minded and pluralistic high >civilisation of the Mughal period. > >However, following the collapse of Indo-Islamic self-confidence that >accompanied the deposition and exile of the last emperor, Bahadur >Shah >Zafar, in 1858, disillusioned scholars founded an influential but >depressingly narrow-minded Wahhabi-like madrasa at Deoband, 100 miles >north of the former Mughal capital. Reacting against what the >founders >saw as the degenerate ways of the old elite, which had allowed the >British to defeat Muslim power in such a catastrophic manner, the >Deoband madrasa went back to Koranic basics, rigorously stripping out >anything Hindu or European from the curriculum of the college. It >was, >unfortunately, these puritanical Deoband-type madrasas that spread >throughout northern India and Pakistan in the course of the 20th >century, > and which particularly benefited from the patronage of Zia and his >Saudi allies in the 1980s. > >It is certainly true that many madrasas in Pakistan have outdated >curricula: some still teach Euclidian geometry and medicine from the >Roman physician Galen of Pergamum. Emphasis is put on the rote >learning >- rather than critical study - of the Koran. Jessica Stern of Harvard >recently testified before a US Senate House committee that "in a >school >that purportedly offered a broad curriculum, a teacher I questioned >could not multiply seven times eight". This is, however, by no means >the > case with all madrasas, some of which are surprisingly sophisticated >places. > >In Karachi, the largest madrasa is the Darul Uloom. To get there, you >pass from the rich middle-class areas of the city centre, with their >low, > white bungalows and sprawling gardens, going through progressively >more > run-down suburbs until you find yourself in a depressing industrial >wasteland of factories and warehouses, punctuated by the belching >smokestacks of brickworks. Out of this Pakistani apocalypse rises the >almost surreal spectacle of Darul Uloom. Its green lawns resemble a >cross between a five-star hotel and a rather upmarket, modern >university > campus. > >After what happened to Daniel Pearl, I had been warned about the >dangers > of visiting madrasas, and had gone to the elaborate lengths of >informing the British Consulate about my movements; but in reality >there > was nothing remotely threatening about Darul Uloom. The students >were >almost all eager, smart, friendly and intelligent, if somewhat >intense >and puritanical. When, on a visit to the dormitory block, I asked one >bearded student what music he listened to on his shining new ghetto- >blaster, > he looked at me as if I had just asked him about his favourite porn >video. The machine, he informed me, was only for listening to tapes >of >sermons. All music was banned. > >Puritanical it may be, but it is clear that the Darul Uloom performs, >as > do many Pakistani madrasas, an important service - especially in a >country where 58 per cent of the vast population, and 72 per cent of >women, are illiterate and half the population never see the inside of >a >school at all. Madrasas may not be cutting-edge in their educational >philosophy, but they do provide the poor with a way of gaining >literacy >and a real hope of advancing themselves. In certain traditional >subjects > - such as rhetoric, logic, jurisprudence and Arabic grammar - the >teaching can be outstanding. Although they tend to be ultra- >conservative, > it has been repeatedly shown that only a small proportion are >obviously > militant. To close them down without attempting to build up the >state >sector would simply relegate large chunks of the population to >illiteracy and ignorance. It would also be tantamount to instructing >Muslims to stop educating themselves about their religion - hardly >the >best strategy for winning hearts and minds. > > > >You don't have to go far from Pakistan to find a madrasa system that >has > effectively tackled both the problems of militancy and of >educational >backwardness. Although India was originally the home of the Deobandi >madrasas, such colleges in India have no track record of producing >violent Islamists, and are strictly apolitical and quietist. Their >degree of success can be measured from the fact that Jamia Milia >University in New Delhi, at least 50 per cent of whose intake comes >from > a madrasa background, is generally reckoned to be one of India's >most >prestigious and successful centres of higher education. > >According to Seema Alavi, one of India's brightest young historians, >who > now teaches at Jamia, there is little difference between her >students >educated at secular schools and those educated in madrasas - except >perhaps that those from madrasas are better able to memorise >coursework, > but are less practised at analysing and processing information: >years >of rote-learning has both its pros and its cons. But there is no >sense >that those students from Indian madrasas are more politically radical >or > less able to cope with a modern urban environment than their >contemporaries from secular institutions. Several of India's greatest >scholars - such as the celebrated Mughal historian Muzaffar Alam of >Chicago University - are madrasa graduates. > >If this is right, it would seem to confirm what other researchers >have >observed, that it is not madrasas per se that are the problem, so >much >as the militant atmosphere and indoctrination taking place in a >handful >of notorious centres of ultra-radicalism such as Binori Town or Akora >Khattak. > >The question remains, however, whether General Musharraf's government >has the strength and the willpower to see through the necessary >reforms >and replicate the success of madrasas across the border in India. So >far, > attempts at taming Pakistan's more militant madrasas have proved >half-hearted. > There have been some attempts to curb the attendance of foreign >Islamic > students at Pakistani madrasas, and noises were made about >standardising the syllabus and encouraging some modern subjects. >Nevertheless, the more extreme have been able to resist the >enforcement >of even these mild measures: only 1 per cent of the country's >madrasas >complied when asked to register with the government. > > > >In Islamabad, I went to see Pervez Hoodbhoy, an expert on education >and >the author of an important study of the madrasas. Hoodbhoy teaches at >Quaid-e-Azam University, the Pakistani Oxbridge, and as we sat in the >spacious campus, he described the depressing changes he had witnessed >since joining the staff in the 1970s. Not only had there been a >general >decline in educational standards, he said, but beards, burkas and >hijabs, > unknown in the early 1980s, were now the norm. He estimated that >only >one-third of his students now resist showing some visible sign of >their >Islamic propriety. "And this," he added, "is by far the most liberal >university in Pakistan. > >"There is definitely a change in the temper of this society," he >said. "The > students are much less interested in the world and show much less >curiosity - instead we have this mad, unthinking rush towards >religiosity, and the steady erosion of the liberal elite." > >I asked Hoodbhoy about his prognosis for the future. > >"I am very anxious," he said. "The state educational system has >reached >the point of collapse. The only long-term solution has to be improved >secular government schools: at the moment they are so bad that even >where they exist, no one will willingly go to them. > >"But the biggest problem we have," he continued, "is the US. Their >actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have hugely strengthened the hands of >the extremists and depleted the strength of those who want to see a >modern, non-fundamentalist future for this country. Before the >invasion >of Iraq, I called the US ambassador and warned her: if you attack >Saddam, > you may gain Iraq, but you'll lose Pakistan. I hope I was wrong - >but I > fear that I may yet be proved right." >=============================== > >William Dalrymple's most recent book, White Mughals (Harper >Perennial), >won the Wolfson Prize for History. A stage version by Christopher >Hampton has just been commissioned by the National Theatre > > > > > > > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ News, views and gossip. http://www.msn.co.in/Cinema/ Get it all at MSN Cinema! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/O.5XsA/8WnJAA/E2hLAA/VaTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arkitectindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: arkitectindia-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Sat Apr 2 07:34:36 2005 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 07:34:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] 'Celebrating childhood; Celebrating life' Message-ID: <35f96d47050401180457102335@mail.gmail.com> [Reply to: "Jinankb" ] 'Celebrating childhood; Celebrating life' Event I'm writing this to brainstorm for an event is being proposed called 'Celebrating childhood; Celebrating life'. Definitely this is not an event with organizers and invitees. Who ever are concerned should join the whole process and take full responsibility. A gathering of people concerned with what is happening to children, especially the so-called 'privileged' children to whom childhood itself is denied. It is to basically address two issues. One is the loss of childhood in the present times. Even though there have been many warnings by way of children taking their lives etc society in general seems to ignore this. The second is to reclaim the child in us which most of us have lost under the pressure of modernity. Proposed venue and date Hydrabad Public School which is about 100 acres and in the heart of the city has been offered as a possible venue and since the event requires time December end is the proposed time. We could do series of events that could lead to the final gathering, at least of 1000 people. This could be a 3day event having both serious and fun events. Process Since the primary aim is to begin soul searching and make more people question the situation the whole process should bring in as much people as possible, make use of all possible means like e mails/groups/ websites and the existing newsletters, t-shirts, Regional meetings, interacting with young people and children. All this will require volunteers to take charge. It would be a worthwhile exercise if young people and children organize the whole event. This would mean going to schools etc. Logistics. A core team in Hydrabad will have to take care of the final event. A group comprising of people from various other parts could also be part of the group to initiate the process in their own regions. Possible events at the gathering. We could keep aside as event to specially remembering about the children who look their lives if possible bring their presents to the event. We could get in touch with schools and colleges to initiate a dialogue on this and request them to even the conduct the event. Funds The event should be completely self-supported with out sponsorship. Who ever wants to contribute should do so in complete anonymity. It is time to bring trust back in to our lives. Any body and every body are welcome as people -not as representatives of any organization or group. People of Hydrabad could host families and schoolrooms, tents etc could be made use of. We will have to think of alternatives and workable ideas. ---- Anivar Aravind Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From ish at sarai.net Mon Apr 4 10:55:07 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ish at sarai.net) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 07:25:07 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Commercial VS NonCommercial Creative Commons [WAS: Re: [linux-audio-user] more odd music] In-Reply-To: <200504031304.03797.tito@rumford.de> References: <1112142774.13718.6.camel@localhost> <1112437625.7368.6.camel@localhost> <42506055.30405@ramonvinyes.es> <200504031304.03797.tito@rumford.de> Message-ID: <17f7b78966e75eb0b76acd53796a10ba@sarai.net> Well I agree what Wolfgang has to say about the Digital public domain .. and one should he happy(?) when they find out that they are being copied . every one has copied charlie parker to chuck berry and if copy rights were in place all the white folks would be paying through their nose to the black folks. All the the modern music (leaving out some bits of electronica) have their ideas, structures, progressions etc derived from black man's music and it is as simple as that :) So let us give our respect to all those people who showed us the way and go ahead and make music. I think that is why we are musicians and w sholud make money by playing live. If your music is getting circulated on the digital domain and your name remains intact with the song while it goes from one hard disk to another to cd's to the internet to P2P .. in a way i think it is good for you maybe someone wil call you up and give you gigs .i think we should exploit these virtual channels now that we are in 2005. <>ISh >Copyright : here is your copy .....right(?) On April 3, 1:04 pm Wolfgang Woehl wrote: > MarC : > > > I raise this issue because I'm starting a musical project and I > > would like to never release any work that could end like > > http://www.lokitorrent.com/ when the people shares it, I would like > > to use other musicians works (and I can't afford to pay them for > > such work now) and I would finally like to win fairly some money > > making good music (without this money I will never be able to buy > > decent instruments) > > > > is it an utopia? > > Marc, I'm flabbergasted. This is 2005. There's no way you could > prevent people from copying or sharing things in the digital domain. > DRM is a joke. The industry that promotes it is a joke. The business > model is gone, don't you know that? > > How can anyone *own* music? How did Bach do it? How did Capitol > Records do it? The only way to make that claim to some extent real > were technical limitations -- and those are gone for good. > > Coming up with something like G-C-E7 is a complex process, sure ;) > Hell, make it Bbmaj9-Gm7-F/C-C-D/C. But do you really intend to say > this is yours? That you invented this, put it into the world, out of > the blue? Isolated from everything you've ever heard or experienced > in your life? Originality someone? What is that? > > Share your stuff and you will get back more than you ever dreamed of. > To make money it is, in my experience, fairly promising to put your > family's estate to sensible use or, in the lack of an estate, work. > The clownesque, inspired, spiritual, grotesque, old-fashioned, great > field of making music will probably get you all *but* money. > > I'm a bit ashamed to see that all this sounds quite patronizing. > Excuse me, Marc. This a patronizing day and it transfers. > > Wolfgang > From eye at ranadasgupta.com Mon Apr 4 12:23:34 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 12:23:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] William Hogarth and the emergence of English copyright Message-ID: <4250E46E.9030501@ranadasgupta.com> (The following notes based on Jenny Uglow's biography of Hogarth (Faber & Faber, 1997.) The artist William Hogarth (1697-1764), like a number of the men around him - such as actor David Garrick, and authors Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding - was at the heart of London's eighteenth-century public life, and had intense opinions about it, which were expressed not only in his images but in his membership of charities and associations and in his legal lobbying. This is a sketch of Hogarth's ideas on society and the public, in particular with respect to copyright, which was key to them. Hogarth's family was educated but intensely poor. His father's various attempts to make money out of schooling and educational pamphlets failed, and he found himself imprisoned for many years for debt. He died broken and almost pathologically obsessed with his inability to publish his dictionary; the young Hogarth carried with him an enduring hatred of all the monopolists who were able to cheat or sideline small-time producers like his father. William secured a silver engraving apprenticeship through his family and began to engrave plates and tankards etc. He soon moved, however, into the engraving of book illustrations, shop advertisements, and social caricatures. He was supremely talented at this latter form, producing overflowing scenes of London life whose dense meaning is difficult to read for our generation used to visual meaning unfolding in time. In a startlingly ambitious expansion of his talents, he taught himself to paint and made his name with a series of six paintings, still famous today, The Harlot's Progress, which showed an innocent country woman arriving in London and descending into prostitution, prison and death. http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/harlot.html The form was one of his own invention: the "Progress," a series of linked pictures that drew out a social stereotype (the harlot) into a tragic biography of naivety and need surrounded by indifference and evil interests. It was a form he would repeat with such series as The Rake's Progress - http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/rake.html - and Marriage a la Mode - http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/marriage.html In each of these cases, Hogarth painted a set of unique, original paintings from which he then engraved a plate that could be used to produce an unlimited number of prints. His revenue came mainly from the prints, that were sold to the public in large numbers. He was unshamedly commercial in his approach to the sale of these prints, advertising them in the London papers and devising all kinds of schemes to maximise his returns. An essential part of securing these returns was the introduction of a copyright bill which Hogarth devised in association with other young artists in 1735 (when he was 37 years old). At the end of these notes comes Jenny Uglow's narrative of the formulation and introduction of this bill. This bill needs to be understood in the context of a number of significant social and intellectual trends of the time (which are perhaps all the more significant when we reflect that Hogarth died only just before the constitutional formulations of "America"). Hogarth was ambitious and money-minded, and was sickened with jealousy for those who made more money than he; but this ambition could never eclipse his suspicion and contempt for the injustices and absurdities of establishd interests (and his satire of the classical, "Palladian" forms that were their aesthetic), nor take away from him his genuine identification with the poor. He was an enthusiastic participant in the london tavern and coffee house scene, and instigator of a rowdy dining society (the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks); such institutions were the "Chat Rooms" and "Blogs" of the day - as Addison's new bourgeois journal The Spectator commented in 1711, "Sometimes I am seen thrusting my Head into a Round of Politicians at Will's, and listening with great Attention to the Narratives that are made in those little Circular Audiences. Sometimes I smoak a pipe at Child's; and whilst I seem attentive to nothing but the Post-Man, overhear the Conversation of every Table in the Room." Hogarth shared in a faith widespread in his entrepreneurial, middle-class world in the power of trade and conversation. Almost neurotically patriotic, his early work, in particular, is keen to idealise the social variety and exuberance that he saw as the best signs of British liberty; and he fought hard (and unsuccessfully) against the establishment of the Royal Academy of Art which would represent a state take-over of the existing public academies run by the artists themselves. Though he eventually secured a court position and painted official pictures of royal events, Hogarth remained always confident - and sometimes brash - in the expression of his middle-class self, and his most striking portrait was of a self-made sailor, entrepreneur and philanthropist who is depicted endearingly uncomfortable in the aristocratic settings of the portrait: http://www.abcgallery.com/H/hogarth/hogarth47.html The other aspect of Hogarth's faith in unfettered British trade and conversation concerned improvement and the poor. Not only did his works bring public attention to the plight of the poor in London, but he was involved in the setting up of a hospital for foundlings, where mothers could take babies they could no longer support. As Hogarth became older, it is this aspect of his personality that comes to dominate, and his former love of writhing disorder gives way to a greater horror of indiscipline. This can be seen in the facile moralising of his "Industry and Idleness" - http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/iandi.html - and of course in two others of his most famous works, Beer Street and Gin Lane - http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/beer_and_gin.html - where the standard satire of London life seen in Beer Street (wealthy young men drunken and pawing prostitutes) is made to seem positively healthy and desirable in the light of the scourge of gin. These were years of turmoil in London, with large-scale immigration, mass poverty, high rates of violent crime, and, like many others of his day, Hogarth wondered how this underclass could become domesticated and made to serve the righteous interests of the nation. The founding of the Foundling Hospital, after all, was not only a charitable gesture; the argument made to its rich patrons was that foundlings were a waste of British stock that could be used on the ships and in the fields and thus to boost the strength of a nation whose population was in disastrous decline compared to its European rivals. This, then, is the background to a certain successful, self-confident man in the middle of eighteenth-century London. The legal basis to this success and confidence was the Copyright Act of 1735. Jenny Uglow's account can be found on pages 268-271, and appears below. ******* Hogarth's mission to defend the rights and property of British artists carried over into his work as an engraver. The prints of A Rake's Progress had not been issued to subscribers with Southwark Fair that January for two reasons. First, Hogarth had been working on his pictures, adding new characters thrown up by the news. Second, he had plans to beat the printsellers and the pirates and did not want to release the prints too soon. He had decided to petition Parliament for an Act that would give designers and engravers the same statutory copyright that authors had won in 1709. Working out the details with his friends, Hogarth proposed a Bill that would give them an exclusive right to their work for fourteen years from the time of publication. This would not only mean that they retained the financial rewards now creamed off by the printsellers, but it would also establish a different meaning of 'ownership' of works of art: at last, the engraver could legally 'own' the property produced by his labour. Furthermore, it enhanced the dignity of the work itself, giving the multiple print a similar status to that of the single painting. And it meant that fine prints could retain their integrity and no longer be debased, 'cheapened' by poor copies. Hogarth put forward his argument in an open letter to a Member of Parliament. He could never write a dry document, and the little pamphlet storms off the page. He blasts at the printsellers, who have fattened on the labour of the poor engravers, working day and night at 'miserable prices'. The tyrants he fights are not rich patrons, or rich artists, but the 'overgrown shopkeepers' who band together in a vicious monopoly: if a printmaker dares ask a reasonable price, the printseller immediately has copies made and sold dirt cheap, to squash his rebellion. Hogarth was not thinking merely of himself but of the problems facing all engravers: the poorer workers who have no shop or studio to show their prints and have to be reliant on the printsellers; and those who are successful but are forced to use their time to act as shopkeepers (if they don't want to be at the mercy of the publishers), rather than work on their art. Many of these complaints were echoed by Vertue in his later note lamenting that engraving was the least profitable of all arts. This was partly, he thought, because of the mass production, 'the necessity of such works being inted on paper. a sheet being of small value - subject to be multiplyed. and consequently more in number so each of less value'. Prints were also often 'marr'd or ill printed' by ignorant workmen. But the worst feature was the way 'the print sellers squeeze and screw. trick and abuse the reputations of such engravers - to raise their own fortune by devouring that of the Sculpture-Engravers'. Hogarth's open letter, The Case of Designers, Engravers, Etchers etc., made a case for the importance of copyright as a general good, not just an individual benefit. Good-quality prints would raise the artists' reputations, and higher standards of reproduction, he argued, would improve the status of British art in general. Secure in the knowledge that they would reap and keep the rewards of their work, more people would enter the engraving trade; the public would have a wider choice and - in the end - even the printseller would profit. At the end of 1734 the engravers' petition was drawn up. William Huggins, as a lawyer, tried (not wholly successfully) to ensure that the legal technicalities were correct and in the following February it was presented to Parliament. It bears the signatures of engravers whom Hogarth had known, worked with and drunk with since the 1720S: George LaIllbert, anxious to protect the new engravings of his East India scenes; Gerard Vandergucht, who had engraved many of Hogarth's book designs; John Pine, whose work had brought a new vigour into the British trade; the architect and engraver Isaac Ware; George Vertue, and Joseph Goupy, now drawing teacher to Frederick, Prince of Wales. In 1735, under a combination of commercial pressure and Hogarth's urging, old rivals were acting as one. Other engravers came forward to give their evidence to the Commons Committee, and the Bill went smoothly through the Commons and Lords. Finally a date was set for the Act to receive the Royal Assent: 25 June 1735. The assent was given, with nice irony, in a flourish of legal French. At the end of April, as soon as the Bill had the essential approval of the Lords, Hogarth rushed his advertisements for A Rake's Prog;ress into the press. On 3, 5 and 7 May, he announced in the Daily Advertiser that the prints would be delayed until 25June 'in order to secure his Property' by the new Act, which would prevent prints 'being copied without Consent of the proprietor, and therby preventing a scandalous and unjust Custom (hitherto practised with Impunity) of making and vending base Copies of original Prints, to the manifest Injury of the Author and the great Discouragement of the Arts of Painting and Engraving'. He could not win, of course. Such a blazon of defiance roused the printsellers into action. Quickly, they sent scouts round to Hogarth's studio to spy out the paintings of the Rake. They then rushed back to put as much as they remembered on paper. Working from their sketches and muddled descriptions, hired engravers created a sub-Rake before Hogarth's true one appeared. Major printsellers (Henry Overton, the Bowles brothers and John King) placed their own notices in the Daily Advertiser - for 'The Adventures of Ramble Gripe, Esq, Son and Heir of Sir Positive Gripe'. As well as making Hogarth quickly change his hero's name from Gripe to Rakewell, the printsellers' actions made him lash out. On the day of their advertisement he appealed vehemently for support against men 'who are capable of a Practice so repugnant to Honesty and destructive of Property'. All prints that appeared before 24June, he added, would be 'an Imposition on the Publick'. In mid-June, he announced that to protect that public he would have authorized copies made, to be sold at 2s 6d a set through Thomas Bakewell in Fleet Street. Eventually, the subscribers' prints were issued on 25June, followed by new impressions, sold at 2 guineas a set by Hogarth and Bakewell, and finally by Bakewell's cheap, smaller copies in mid-August. So 'Hogarth's Act' did not solve all his problems, And when it was finally tested in court in 1753, it proved to have certain weaknesses due to technical problems with the drafting with regard to assignees: it was typical ofHogartb, who liked to do everything himself, not to think of the problems that might arise if someone else was doing the engraving for you.28 Nor did his Act protect those who copied old-master drawings or engravings. Nevertheless, he could write defiantly in his autobiographical notes that it had not only scotched piracies but improved British engraving, 'there being more business of that kind done in this Town than in Paris or any where else and as well. Such inovations in these arts gave great offence to dealers both in pictures and Prints.' The printsellers' habit of living off the ingenuity of the industrious had suffered, and 'if the detecting the Rogurys of these opressers of the rising artists and imposers on the public is a crime I confess myself most guilty'. The significance of the Act had, perhaps, been greater than even he realized. The idea of the original, unique canvas as containing all worth was diluted; mass production was not seen as a slippage, a stigma, but as another legitimate route for an artist to take. Hogarth was no maverick, thinking up this campaign in an isolated moment of genius. Similar arguments about intellectual and artistic property were going on in several fields in the 1730s. Musicians were worried about pirated scores and plagiarized performances; writers were seeking to extend the copyright through the 'Society for the Encouragement of Learning'; playwrights and theatre managers were arguing against censorship. The theatre, too, faced problems of internal politics and external pressures, of a slightly different nature. While Hogarth was galvanizing the engravers into concerted action, Fielding was also forging a new platform, forming his own company, 'The Great Mogul's Company of English Comedians' (adding ironically, 'Newly Imported'). In February 1735, with James Ralph as partner and a group of young actors, he took over the Litde Theatre in the Haymarket and launched a volley of irregular plays, beginning with Pasquin, a staggeringly successful political farce. Fielding, too, was challenging the Establishment; and the playwrights also laid claim to free expression and the ownership of their talent. When Walpole eventually introduced a Bill to license theatrical performances, Lord Chesterfield declared that the Bill 'is not only an encroachment on liberty, but is likewise an encroachment on property. Wit, my lords, is a sort of property: the property of those who have it, and too often the only property they have to depend on. It is indeed a precarious dependence.' From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Apr 4 13:17:29 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 00:47:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Economics of Global Poverty Message-ID: <20050404074729.99704.qmail@web30702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The Economics of Global PovertyAn Interview with Jeffrey Sachs By FRAN QUIGLEY, Indianapolis, Indiana In a world of plenty, twenty thousand people died today because of extreme poverty. Tomorrow, twenty thousand more--many of them children--will succumb to the hunger and disease that prey on the poor of the developing world. Twenty thousand more will die the day after that, and so on. Jeffrey Sachs' message in his new book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, is a simple one: It does not have to be this way. Sachs is called a "celebrity economist" by Time magazine--not because of his alliance with Bono, who wrote the forward to the book, but because Sachs is the director of both the Columbia University Earth Institute and the United Nations Millennium Project and has earned an international reputation for his work to reform failing economies in Latin American, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. In an interview last week, Sachs talked about the book and his focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the internationally agreed-upon plan to reduce extreme poverty, disease, and hunger by the year 2015. The Goals hinge on wealthy nations like the U.S. keeping a promise to devote 0.7 % of their national income to the world's poor. (The U.S. currently devotes about 0.15% of gross national product to development assistance, the lowest percentage among the world's donor countries.) Q. In your book, you describe a rural family in Malawi led by a grandmother raising fifteen orphaned grandchildren. The family has been ravaged by AIDS, malaria and agricultural failures. How does foreign aid solve their problems? SACHS: The theme of the book is that there are crises that are so severe that they are claiming millions of lives, but they're not unsolvable. They are problems with practical, known solutions. Carol Bellamy of UNICEF has rightly described Malawi as a "perfect storm": It is a place of chronic hunger, vulnerability to drought, endemic malaria and of course a massive AIDS crisis. Each of these is horrific in the scale of the suffering and tragedy it causes, but each also has practical solutions. With farming, the problem in Africa is that farmers don't have access right now to the basic inputs of modern farming: fertilizers, irrigation and improved seeds. Poverty is largely in farm households, and it is solvable directly through increasing the productivity of farmers and increasing rural productivity in general. As for the disease burden, this is a case of mass death and even more mass suffering from diseases that are highly preventable and largely treatable. Malaria is a disease that has long inflicted havoc in Africa, yet malaria can be substantially reduced by the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, effective medication and community health workers to train households in how to use both the bed nets and the medication. This would be a very, very small investment for a very large return, yet none of the children shown in the book sleep under a bed net. None of those families can afford even a five-dollar bed net that lasts for five years. With AIDS, the number of Africans infected with the virus who have access to anti-retroviral therapy, which now costs about 30 cents per day, is shockingly low. So each of the problems do lend themselves to practical approaches that would allow households trapped in extreme poverty to get in a position to start achieving economic improvement. Q. In September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history-147 heads of state and government-came to the UN and began the process of adopting the Millennium Development Goals you are pursuing, which include eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education and eliminating gender disparity. How did 9/11 affect the pursuit of those goals? A. We opened the millennium with worries, but also with expectations that we could make a great amount of headway for the benefit of those who are suffering around the world. 9/11 threw off the process for a few years-there was the shock of the event itself, then the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq completely dominated global diplomacy. So the agenda of poverty reduction was put aside for a number of years. But there is a feeling now, although not as shared in the U.S. as it is in the rest of the world, that it is time to get back to that agenda of eliminating extreme poverty. Now, post-9/11, I actually sense an even stronger commitment throughout the world to address the problems of poverty, disease and hunger. Q. The Millennium Development Goals are targeted to 2015 and then the elimination of extreme poverty by 2025, but people are dying every day right now. How much of this plan has to wait for another decade to pass? SACHS: I can give you three examples of what we call "Quick Wins" that will save lives right away: First, an absolutely simple step is to drop the user fees that are still pervasive in the poorer places in the world. We've found that when a government eliminates user fees on clinics and schools, the use of those services rises dramatically. So I propose in the book that we drop the user fees in those places, and compensate the government with just a little bit of aid from abroad in the form of debt cancellation or increased cash outlays to those governments. A second kind of quick win is to allow farmers to get some of the most basic inputs, especially fertilizer, so that their crop yields can go up significantly, and then use part of that increased yield to provide food to local schools. I describe in the book how we are doing that in Kenya right now. With a little bit of logistics, we could have a massive increase in the next three years in the number of schools in poor areas that provide school meals, and we know from a lot of experience that this would make a huge change in the proportion of children that go to school. A third way for quick progress is to control malaria. I believe it will be possible by the end of the year 2008 to get insecticide-treated bed nets and effective medication throughout Africa on a mass-distribution basis, and thereby make a tremendous advance in the control of the disease. Q. Hopefully, we can assume that most Americans care about poverty-caused suffering and death. But most of us are not economists or elected officials, and most of us have no direct contact with anyone in the developing world. What can we do to stop this? SACHS: Politicians in Washington think Americans don't care. I don't believe that. The Americans I know do care, but they need to tell their members of Congress that it is not a dangerous vote to support increased U.S. efforts to help the poorest of the poor in the world. Just drop a one-sentence note to your Congressman and Senators: "This is not a dangerous vote. We want to help. It is going to make a safer world for us, and it is part of our moral and religious values. We want to be saving children if they can be saved." The political voice is crucial because our country needs to stand up and do more than we are doing right now. Our country is not really engaged in this effort with the intensity many Americans assume we are, and certainly not at the level we have promised to be and can afford to be. Public opinion polls show Americans believe we spend 25% of our federal budget on foreign aid, when it is really less than 1%. We're providing very, very small amounts of help, much smaller than we said we would. (The U.S. promised at the Monterrey Financing for Development Conference in 2002 to spend billions more on aid than is currently being provided.) This is where I think the President and Congress should be doing a great deal better than they are doing now. They can tell the American people, adult to adult: Here is what we are doing, here is what's needed, here is what it would cost, and here is what we would accomplish. And then ask, "Are you for it, or you against it?" My feeling is that Americans would absolutely be for it. They are just assuming it is already happening. Also, there are very rewarding ways to make individual contributions. Our UN Millennium Project allows a donation of six dollars to get a bed net right to a village in Africa. Communities can adopt and promote a counterpart community in a very poor region. Our calculations are that about $50 per person per year can make the difference between life and death. Some businesses and churches are helping that way, and the Millennium Project is trying to help any Americans who want to make that kind of contribution insure they are making direct impact. And, of course, there are many charitable organizations in the U.S. working in these countries as well. Q. In your book, you cite the movements to abolish slavery in England during the 19th century, and the 20th century efforts to abolish colonialism in India and elsewhere, along with the civil rights movement in the U.S. What are the parallels between those efforts and the quest to end extreme global poverty? SACHS: First of all, they were moral movements, often led in the churches, and they were based on values about the kind of world we want to live in and have the responsibility to create. The end of slavery in England didn't happen because slavery became un-economic, it was because the Quakers and Methodists and others said, "Enough is enough, we have to behave with proper values." And they changed history. The civil rights movement in our country and the end of colonialism were similar. These were mass movements for human dignity. And that's what we're taking about now, but it's even more than dignity, it is survival. When you see people dying because poverty prevents the proper medicines from being available--and I've seen too much of it--you realize that this is not just about dignity, and stability and fighting against the conditions that lead to violence in the world. It's also life and death--nothing less than that. The UN Millennium Project's website is www.unmillenniumproject.org Fran Quigley is an attorney and journalist in Indianapolis, Indiana. He can be reached at: fran.quigley at iclu.org Source: Counterpunch __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/bf630626/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Apr 4 13:28:09 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 00:58:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The End of a Viable Palestinian State Message-ID: <20050404075809.74770.qmail@web30707.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The End of a Viable Palestinian State By JEFF HALPER, Jerusalem The fatal flaw in most analyses of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the assumption that if the Palestinians can just get a state of their own, then all will be fine. A state on all the Occupied Territories (UN Resolution 242), on most of the Occupied Territories (Oslo and the Road Map to the Geneva Initiative), on even half the Occupied Territories (Sharon's notion)--it doesn't matter. Once there's a Palestinian state the conflict is over and we can all move on to the next item on the agenda. Wrong. A Palestinian state can just as easily be a prison as a legitimate state that addresses the national aspirations of its people. The crucial issue is viability. Israel is a small country, but it is three times larger than the Palestinian areas. The entire Occupied Areas--the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza--make up only 22% of Israel/Palestine. That means that even if all of the territories Israel conquered in 1967 were relinquished, it would still comprise a full 78% of the country. Would the Palestinian areas constitute a viable state? Barely. Just the size of the American state of Delaware (but with three times the population before refugees return), it would at least have a coherent territory, borders with Israel, Jordan, Syria and Egypt, a capital in Jerusalem, a port on the Mediterranean, an airport in Gaza, a viable economy (based on Holy Land tourism, agriculture and hi-tech) and access to the water of the Jordan River. An accepted member of the international community enjoying trade with its neighbors--and enjoying as well the support of a far-flung, highly educated and affluent diaspora--a small Palestinian state would have a shot at viability. This is what Israel seeks to prevent. Ever since becoming the head of the Ministerial Committee on Settlements in the Begin government back in 1977, Ariel Sharon has been completely up-front about his intention of securing the entire Land of Israel for the Jewish people. "Security" has nothing to do with Israel's expansionist policies. Successive Israeli governments did not establish 200 settlements because of security. Nor did they build a massive infrastructure of Israeli-only highways that link the settlement blocs irreversibly into Israel for security reasons. Nor can the route of the Separation Barrier, nor the policy of expropriating Palestinian land and systematically demolishing Palestinian homes be explained by "security." They all derive from one central goal: to claim the entire country for Israel. Period. Still, Israel cannot "digest" the 3.6 million Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories. Giving them citizenship would nullify Israel as a Jewish state; not giving them citizenship yet keeping them forever under occupation would constitute outright apartheid. What to do? The answer is clear: establish a tiny Palestinian state of, say, five or six cantons (Sharon's term) on 40-70% of the Occupied Territories, completely surrounded and controlled by Israel. Such a Palestinian state would cover only 10-15% of the entire country and would have no meaningful sovereignty and viability: no coherent territory, no freedom of movement, no control of borders, no capital in Jerusalem, no economic viability, no control of water, no control of airspace or communications, no military--not even the right as a sovereign state to enter into alliances without Israeli permission. And since the Palestinians will never agree to this, Israel must "create facts on the ground" that prejudice negotiations even before they begin. Last week's announcement that Israel is constructing 3500 housing units in E-1, a corridor connecting Jerusalem to the West Bank settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim, seals the fate of the Palestinian state. As a key element of an Israeli "Greater Jerusalem," the E-1 plan removes any viability from a Palestinian state. It cuts the West Bank in half, allowing Israel to control Palestinian movement from one part of their country to another, while isolating East Jerusalem from the rest of Palestinian territory. Since 40% of the Palestinian economy revolves around Jerusalem and its tourist-based economy, the E-1 plan effectively cuts the economic heart out of any Palestinian state, rendering it nothing more than a set of non-viable Indian reservations. If there is any silver lining in the E-1 plan, it is that it has highlighted American complicity in Israel's settlement expansion. The Bush Administration, while calling the E-1 plan "unhelpful," nevertheless formally recognized the Ma'aleh Adumim settlement bloc, together with E-1, in last year's agreement between Bush and Sharon--a fundamental American policy change that was ratified almost unanimously by Congress. This puts the US in the very uncomfortable position of undermining its own Road Map initiative, which stems from the "Bush vision" of an Israeli-Palestinian peace. It also neutralizes completely America's role as an honest broker, and pits it against the other three members of the Road Map Quartet - Europe, the UN and Russia - who deplore the change in American policy. Most tragically, American support for Sharon's settlement project destroys forever the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, dooming the peoples of Israel-Palestine to perpetual conflict. How this squares with American interests in a stable Middle East is anybody's guess. Jeff Halper is Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Better first dates. More second dates. Yahoo! Personals -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/08040335/attachment.html From aesthete at mail.jnu.ac.in Mon Apr 4 12:06:35 2005 From: aesthete at mail.jnu.ac.in (Dean School of Arts and Aesthetics) Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 12:06:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Self x Social: Q &A with artists Message-ID: <1112596595.88a360a0aesthete@mail.jnu.ac.in> Self x Social an exhibition conceived by Geeta Kapur and co-curated by students of the School of Arts and Aesthetics Jawaharlal Nehru University. Q&A With the artists on Thursday the 7th of April 2005 at 5:30 pm. All are cordially invited Venue: School of Arts and Aesthetics Gallery Participating artists: Atul Bhalla,Sheba Chhachhi, Ravi Agarwal, Sonia Khurana,Gigi Scaria,Ashim Purkayastha,Pushpamala N., Shantanu Lodh, Exhibition is on view daily from 10am to 7pm till the 7th of April _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From aarti at sarai.net Mon Apr 4 15:59:54 2005 From: aarti at sarai.net (Aarti) Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 15:59:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ben Attar Lecture: Full Text Message-ID: <42511722.9000106@sarai.net> This is a transcription of Doron Ben Attar's public lecture at the Contested Commons/Trespassing Publics Confernce organised by Sarai-CSDS and Alternative Law Forum in Delhi, on 6, 7 and 8 January 2005. Audio files of the sessions and public lectures can be downloaded for free at: http://www.sarai.net/events/ip_conf/ip_conf.htm We will keep making more material from the conference in the form of reports, audio files and full texts of papers and presentations, available on the sarai website (www.sarai.net) and on the lists, particularly the reader-list and commons-law lists). "U.S Path to Wealth and Power: Intellectual Piracy and the Making of America" We find that historians do not have the clarity of categories that other disciplines have. In fact the task of historians is to make things messy and unclear. However those of us who have been sitting through these talks and discussions, I don't think the American story offers these clear guidelines. China, and everyone today has to start with China because it has been the economic miracle of our time. less than two decades ago, that country defined poverty and underdevelopment. Today China is one of the premier engines of world economic growth. Partly of course due to the political repression that keeps the costs of labour so low. Mao's successors have also realised that in order to join the ranks of the developed nations, China must close the technology gap., and the surest and quickest way to do this is to pilfer western know-how. The Chinese have been quite active. There have been quite a few stories, let me tell you my favourite one: It centers on a woman by the name of Dr. Gao Jang. In February 2001, Dr. Jang who received her PH.D in sociology from the University of Syracuse in 1997 was in China. She was conducting research for her academic work, and was arrested and charged for spying for Taiwan. The whole affair, almost immediately, gained international notoriety. It was covered by all the major newspapers as another story of Chinese tyranny after Tinammen Square, and so forth. In the United States, she was a green card holder not a citizen, both houses of Congress passed a resolution giving her citizenship. She was tried and convicted to spend a few years in prison, but was released after six months in an apparent good-will gesture by the Secretary of State Collin Powell. Ah! you say. Another triumph of human rights against the evil power of tyranny. Well, there's another chapter to this story. It begins two years later. Two years later Gao Jang is again in court, this time in the United States, in the State of Maryland where she plead guilty of being an industrial spy for China. Using the assumed name of Gail Heights and using forged documents that said she was associated with George Mason University, which is a university in the suburbs of Washington DC, Gao Jang went into American companies and delivered to her Chinese counterparts 1.5 million dollars worth of high-tech components. These components included micro-processors which had possible military use. Then she was caught. The depth and extent of the Chinese piracy effort which has included everything from computer software to music, has alarmed members of the United States Congress, from both political parties. In fact it is one of the few issues on which there is bi-partisanship right now in America. The republican Senator Richard Shelby from Alabama, who is chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, warned that China's next great leap forward will be made possible through the illegal use of American patented and copyrighted material. During recent Congressional hearings on the piracy of intellectual property and its links to organised crime, and Nitin Govil today spoke about the link between anti-piracy and anti-terrorism in the minds of American policymakers, democratic Senator from California Howard Berman estimated that China's transgression costs the American economy 1.85 billion dollars a year. With this kind of money at stake the conflict over intellectual property has risen to the forefront of conflicts between developed and developing nations. In this conference we have spent a great deal of time discussing the perspective of the developing world. I think we belittle the developed world interpretation at our own peril. I think we should acknowledge it. The developed nations are concerned about piracy by consumers and by producers. On the consumer front, companies and individuals, in developed nations, complain that their creations whether design accessories or drug patents are being copied and sold without authorisation or compensation. Piracy by producers, in the developing world, causes even greater anxiety in the West. The movement of manufacturing to the developing world where raw material is available, and labour costs are low, has rendered intellectual capital the most important asset of modern corporations. It is not an exaggeration to say that intellectual property has become the most important anchor of Western prosperity. China is hardly the only developing nation that engages in intellectual piracy, and Western companies are seeking aid from international agencies to police the developing world. Indeed international agencies have adopted Western standards and have created an agency, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPRO), which is, “ dedicated to helping ensure that the rights of creators and owners of intellectual property are protected world-wide, and that inventors and authors are thus recognised and rewarded for their ingenuity. Some companies are taking matters into their own hands. In a gathering of chief executives of companies last November, the CEO of Metronics, said that top-of-the line technologies would not be moved to the developing world, because of the threat of piracy. This kind of statement, of course, betrays the racial prejudice that still exists about the intellectual capability of the peoples of the developing world in the minds of the leaders of American corporations. Now, unlike many in this conference, I do not consider piracy a social virtue. Nor do I favour doing away all together with patents and copyrights. I think empirical data suggests that sometimes, when checked properly, they are a useful method of promoting social good. But before Americans rush to condemn those pirate our know-how, they must not forget how America became the richest and most powerful nation on earth. At the end of the third quarter of the 18th century, the British colonies of Northern America were mostly underdeveloped agricultural settlements. The foundations for the new American empire were laid during the next seventy or seventy-five years, as the United States was transformed from an underdeveloped, decentralised entity on the periphery of the Atlantic world, into the dominant center of industry, wealth, innovation and power. Piracy of the intellectual property of others played a crucial role in this process. transfer of protected European material was a prominent feature in the political and diplomatic life on the north American Confederation from its early moments as an independent nation. With the signing of the 1783 peace accord with England which officially ended the American revolution, the United States and Great Britain became political and economic adversaries. The founders believed that American political independence depended on economic self-sufficiency, which meant that the young nation needed to reduce its vast consumption of imported English manufactured goods. The new defiant American mood, heightened by war time demands for military industrial goods and by the post-war desire to prove the compatibility of republican government and a high standard of living, viewed technology piracy as the premier tool for industrial development. Perhaps I should do what historians do, and tell a story: In the second week of November, 1787, Finneaus Bond who was the British Consul in Philadelphia, received a visit from two English nationals. They knocked on his door frantically. One was Thomas Edimsor, a cotton merchant from Manchester, and the other was Henry Royal. Henry Royal was a calico printer from Cheshire County. Both men were greatly agitated. They feared they were going to be lynched by the American mob, lead by the leading citizens of the city. They looked to the envoy of his Brittianic Majesty, for shelter. And their story, went as follows: In 1783, concomitant with the signing of the Anglo-American peace accord, an English artisan by the name of Benjamin Phillips, decided he was going to make money in America. He purchased, and sent to America, four machines for the production of textile. One cotton machine, and three spinning machines. There were of course restrictions, he was not officially allowed to do so. But he sent them to America on a British ship called the 'Liberty', in the guise of them being Wedgewood china. He had earlier sent his son to Philadelphia, and his son received the packages. However, Phillips died during the journey, and the son when he received the crates, had no idea what to do with the machines because he was not a trained artisan. So he sold the machines to another transplanted Englishman by the name of Joseph Hague. Hague managed to put the machines together, but he still could not make them work. And so having no capital, and despairing of making the machines work, Hague sold the equipment to Royal, who in turn sold them to Edimsor. Edimsor, who was an English patriot, so to speak, disassembled them and shipped them back to England. According to his testimony he patriotically purchased and repatriated the equipment in order to, �Check the advancement of cotton manufacturing in America.� In the meantime a group of Philadelphia merchants concerned with advancing the cause of the United States economic independence, to compliment the nations newly found political independence, formed the Pennsylvania society for the Advancement of Manufacturing and Useful Arts. This group instigated a search for Hague's machines and became furious when they learned that Finneaus Bond was involved in their repatriation. They turned their wrath on the British culprits who, “ in great dread of suffering from their resentment,” went into hiding for a couple of weeks. Finally, they approached Bond for protection. I'd like to add that royal's statement that he was against piracy was just as believable as the French inspector's statement in the movie Casablanca that he is against gambling as he receives his winnings, because Royal himself was a technology pirate who was in contact with Benjamin Franklin, a few years earlier, and tried to get special benefits for coming to America illegally. Shocked by what Bond called, �the American seduction of British machines and artisans,�� and convinced of the real danger of violence his compatriots faced from the leading men of Philadelphia in their quest to acquire the industrial secrets of the old world, Bond paid a fare for Royal and his family out of his own pocket to send them to England. When the society learned of this, they publicly insulted the British representative. Refusing to be intimidated, Bond researched a bit more and discovered that the slippery character of Hague is an essential link in this story. He learned that Hague had left Philadelphia and was back in England, attempting to procure more equipment for illegal exportation to America. He notified the British foreign Office that Hague could be found in Derbyshire, but by the time the authorities reached, he was gone. He reappeared in Philadelphia the following spring, having successfully smuggled over a new cotton carting machine. Adding insult to injury the Philadelphia legislature awarded him a prize of one hundred dollars for having succeeded in his piracy. The manufacturing society trumpeted this achievement in the press, and showed little concern for intellectual property. �It is with great pleasure we learn that the ingenious artisan who counterfeited the carting and spinning machine, though not the original inventor, being only the introducer is likely to receive a premium from the manufacturing society, besides the generous prize for his machines. It is highly probable, that our patriotic legislature will not let his merit pass unrewarded by them. Such liberality must have the happy effect of bringing into Pennsylvania other artisans, machines and manufacturing secrets, which will abundantly repay the little advance of the present.�� The Bond affair is just one of many amongst such incidents which I chronicle in my book 'Trade Secrets' and it is here that I would like to pause for a second and say that there are three forms of technology smuggling in the 18th and 19th century. One is the knowledge itself, whichever way it comes. It could come as something written or described, but this is quite problematic because descriptions lacked standard measurements. For example in the 18th and 19th century when people would register for patents in the English Patent Office, they were required to give a description of the machine, but they feared if they gave too detailed a description of the machine they feared it would be copied, so their descriptions were always vague. Another form were the machines themselves. But as we noticed in the above story, the machines themselves were not of great use, you had to know what to do with them. Which brings me to the central agent, the people themselves who were central to this process. those in the United Sates who whine about the current process, conveniently forget that 200 years ago, the shoe was on America's foot. American prosperity originated in the piracy of industrial technologies from Europe, primarily from England, in the first half of the 19th century. The process took place in spite of a concerted effort on the part of the British government to keep its trade secrets at home. Prohibitions on the immigration of artisans and the exportation of machinery from the British Empire had been in effect throughout the 18th century. In the mid-1770s in the imperial conflict between the patriots and the metropolis took shape, Parliament ruled that all people leaving for North America from the British Isles and Ireland with the intent to settle there were required to pay 50 pounds per head. After the United States won its independence, growing anxiety in England over industrial piracy lead to stronger legislation and stricter enforcement. Exporting industrial equipment from textile, leather, paper, metals, glass, to clock making was prohibited in the 1780s. The legislations were particularly comprehensive with regards to all that was concerned with the textile industry, covering existing as well as all future developments. Robert Owen, recalling his earlier days in the English textile industry, reported that in the 1780s, �cotton mills were closed against all strangers. No one was admitted. They were kept with great jealousy against all intruders, with their doors being always locked.� My own favourite English tactic was that there were mils in which they employed people who spoke only Welsh, and you will agree with me that nobody speaks Welsh. These people were 'safe', they could not go anywhere or divulge anything. The restrictions provided for a 200 pound fine and twelve months in prison if you were caught smuggling any of the above machines, and if an artisan who tried to smuggle himself out with machines relating to textile, the fine went up to 500 pounds. These were severe fines in the context of how much and English artisan made. The English were so concerned, that in 1785 they even prohibited the export of steam engines. Now, the whole point about steam engines is that you make them and you export them. The only way you can make money from steam engines is by selling them to somebody, but so concerned were they, that they shot themselves in the foot. That ban, however, did not last long. The American founders knew of those restrictions. But they also believed that for the United States to survive politically and economically, it must close the technology gap, and fast. Framers of the United Sates Constitution unanimously approved article one, section 8 which instructed the government to, �promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited time for authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.� The founding fathers decided upon a mechanism through which original authors and inventors were rewarded for enriching American society with new devices, or with new writings. Inventors and authors were the only, and I repeat only, occupational group given special benefits in the United States Constitution. It is the only section in the Constitution that specifies not only the goals of the future government, but also the mechanism, the strategy through which that goal could be attained. And at some level we don't quite know why. There is no real discussion of this most radical step by the founding fathers. A bill to establish a patent system was introduced in the first session of the United States Congress, but it did not reach the floor. Congress took up the matter in its subsequent session. The initial proposal, by in large, followed the English patent system. Here I must add that the English system of intellectual property was founded on the promotion of piracy. In the 14th century England was not as it is now, a rainy island, it still is, but then it was also incredibly underdeveloped in comparison to Europe. The monarchy wanted to lure European artisans to England. But what can you offer them in England? A rainy, dreary, poor island. Well, you can offer them a production monopoly. Only in the 17th century do inventors get what introducer's got in the 14th century and as late as the 1770s an English court ruled in favour of an introducer against an English claim to an invention. What we need to understand, is that the English law of patents grants what is known as 'patents of importation' to introducers. Introducers and inventors are different categories and yet in the English system they are not distinct. Both inventors and introducers can receive patents. Likewise the initial patents bill gave all the privileges to introducers that it would give to original inventors. President Washington however was not happy with the pace at which the proceedings were going and in his first State of the Union address he actually pleaded with Congress to enact legislation to encourage, �skill and genius at home, and the introduction of new inventions from abroad.�� So a State of the Union address by an American president calls for a law to encourage piracy. Alexander Hamilton was the dominant person in the Washington administration, as Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton deplored the American dependency on European imports. He described the difficulties of American manufacturing through technological deficiency and wrote that the gap between Europe and America manufacturing would diminish, �in proportion with the use that can be made of machinery.�� He called on the Federal government to establish an auxiliary agency to coordinate the piracy of European technology. He proposed to market American industrialisation in Europe, in other words to spread the word, to encourage people to come. These when you could not simply get a passport and go, but when everyone was, by law, tied to locations. He proposed to encourage industrial immigrants to come by offering them travell subsidies, exemption from customs for their tools and implements of trade, household goods and so forth. �The public purse must supply the deficiency of private resources for as soon as foreign artisans be made sensible to the state of things here affords a moral certainty of employment and encouragement, competent numbers of European workmen will transplant themselves effectively to ensure the success of their design.� The industrialisation of the United States, Hamilton concluded, would for a great measure depend on foreign stock. So Congress set out to write an American patent bill that would conform to the wishes, and sentiments, of the two most important politicians, President Washington, and Secretary of Treasury Hamilton. The House of Representatives produced a vision granting introducers of pirated technology the monopoly privileges that were granted to original inventors. But the United States Senate, however, did not go along. It amended the bill to grant patent monopolies only to inventors of machine, and I quote, � not before known or used.�� And it deleted the location qualifier of the House version which had added to that, �within the United States.� The elimination of these four words was really revolutionary. The first United States Patent Act broke with the European tradition of patents of importation. It restricted patents exclusively to original inventors and established the principle that prior use anywhere in the world were grounds for invalidating a patent. The criterion is particularly puzzling because the young nation needed to import technology to develop its industrial base. And moreover, the two most important statesman of the era, Washington and Hamilton, supported granting patents of importation. Now, the 1790s Act itself was problematic. It established a patent board consisting of Secretary of War, Attorney General and Secretary of State who were to examine each and every patent and decide whether it should be granted or not. Chairing the board was Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a very high opinion of himself in all matters, and if you go to his house in Monticello, you will see that he was a huge tinkerer. Monticello is one of the funniest places to go to. Its a real comedy. He started to create all sorts of things which he never finished. He tried to create a way to make time through the wall, and he had to dig into the basement, the stairs were too narrow so he couldn't bring furniture up. He thought he was a tinkerer and a mechanic and he wanted to examine each and every application. They just couldn't. The volume of applications was so great that it was clearly impossible for anybody, any single person what people were actually filing patents for. And so in 1793 Congress relieved members of the board from wasting their time examining individual patents, and deputed this to a clerk in the State Department. The patent became a registration of a claim which anyone could make provided that he paid the fee, and that no similar claim was submitted and registered, and that he filed the forms. Acquiring a patent depended exclusively on prompt completion of the necessary bureaucratic paperwork. The revised system maintained the dual demand for novelty and originality, requiring each patentee to take an oath that he or she was indeed the first and original inventor. The disputes that were likely to arise from this strictly bureaucratic registration were to be resolved by a board of arbitrators, and if this failed it would go to the courts. A revision in 1800, required an oath by all applicants to th effect that, �their invention, art or discovery, have not been known or used in this or any foreign country.� Now, textual examination of the law might give the impression that the young republic was rejecting technology piracy, and establishing a new intellectual property moral code. But before Americans break into their, all too familiar, self-congratulatory verse about the virtuous foreign policy of the republic it is worthwhile to examine what actually happened. How did the American patent system actually operate? First, we should remember that every founding father of the United States, including those who we most esteem, from Franklin to Jefferson, understood the inferiority of American technology, they viewed it as a problem, all believed that American economic independence was necessary because political independence without economic independence was meaningless, they believed that the only way to catch up is through piracy and all of them supported it. And every one of them, in one or the other, engaged in the practice. But this, if you wish, is maybe not that important. In theory, the United States pioneered a new standard of Intellectual Property that set the highest possible standards for patent protection, of worldwide originality and novelty. By the intellectual property laws Congress enacted in the first 50 years of its existence, were but a smoke-screen for a very different reality. And this is where historians come in handy. The statutory requirement of worldwide originality and novelty did not hinder widespread and officially sanctioned technology piracy. William Thornton, who administered the American Patent office for much of its life, did not insist on the oath of worldwide novelty. Not that taking an oath means you are telling the truth, but lets assume that you are. It is indeed entirely possible that most of the patent application received were for devices that were already in use, since acquiring a patent required little more than successful completion of paperwork. The Patent Act of 1793 allowed the patent office to receive patents that infringed the intellectual property of others. Moreover the Act explicitly prohibited foreigners from obtaining patents in the United States for inventions that had been put to work elsewhere in the world. This meant that while the United States citizens could petition for introducers patents in European nations, European inventors could not protect their intellectual property in America. The American patents system, then, sanctioned technology piracy, as long as imported technology was not restricted exclusively to any particular individual introducer. Intellectual property in the early republic favoured operators, developers and entrepreneurs at the expense of investors and inventors. So, whats going on? Whats going on is that we have a new understanding of the proper arena for technology piracy. A self-respecting government eager to join the international community on an equal basis could not flaunt its violation of the laws of other nations. Patents established under the semi-anarchic conditions of the revolutionary and confederation periods were inappropriate behaviour for a respectable member of the international community. This all the more so in the case of the nascent Washington administration. After all the most important task of the administration is to achieve legitimacy. Its important to note that the United States was not considered a nation by any other nation in the world at that time. No nation sent representatives to America. In fact, in the 1780s, the President of the American Congress, Nathanial Greene, wrote to the brother of the king of the Habsburg Empire, asking him to come and become the king of the United States because things were such a mess. And that royal responded by saying that he would not come because Americans obviously do not show sufficient respect for royalty. So America was that close to becoming a monarchy. People also fail to note that there were fifteen presidents before George Washington. Nobody needs to know that because they were powerless and meaningless. I mean the only reason I know their names is because I teach American History, but I still have to read them form a list. I mean the United States was truly a meaningless entity. The peace accord with England was extremely beneficial to the United States. The British wanted to give the Americans a good deal because they were concerned with other affairs in Europe. But there was not even a sufficient quorum in the United States Congress to ratify the peace accord and England could have revoked it. By the way, if England would have revoked it, the Ohio valley would have been part of Canada. England gave America the Ohio valley for no good reason - there were no American soldiers there. So the degree of ineffectiveness was so great, which is what brought about the gathering in Philadelphia which formed a Constitution, and the Washington administration had to establish international and domestic legitimacy. A country seeking legitimacy could not begin by telling the world it was going to steal the technology of others. To be sure, clandestine appropriation of English technology not only persisted, but also intensified. Every major European state engaged in technology piracy and industrial espionage in the 18th century. The United States could not afford to behave differently. Yet, there was an etiquette to piracy. It was undertaken in secret, and officials would deny any connection to such practices. The British efforts to keep innovations from leaking across the Atlantic, proved futile. Inventors and entrepreneurs easily found ways to circumvent laws that aimed to keep know-how and production at home. Ten of thousands of artisans crossed the Atlantic and brought with them their skills, methods and tools. Piracy became the de-facto defining feature of American industrial policy in the decades following independence. America emerged as the leading industrial nation in the world, and Britian simply raised its hands and revoked its restrictions, first in the 1820s and then the 1840s. The young republic embraced a janus-faced approach. In theory it pioneered a new standard of intellectual property with the highest possible requirements- world-wide novelty and originality. In practice the country encouraged widespread piracy and industrial espionage. Piracy took place with the full knowledge, and sometimes even aggressive encouragement, of government officials. Congress never protected the intellectual property of European authors and inventors, and Americans did not pay for reprinting of protected works and unlicensed use of patented inventions. Lax enforcement of the intellectual property laws was the primary engine of the American economic miracle. The early republic made no effort to embrace its ground-breaking patent laws. The first decades of national independence saw the most intense pursuit of English technology on the Federal and State level. Those efforts were particularly successful in the textile industry. A small -scale capacity to build and operate the newest mule-spinning technologies sprang up in a variety of spots in the North-Eastern urban centers. Indeed piracy was crucial to this development of the republic. Its bookstores and libraries were mostly composed of un-authorised reprintings of British authors. A phenomenon, which I understand is similar, to rampant piracy of music by consumers in todays developing world. On the producer front, the violations were even more blatant. A British attorney reported in 1818 that European discoveries in arts and sciences generally reached the United States within a few months after they first saw the light in their own country and, �soon become amalgamated with those made by Americans themselves.�� When the patent law was reformed again in 1836, it was no longer necessary for the nation to pretend that it would protect the intellectual property of non-Americans. Indeed the 1836 Act removed the prohibition on patents of importation. And whereas the 1836 Act no longer restricted patents only to US citizens, it did set the registration fee for foreigners at ten times the rate for Americans. I would point out to you that sounds pretty extreme right? But, when I went to visit some sites in Delhi, foreigners pay entry fees of Rs. 250 and locals pay only Rs. 10. I am registering an official protest by the way, and I wonder why I can't pass as an Indian. In 1861 the Act was reformed again to give foreigners almost equal footing. US copyright protection, was restricted to United States citizens even longer. And when those were removed, other regulations such as requiring the use of American typesets delayed American entrants to the Berne Copyright Convention till 1989, more than a hundred years after Great Britain joined. So, to a very large extent the industrialisation of the United States in the first half of the 19th century relied upon pirated know-how. In textile some followed Robert Lowell, who went into English factories and wrote down what he saw and then delivered it at home. By far the most important agents were the European artisans. As late as the 1850s, migrants from the British Isles comprised more than three-fourth of the weavers and skilled workers in the textile industries of German Town, Pennsylvania. Managers in cotton mills in the first half of the 19th century, were for the most part, English immigrants because native experienced managers were rare. American glass manufacturers recruited European workers aggressively in the first two decades of the 19th century, and by the 1820s the United sates was the world leader in glass manufacturing. Paper mills in New England relied on a constant stream of European immigrants before local industry took off in the 1830s and 40s. In all these cases European know-how was instrumental in getting industry started and turning America into the leading industrial nation. A dual intellectual property regime fuelled the 19th century economic miracle. In theory the nation was committed to protecting the intellectual property of author and inventors, but authorities did little to enforce the laws. By granting unenforceable patents to patentees, The United States acquired a reputation of being friendly to innovation, while at the same time, by declining to crack down on technology pirates, it allowed for rapid dissemination of information that made American products better and cheaper. >From the American Revolution to the crystal palace exhibition of 1851, where American technology was exhibited and recognised as the leading in the world, United States technology caught up with and surpassed its European rivals. The industrialisation that took place along the North-Eastern seaboard in the first half of the 19th century, facillitated a dramatic two-third growth in per capita income. The United States economy grew faster, and was faster, than any other European nation. Contemporary historians have come up with a wide range of social, cultural and political explanations of this dramatic development. Some celebrate it as the ultimate manifestation of the American spirit of enterprise. Others argue that the blood and sweat of slaves provided the economic capital for the remarkable growth in the first half of the 19th century. What is often overlooked is the manner by which smuggled technology made for more efficient and profitable industrialisation. Tens of thousands of artisans crossed the Atlantic and brought with them their skills, methods and tools. American industrialists, scientists and intellectuals kept abreast with mechanical developments through trips to Europe, and the growing scientific exchange. Federal and State authorities were officially committed to respecting the intellectual property of others, yet in fact sanctioned smuggling of protected technology on a huge scale. American investors and inventors modified imported technology to local circumstances. The infantile state of American know-how and the absence of established classes, committed to earning their livelihood from known and tried techniques, freed innovators from whole scale adoption of imported technologies in favour of innovations Europeans often deemed too costly and impractical. Technology transfer then, accounts not only for the rapid economic growth of the republic, but also for the experimental and innovative reputation of what came to be known as the, �American system of manufactures.� Crystal Palace turned out to be the coming out party for American technology. In the span of seventy years, an agricultural republic, with some household manufactures, that had more in common with the middle-ages than the industrial world, transformed itself into the world leader of cutting-edge industrial technology. American machines, and the American system of manufactures, became the model for worldwide imitation. Similar to modern developing nations, early in its history, the United States violated the intellectual property of rivals in order to catch up technologically. Integration into the international community required that the government of the United States, distance itself from such rogue operations. In this process, the United States had come full circle. The fledgling republic, once committed to technology piracy, had become the primary technology exporter in the world. The years of piracy upon which the current stature was founded, however, were erased from the American national memory. The intellectual debt owed to imported technology, did not turn the United States into a champion of the free exchange of know-how. As the diffusion of technology began to flow eastward of the Atlantic, the United States emerged as the world's foremost advocate of extending intellectual property to the international sphere. From aleclerc at fondation-langlois.org Mon Apr 4 20:14:23 2005 From: aleclerc at fondation-langlois.org (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9anne_Leclerc?=) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 10:44:23 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] News from the Daniel Langlois Foundation Message-ID: <641A525B0A2A2540B1DD0A3DE660241C982B78@exchange.terra-incognita.net> [English version below] La fondation Daniel Langlois est heureuse d'annoncer l'acquisition des archives personnelles de madame Sonia Landy Sheridan, l'une des rares femmes à avoir oeuvré dans le domaine des arts technologiques dans les années 1960 et 1970. Le fonds Sonia Landy Sheridan est actuellement en traitement et sera progressivement rendu accessible aux chercheurs au cours de l'année 2005. Pour en savoir plus: http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=707 Si vous souhaitez recevoir le bulletin électronique mensuel de la fondation, veuillez envoyer vos coordonnées par courriel à info at fondation-langlois.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Daniel Langlois Foundation is pleased to announce that it has acquired the personal archives of Sonia Landy Sheridan, one of the few women to have worked in technological arts in the 1960s and 1970s. The Sonia Landy Sheridan archives are currently being processed and will progressively be made available to researchers during 2005. To know more: http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/e/index.php?NumPage=707 If you wish to receive the Foundation's monthly newsletter, simply send your contact information via e-mail to info at fondation-langlois.org. From info at scan-skin.org Tue Apr 5 03:19:30 2005 From: info at scan-skin.org (Scan Your Skin) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 23:49:30 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Call for proposals Message-ID: <442349.ETICYSYU@scan-skin.org> Scan your Skin. A research project exploring a simple but thorny subject: our skin. We would like to put together a group of people who can contribute to the p Please read below a short description of this initiative. I'd be glad if yoparticipate in this adthe project theme Feel free to distribute this message to other people whom you think may finattention. Best wishes, Lionello Borean SyS > Scan your Skin Book, web site and offline project Call for ideas and proposals Our skin is our vulnerable shell. It protects us and characterizes each oneour skin conveys historical, cultural andit carves more signs and meaning SyS wants to explore this territory from different points of view. Creativeproject messagePhotography, graphic aapproach or a sober and realistic okey component of this multifaceted jigsaw build a well-structured picture of human skin as a cobject. The final work will be published in a book and distto selected retailers all over the world. Artists, writers, designers and cultural producers: we are calling you! Sen17x24 cm./6.70x9.or photo series/sequence, to graphpoem. As the book will include a DVD, please feel free to send us also multim(deadline: March 31, 2005).  Extended! New deadline: May 31 We plan to organize a number of offline happenings and events to support anthe "Scan your Sk(check it out on www.scan-skin.org, coming soon.) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/bd8d0c21/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From jai.sen at vsnl.com Tue Apr 5 14:52:00 2005 From: jai.sen at vsnl.com (Jai Sen) Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:52:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: New Publication on WSF - Talking New Politics In-Reply-To: <016101c536b6$abd5f200$a9d858ca@hathway> Message-ID: Please post on your listserve. Thanks ! Jai ------ Forwarded Message From: Zubaan Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 18:01:04 +0530 To: Jai Sen Subject: New Publication on WSF - Talking New Politics Are Other Worlds Possible? Talking New Politics Eds. Jai Sen and Mayuri Saini ISBN 81 8901327 0 In the run-up to the fourth World Social Forum held in Mumbai, India in January 2004, civil activists and students organised a major series of seminars in Delhi University to discuss the Forum and its politics. The 'Open Space' seminar series, as it came to be called, picked up on the idea of the Forum as a relatively free space, where all kinds of ideas could meet and be discussed. A set of three volumes based on this seminar will be published by Zubaan during 2005. The series was organised by Mukul Mangalik, Madhuresh Kumar, and Jai Sen. The books ­ individually and as a set - are designed to lend themselves to the examination and explanation of larger contextual and structural issues that impact on our lives. The issues addressed in the books range from globalisation to authoritarianism, militarisation and nuclearisation to caste and race, fundamentalism, communalism and nationalism; from patriarchy, sexuality, and questions of openness to cultures of politics and the university as an open space. Also include the relationship of the World Social Forum to new internationalisms, and the culture and politics of cyberspace. By presenting multiple perspectives, they help the reader make examined choices. The wide variety of views and ideas expressed, and the various graphic devices that are used, orient the reader towards facilitating a climate of critical reflection, enquiry, and discussion. Each book will focus on a different aspect: v Book One Talking New Politics will introduce the World Social Forum and present an in-depth view of the cultures of politics facing both the Forum and the world today. v Book Two Empires will examine the effect on our lives of external forces like globalisation, militarisation, and fundamentalism, and of structural factors like caste, patriarchy, and sexuality. v Book Three Alternatives and Imagination will critically examine the levels and meanings of a more open world, including of the university as an open space and the new internationalisms that seem possible through cyberspace and its influence on the existing world. The first volume Talking New Politics, edited by Jai Sen and Mayuri Saini was released in January 2005. This book, the first in a series that explore the new ideas generated by the discussions that took place on all these issues, comprises chapters based on the transcripts of presentations made by academics and activists during the seminars, as well as discussions on questions arising from the presentations. Can the World Social Forum help us to conceptualise and actualise a new politics? Can this new politics be free from violence? Can the experience and knowledge of great movements such as the movement for the environment, and the women's movement, contribute to the creation of a new politics? How can such a politics be sustained? The essays in this book, written in an easy and accessible style, are informed by these questions. They offer the reader different and complex ways of understanding the processes that have helped to shape the World Social Forum and the new politics that seems to be emerging, and what all this represents, for life, society, and politics more generally. The contributors to the first volume include Jai Sen, Nivedita Menon, Veena Das, Mary E. John, Kavita Srivastava, Vinod Raina, Aditya Nigam, Amar Kanwar, Urvashi Butalia, Deepak Mehta, Swapan Mukherjee, P V Rajagopal, Dilip Simeon, Ezequiel Adamovsky, Chloé Keraghel, and Lachlan Tan The books are being published by Zubaan. Zubaan is an independent non-profit publishing house, established by Urvashi Butalia. It is an associate imprint of Kali for Women. The word ŒZubaan¹ in Hindustani means, literally, tongue. But it has many other meanings, which work at different levels: it stands for voice, language, and speech. For enquiries please contact: Jaya Bhattacharji/ Satish Sharma Zubaan, An Associate of Kali for Women, K-92, First Floor, Hauz Khas Enclave New Delhi ­ 110016 INDIA Tel: +91-11-26521008, 26514772 and 26864497 Email: zubaanwbooks at vsnl.net ------ End of Forwarded Message Early 2005 : 'World Social Forum : Challenging Empires' NOW OUT also in German, Japanese, Spanish ! NEW Webspace January 2005 ! www.openspaceforum.net ­ check it out ! ........................................................................... New Book January 2005 ! 'Are Other Worlds Possible ? Talking NEW Politics' Preview : http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2487.html Publishers : Zubaan / zubaanwbooks at vsnl.net K-92 Hauz Khas Enclave - First Floor, New Delhi 110 016, India Tel: +91-11-2652 1008, 2686 4497 and 2651 4772 ............................................................................ New in late 2004 :¹Explorations in Open Space : The World Social Forum and Cultures of Politics¹ Issue 182 of the International Social Science Journal Editorial advisers : Chloé Keraghel & Jai Sen www.unesco.org/shs/issj ....................................................................... ...................................................................... 2004 Book ! 'World Social Forum : Challenging Empires' Edited by Jai Sen, Anita Anand, Arturo Escobar, and Peter Waterman http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/1557.html India / South Asia distribution : Viveka Foundation, tanmoy at vivekafoundation.org European distribution : Global Book Marketing, info at globalbookmarketing.co.uk 2005 : NOW OUT also in German, Japanese, Spanish ! ..................................................................... Jai Sen / CA/CIM - Critical Action / Centre in Movement A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India jai.sen at vsnl.com [+ while travelling, jai_sen2000 at yahoo.com] M 91-98189 11325 T 91-11-5155 1521 and 2433 2451 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050405/6d5aae0c/attachment.html From kristoferpaetau at WEB.DE Tue Apr 5 15:06:36 2005 From: kristoferpaetau at WEB.DE (Kristofer Paetau) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 11:36:36 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] RAFANI - Czech artist-group that kicks ass! Message-ID: <1146194058@web.de> RAFANI is an artist-group operating mainly within the context of Czech Republic. It was founded in Prague in 2000 as an open, democratic and collective structure for artistic action within the society. Members come and go within the years, but a strong spirit of collective artistic responsibility in relationship to the society remains present. Check out this selection of 5 great projects: A web documentation to view at: http://www.paetau.com/downloads/Friends/Rafani.html A PDF documentation (1,5 MB) to download at: http://www.paetau.com/downloads/Friends/Rafani.pdf Best wishes, Kristofer Paetau -- If you do not want mails anymore, you can unsubscribe automatically by sending an empty e-mail from your e-mail account to: ARTINFO-L-unsubscribe-request at listserv.dfn.de If this doesn't work, you probably got this e-mail re-routed through another address: Please reply to this mail and write UNSUBSCRIBE in the mail subject and please indicate some old or alternative e-mail addresses in order to help us unsubscribe you. Thank you and apologizes for the trouble! -- . ______________________________________________________________ Verschicken Sie romantische, coole und witzige Bilder per SMS! Jetzt bei WEB.DE FreeMail: http://f.web.de/?mc=021193 From pukar at pukar.org.in Mon Apr 4 14:40:43 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 14:40:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] Friday, 8th April: Beyond Conservation: Heritage Concerns and Urban Futures Message-ID: <000501c538f6$477e58a0$5dd0c0cb@freeda> Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai. Time: 6:30 p.m. Date: Friday, 8th April 2005 Dear Friend, You are cordially invited to a discussion - 'Beyond Conservation: Heritage Concerns and Urban Futures' The particpants include: - The residents of Khotachiwadi - an urban heritage precinct in south Mumbai. - Rahul Srivastava, Co-Director, PUKAR and coordinator of PUKAR's Khotachiwadi Neighborhood Project. - Pankaj Joshi, PUKAR Associate, Conservation Architect and Advisor to the Project. PUKAR's Khotachiwadi Neighbourhood Project, funded by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Heritage Conservation Society, questions the popular depiction of Mumbai's built form through the slum-skyscraper binary and instead focuses on the enormous variety of habitats that the city generated for its common citizens, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It strongly believes that the issues faced by the wadi go beyond that of conservation and challenges some of the city's choices in shaping its future, especially those that ignore the complex history of built-form in the city. The study* was a Research Action project, in keeping with PUKAR's vision of encouraging citizen partnered knowledge practices and one of its outputs was to formalize the desire of the wadi's residents to set up a residents Trust. This meeting will discuss both, the study conducted by PUKAR as well as the methods for the trust to raise funds for itself to concretely help the wadi. Do please join the discussion! The PUKAR Team Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai. Time: 6:30 p.m. Date: Friday, 8th April 2005 Warm regards, The PUKAR Team * The study is part of a larger document co-written by PUKAR Associates Rahul Srivastava, Pankaj Joshi and Vyjayanthi Rao titled: Habitat, Heritage and Diversity submitted to UNESCO in June 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research) Mumbai Address:: 1-4, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Sir P. M. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 Telephone:: +91 (022) 5574 8152 / +91 (0) 98204 04010 Email:: pukar at pukar.org.in Website:: www.pukar.org.in -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/69e5d2e7/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From basvanheur at gmx.net Tue Apr 5 20:59:22 2005 From: basvanheur at gmx.net (Bas Van Heur) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 17:29:22 +0200 (MEST) Subject: [Reader-list] Issue #11 of cut.up.magazine online Message-ID: <25162.1112714962@www50.gmx.net> Biopolitics, the beauty of the country, and free music. The sanctifing eleventh edition of cut.up.magazine is now online. Check: http://www.cut-up.com Since we didn't include any articles in English two weeks ago, this time we have two of them: Biopolitics and Connective Mutation (Franco Beradi); Why Wilco is the Future of Music (Lawrence Lessig). and, as usual, everyone can see/read the images. This time by Diederik Meijer, Sander Veenman (check his Tracey Emin / Damien Hirst tribute!) and Frank Kloos. More info: Editors info at cut-up.com cut.up.media postbus 313 2000 AH Haarlem -- Handyrechnung zu hoch? Tipp: SMS und MMS mit GMX Seien Sie so frei: Alle Infos unter http://www.gmx.net/de/go/freesms From openspace_india at yahoo.com Tue Apr 5 10:38:32 2005 From: openspace_india at yahoo.com (openspace india) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 22:08:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] RETHINKING GENDERS, SEXUALITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS Message-ID: <20050405050833.99522.qmail@web31607.mail.mud.yahoo.com> RETHINKING GENDERS, SEXUALITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS: CONTESTING RIGHTS CLAIMS A ten-day seminar course Open Space invites you to sign up for an introductory course on human rights, gender and sexuality run by human rights lawyer and researcher Oishik Sircar. The course will run for 10 days in mid May (dates and time to be determined according to response preferences). The course fee is Rs.500 for individuals and Rs.700 for institutions. The course seeks to establish and study the linkages between human rights, feminist jurisprudence and Queer Theory and activism. It will discuss problematic issues within human rights discourse and practice. The course will be built around discussions of selected readings, case studies, films and group work/ activities. The course is divided into the following modules: � Understanding, recognising and declaring human rights � Sexual Pleasure and Danger � Sexual Hierarchies � Moral Panics and the Legal Regulation of Sexuality � The Violence against Women Campaign in India and the campaign against Section 377 of the Indian Constitution � Claiming Sexual Rights Internationally: Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism, Agency vs. Victimhood � Sex work and Trafficking � Representation and Free Speech: Pornography and Censorship � Effective Strategies for Law Reform This course is aimed at graduate students, activists and practitioners who have basic knowledge of issues concerning human rights, social justice or development. The course will give participants an opportunity to understand and question theories of struggle, and enable them to challenge their own models of activist interventions. FACULTY (tentative) Meena Seshu, Founder & General Secretary-SANGRAM, Sangli Dr. Jaya Sagade, Vice-Principal-ILS Law College, Pune Dr. Nirmala Pandit, Managing Trustee-NAVAM, Pune Manisha Gupte, Convenor-MASUM, Pune Bindumadhav Khire, Samapathik Trust, Pune Oishik Sircar, Human Rights Lawyer and Researcher PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO 20 INDIVIDUALS. MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IS ENGLISH. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE COURSE PLEASE GET BACK TO US BEFORE APRIL 12th. CONTACT US AT arshia at openspaceindia.org OR oishiksircar at gmail.com MENTION YOUR NAME, AREA OF INTEREST, ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE AND PREFERRED MEETING TIME (2:00 TO 6:00PM OR 5:00 TO 9:00PM). WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH A CONFIRMED SCHEDULE AND COURSE OUTLINE BY THE END OF APRIL. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. Learn more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/f42ea47c/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From vivek at sarai.net Wed Apr 6 11:32:57 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 11:32:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] death, depression and prozac Message-ID: <42537B91.8000005@sarai.net> This could be a nice thing to think through, and argue about: depression and its treatment? Cockburn is his usual provocative self-- I had no idea that the suicide rate for psychiatrists is twice the US national rate! (From Counterpunch.org) V Death, Depression and Prozac By ALEXANDER COCKBURN /New Dehli, India./ Jeff Weise, teen slayer of ten, including himself, at the Red Lake Indian reservation in northern Minnesota, was on Prozac, prescribed by some doc. How did the consultation go? "Here Jeff, take these, they may help you get over life's little problems, like the fact that when you were 8 your dad committed suicide and when you were 10 your cousin was killed in a car wreck that left your mom with partial paralysis and an injured brain. And let's face it, Jeff, most likely you'll never get off the res. You're here for the rest of your life." Cut to a shot of the doc holding up a Prozac bottle, like the kindly fellow in the white coat and mirrored headband in 1950s Lucky Strike ads, telling us that Luckies were a fine way to soothe a raspy throat. The minute the high command at Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Prozac, saw those news stories about Weise you can bet they went into crisis mode, and only began to relax when Weise's websurfs of neo-Nazi sites took over the headlines. Hitler trumps Prozac every time, particularly if it's an Injun teen ranting about racial purity. How many times, amid the carnage of such homicidal sprees, do investigators find a prescription for antidepressants at the murder scene? Luvox at Columbine, Prozac at Louisville, Kentucky, where Joseph Wesbecker killed nine, including himself. You'll find many such stories in the past fifteen years. By now the Lilly defense formula is pretty standardized:self-righteous handouts about the company's costly research and rigorous screening, crowned by the imprimatur of that watchdog for the public interest, the FDA. And of course there's the bogus comfort of numbers; if Lilly's pill factory had a big sign like MacDonald's, it could boast Prozac: Billions Served. Each burst in the sewage pipe brings a new challenge to Lilly's sales force, which has had some heavy hitters down the years, including George Herbert Walker Bush (onetime member of the Lilly board of directors); former Enron CEO Ken Lay (onetime member of the board); George W. Bush's former director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mitch Daniels (a former senior vice president); George W. Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council member Sidney Taurel (a Lilly CEO); or the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (a recipient of Lilly funding). At the turn of this year there was a five-alarm incident when the British Medical Journal went back to the 1994 Wesbecker suit against Lilly, reminding the world that the company had been involved in some shifty footwork involving a back-door payoff to the plaintiffs in a deal that successfully excluded from Judge John Potter's courtroom the regulatory case history of Oraflex, a highly compromised Lilly product, which displayed the company's supposed disclosures to the FDA in an unpleasing light. Lilly rose to the challenge, successfully persuading gullible journalists that the real story concerned a lonely freelancer writing for BMJ and not a powerful pharmaceutical company with a huge advertising budget. The press dutifully shifted its focus from Lilly's outrageous efforts to suppress evidence to the narrow question of whether a piece of evidence had really been in the public record in the years since 1997, when Judge Potter changed his verdict to "dismissed as settled with prejudice," very far from the victory Lilly had been claiming. That's the trouble with time, as Paul Krassner joked about Waldheimer's Disease, which is when you get old and forget you were a Nazi. But it's never too late to review the origins of the Depression Industry in the late 1980s, and the saga of what happened after three Lilly researchers concocted a potion in the mid-1970s they christened fluoxetine hydrochloride, later known to the world as Prozac. Long years of rigorous testing? When Fred Gardner and I investigated the selling of depression and Prozac in the mid-1990s, we found that clinical trials excluded suicidal patients, children and the elderlyoalthough once FDA approval was granted, the drug could be prescribed for anyone. According to Dr. Peter Breggin, the well-known psychiatrist who analyzed the FDA's approval of Prozac, it was based, ultimately, on three studies indicating that fluoxetine relieved some symptoms of depression more effectively than a placebo, and in the face of nine studies indicating no positive effect. Only sixty- three patients were on fluoxetine (fluoexetine hydrochloride was branded as Prozac in the mid 70s) for a period of more than two years. By 1988 the National Institute of Mental Health had not only put the government stamp of approval on corporate-funded depression research but had created a mechanism whereby government money and personnel could be employed to stimulate demand for corporate products. Psychiatrists--a breed whose adepts, so stated a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 1980, commit suicide at twice the national rate--have been central to the entire enterprise. The process linking their sorcery to the corporate bottom line has a robust simplicity to it. As Prozac came off Lilly's research bench and headed for the mass production line psychiatrists labored to formulate a multitude of bogus pathologies to be installed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, whose chief editor in the 1980s was Robert Spitzer MD, an orgone box veteran and adept copywriter skilled at minting new ailments for late twentieth-century America and sanctioning treatment, medication, state funding for the requisite pills (no expensive consultative therapy) and reimbursement by insurance companies. When detailed research showed likely linkage of Prozac to violent acts. Lilly-liveried psychiatrists were there to douse the flames of doubt. In 1991 the FDA's Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee met to decide whether Prozac should carry a warning label about links to suicide. Five out of the ten panel members (eight of whom were shrinks) had active financial interests in the drugs the committee was investigating, and all voted against requiring a warning, their obvious conflicts duly sanitized by the toothless FDA. Other shrinks in the hire of the drug companies urged ever wider application of Prozac to remedy social angst, inclcluding plans for compulsory Prozac-dosing of youngsters. In 2000, when hundreds of farmers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh were committing suicide because of neoliberal policies that had destroyed their livelihoods, the state government announced it was sending out a team of shrinks to determine why the farmers were depressed. The implication was that these people were mentally unstable. But in India credulity about the causes of depression is not so far advanced. The plan provoked a storm of ridicule, and in the elections that followed the Andhra Pradesh government, darling of Western neoliberals, was duly trounced. No such happy chance in the United States, where government is in the pay of drug companies and prescriptions for antidepressants have long since taken over from political manifestos that would cure depression by collective social action. How they must have cheered at Eli Lilly when the Senate wiped out Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy statutes, fostering family violence, heightened crime and a vast new potential market for Prozac and kindred potions at the stroke of a pen. From hilalbhatt at yahoo.co.in Wed Apr 6 15:55:12 2005 From: hilalbhatt at yahoo.co.in (Hilal Bhat) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 11:25:12 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Structural and functional changes at shrines verify "shrine as an anodyne in Kashmir" Message-ID: <20050406102512.65798.qmail@web8401.mail.in.yahoo.com> Structural and functional changes at shrines verify "shrine as an anodyne in Kashmir" by Hilal Bhat Sarai fellow, srinagar Kashmir In my recent filed visits pertaining to the Sarai fellowship, my interaction with the devotees and the caretakers of shrines evoked the evidences which objectively verify increasing number of devotees visiting the shrines in Kashmir valley. An example is the shrine of Syed Simnani in south Kashmir,where this bourgeoning trend shows the manner in which the shrine is progressively attracting a greater number of pilgrims. Lots of changes have occured both at the structural and functional level of this sacred institution in the wake of exponentitial increase of conflict devastatted kashmiris taking refuge at the shrines. Many recent structures have come up in the shrine complex besides the renovation of the existing structures to the extent which transcends the normal change and constitutes a significant indicator of the fact that the people visit the shrine in an unprecedented way. This is so because the shrines are largely dependent for their maintenance on the offerings provided by the devotees in cash as well as kind, therefore the greater the popularity of the shrine the greater is the number of devotees who visit and the volume of offerings increases in like proportion. In the courtyard of the shrine proper there was a small graveyard which has been made part of the shrine complex where the devotees eat Tehri (Traditional Offering in the form of fried rice). Towards the opposite of the main gate an additional structure has been built to provide basic facilities for devotees who come here and offer goats and sheep as sacrifice for getting their grievances redressed. Many sheep are routinely put to sacrifice for the purpose here. The meat is distributed to the poor and needy who make a beeline at the shrine. Changes at the functional front of the shrine have also occured in the same period. Earlier the devotees would generally visit in large numbers on fridays. But the dependence of the people on saint for various reasons more or less related to conflict has forced the shrine management committe to set apart thursday night for special prayers which go on for the whole night with thousands of people participating in it. That the income of the shrine has increased significantly in the past many years is also shown by the fact that a process of auctioning of the offerings that the shrine collects has been institutionalized in the recent past.Interested parties bid a certain amount of money in cash against the offerings(in whatever form)that are collected by the shrine in each year. The money is received by the management of the shrine which is then used for various tasks and commitments that the shrine management has. This process has been started to simlify the complex task of managing the yearly offerings that the shrine receives as the offerings come in multifarious forms to the shrine,as cash or as valuables or in the form of livestock. The auctioning arrangement creates a hard cash component that is easily manageable and deployed to various ends that the shrine management thinks fit. Hilal Bhat Sarai Fellow Srinagar Kashmir. ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony From kaiwanmehta at gmail.com Wed Apr 6 18:10:40 2005 From: kaiwanmehta at gmail.com (kaiwan mehta) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 18:10:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] reminder - Mumbai Message-ID: <2482459d050406054020f608d@mail.gmail.com> Hi Just to remind all Sarai connections in Mumbai .. We meet, this saturday 9 April at 6:30 pm at Barrista, near Regal Cinema, Colaba. Best Kaiwan -- Kaiwan Mehta Architect and Urban Reseracher 11/4, Kassinath Bldg. No. 2, Kassinath St., Tardeo, Mumbai 400034 022-2-494 3259 / 91-98205 56436 From clifton at altlawforum.org Wed Apr 6 11:20:00 2005 From: clifton at altlawforum.org (Clifton) Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 14:50:00 +0900 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation to film screening on Friday (8 April) at SCM house Message-ID: <42537888.1060608@altlawforum.org> Hi, We invite you to the screening of ¨Outside Mercy¨ a short documentary on the serious food crisis in the tsunami affected villages as also the loss of livelihoods. Date: Friday 8th april, 2005 Venue: SCM House (near Priyadarshini Handlooms) Mission Road Time: 6.00 pm Suggested contribution: Rs. 50/- A group of us have been actively involved in the relief and rehabilitation processes in the tsunami affected villages of TN and Pondicherry. While the mainstream media has been covering the sucess of the relief efforts, there are several issues that are being suppressed and need to be brought to the notice of the general public. These include issues of exclusion in the relief process and discrimnation of dalits. While we tried to write articles/notes/observations and get them published this more or less failed. As a result we have made a short documentary film that documents the losses and struggle of those thousands of people who have been severly affected by the tsunami yet have received little or no relief. Further, there is no plan to rehabilitate them as is being done for the fisherpeople. This short film is called ¨Outside Mercy¨ and is about 30 minutes long. Warm regards Pedestrian Pictures and ALF From zainab at xtdnet.nl Wed Apr 6 22:03:31 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 20:33:31 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Arjun bhai re-re-visited! Message-ID: <1084.219.65.9.130.1112805211.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> 6 April 2005 VT Railway Station This morning, I met up with Arjun bhai again. He is dressed in a smart sky blue shirt. His shoes are the executive type – chocolate coloured and polished. He wears matching socks. Holding a Marathi newspaper in his hand, we meet outside the railway station and he stretches his hand out to greet me. I am picking up from the last lines he uttered in our last conversation, “These are modern times. I also like being modern. Therefore, you must shake hands with me and say hi, hello. I like this rather than you folding your hands and greeting me.” Our conversation today takes the following turns: Arjun bhai: Hmmm ... where have you been all these days? I was remembering you. Zainab: I was out of town, back to back, and hence it was difficult meeting up. But like always, I watch you when I am around at the station, even if you are busy. Arjun bhai: Where all did you go to? Zainab: Bangalore. And then immediately zipped off to Europe. Arjun bhai: Europe must be quite pretty. Also very nice. But I have heard that you have to take appointments over there to meet anyone. You cannot just land up at people’s places. You always must take appointments. Also, I know that in Europe, you cannot pick up things just lying on the road. If it is lying on the road, it belongs to someone or the state. Zainab (astonished): How do you know all of this? Arjun bhai: You see, everyday, when I get back home, I play with my kids which is great fun. Then I talk with my wife. On holidays, friends and acquaintances come over aur dimaag khate hai (eat my head). So I tell them ‘let’s go out and drink tea’. That is when we discuss all these things. My friends keep telling me that we must go to all these European countries, but I tell them that Mumbai is the best. There is no better place than here. Zainab: I agree. So tell me, when you first came from your village, did you land up here, at VT (Victoria Terminus – now Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CST) itself? How was VT station then? Arjun bhai (laughs, recollects): Yes, I landed here at VT itself. At that time, it was all so different. My train had stopped right here, platform number 7 (where we were sitting today). Now, of course, this station has become quite clean. Life in the city was different then. I used to earn thirty rupees a day and a rice plate at GPO (General Post Office) used to cost Rs.2. No, no Rs.3. Nowadays what is the value of three rupees? Nothing. You know, I landed straight at VT Station and I went off to Chowpatty. I had a bath in the sea. I had heard a lot about Chowpatty, so the fascination drove me there. After Chowpatty, I went straight off to the garden where there is a large shoe (i.e. Hanging Gardens at Walkeshwar). I slept there that night. Very contented. Next day, I started looking for work. But no one would give me work because when you are new in the city, employers want that someone should know you. I did not know anybody in the city because I was new. Who would know me? I could not get a job. At the end of the day, I came here, at VT Station, and I sat here with my hands on my head. A man, a stall owner, Rajabhai, saw me. He asked me, “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I told him that I was new to the city and the two to three hundred rupees in my pocket were exhausted and that I was looking for work. Rajabhai offered me work. That day, he gave me twenty rupees and asked me to go over to GPO and eat a meal. A single meal consisted of three heaps of rice, vegetable, chapattis, dal – enough for three persons to eat – and all of this only for three rupees. Thus I started working at VT. I used to wear ten bags on my one hand and ten bags on another and climb up the lamppost at VT and sell. I was little then and in order to be seen, I had to climb the pillar. My salary then was twenty rupees a day and then it increased to thirty rupees. I used to buy food worth three rupees and everyday, I used to spend one rupee on a bucket full of water to have a bath. This is the year of 1979. After selling bags, I got bored and went off to film city in Goregaon and got involved in the balloon business. You know I have supplied balloons for the Amitabh Bachan film ‘Jadugar’. In a song sequence, actress Jaya Prada comes out of clouds with lots of balloons surrounding here. I have supplied those balloons. And I tell you, behind the clouds, if you look carefully, you can see Vile Parle. The problem I had with the film line was concerning food. On the first day, during lunch break, they announced, “All go for lunch!” I am generally used to eating leisurely and all by myself. Here, at film city, all of us had to queue up in order to get lunch. Lunch was served in silver (foil) plates. I had seen the Amitabh film ‘Kaalia’ in which Amitabh is also subjected to such a queue to get food and he kicks the food and shouts, “I don’t want this life of slavery”. I remembered the scene and the dialogues and I also said that I don’t want this life of slavery. That was my last day working for the film industry. Thereafter, I started blowing balloons for parties. I had friends in the city by now. Some of them were dosa makers. At parties too, you had to queue up and get food. In the first party, my friend told me, “Go inside and get food for yourself.” I went in and saw all ladies log standing in the queue and collecting food. I felt very embarrassed. I ran out and told my friend, “You go in and get the food for me. I will sit outside and eat quietly.” He shouted back at me, “This is the way food is served in this city. Just go in and get yourself food!” I was angry. I went in with my sour temper and took a plate and thrust it before the waiter serving. He asked me to get out. But then I started going for lots of parties and realized that food is served in the same manner everywhere – standing in the queues – whether it be parties or film line. In the meanwhile, I got a membership card to the film industry workers’ union. Once you have the card, you are paid a monthly salary of five to six thousand rupees even though you don’t really work work. I used to go and hang out at the Film City but not work. I have interacted with a lot of film stars. I know them. Then, I gave up the balloon business because I saw that two to three persons in the same line had begun suffering from lung diseases. I came back to VT and started working here. Since then, I have been here, with this boss. It’s been twenty years now. I live in a kholi (house) provided by him. Zainab: You have two children nah? Arjun bhai: Yes, two children. Both are boys. Here, I carry one child’s photo in my wallet. (He removes his wallet and shows me his son’s photo. The son is very fair and does not at all look like him.) Zainab: Your son does not look like you. Arjun bhai (understanding that I am referring to the skin colour): Arre, main dhoop mein khada khada kala ho gaya hoon (I have darkened standing daily in the sun!). These days, BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) raids have increased a lot. We go into hiding for four to five days at a stretch. I have heard they are making a museum of this VT Railway Station. The work has already started inside. I know about it. Quietly. I play a lot with my kids. The elder one is named Aakash and the younger one is Siddhesh but the problem is that everyone calls him Saajan. This is because when he was born, we took him immediately to the village and at that time, the film Saajan was released. So everyone calls him Saajan, not only in the village, but also here. We are also referred to as Saajan’s mummy and daddy. My younger son is very attached to me. We sleep hugging each other tightly at night. Playing with kids is very good fun. Great time pass! Zainab: What was the city like then? How did you adjust and adapt to the city? Arjun bhai: It was a magical city. I ran away from my village when I was in fourth class. My classmates used to tease me a hell lot, so I ran away. I went to Nanded (village in Maharashtra) to work. From there, I landed in Hyderabad. I was adopted by a family. They used to love and care a lot for me. I used to work in a kiryana (grains and povision store) shop. I used to manage the galla (cash counter). I never had a bad heart. So, even with so much money in the galla, I was never tempted. I used to get up at six in the morning, fill water for the house and work until two. My foster father one day told me, “Why do you get up and do all the work? You should make other people work.” So I started doing that. My foster father would never allow me to go out of house after finishing work. “Eat your food, watch some TV and take rest. You get up early in the morning and work. So you need adequate rest,” he would tell me. But I had always heard of the magical city of Mumbai. There was a charm about getting here. I ran away from the foster home. I came here to Mumbai. The home people know that I am here. And if they have to find me, they will know that I am at VT station. But they never came back to look for me and get me home. Now, you tell me about yourself. Are you getting married? What does your fiancée do? Zainab: Yes, I would get married, maybe two years time. Arjun bhai: Where is your fiancée? Zainab: (unable to explain boyfriend) in Delhi. Arjun bhai: So, will you move to Delhi? Then how will I come to meet you? What does your fiancée do? Why doesn’t he shift here to Mumbai? Zainab: (boyfriend) is an architect. Arjun bhai: What is architect? Zainab (trying to explain): makes buildings. Arjun bhai (assuming): Oh, he is like a sub contractor. So, then, what is the problem? So many slums are being cleared in Mumbai and builders are needed to build buildings. He can easily move here. No problem at all!! Zainab: What kind of customers do you get? Arjun bhai: Public is not very good in this city. You find good people as well as bad ones. Some of them come and scream at us saying, “What is all this?” I tell them, “take your money back and get lost. It’s not like only you have money. We have our own money. Take your money and get lost.” Some people are funny. They will hold cotton socks in their hands and say, “We want cotton socks, not this.” I calmly hand nylon socks to them and tell them, “Here, take this. Cotton socks!” And it’s not like only men are bad. Ladies log are also very aggressive. Zainab: Have there been instances of thefts with you? Arjun bhai: Sure enough. What do you think? People will look for opportunities to flick. I have to keep a watch with my eye. Once, a man, nicely dressed in executive clothes and tie, was carrying a newspaper in his hand. He was sifting through the socks. Then, he quietly slipped one pair of socks between the folds of the newspaper and began to walk. He went a few distances and I called him, “Sir, please come here.” I got him to open the paper and out came a pair of socks. I got angry at him, “Your parents educated you, brought you to this level where you can where executive clothes and this tie, and you steal? Is this what they taught you?” He felt very ashamed. He quickly walked off. And women also flick. They will quietly, while looking at the socks, slip one pair in their bags. Zainab: How do you then manage the women? Arjun bhai: Nothing doing. When they ask for hisaab (final amount), I coolly tell them, “Ten rupees for this pair, ten for the other one, and ten for the one you have put in your bag.” Then they feel ashamed and bashful and say, “Oh sorry, sorry. It was a mistake.” That’s how public is. Zainab: So tell me some of the slogans you shout while working. Arjun bhai (bashful): Oh that ... that happens automatically. Can’t say here. Zainab: You talk so softly when you are here with me. On the road outside, you are a completely different person. You shout so loudly. Arjun bhai (bashful again): Well, with you, I have to take care of riti rivaaz (customs and conventions). I cannot talk with you like I talk with everybody outside. I have to be cultured when I talk with you. As they say, ‘do in Rome as the Romans do’. There are some manners I have to follow with you. Zainab: So, have you been to Churchgate station? Arjun bhai: Yes. But not been there in a long time now. I have some friends there. Zainab: Would you consider setting up business there? Arjun bhai: Well, now see, if they (Churchgate people) come here to VT and start dhanda, what will happen? If you are an outsider, you cannot get inside someone’s home. You can be a guest, but if you step inside my home, you think I will tolerate that? So, even if these people (Churchgate guys) come and do dhanda here and pay the haftas and rents here, they will not be able to survive. Zainab: Hmmm ... You had mentioned last time that during the riots in 1992-93, you were not here in the city ... Arjun bhai: Yes, I was away, to my village then. Zainab: All of December and January? Arjun bhai: You know something, I don’t keep track of days of the week. I don’t know which day is what. I only know Saturday and Sunday – Sunday, because there is very little public at the station, and Saturday because the pace of the station is easier. Zainab: So, these days, you have reduced your dhanda space. There are some other guys who sell toys at your place and you have shifted a little. I also see the photo of Goddess Durga at your (former) place of dhanda? Arjun bhai: Yeah, the other people are also of the same owner. They sell toys. I now keep only to handy baskets of socks. It is easier this way because when the Municipality van comes, it is easy for us to run off. As for the goddess photo, it is the picture of Sai Baba. I believe in all gods. I pray once in the morning, at home, and then when I am setting up dhanda. I used to do the same when I was in Hyderabad, managing the gulla. I used to light incense sticks then. Zainab: You stay at Kurla nah? Arjun bhai: Yeah, in my boss’s kholi. Zainab: The station is there is very big and crowded. Arjun bhai: Crowded, yes. Big, not really. The bridges are so narrow, what to tell you? Everybody pushes. Nowadays, when the ladies log are pushed, they shout back angrily at you. If I happen to push a woman accidentally, she will glare back at me and shout. Nowadays, ladies log shout a lot, they back answer, are aggressive. I am soon going to set up a new business. I am going to my village and after coming back, I will start on my own. I will leave my boss. He knows that I have a sister here, but he does not know where she lives. I will give up his job, move in with my sister and start on my own. It is 10:30 AM, time for Arjun bhai to go. “You will go to the godown now, to pick up your goods and set up dhanda?” “Yes,” he says, adding, “The lady there is a nice woman. She is from my village only. I say good morning to her everyday. And I tease her a bit. She says to me, ‘Arjun, tum kab sudharoge?(when will you mend your ways?)’ I tell her, “Mausi, main bigda hi kab tha? (Aunty, when did I ever go astray?)!!!” We shake hands and depart. Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From monica at sarai.net Thu Apr 7 07:44:25 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 07:44:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Sarai Reader 05: Bare Acts Message-ID: Dear All, We are happy to announce the print and web publication of Sarai Reader 05 : 'Bare Acts' . Please find more details about the book below. We would welcome responses, reviews and critiques of the publication, and discussions based on its contents. If you would like to write a review of the book, and wish to obtain a review copy, do write to publications at sarai.net, mentioning details of the publication where the review will appear, and when it is likely to be published. The contents of the book may also be translated into other languages, and published elsewhere. We, and the authors, would like to be informed. Looking forward to your responses The Editorial Collective, Sarai Reader Series ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarai READER 05: BARE ACTS Editors: Monica Narula, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Jeebesh Bagchi + Geert Lovink Guest Editor: Lawrence Liang Sarai Reader Series Editorial Collective: Monica Narula, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Ravi Sundaram, Ravi S. Vasudevan, Awadhendra Sharan, Jeebesh Bagchi + Geert Lovink Published by the Sarai Programme, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, 2005 [cc] Produced and Designed at the Sarai Media Lab, Delhi ISBN 81-901429-5-X 584 pages, 14.5cm X 21cm Paperback: Rs. 350, US$ 20, Euro 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bare Acts This year, the Sarai Reader looks at 'Acts' as instruments of legislation, at things within and outside the law, and at 'acts' as different ways of 'doing' things in society and culture. Several texts and image-essays echo and complement themes that have emerged in earlier readers. Piracy, borders, surveillance, claims to authority and entitlement, the language of expertise, the legal regulation of sexual behaviour and trespasses of various kinds have featured prominently in previous Readers. This collection foregrounds these issues in a way that hopes to continue to provoke rigorous engagement and reflection. The 'Bare Act' is an expression used to specify the content of law, bereft of any interpretative gloss. In legal libraries in India and many parts of the English-speaking world, a Bare Act is a document that simply codifies a law without annotation or commentary. The 'Bare Act' is legality pared down to its textual essence. It expresses only what the law does, and what it can do. The enactment of law, however, is less a matter of reading the letter of the law, and more a matter of augmenting or eroding the textual foundation through the acts of interpretation, negotiation, disputation and witnessing. The law and practices within and outside stand in relation to a meta legal domain that can be said to embrace acts and actions in all their depth, intensity and substantive generality. This too is a stage set for the performance of 'bare acts', of what we might call 'naked deeds' - actions shorn of everything other than what is contained in a verb. The 'Bare Act' that encrypts the letter of the law, the wire frame structure that demands the fleshing out of interpretation, and the 'bare act' that expresses and contains the stripped down kernel of an act, of something that is done, are both expressions that face each other in a relationship of tense reflection and intimate alterity. Bare Acts generate bare acts, and vice versa. 'Bare Acts', the fifth Sarai Reader, proposes to be a considered examination of this troubled mirror image. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ See below for the complete table of contents. The complete text of 'Bare Acts', like the entire contents of previous readers, is available for free browsing and download as pdf files at http://www.sarai.net/journal/reader5.html For Purchase, Distribution and Other Enquiries, mail to - publications at sarai.net or, contact - Publications Sarai, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29, Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054, India Tel : (+91) 11 2396 0040 http://www.sarai.net E mail : dak at sarai.net Distributors: Seagull Books, Delhi & Kolkata (in India) and Autonomedia, New York (USA) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS OF SARAI READER 05 : BARE ACTS PREFACE - vi ARGUMENTS - 1 Invitation - Sarai Reader Editorial Collective - 2 Porous Legalities and Avenues of Participation - Lawrence Liang - 6 "ŠBolti Band (SILENCED)!" - Clifton D' Rozario - 18 Lepers, Witches and Infidels & It's a Bug's Life - Francesca da Rimini - 26 Rested - Colette Mazabrard - 39 DISPUTATIONS - 45 Of Butchers and Policemen: Law, Justice and Economies of Anxiety - Gunalan Nadarajan - 46 Down by Law: A Critique for the 21st Century - Alexander Karschnia - 57 'New' Delhi: Fashioning an Urban Environment through Science and Law - Awadhendra Sharan - 69 Improbablevoices.net: An Improbable Monument to Witnessing and the Ethics of Trespass - Sharon Daniel - 78 TRESPASSES - 95 The Discovery of the Fifth World: Stealth Countries and Logo Nations - Daniel van der Velden, Tina Clausmeyer, Vinca Kruk, Adriaan Mellegers (Meta Haven Project) - 96 Transcoding Sovereignty: Naked Bandit/Here, Not Here/White Sovereign - KR + CF - 111 SMS to Passport - Vishwajyoti Ghosh - 115 The Strange Case of Qays Al Kareem - Tripta Wahi - 123 Marginalia - Kai Friese - 129 On Smugglers, Pirates and Aroma Makers - Ursula Biemann - 145 Sponge Borders - Guido Cimadomo + Pilar Martínez Ponce - 150 Notes on the Disappeared: Towards a Visual Language of Resistance - Chitra Ganesh + Mariam Ghani - 154 Dreams and Disguises, As Usual - Raqs Media Collective - 162 HACKS - 176 Trespasses of the State: Ministering to Theological Dilemmas through the Copyright/Trademark - Naveeda Khan - 178 Harmony or Discord? TRIPS, China, and Overlapping Sovereignties - Shujen Wang - 189 Innovating Piracy: The Bare Act of Stealing, and Shaping the Future - Menso Heus - 202 Is Hacking Illegal? - Yuwei Lin + David Beer - 205 Three Proposals for a Real Democracy: Information-Sharing to a Different Tune - Brian Holmes - 215 Roots Culture: Free Software Vibrations "inna Babylon" - Armin Medosch - 222 ENCROACHMENTS - 241 Touts, Pirates and Ghosts - Solomon Benjamin - 242 Daily Journey - Satyajit Pande - 255 Complicating the City: Media Itineraries - Media Researchers @ Sarai - 258 Begum Samru and the Security Guard - Anand Vivek Taneja - 287 My Driving Master: A Story of Everyday Trespasses - Zainab Bawa - 297 Naye Qanoon (New Laws) - 301 ANNOTATIONS - 305 Vis-à-Visage - I. Helen Jilavu - 306 Cybermohalla Logs/Acts/Texts - CM Labs @ LNJP-DP-NM - 308 NEGOTIATIONS - 323 The Act of Leisure - Iram Ghufran + Taha Mehmood - 325 Surveillance, Performance, Self-Surveillance: Interview with Jill Magid - Geert Lovink - 339 Living Between Laws - Ninad Pandit - 348 Negotiating Territory - Ateya Khorakiwala - 354 RECORDS - 359 Tis Hazari Diaries - Chander Nigam - 360 Bare Acts and Collective Explorations: The MKSS Experience with the Right to Information - Preeti Sampat + Nikhil Dey - 385 TRIALS - 397 Zimbabwe's 'New Clothes': Identity and Power Among Displaced Farm Workers - Amy R. West + Blair Rutherford - 398 Standardised, Packaged, Ready for Consumption - Ravi Agarwal - 412 The Act of Instruction - Jan Ritsema - 420 VIOLATIONS - 427 Womanhood Laid Bare: How Katherine Mayo and Manoda Devi Challenged Indian Public Morality - Alice Albinia - 428 Literature and the Limits of Law: Crime, Guilt and Agency in Premchand's Ghaban - Ulka S. Anjaria - 437 The Honourable Murder: The Trial of Kawas Maneckshaw Nanavati - Aarti Sethi - 444 Judicial Extract - 454 Representing a Woman's Story: Explicit Film and the Efficacy of Censorship in Japan - Hikari Hori - 457 The Queer Case of Section 377 - Siddharth Narrain - 466 ASSAULTS - 471 "For God's Sake, Be Objective!" - Somnath Batabyal - 472 Another 9/11, Another Act of Terror: The 'Embedded Disorder' of the AFSPA - A. Bimol Akoijam - 481 Warporn Warpunk! Autonomous Videopoesis in Wartime - Matteo Pasquinelli - 492 'First, Do No Harm...': Ensuring Humanitarian Military Interventions - Bikram Jeet Batra - 500 War Cake - Linda F. Beekman - 511 DISSENSIONS - 515 The Law of the Mother: Soldiers' Mothers and the Post-Soviet Army - Irina Aristarkhova - 516 Naked Protest and the Politics of Personalism - Isaac Souweine - 526 Analytical World Statistics Wall Chart, 2003 - Louise Kolff - 537 A Comparative Anatomy of Post-Mortem Acts - Smriti Vohra - 540 ALT/OPTION - 551 The Accidental Activist - Fredrik Svensk + Kristoffer Gansing - 552 'Our'chitecture - Jayson Claude - 559 Sex Workers' Manifesto - Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kolkata - 564 Bare Wiring - Sophea Lerner - 572 Notes on Contributors - 574 Image and Photo Credits - 581 ---------------------------------------------- -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Wed Apr 6 21:21:28 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 6 Apr 2005 15:51:28 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] SEX and Swanand Prashant pandey Message-ID: <20050406155128.30788.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com>   Meet Swanand Kirkire, the lyricist who penned Bawra mann( hazaro kwahishe). He is a much sought after copywriter in the ad-industry with punch lines like “Thunda thunda cool cool” and “khabar wahi jo sach dikhaye”, “sabse tej channel” Swanand is from NSD (NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA). He used to write songs for theatre and grew up admiring Sahir, Javed Akhtar,Ibne Insha,Yogesh and so on. Swanand came to Bombay in early nineties and has been with Sudhir Mishra’s camp. He also wrote the critically acclaimed dialogues for Chameli. He wants to be a director and has assisted Sudhir Mishra (ji) for past 6 years. Now what? He has written songs of Vidhu Vinod Chopras’ Parineeta and a film called “Kal, yesterday, tomorrow”. His work is interesting because he seems to hold very strong opinions on the lyrics scene. He likes realism and a certain level of historicity to creep into the work. An unabashed admirer of Nitin Raikwar( a fellow lyricist) who wrote Aati Kya Khandala( Will you come to Khandala with me ?) and Phatela jeb sil jayega( the torn shirt can be sewed) He demands three things 1. An honest expression 2. An engagement with the narrative and characters 3. An engagement with the times He finds Sameer (bollywoods’ busiest lyricist) kind of a style rather problematic, NOT because it is “inferior” but because Sameer lets the music and tune dominate over the lyrics. He is a master magician, a word cruncher who seamlessly weaves inane, trite words and expressions into the tune. Not many people can do that. Swanand is very fresh and rather new with 2-3 films in his kitty. It’s a vulnerable position and I hit him there. I ask him. “Do you have this fear that when work starts pouring in you will become a word cruncher yourself. You have done less films and all of them are kind of arty. How will you write for very mainstream masala films?” After a pause I ask him, “Can you write (at all) for mainstream masala?” My question means two things, first at the level of craft (word crunching, tuukbandi), second, at the level of ideology. His reply is standard. He says that what I am saying must happen. “Inshallah may I get lot of films because I cannot live my life like this”. He means financial status. He says that the standard will drop but he will try his best. “I will write 4 bad songs but hit back with a good one song.” But I keep pestering him with “art verses commerce” debate. He too is trying his best to come round to some solid argument. In fact one of things why he spoke to me because he wanted to clear his own doubts and concepts. “I must know what I am doing” We are at Prithvi theatre café. Its 8 pm. He has spoken continuously for 40 minutes to my Dictaphone, with an amused Nikhil Advani( Director of Kal Ho Na Ho) sitting on the next bench with his wife and occasionally making an effort to eavesdrop and pick the funny and cynical one-liners. We both are tired and the interview ends on a rather unexpected, twisted and cynical note. “ yaar Prashant yeh hindustaan hai . yaha pe re-mixes me nangi- nangi ladkiya nachti hai , aur gaana hit ho jata hai, to wahi sab expect karo. Art kyoo expect karte ho yaar. Sala ye sex deprived society hai. Yaha pe to art expect hi nahi karni chahiye.” ( see Prashant , This is India here half clad girls dance in re-mix videos and the song is a hit, why do you expect art here ? this is a sex deprived country, don’t expect art here.”) At this point of time I realize that I have got enough sex for the interview so I shut the Dictaphone and say “thank you it was nice talking to you. Best of luck” -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050406/c5232ec4/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Apr 6 22:46:56 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 22:46:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation to film screening on Friday (8 April) at SCM house In-Reply-To: <42537888.1060608@altlawforum.org> References: <42537888.1060608@altlawforum.org> Message-ID: Dear Mr Clifton, Many thanks for your information. I indeed look forward to seeing 'Outside Mercy', if you could please let me know as to which city is SCM House (near Priyadarshini Handlooms), Mission Road located in. I live in Malgudi and it's grown to be a rather large town since RK passed away. For all you know, Malgudi might have a Mission Road near Priyadarshini Handlooms, and there may be an SCM House standing erect on one side of the road in all its glory. Just as every city has an MG Road,a Mall Road, and a Sadar Bazaar and a couple of 'sarais' and some 'chowks'. (However, I do suspect the location of your screening is not in Malgudi, because this culture of independent film screenings is yet to arrive in our wannabe 'metropolis'. Should you want to screen your film in Malgudi, I can get you in touch with some school kids who dream of making (and screening) films of their own some day, and are ardently learning and studying (in defiance of their parents' wish of pursuing engineering) to get admission in some place called 'Jamia' in Delhi.) (Their parents say that they will not be allowed to study in a 'Muslim university' anyway. This is another theme that your team might want to make a film about. If you do make such a film, you must absolutely set it in Malgudi. Malgudi's ordinary people are now too tired of being in RK's novels, and have higher aspirations. They want to be film stars.) I will, however, be travelling from tomorrow onwards, and plan to be in Mumbai on the 8th of April. So if SCM House (near Priyadarshini Handlooms), Mission Road is in Mumbai, I would love to attend. Also, I have friends up north Delhi who had gone to Pondicherry on tsunami relief work, and they may be interested in seeing your film. So if SCM House (near Priyadarshini Handlooms), Mission Road is in Mumbai, please let me know so that I can duly forward them your email (as all announcement emails must be forwarded to pay one's debt to the Internet service provider for providing this miracle of cheap and fast Internet access in our very own Malgudi). I do understand that thanks to the pleasures of instant email, we all tend to think that everyone we correspond with (and those with whom we don't - as with lurkers on a mailing list who might be interested in a film screening announcement) live next door. Yours Geographically, Shivam Vij 1 MG Road Malgudi 000 000 India On Apr 6, 2005 11:20 AM, Clifton wrote: > Hi, > > We invite you to the screening of ¨Outside Mercy¨ a short documentary on the serious food crisis in the > tsunami affected villages as also the loss of livelihoods. > > Date: Friday 8th april, 2005 > Venue: SCM House (near Priyadarshini Handlooms) > Mission Road > Time: 6.00 pm > Suggested contribution: Rs. 50/- > > A group of us have been actively involved in the relief and rehabilitation processes in the tsunami > affected villages of TN and Pondicherry. While the mainstream media has been covering the sucess of the > relief efforts, there are several issues that are being suppressed and need to be brought to the notice > of the general public. These include issues of exclusion in the relief process and discrimnation of > dalits. > > While we tried to write articles/notes/observations and get them published this more or less failed. As a > result we have made a short documentary film that documents the losses and struggle of those > thousands of people who have been severly affected by the tsunami yet have received little or no relief. > Further, there is no plan to rehabilitate them as is being done for the fisherpeople. > > This short film is called ¨Outside Mercy¨ and is about 30 minutes long. > > Warm regards > Pedestrian Pictures and ALF > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From zahoor_col at yahoo.com Tue Apr 5 00:05:31 2005 From: zahoor_col at yahoo.com (siddiqi zahoor) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 11:35:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] RE: [arkitectindia] William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050404183531.17148.qmail@web41903.mail.yahoo.com> madhu, u have rightly pointed out the declining phase of our education-system,this has been delibrately done to keep the millions of our children semi-educated; or just to make them averse to education & educated.The RSS people saw to it that those enrolled in non-formal system , since most of them come from lower middle - income categories, remain a dejected lot.Even in the School of OPEN LEARNING (DU) the bosses under Atalji Qatalji regime saw to it that no appointments are made.Unfotunately even our tu-leaders don't bother about the fate of those who constitute more than 50% of the total number of DU students.Education&Panjabi departments have no teacher at all; many options in History&Political Science at post-graduate level go unattended.The RSS bosses think that if today these appointments are made they will not be able to occupy the vacant posts: in fair selection they can get hardly one or two posts. Infact, I was thinking of taking up this issue with those who matter but suddenly I was made a target of attack by Sangh -parivar- the issue is the lesson that I wrote some 25 years back on 'Communalism'.They now say " maidan mein dekh lenge".Perhaps this is the way they want to celebrate the SILVER JUBILEE of BJP. BUT I am not surprised; what else u can expect from a fascist-terrorist organisation.However, once agaian they r able to dupe many of the democratic & left formations.To them the RSS appears to be a pusy cat not a dinasaur.Let better sense prevail on them.To talk about revolution is one thing but to make it a reality is a complex phenomenon. Now let me stop, have a nice day with international academic cream; the days of desi friends are numbered, after all this is a globalised world. -- zahoor siddiqi madhu prasad wrote: thank you for posting this very informative write-up. However, Dalrymple is unduly congratulatory about India and the educational system here. The formal system of schooling is actually declining replaced by alternative, distance and non-formal education guarantee centres for the mass of the indian people. In this situation the environment is ripe for the hindu right - vishwa bharti schools, books and ekal vidyalayas,friends of the tribal society, etc. are spreading (during the NDA regime crores of rupees from the education budget, budgets for NGO's etc were diverted to build up this base for the hindu right politics). Their lessons are so-called `hindu culture", which most hindu's would probably find difficult to recognise. Actually they preach a crude anti-christian, anti-muslim ideology and this mindset is being constructed to be exploited politically. I have before me a report of the functioning of these `schools' in Singhbhum district, Jharkhand and Insukhia & Dibrugarh districts, Assam. It makes one realise that we are being too complacent and not reading the signs in our country where the fundamentalists may only be of a different colour but their goals are the same >From: "arkitect95" >Reply-To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com >To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com >Subject: [arkitectindia] William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan >Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 17:35:22 -0000 > > > > >William Dalrymple on Madrasas in Pakistan >Monday 28th March 2005 >http://www.newstatesman.com/200503280010 > > >Madrasas are Islamic colleges accused by the US of incubating >terrorism and the attacks of 9/11. From Pakistan, William Dalrymple >investigates the threat > >Halfway along the dangerous road to Kohat - deep in the lawless >tribal belt between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and where Osama Bin >Laden is widely believed to be sheltering - we passed a small >whitewashed shrine that had recently been erected by the side of the >road: "That is where the army ambushed and killed two al-Qaeda men >escaping from Afghanistan," said Javed Paracha. "Local people soon >began to see the two martyrs in their dreams. Now we believe that >they are saints. Already many cures and miracles have been reported. >If any of our women want to ask anything special from God, they first >come here." > >He added: "They say that each shahid [martyr] emitted a perfume like >that of roses. For many days a beautiful scent was coming from the >place of their martyrdom." > >Javed Paracha is a huge, burly tribal leader with a granite outcrop >of nose jutting from a great fan of grey beard. In many ways he is >the embodiment of everything that US policy-makers most fear and >dislike about this part of the Muslim world. For Paracha is a >dedicated Islamist, as well as a wily lawyer who has successfully >defended al-Qaeda suspects in the Peshawar High Court. In his >fortress-like stronghouse in Kohat he sheltered wounded Taliban >fighters - and their frost-bitten women and children - fleeing across >the mountains from the American Daisy Cutters at Tora Bora, and he >was twice imprisoned by General Musharraf in the notorious prison at >Dera Ismail Khan. There he was kept in solitary confinement while >being questioned - and he alleges tortured - by CIA interrogators. On >his release, he found his prestige among his neighbours had been >immensely enhanced by his ordeal. His proudest boast, however, is >building the two enormous madrasas he founded and financed, the first >of which he says produced many of the younger leaders of the Taliban. > >"They are the biggest madrasas in the [North-West] Frontier," he told >me proudly after stopping to say a prayer at the al-Qaeda >shrine. "The books are free. The food is free. The education is free. >We give them free accommodation. In a poor and backward area like >this, our madrasas are the only form of education. The government >system is simply not here." > >Paracha got back in the car - the vehicle sinking to the left as he >lowered himself into the back beside his two armed bodyguards - and >added: "There are 200,000 jobless degree holders in this country. >Mark my words, a more extreme form of the Taliban is coming to >Pakistan. The conditions are so bad. The people are so desperate. >They are waiting for a solution that will rid them of this feudal- >army elite. The people want radical change. We teach them in the >madrasas that only Islam can provide the justice they seek." > >For better or worse, the sort of madrasa-driven change in political >attitudes that Javed Paracha is bringing about in Kohat is being >reproduced across Pakistan. An Interior Ministry report revealed >recently that there are now 27 times as many madrasas in the country >as there were in 1947: from 245 at the time of independence the >number has shot up to 6,870 in 2001. The religious tenor of Pakistan >has been correspondingly radicalised: the tolerant Sufi-minded >Barelvi form of Islam is now deeply out of fashion, overtaken by the >sudden rise of the more hardline reformist Deobandi, Wahhabi and >Salafi strains of the faith that are increasingly dominant over >swaths of the country. The sharp acceleration in the number of these >madrasas first began under General Zia, and was financed mainly by >Saudi donors (though ironically the US also played a role in this as >part of the anti-Soviet Afghan jihad). Since the oil boom of the >early 1970s a policy of exporting not just petroleum, but also >hardline Wahhabism, became a fundamental tenet of Saudi foreign >policy, partly a result of a competition for influence with Shia >Iran. Although some of the madrasas were little more than single >rooms attached to village mosques, others are now very substantial >institutions: the Darul Uloom in Baluchistan is now annually > enrolling some 1,500 boarders and a further 1,000 day-boys. > >Altogether, there are now an estimated 800,000 to one million >students enrolled in Pakistan's madrasas: an entire, free Islamic >education system existing parallel to the increasingly moribund state >sector, in which a mere 1.8 per cent of Pakistan's GDP is spent on >government schools. The statistics are dire: 15 per cent of these >schools are without a proper building; 52 per cent without a boundary >wall; 40 per cent without water; 71 per cent without electricity. >There is frequent absenteeism of teachers; indeed, many of these >schools exist only on paper. > >This education gap is the most striking way in which Pakistan is >lagging behind India, a country in which 65 per cent of the >population is literate, and the number rises every year. Only this >year, the Indian education system received a substantial boost of >state funds in the >government Budget; but in Pakistan the literacy figure is well under >half (it is currently 42 per cent), and falling. The collapse of >government schooling has meant that many of the country's poorest >people > who want their children's advancement have no option but to place >the >children in the madrasa system where they are guaranteed a >conservative >and outdated, but nonetheless free education. > > > >Madrasas are now more dominant in Pakistan's educational system than >they are anywhere else; but the general trend is common across the >Islamic world. In Egypt the number of teaching institutes dependent >on >the Islamic Al-Azhar University increased from 1,855 in 1986 to 4,314 >ten years later. The Saudis have also stepped up funding in Africa: >in >Tanzania alone they have been spending $1m a year building new >madrasas. > In Mali, madrasas now account for around a quarter of children in >primary schools. Seen in this wider context, Paracha and his >educational > endeavours in Kohat raise a number of important questions: how far >are >these madrasas the source of the problems that culminated in the >Islamist attacks of 9/11? Are madrasas simply terrorist factories? >Should the west be pressing US client states such as Pakistan and >Egypt >simply to close the whole lot down? > >In the panic-striken aftermath of the Islamist attacks on America, >the >answers to these questions seemed obvious. Donald Rumsfeld, among a >number of US politicians, fingered madrasas as terror-incubators and >centres of hatred, responsible - so he said - for propagating anti- >Americanism > across the Islamic world. There were many good reasons for people >jumping to this assumption. The terrifyingly ultra-conservative >Taliban >regime was unquestionably the product of Pakistan's madrasas. Much of >the Taliban leadership was trained at just one madrasa: the Haqqaniya >at > Akora Khattak, between Islamabad and Peshawar. The director, Sami ul- >Haq, > still proudly boasts that whenever the Taliban put out a call for >fighters, he would simply close down the madrasa and send his >students >off to fight. > >But as we now know, in the aftermath of 9/11, a great many of the >assumptions that people made about Islamist terrorism have proved >with >hindsight to be quite spectacularly ill-founded, the result of >inadequate and partial understanding of the complexities of the >contemporary Islamic world. > >There was, first of all, widespread misunderstanding about the nature >of > al-Qaeda. Bin Laden's organisation has turned out not to be some >structured multinational organisation; still less was it the state- >sponsored > puppet - with Osama moving to the tug of Saddam's Ba'athist string- >pulling > - that was depicted by the neo-cons and their media mouthpieces (in >this country, Conrad Black's Daily Telegraph and the equally >credulous >Murdoch Times) as they attempted to justify attacking Iraq. > >Instead, as Giles Kepel, the leading French authority on Islamists, >puts > it in his important study, The War For Muslim Minds: "al-Qaeda was >[and > is] less a military base of operations than a database that >connected >jihadists around the world via the internet . . . this organisation >did >not consist of buildings and tanks and borders but of websites, >clandestine financial transfers and a proliferation of activists >ranging > from Jersey City to the paddies of Indonesia". This central failure >to >understand the nature of al-Qaeda was the reason that the US >attempted >to counter it with such unsuitable policies: by targeting nations it >considered sponsors of terrorism, so inadvertently turning itself >into >al-Qaeda's most effective recruiting agency. > >In the same way, it was maintained that al-Qaeda's grievances were >unconnected to America's Middle Eastern policies. This also proved to >be > quite wrong. From al-Qaeda's "Declaration of War Against the >Americans", > issued in 1996, Bin Laden had announced that his grievance was not >cultural or religious, but very specifically political: he was >fighting >to oppose US support for the House of Saud and Israel. As he told the >Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir: "America and its allies are >massacring >us in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir and Iraq. The Muslims have a right >to > attack America in reprisal . . . The targets were icons of America's >military and economic power." > >In retrospect, the idea that madrasas are one of the principal >engines >of this global Islamic terrorism appears to be another American >assumption that begins to wobble when subjected to serious analysis. > >It is certainly true that many madrasas are fundamentalist in their >approach to the scriptures and that many subscribe to the least >pluralistic and most hardline strains of Islamic thought. It is also >true that some madrasas can be directly linked to Islamic radicalism >and > occasionally to outright civil violence: just as there are some >yeshivas [religious schools] in settlements on the West Bank that >have a > reputation for violence against Palestinians, and Serbian >monasteries >that sheltered some of the worst of that country's war criminals, so >it >is estimated that as many as 15 per cent of Pakistan's madrasas >preach >violent jihad, while a few have even been known to provide covert >military training. > >Some have done their best to bring about a Talibanisation of >Pakistan: >madrasa graduates in Karachi have been behind acts of violence >against >the city's Shia minority, while in 1998, madrasa students in >Baluchistan > began organising bonfires of TVs and attacked video shops. In this, >however, they have so far had limited success. Indeed, the >bestselling >video in Baluchistan last year was a pirate tape that showed a senior >Pakistani MP in flagrante with his girlfriend. The tape, which had >been >made by the MP himself, had been stolen by his political enemies and >circulated around the province, with the expectation that it would >destroy his career. However, so impressive was the MP's performance >in >the video that he was re-elected with a record majority; I recently >met >him looking very pleased with himself in Islamabad, where he says the >tape has transformed his political fortunes. > >It is now becoming clear, however, that producing cannon-fodder for >the >Taliban and graduating local sectarian thugs is not at all the same >as >producing the kind of technically literate al-Qaeda terrorist who >carried out the horrifyingly sophisticated attacks on the USS Cole, >the >US embassies in East Africa, and the World Trade Center. A number of >recent studies have emphasised that there is an important and >fundamental distinction to be made between most mad- rasa graduates - >who tend to be pious villagers from economically impoverished >backgrounds, possessing very little technical sophistication - and >the >sort of middle-class politically literate global salafi jihadis who >plan > al-Qaeda operations around the world. Most of these turn out to have >secular, scientific or technical backgrounds and very few actually >turn >out to be madrasa graduates. > >The men who planned and carried out the Islamist attacks on America - >all but four of them were Saudi citizens - have often been depicted >in >the press as being "medieval fanatics". In fact, it would be more >accurate to describe them as confused but highly educated middle- >class >professionals: Mohammed Atta was an architect and a town-planning >expert; > Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden's chief of staff, was a paediatric >surgeon; > Ziad Jarrah, one of the founders of the Hamburg cell, was a dental >student who later turned to aircraft engineering; while Omar Sheikh, >the > kidnapper of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, had >studied > at the LSE and was the product of the same British public school >that >produced the film-maker Peter Greenaway. > >Such figures represent a clash of civilisations occurring not so much >between civilisations, as the author Samuel Huntingdon would >maintain, >but rather within individuals, products of the sort of cultural >dislocation and disorientation that accompanies accelerating economic >change and globalisation. As Kepel puts it, the new breed of global >jihadis are not the urban poor of the developing world, so much >as "the >privileged children of an unlikely marriage between Wahhabism and >Silicon Valley". > >This is also the conclusion drawn by the most sophisticated analysis >of >global jihadis to be published in recent years: Marc Sageman's >Understanding Terror Networks. Sageman is a forensic psychiatrist and >former CIA man who worked in Pakistan during the 1980s. In his study, >he > closely examined the lives of 172 al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, and >his >conclusions have demolished much of the conventional wisdom about who >joins jihadi groups: two-thirds of his sample were middle class and >university-educated; they are generally technically minded >professionals > and several have PhDs. Nor are they young hotheads: their average >age >is 26, most of them are married, and many have children. Only two >appear > to be obviously psychotic. It seems that Islamic terrorism, like its >Christian predecessor, remains a largely bourgeois endeavour: "These >are > truly global citizens," writes Sageman, "familiar with many >countries - > the west as well as the Middle East - and able to speak several >languages with equal facility . . . Even their ideologues are not >trained clerics: [Sayyid] Qutb [for example] was a journalist." > >It is true that there are exceptions, and the line between these two >different worlds is certainly porous. There are several examples of >radical madrasa graduates who have become involved with al-Qaeda. By >and > large, however, madrasa students simply do not have the technical >expertise or conceptual imagination necessary to carry out the sort >of >attacks we have seen al-Qaeda pull off in the past few years. >Instead, >the concerns of most madrasa graduates remain far more traditional - >what the French Islamist expert Olivier Roy calls "neo- >fundamentalism": >the correct fulfilment of rituals, how to wash correctly before >prayers, > the proper length to grow a beard and how high above the ankles you >should wear your salwar kameez. As the laws of the Taliban regime >revealed, they are obsessed with the public covering of women, which >they regard as essential to a morally ordered society. Their focus, >in >other words, is not on opposing non-Muslims or the west - the central >concern of the salafi jihadis - so much as on fostering what they see >as > proper Islamic behaviour at home and attempting to return to - as >they >see it - the pristine purity of the time of the Prophet. > >That there are huge variations in the tone and quality of madrasa >education should not be surprising. Throughout much of Islamic >history, >madrasas were the major source of religious and scientific learning, >just as the church schools and the universities were in Europe. The >quality and tone of their education is determined by the nature of >their > curricula, which have always varied widely. > > > >Between the seventh and 11th centuries, madrasas produced free- >thinking >luminaries such as Alberuni, Ibn Sina and al-Khwarizmi. The oldest >and >greatest madrasa of them all, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, has good >claim to being the most sophisticated institution of learning in the >entire Mediterranean world during the early Middle Ages. The very >idea >of a university in the modern sense - a place of learning where >students > congregate to study a variety of subjects under a number of >teachers - >is generally regarded as an innovation first developed at Al-Azhar. > >When the Mongol invasions destroyed the major institutions of >learning >in the central Islamic heartlands, many learned refugees fled to >Delhi, >turning northern India for the first time into a major centre of >scholarship. By the time of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor of India, >the curriculum in Indian madrasas blended the learning of the Islamic >Middle East with that of the indigenous teaching of Hindu India, >which >resulted in the incredibly broad-minded and pluralistic high >civilisation of the Mughal period. > >However, following the collapse of Indo-Islamic self-confidence that >accompanied the deposition and exile of the last emperor, Bahadur >Shah >Zafar, in 1858, disillusioned scholars founded an influential but >depressingly narrow-minded Wahhabi-like madrasa at Deoband, 100 miles >north of the former Mughal capital. Reacting against what the >founders >saw as the degenerate ways of the old elite, which had allowed the >British to defeat Muslim power in such a catastrophic manner, the >Deoband madrasa went back to Koranic basics, rigorously stripping out >anything Hindu or European from the curriculum of the college. It >was, >unfortunately, these puritanical Deoband-type madrasas that spread >throughout northern India and Pakistan in the course of the 20th >century, > and which particularly benefited from the patronage of Zia and his >Saudi allies in the 1980s. > >It is certainly true that many madrasas in Pakistan have outdated >curricula: some still teach Euclidian geometry and medicine from the >Roman physician Galen of Pergamum. Emphasis is put on the rote >learning >- rather than critical study - of the Koran. Jessica Stern of Harvard >recently testified before a US Senate House committee that "in a >school >that purportedly offered a broad curriculum, a teacher I questioned >could not multiply seven times eight". This is, however, by no means >the > case with all madrasas, some of which are surprisingly sophisticated >places. > >In Karachi, the largest madrasa is the Darul Uloom. To get there, you >pass from the rich middle-class areas of the city centre, with their >low, > white bungalows and sprawling gardens, going through progressively >more > run-down suburbs until you find yourself in a depressing industrial >wasteland of factories and warehouses, punctuated by the belching >smokestacks of brickworks. Out of this Pakistani apocalypse rises the >almost surreal spectacle of Darul Uloom. Its green lawns resemble a >cross between a five-star hotel and a rather upmarket, modern >university > campus. > >After what happened to Daniel Pearl, I had been warned about the >dangers > of visiting madrasas, and had gone to the elaborate lengths of >informing the British Consulate about my movements; but in reality >there > was nothing remotely threatening about Darul Uloom. The students >were >almost all eager, smart, friendly and intelligent, if somewhat >intense >and puritanical. When, on a visit to the dormitory block, I asked one >bearded student what music he listened to on his shining new ghetto- >blaster, > he looked at me as if I had just asked him about his favourite porn >video. The machine, he informed me, was only for listening to tapes >of >sermons. All music was banned. > >Puritanical it may be, but it is clear that the Darul Uloom performs, >as > do many Pakistani madrasas, an important service - especially in a >country where 58 per cent of the vast population, and 72 per cent of >women, are illiterate and half the population never see the inside of >a >school at all. Madrasas may not be cutting-edge in their educational >philosophy, but they do provide the poor with a way of gaining >literacy >and a real hope of advancing themselves. In certain traditional >subjects > - such as rhetoric, logic, jurisprudence and Arabic grammar - the >teaching can be outstanding. Although they tend to be ultra- >conservative, > it has been repeatedly shown that only a small proportion are >obviously > militant. To close them down without attempting to build up the >state >sector would simply relegate large chunks of the population to >illiteracy and ignorance. It would also be tantamount to instructing >Muslims to stop educating themselves about their religion - hardly >the >best strategy for winning hearts and minds. > > > >You don't have to go far from Pakistan to find a madrasa system that >has > effectively tackled both the problems of militancy and of >educational >backwardness. Although India was originally the home of the Deobandi >madrasas, such colleges in India have no track record of producing >violent Islamists, and are strictly apolitical and quietist. Their >degree of success can be measured from the fact that Jamia Milia >University in New Delhi, at least 50 per cent of whose intake comes >from > a madrasa background, is generally reckoned to be one of India's >most >prestigious and successful centres of higher education. > >According to Seema Alavi, one of India's brightest young historians, >who > now teaches at Jamia, there is little difference between her >students >educated at secular schools and those educated in madrasas - except >perhaps that those from madrasas are better able to memorise >coursework, > but are less practised at analysing and processing information: >years >of rote-learning has both its pros and its cons. But there is no >sense >that those students from Indian madrasas are more politically radical >or > less able to cope with a modern urban environment than their >contemporaries from secular institutions. Several of India's greatest >scholars - such as the celebrated Mughal historian Muzaffar Alam of >Chicago University - are madrasa graduates. > >If this is right, it would seem to confirm what other researchers >have >observed, that it is not madrasas per se that are the problem, so >much >as the militant atmosphere and indoctrination taking place in a >handful >of notorious centres of ultra-radicalism such as Binori Town or Akora >Khattak. > >The question remains, however, whether General Musharraf's government >has the strength and the willpower to see through the necessary >reforms >and replicate the success of madrasas across the border in India. So >far, > attempts at taming Pakistan's more militant madrasas have proved >half-hearted. > There have been some attempts to curb the attendance of foreign >Islamic > students at Pakistani madrasas, and noises were made about >standardising the syllabus and encouraging some modern subjects. >Nevertheless, the more extreme have been able to resist the >enforcement >of even these mild measures: only 1 per cent of the country's >madrasas >complied when asked to register with the government. > > > >In Islamabad, I went to see Pervez Hoodbhoy, an expert on education >and >the author of an important study of the madrasas. Hoodbhoy teaches at >Quaid-e-Azam University, the Pakistani Oxbridge, and as we sat in the >spacious campus, he described the depressing changes he had witnessed >since joining the staff in the 1970s. Not only had there been a >general >decline in educational standards, he said, but beards, burkas and >hijabs, > unknown in the early 1980s, were now the norm. He estimated that >only >one-third of his students now resist showing some visible sign of >their >Islamic propriety. "And this," he added, "is by far the most liberal >university in Pakistan. > >"There is definitely a change in the temper of this society," he >said. "The > students are much less interested in the world and show much less >curiosity - instead we have this mad, unthinking rush towards >religiosity, and the steady erosion of the liberal elite." > >I asked Hoodbhoy about his prognosis for the future. > >"I am very anxious," he said. "The state educational system has >reached >the point of collapse. The only long-term solution has to be improved >secular government schools: at the moment they are so bad that even >where they exist, no one will willingly go to them. > >"But the biggest problem we have," he continued, "is the US. Their >actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have hugely strengthened the hands of >the extremists and depleted the strength of those who want to see a >modern, non-fundamentalist future for this country. Before the >invasion >of Iraq, I called the US ambassador and warned her: if you attack >Saddam, > you may gain Iraq, but you'll lose Pakistan. I hope I was wrong - >but I > fear that I may yet be proved right." >=============================== > >William Dalrymple's most recent book, White Mughals (Harper >Perennial), >won the Wolfson Prize for History. A stage version by Christopher >Hampton has just been commissioned by the National Theatre > > > > > > > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ News, views and gossip. http://www.msn.co.in/Cinema/ Get it all at MSN Cinema! --------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arkitectindia/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: arkitectindia-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050404/19e77786/attachment.html From monica at sarai.net Thu Apr 7 12:15:56 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 12:15:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Sarai Reader 05: Bare Acts Message-ID: Dear All This is in continuation of the previous posting announcing the print and web publication of Sarai Reader 05 : Bare Acts. There was an inadvertent error about the URL of the online version of the book on the Sarai website. The correct address is http://www.sarai.net/journal/reader_05.html and not http://www.sarai.net/journal/reader5.html We would like to apologize to anyone who tried following the wrong link to the book best M -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From singhgurminder2000 at hotmail.com Thu Apr 7 12:28:04 2005 From: singhgurminder2000 at hotmail.com (gurminder singh) Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 12:28:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Gurdwara: Movement and Singh Sabha Gurdwara Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050407/9d8358b9/attachment.html From ritika at sarai.net Thu Apr 7 23:35:30 2005 From: ritika at sarai.net (ritika at sarai.net) Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 23:35:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] SEX and Swanand Prashant pandey In-Reply-To: <20050406155128.30788.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com> References: <20050406155128.30788.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <4255766A.9050804@sarai.net> Hey Prashant, I am quite enjoying your sojourn in mumbai music world. I enjoyed this particular interview more because i really enjoyed swanand's voice in 'hazaaron..." and in some way looking forward to hearing more from him. An unabashed admirer of Nitin Raikwar( a fellow lyricist) who > wrote Aati Kya Khandala( Will you come to Khandala with me ?) and > Phatela jeb sil jayega( the torn shirt can be sewed) Any particular reason for like these kind of lyrics? cheers ritika From vivek at sarai.net Thu Apr 7 15:16:33 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 15:16:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] O.V. Vijayan obituary Message-ID: <42550179.6070008@sarai.net> This obit is overdue... Vijayan was a most unusual and visionary creature, a pioneer of "magic realism" in Malayalam. But, his fictional works in English give the sense of being not quite adequate to their originals: he did much of the translation himself, and in the English there are no portmanteau words, very little syntactical play, and not many shifts in dialect or register. Those of us who do not read Malayalam need new, much more ambitious translations of these; but even then the work is quite distinctive. The first chapter of the translation of his Dharmapuranam ("The Saga of Dharmapuri"), which I read over ten years ago, is still, for me, one of the greatest and most memorable passages of literature I have ever read. It takes us to the scene of an important Dharmapurian ritual: the all-powerful President's daily potty-- presided upon by multiple TV cameras, French and other foreign journalists, Russian anthropologists/encyclopaedia writers, etc. A disturbing and very funny parable of power. V. *** O.V. Vijayan, the quintessential modernist By C. Gouridasan Nair HYDERABAD, MARCH 30. O.V. Vijayan, who died here this morning, is one of the few writers in Malayalam to lift himself to the rarefied realm of literary icons. That he did so with his iconoclasm might well be an irony. But then, irony has been part of his writing. Indeed, it was a brilliant strategem he used in many of his works with telling effect. And, maybe also in his life. His book Khasakinte Ithihaasam made a legend out of him, a legend that would live in millions of minds both within and outside Malayalam. He was a literary genius with prophetic vision. Oottupulackal Velukkutty Vijayan burst into the Malayalam literary scene of the late 1960s, writing in a language of his own. It was an intoxicatingly new idiom that held generations of writers who followed him in thrall. It was so intoxicating that he himself could not break free from it in his later writings. The language of Khasakkinte... transcended the familiar boundaries of literary articulation and even the sensory boundaries of sights, smells and pain. Critics returned to him again and again with whips of all ideological make but, by then, with a single work Vijayan had created for himself a space in the Indian literary world that few could encroach upon. The mystic charm of Khasakkinte... has been such that Thasrak, the village in interior Palakkad where he located the destiny of Ravi, its protagonist, has become a centre of literary pilgrimage. Reams and reams have been written about Vijayan's `Khasak' and its people. They were a bunch of rustic people who hardly noticed the man who had reached Thasrak to be with his elder sister for a brief while or knew that their village was being made the locale of a literary classic. Through a window Vijayan looked at the world from a window, one that was framed by his intensely personal perspective of men, women and matters. Just as he used to look out of the windows of the several police camps where he and his two sisters moved with their father, an officer in the Malabar Special Police (MSP), and his mother. Born premature in the seventh month at his ancestral home in Vilayanchathannur in Palakkad district on July 2, 1930, Vijayan was sickly from childhood and spent most of his time confined to his room. Often, what connected him with the world outside was the window. As a writer he continued to be intense, but as a commentator he maintained an essential detachment, like someone gazing at the world through the window. The two states of mind found their intense unity at one point, when Soviet tanks rolled into Hungary, snuffing out the `Prague Spring'. One of Vijayan's major concerns in his later writing has been about individuals who become victims of the systems they create. Education His first taste of formal schooling was at the age of 12. He joined the Raja's High School, Kottakkal, in Class 6. He graduated from the Government Victoria College, Palakkad and took his Master's from Presidency College, Madras. His career began with a short stint as tutor at the Malabar Christian College, Calicut, and later at the Government Victoria College there. He gave up the teaching job to join Shanker's Weekly, Delhi, in 1958 as a cartoonist and writer of political satire. He moved to Patriot after five years as staff cartoonist. Later, he was staff cartoonist with The Hindu and The Statesman. His cartoons also appeared in Far Eastern Economic Review and The New York Times. Merger Philosophy and politics merged in his cartoons, just as revolution and spirituality coalesced in his writings. His concern about the future of humankind, the bold mix of sexuality and politics in his stories and novels, his use of faeces as an imagery to question the banality of politics, and his deep anxiety about the cosmic order, were unique characteristics of a writer who was much more than the sum of his parts. Sex, satire and a deep sorrow marked much of his writing, each being a commentary on the Indian situation. In his inimitable style, Vijayan commented on the Indian situation and the geopolitical skulduggery. Each piece of his was an eye-opener for those who avidly followed his writing and cartooning career. His searing comment on Indira Gandhi's Emergency rule and about her return to power in 1980 would remain high points in the history of Indian cartooning. Vijayan left Delhi and moved to Hyderabad some years ago after living for a brief while in Kottayam. Suffering from Parkinson's disease, he has not been writing much for the last few years. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Theresa, and son, Madhu. Vijayan's major works include the novels Khasakinte Ithihasam (The Legend of Khasak, 1969), Dharmapuranam (The Saga of Dharmapuri, 1985), Gurusagaram (Eternity of Grace, 1987), Madhuram Gayathi (1990), Pravachakante Vazhi (The Way of the Prophet, 1992) and Thalamurakal (Generations, 1997). His collections of stories include Vijayante Kathakal (1978), Oru Neenda Rathriyude Ormakkayi (1979), Asanthi (1985), Balabodhini (1985), Kadaltheerathu (1988), Kattu Paranja Katha (1989). His collections of articles include Ghoshayathrayil Thaniye (1987), Sandehiyude Samvadam (1988), Kurippukal (1988), Vargasamaram (1988), Swathwam (1988), Ithihasathinte Ithihasam (1989), Haindavanum Athihaindavanum (1998). A collection of his satirical works is Ente Charithranweshvana Pareekshakal (1987); A collection of his cartoons is Ithiri Nerambokku Ithiri Darshanam (1999). The following works are translations into English: After The Hanging and Other Stories, The Saga Of Dharmapuri, The Legends of Khasak, Infinity of Grace and O.V. Vijayan: Selected Stories. Vijayan was conferred the Padmabhushan, the Ezhuthachchan Puraskaram, the Odakkuzhal Award , the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Central Akademi Awards, the Vayalar Award and the Muttathu Varkey Award. *** It's Dusk In Khasak Malayalam literature's most potent vat, Vijayan's lines brewed a heady, visionary broth N.S. MADHAVAN O.V. Vijayan wrote fiction in Malayalam, but drew cartoons mostly in English. I asked him once if he was ever tempted to write in English like some Marathi writers. Usually tentative, Vijayan was firm in his reply: "For me, fiction can only be written in Malayalam, however underexposed the language is." This was at his house on Delhi's Satya Marg. Vijayan was sitting with Pooh on his lap. The Siamese cat, the only pet he is known to have kept, was looking more philosophical than her master. But secretly I felt that a tamed zebra would have been a more suitable companion for him. Ink on paper, whether to draw or write, Vijayan at his best choreographed mesmerising moments in black and white. When did Vijayan first break into the Malayalee mind? My guess is it was with a cartoon and not one of his stories. In 1966 (he hadn't come out with a novel yet), India was experiencing a food shortage, and the historically cereal-deficient Kerala suffered most. Malayalees, overly dependent on ration shops for their daily diet, were numbed when they heard the government had reduced the fortnightly ration to six ounces of rice per adult. Meanwhile, in faraway Soviet Union and the US, they were competing to launch artificial satellites. A couple of days later, readers in Kerala woke up to a cartoon by Vijayan in Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi: a man perched on a satellite in outer space, peeping through a telescope at the earth, tells his friend: "On that planet, there exists a form of life that lives on six ounces of rice." It was one of the earliest intimations of Vijayan's genius. He wasn't entirely unknown even then, being part of a group of very gifted Malayalam writers, all of whom happened to be living in Delhi in the sixties. Together, they fashioned what was later reckoned to be the Golden Age of Malayalam fiction. They used to meet at the Kerala Club in Connaught Place to read aloud from their work and listen to some probing criticism. In 1968, Mathrubhumi Weekly began serialising Vijayan's first novel, Khasakinte Itihaasam. The novel challenged the reading habits of the day and it wasn't until the fourth or fifth instalment before its strangeness gave way to awe, and readers realised that they were witnessing a classic in the making. Around the same time, a not-so-successful Colombian novelist, with four novels to his name, was trying his luck for the fifth time. The Legends of Khasak impacted Malayalam fiction in the same way did Spanish literature, and later the world at large. Vijayan had set a benchmark for Malayalam writers. Khasak was a novel of its time, zeitgeisty, yet imbued with writing qualities that transcend decades. It's an imagined village in north Kerala where the protagonist, Ravi, arrives to start a school. During his brief stay, Ravi experiences all the intense passions of life: sex, politics, religion. The novel wove a magical web around readers. A story goes that a young collegiate, with dishevelled hair and angst-ridden eyes, once went to a railway station asking for a ticket to Khasak. Nothing could persuade him that there was no such place—he insisted he belonged to that place. Khasak had become the imagined homeland for many in Kerala. In his second novel, Dharmapuranam, Vijayan broke the Khasak mould, and went on to write an allegorical—and at times scatological—tale of a decadent despot. In all, he wrote six novels, nine collections of stories, a book of cartoons, and a few collections of essays. He was unique in his inclusive outlook. His power to fuse, his ability to build bridges over vast chasms—like a village ration shop and the Soviet cosmodrome—and his gift of divining patterns in apparent chaos were the signatures he left on Malayalam literature.In writing, these qualities showed in an amazing ability to invent portmanteau words and syntactical brilliance. Vijayan was also one of the first Malayalam writers with an international outlook. Auschwitz, typhoons in Hong Kong, the assassination of Soviet dissidents like Hungarian Imre Nagi were as much subject matter as life in little towns like Irinjalakuda or Chengannur. In another avatar and in another language, Vijayan drew cartoons. In English. He started his career as a teacher of English in a college in Calicut, but later, in 1958, the late Shankar invited him to join his weekly as a columnist. Though he left Shankar's Weekly to join dailies like The Patriot and The Hindu, Vijayan kept in touch with Shankar's till it closed down during the Emergency. Vijayan didn't draw cartoons in English in the same period. But the iconic cartoon on the Emergency in Malayalam is by Vijayan. It showed a train running with compartments which looked like police lock-ups. The caption: "Oh, here comes the train that runs on time." Vijayan drew stand-alone cartoons that did not compete with or complement news analyses or edits. He avoided flavours of the day, was ardent in his pursuit of history. Coincidentally, he stopped drawing—he was with The Statesmen then—when the Soviet Union collapsed. Though he picked up the Soviets for special treatment, he was never a Cold War creature. Those cartoons were, I suspect, Vijayan's way of teasing the Left orthodoxy back home. Nor did Uncle Sam escape unscathed. He was fairly even-handed in declaring plague on both houses. Vijayan stopped cartooning when the physical rigours of the craft got to him. He continued writing—dictating, rather—fiction in Malayalam. In the beginning of his career, Vijayan's writing brimmed with energy, biting humour. Khasak presented for the first time characters with rich internal lives. As he grew older, his writing became more contemplative. Now that his writing is done, it's clear: he started an epoch in Malayalam. (N.S. Madhavan is an award-winning Malayalam writer) From vivek at sarai.net Thu Apr 7 15:18:32 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 15:18:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Thomas Mapfumo's new album Message-ID: <425501F0.7000501@sarai.net> Some of you may know Thomas Mapfumo's work. He's the genius of Zimbabwean music who invented a style called "Chimurenga", in the late sixties, by transposing the notes of the traditional mbira (finger-piano) onto the electric guitar and mixing it with other southern and eastern African pop styles, reggae and rock. During Zimbabwe's liberation struggle, his banned songs were so popular that the Rhodesian army cruelly played them from helicopters to smoke out freedom fighters. After independence, he has continued to be critical of the current Mugabe regime. This-- his new album. V. *Banned in Zimbabwe, Do-It-Yourself in America:Mapfumo Breaks Out of the Box (Set) on World Music’s 1st Digital Only Release * They say that outspoken musician *Thomas Mapfumo* is better known in Zimbabwe than the country’s president. As he faced more and more limitations on his own musical freedom (he has been jailed and his songs banned from Zimbabwe’s state-dominated radio and press), Mapfumo moved to America. But according to *CalabashMusic.com* founder *Brad Powell*, “When Mapfumo returns to his homeland to perform, the people shout along at the concerts to his outspoken lyrics. They could never do this in the streets. He gives them permission to speak freely.” Mapfumo will once again break a sound barrier on *April 1, 2005 *when he releases his new album, */Rise Up/*, exclusively as a digital download via CalabashMusic.com; making Mapfumo the first artist to release an entire world music album in digital format only. Furthermore, the April 1 release will be accompanied by a download package of an entire catalog of his recorded music—over 130 songs—for $99. The *“Mapfumo Files”*—as this unboxable set has been dubbed—contain the previously unreleased /Rise Up/, and fourteen other Mapfumo albums, including a never-released-before recording called */Afropop Worldwide Presents Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, Live in New York/*. Afropop Worldwide’s Sean Barlow says: “Our landmark live recording at SOB’s in 1991 catches Thomas and his band when they first achieved their fully matured sound. With two mbira players right up front, the repertoire alternates between traditionally based songs and uptempo dance tunes with the swing of African jazz in Thomas’ unique horn arrangements. One of Afropop’s most sublime recordings ever.” The recording features key band members Sebastian Mbata (drums), Charles Makokova (bass) and Ephraim Karimaura (guitar) who have passed away since the recording was made. “Here we have possibly the most prolific voice for a generation of social protest in Zimbabwe,” explains Powell. “He has tried the path of working with record labels and is now seeking a more direct route to fans, cutting out some of the middle-men in the process. He has spent recent months recovering the rights to his music and publishing. And now he has found our fair trade model which earns a higher royalty than any other record deal he has had in his life, in 40 years of being in music.” /Afropop.org Senior Editor Banning Eyre interviewed Thomas Mapfumo about his latest work, "Rise Up" in a parked rent-a-car on a chilly day New York City last December with the heater running. This beautiful collection of songs is historic in that Thomas, frustrated with the limitations of the conventional music, has decided to release it digitally only as fair trade downloads. "Rise Up" is one of several classic albums released digitally. For the first time ever, Afropop Worldwide is releasing our 24 track live recording of Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited at their landmark 1991 session on S.O.B.'s in New York. See separate feature on "Afropop Presents Thomas Mapfumo, Live in New York." / /[ Interview with Banning Eyre] / *THOMAS:* The CD is called "/Rise Up/." *BANNING:* Before we go to the songs Thomas, this CD has had quite a history. As I understand, you recorded the songs twice already in Zimbabwe, and the tapes went missing. Tell us the story. *THOMAS: *Well, this one is a different one, because the other won that actually got involved with what happened in the studio last time, was a different thing, and the music was something different from what we here. We have only two songs from that other CD included on this one. It's new. This is something new. We have one old song that we re-recorded. "/Mukadzi Wangu/." I think you still remember the song. [SINGS.] We played that some time ago, and he we recorded in a long time ago, and we decided to re-record it. It was going to sound something new, rather than the old style. "Mukadzi Wangu" means "My Wife." This one is about a man who leaves his family to go abroad and work for his family because there's no work back home, and you cannot afford to look after his family because he is not working and so he decides, "Well, I'm leaving this country. I'm going to go out there and look for a job. I'm going to go there and work for my family and come back after some time. I'm leaving my wife and children." That's the story. *BANNING:* He's making a big sacrifice, a familiar story for Zimbabweans today. *THOMAS:* That's true. The first song we have there is "/Kova Rira Mukati/." [BE: Song is sweet, melancholy, soulful, wearily resigned, gentle.] *THOMAS: * "Some People Don't Talk." They keep quiet, whilst things are going wrong, like the situation back in Zimbabwe where people are not even talking, and yet there are problems within the country where poor people are suffering. Somebody is holding onto the power for all that long. He has been there for over 23 years now, and he wants to complete maybe 30 years, holding onto power, clinging onto power. And we are saying, "It's up to you, the people. You have to make a decision. Do you want this guy to destroy the country, or do you want to do something about it?." So we are saying, "It is up to you, the people, to make sure you're going to stop this man from whenever he is doing. He's not doing anyone good. He has been there for a long time, and he doesn't want to let go of the power. He doesn't want to listen to anyone. We're having too many conflicts in that country, so it's up to us the people to make a decision." *BANNING:* Can you quote me some of the actual lines of the song? *THOMAS:* SHONA. It means, "It is up to you, mothers, up to you fathers, up to you boys and girls. Look at the situation that we are in today. To make the situation right, it is up to us, to stand up and say something. We must rise up and fight back. We need to fight back." [BE: Fast jit, led by girls singing.] *THOMAS:* That's "/Dogura Masango/." It means, "I'm Going Away." "I'm running away from problems. So I'm going to go away. I don't know where I'm going. But I'm just going away. I'm running away. I'm getting out of this country because there are a lot of problems, and I cannot wait for these problems to destroy my life, so I need to go somewhere where I will do something about myself. I don't look for me. I'll be gone. I might be coming back sometime, but I don't know when." It's a song about the people who are leading that country, and going to live in some other countries like England, America, all over the world. They are running away from the situation back home, so they can't take it. The songs about them. *BANNING:* Sango is like the forest. *THOMAS: *Yes, the forest. "/Mukadzi Wangu/." This is the one we just talked about. It was on Ngangariro, along with "/Nyoka Musango/." It's one of the oldest songs. "/Musandi Wenge/." From clifton at altlawforum.org Fri Apr 8 05:26:20 2005 From: clifton at altlawforum.org (Clifton) Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 08:56:20 +0900 Subject: [Reader-list] Police lathi charge demonstrations of slum dwellers against demolitions in Mumbai Message-ID: <4255C8A4.2030300@altlawforum.org> *Subject:* Slum Demolitions - Action Alert and Press Conference - VERY URGENT * Despite Brutal Lathicharge by the Mumbai Police on a Rally of Slum Dwellers whose Houses have been Demolished by the State , 1000 Protesters Continue Dharna at Azad Maidan * Police Claims of Stone Throwing by Protesters which led to the Lathi – charge Completely False. * The 22 arrrested persons, including Medha Patkar, Anand Patwardhan, Ulka Mahajan, Sandhya Gokhale , Sanjay M.G., Chitra Paleker, Maju Vargese were released at mid-night by the Night Magistrate on Personal Bond * Press Conference at Azad Maidan to-day ( 7-4-2005) at 2.30 p.m. A peaceful rally was organized by the National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements on 6-4-2005, from August Kranti Maidan to Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Thousands of slum dwellers whose houses had been callously demolished by the Maharashtra Government, as also activists from numerous organizations and individuals had turned out in support of their demands for housing before the monsoons start. The uncalled for and severe ‘lathicharge’ , just outside the Azad Maidan, resulted in over a hundred people having to be taken to the hospitals in the surrounding areas. * The lathis were aimed at the heads of protesters. * The saris and clothes of the women protesters were torn and stripped off by male police. Women were beaten and injured in the inner thigh region. * 2 pregnant women were kicked in their stomachs with police wearing heavy boots. * Many suffered fractures and were bleeding through their clothes. * Nearly 20 children were separated from their parents and 2 toddlers could only be located late last night. * 2 children from Rafiq Nagar are severely injured and in St George’s hospital. Rabia Khatoon – age 9 months, requires a CT Scan. * 22 persons, including Medha Patkar, Anand Patwardhan, Chitra Palekar, Ulka Mahajan, Sanjay M.G., Sujata Ghotoskar, Sandhya Gokhale, Mukta Srivastava, Laxmi Shinde. Pramila Chowdhary, Shashikala Rampyare Prasad, Jayshree Gauri, Kamludidi , Maju Verghese were arrested. Kamludidi was hit on the head with a lathi by a male police man and Devidas Khare was also grievously injured. * Anand Patwardhan was manhandled and his clothes torn. His camera was purposely broken. * The police threatened some of the press persons who were photographing the incident and even tried their level best to convince the night Magistrate to keep them in jail so that information cannot reach the press. * Free use of swear words by the police relating to gender, mother, sister and religion were rampant. The response of the police was to call a Press Conference at 5.00 pm in the Commissioner’s Office and claim that the lathicharge became necessary because of stone throwing and injury to 12 policemen. These are totally false charges. Eye witnesses claim that it was the police who rioted and not the Morcha. The eye - witnesses were enraged at the callous behaviour of SOME of the police towards the children who were lost and injured. The police instead of showing sympathy, were demanding to know why children were brought to the Morcha. When told that people who have been rendered homeless do not have servants to leave their children with, the police threatened the people who were arguing with dire consequences and said that they are not required to reply and that they should not be questioned or spoken to. Those arrested were taken to the Azad Maidan and Ramabai Ambedkar Rd.Police Stations. They were presented before the Magistrate on night duty, who released all concerned on personal bond. On being released around mid-night, those who had been arrested, immediately joined the Dharna at Azad Maidan, which still continues with about a thousand persons being present. Questions were raised in the Assembly by Narsiah Adam ( CPM), Ganpatrao Deshmukh ( PWP) , Narayan Rane ( Leader of the Opposition) and Devendra Phadnis of the BJP. Deputy Chief Minister R.R.Patil is expected to make a statement in response, to-day. Kindly URGENTLY fax a letter of protest to: 1) Sonia Gandhi Fax : Sonia Gandhi : 011- 23018651 / 23016857 2) Prime Minister: 011 – 23016857 / 23019545 / 23015603 3) Chief Minister, Maharashtra 022- 22029214 / 23631446 4) Deputy C.M., Maharashtra 022 – 22024873 Suggested Demands : 1. Immediate action should be taken against the callous perpetrators who led this horrific attack on the already deprived and suffering citizens of our nation : DCP – Naval Bajaj Sr. PI – Kesar Ahmed PI – Sanjay Kadam was particularly brutal and involved with the molestation and harassment of women. 2. Immediately compensate those families who have been living in their houses before the year 2000, but their houses have been broken down despite protection upto the year 2000 having been announced. 3. Open up the lands where fences have been put up and let the people erect their own houses under site and service scheme. 4. Hold a detailed discussion with the affected persons and their representatives, including the NAPM on the Right to Housing and Human Rights. Sanjay M.G., Gajana Khatu, Datta Iswalkar , Mukta Srivastava, Roshni Jadhav, Pervin Jehangir, and others. From singhgurminder2000 at hotmail.com Fri Apr 8 13:32:07 2005 From: singhgurminder2000 at hotmail.com (gurminder singh) Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 13:32:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Spirit of service in the Sikhism Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050408/7f49f381/attachment.html From sollybenj at yahoo.co.in Fri Apr 8 11:48:34 2005 From: sollybenj at yahoo.co.in (solomon benjamin) Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 07:18:34 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] John Thakara to Anthropologist in the "new war" and my response Message-ID: <20050408061834.85504.qmail@web8403.mail.in.yahoo.com> Hi Apologies for this rather long posting, but may be of interest as a point of debate. Solly ***** Dear John, Thank you for your letter and perhaps an opportunity to open up a much needed debate on the increasingly complex ways of corporate control and how we can strive to maintain autonomy and a sharp political edge in our work, as well as an open discussion space. First, I did enjoy DOORs-8 very much, and for the creative energies that it brought forth. I also very much appreciate the hard work put in by: "..our modestly paid staff colleagues worked 18 hour days for weeks on end. Another success factor in our event was the work, time and enthusiasm of dozens of unpaid student volunteers from Indian colleges and universities...". My posting in the SARAI list, as well as this response does not in any way attempt to de-value those efforts and commitments. I also appreciate your attempt to keep corporate strings to a minimum. I would still however, like to maintain the importance of atleast two issues: First, as mentioned both in my presentation and also in my Commons Law posting, the effort to map in the 'new war'. The second issue relates to increased and subtler forms of corporate control. I suspect that what we witness today, reflects increasingly centralized forms of capital and as a way of shaping public opinion and in parallel control new markets, their penetration in the arts, media, and discourse on technological innovation. There are several who focus on the nature of contemporary capital in more effective ways (Chomsky, Souras, Klein, and also Mic Moor), and several on the way these are located in the globalized connections in cities (Sassen). Let us consider what you may consider to be a useful session event "Mapping Our Hidden Links" for the next DOORs. The DOORs is terrific since it attracts a range of highly creative individuals and groups involved in cutting edge stuff. If so, can such a session focus attention on the sort of 'hidden baggage' that participants may be carrying with them, and explore to what extent these are inter-connected. "Mapping Our Hidden Links" is to map the relatively more hidden financial linkages (institutions, circuits, connections) that fund a particular installation, cases of innovations, experiments, and even urban design initiatives like the Times Square Alliance in NYC. Let us have a group of participants, with the aid of Internet access, 'google' their funders to open up their own links into the wider world: A sort of 'whose connected to whom' in un-packing corporate connections (see for instance, a bibliography on works on corporation http://www.rrojasdatabank.org/tncsbibl.htm; or http://www.theyrule.net/). Can the participants in undertaking this task, also reflect on the issue of 'ownership' of products created, of patent regimes as applied to them? Here, perhaps having a group of smart (but also politicized) lawyers may be able to help unpack how these subject the 'creative edge' to new forms of control and ownership. I am sure in undertaking such a mapping, we will also discover counter-narratives, scams that are often hidden under gloss and media hype. This is not just of the big business, but also of its connections to government too. Based on say an hour's exercise, we could use an integrative mapping tool to place the various individual maps to see cross linkages to show up groups that gain and also those that loose out. Can we take this even one step further? Based on such an interactive exercise, can the participants think about how they might re-frame their installations and approaches to address the newer political realities thy might have realized? Let me give you a concrete example based on a 5 minute google search that I undertook while lounging in the SARAI's 'contested commons' conference held in Delhi in January 2005. The current head of NASSOM (ex-head of Citi bank), India's main IT voice and pushing for strong anti-piracy measures is also listed as 'one of the ones who got away', and has his full page photograph set in a wonderful book "The SCAM: Who won, who lost, who got away' by Debasis Basu, and Sucheta Dalal (Ken Source, 1993,1994, 2001). Incidentally, he is also the nephew of the head of the country's most well known IT firm, allegedly having bailed out that firm for $200 million in when it faced financial difficulties. On the IPR connection to NASSOM, it's well known that the largest IT firms use IPR to shape power relationships against their smaller competitors, effectively control surpluses and capture markets. If we look deeper into these connections, we will also discover set within a very close circuit of these same actors, funds to use GIS and E-Governance in re-shaping property regimes that again target among other things, the ability of small firms to innovate and gain political autonomy (the topic of my presentation at the DOORs-8 and also SARAI's Contested Commons). Located in this financial circuits are intuitions that fund media events, installations, and also publishing on women's issues. To emphasize this point, some insights from Bangalore and a recent visit to Bombay: In both cases, we see their a much larger re-structuring of both economy and politics that create new contestations over space. What we also increasingly find, a congruence of financial institutions and circuits that gain substantial profits from access to cheap land, from reframing regulations (planning, property regimes, and IPR) against small firm clusters, and fund increasing corporate control over basic services like water. The use of IPR, forms of GIS and land titling, and "e-governance" are central tools. Significantly, and this is my main point, the same institutions also deploy substantial 'un-tied' resources to promote 'art and culture' events (often hiring 'PR firms" to help feature these events in the 'page 3' type of glossy journalism), funds for architects and urban planners to undertake 'conservation', efforts to cultivate the media, and the promotion of elite based 'civil society initiatives'. Not surprisingly, we see, architects and planners involved in protesting housing evictions, also getting grants to do conservation that effectively removes hawkers from the newly beach-fronts, or then small innovative based firm clusters. The media events, promotion of elite based civil society is very effective in shaping public opinion, and in a sense to 'manufacture consent'. If so, than I suspect, that we will increasingly see forums to discuss technological innovations, 'best practice', have in attendance corporate groups to scout out what's new, and 'fundable'. Art and media has never been neutral, but to emphasize that unless one specifically addresses the new forms of controls that come with funding, and trace out the 'backward and forward' linkages (in the language of economist) one would hardly ever understand the way hidden levers operate. I hope this response to your open letter has been convincing to point to larger issues of corporate control (rather than any form of a personal attack). The issues are too great of concern to be caught up in triviality. I would very much look forward to more of DOORs, but also as a way to take on this debate and discussion further onto a more political terrain. Specifically an opportunity to draw via a "Mapping Our Hidden Links" the creative congruence of the participants that I have mentioned above. I appreciate your point that DOORs operates on the bare minimum of corporate funding. My argument is that explicit funding to an event is one aspect, but in today's 'new war', it is the subtler forms that may be more all pervasive. Cheers Solly ************ Open letter to Dr Solomon Benjamin Dear Solly, My attention has been drawn to your post of 28 March on the Sarai Commons-Law mailing list. I am usually pretty relaxed about criticism. After all, if our events failed to provoke discussion and disagreement, they would be feeble events indeed. One reason I was so happy to be introduced to your work, and then to be able to ask you to come to speak, was that you bring such clarity and sharpness to the issues we set out to understand and discuss. I am especially sympathetic to your pointed question about "our attempt to constantly map our cities in a un-questioning way". I raised similar questions myself, before and after Doors 8 - but your doubts are more sharply stated. You are right: we need to think far more critically about the use of cartography and mapping by designers in the context of research and product development. But one sentence in your posting is upsetting and, frankly, demeaning. You write (about the programme) that it contained "Little on improving corporate accountability though, but then, the sponsors would hardly approve of that topic as a session heading". The clear implication is that our corporate sponsors were able so to determine the agenda so that nothing that might have discomifted them appeared. The facts are as follows. First, I did not solicit the approval of our sponsors, or their input, on any aspect of the the programme. The agenda for the Doors 8 programme was determined by me personally according to a policy that has applied very publicly to all Doors events since 1993: corporate agendas (or those of any special interest group, including designers) shall not influence or impinge on the programme in any way, period. For Doors 8, we did discuss with several companies the content of one pre-conference workshop on "Service Design In Emerging Economies"; this was conceived and executed as a special interest event about business issues; it would have been strange (if not impossible) to prepare it without involving business people. But apart from that one workshop, which was one event among nine days of events, the entire programme was developed independently. Second, the total amount of money contributed by commercial sponsors to Doors 8 was a rather small proportion of the total costs of the event when the time of staff members is counted in. We wish we had raised a lot more sponsorship. But by far the largest part of the global budget for Doors 8 comprised time and resources donated by the two organisers: the Doors of Perception Foundation, and the Centre for Knowledge Societies. The suggestion of improper corporate influence is especially damaging considering that the event was only possible because our modestly paid staff colleagues worked 18 hour days for weeks on end. Another success factor in our event was the work, time and enthusiasm of dozens of unpaid student volunteers from Indian colleges and universities. I am writing to you publicly like this because your comment follows a series of jibes that, until now, I had decided to ignore. During the months before Doors 8, we heard continuous reports of ill-informed chitchat to the effect that Doors was a "commercial" event at the service of corporate interests. The fact that such comments were, are are, totally untrue does not stop them being damaging. They should stop. Hence this letter. For the record, I am as delighted now as I was a month ago to have discovered your work. The energy and insight you brought to the Doors conference was something special, and helped to make it a fabulous and memorable event. I look forward to inviting you to another Doors event as soon as possible. With warm regards, John Thackara ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Fri Apr 8 13:19:29 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 00:49:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Race to the Bottom Message-ID: <20050408074929.81650.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Race to the Bottom Free trade is a social issue as well as an economic one. To attract investors, countries compete to lower costs. That can mean offering cheap labour, weak environmental laws, lax health and safety standards or reduced social services. The lower your standards, the higher the investment. 1 Social security Free trade agreements open public services to private investors eager to access these �markets�. Profit-oriented healthcare and education corporations can set up abroad and demand equal rights. 2 Environment Free trade rules encourage the export of primary resources at the lowest possible price. Debt-strapped poor countries are caught on a destructive treadmill: resource exports increase to earn foreign exchange �> world markets are over-supplied �> prices fall �> exports are increased to make up the drop in income �> greater environmental destruction. 3 Food security Free trade benefits big landowners and agribusiness by lifting controls on food exports and imports. Switching from growing food for local markets to food for export increases hunger, lowers incomes of small farmers and reinforces unsustainable, chemically dependent industrial agriculture. 4 Political sovereignty �National treatment� clauses force governments to treat foreign investors like domestic ones. Investor-state dispute mechanisms allow foreign companies to challenge laws and regulations which may hinder profits � including allowing corporations to sue local governments for �future loss of profits�. 5 Culture and health Corporations get protection for their intellectual and property rights while undermining the rights of workers and local cultures � investor rights trump human rights. Companies can patent seeds, genes and medicines thus alienating indigenous peoples and others from access to local traditional health treatments and resources. � New Internationalist --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050408/3e75fbc8/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Apr 9 11:48:45 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 11:48:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] JNU icon compared to Modi Message-ID: So this is how the left proposes to rule the world and claim moral highground over the neo-cons? Shivam After Modi, rights group turns to Chavez record By Ashok Malik The Indian Express April 09, 2005 [ http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=68071 ] Human Rights Watch (HRW), the international civil liberties monitor so critical of Narendra Modi — its assessments were cited during the Gujarat CM's visa refusal — has now indicted Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who visited India in March. In its findings released on April 5, HRW accused Chavez of victimising leading human rights lawyer Carlos Ayala and attempting to frame him. ''This is a clear cut case of political persecution, targetting someone who has been an effective critic of the Chavez government's human rights record,'' a release said. Pointing to previous HRW findings, the report accused Chavez of packing the Venezuelan Supreme Court. ''This has severely weakened judicial independence,'' it said. In May 2004, after ''pro-opposition rulings'', Chavez's government enacted a controversial law enlarging the court from 20 to 32 members. The 12 new judges are his appointees. -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From patrice at xs4all.nl Sat Apr 9 20:23:40 2005 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (patrice at xs4all.nl) Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 16:53:40 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] What The Hack - pricing policies Message-ID: <16215.213.84.9.189.1113058420.squirrel@213.84.9.189> Re Valentina Messeri's post, April 1st: And who'll pay for 150 euros ticket? you? And who/what is organizing this "large hacker's festival" ? (which seems to be an alternative way to make money?, or not?) best regards Valentina's formulation definitely falls in a category the Dutch call "cutting thru the curve" but the questions themselves, asked many times over by other people certainly merit some consideration. For sure, 150 Euros is not a small sum. For people not enjoying (west) European incomes, it is even a huge amount. The festival however takes place in Europe, and the amount charged for participation must be seen in context. This is a four days long event featuring a lot of activities and a rich programme. In geek/ nerds/ techies/ and other IT culture interested peoples' terms you can compare it with a big pop festival. These are not cheap either, in fact they cost the same amount of money - for a lesser number of days (remember: you can stay & camp for at least 4 nights, and up to 9 or 10 if you come before or stay after the beginning/ the end of the event). This is also an 'official' happening. It means that all necessary permissions have to be obtained, and all requirements as per law met with regard to safety, sanitation, security, etc etc etc have to be met. Charges for waste disposal (which are meticulously assessed), for example, run in thousands and thousands of Euros. Then a lot of technical facilitation is provided to the participants. Some of it may be sponsored, most have to be paid for. Connectivity at Dutch 'H' events for instance, is famously extensive - but comes at a price. And so one can go on listing all the features that make such events expensive to organise and hence need to carry an entry fee, which looks hefty, but still does not cover all the costs being made - by far. So much for a 'commercial operation'. But I think Valentina's grudge is based on something deeper, that is a misunderstanding of the nature of these events - I am talking here of the 4-yearly 'Dutch' gatherings, the 4-yearly Chaos Computer Club Summer Camps in/ near Berlin, and the HOPE bashes in the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York, done on alternate years by the 2600 Magazine crew. All of these carry an entry price comparable to WTH. These gatherings are _not_ hackmeetings as are taking place regularly in Spain and Italy. They are much bigger, and their constituency, for the better or the worse, is much larger than such meets. The reason for that is a difference in culture and circumstances in which various 'hackers scene' operate in different parts of Europe, and the world. This result is a difference of approach with regard to the kind of events they organise. I think it is fruitless to debate whichever scene is more 'genuine', and represents the 'hackers spirit' better than the other. Both have their merits, and so have their gatherings. Attendance to neither of those is compulsory, and myself, I enjoy going to both. The big advantage of an event like What The Hack is the diversity of publics one can meet and have talk with there. It can lead to surprising initiatives and interactions, but again, nobody forces you to do so. This year's structure, based on ...less structure and more self-organisation along the 'village' model, offers even more opportunity to 'do your wown thing' (yes, it also makes life for the conveners easier ;-), so I'd say make use of it. And finally the organisation is working hard at providing some kind of sponsoring/ assistance to people who are genuinely not able to be at WTH on their own means. It would appear that this facility will be more available than at previous events. But let it be clear on the other hand that nobody can feel 'entitled' to a free ticket on basis of whatever kind of ethical/ moral/ political status. It has even been a hallowed tradition of 'H' events that the organisers themselves pay the participation fee. From kaiwanmehta at gmail.com Sun Apr 10 12:41:01 2005 From: kaiwanmehta at gmail.com (kaiwan mehta) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:41:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bombay Meeting - Every Month Now! Message-ID: <2482459d05041000117a51d724@mail.gmail.com> Hi We met yesterday, that was Saturday the 9th of April, 2005. The succes of it? We decided to meet the first Saturday of every month. There were 13 of us. There was Smriti, Prashant, Madhavi, Pankaj, Lakshmi, Mario, Shai, Ankur, Zainab, Ninad, Ateya and myself oh yes and a visitor, Zack. The session went on for nearly 2-1/2 hrs people kept strolling in continuously. After the initial chill and thaw we got discussing many things, from your project and mine to many other things and finally bitching too!! It was best to put faces to projects and postings. Well it took a short time for all of us to get comfortable, but we were soon identifying interests and talking personally with each other. There was a nice mix of general conversation and project specific discussions. At one level we were all introducing our projects and then more details were discussed between couples or trios specifically interested in each others works. So it was interesting and worth it sharing experiences. Often the experiences discussed methodologies of operating in the field – past and present experiences and obviously sharing resources. All in all it was great, all of us were happy and satisfied at the end of it and we on the spot decided to meet every month – the first Saturday (which Prashant prefers to call the Sarai Satsang!). It will be good if others add in their experiences and observations too, to my mail. Well thanks all for being there! Best Regards, Kaiwan -- Kaiwan Mehta Architect and Urban Reseracher 11/4, Kassinath Bldg. No. 2, Kassinath St., Tardeo, Mumbai 400034 022-2-494 3259 / 91-98205 56436 From arisen.silently at gmail.com Sun Apr 10 15:46:55 2005 From: arisen.silently at gmail.com (arisen silently) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 16:01:55 +0545 Subject: [Reader-list] Tomrrow women: power and activism in South Africa In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1925b33d0504100316351569ec@mail.gmail.com> From: Zoe Wilson Date: Apr 10, 2005 3:32 PM Subject: Tomrrow women: power and activism in South Africa http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?issue=198 Power and South Africa's social movements in the era of globalization J. Zo* Wilson And Saranel Benjamin Changes in the status of women are key features of globalization. Some analysts have even concluded that globalization is, in part, feminization. 'The feminization of what?' is the question. We are not going to try to answer this question here. Rather, we want to open discussion on how stories about women and globalization relate to the world of activism. What functions do these stories perform for the left? How do they constitute social movements and mask that civil society is not an ideal space; that inequities are often reproduced there? The question of whether the changes associated with globalization have been aggregately positive or negative for women tends to be one around which activist and civil society politics is mobilized – and key assertions about where our global society is going and how it wants to get there are framed. Digital divide notwithstanding, hours of web searching every possible combination of key words for 'women and globalization' essentially *revealed* that little to no progress of any meaningful kind has occurred over the last 100 years, and that women as a whole remain overwhelmingly powerless, voiceless and victims. The trade in colors, with the image of black and brown women as the "face of poverty", is particularly robust. But, can we trust these stories completely? The way power is organized tends to allow –even encourage - relatively well-resourced and socially privileged spokespersons (men and women of various colours) to use popular discourses about the affects of globalization on women. Discourses do things; they have effects. Or, more strongly, people say things in order to achieve things. They offer excuses, assign blame, win support, seize the moment, cast themselves in a particular light, and so on. Women in the social movements in post-apartheid South Africa provide testimony to the fact that whilst they may form the mass base of the movement they most certainly are not well represented among the leadership ranks. The movements have garnered the support of thousands of poor black women and have through their political action challenged the state's provision of basic services to the household and raised consciousness around the plight of poor women. Yet within the movements, a male, top heavy leadership speaks on behalf of thousands of poor black women while the added burden of moving much needed gender reform forward is one that falls primarily to women – often finding an uneven, even cold reception from leaderships accustomed to defining gender equality as secondary to class and race struggles. That inequities are reproduced in civil society – from local to global - raises questions about a left that trades on taking up the plight of women, a left that looks to women's experiences to legitimize movements, organizations – even activist careers. Commander Esther, Zapatista Army of National Liberation, highlights the contradictions: "[A]s women, the rich man tries to humiliate us, but also the man who is not rich, who is poor like our husbands, our brothers, our fathers, our sons, our companions in the struggle, and those who work with us and are organized with us. So we say clearly that when women demand respect, we demand it not only from the neoliberals, but also from those who struggle against neoliberalism and say they are revolutionaries but in the home are like Bush." In South Africa, the social movements have traditionally been perceived to be the place where poor, black women coagulate to regain their self-respect, their dignity, their strength as a collective and their identity as women. However, this safe space of the movement continues to displace value and repeatedly uses the same oppressive forms of structure and organising. Thus, when women gain it may be merely as a component of other geometries of power, such as unions or civil society organizations - whose decision-making processes and well paid positions are overwhelmingly occupied by men. Some predict that if this were to continue then women will be compelled to reconstitute themselves as a group identity of women that will supplant class interest as the chief medium of political mobilization. Still, not much is done within social movements to empower women to participate more effectively, so that they can be their own voices and be their own faces and agents of their own experience. For example, often the male leadership simultaneously co-opt women's powerfully articulated demands for better municipal services while conceiving of and scripting women's organizational roles as merely supportive. The commitment from the male leadership to the transformation of gender relations appears strategic and limited. As a result, women in the movements are feeling a greater sense of isolation and that their particular issues and their identities as women are being ignored. Ten years on now from the end of apartheid and there is a growing sense that women's development in the movement - other than what they are able to achieve as individuals – has stalled. If women consistently fail to escape the everyday indignities of discrimination in social movements, that those movements might unravel under the weight of their contradictions, is not surprising. Among the members of the now frayed and fragmented Concerned Citizen's Forum [CCF], for example, it was a commonly held perception that, while women are at the forefront of the struggle and many occupy leadership positions in their local branches, there was no development of women in the CCF - other than what they are able to achieve as individuals - and there existed few mechanisms in the social movements leadership structure to encourage active participation of women. Similarly, to date in trade unions, the democratic rights that have been achieved by the unions for women members in the workplace are not paralleled by democratic rights for women within the unions. More insidiously, however, the values and beliefs encountered within the union structures have been of women as inherently subservient, whose issues carried less weight than those of the broader working class struggles. Cutting into the question of women and the left where we have seems to suggest that one route out of the impass might be to play closer attention to what women can and have achieved (in terms of extracting themselves from their particular experience with a tangle of patriarchal norms and institutions) through acts of individual creativity and innovation. For example, a breaking down and breaking out – moving beyond what seems structurally or organizationally possible within existing hierarchical parameters – has long been the innovative strategy of black women – and a mode of power of the so-called 'powerless' more generally. Since their demands have perpetually been left out by feminist movements and movements for racial liberation, it is often individual creativity that has brought about the actual gains that translate into bargaining power and leverage in movements. In this light, while there is little point to romanticizing the ruptures and border zones of the globalizing world, some analysts point to not yet well understood informal temporary zones and multi-centric functional networks nested within sprawling "scapes" where important social resistance and renewal takes place. That is, beyond totalizing rhetorics and hardened organizational hierarchies of the left there is an array of women's insurgencies taking place. The widest array of which may be, to borrow Castell's language, "practical feminists" (2000b: 200). "Aren't the struggles and organizations of women throughout the world, for their families (meaning mainly their children), their lives, their work, their shelter, their health, their dignity, feminism in practice…Under different forms, and through different paths, feminism dilutes the patriarchal dichotomy of man/woman as it manifests itself in social institutions and in social practice. So doing, feminism constructs not one but many identities, each one of which, by their autonomous existence, seizes micropowers in the world wide web of life experiences." Authors like Saskia Sassen have noted that in the global cities "[t]here is a large literature showing that immigrant women's regular wage work and improved access to other public realms has an impact on their gender relations: Women gain greater personal autonomy and independence while men lose ground." It may be that we like our stories of women having new freedoms, of gaining ground, to be less messy. We have been trained to see as primary her exploitation in the capitalist labour market. But what if we change the lens from capitalism to patriarchy? And what if we set that picture afloat within a global left that doesn't value women any more than capitalism does? The organized left's skepticism about women's agency and what can be achieved without being organized tends to operate to script the work of 'the struggle' in service of 'the revolution' as nobler, more important, more immediately pressing. But the promise that women's everyday lived indignities will simply evaporate once race and class issues are addressed relies on futurology as vague and discredited as Adam Smith's invisible hand. Capitalism seems to trade on patriarchy, but so can the left. We are skeptical about global discourses and politicized terrains that remain dominated by debates that frame women's autonomy as something won on behalf of women. It renders invisible much of the day-to-day innovation and activity that individual women leverage to incrementally reinvent daily life. More insidiously it co-opts and confiscates the gains made by women in the everyday, attributing it to activists, organized civil society organizations and international development agencies, many of which primarily serve the interests of a narrow band of elite often organized along principles where men are able to move through the ranks leaving the bulk of women behind as shadow workers. Many of the women who belong to social movements in South Africa often don't restrict themselves to the work of the organization. Women in the Anti-Eviction Campaign in the Western Cape pointed out that it is not only evictions that they are concerned with. They work in their communities around issues of HIV, poverty, rape, drug-abuse, accessing social grants, teenage pregnancies and access to education for their children. Yet this work is not considered as a form of activism that is altering the political landscape. Rather "strategic" interests of the left are perceived as a more evolved and informed type of activism (where most of the men congregate around) and set in opposition to "practical" issues like daily survival. With the specter of revolution denied looming intimidating, women are called to justify and rationalize the authenticity of their interests - to stop pursuing those interests and be drawn into the diversionary web of defending them. In her seminal 1985 article Spivak asked the question "Can the Subaltern Speak?" The point was not that movements for social change can somehow 'get it right next time' when they speak on behalf of those who have little voice in existing architectures of power. Rather, she wanted to know when and under what conditions will the subaltern speak for themselves? As Poet Sujata Bhatt has said: I am Indian, very brown, born in Malabar, I speak three languages, write in Two, dream in one. Don't write in English, they said, English is not your mother tongue. Why not leave Me alone, critics, friends, visiting cousins, Every one of you? Why not let me speak in any language I like?... * Saranel Benjamin and J. Zo* Wilson are with the Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability, York University, Canada. The authors would like to thank Amanda Alexander, Raj Patel and Richard Pithouse for their valuable comments. All errors remain the responsibility of the authors exclusively. **NOTE TO READERS: the authors would like to invite people everywhere to send their experiences with gender equity in social movements to: benjamins at ukzn.ac.za and wilsonz at ukzn.ac.za. Accounts will be compiled, verified and made available to all respondents. Please note if you wish to remain anonymous. * Please send comments to editor at pambazuka.org. References Benjamin, S ' "We are not Indians! We are the Poors!" : Investigating Race Class and Gender in Social Movements' Development Update, Vol 5 No. 2, 2004. Castells, M. . The Power of Identity. Great Britain: Blackwell Publishers, 2000. Spivak. G. "Can the Subaltern Speak?" In Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory: A Reader, pp. 66-111, Patrick Williams and Laura Chrisman, eds. Hemel Hempstead & New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1993. (First printing 1988) J. Zoe Wilson, Ph.D. Post Doctoral Fellow Centre for Civil Society, UKZN 27 31 260 2917 072 966 3603 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please find our disclaimer at http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer -------------------------------------------------------------------- <<<>>> ---- Message sent by the Situationist list. To unsubscribe, send blank email to situationist-off at lists.nothingness.org From shekhar at crit.org.in Mon Apr 11 01:09:42 2005 From: shekhar at crit.org.in (Shekhar Krishnan) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 01:09:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mills as Public Spaces: Mumbai's Industrial Heritage Message-ID: Dear All: Here is something I have written for the forthcoming issue of Art India, a special issue on heritage conservation. Best S.K. _____ Mills as Public Spaces: The Industrial Heritage of Mumbai By Shekhar Krishnan Art India, April 2005 http://www.artindiamag.com http://www.crit.org.in/members/shekhar/millsaspublicspaces http://www.crit.org.in/projects/girni/indu1 http://www.crit.org.in/projects/girni/kohinoor In Mumbai, public awareness of urban arts and heritage has experienced a significant revival  in the past ten years — in the same historical moment when manufacturing industries have closed and factories emptied throughout Greater Mumbai. Heritage discourse and conservation practice have only implicitly acknowledged this economic context. Since the Bombay Textile Strike of 1982–3, entire working-class communities across the city have been retrenched and dispersed — in the Mill and Dock Lands of central Mumbai, the chemical and engineering factories and industrial estates in suburban Mumbai, and across the Metropolitan Region. With job losses going into tens of lakhs, and uncertain growth prospects for Mumbai, several years ago the media and civic elite began speaking of the “death of the city” they once knew, whereas planners and academics eagerly awaited the birth of a new “global city”. However one described this restructuring of the city’s economy, it is clear that manufacturing has declined in value compared to the new service industries, not just in Mumbai but in big cities throughout the world. The post-industrial landscapes of London’s Docklands and New York’s Lower Manhattan are oft-cited symbols of this change — monstrous, gleaming high-rise districts dominated by banking, finance, and white-collar services. In today’s urban economy, the making and marketing of immaterial signs has replaced the production of durable goods as the primary circuit of wealth creation. The concepts and practices of cultural heritage, architectural conservation, and public arts, (whether they realise it or not) are enmeshed in this new economy of image production. While buildings are still very much made of brick and mortar (or steel and RCC), the production of images of the urban built environment is one of the intangible, high-value commodities of the global city. Whether in the space-age absurdity of Hafeez Contractor’s garden city in Powai, or the sepia-tinted romanticism of the South Bombay heritage enthusiasts, the value of a building has less to do with its physical qualities than its iconic presence as an object of consumption. So it is not difficult to explain the phenomenal growth of concepts and practices of heritage conservation in Mumbai. The scarcity of fresh land and exhaustion of new sites to build in Mumbai has forced many architects to refashion their practice around conservation of existing buildings, rather than construction of new ones. Today the city skyline is commanded by towering skyscrapers, not by smoking chimneys — the closure of factories in the eighties and nineties was paralleled by the rise of the construction industry, and allied sectors in finance, banking, real estate and retail. Builders, and not mill-owners or industrialists, are the kingpins of today’s global city — and architecture, arts, and cultural practice must reflect this new order. Heritage is, quite plainly, a smart way of boosting real estate values for high-end consumption, and of turning downmarket areas into upmarket ones. Cultural practices such as the arts and architecture should seek to illuminate social and historical change, rather than mystify it, providing an imagery and language for us to discuss and reflect on our fast-changing society. But as heritage has increased in public consciousness and visibility — through legislation and protection of listed buildings, the organisation of new city arts festivals, and an outpouring of romantic cultural representations from coffee table books to films and other media — workers and manufacturing have been obscured from public view and memory. Until now, urban heritage has been almost exclusively about the colonial city — protecting its built fabric and rendering visible its monumental signs — reinvigorating civic pride through historical nostalgia. Heritage has primarily been addressed to the colonial city, and not about the industrial city. We now need to chart a shift in the focus of urban conservationists, arts and heritage enthusiasts, and the public, from the monuments and signs of the colonial period to illuminating this hidden Other of the picture postcards and coffee-table representations — the people, machines and places that produced the twentieth-century industrial metropolis of Mumbai. The task of historically informed conservation practice is in rendering visible the history of the industrial city which has been extinguished by factory closures and the flight of manufacturing, as well as the new “global city” which is developing around economies of services, information and culture. Over the past ten years, different groups of architects, historians, activists and media practitioners have been documenting the city’s post-industrial landscapes in the Mill Lands of Central Mumbai (see Rajesh Vora’s photography of the mills which accompanies this article on http://www.crit.org.in/projects/girni/indu1 and http://www.crit.org.in/projects/girni/kohinoor ). Public debates on the Mill Lands have for many years been polarised between the trade unions and workers’ groups raising issues of livelihood and workers’ rights to employment and housing on the one hand — and architects, urban designers and civic activists raising issues of public space and city planning policy on the other hand. Recently these groups have aligned themselves to pursue a public interest litigation on land use in the Mill Lands, in which the primary objective is to create more “public spaces” in the more than 600 acres of derelict and idle land in the inner-city textile mill compounds. But the mills and other industrial spaces have never been “public spaces” in the sense that any citizen could enter them — they were entirely closed to anyone but workers or staff, both while they were operational and even after the strikes and closures. It is difficult to imagine the post-industrial landscapes of Mumbai except as crumbling factories and idle chimneys, because most people have never been inside of the mills, and the working-class communities that sustained them have lost their jobs and housing. When Girangaon (“the village of the mills”, as it was locally known) was still the throbbing heart of the city’s economy, each textile mill was a miniature city of several thousand people working in three to four shifts, day and night. A complex network of chawls, markets, maidans, and social institutions spread out from the mill gates, integrating the neighbourhood outside with the factory inside. Mid-century Marathi literature, poetry, and oral traditions contains rich reflections on the life of the mills and chawls, but there is today little public imagery and imagination of these spaces. The social fabric of Girangaon has collapsed, and the physical artefacts and lands of the industrial city are being dismantled as we speak. It is almost impossible to visualise what is at stake for the city in the conversion of the mills from factories producing yarns and cloth to campuses producing information and services — one form of private accumulation giving way to another. Making these mills into public spaces and “giving them back to the city” is more than just a abstract dilemma of land-use or planning policy. Creating new public spaces from the city’s industrial heritage means also creating a public imagination for the city which recovers the active presence of work and technology in our everyday lives, and challenges the commonly-accepted vision of manufacturing inevitably giving way to services. We need to seek out new cultural forms by which to narrate these histories, and invite the urban public to tell its own stories of work, aspiration and movement that produced the Mumbai we know today.   SHEKHAR KRISHNAN is an independent researcher and an Executive Member of CRIT (Collective Research Initiatives Trust), Mumbai. With CRIT, he is developing the Industrial Museum Collaboration, a project between architects, photographers, activists and historians about the Mumbai Mill Lands, supported by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA). For more information, see http://www.crit.org.in/projects/girni and e-mail him at shekhar at crit.org.in. _____ Shekhar Krishnan 12, Sri Ranga Nayaki 154, 15th Cross Road Malleshwaram, Bangalore 560055 India http://www.crit.org.in/members/shekhar From lawrence at altlawforum.org Mon Apr 11 01:55:54 2005 From: lawrence at altlawforum.org (lawrence at altlawforum.org) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 16:25:54 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Tibetan Protestors arrested in Bangalore Message-ID: <5600-220054010202554786@M2W027.mail2web.com> HI all We have just arrived from a late night trip to the police station to check on Tsundue, Sethu and Kallianpur, who have been arrested, and this is a quick update. While Wen Jiaboa was in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Tenzin Tsundue, the general secretary of the Friends of Tibet, appeared on top of the Indian Institute of Science building. He hoisted the Free Tibet banner in full glare of the international media. Tenzin has been arrested, along with two other members of Friend of Tiber. Sethu das and C.A.Kallianpur, All three are currently being detained in the Sadashiv Nagar police station, and will be produced before the magistrate tomorrow. All three are fine at the moment, and there has not been any problem with the police. Tenzin has been charged with the following offences under the Indian Penal Code. Sec 290 – Public Nuisance Sec. 309- Attempt to commit suicide Sec. 426- Mischief Sec. 448- House Trespass Sec. 506- Criminal Intimidation Sethu and Kallianpur have been chared under Sec. 120- Concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment. All the offences are bailable offences, so by tommorow all three should be out on bail. For more details of Tsundue’s suprb effort see: http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Tibetan+protestor+breach es+Wen%27s+security&id=71286 B N Jagadeesh and Lawrence Liang -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . From muthatha at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 11 11:06:12 2005 From: muthatha at u.washington.edu (muthatha at u.washington.edu) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 22:36:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] tracing spatial technology Message-ID: A quick recap – my project is an attempt to extend critical understandings of the use of spatial technologies (remote sensing and GIS) that typically focus on institutional and instrumental aspects, by observing the actual processes of technological practice. My research approach, following some recent work in Science and Technology Studies (authors like Latour and Bowker) is based on the claim that we not make invisible the spaces and actors involved in the technical stages of knowledge production, and instead maintain the linkages from the phenomenon to be represented (e.g. the agrarian landscape) to the objects of representation (e.g. a land use map) and it’s use. Choices are made at every stage of knowledge production and if these choices and the reasons for them are understood we could make for a more responsible and enabling technology and use of technology. During my interactions with the technical staff of the NGO that I have been associated with for my research I have noticed a specific culture of learning / practice which I will attempt to illustrate through two examples. 1. I had accompanied a soil scientist on a soil mapping field trip. In the process of familiarising me with his approach to soil classification and mapping he handed me a soils manual and asked me to read it on the day before our field visit. The manual contained information about soil characteristics such as texture, depth, and colour - specifically definitions of different classes of texture, depth, etc. Later that day he gave me a quick overview of his field methods. I found that his field methods were based on the interaction between various soil characteristics and that this information was not contained in the manual. So, as we were driving out to the field site the next morning to begin mapping I asked him about this. He said that he had written the manual and had made a deliberate choice not to include the information about the interactions, and he also refused to tell me about it in the jeep. He said that it was a question of style, and a style he had developed over the years. Hence it was his opinion that if he ‘told’ me about it, broke it down into steps, it would not help me in the least. I would not develop my own style and would instead practise a rather dumb method of soil mapping. I spent nearly two days traversing the fields with him as he classified soils and mapped their distributions and that was when he shared many insights – as we ‘walked’ the fields. However none of these insights were of the nature ‘do this, and then this, and then that, and ta-da you have your soils class and map’. Instead it involved providing me with some building blocks – some rather slippery building blocks. This to me was an illustration of a specific epistemology and a specific approach to learning that goes with it. There is no absolute soil class or soil map for a region. Much is based on interpretation and making tough but informed, sophisticated choices on the ground. Thus in order to impart this kind of knowledge he prescribed to a specific method of sharing knowledge and coding knowledge – of only providing some basic building bricks in writing, and then showing one the way through ‘practice’. I learned that I had to learn as I traversed the field, learn to make those tough choices as I stood on a plot of land and looked around me, situate myself with respect the local topography of the regions, interpret the local geology, triangulate it with standing crops in the area (if any), the slope of the land, the colour of the soil, …an interaction between the world and what you know, and you keep refining this…the map is never complete stage by stage, inch by inch – a choice you make down the line might still influence a choice you just made. This method seemed to privilege interpretation and interaction more than the ability to make one right decision and assign the correct label and this had to do with the nature of the variable being represented – soil. 2. During my interactions with technical staff in the GIS labs I came across a specific value attached to memory. Some of the technical staff would joke about my habit of taking notes. They have sometimes alluded to it as being ‘western’ and ‘American’. They on the other hand would come out of a meeting with their boss with the task of executing 7 to 8 land use models and without any notes. Yet they would execute all those models and churn out maps based on those models. They deal with data on at least 4 different computers and distribute work amongst 4 to 5 team members and there is much parallel processing going on to meet deadlines. However notes play a very small role in this lab. There is a feeling of challenge, enjoyment and pride in using one’s memory in all these processes and some of them have alluded to the fact that this helps them cultivate their memory, and hence the choice not to take notes is sometimes deliberate. These observations prompt me to think of the implications for data/knowledge sharing. I am not yet familiar with debates and practical processes in the area of data and knowledge sharing, open source etc., However a preliminary thought is that processes of making data or knowledge available is linked to the epistemology and cultures of practice/learning/memory… In following different stages in the production of knowledge reasons for choices about representation, documentation and sharing such as cultivating an interpretive process of knowledge productive, or one that relies and values memory are revealed. Studies that focus solely on institutional aspects and the politics of representation generally tend to point to power and control as factors that influence choices in the production of knowledge. I am not arguing that power is not an important variable in my case, but instead that paying attention to the details of actual practice of knowledge construction yields other insights that are valuable for a more enabling process of knowledge sharing. - Muthatha From penguinhead at linux-delhi.org Mon Apr 11 16:12:12 2005 From: penguinhead at linux-delhi.org (Pankaj kaushal) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:12:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Insider Hints at GPL Changes Message-ID: <425A5484.8050407@linux-delhi.org> Eben Moglen and the folks rewriting the GPL are looking at a proposal where companies would be required to pay money if they use GPLed software, even if they don't redistribute the software. Version 3.0 of the General Public License (GPL) may be years away, but one insider says proposed changes to it could impact companies like Amazon, Yahoo and Google. http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3495981 There was also a debate around it on slashot. http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/04/08/2148207.shtml?tid=98&tid=106 Cheers! P. -- Alas, even today there's little worth thinking and saying that does not grievously wound the state, the gods, and common decency. -Goethe From stopragging at gmail.com Mon Apr 11 23:54:16 2005 From: stopragging at gmail.com (Stop Ragging Campaign) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 23:54:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] April Newsletter - I Message-ID: Hi! Here are the pages that we've added to www.stopragging.org since we sent out our last newsletter on 28 March. We hope you will engage with them by using the "comments" option at the end of each page. Cheers, Sachin Agarwal REPORT RAGGING http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/report-ragging.html EXTERNAL LINKS http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/external-links.html OUR BOARD OF ADVISORS http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/board-of-advisors.html SUPPORT US A small contribution by you can go a long way. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/support-us.html RAGGING AND THE LAW -------------------------------- >>The Principal Vs. PS Anoop & ors, in the Kerala High Court, 2001 Using the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act 1998, the Principal of the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, suspended five students for physically assaulting a fresher in 2001. The students challenged their suspension in a lower court, which set it aside. The matter went to the Kerala High Court which upheld the Principal's decision, and set an important example in the state. Full text of the judgement. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/principal-vs-ps-anoop-ors-in-kerala.html FIRST HAND STORIES --------------------------------- >>The Summer of 2001 "You know why I left you?" he asked as we shook hands one last time, and without waiting for my answer said again. "Because we dark skinned people not generally respected by the fair skinned ones, but I felt you had different views… so you were spared." After that he left. [St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi] http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/summer-of-2001.html >>Love, thy art beautiful! This account here is purportedly fictional, as we found it in the 'short stories' section of the Gay Delhi website. However, only that part of the story has been excerpted by The Stop Ragging Campaign as was relevant to the theme of ragging, with the aim of generating thought on the possible links between ragging and homosexuality, or at least the implications of the emphasis on sexual abuse as a component of the institution of ragging. [Sri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, Delhi] http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/love-thy-art-beautiful.html REPORT RAGGING -------------------------------- >>To the Director, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad Our letter on James Bond's complaint, to which we never got a reply. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/03/to-director-indian-school-of-mines.html [New section] RAGGING AND MEMORY: http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/ragging-and-memory.html -------------------------------- >>Ragging and the victim figure One advice liberally offered to freshers by agony aunt columns and retired uncles is, "You must decide how much is enough for you and draw the line there. Then say no to the senior." Freshers who do draw the line and rebel in one way or another, often find that moment of rebellion turn into a moment of epiphany. That impulsive, deferential moment decides the future of your social life in the hostel. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/ragging-and-victim-figure.html RAGGING AND SOCIETY -------------------------------- >>Traumas as Social Interactions It would seem that while the victim progresses from denial to helplessness, rage, depression and thence to acceptance of the traumatizing events - society demonstrates a diametrically opposed progression. This incompatibility, this mismatch of psychological phases is what leads to the formation and crystallization of trauma, writes Dr. Sam Vaknin. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/traumas-as-social-interactions.html >>A dangerous twist to a harmless practice: Khushwant Singh on ragging 'By the time I joined college in England in 1934, the word ragging had disappeared from university vocabulary. On the contrary, new entrants were taken over by older students to be shown round the college and hostels.' http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/dangerous-twist-to-harmless-practice.html RAGGING NEWS / RAGGING AND THE MEDIA -------------------------------- >>And what is a "ragging scare"? You have heard of a bomb scare, but what is a ragging scare? The Pune edition of the Indian Express reports on 4th May: "Ragging scare at SP College, student told to leave hostel". See our analysis of their report + a more reasonable report from the Sakal Herald newspaper. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/and-what-is-ragging-scare.html >>The Times of India's "shocking repeat" How the Times of India reported the SP College, Pune, ragging case. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/times-of-indias-shocking-repeat.html >>SP College case: Lull after the storm A follow-up report the next day from the Sakal Herald + a Sakal Herald editorial on the issue. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/sp-college-case-lull-after-storm.html >>'Ragging leads to closure of college' (Andhra Pradesh) Molestation of girls students in the name of ragging brings the Medak College of Engineering and Technology to a halt in January 2005. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/ragging-leads-to-closure-of-college.html RAGGING DEATHS -------------------------------- >>Indu Anto: Suicide or Murder Seven years after the sixteen year old passed away at Mumbai's Sophia College, Indu Anto's father continues to strive for justice. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/indu-anto-suicide-or-murder.html FINAL SOLUTION -------------------------------- IIT-K: These moms and pops rock! Senior students at IIT, Kanpur, play parents to newcomers on campus, says a news report. The "counselling cell" of the institute serves as a medium of "interaction" between seniorsand freshers, thus providing an alternative to ragging. http://stop-ragging.blogspot.com/2005/04/iit-k-these-moms-and-pops-rock.html Please forward this newsletter to those who you think might find it useful. -- www.stopragging.org info at stopragging.org From subasrik at yahoo.com Mon Apr 11 07:22:09 2005 From: subasrik at yahoo.com (Subasri Krishnan) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 18:52:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Born into Brothels... Message-ID: <20050411015210.5596.qmail@web52106.mail.yahoo.com> Much has been said on the reader's list on the film. The article might be of interest to some people... cheers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CINEMA A missionary enterprise PRAVEEN SWAMI in Washington D C The key elements of Zana Briski's Oscar-winning Born Into Brothels are questionable on points of fact, but these distortions pale into insignificance beside the multiple ways in which the documentary demeans the sex workers of Sonagachi. IF Born Into Brothels were remade as an adventure-thriller in the tradition of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, its posters might read: "New York film-maker Zana Briski sallies forth among the natives to save souls." In some fundamental senses, the decision of the Motion Pictures Academy of Arts and Sciences to give Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman's Born Into Brothels this year's award for the best documentary tells us more about that body's politics than the inherent value - if such a thing exists - of the film. Briski, of course, does not pretend to be a latter-day Mother Teresa; indeed, she affects a posture of wry distance from the missionaries who occasionally appear in the film. Yet, to someone with a master's degree in theology from Cambridge University, the perils of the project ought to have been obvious. Briski carries a camera, not the cross; her message is not the Bible, but the redemptive power of art. All the same, Briski is more like a stereotypical missionary than she would care to admit. She seeks to save the souls of sex workers' children; with the community from which her subjects come, with people, she is less concerned.Briski and her collaborator Ross Kauffman tell a simple story: her own. In 1998, Briski began working with children in Kolkata\'s red-light district, Sonagachi, teaching them to use a simple point-and-shoot camera. The children responded to her classes, producing works of extraordinary creativity; one of them won an international award. In Briski\'s self-perception, she "developed a relationship with many of the kids who, often terrorised and abused, were drawn to the rare human companionship she offered". The documentary traces Briski\'s efforts to remove the children from their horrific surroundings and have them admitted in boarding institutions where they may receive quality education. Making the film, Briski claimed, involved "overcoming nearly insurmountable odds - brothel owners, pimps, police, local politicians and organised crime syndicate [sic.]". \r\n \r\n \r\n Puja, the 14-year-old who features in Briski\'s film, poses with a camera. \r\n \r\n Frontline\'s investigation into some of the claims made by Briski has shown that key elements of the Born Into Brothels story are questionable on points of fact. Whereas Briski suggests that the children received little or no education before her efforts to have them admitted to boarding schools, Frontline found that all of them were going to school when the documentary was made. While the children involved in Briski\'s project were delighted with the creative opportunities and the sense of purpose she had given them, it was clear she was far from being a solitary saint among the wretched of Kolkata. Several non-governmental organisations provided a welter of services that had significantly ameliorated the horrific conditions of organised sex trade in Kolkata, in comparison with other major urban centres in South Asia. \r\n Frontline\'s investigation adds to a small but growing feeling of disquiet provoked by the film. Partha Banerjee, a New York resident closely associated with the making of the film, has, for example, pointed to the exploitative character of the enterprise and asserted that the children it represented were worse off after the documentary was made. It is hard to know what the children themselves would make of the film. Briski has said that the film will not be screened in India, a decision she claimed was meant to protect the privacy of her subjects. She was quoted by the news portal ",1]);//--> Briski and her collaborator Ross Kauffman tell a simple story: her own. In 1998, Briski began working with children in Kolkata's red-light district, Sonagachi, teaching them to use a simple point-and-shoot camera. The children responded to her classes, producing works of extraordinary creativity; one of them won an international award. In Briski's self-perception, she "developed a relationship with many of the kids who, often terrorised and abused, were drawn to the rare human companionship she offered". The documentary traces Briski's efforts to remove the children from their horrific surroundings and have them admitted in boarding institutions where they may receive quality education. Making the film, Briski claimed, involved "overcoming nearly insurmountable odds - brothel owners, pimps, police, local politicians and organised crime syndicate [sic.]". Frontline's investigation into some of the claims made by Briski has shown that key elements of the Born Into Brothels story are questionable on points of fact. Whereas Briski suggests that the children received little or no education before her efforts to have them admitted to boarding schools, Frontline found that all of them were going to school when the documentary was made. While the children involved in Briski's project were delighted with the creative opportunities and the sense of purpose she had given them, it was clear she was far from being a solitary saint among the wretched of Kolkata. Several non-governmental organisations provided a welter of services that had significantly ameliorated the horrific conditions of organised sex trade in Kolkata, in comparison with other major urban centres in South Asia. Frontline's investigation adds to a small but growing feeling of disquiet provoked by the film. Partha Banerjee, a New York resident closely associated with the making of the film, has, for example, pointed to the exploitative character of the enterprise and asserted that the children it represented were worse off after the documentary was made. It is hard to know what the children themselves would make of the film. Briski has said that the film will not be screened in India, a decision she claimed was meant to protect the privacy of her subjects. She was quoted by the news portalrediff.com as saying this was because "she had promised to protect the identities of the prostitutes from police and politicians" - a specious claim, since those allegedly dangerous police and politicians would have no trouble purchasing the DVD version, due shortly for release, or, indeed, in watching it at film festivals in India, where it will be screened. Sonagachi, thou! gh, is\r\n not Briski\'s cause - and that is just the beginning of the problems posed by Born Into Brothels. \r\n ERRORS of fact pale into insignificance beside the multiple ways in which Born Into Brothels demeans the women who live and work at Sonagachi. On their website, Briski and Kauffman note that the "most stigmatised people in Kolkata\'s red-light district are not the prostitutes, but their children". In their advocacy of Sonagachi\'s children, however, the directors have turned the tables on their mothers (and fathers). We see them at their worst: drugged, screaming at the children, shooing them away when clients arrive, fighting with one another, obstructing Briski\'s efforts to give her students a future. If the children of Sonagachi enjoy moments of intimacy or comfort with their parents, we are not privy to them. It may just be possible that this is, in fact, the reality of the lives of the children Briski documents. No effort, however, is made to lead the audience into the shoes of the sex workers: Born Into Brothels reduces them to props. \r\n Watching it, audiences might never realise that there is another Sonagachi: one where sex workers have organised for their rights, won battles against police harassment, registered significant gains against Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and where there is a vibrant movement for the legalization of the profession. Kolkata is home, for example, to the Sonagachi Acquired Immune Defeciency Syndrome Project, one of the largest and most successful community-run intervention projects in the world. Set up with government assistance, the Sonagachi Project was spearheaded by Smarajit Jana, an epidemiologist who trained several sex workers to act as `peer-educators\'. Soon, noted Paroma Basu in a 2002 article, "hundreds of women were refusing unprotected sex, even if their clients offered to pay more". While in 1992 a government survey showed a mere ",1]);//--> rediff.com as saying this was because "she had promised to protect the identities of the prostitutes from police and politicians" - a specious claim, since those allegedly dangerous police and politicians would have no trouble purchasing the DVD version, due shortly for release, or, indeed, in watching it at film festivals in India, where it will be screened. Sonagachi, thou! gh, is not Briski's cause - and that is just the beginning of the problems posed by Born Into Brothels. ERRORS of fact pale into insignificance beside the multiple ways in which Born Into Brothels demeans the women who live and work at Sonagachi. On their website, Briski and Kauffman note that the "most stigmatised people in Kolkata's red-light district are not the prostitutes, but their children". In their advocacy of Sonagachi's children, however, the directors have turned the tables on their mothers (and fathers). We see them at their worst: drugged, screaming at the children, shooing them away when clients arrive, fighting with one another, obstructing Briski's efforts to give her students a future. If the children of Sonagachi enjoy moments of intimacy or comfort with their parents, we are not privy to them. It may just be possible that this is, in fact, the reality of the lives of the children Briski documents. No effort, however, is made to lead the audience into the shoes of the sex workers: Born Into Brothels reduces them to props. Watching it, audiences might never realise that there is another Sonagachi: one where sex workers have organised for their rights, won battles against police harassment, registered significant gains against Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and where there is a vibrant movement for the legalization of the profession. Kolkata is home, for example, to the Sonagachi Acquired Immune Defeciency Syndrome Project, one of the largest and most successful community-run intervention projects in the world. Set up with government assistance, the Sonagachi Project was spearheaded by Smarajit Jana, an epidemiologist who trained several sex workers to act as `peer-educators'. Soon, noted Paroma Basu in a 2002 article, "hundreds of women were refusing unprotected sex, even if their clients offered to pay more". While in 1992 a government survey showed a mereBy design or otherwise, Briski and Kauffman censor out the well-known story of the Sonagachi sex workers\' efforts to gain democratic rights, notably the legalisation of their profession - and of their growing success in securing rights. In 1995, sex-workers in Sonagachi set up the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a trade union that now has over 60,000 members across West Bengal. The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee has fought not only for decriminalisation, but also for the right to negotiate wages and working conditions. It has had considerable success in mitigating the rampant harassment of sex workers; Kolkata, where Briski so heroically overcame the police and organised crime to make her documentary, is one of the safest centres for sex workers in India. Last year, Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee threw his weight behind the legalisation demand, pointing out that two centuries ago there existed a rudimentary permit system. His remarks provoked a furore! , but\r\n the fact that such ideas were publicly circulated constitutes a major step forward. \r\n \r\n \r\n Avijit and Manik, whose mothers make a living as sex workers, browse through Briski\'s book Kid with Camera. \r\n \r\n West Bengal\'s government, where it does appear in Briski\'s account of Sonagachi, is villainous. School officials ask for impossible paperwork to admit the children; bureaucrats obstruct Avijit\'s quest for a passport for his travel to Amsterdam to receive a photography award. The possibility that officials are bound to take special care to protect minors from leaving the country, particularly when their parents are not the ones applying for a passport, is not even raised. It would be intriguing, for example, to see how the passport authorities in Washington ",1]);//--> 2.7 per cent of 450 sex workers were using condoms, that figure had gone up to 69.3 per cent within two years. Only 9 per ! cent of Sonagachi's sex workers were HIV-positive in 2002, compared with upwards of 70 per cent in Mumbai - and that too in 1997. By design or otherwise, Briski and Kauffman censor out the well-known story of the Sonagachi sex workers' efforts to gain democratic rights, notably the legalisation of their profession - and of their growing success in securing rights. In 1995, sex-workers in Sonagachi set up the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a trade union that now has over 60,000 members across West Bengal. The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee has fought not only for decriminalisation, but also for the right to negotiate wages and working conditions. It has had considerable success in mitigating the rampant harassment of sex workers; Kolkata, where Briski so heroically overcame the police and organised crime to make her documentary, is one of the safest centres for sex workers in India. Last year, Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee threw his weight behind the legalisation demand, pointing out that two centuries ago there existed a rudimentary permit system. His remarks provoked a furore! , but the fact that such ideas were publicly circulated constitutes a major step forward. West Bengal's government, where it does appear in Briski's account of Sonagachi, is villainous. School officials ask for impossible paperwork to admit the children; bureaucrats obstruct Avijit's quest for a passport for his travel to Amsterdam to receive a photography award. The possibility that officials are bound to take special care to protect minors from leaving the country, particularly when their parents are not the ones applying for a passport, is not even raised. It would be intriguing, for example, to see how the passport authorities in WashingtonBriski\'s variation on the theme of oriental despotism fits her audience\'s political prejudices. Other commentators in the United States who have researched the subject, however, came to very different conclusions about the West Bengal government\'s integrity. Noting that both Kerala and West Bengal had low numbers of AIDS cases among sex workers, Raney Aronson, the producer of a 2004 television documentary, said that while "whether this has to do directly with a communist-led government is the big question, I think it might". \r\n PERHAPS the most disturbing aspect of the film is its advocacy of removal: the contention, as Briski and Kauffman put it, is that as long as the children remain in Sonagachi, "these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother\'s fate or for creating another type of life". It is here that Briski\'s silence on the struggle of Sonagachi sex workers to transform their own lives is of particular significance: it is, in her view, of no consequence. Avijit\'s journey to Holland for his photography award represents, in Briski\'s argument, one kind of redemption; boarding schools another kind. Out of their mothers\' homes, out of their rotting tenements, out of Sonagachi, out of Kolkata, and out of India, the argument goes, the children of the brothels may find freedom and fulfilment. The notion resonates powerfully with received middle-class wisdom on class, caste and criminality. \r\n It is worth considering, therefore, the long and dishonourable history of removal - something that neither Born Into Brothels nor a largely sycophantic media have done. For over six decades from 1911, part-aboriginal children in Australia were, as state policy, forcibly removed from their mothers and placed in degrading institutions. The programme was born out of fears of miscegenation and its consequences for white supremacy, though its advocates did not understand removal in quite these terms. For one politician, Paul Hasluck, it made eminent sense that "where half-caste children are found living in camps full of full-blood natives, they should if possible be removed to better care so that they have a better opportunity for education". \r\n",1]);//--> D.C. would respond to a Briski-like enterprise if it is led by an unknown South Asian with a white child in tow. Briski's variation on the theme of oriental despotism fits her audience's political prejudices. Other commentators in the United States who have researched the subject, however, came to very different conclusions about the West Bengal government's integrity. Noting that both Kerala and West Bengal had low numbers of AIDS cases among sex workers, Raney Aronson, the producer of a 2004 television documentary, said that while "whether this has to do directly with a communist-led government is the big question, I think it might". PERHAPS the most disturbing aspect of the film is its advocacy of removal: the contention, as Briski and Kauffman put it, is that as long as the children remain in Sonagachi, "these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life". It is here that Briski's silence on the struggle of Sonagachi sex workers to transform their own lives is of particular significance: it is, in her view, of no consequence. Avijit's journey to Holland for his photography award represents, in Briski's argument, one kind of redemption; boarding schools another kind. Out of their mothers' homes, out of their rotting tenements, out of Sonagachi, out of Kolkata, and out of India, the argument goes, the children of the brothels may find freedom and fulfilment. The notion resonates powerfully with received middle-class wisdom on class, caste and criminality. It is worth considering, therefore, the long and dishonourable history of removal - something that neither Born Into Brothels nor a largely sycophantic media have done. For over six decades from 1911, part-aboriginal children in Australia were, as state policy, forcibly removed from their mothers and placed in degrading institutions. The programme was born out of fears of miscegenation and its consequences for white supremacy, though its advocates did not understand removal in quite these terms. For one politician, Paul Hasluck, it made eminent sense that "where half-caste children are found living in camps full of full-blood natives, they should if possible be removed to better care so that they have a better opportunity for education".Removal was not restricted to Australia. Until 1978, a large percentage of children born to Native American families in some regions of the United States were removed from their homes and placed by the state in the care of non-Native American families. In Minnesota, for example, an average of one of every four Indian children younger than age one was adopted by a non-Indian couple. Racism, in retrospect, quite clearly underpinned removal. White judges and social workers, however, saw child-rearing practices in Native American homes as militating against the best interests of the children. Removal, in both Australia and North America, had the support of social reformers and well-meaning figures in the Church: they were, after all, as Briski and Kauffman now put it, giving the children a "possibility of escaping their mothers\' fate or for creating another type of life". \r\n South Asia has its own forms of removal, sadly uncontested - one reason, perhaps, why much of the Indian media have greeted Born Into Brothels with either nationalistic and parochial ire or with undisguised reverence. Adivasi children are shunted into Hindu missionary-run schools, for example, or poor Muslim children into madrassas where they may be remade in the image of their benefactors. It is important to note that Briski is not dealing with a special group of children who need to be removed from their homes; her students are representative of all the children in the community. Any criticism directed at such charity meets, always, with the predictable response that the children are at least fed and clothed - an indisputable virtue that, nonetheless, diminishes not a whit from the real need for economic reform and wider educational access in their own communities. If Briski wanted evidence that the children of Sonagachi could beat the odds and give! meaning\r\n to their lives, all she had to do was turn to Mrinal Kanti Dutta: the son of a sex worker, Dutta was a key figure in the mobilisation of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee. Others have made lives for themselves elsewhere: but there is space for none of this in Briski\'s missionary enterprise. \r\n",1]);//--> Removal was not restricted to Australia. Until 1978, a large percentage of children born to Native American families in some regions of the United States were removed from their homes and placed by the state in the care of non-Native American families. In Minnesota, for example, an average of one of every four Indian children younger than age one was adopted by a non-Indian couple. Racism, in retrospect, quite clearly underpinned removal. White judges and social workers, however, saw child-rearing practices in Native American homes as militating against the best interests of the children. Removal, in both Australia and North America, had the support of social reformers and well-meaning figures in the Church: they were, after all, as Briski and Kauffman now put it, giving the children a "possibility of escaping their mothers' fate or for creating another type of life". South Asia has its own forms of removal, sadly uncontested - one reason, perhaps, why much of the Indian media have greeted Born Into Brothels with either nationalistic and parochial ire or with undisguised reverence. Adivasi children are shunted into Hindu missionary-run schools, for example, or poor Muslim children into madrassas where they may be remade in the image of their benefactors. It is important to note that Briski is not dealing with a special group of children who need to be removed from their homes; her students are representative of all the children in the community. Any criticism directed at such charity meets, always, with the predictable response that the children are at least fed and clothed - an indisputable virtue that, nonetheless, diminishes not a whit from the real need for economic reform and wider educational access in their own communities. If Briski wanted evidence that the children of Sonagachi could beat the odds and give! meaning to their lives, all she had to do was turn to Mrinal Kanti Dutta: the son of a sex worker, Dutta was a key figure in the mobilisation of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee. Others have made lives for themselves elsewhere: but there is space for none of this in Briski's missionary enterprise. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050410/ee663761/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Apr 11 16:05:10 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 03:35:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year Message-ID: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050411/a6540802/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 09:31:51 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 09:31:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? Shivam On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: > Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From zainab at xtdnet.nl Tue Apr 12 10:58:06 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 09:28:06 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Walking the Station with the Girls Message-ID: <1090.219.65.13.153.1113283686.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Walking the Station with the Girls (Practices of Marking at a Railway Station) This evening, I have an appointment with Sushanti and Suparna. They are home guards at a railway station in the city. I have known them for sometime now. Earlier in the week, I had requested them to allow me to walk the railway station with them. “Sure, we can show you around the railway station, but anything outside the railway station, we don’t know much.” Through some days now, I have been examining practices of marking at railway stations in the city. Marking takes place on the criteria of religious affiliation, economic class, criminality/non-criminality, abnormality/normality, traveling without ticket versus traveling with ticket and profession. Ticket Checkers indulge in marking; they need to determine who is traveling with a ticket and who is traveling ticketless. Home guards need to mark drug addicts and criminals and miscreant men. They also mark women, though that is not part of their job. Why is the railway station a site of marking in a city? I landed at 8:30 PM at the railway station. Neelam, another home guard, is standing on the entrance of the first ladies compartment of the local train. As usual, I approach her to ask for Sushanti and Suparna. Neelima is married and has children and she tells me that she tries to balance home and work. After walking around the station a bit, we manage to find Sushanti and Suparna. Today is Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. Suparna excitedly comes and greets me, “Happy New Year.” I wish her the same. Sushanti tells me, “Today is a good day. There is less rush at the station because of festival and plus, today is Saturday. On a regular day, this station is madness personified. Till 8:00 PM, we keep standing. The rush of women drops after 8 PM which is when we take a little rest by sitting on the flooring of the trains that arrive here. Our work timing is from 4:00 PM until 11. By 11, this station is silent. Since all of us girls live in the same area, about ten minutes away from each other, we travel together. My father comes half way through the road to pick me up. We have been here since nine months and have not faced any untoward incident at night.” Sushanti and Suparna are proud of their job. They feel this is desh seva. “There are so many facilities at the railway station, all for ladies. First, you had the GRP (General Railway Police, a force of the State Police) which used to patrol the station. Then, with the rape case in the train, GRP guards were made to travel in the trains with the ladies. Last year, the Deputy Chief Minister got 500 home guards to stand on the railway station and make sure that women don’t get harassed. All of this for ladies only.” We start to walk the platform. Sushanti takes me to platform number 7. “This is the most danger area. On weekdays, during the peak hours (i.e. 5-8 PM), ladies are running like mad to get inside the train. All long-distance fast trains halt here. Even before the train has halted, these ladies will jump inside the train to get seats. It is so dangerous. Even the males are wonderstruck when they watch the ladies jumping like this in the trains. We have fun watching the women jump. That’s our only source of entertainment here.” We start to walk towards the end of the platform. “This is also a very danger point. The danger is because the thieves and the drug addicts stand right here and in the crowds, they use their blades to slit the bags and steal. Once, one of our GRP men got hold of two druggies stealing. They had a major fight. The druggies slit the hands of the guard with their blades. You have to be very careful of their blades. You can get AIDS.” Suparna adds, “Poison – the blades are poisonous. You have to be careful.” Sushanti concludes, “So, on a platform, we have the first point, middle point and the last point (corresponding with the first ladies, middle ladies and the last ladies compartments). There is too much stench around platform number 7. Very dirty there! That is the place where the druggies reside.” I am going to eat dinner with Sushanti and Suparna. I am also embarrassed because I am not carrying tiffin with me. Hence I have nothing to share/contribute in their dinner fiesta. “We will eat dinner late,” Sushanti tells me, adding, “let us take the train and go to some stations. You ask us whatever questions you want. I don’t know what you would be interested in knowing from us.” I nod. We get inside the train. “How do you feel doing this job? Do your parents and family members support you? What about your social life? Do you have a life beyond the railway station?” I ask them as we are riding the trains. Sushanti tells me, “I feel tired at the end of the day. It is not easy to keep standing all the while on the platform. I have backache. But I take care of myself. After 8, I take rest on the station. Parents don’t have much problem with my work. You see, more than family members, it is the neighbours who like to gossip and question ‘where is this girl going? Why does she come home late?’ For us, as long as our parents trust us, it is fine. Our parents are assured that our daughter is not doing anything wrong. Till then, it is fine. As for social life, I don’t know about others, but I personally take out time to be with friends. It is important for me.” As we are riding the trains, two of their colleagues, male GRP guards, inquire about me. When we get off the station, Sushanti introduces me to them. “You tell them what you are doing.” I try to explain to one of the colleagues. He asks, “Are you Christian?” “No,” I respond, clarifying my religious affiliation. “Okay. I have only started patrolling the stations since a month or so hence I have not much experience to share with you. Yeah, but I remember that some days ago, a woman was walking on the platform when a man from the general compartment, looking at her, said, ‘kya maal hai?’(i.e. sexy thing). The lady saw that we GRP guards were sitting there. She took riks (i.e. risk) on our basis and slapped the man. The man started saying that he did not make the remark and that the other fellow had. She retorted angrily. In the meanwhile, a bhaiyya (from Uttar Pradesh) bhel-puri hawker was showing his 32 white teeth and smiling at the woman’s plight. Hamne danda liya aur kaan ke neeche baja diya usko (We took our stick and gave him solid beating). These are two memorable experiences of recent times.” Sushanti added, “That’s true what he said. Because we guards are around, ladies take riks (i.e. risk) and are able to retort to the men. But there are times when ladies will ask us to threaten the men eve-teasing them. When we ask the ladies to come with us to the men, they will want to scamper away. How can we simply go up to a man and threaten him if the woman is not coming forward with us as witness and victim?” Sushanti then introduces me to the home guard at the station we are on. Her name is Vijaya. “Meet Vijaya,” Sushanti tells me, “She is very fearless. She will stay alone at this station. This station becomes very silent after 9 PM. But she holds guard.” Vijaya excitedly shakes hands with me. “I don’t fear anything except for ghosts and uparwala (i.e. god),” she says. “But where are the ghosts?” I ask her. “Oh,” she says, “the lane where I live becomes very silent at 2:30 in the night. I feel afraid to venture there at that time. That’s when I feel there are ghosts there.” Vijaya is married. Her husband tells her that as long as she can pay equal attention at home, she is permitted to do this job. “I have always loved serving people. Since my youth I have been engaged in this kind of activity. Sometimes I defy my husband and come to perform duty here. I have three children. But I manage to balance home and work. Husband says that I should make sure that I am back home every night by 12:30 AM.” We decide to take the train back to our original station. Sushanti starts to say, “This is how we perform our duty. It is tough. The harbour line railway stations are most dangerous. There we have only one home guard per point. But they are left early. Some of the harbour line railway stations are very dangerous, like Reay Road and Dockyard station and even Govandi.” “Why do you call them dangerous?” I asked her, presuming that her notion of ‘dangerous’ emerges from the close presence of slums along those two railway stations. She responds, “Oh, Reay Road and Dockyard are Muslim areas and hence the stations are dangerous.” “What about Govandi? Why do you call that dangerous?” I ask her. “I don’t know much about Govandi. I have never been there. But one girl used to work there and she used to say this to us. I don’t know much,” Sushanti says. We return back to the station. I ask both of them to tell me if they have seen deaths at the station and how it makes them feel. “Yes, we have seen deaths. No deaths take place at junction stations like VT and Churchgate. But on other stations, people recklessly cross the station. The first death I had seen was of a 12-year-old boy. I am not sure how he became a victim, but his body was completely cut apart. I had seen his dead body. I just could not sleep for about two days after that. It was so terrible. Now, we are used to it. There is a fine for people who cross the railway tracks. It is a criminal offense to cross the railway tracks (and a social offense to travel ticketless as indicated by the notice boards on the railway stations) and the police can fine you for this. But people cross. On one occasion, a fat man was trying to cross the tracks. But due to his weight, he could not climb up. He tried and tried, but he could not get himself to lift up and climb back on the tracks. The mail train was fast approaching. I was standing there and watching, but I could not help him. Then, a group of 12 men came and stopped the train and helped the man out. When he got onto the platform, I shouted at him, ‘what mister, hasn’t the government made bridges for you to navigate the station? Why do you have to cross the tracks? What if you had died here today?’ He started saying ‘sorry, sorry’ to me. I told him, ‘you are elder in age to me. And you will say sorry and get off. Don’t say sorry to me. Resolve that you will use the Foot Over Bridge instead of crossing the tracks.’ Now you tell me, you must have been to foreign countries. How is the railway station there? We have seen images of the doors of the train close automatically there. But can you cross tracks there? Is the railway station like this over there too?” I am astonished as to how Sushanti knows that I have been abroad. Did I ever tell her? I tell her that it is a criminal offense there too to cross the tracks. It’s simply not allowed. It’s dinner time now. Sushanti and Suparna collect their bags from their little police post on the station and we start to proceed towards the ladies waiting room which is where we will be eating our dinner. Sushanti says to me, “Children escape from homes and come to the station and fall in bad company and start to do drugs. Once, a boy came up to me and said ‘my elder brother is calling you.’ My colleague was also with me. I knew the boy was teasing us. I thrashed him and asked him ‘where is your elder brother? Take us there!’ He ran away. We knew that he was a truant boy. A few days later, we saw the same boy at another station. He was walking with an elderly man. We thought that this is the elder brother he is talking about. We decided to thrash that man. We went up to him and said, ‘are you his elder brother who wanted to meet us?’ The man said, ‘I am this boy’s father. This boy does not sit in school and runs off to the station to do drugs. I don’t know what to do with him.’ From his looks, we had determined that the boy was from a good family. We understand that it is easy to fall into bad habits, but difficult to get out. So we empathized with the father and said to him, ‘Now that we know he is your son, the next time we see him doing drugs on the station, we will beat him up and get him back to you. You don’t worry.’ I don’t like beating the children,” Sushanti says contemplatively and with a sense of sadness, “but this is part of our job. Initially, it was difficult. But you know, we have to be strict otherwise these people will sit on our heads. Even now, I don’t beat up. I just warn them and let them go.” “How do people perceive you?” I ask her, as she is reflecting on her everyday life at the station. “Some people are good to us and respect our duties. But a lot of women don’t see us with respect. If we are sitting for a while, they will say ‘look at them. Government servants and they are bumming around.’ Once, a five plus one, you understand know, that means six (eunuch), had boarded the train. He was old and wasn’t harassing the women. We entered the train. After a while, he quietly walked out. The ladies started saying, ‘look at you, home guards, you don’t do anything when these eunuchs enter the train. What use are you? We have to fend for ourselves.’ I got angry and responded to the woman who made the remark, ‘madam, just because you have money and that eunuch doesn’t, you can say these things. And he wasn’t doing anything to you. And, for your kind information, if I hadn’t entered the train, he wouldn’t have walked out.’ The woman got angry and she started yelling at me. I told her, ‘I am a government servant and not your servant. The government gives me money and not you.’ But she kept on yelling. I felt bad and told my seniors about this. They said to me, ‘you go on doing your duty. It doesn’t matter what the public says.’ That is how the public is here. They will not acknowledge what we are doing. And I am telling you, statistics have revealed that crime rates have come down by 80% ever since we were posted here. Now only 20% has to be tackled with.” We settled down to eat dinner. Sushanti and Suparna’s colleagues are there. They ask me to take a bite from their tiffin. Sushanti says to me, “Here, take some vegetable and chappatis. Now, I don’t like to tell the other person ‘please, please, eat some’. If you like, take more from my tiffin. That is how I like.” We start to eat and as per her instructions, I dig into her tiffin whenever I need more. She feels happy that I have adjusted to them. “That feels nice. Look Suparna, she eats so well,” she says to Suparna. “So,” I ask her, “this waiting room is everything for you? I mean you change your clothes here and when you get back at night, you change your clothes here?” She replies, “When we come in the evening for duty, we change here. On return, we dress half-civil i.e. we simply change the top garment and retain the trousers. This way, people don’t see us with bad eye. In the beginning, we used to feel afraid returning back home. Once you are in plain clothes, you are just like the average public. The uniform has power. So when we used to go back home in civil clothes, public in the trains and on the station used to think we are dance bar girls returning. Now that we dress half-civil, people know that we are returning from our duty and we are not that type of girls.” As dinner ends, Sushanti’s colleagues are curious to know more about me. “She is our friend,” Sushanti declares proudly. One of their colleagues, Sunidhi, comes up to me. She sees the Sarai Broadsheets which I am carrying in my hands. “What is this?” she asks. “Can you read English? If you can, take one,” I respond. She starts to open out the Broadsheet. “Oh, this opens out completely huh?” she says. Sushanti tells me, “You know, we can understand English very well. If someone says something to us, we can clearly understand. But it is difficult for us to respond. That is why, we would prefer if you speak with us in English. That way, we can learn something from you.” I hand over a copy of the Broadsheet to Suparna as well. She is having fun with the image in the middle of the inside poster. “I know this, I know this. It is illusion,” she shouts. Sunidhi starts talking to me. “I want to start my own business. Now I am trying to. But until business starts, I want to continue in this job.” Sushanti once again asks my name. “Accha, so you are Muslim huh? Do you follow the Quran?” I tell her that religion is not a strict imposition in my home and that my parents have allowed me to do what I have wanted to. “Oh, that means there is love in your home,” she concludes happily. “We have made quite a few good friends here, at the station, in all these months of duty. We have met some really nice people. Now you are one of them. Do you do ghar-kaam (i.e. household work as expected of a girl)?” “No,” I tell her. “Yeah, when I saw you, I realized that you must be from a hi-fi family. So you must be having servants at home to do work. But it is nice to know some ghar-kaam. It’s important because even when there are servants around, husband likes it if wife does some of the household work, especially cooking, with her own hands.” I nod. Something happens and we start to talk about different cities. Delhi becomes a subject of discussion. Sunidhi says, “It’s good in Delhi, I have heard.” I tell Sunidhi that Delhi is an unsafe place for women and there is greater liberty for women in Bombay. “Yeah, I would guess as much,” she starts saying, “Mughals had ruled Delhi and they would keep their wives inside their homes. Hence this culture in Delhi. I have loved Razia Sultan. Sushanti, you know that Razia Sultan was the only Muslim woman who ruled a kingdom. And the Muslim men did not like this and hence they killed her. I truly adore her character.” We start to wrap up and walk back to the station. Sushanti, Sunidhi and myself are walking back. “Just a minute, we will keep our bags and join you,” Sushanti says. The station is quite empty now. As I stand by a pillar, I realize that I am now a visible entity. In the rush hours of the day and the evening, standing at the pillar on the station is a practice which is not marked because the individual is anonymous and invisible. But at 10:30 at night, this same practice creates visibility and perhaps could result in the ‘public’ marking me. Would I also be seen as a dance bar girl? Sushanti and Sunidhi arrive. I ask Sunidhi where her point is. “There, at platform number 7. It stinks badly all the time. I don’t like it there.” Suddenly, Sushanti sees a burkha clad woman and asks me, “In yours, do you wear burkha?” “No,” I tell her. “It’s getting late now. You had better go. Your mummy will be worried about you,” she tells me with concern. I board the local train. “We know the time-table by-heart now,” Sushanti informs me while there is some time for the train to depart. “Public asks us about the trains. And some people, inspite of giving them the correct information, they will ask around with others to confirm again and again. I feel irritated that the public does not trust.” The train starts to move slowly from the platform. We wave out to each other. I return ... Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From aman.malik at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 12:09:03 2005 From: aman.malik at gmail.com (Aman Malik) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:09:03 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> Punjabi new year is on Baisakhi... On Apr 12, 2005 9:31 AM, Shivam Vij wrote: > But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? > Shivam > > On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: > > Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 > > -- > "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your > right to say it." - Voltaire > http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > From shivamvij at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 12:20:15 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:20:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Oh yes, of course, thanks! April 13, no? Happy Punjabi New Year, whatever that means! Tell all Punjabis to celebrate in their inherited (or mythical, if geographically partitioned) agricultural lands. Wear only yellow, eat khicdi. And let me know when the Zambian New Year is. Shivam On Apr 12, 2005 12:09 PM, Aman Malik wrote: > Punjabi new year is on Baisakhi... > On Apr 12, 2005 9:31 AM, Shivam Vij wrote: > > But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? > > Shivam > > On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: > > > Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam From radiofreealtair at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 13:11:20 2005 From: radiofreealtair at gmail.com (Anand Vivek Taneja) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:11:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <8178da99050412004161568e95@mail.gmail.com> it would be interesting to take this beyond cynical sniping into an informed discussion on calendars, and real and mythological 'times' and their passing; and the disaporic connection to 'time' in the era of climate change, and the 'global' prevalence of the gregorian calendar. amartya sen had an interesting piece on various indian calendars in one of the fist few issues of the little magazine. i too, would be interested in knowing about the Zambian New Year. Or rather, what those we call 'Zambians' think of 'New' and Year', among other things... On Apr 12, 2005 12:20 PM, Shivam Vij wrote: > Oh yes, of course, thanks! April 13, no? Happy Punjabi New Year, > whatever that means! Tell all Punjabis to celebrate in their inherited > (or mythical, if geographically partitioned) agricultural lands. Wear > only yellow, eat khicdi. And let me know when the Zambian New Year is. > Shivam > > On Apr 12, 2005 12:09 PM, Aman Malik wrote: > > Punjabi new year is on Baisakhi... > > > On Apr 12, 2005 9:31 AM, Shivam Vij wrote: > > > But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? > > > Shivam > > > > On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: > > > > Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 > > -- > "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your > right to say it." - Voltaire > http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. http://www.synchroni-cities.blogspot.com/ From tripta at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 13:51:56 2005 From: tripta at gmail.com (tripta) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:51:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Walking the Station with the Girls In-Reply-To: <1090.219.65.13.153.1113283686.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> References: <1090.219.65.13.153.1113283686.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Message-ID: <425B8524.4020605@gmail.com> Dear Zainab, As usual thoroughly indulged in the narrative. These days I am exploring the public transport, buses, metro's, stations, of an unknown city and through these explorations completely new dimensions and perspectives of navigating through the city are being revealed; the traffic flow, the morning-evening peak traffic times, the time-tables, the red lights, the routes to avoid, the dangerous zone beyond a certain time and the trajectories intersecting through the city scape. The bus and metro stations besides the infrastructural and technical differences have an uncanny semblance to the stations i know of, i have waited and wandered about. In these stations (spaces), epitomizing eternal wait, blank looks, desperate glances, hurried steps, overweight baggages and light flights are all accounted for. These stations are `almost' the most neutral zone in the cities. Access, technically, cannot be denied to anyone as that would defeat the purpose of motion, movements and connections. Do you get the sense of this `neutrality' being constantly contested through the markings that define (or begin to define) these spaces in your research? In the constant movements that mark the space, how are the markings consolidated into a recognizable pattern? There are dangerous zones in the stations however, have you come across any articulation or specific reason for certain zones becoming dangerous? is it something to do with the routes/frequency of the trains passing through those platforms, etc? Is the platform number 7 a `danger place' only on weekends and beyond the peak hours or is that how the space is marked? Is there some relation with the density of people increasing the chances of invisibility? For me, personally, the experience of city transport is a completely surreal one; it's not the move in the city but the city on the move which completely captures my imagination. Presently, I am reading, * The Railway Journey */The Industrialization and Perception of Time and Space (http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/2053.html), /and am convinced that you will find it an invigorating read. If you don't find the book and want it just send me your postal address off line and I'll have it delivered. continuing conversations, t/ From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 12 13:49:23 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:49:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: <8178da99050412004161568e95@mail.gmail.com> References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> <8178da99050412004161568e95@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <425B848B.8030002@sarai.net> Why thank you for asking about Zambia. Hardly anyone does. But, since Zambia is a largely Christianized nation home to over seventy self- and anthropologist-identified linguistic communities, the new year falls, rather disappointingly, on January 1. As does the "Indian" new year. I suppose a lot depends on why someone posts a given message to the list. If such a message was a nearly-unintended side-effect of pressing the "send all" button in your address book, then I ask, as a fellow-member, to please, please, kindly desist. Nobody likes gratuitous email; some would even call it spam. If the message was meant as an assertion of community, an attempt to reach out and hello to Sindhis whether they be in Panama City, Monaco or Saigon, then surely there would be other forums where that message might be more efficiently conveyed? If the message was a way of announcing the sender's presence and identity on the list, of greeting non-Sindhis and making common cause, then I find it most welcome! But with just a little bit of extra annotation, please. What is the specific reason for posting it to a discussion of media and the urban? What does the day mean to you, what resonances does it have? This would be most appreciated. And as for me, I believe it can be scientifically proven that every new day is also a potentially new year. Time to make some more resolutions, Vivek Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: >it would be interesting to take this beyond cynical sniping into an >informed discussion on calendars, and real and mythological 'times' >and their passing; and the disaporic connection to 'time' in the era >of climate change, and the 'global' prevalence of the gregorian >calendar. > >amartya sen had an interesting piece on various indian calendars in >one of the fist few issues of the little magazine. > >i too, would be interested in knowing about the Zambian New Year. Or >rather, what those we call 'Zambians' think of 'New' and Year', among >other things... > > > >On Apr 12, 2005 12:20 PM, Shivam Vij wrote: > > >>Oh yes, of course, thanks! April 13, no? Happy Punjabi New Year, >>whatever that means! Tell all Punjabis to celebrate in their inherited >>(or mythical, if geographically partitioned) agricultural lands. Wear >>only yellow, eat khicdi. And let me know when the Zambian New Year is. >>Shivam >> >>On Apr 12, 2005 12:09 PM, Aman Malik wrote: >> >> >>>Punjabi new year is on Baisakhi... >>> >>> >>>On Apr 12, 2005 9:31 AM, Shivam Vij wrote: >>> >>> >>>>But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? >>>>Shivam >>>> >>>> >>>>On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>>Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 >>>>> >>>>> >>-- >>"I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your >>right to say it." - Voltaire >>http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam >>_________________________________________ >>reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >>Critiques & Collaborations >>To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >>List archive: >> >> >> > > > > From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 12 14:16:37 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:16:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net Message-ID: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Hi, I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books available on the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm specifically looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might have gone up as a result of initiatives by university presses or other groups. Large excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And I'm especially looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. Do send me any links you have, and I will compile and repost the link collection to this list. As a starter, I offer this, UC Press's public archive: http://texts.cdlib.org/ucpress/authors_public.html It's a very nice collection, including such classic recent stuff like Timothy Mitchell's Colonising Egypt, the collected essays of Robert Creeley, south asian regional stuff, and so on. Looking forward to hearing more-- let's map this thing out. Vivek From amitrbasu50 at yahoo.co.in Tue Apr 12 12:51:28 2005 From: amitrbasu50 at yahoo.co.in (Amit Basu) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 08:21:28 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Walking the Station with the Girls In-Reply-To: <1090.219.65.13.153.1113283686.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Message-ID: <20050412072128.79838.qmail@web8501.mail.in.yahoo.com> This is an interesting piece, dense and thought provoking. amit zainab at xtdnet.nl wrote: Walking the Station with the Girls (Practices of Marking at a Railway Station) This evening, I have an appointment with Sushanti and Suparna. They are home guards at a railway station in the city. I have known them for sometime now. Earlier in the week, I had requested them to allow me to walk the railway station with them. “Sure, we can show you around the railway station, but anything outside the railway station, we don’t know much.” Through some days now, I have been examining practices of marking at railway stations in the city. Marking takes place on the criteria of religious affiliation, economic class, criminality/non-criminality, abnormality/normality, traveling without ticket versus traveling with ticket and profession. Ticket Checkers indulge in marking; they need to determine who is traveling with a ticket and who is traveling ticketless. Home guards need to mark drug addicts and criminals and miscreant men. They also mark women, though that is not part of their job. Why is the railway station a site of marking in a city? I landed at 8:30 PM at the railway station. Neelam, another home guard, is standing on the entrance of the first ladies compartment of the local train. As usual, I approach her to ask for Sushanti and Suparna. Neelima is married and has children and she tells me that she tries to balance home and work. After walking around the station a bit, we manage to find Sushanti and Suparna. Today is Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. Suparna excitedly comes and greets me, “Happy New Year.” I wish her the same. Sushanti tells me, “Today is a good day. There is less rush at the station because of festival and plus, today is Saturday. On a regular day, this station is madness personified. Till 8:00 PM, we keep standing. The rush of women drops after 8 PM which is when we take a little rest by sitting on the flooring of the trains that arrive here. Our work timing is from 4:00 PM until 11. By 11, this station is silent. Since all of us girls live in the same area, about ten minutes away from each other, we travel together. My father comes half way through the road to pick me up. We have been here since nine months and have not faced any untoward incident at night.” Sushanti and Suparna are proud of their job. They feel this is desh seva. “There are so many facilities at the railway station, all for ladies. First, you had the GRP (General Railway Police, a force of the State Police) which used to patrol the station. Then, with the rape case in the train, GRP guards were made to travel in the trains with the ladies. Last year, the Deputy Chief Minister got 500 home guards to stand on the railway station and make sure that women don’t get harassed. All of this for ladies only.” We start to walk the platform. Sushanti takes me to platform number 7. “This is the most danger area. On weekdays, during the peak hours (i.e. 5-8 PM), ladies are running like mad to get inside the train. All long-distance fast trains halt here. Even before the train has halted, these ladies will jump inside the train to get seats. It is so dangerous. Even the males are wonderstruck when they watch the ladies jumping like this in the trains. We have fun watching the women jump. That’s our only source of entertainment here.” We start to walk towards the end of the platform. “This is also a very danger point. The danger is because the thieves and the drug addicts stand right here and in the crowds, they use their blades to slit the bags and steal. Once, one of our GRP men got hold of two druggies stealing. They had a major fight. The druggies slit the hands of the guard with their blades. You have to be very careful of their blades. You can get AIDS.” Suparna adds, “Poison – the blades are poisonous. You have to be careful.” Sushanti concludes, “So, on a platform, we have the first point, middle point and the last point (corresponding with the first ladies, middle ladies and the last ladies compartments). There is too much stench around platform number 7. Very dirty there! That is the place where the druggies reside.” I am going to eat dinner with Sushanti and Suparna. I am also embarrassed because I am not carrying tiffin with me. Hence I have nothing to share/contribute in their dinner fiesta. “We will eat dinner late,” Sushanti tells me, adding, “let us take the train and go to some stations. You ask us whatever questions you want. I don’t know what you would be interested in knowing from us.” I nod. We get inside the train. “How do you feel doing this job? Do your parents and family members support you? What about your social life? Do you have a life beyond the railway station?” I ask them as we are riding the trains. Sushanti tells me, “I feel tired at the end of the day. It is not easy to keep standing all the while on the platform. I have backache. But I take care of myself. After 8, I take rest on the station. Parents don’t have much problem with my work. You see, more than family members, it is the neighbours who like to gossip and question ‘where is this girl going? Why does she come home late?’ For us, as long as our parents trust us, it is fine. Our parents are assured that our daughter is not doing anything wrong. Till then, it is fine. As for social life, I don’t know about others, but I personally take out time to be with friends. It is important for me.” As we are riding the trains, two of their colleagues, male GRP guards, inquire about me. When we get off the station, Sushanti introduces me to them. “You tell them what you are doing.” I try to explain to one of the colleagues. He asks, “Are you Christian?” “No,” I respond, clarifying my religious affiliation. “Okay. I have only started patrolling the stations since a month or so hence I have not much experience to share with you. Yeah, but I remember that some days ago, a woman was walking on the platform when a man from the general compartment, looking at her, said, ‘kya maal hai?’(i.e. sexy thing). The lady saw that we GRP guards were sitting there. She took riks (i.e. risk) on our basis and slapped the man. The man started saying that he did not make the remark and that the other fellow had. She retorted angrily. In the meanwhile, a bhaiyya (from Uttar Pradesh) bhel-puri hawker was showing his 32 white teeth and smiling at the woman’s plight. Hamne danda liya aur kaan ke neeche baja diya usko (We took our stick and gave him solid beating). These are two memorable experiences of recent times.” Sushanti added, “That’s true what he said. Because we guards are around, ladies take riks (i.e. risk) and are able to retort to the men. But there are times when ladies will ask us to threaten the men eve-teasing them. When we ask the ladies to come with us to the men, they will want to scamper away. How can we simply go up to a man and threaten him if the woman is not coming forward with us as witness and victim?” Sushanti then introduces me to the home guard at the station we are on. Her name is Vijaya. “Meet Vijaya,” Sushanti tells me, “She is very fearless. She will stay alone at this station. This station becomes very silent after 9 PM. But she holds guard.” Vijaya excitedly shakes hands with me. “I don’t fear anything except for ghosts and uparwala (i.e. god),” she says. “But where are the ghosts?” I ask her. “Oh,” she says, “the lane where I live becomes very silent at 2:30 in the night. I feel afraid to venture there at that time. That’s when I feel there are ghosts there.” Vijaya is married. Her husband tells her that as long as she can pay equal attention at home, she is permitted to do this job. “I have always loved serving people. Since my youth I have been engaged in this kind of activity. Sometimes I defy my husband and come to perform duty here. I have three children. But I manage to balance home and work. Husband says that I should make sure that I am back home every night by 12:30 AM.” We decide to take the train back to our original station. Sushanti starts to say, “This is how we perform our duty. It is tough. The harbour line railway stations are most dangerous. There we have only one home guard per point. But they are left early. Some of the harbour line railway stations are very dangerous, like Reay Road and Dockyard station and even Govandi.” “Why do you call them dangerous?” I asked her, presuming that her notion of ‘dangerous’ emerges from the close presence of slums along those two railway stations. She responds, “Oh, Reay Road and Dockyard are Muslim areas and hence the stations are dangerous.” “What about Govandi? Why do you call that dangerous?” I ask her. “I don’t know much about Govandi. I have never been there. But one girl used to work there and she used to say this to us. I don’t know much,” Sushanti says. We return back to the station. I ask both of them to tell me if they have seen deaths at the station and how it makes them feel. “Yes, we have seen deaths. No deaths take place at junction stations like VT and Churchgate. But on other stations, people recklessly cross the station. The first death I had seen was of a 12-year-old boy. I am not sure how he became a victim, but his body was completely cut apart. I had seen his dead body. I just could not sleep for about two days after that. It was so terrible. Now, we are used to it. There is a fine for people who cross the railway tracks. It is a criminal offense to cross the railway tracks (and a social offense to travel ticketless as indicated by the notice boards on the railway stations) and the police can fine you for this. But people cross. On one occasion, a fat man was trying to cross the tracks. But due to his weight, he could not climb up. He tried and tried, but he could not get himself to lift up and climb back on the tracks. The mail train was fast approaching. I was standing there and watching, but I could not help him. Then, a group of 12 men came and stopped the train and helped the man out. When he got onto the platform, I shouted at him, ‘what mister, hasn’t the government made bridges for you to navigate the station? Why do you have to cross the tracks? What if you had died here today?’ He started saying ‘sorry, sorry’ to me. I told him, ‘you are elder in age to me. And you will say sorry and get off. Don’t say sorry to me. Resolve that you will use the Foot Over Bridge instead of crossing the tracks.’ Now you tell me, you must have been to foreign countries. How is the railway station there? We have seen images of the doors of the train close automatically there. But can you cross tracks there? Is the railway station like this over there too?” I am astonished as to how Sushanti knows that I have been abroad. Did I ever tell her? I tell her that it is a criminal offense there too to cross the tracks. It’s simply not allowed. It’s dinner time now. Sushanti and Suparna collect their bags from their little police post on the station and we start to proceed towards the ladies waiting room which is where we will be eating our dinner. Sushanti says to me, “Children escape from homes and come to the station and fall in bad company and start to do drugs. Once, a boy came up to me and said ‘my elder brother is calling you.’ My colleague was also with me. I knew the boy was teasing us. I thrashed him and asked him ‘where is your elder brother? Take us there!’ He ran away. We knew that he was a truant boy. A few days later, we saw the same boy at another station. He was walking with an elderly man. We thought that this is the elder brother he is talking about. We decided to thrash that man. We went up to him and said, ‘are you his elder brother who wanted to meet us?’ The man said, ‘I am this boy’s father. This boy does not sit in school and runs off to the station to do drugs. I don’t know what to do with him.’ From his looks, we had determined that the boy was from a good family. We understand that it is easy to fall into bad habits, but difficult to get out. So we empathized with the father and said to him, ‘Now that we know he is your son, the next time we see him doing drugs on the station, we will beat him up and get him back to you. You don’t worry.’ I don’t like beating the children,” Sushanti says contemplatively and with a sense of sadness, “but this is part of our job. Initially, it was difficult. But you know, we have to be strict otherwise these people will sit on our heads. Even now, I don’t beat up. I just warn them and let them go.” “How do people perceive you?” I ask her, as she is reflecting on her everyday life at the station. “Some people are good to us and respect our duties. But a lot of women don’t see us with respect. If we are sitting for a while, they will say ‘look at them. Government servants and they are bumming around.’ Once, a five plus one, you understand know, that means six (eunuch), had boarded the train. He was old and wasn’t harassing the women. We entered the train. After a while, he quietly walked out. The ladies started saying, ‘look at you, home guards, you don’t do anything when these eunuchs enter the train. What use are you? We have to fend for ourselves.’ I got angry and responded to the woman who made the remark, ‘madam, just because you have money and that eunuch doesn’t, you can say these things. And he wasn’t doing anything to you. And, for your kind information, if I hadn’t entered the train, he wouldn’t have walked out.’ The woman got angry and she started yelling at me. I told her, ‘I am a government servant and not your servant. The government gives me money and not you.’ But she kept on yelling. I felt bad and told my seniors about this. They said to me, ‘you go on doing your duty. It doesn’t matter what the public says.’ That is how the public is here. They will not acknowledge what we are doing. And I am telling you, statistics have revealed that crime rates have come down by 80% ever since we were posted here. Now only 20% has to be tackled with.” We settled down to eat dinner. Sushanti and Suparna’s colleagues are there. They ask me to take a bite from their tiffin. Sushanti says to me, “Here, take some vegetable and chappatis. Now, I don’t like to tell the other person ‘please, please, eat some’. If you like, take more from my tiffin. That is how I like.” We start to eat and as per her instructions, I dig into her tiffin whenever I need more. She feels happy that I have adjusted to them. “That feels nice. Look Suparna, she eats so well,” she says to Suparna. “So,” I ask her, “this waiting room is everything for you? I mean you change your clothes here and when you get back at night, you change your clothes here?” She replies, “When we come in the evening for duty, we change here. On return, we dress half-civil i.e. we simply change the top garment and retain the trousers. This way, people don’t see us with bad eye. In the beginning, we used to feel afraid returning back home. Once you are in plain clothes, you are just like the average public. The uniform has power. So when we used to go back home in civil clothes, public in the trains and on the station used to think we are dance bar girls returning. Now that we dress half-civil, people know that we are returning from our duty and we are not that type of girls.” As dinner ends, Sushanti’s colleagues are curious to know more about me. “She is our friend,” Sushanti declares proudly. One of their colleagues, Sunidhi, comes up to me. She sees the Sarai Broadsheets which I am carrying in my hands. “What is this?” she asks. “Can you read English? If you can, take one,” I respond. She starts to open out the Broadsheet. “Oh, this opens out completely huh?” she says. Sushanti tells me, “You know, we can understand English very well. If someone says something to us, we can clearly understand. But it is difficult for us to respond. That is why, we would prefer if you speak with us in English. That way, we can learn something from you.” I hand over a copy of the Broadsheet to Suparna as well. She is having fun with the image in the middle of the inside poster. “I know this, I know this. It is illusion,” she shouts. Sunidhi starts talking to me. “I want to start my own business. Now I am trying to. But until business starts, I want to continue in this job.” Sushanti once again asks my name. “Accha, so you are Muslim huh? Do you follow the Quran?” I tell her that religion is not a strict imposition in my home and that my parents have allowed me to do what I have wanted to. “Oh, that means there is love in your home,” she concludes happily. “We have made quite a few good friends here, at the station, in all these months of duty. We have met some really nice people. Now you are one of them. Do you do ghar-kaam (i.e. household work as expected of a girl)?” “No,” I tell her. “Yeah, when I saw you, I realized that you must be from a hi-fi family. So you must be having servants at home to do work. But it is nice to know some ghar-kaam. It’s important because even when there are servants around, husband likes it if wife does some of the household work, especially cooking, with her own hands.” I nod. Something happens and we start to talk about different cities. Delhi becomes a subject of discussion. Sunidhi says, “It’s good in Delhi, I have heard.” I tell Sunidhi that Delhi is an unsafe place for women and there is greater liberty for women in Bombay. “Yeah, I would guess as much,” she starts saying, “Mughals had ruled Delhi and they would keep their wives inside their homes. Hence this culture in Delhi. I have loved Razia Sultan. Sushanti, you know that Razia Sultan was the only Muslim woman who ruled a kingdom. And the Muslim men did not like this and hence they killed her. I truly adore her character.” We start to wrap up and walk back to the station. Sushanti, Sunidhi and myself are walking back. “Just a minute, we will keep our bags and join you,” Sushanti says. The station is quite empty now. As I stand by a pillar, I realize that I am now a visible entity. In the rush hours of the day and the evening, standing at the pillar on the station is a practice which is not marked because the individual is anonymous and invisible. But at 10:30 at night, this same practice creates visibility and perhaps could result in the ‘public’ marking me. Would I also be seen as a dance bar girl? Sushanti and Sunidhi arrive. I ask Sunidhi where her point is. “There, at platform number 7. It stinks badly all the time. I don’t like it there.” Suddenly, Sushanti sees a burkha clad woman and asks me, “In yours, do you wear burkha?” “No,” I tell her. “It’s getting late now. You had better go. Your mummy will be worried about you,” she tells me with concern. I board the local train. “We know the time-table by-heart now,” Sushanti informs me while there is some time for the train to depart. “Public asks us about the trains. And some people, inspite of giving them the correct information, they will ask around with others to confirm again and again. I feel irritated that the public does not trust.” The train starts to move slowly from the platform. We wave out to each other. I return ... Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. List archive: Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partneronline. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050412/69fb7b9b/attachment.html From pukar at pukar.org.in Thu Apr 7 14:55:12 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 14:55:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] between slums and skyscrapers Message-ID: <003101c53b53$c15a6ba0$5dd0c0cb@freeda> On 6th April 2005 the city witnessed the city's poorest citizens - men, women and children - being brutally lathi-charged while protesting against the violent demolitions of their homes and lack of rehabilitation measures for them. There are many who prefer to gloss over this violence, believing it to be an inevitable part of the "solution" to the city's "slum problem", and avoid its significance as a challenge to the city's shallow notion of being modern and its supposed faith in the democratic process. This moment calls for a whole-hearted support to all those who are struggling to maintain democratic processes in the city in a politically urgent way. Simultaneously it is vital that side by side we build on the imagination and knowledge that debates on housing and slums in the city are conducted from. This is the context in which tomorrow's discussion will be placed. 'Beyond Conservation: Heritage Concerns and Urban Futures' Venue Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai. Participants - The residents of Khotachiwadi - an urban heritage precinct in south Mumbai. - Rahul Srivastava, Co-Director, PUKAR and coordinator of PUKAR's Khotachiwadi Neighborhood Project. - Pankaj Joshi, PUKAR Associate, Conservation Architect and Advisor to the Project. Time 6:30 p.m. Date Friday, 8th April 2005 How many people know that Khotachiwadi was also referred to as a slum in the early twentieth century from the point of view of the newly emerging planned city? Perhaps it is in the transformation of our perspective of this habitat from slum to heritage site that we may find a clue to the problems that Mumbai faces. Perhaps it becomes more pertinent than before to point out all over again that there is an ideological side to the city that is alive and kicking in supposedly modern Mumbai - one that is endorsed by builders, a certain kind of planning process and an anti-poor state. It is rooted in a convenient vision that looks at any ambiguous habitat as a slum - and quickly endorses this nomenclature so that sooner or later it is justified in erasing it. Take a look at the many middle-class residential colonies in Mumbai that are increasingly divided on the future of their neighborhoods. Some decry themselves on being slummy and want an urgent make over - sponsored by the builder lobby - while others resist this label and narrative but find themselves increasingly in the minority. And the production of slums continues unabated, produced as much from such an ideological narrative than from the usual cause - subsidizing the built environment and the lifestyles of the privileged through cheap labor while also making the poor pay a price for their subsidy. At the same time the city continues to be delusional about its modern status - channelizing all its efforts at furiously looking modern through a glass and steel make-over while sacrificing all values of egalitarianism and democracy that modernity has always predicated it self on. After all, many modern cities around the world transformed themselves because they were ashamed of how they were treating its poor and not by ruthlessly crushing them - something for Mumbai to reflect on. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050407/4328e422/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From mail at yazadjal.com Tue Apr 12 14:58:35 2005 From: mail at yazadjal.com (Yazad Jal) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:58:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net References: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Message-ID: <01f001c53f43$05bc1c60$0100a8c0@hathway> Mises.org has an e-books section which might interest you. Here's the link: http://www.mises.org/StudyGuideDisplay.asp?SubjID=117 -yazad www.yazadjal.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vivek Narayanan" To: ; Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 2:16 pm Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net > Hi, > > I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books available on > the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm specifically > looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might have gone up > as a result of initiatives by university presses or other groups. Large > excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And I'm especially > looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. > > Do send me any links you have, and I will compile and repost the link > collection to this list. > > As a starter, I offer this, UC Press's public archive: > http://texts.cdlib.org/ucpress/authors_public.html > > It's a very nice collection, including such classic recent stuff like > Timothy Mitchell's Colonising Egypt, the collected essays of Robert > Creeley, south asian regional stuff, and so on. > > Looking forward to hearing more-- let's map this thing out. > > Vivek > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > > From chauhan.vijender at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 23:39:10 2005 From: chauhan.vijender at gmail.com (Vijender chauhan) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 23:39:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Beeti Vibhavri Jaag Ri Message-ID: <8bdde45405041211092db8f1f0@mail.gmail.com> Namaskar, In past month or so I alongwith the some very helpful friends have made pre dawn visits to some of the well known (and some lesser known) spaces of the city. Text has limitation I plan to post some images at some blog, as soon as I am able to do it I'll provide link. For now I am suggesting how me and some of my creative friends have read the turns, silence, chirping of the city. I am mentioning name of the space and how it was viewed: High Mast Lights at JANPATH: City as sea of lights- infinite...endless...sea. In fact you 'see' darkness only because there are High Mast light houses to show you. In fact it can be safely said that metropolitan darkness is where artificial light is absent. Chhatra Marg (DU Campus) : a long tunnel to eternity . Yellow line on the road tries not so succesfully to create symmetry which do not exit. (This road in any case devides a lot, ...Arts faculty from the Sciences, Nirulas from the Vivekananda, Miranda House Hostel from the PG Woman Hostel) I also felt that this really sleepy road should take us to The bavri (well with stairs) where that Brahmrakshas is washing his sin (sorry you all profs at university) here i hops to some other visit i made a few weeks eariler same time (pre dawn) to Bab Kharak Singh Marg (Idea) was to sense the coffee house building at Mohan Singh palace, but I ended up staring down at stairs to the subway opposite coffee home. I have got the image, I tell you its a Bavri as well, quite literally. It was lined with people sleeping or may be making themselves beleive that they took their share of dreams. Who is the Brahamrakshas there, we? I am too scared to answer it. Under a High tension Wire at Laxmi Nagar : I studied Electrical Engineering at Polytechnic and beleive me I wasn't a bad student so I can figure out that High tension AC transmission will certainly make sound. So whats the point in mentioning that HT wires at Laxmi Nagar makes loud humming sound. But I still insist that it is worth listening. It is the music that city night produces. It is mysterious because during daytime it is lost in noise. I am upset that my cassette recorder predictable failed to record the sound. Then there is Bhola Yadav. Watchman at Janpath. Bhola is around 40-45 years of age and going by latest row in BJP/RSS he is younger then 'young' alternatives of Advani /Vajpayee but first few pages of Godaan describes how age is not so natural. It is constructed, Hori can't be young at 40 nor can be Bhola Yadav. Bhola spends his night guarding a showroom. He views this city as rozi-roti. He is not nostalgic about Ghemar his village in eastern UP. Now I know him a little better. My meeting with him this sunday (pre) dawn was sixth one. I interviewed him now a days I am working on this interview itself. I request once again to you all to suggest writings, drawings, paintings, music, films, photographs, graffiti, kahavats, galis... whatever that you believe is expression of Delhi's time in space or Delhi's space in time. But to limit my work whatever you suggest should have occurred, capture or describe pre dawn Delhi (3-4 AM). Thanx Vijender From shivamvij at gmail.com Tue Apr 12 23:42:34 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 23:42:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'Powerless in the Brave New World': But when were we 'powerful'? Message-ID: Dear all, Pasted below is an essay by Pankaj Mishra in 'Tehelka' (Delhi, dated 16 April 2005) in which he invokes Gustave Flaubert's 1869 novel, "Sentimental Education", to drive home the point, "Flaubert foresaw, less self-consciously than the modernists and existentialists of the 20th century, the fragmenting of individual experience in the highly organised societies coming into being, the world dominated if not ruled by mendacious politicians, speculators and a corporate-owned media increasingly compromised by their proximity to power." At first instance the essay can leave you shaken and stirred, but my state of 'fragmented individual experience' (and I don't mean at all to trivialise the idea) makes me wonder if we were ever 'powerful'; if there was ever a time when individual experience was *not* fragmented. Let's say, we have a world which only seeks knowledge, sans 'highly organised societies'. But you only have to read Christopher Marlowe's sixteenth century play "Doctor Faustus" to see that such a world too would lead to 'fragmented individual experience'. Enjoy, Shivam ------------------------------------- Powerless in the Brave New World Gustave Flaubert prophesied a modern world in which people would be manipulated by mass-manufactured fantasies of freedom and happiness, says Pankaj Mishra Tehelka, Delhi, 16 April 2005 [ http://www.tehelka.com/story_main11.asp?filename=op041605Powerless.asp ] In 1851, Flaubert returned from his travels in the Middle East, and began to write about a bored provincial housewife, the reader of romantic novels, who is driven to suicide by her longing, only half-fulfilled, for a life elsewhere. "Madame Bovary, c'est moi," Flaubert once said of his most famous creation. But Flaubert finally exorcised his youthful romanticism, and gave the fullest expression to his disenchantment with the modern age in the novel he published in 1869: Sentimental Education. This disenchantment may seem extreme to us. But then the young Flaubert had put much of his energy and passion into romantic daydreams. Scorning the bourgeois individual, the mean and timid calculator of self-interest that the French Revolution had enthroned, Flaubert yearned for the exotic and voluptuous pleasures of the Orient; he sought in the modern age the heroism and moral purity he saw in the age of antiquity. These fantasies of both extreme piety and licentiousness dictated his early travels — to the Middle East — and his writings (The Temptation of St Anthony). And, perhaps, they would have made him an interesting minor writer in the Byronic mould had he not begun, out of a disgust and disillusionment too deep for anything but art, to see them as a commonplace and sinister malady. It was the disabused romantic in Flaubert that wrote his two great novels, Madame Bovary and Sentimental Education; and his vision matured only after the failed European revolutions of 1848. The emotions of educated Europeans in the mid-19th century may be as remote from us as the passions aroused by 9/11 will no doubt seem to the inhabitants of the next century. But for Flaubert and many of his contemporaries, the utopian aspirations of the 19th-century rationalists which the French revolution had briefly expressed before degenerating into terror and anarchy, had finally been destroyed in 1848. Traditional beliefs and authorities had been overthrown, several new nation-states had appeared, universal suffrage and education had been introduced, but universal happiness or peace still appeared out of reach. Rather, the much-hated class of the bourgeoisie had become more powerful; indeed, it had appropriated the slogans of democracy, equality, and progress; it spoke in the name of the people and the nation and would soon lead Europe into its most destructive wars. Flaubert lived through the violent events of 1848 and saw closely the selfishness and brutality of all its participants: the nobility, the middle class, the working classes and the peasants. As he wrote in Sentimental Education: "Equality asserted itself triumphantly: an equality of brute beasts, a common level of bloody atrocities; for the fanaticism of the rich counterbalanced the frenzy of the poor, the aristocracy shared the fury of the rabble, and the cotton nightcap was just as savage as the red bonnet." As Flaubert saw it, men had overthrown older gods only to prostrate themselves afresh before the new holy trinity of sex, money and power. The bourgeois now tainted everything, even the desire to escape from his world. Flaubert wished Sentimental Education to be "the moral history, or rather the sentimental history, of the men of my generation." Accordingly, he turned Paris of the 1840s into the main setting, and exposed a wide range of people — students, journalists, courtesans, artists, bankers, political agitators — to the temptations of fame and wealth that Emma Bovary in the provinces had only dreamed of. He denied a complex self-consciousness and sense of purpose to Frederic Moreau, his primary protagonist. Frederic dreams a great deal; but nothing comes of his grand plans for success in art, business, journalism and politics. His shallow love affairs peter out; he never even consummates his only sincere love for an older woman. Even worse, he has no way of understanding his situation, his place in the world. The poverty of his inner life is matched by the clichés in which he often expresses his most private longings. A creature of random desires and impulses, he drifts from one person to another, from one day to the next. The years pass and he simply accumulates experience and grows old without becoming any bit wiser. Frederic's friends, most of them intellectual manques like himself, show even less ability to rise above their petty desires and circumstances. There is the journalist with a craving for political power, the socialist agitator who turns into a brutal policeman, the artist who has more theories at hand than talent, and the conservative banker who manages to be both republican and monarchist. As in Madame Bovary, Flaubert made his characters speak in clichés borrowed from journalism, politics, advertising, and romantic fiction. He frequently flouted his own principle of artistic impersonality to comment directly on his creations. Here is the art dealer: "With his passion for pandering to the public, he led able artists astray, corrupted the strong, exhausted the weak, and bestowed fame on the second-rate, controlling their destinies by means of his connections and his magazine." Flaubert had an acute insight into the "instinctive adoration of force" that the most idealistic of men could lapse into. He saw the slogan of socialism as hiding a strong tendency towards despotism. But he was no more enamored of free market democracy. We meet in his novel all 'the stock characters of the political comedy' who fill up the op-ed pages of our newspapers: "the old stagers of the Left-Centre, the paladins of the Right, the veterans of the Middle Way"; and Frederic's political volte face remind one of the radicals of our own time who have turned bewilderingly into courtiers to the rich and the powerful: "The political verbiage and good food began to dull his sense of morality. However mediocre these people might seem to him, he felt proud to know them and inwardly longed to enjoy their esteem." But, above all, the novel is a magnificent testimony to Flaubert's art. Early in the book, Frederic has been spending some months in the country when he learns that he has inherited his uncle's wealth. Delighted, he throws open the window of his house. This is what he sees: "Snow had fallen; the roofs were white; and he even recognised a washtub in the yard which he had tripped over the evening before." How vividly does the image capture the fragility of Frederic's private excitement amidst an indifferent world, and his restless, distracted state of previous weeks. The long passages set in the forest of Fontainebleau show Flaubert's matchless ability to evoke his characters' inner lives through descriptions of landscapes. Then, there is Flaubert's great melancholy sense of time. He sensed, much before Proust, that the individual self has no integrity and exists only in fragments scattered across time. Thus, he presents Frederic's life as a series of isolated moments, with a specific mood or act standing in for whole weeks, months, even years: "He used to get up very late and look out of the window at the waggoner's cart going past. The first six months were particularly agonising." Famously towards the end, Flaubert's narrative both leaps across, and illuminates, a void of 16 years with just some poetically precise sentences carefully placed at the beginning of a chapter: "He travelled. He came to know the melancholy of the steamboat, the cold awakening in the tent, the tedium of landscapes and ruins, the bitterness of interrupted friendships." The melancholy, tedium and bitterness can prove too much. In Sentimental Education, Flaubert made no attempt to flatter or divert his audience, and indeed seems to want to linger on his readers' vulgar fascination with money and power. The reader looking for a gripping yarn about other people is confronted with his own imprecise longings and incoherent self. Not surprisingly, the novel, when it first appeared, was a critical and commercial failure, and has subsequently enjoyed a cult rather than a popular following. Many writers, for instance, consider it a more mature novel than Madame Bovary. Ford Madox Ford claimed to have read it 14 times. In his film Manhattan, Woody Allen put Sentimental Education on a short list of things worth living for. To read it now is to discover how Flaubert out of his obsessive hatred of his bourgeois peers and their holy creed of self-interest, managed to draw a comprehensive portrait of the secular, metropolitan realm that was new in his time and now forms the substance of our life and dreams: the world of fast communications, big industry, mass media, and commodified art. Flaubert foresaw, less self-consciously than the modernists and existentialists of the 20th century, the fragmenting of individual experience in the highly organised societies coming into being, the world dominated if not ruled by mendacious politicians, speculators and a corporate-owned media increasingly compromised by their proximity to power. Although published in 1869, Sentimental Education now reads as the first major novel of the 20th century in its vivid presentiment of the brave new world in which powerless human beings will be kept pointlessly busy, led around by mass-manufactured fantasies of freedom and happiness, until the point when they do not know who they are or what purpose they have served, and, furthermore, do not care. The writer is the author of The Romantics and An End to Suffering: The Buddha and the World April 16, 2005 From rochellepinto at yahoo.com Tue Apr 12 21:36:37 2005 From: rochellepinto at yahoo.com (rochelle pinto) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 09:06:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Christianity and disappointment In-Reply-To: <20050412092317.246AC28D8F3@mail.sarai.net> Message-ID: <20050412160637.91182.qmail@web30507.mail.mud.yahoo.com> This mail suggests that if Zambians reverted to another pre-Christian method of marking time, it would be less disappointing. Perhaps less marked by colonialism as well. While the historical links between the arrival of Christianity and colonialism should not be erased, does the association of everything Christian exclusively signify the absence of authenticity? This seems to suggest that the arrival of Christianity is always and necessarily to be interpreted as a disappointing erasure of authentic identities. And that a new year marked by the Gregorian calendar is distinctively unIndian. I deduce this from the single inverted commas around the word Indian. Perhaps we can look forward to an authentically Indian new year, in a time when the 'really Indian' communities get together and decide on an appropriate date and time of year. Message: 4 Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:49:23 +0530 From: Vivek Narayanan Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year To: Anand Vivek Taneja , reader-list at sarai.net Message-ID: <425B848B.8030002 at sarai.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Why thank you for asking about Zambia. Hardly anyone does. But, since Zambia is a largely Christianized nation home to over seventy self- and anthropologist-identified linguistic communities, the new year falls, rather disappointingly, on January 1. As does the "Indian" new year. I suppose a lot depends on why someone posts a given message to the list. If such a message was a nearly-unintended side-effect of pressing the "send all" button in your address book, then I ask, as a fellow-member, to please, please, kindly desist. Nobody likes gratuitous email; some would even call it spam. If the message was meant as an assertion of community, an attempt to reach out and hello to Sindhis whether they be in Panama City, Monaco or Saigon, then surely there would be other forums where that message might be more efficiently conveyed? If the message was a way of announcing the sender's presence and identity on the list, of greeting non-Sindhis and making common cause, then I find it most welcome! But with just a little bit of extra annotation, please. What is the specific reason for posting it to a discussion of media and the urban? What does the day mean to you, what resonances does it have? This would be most appreciated. And as for me, I believe it can be scientifically proven that every new day is also a potentially new year. Time to make some more resolutions, Vivek Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: >it would be interesting to take this beyond cynical sniping into an >informed discussion on calendars, and real and mythological 'times' >and their passing; and the disaporic connection to 'time' in the era >of climate change, and the 'global' prevalence of the gregorian >calendar. > >amartya sen had an interesting piece on various indian calendars in >one of the fist few issues of the little magazine. > >i too, would be interested in knowing about the Zambian New Year. Or >rather, what those we call 'Zambians' think of 'New' and Year', among >other things... > > > >On Apr 12, 2005 12:20 PM, Shivam Vij wrote: > > >>Oh yes, of course, thanks! April 13, no? Happy Punjabi New Year, >>whatever that means! Tell all Punjabis to celebrate in their inherited >>(or mythical, if geographically partitioned) agricultural lands. Wear >>only yellow, eat khicdi. And let me know when the Zambian New Year is. >>Shivam >> >>On Apr 12, 2005 12:09 PM, Aman Malik wrote: >> >> >>>Punjabi new year is on Baisakhi... >>> >>> >>>On Apr 12, 2005 9:31 AM, Shivam Vij wrote: >>> >>> >>>>But I am not a Sindhi. And when is the Punjabi new year? >>>>Shivam >>>> >>>> >>>>On Apr 11, 2005 4:05 PM, Zulfiqar Shah wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>>Happy New Sindhi Year Chetti Chand April 10 >>>>> >>>>> >>-- >>"I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your >>right to say it." - Voltaire >>http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Shivam >>_________________________________________ >>reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >>Critiques & Collaborations >>To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >>List archive: >> >> >> > > > > ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:16:37 +0530 From: Vivek Narayanan Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net To: reader-list at sarai.net, commons-law at sarai.net Message-ID: <425B8AED.8090609 at sarai.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Hi, I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books available on the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm specifically looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might have gone up as a result of initiatives by university presses or other groups. Large excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And I'm especially looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. Do send me any links you have, and I will compile and repost the link collection to this list. As a starter, I offer this, UC Press's public archive: http://texts.cdlib.org/ucpress/authors_public.html It's a very nice collection, including such classic recent stuff like Timothy Mitchell's Colonising Egypt, the collected essays of Robert Creeley, south asian regional stuff, and so on. Looking forward to hearing more-- let's map this thing out. Vivek ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 08:21:28 +0100 (BST) From: Amit Basu Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Walking the Station with the Girls To: zainab at xtdnet.nl, reader-list at sarai.net, urbanstudygroup at sarai.net Message-ID: <20050412072128.79838.qmail at web8501.mail.in.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" This is an interesting piece, dense and thought provoking. amit zainab at xtdnet.nl wrote: Walking the Station with the Girls (Practices of Marking at a Railway Station) This evening, I have an appointment with Sushanti and Suparna. They are home guards at a railway station in the city. I have known them for sometime now. Earlier in the week, I had requested them to allow me to walk the railway station with them. �Sure, we can show you around the railway station, but anything outside the railway station, we don�t know much.� Through some days now, I have been examining practices of marking at railway stations in the city. Marking takes place on the criteria of religious affiliation, economic class, criminality/non-criminality, abnormality/normality, traveling without ticket versus traveling with ticket and profession. Ticket Checkers indulge in marking; they need to determine who is traveling with a ticket and who is traveling ticketless. Home guards need to mark drug addicts and criminals and miscreant men. They also mark women, though that is not part of their job. Why is the railway station a site of marking in a city? I landed at 8:30 PM at the railway station. Neelam, another home guard, is standing on the entrance of the first ladies compartment of the local train. As usual, I approach her to ask for Sushanti and Suparna. Neelima is married and has children and she tells me that she tries to balance home and work. After walking around the station a bit, we manage to find Sushanti and Suparna. Today is Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. Suparna excitedly comes and greets me, �Happy New Year.� I wish her the same. Sushanti tells me, �Today is a good day. There is less rush at the station because of festival and plus, today is Saturday. On a regular day, this station is madness personified. Till 8:00 PM, we keep standing. The rush of women drops after 8 PM which is when we take a little rest by sitting on the flooring of the trains that arrive here. Our work timing is from 4:00 PM until 11. By 11, this station is silent. Since all of us girls live in the same area, about ten minutes away from each other, we travel together. My father comes half way through the road to pick me up. We have been here since nine months and have not faced any untoward incident at night.� Sushanti and Suparna are proud of their job. They feel this is desh seva. �There are so many facilities at the railway station, all for ladies. First, you had the GRP (General Railway Police, a force of the State Police) which used to patrol the station. Then, with the rape case in the train, GRP guards were made to travel in the trains with the ladies. Last year, the Deputy Chief Minister got 500 home guards to stand on the railway station and make sure that women don�t get harassed. All of this for ladies only.� We start to walk the platform. Sushanti takes me to platform number 7. �This is the most danger area. On weekdays, during the peak hours (i.e. 5-8 PM), ladies are running like mad to get inside the train. All long-distance fast trains halt here. Even before the train has halted, these ladies will jump inside the train to get seats. It is so dangerous. Even the males are wonderstruck when they watch the ladies jumping like this in the trains. We have fun watching the women jump. That�s our only source of entertainment here.� We start to walk towards the end of the platform. �This is also a very danger point. The danger is because the thieves and the drug addicts stand right here and in the crowds, they use their blades to slit the bags and steal. Once, one of our GRP men got hold of two druggies stealing. They had a major fight. The druggies slit the hands of the guard with their blades. You have to be very careful of their blades. You can get AIDS.� Suparna adds, �Poison � the blades are poisonous. You have to be careful.� Sushanti concludes, �So, on a platform, we have the first point, middle point and the last point (corresponding with the first ladies, middle ladies and the last ladies compartments). There is too much stench around platform number 7. Very dirty there! That is the place where the druggies reside.� I am going to eat dinner with Sushanti and Suparna. I am also embarrassed because I am not carrying tiffin with me. Hence I have nothing to share/contribute in their dinner fiesta. �We will eat dinner late,� Sushanti tells me, adding, �let us take the train and go to some stations. You ask us whatever questions you want. I don�t know what you would be interested in knowing from us.� I nod. We get inside the train. �How do you feel doing this job? Do your parents and family members support you? What about your social life? Do you have a life beyond the railway station?� I ask them as we are riding the trains. Sushanti tells me, �I feel tired at the end of the day. It is not easy to keep standing all the while on the platform. I have backache. But I take care of myself. After 8, I take rest on the station. Parents don�t have much problem with my work. You see, more than family members, it is the neighbours who like to gossip and question �where is this girl going? Why does she come home late?� For us, as long as our parents trust us, it is fine. Our parents are assured that our daughter is not doing anything wrong. Till then, it is fine. As for social life, I don�t know about others, but I personally take out time to be with friends. It is important for me.� As we are riding the trains, two of their colleagues, male GRP guards, inquire about me. When we get off the station, Sushanti introduces me to them. �You tell them what you are doing.� I try to explain to one of the colleagues. He asks, �Are you Christian?� �No,� I respond, clarifying my religious affiliation. �Okay. I have only started patrolling the stations since a month or so hence I have not much experience to share with you. Yeah, but I remember that some days ago, a woman was walking on the platform when a man from the general compartment, looking at her, said, �kya maal hai?�(i.e. sexy thing). The lady saw that we GRP guards were sitting there. She took riks (i.e. risk) on our basis and slapped the man. The man started saying that he did not make the remark and that the other fellow had. She retorted angrily. In the meanwhile, a bhaiyya (from Uttar Pradesh) bhel-puri hawker was showing his 32 white teeth and smiling at the woman�s plight. Hamne danda liya aur kaan ke neeche baja diya usko (We took our stick and gave him solid beating). These are two memorable experiences of recent times.� Sushanti added, �That�s true what he said. Because we guards are around, ladies take riks (i.e. risk) and are able to retort to the men. But there are times when ladies will ask us to threaten the men eve-teasing them. When we ask the ladies to come with us to the men, they will want to scamper away. How can we simply go up to a man and threaten him if the woman is not coming forward with us as witness and victim?� Sushanti then introduces me to the home guard at the station we are on. Her name is Vijaya. �Meet Vijaya,� Sushanti tells me, �She is very fearless. She will stay alone at this station. This station becomes very silent after 9 PM. But she holds guard.� Vijaya excitedly shakes hands with me. �I don�t fear anything except for ghosts and uparwala (i.e. god),� she says. �But where are the ghosts?� I ask her. �Oh,� she says, �the lane where I live becomes very silent at 2:30 in the night. I feel afraid to venture there at that time. That�s when I feel there are ghosts there.� Vijaya is married. Her husband tells her that as long as she can pay equal attention at home, she is permitted to do this job. �I have always loved serving people. Since my youth I have been engaged in this kind of activity. Sometimes I defy my husband and come to perform duty here. I have three children. But I manage to balance home and work. === message truncated === --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050412/c6bca100/attachment.html From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Tue Apr 12 22:11:58 2005 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (SoundLab Channel) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:41:58 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Soundlab Channel - new deadline for call Message-ID: <010101c53f7e$8b8b7990$0400a8c0@NewMediaArtNet> Soundlab Channel http://concerhall.le-musee-divisioniste.org is currently preparing its 3rd edition to be launched in September 2005. SoundLabChannel is a joint-venture between [R][R][F]2005--->XP global networking project http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org and Le Musee di-visioniste www.le-musee-dovisioniste.org and is focussed on soundart and its various forms. . ---> --->Call for submissions New Deadline 31 July 2005. . SoundLab Channel is looking for soundart works of a) experimental character b) electronic music c) Voice -sound/music integration d) and other forms . Subject: there is a general subject---> "memory and identity" and special subject for edition III ---> "pleasure/grief"- "love/hate" . The submission has to be posted on a webpage for download, please do not send it as an email attachement. Submission format: .mp3 Size: Max 5MB, exceptions possible, but on request. . The authors/artists keep all rights on their submitted works. . Deadline 31 July 2005 Please use this form for submitting: ******************* 1.name of artist, email address, URL 2. short biography/CV (not more than 300 words) 3. works (maximum 3), year of production, running time a) URL for download 4. short statement for each work (not more than 300 words each) . Confirmation/authorization: The submitter declares and confirms that he/she is holding all author's rights and gives permission to include the submitted work in "Soundlab" online environment until revoke. Signed by (submitter) . Please send the complete submission to concerthall at le-musee-divisioniste.org subject: Soundlab Channel edition III . Deadline 31 July 2005. ***************************** editions I and II of SoundLab Channel - can be found on Memory Channel 7-->at [R][R][F]2005--->XP http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org or can be accessed directly via http://concerhall.le-musee-divisioniste.org http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org/schannel.htm "[R][R][F]2005--->XP" and "le Musee di-visioniste" are corporate members of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne www.nmartproject.net -- founded by -- Agricola de Cologne. Copyright 2000-2005. All rights reserved. ******************************* _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 12 17:08:55 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 17:08:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] [forward] Screening of two IFA-supported films Message-ID: <425BB34F.9020004@sarai.net> *KITTE MIL VE MAHI - WHERE THE TWAIN SHALL MEET * A film by Ajay Bhardwaj Thursday, 14th April 2004, 6 pm, Edward Said Hall, adjacent to the VC's office, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (please see below for details) *CITY OF PHOTOS* A film by Nishtha Jain Duration: 60 mins 30th April, 7.00pm, India Habitat Centre, Gulmohar Hall, New Delhi. (please see below for details) *About* *CITY OF PHOTOS* CITY OF PHOTOS is a personal journey into neighborhood photo studios in Indian cities, discovering entire imaginary worlds in the smallest of spaces. Tiny, shabby studios that appear stuck in a time warp turn out to be places that afford fascinating glimpses into individual fantasies and popular tastes. Yet beneath the fun and games runs an undercurrent of foreboding. Not everyone enjoys being photographed; not every backdrop is beautiful. The cities in which these stories unfold themselves become backdrops, their gritty urban reality a counterpoint to the photo palaces. CREW: Commentary: Smriti Nevatia Cinematography: Deepti Gupta Editing: Nishtha Jain Audiography: Goutam Nag, Gissy Michael, Dipankar Chaki Music: Debojyoti Mishra “/City of Photos/ captures in a smart way much of the flavour and character I know of India and is a modern meditation on image-making, family, memory, rituals.” - Peter Wintonick, Filmmaker * * “/City of Photos/ is a layered and complex journey into the neighbourhood studio... accompanied by a lyrical narrative...A play between what seem like opposites — order and chaos, past and present, or reality and fantasy — runs through the film.” - Bageshree S, /The Hindu/ *About KITTE MIL VE MAHI - WHERE THE TWAIN SHALL MEET * This film contends the dominant perceptions of the economic and spiritual heritage of Punjab. It does so through a people’s narrative on the preservation and regeneration of its ‘little’ traditions, which often appear seamlessly cultural and political. Travel to the heart of Punjab. Enter a world of Sufi shrines worshipped and looked after by Dalits. Listen to B.S. Balli Qawwal Paslewale, the first generation Dalit Qawwals born out of this tradition. Join a fascinating dialogue with Lal Singh Dil—a poet, a Dalit, converted to Islam. Meet the last living legend of the Gadar movement, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, who contests the subversion of a common past, while affirming a new consciousness among Dalits, within and beyond Punjab. The interplay between the constituents of this mosaic brings to light the triple marginalisation of Dalits--- amidst the agricultural boom that is the modern Punjab, in the contesting ground of its ‘major’ religions, and in the intellectual construction of their 'syncretism' AJAY BHARDWAJ B-3 / 3259, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi -110070 _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From jhasadan at hotmail.com Wed Apr 13 12:17:00 2005 From: jhasadan at hotmail.com (jha sadan) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 12:17:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Beeti Vibhavri Jaag Ri In-Reply-To: <8bdde45405041211092db8f1f0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Vijender, I liked your piece on cityscapes and think that your project is quite interesting. To me what is more interesting in your two postings on 'Beeti Vibhavri Jaag Ri' is your anxiety on how to represent these cityscapes. It is precisely on this issue i would like reflect my own impressions here. You have been working with abstract concepts, categories and figures in your postings and you enter into poetic. I fine it both as the strength of your reflections as it allows me, as a reader to travell into spaces which are not merely confined into the fields of play of the cityscapes that you are attamepting to narrate here. Hence figures like Brahmrakshas and Hori provoke a reader to move out of the context and enter into the realm of literary and mythical while engaging with the city. In fact, one can argue that the engagement with the subject, in this case, with cityscapes is just an excuse to open up the field of cultural stereotypes which influence our ways of dealing with images of city and which actually triggers our imaginations of the city (scapes).But, Let me also complicate this enagement with abstarct categories and forms. Abstarct words, terms as used by you to open up the field are devoid of details. In this sense, abstarct sentences are also empty lines and appear as leading to nowhere. They cannot lead one anywhere. let me take one example from your posting. you write, "High Mast Lights at JANPATH: City as sea of lights- infinite...endless...sea. In fact you 'see' darkness only because there are High Mast light houses to show you. In fact it can be safely said that metropolitan darkness is where artificial light is absent". If I replace, Janpath with any otehr place, the sentence will remain the same. In this case, we hardly get the character of the place. In fact, the richness of the place is lost in the narratives of space. You are dealing with places which are physically rooted spaces. The challenge is how to preserve the thickness of and the particularities of places. How not to be consumed by the spaces. In my opinion, this tension between space and place is quite central in your project. In the writings on landscape aesthetics, scholars have written a lot on the relationship between space and place. I strongly suggest you to have a look at some of these writings. I must again confess that i am not suggesting you to abandon the form that you have adopted to represent your subject and start using thick description, a well recognised way of representing the subject in anthropological discourses especially after Geertz. This is actually where I believe that wild jumps and use of poetic language can be helpfull and will provide new ways of dealing with images of the city. The question however remains, is it possible to bring thick description ( that can allow the particularities of place to emerge before a reader) and the poetic ( that can open the text in different direction, giving rise to new imaginary fields). Finally, I would also request you to try and avoid binaries. In your description it seems that binaries are actually freezing the flow of images that you intend to generate through the use metaphors. let me add few more provocations: can we look at traffic signals as city scapes? "Dilli ke na the kooche, auraak e musabbar the jo shakl nazar aayi, tasvir nazar aayi ( Mir Taqi Mir)". wishes, sadan. >From: Vijender chauhan >Reply-To: Vijender chauhan >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: [Reader-list] Beeti Vibhavri Jaag Ri >Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 23:39:10 +0530 > >Namaskar, > >In past month or so I alongwith the some very helpful friends have >made pre dawn visits to some of the well known (and some lesser known) >spaces of the city. Text has limitation I plan to post some images at >some blog, as soon as I am able to do it I'll provide link. For now I >am suggesting how me and some of my creative friends have read the >turns, silence, chirping of the city. I am mentioning name of the >space and how it was viewed: >High Mast Lights at JANPATH: City as sea of lights- >infinite...endless...sea. In fact you 'see' darkness only because >there are High Mast light houses to show you. In fact it can be safely >said that metropolitan darkness is where artificial light is absent. > >Chhatra Marg (DU Campus) : a long tunnel to eternity . Yellow line on >the road tries not so succesfully to create symmetry which do not >exit. (This road in any case devides a lot, ...Arts faculty from the >Sciences, Nirulas from the Vivekananda, Miranda House Hostel from the >PG Woman Hostel) >I also felt that this really sleepy road should take us to The bavri >(well with stairs) where that Brahmrakshas is washing his sin (sorry >you all profs at university) here i hops to some other visit i made a >few weeks eariler same time (pre dawn) to Bab Kharak Singh Marg (Idea) >was to sense the coffee house building at Mohan Singh palace, but I >ended up staring down at stairs to the subway opposite coffee home. I >have got the image, I tell you its a Bavri as well, quite literally. >It was lined with people sleeping or may be making themselves beleive >that they took their share of dreams. Who is the Brahamrakshas there, >we? I am too scared to answer it. >Under a High tension Wire at Laxmi Nagar : I studied Electrical >Engineering at Polytechnic and beleive me I wasn't a bad student so I >can figure out that High tension AC transmission will certainly make >sound. So whats the point in mentioning that HT wires at Laxmi Nagar >makes loud humming sound. But I still insist that it is worth >listening. It is the music that city night produces. It is mysterious >because during daytime it is lost in noise. I am upset that my >cassette recorder predictable failed to record the sound. >Then there is Bhola Yadav. Watchman at Janpath. Bhola is around 40-45 >years of age and going by latest row in BJP/RSS he is younger then >'young' alternatives of Advani /Vajpayee but first few pages of Godaan >describes how age is not so natural. It is constructed, Hori can't be >young at 40 nor can be Bhola Yadav. Bhola spends his night guarding a >showroom. He views this city as rozi-roti. He is not nostalgic about >Ghemar his village in eastern UP. Now I know him a little better. My >meeting with him this sunday (pre) dawn was sixth one. I interviewed >him now a days I am working on this interview itself. > >I request once again to you all to suggest writings, drawings, >paintings, music, films, photographs, graffiti, kahavats, galis... >whatever that you believe is expression of Delhi's time in space or >Delhi's space in time. But to limit my work whatever you suggest >should have occurred, capture or describe pre dawn Delhi (3-4 AM). > >Thanx >Vijender >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe >in the subject header. >List archive: _________________________________________________________________ Click, Upload, Print http://www.kodakexpress.co.in?soe=4956 Deliver in India From cswara at hotmail.com Thu Apr 14 11:07:40 2005 From: cswara at hotmail.com (Swara Bhaskar) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 05:37:40 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Space and Violence in Vatva, Ahmedabad. Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/fdf7c42e/attachment.html From info at cleanclothes.org Tue Apr 12 17:49:31 2005 From: info at cleanclothes.org (Clean Clothes Campaign) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:19:31 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Cleanclothes] Bangladeshi Garment Workers Buried Alive Message-ID: <3de2eb01f146f00febb170c14afa20ba@cleanclothes.org> Twenty-three people were reported dead and approximately 350 others trapped, under debris after a nine-story factory building in Bangladesh collapsed early Monday morning. Latest reports are that 89 people were pulled out alive from underneath the rubble of the building, located in the industrial town of Savar, about 30 km northwest of Dhaka. The building housed Spectrum Sweater Industries Ltd. and Shahriar Fabrics. At the time of the collapse, approximately 00:45 a.m. on April 11 some 450 workers were reportedly working the night shift on three floors of the building, according to The Daily Star. The Clean Clothes Campaign has received reports that production at the facility had been carried out for large international buyers headquartered in Spain and France. Garments produced at the factory were reportedly exported mainly to the United States, Belgium and Germany. The CCC is working with local organizations to follow-up on these reports and will keep the network updated on any new information as it is received. In the meantime, the CCC calls upon any companies that have worked with this facility to immediately take steps to ensure that rescuers have all the resources needed to speed up their efforts to extract workers who are still alive from the debris. Those involved in the rescue (Army, fire department, and Rapid Action Battalion) told The Daily Star that they have insufficient equipment and experience to deal with an emergency of this magnitude. Rescue efforts are expected to take at least a couple of days. Last night oxygen was reportedly being pumped into the wreckage to help those trapped to continue to breath. At that time their weak voices could still be heard by rescuers. Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia visited the scene at Monday afternoon to see the rescue operation and to console the victims' families. Relatives of the trapped workers reportedly undertook rescue efforts themselves, with their bare hands, until officials took steps to seal off the site to allow better access for rescue equipment and personnel to wreckage. Dozens of relatives reportedly remain at the scene anxiously awaiting news. Throughout this emergency there have been reports of trapped garment workers phoning relatives on cell phones. The office of the building's owner, Shahriar Sayeed Hossain, issued a statement late Monday saying the victims would be compensated, Reuters reported. Local authorities told journalists that the building, built just three years ago, was structurely unsound, reportedly not properly designed, and constructed in a faulty manner using materials not suited for a nine-storey building. Reuters news service reports that the building was erected on marshland without permission. The exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated: some sources report that the explosion of a boiler on the ground floor triggered the collapse; others allege that the collapse was already underway when the boiler exploded. The Dhaka Development Authority has formed an inquiry committee to determine the cause of the collapse and establish who was to blame, according to Reuters. Substandard facilities is a well-known and common problem in the garment and textile industry in Bangladesh and urgently needs attention. Only last january more then 20 workers perished at a garment factory near Dhaka following a fire. CCC has long called upon the BGMEA and BKMEA and the international garment industry sourcing in Bangladesh to take steps to improve conditions at facilities in Bangladesh. CCC will continue to work over the next days with local and international union and NGO partners to clarify demands on next steps concerning full and independent investigation, full disclosure of the workers and victims, appropriate compensation and structural preventative measures. For continued coverage of this situation, please see The Daily Star http://www.thedailystar.net From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Thu Apr 14 08:44:12 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 14 Apr 2005 03:14:12 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Advaita & Abhishek , Prashant Pandey Message-ID: <20050414031412.24189.qmail@webmail10.rediffmail.com> Meet Shekhu aka Abhishek Mathur from Delhi. He is a budding music director who like many has a rock background. He was with Friday the 13, a Delhi based rock band. His first film is called Saturday(Shanivaar) (33 min DV,MCRC),a dark musical with 4 songs. Its my Mcrc final film too. To describe him i would say that he is like a protagonist from a Farhan Akhtar film. his father is a bureaucrat and mother is a painter, a very different profile indeed than all the upcoming artists/singers/music directors i meet in Bombay. He doesnt have to travel in local transport,eat wada paav and share room and toilet with 6 other people. He makes music from his beautiful room adorned by music Cds,books,a Midi keyboard,guitar and a computer. he works hard and steady,bouncing ideas and constantly calling up his other geeky friends for dispelling technical doubts. this is a 3 months old conversation that i had with him,just before we did some sound-effects for my final cut. Immensely chilled out and informed, here is Abhishek for you from his Chanakyapuri Residence---   As a young music director what do you think decides whether or not what you are making is good or not so good ? In any creative field, what is good and bad is highly subjective. But the bottom line in any commercial work is fulfilling the client’s vision. In the context of jingles, advertisements etc the music must serve the purpose delineated by the client. Yet there is a certain quality that can be given to the work depending on how hard the music producer tries (very often the musician would not need to stretch him or herself to get the job done). So in this scenario the client decides what works or not, but this doesn’t necessarily mean good or not good. In other work, more towards making songs, be it for pop music or film music (in India these hardly exist as separate entities), the person in charge, ie movie producer or record company manager has the power and in fact designation to determine what is good or bad. When the music faces the commercial test, it is the public that decides whether they like the music or not, again this does not objectively mean good or bad. Therefore a young music director like myself has no real parameter to judge the work I am doing by. One can only be objective about one’s own production and also get the feedback of people around you. But as mentioned earlier, the harder one works on a musical piece and its production (especially keeping in mind the large electronic input these days), the better chance of achieving a higher quality, in terms of a musically rich and well rounded piece of music. Tell me about your social as well as musical background I come from a middle class family and both my parents are from Rajasthan. Not too many people in my family are involved in creative fields, but my mother is a painter so I guess I get that from her. I started liking western rock and pop music at about 10 or 11 and started playing the guitar and making (very immature) songs at about 15. Me and a very close friend, who is a drummer, had a band in which I played bass and In 2002 I joined Delhi band Friday the Thirteenth as bass player. This band has been very successful, winning the nationwide Levis Great Indian Rock competition organized by the magazine RSJ in the year 2003. At the moment all my energy is focused on a new band Advaita (in which I am playing guitars and sometimes sing), in which we are experimenting with a new sound combining elements of western music with Indian classical music. Which bollywood music directors do u like and why? Like everyone else, I think A.R Rahman is a genius because he can make music that really sinks deep into the soul of the listener and sound magical. This is not some technical thing; it’s a gift of a man with tremendous sensitivity, passion and vision. Having said that, he is a perfectionist with a grasp of both Indian and western music theory (he is a student of Trinity College of Music, London), which gives him the power to diversify his creative output and maintain an astonishingly high level of quality. He also dabbles into new age electronica eg in Yuva. I would also credit A R Rahman with lifting the standard of production technique and all round slickness. The last 5 to 8 years have seen a paradigm shift in the ways Hindi film music is being made and that’s all because of the revolution brought about by this one man, who started his career as a music director when he was just a boy. Amongst the others, I like the work of Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy who have a brilliant team going. The music for Dil Chahta Hai is a phenomenon in itself because it has brought about a more youth based sound into Hindi cinema, where rock and pop elements are being used more easily. This has huge repercussions for someone like me who wants to eventually get a chance to make music at the level of Hindi film music. What are your influences? My influences are far too many and far too diverse (everything from Pink Floyd, to electronic music, to Indian Classical music). All I aspire to do is make sure that the music I make is something fresh in itself If you are making a song how do you go about it There are numerous ways, and any thing from a melody to a lyric to just a thought can trigger a song. Sometimes you have to make a song for a specific purpose in which case the procedure may differ. Also, the process differs whether you are fooling around on the guitar or on some electronic music software like Reason. Did you evolve this process or is it a standard Like I said, there isn’t a specific process, but yes some things have evolved over the years making songs with different people and in different situations. Do you ever fancy working on analog machines Oh yes!!! I am one of those people convinced that there was something very full and warm about the timbres of the sound, which has been somewhat lost in the digital age. Undoubtedly the digital revolution has had many positive fallouts, I owe my entire career choice to the software availability. What softwares have you worked with I have worked on Reason 2.5 and Cubase Sx 2.20. Reason is a music creating software while Cubase is a sound editing and recording software. Please give details of your music setup Basically it comprises of softwares on my PC and a MIDI controller, which I use to trigger these softwares with. I take an output from the PC to my speakers and that’s pretty much it. I have a decent soundcard and I can plug in my guitar or bass into the line in and record in Cubase. What would be an ideal set up? Well that’s too hypothetical, music and studio related machines, gadgets are quite expensive and have to be ordered from abroad so one doesn’t ever think in terms of an ideal set up but rather the best possible setup in a given budget. Obviously, eventually everyone wants to have their own little studio going where there can be a good recording room etc. You are a musician as well very good with computers. How does it combine together in making good music Making music starts in the mind and soul in the musician and whether you’ve got a guitar in your hands or you’re sitting on a computer, these are just the tools. No doubt one has to work hard at mastering the tools, but there would be absolutely no point being great with gizmos and have nothing to express. One great ‘coming together’ aspect is that having a setup like I have has become pretty common these days and allows a person to put an entire piece of music together, with all the elements, all by oneself. What are factors for buying the MIDI Keyboard? This is fast becoming the age of soft-synths, i.e. virtual synthesizers that work through the PC. The possibilities of configuring and editing have taken quantum leaps. It has thus become quite pointless to buy just an ordinary keyboard. I couldn’t afford to buy a Korg Triton or a Kurzwiell, which cost lakhs of money, so I made the decision to buy a MIDI Keyboard and I have to say I am really happy with the decision. Are you happy with the current Bollywood music scene? I think its getting better, a lot more innovation is being shown. I do however dislike the whole remix scene. The songs of the 50s and 60s made by people like S.D Burman are melodically beautiful and if they have to be presented in a new way, it should be done gracefully. What do you think is lacking? I don’t think I have enough knowledge to answer that. Some people blame the supply, while some blame the demand. One specific thing that does get me all irritated is the blind lifting of tunes and the general repetition of similar ‘formulae’. From the musicians point of view I’d like to see a fresh approach and more integrity in people’s work, but like I said, things are most definitely changing for the better. Do you fancy film music? Yes I’d like to one day get the chance to make music for films. I’m much more inspired by the art of making songs than just making music for the sake of the visual i.e. in Advertisements or Documentaries. What exactly is digital music making? I haven’t really heard this term before but I think you’re referring to the use of computers as opposed to real instruments. If you ever do film music what will be your USP Wait and watch. Hopefully, strong melodic content and innovation. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/c6afdeed/attachment.html From vivek at sarai.net Wed Apr 13 13:00:25 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 13:00:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Fwd: CHANGE OF VENUE for IFA-supported films Message-ID: <425CCA91.4040107@sarai.net> Dear Friends, Further to the information I sent yesterday regarding the screening of two IFA-supported films in Delhi, Ajay Bhardwaj's film will now be screened on the 18th of April and NOT the 14th as mentioned. The venue has also changed. All other information remains the same. Thanks, Anjum Hasan *KITTE MIL VE MAHI - WHERE THE TWAIN SHALL MEET * A film by Ajay Bhardwaj Monday, 18th April 2005, 6 pm, Conference Hall (Nehru Guest House), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (please see below for details) *CITY OF PHOTOS* A film by Nishtha Jain Duration: 60 mins 30th April, 7.00pm, India Habitat Centre, Gulmohar Hall, New Delhi. (please see below for details) *About* *CITY OF PHOTOS* CITY OF PHOTOS is a personal journey into neighborhood photo studios in Indian cities, discovering entire imaginary worlds in the smallest of spaces. Tiny, shabby studios that appear stuck in a time warp turn out to be places that afford fascinating glimpses into individual fantasies and popular tastes. Yet beneath the fun and games runs an undercurrent of foreboding. Not everyone enjoys being photographed; not every backdrop is beautiful. The cities in which these stories unfold themselves become backdrops, their gritty urban reality a counterpoint to the photo palaces. CREW: Commentary: Smriti Nevatia Cinematography: Deepti Gupta Editing: Nishtha Jain Audiography: Goutam Nag, Gissy Michael, Dipankar Chaki Music: Debojyoti Mishra “/City of Photos/ captures in a smart way much of the flavour and character I know of India and is a modern meditation on image-making, family, memory, rituals.” - Peter Wintonick, Filmmaker * * “/City of Photos/ is a layered and complex journey into the neighbourhood studio... accompanied by a lyrical narrative...A play between what seem like opposites — order and chaos, past and present, or reality and fantasy — runs through the film.” - Bageshree S, /The Hindu/ *About KITTE MIL VE MAHI - WHERE THE TWAIN SHALL MEET * This film contends the dominant perceptions of the economic and spiritual heritage of Punjab. It does so through a people’s narrative on the preservation and regeneration of its ‘little’ traditions, which often appear seamlessly cultural and political. Travel to the heart of Punjab. Enter a world of Sufi shrines worshipped and looked after by Dalits. Listen to B.S. Balli Qawwal Paslewale, the first generation Dalit Qawwals born out of this tradition. Join a fascinating dialogue with Lal Singh Dil—a poet, a Dalit, converted to Islam. Meet the last living legend of the Gadar movement, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, who contests the subversion of a common past, while affirming a new consciousness among Dalits, within and beyond Punjab. The interplay between the constituents of this mosaic brings to light the triple marginalisation of Dalits--- amidst the agricultural boom that is the modern Punjab, in the contesting ground of its ‘major’ religions, and in the intellectual construction of their 'syncretism' AJAY BHARDWAJ B-3 / 3259, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi -110070 _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Wed Apr 13 15:23:06 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 02:53:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Tariq Ali on Empire and Those Who Fight It Message-ID: <20050413095306.69603.qmail@web30714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Empire and Those Who Fight It Tariq Ali Two years after the invasion of Iraq, writer and activist Tariq Ali spoke to Socialist Worker about US strategy in the Middle East and the growth of the Iraqi resistance to the occupation The Iraqi resistance is demonised by Bush and Blair as terrorists, supporters of Saddam Hussein, Islamic fundamentalists and so on. Tell us what you think of the resistance. Every resistance movement against imperialism has been categorised as terrorist � the Mau Mau in Kenya were demonised and brutally tortured by the British; the Algerian FLN by the French; the Vietnamese by the French and the Americans. Today Israel�s Ariel Sharon refers to Palestinians as terrorists, Russia�s Vladimir Putin crushes the Chechens in the name of fighting terror and Tony Blair is assaulting traditional civil liberties in this country in the name of fighting terror. It�s hardly surprising that the Iraqi resistance is characterised in the same fashion. Obviously the means used to drive out imperial occupiers are determined by the nature of the occupation. The brutality of the US troops and systematic torture they have used has been well documented. So how can the resistance be beautiful? During the Algerian war a leader of the national liberation front, the FLN, was asked about using terror against French civilians in cafe bombings in Algiers. He replied, �If we had an air force I promise you we would only target French barracks, but till then...� How does the struggle between imperialism and the resistance in Iraq compare with the struggles against French colonial rule in Algeria or against the US in Vietnam? Have the techniques of empire changed? Is the nature of the resistance different? The techniques of empire have not changed at all. The tally in Vietnam was two million Vietnamese dead and 50,000 US soldiers. The tally in Iraq today is over 100,000 Iraqis dead and 1,500 US soldiers. The proportions don�t change. What has changed is the world in which we live. With the collapse of the traditional left there is a big vacuum. In Vietnam and Algeria the movement was led by people who were either communists (Vietnam) or secular nationalists (Algeria). In Iraq today the heirs of the Iraqi Communists � whose leaders were hanged by the British empire � are crude collaborators on every level. The armed resistance is led by religious groups, ex-Baathists and in certain areas by Iraqi nationalists. The political failure to create a national liberation front is the Achilles heel of the resistance. Zarqawi�s al-Qaida group only entered the country after the US occupation. It is a tiny minority whose tactics are denounced by most Iraqis opposed to the occupation. There is also the political resistance of Moqtada al-Sadr and his faction, which is based in the Shia slums of Baghdad and the poor sectors of Basra and other cities in the south of Iraq. He will demand the withdrawal of all foreign troops and say no to permanent US bases in the country. If the leading figures in the United Iraqi Alliance, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, and Shia cleric Ali Sistani � not to mention the fraudster Ahmed Chalabi � cave in, the resistance will spread to the south of Iraq. In my opinion, to demand and accept an election under the protection of an occupying imperial army could only lead to further collaboration. Sistani models himself on Gandhi, but India had a very different history to Iraq and Gandhi called on the British to quit India at the height of the Second World War. The US administration was split over who should lead Iraq. The first option was Iyad Allawi, the second option is Sistani/al-Hakim/Chalabi. But the house of cards could collapse quickly if a Sistani regime cannot deliver a rapid withdrawal. Since 2003, we have seen the two assaults on Fallujah, the rebellion in Najaf, the elections and the installation of another interim government. How has the Iraqi resistance developed and changed since 2003? Fallujah is the Guernica of the Arab world. A city was destroyed, its people killed, tortured, dislocated, its children orphaned. Tragically, in contrast to the first assault on the city, Sistani remained silent in November. In other words the bloc he heads acquiesced in the destruction of Fallujah in return for power sharing. This event marks the first serious breach in the unity of Iraq. The elections were initially regarded by Washington as a concession, though US journalist Thomas Friedman argued strongly for them in the New York Times on the grounds that it was best that Sistani crushed the insurgency rather than the Americans. Just like it�s best if Abu Mazen crushes the Palestinian resistance rather than Sharon. In an occupied country imperialism always divides and rules � India, Africa, Vietnam, Korea, Cyprus, Ireland and the Arab east are examples from the past. The American empire will want a client regime in place and it will use each group against the other. Allawi against Sistani; armed resistance groups against al-Sadr. That is why some elementary unity on a political level is vital. If Sistani, as the voice of the majority community, had denounced the destruction of Fallujah, it would have created the basis for some form of unity. So the resistance, in my opinion, has progressed little over the last two years. This is a tragedy for Iraq. There are several elements to what the US is doing in Iraq � military, political and economic. To what extent is the resistance countering in these three areas? Militarily the resistance has made the country ungovernable, including Baghdad, a city of several million people. Economically the targeting of foreign companies and the pipelines has been effective. Oil firm Halliburton is welcomed in Basra, but not Baghdad. This is the first serious neo-liberal occupation and the third largest presence � after US and British troops � is the privatised armies run by firms. A few months ago a South African mercenary was shot dead. It later emerged that he had been one of the torturers of Steve Biko. I was in South Africa at the time and many people rejoiced. Can the resistance win � and what would this mean? The withdrawal of all foreign troops, no military bases and Iraqi control of Iraqi oil would constitute a victory. But will the US allow this to happen? Henry Kissinger has called for the Balkanisation of Iraq. The only grouping ready for this are the Kurds, provided they get the oil wells. Neither Turkey�for its own vile reasons�nor the rest of Iraq will accept this willingly. So it�s a mess, but the lack of an overall political project on the part of the military and political resistance is a very serious weakness. Source: Socialist Worker --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050413/1613f542/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Wed Apr 13 15:37:26 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 03:07:26 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Faking Civil Society Message-ID: <20050413100727.67425.qmail@web30711.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Faking Civil Society Jonathan Schell Perhaps the most beautiful achievement of political life in the late twentieth century was the international movement for democracy that brought down several dozen dictatorships of every possible description -- authoritarian, communist, fascist, military. It happened on all continents, and it happened peacefully. It began in the 1970s, with the collapse of the Greek junta and of the right-wing regimes in Portugal and Spain; it continued in the 1980s, mysteriously jumping the Atlantic, with the collapse of dictatorships in Argentina, Chile and Brazil; then, vaulting the Pacific, it claimed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. Finally, in the early '90s, it spread to South Africa, where the white apartheid regime yielded to majority rule, and returned to the Eurasian continent where the great Soviet empire itself shuffled off history's stage. The actors in this benign contagion acquired a name: civil society. "Civil": they were peaceful, meaning that the bomb in the cafe, the assassination of the local official, the paratrooper invasion of the Parliament building, were not their tactics. "Society": they expressed popular will, not the will of governments. The movement broke or made governments. It was their master. Recently, however, the movement has undergone a change both at home and abroad. Civil society groups in the more prosperous societies began to lend welcome assistance in poorer ones. But governments also joined in. Unlike private civil groups, governments are in their nature interested in power, and the civil society movements clearly exercised it. Here in America, the National Endowment for Democracy was created in the early eighties. Funded by Congress and governed by a board that includes active and retired politicians of both parties, it nevertheless calls itself a "nongovernmental" organization. Its declared mission was to support democracy per se, not any political party, but the distinction was soon lost in practice. Most of the $10.5 million handed out in Nicaragua during the elections of 1990 went to the opposition to the Sandinistas, who were duly voted out of power. In 2002, the Endowment funded groups in Venezuela that backed the briefly successful coup against President Hugo Ch�vez, in which the Venezuelan Parliament, judiciary and constitution were suspended. The day after the overthrow, which Omar Encarnaci�n of Bard College has called a "civil society coup," the president of the International Republican Institute, which is loosely tied to the GOP and is a conduit for Endowment funds, stated, "Last night, led by every sector of civil society, the Venezuelan people rose up to defend democracy in their country." Speaking for the U.S. government, presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer stated that the coup "happened in a very quick fashion as a result of the message of the Venezuelan people." In fact, the Venezuelan people opposed the coup, and Ch�vez, notwithstanding his own repressive tendencies, almost immediately returned to power. More recently Endowment contributions went to groups in Ukraine that supported presidential candidate Victor Yushchenko, who became president after fraudulent results engineered by the opposition government candidate were reversed by popular pressure. In Venezuela, the outcome was the destruction, however brief, of all democratic institutions, whereas in Ukraine the outcome was the rescue of democracy; yet in both cases the integrity of civil society, which depends on independence from governments, was partially corrupted. Something similar was meanwhile happening within the United States. The Republican Party and its supporters have been the pioneers, creating what might be called a shadow civil society and seeking to merge it imperceptibly with the real one. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050413/0c87a689/attachment.html From adreesh.katyal at gmail.com Thu Apr 14 12:54:44 2005 From: adreesh.katyal at gmail.com (Adreesh Katyal) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:54:44 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] HC notice to St Stephen's College in anti-sexual harassment ordinance case Message-ID: <549462c105041400243d6b0c0d@mail.gmail.com> Court issues notice to Delhi University, St Stephens College New Delhi, Apr 13: http://www.webindia123.com/news/states.asp?state=ES14%2CDelhi&count=4&action=fullstory&n_date=ES14%2CDelhi4%2F14%2F20054 Delhi High Court today issued notices to the University of Delhi, St Stephens College and its principal Anil Wilson on the petition of a lecturer and others for not constituting a College Complaint Committee (CCC) on sexual harassment. Justice Gita Mittal served notices to the University through its Registrar, St Stephens College and Dr Wilson, the principal of the college. ''Despite the University Authorities taking steps to create and maintain an academic and work environment free of sexual harassment for students, academic and non-teaching staff of the University, the Executive Council of St Stephens college did not constitute the CCC,'' said the petition filed by Counsel Manish Bishnoi on behalf of Ms Nandita Narain, the Head of the department of Mathematics, Karen Gabriel and Keshav Dutt. While pronouncing the judgement in the ''Vishaka vs State of Rajasthan'' in 1997, the Supreme Court had directed that whether or not such conduct (sexual harassment) constitutes an offence under law or a breach of the service rules, an appropriate complaint mechanism should be created in the employer's organisation for redress of the complaint made by the victim and therefore provided for constitution of complains committee.'' The University of Delhi in an ordinance had directed for the constitution of CCC, University Units Complaints Committee (UUCC), Central Pool Complaints Committee (CPCC) abd the Apex Complaints Committee (ACC) in all colleges of the university. The Forum against Sexual Harassnment (FASH) also brought to the notice of the Vice-Chancellor of the University about the non-formation of the CCC in the St Stephens College. The teachers of the college gave a representation to the Principal to reconsider the decision of the governing body of the college on September 27, 2004 for not constituting the CCC. The Principal had given a letter to Ms Narain saying that the institution was governed by a body representing the minority community. Dr Wilson said the institution has christian character and minority character, so it did not require such a body, the petition alleged. The petition has sought direction from the court to the University for taking appropriate action against the college for not taking steps in accordance with the apex court order. o o o o o o HC seeks explanation from Stephen's on sexual harassment Ord Press Trust of India New Delhi, April 13, 2005|22:09 IST http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1319062,000600010001.htm The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought explanation from prestigious St Stephen's college on an allegation that it has given a go-by to an ordinance passed by the Delhi University providing for prohibition and punishment for sexual harassment of women. Issuing notices to the college, its principal Anil Wilson and University of Delhi, Justice Gita Mital posted the matter for hearing on May 17. The petition filed by two teachers and a non-teaching staff of the college has sought court's direction for the university to take appropriate action against the St Stephen's college for not implementing the Ordinance XV (D) framed by university on the issue of sexual harassment. Senior advocate Jayant Bhushan and Manish K Bishnoi, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the ordinance was framed to effectively deal with the issue of sexual harassment in university pursuant to the guidelines provided by the Supreme Court in Vishaka's case in 1997. However, after initiating steps to implement ordinance and the process of constituting College Complaints Committee was started, the principal abruptly stopped the process on the ground that university ordinances dealing with administrative issues were not applicable to the minority college which require approval by the governing body, they alleged. "The principal has desperately tried to link this issue with 'Christian character' and 'Minority character' of the institution," the petitioners said quoting a reply from principal to the representation given to him by the teachers and staff of the college to reconsider the decision of the governing body and seeking implementation of the Ordinance. The counsel submitted that the Ordinance provides that the CCC will consist of two elected/nominated teachers representatives, two from non-teaching representatives, three students representatives to be elected from Gender Sensitizing Committee. Apart from these seven members, two persons with known contribution to women's issues are to be co-opted by the Committee from outside the college as the per the guidelines of the apex court in Vishaka's case. The petitioner alleged that more than a year has lapsed since the University Ordinance was framed but Delhi University did not take effective steps for its proper implementation in the college. With a view to safeguard and protect the fundamental rights of the working women, the apex court in Vishaka case in 1997 has laid down binding guidelines and norms for due observance at workplaces and other institutions until a legislation is enacted for the purpose. From shivamvij at gmail.com Thu Apr 14 13:17:26 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 13:17:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Upload/Video/Google Message-ID: Google's Videop Upload programme is now up. https://upload.video.google.com/ # What is Google Video? https://upload.video.google.com/video_faq.html#overview2 Our mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Currently, Google Video lets you search a growing archive of televised content -- everything from sports events to dinosaur documentaries to news programs. In addition to televised content, we're now accepting video from anyone who wants to upload content to us. Uploaded content will not be immediately available to users searching Google Video as this is just the submission stage of the program. But (if you'll pardon the pun) stay tuned. # What is the Google Video upload program? The upload program lets you submit videos electronically to Google Video, as long as you own the necessary rights (including copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity, and any other relevant rights for your content). Just sign up for an account and use our upload tool to send your videos to Google. The program is still in beta so you won't see your videos live on Google Video immediately. To make sure that your video is submitted properly, please read below about preferred file formats and our approval process. Videos may not go live if they're not approved or if we're unable to accept the format. # When will my videos be on Google Video? We're still in the first phase of the upload program. Once we approve your video submission and enter the next phase, we'll send you an email (to the email address you provide) to let you know that we're ready to add your content to Google Video. Users will then be able to search, preview, purchase, and play your video. At any time after you upload your video to Google, you'll have the opportunity to add more videos, update the information about each video, or remove your video from the program. The content may be reviewed by Google prior to being made available online. You can rest assured, however, that we'll notify you if we cannot use the content you submit # What types of videos are you accepting? We accept any type of video content, with these restrictions: * You must own all necessary rights to the content, including copyrights toboth the video and the audio. * You must be able to upload the video to us electronically. * The video must not contain pornographic or obscene material. The content may be reviewed prior to being made available online. If we cannot use it, we'll let you know. # Will users be able to play my videos? At this time, we're only collecting videos for potential inclusion in the program. When we enter the next phase, users will be able to search, preview, purchase, and play your video – depending on your preferences. In order to promote your video to users, every video on Google Video will allow users to see a quick preview. When we're ready to distribute your video on Google Video, we'll notify you. If you assign a price to your video or submit a video in an undesirable file format, it may take longer for your video to be included on Google Video. In some cases, we may not be able to publish your video on Google Video if it's in a different format. Please review our preferred file formats You can keep up to date on the status of the program by visiting the Google Video Upload page. From this page, you can sign in to your account to keep track of your video status. # What will Google do with my video? After you submit your video to Google Video, we may review it as a part of our approval process. When we're ready to move to the next phase of the program and begin including your videos in Google Video, we'll notify you (at the email address you provide). At any time, you have the opportunity to add more videos, update the information about each video, or remove your video from the program Please note that each time you update your information, it may be re-reviewed, which could delay the time it's published. # Can I charge for playback of my video? Yes. Or you can allow users to play your video for free. This is totally up to you and your video distribution goals. As the content owner, you decide whether you'd like to give away your video for free or charge a price that you set for it. If you do charge a price, Google will take a small revenue share to cover some of our costs. # How is my content protected? Google takes the security of your content very seriously. We've put a number of measures in place to prevent copying or sharing of your content. For more information on our copyright policies and procedures, please read the Copyright section of this FAQ. From eye at ranadasgupta.com Thu Apr 14 14:31:06 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 14:31:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <425E3152.6020803@ranadasgupta.com> A comment on this email signature: -- "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to death your right to say it." - Voltaire Voltaire never wrote this. There is a saying attributed to Voltaire that goes something like this: "Monsieur, je ne suis pas d'accord avec ce que vous dîtes, mais je me battrai pour que vous puissiez le dire." i.e. "Sir, I do not agree with what you say, but I will fight so that you can say it." This does not appear in any of Voltaire's writings, and is apochryphal. Despite this, it is Voltaire's most successful utterance, more quoted than anything else he did or did not write. In the re-telling it has changed many times. Unfortunately, in the "original" form (and now there is no way to retrieve such a thing) it looks quite pragmatic, which is not good for slogans. "Look man: I'll see what I can do, if the circumstances seem right, to get you a hearing for what you want to say"? No. The saying contains the germ of a good slogan, but in order to become one it needs more panache, more transcendence, more eternal value, more exultant self-destructiveness. Hence, "to the death." R From arisen.silently at gmail.com Thu Apr 14 17:05:12 2005 From: arisen.silently at gmail.com (arisen silently) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:20:12 +0545 Subject: [Reader-list] anti-tech/ad busters. Message-ID: <1925b33d0504140435589a095@mail.gmail.com> http://www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/tvturnoff/# From ish at sarai.net Thu Apr 14 21:58:49 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ISh) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:58:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] anti-tech/ad busters. In-Reply-To: <1925b33d0504140435589a095@mail.gmail.com> References: <1925b33d0504140435589a095@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <425E9A41.2060608@sarai.net> wow this thing sounds pretty nice :) will definately check it out kill your television arisen silently wrote: >http://www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/tvturnoff/# >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >List archive: > > From mediachef at gmail.com Thu Apr 14 23:32:49 2005 From: mediachef at gmail.com (Steve Dietz) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 13:02:49 -0500 Subject: [Reader-list] ISEA2006 Interactive City deadline April 22 Message-ID: <85d7931b05041411027aee1844@mail.gmail.com> Interactive City Call for Participation EARLY CALL DUE: 22 April 2005 ISEA INTERACTIVE CITY CFP: http://www.urban-atmospheres.net/ISEA2006 SUBMISSION FORM: http://isea2006.sjsu.edu/register/submission.php ISEA2006 TEMPORARY WEBSITE: http://isea2006.sjsu.edu./index.html This announcement is for the early call for proposals within the scope of the Interactive City. The city has always been a site of transformation: of lives, of populations, even of civilizations. With the rise of the mega city, however; with the advent of 24/7 rush hours; with the inexorable conversion of public space into commercial space; with the rise of surveillance; with the computer-assisted precision of redlining; with the viral advance of the xenophobic, the contemporary city is weighted down. We dream of something more. Not something planned and canned, like another confectionary spectacle. Something that can respond to our dreams. Something that will transform with us, not just perform change on us, like an operation. The Interactive City seeks urban-scale projects for which the city is not merely a palimpsest of our desires but an active participant in their formation. From dynamic architectural skins to composite sky portraits to walking in someone else's shoes to geocaches of urban lore to hybrid games with a global audience, projects for the Interactive City should transform the "new" technologies of mobile and pervasive computing, ubiquitous networks, and locative media into experiences that matter. We are initiating an early Call for Proposals that manifest but are not limited to the spectrum of ideas below. Interactive City proposals should embrace aspects of the city of San José and/or the surrounding metropolitan San Francisco Bay Area specifically. We are seeking projects that are large in scale, require advanced or special planning and/or permissions, or projects seeking early review. Let us experience your vision of the Interactive City! Eric Paulos Chair Interactive City ISEA 2006 -- Steve Dietz Director, ZeroOne: The Network Director, ISEA2006 Symposium + ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge http://isea2006.sjsu.edu : August 5-13, 2006 stevedietz[at]yproductions[dot]com AIM: WebWalkAbout http://www.yproductions.com From aarti at sarai.net Fri Apr 15 12:33:05 2005 From: aarti at sarai.net (Aarti) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:33:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] anti-tech/ad busters. In-Reply-To: <1925b33d0504140435589a095@mail.gmail.com> References: <1925b33d0504140435589a095@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <425F6729.4080208@sarai.net> Dear All, It would be better if list-members not post raw links. The reader-list, as I see it, is a space to 'discuss' our provocations and/or share information etc that we think might interest other list members. Posting raw links contributes to neither. If you wish to post a link, annotate it. Tell us what about it interests/excites/enrages you, and this way we can begin a conversation :) best Aarti arisen silently wrote: >http://www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/tvturnoff/# >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >List archive: From viyyer at sarai.net Fri Apr 15 13:22:38 2005 From: viyyer at sarai.net (V Vivek) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 13:22:38 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net In-Reply-To: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> References: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Message-ID: <425F72C6.5030608@sarai.net> hey vivek one interesting link I found has a lot of assorted material . many classics and miscellaneous reading material ranging from technology, phliosophy, psychology and Science related. http://sigbus.nove.bg/pool/books/ Vivek Vivek Narayanan wrote: > Hi, > > I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books available on > the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm > specifically looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might > have gone up as a result of initiatives by university presses or other > groups. Large excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And > I'm especially looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. > > Do send me any links you have, and I will compile and repost the link > collection to this list. > > As a starter, I offer this, UC Press's public archive: > http://texts.cdlib.org/ucpress/authors_public.html > > It's a very nice collection, including such classic recent stuff like > Timothy Mitchell's Colonising Egypt, the collected essays of Robert > Creeley, south asian regional stuff, and so on. > > Looking forward to hearing more-- let's map this thing out. > > Vivek > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Apr 15 17:39:32 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:39:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Happy New Sindhi Year In-Reply-To: <425B848B.8030002@sarai.net> References: <20050411103510.34780.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <95be635605041123394154188b@mail.gmail.com> <8178da99050412004161568e95@mail.gmail.com> <425B848B.8030002@sarai.net> Message-ID: And, by the way, I just got a mail from someone in Calcutta: "Apnake ebong apnar paribarer sakolke janai Shubho ebong Samriddho Nabobarsho!!! Happy New Bangla Year!!!" So it goes, so it goes... > And as for me, I believe it can be scientifically proven that every new > day is also a potentially new year. > > Time to make some more resolutions, > Vivek -- Welcome to Mall Road http://mallroad.blogspot.com From deejefferson at email.com Fri Apr 15 08:19:08 2005 From: deejefferson at email.com (Dee Jefferson) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:49:08 +1000 Subject: [Reader-list] Youth mobilisation in Australia Message-ID: Hi - as a young Australian i have very much enjoyed "lurking" in this list and discovering what other members are doing in their parts of the world - things that i am interested in, but unaware of until now. I really appreciate lists like these which connect ideas and different perspectives - it's one of those points where your world suddenly expands *POP*! So to share something from Aus: an organisation i work for is currently running an "E-festival" - online festival of ideas. Vibewire Youth Services is non-profit youth media organisation, mostly run by volunteers. It exists to create online and offline forums for youth expression - on everything from politics to the arts, poetry, personal musings... I hope this is an appropriate link to share: i just thought that perhaps people would be curious to see what is happening in our corner of the independent media world. See below: The Vibewire.net e-Festival is now in progress at http://www.vibewire.net/efestival {http://www.vibewire.net/efestival}. The e-Festival runs till MondayApril 18 and features more than 50 guests across 9 panels, giving you unprecedented opportunities to engage in discussion with some of Australia's and the world's most interesting people including Nancy Soderberg, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Greenwald, Director of the documentary Outfoxed, Peter Wintonick, the current Adelaide Thinker in Residence and international editor for Canadian film magazine POV and Craig Silvey, author of the acclaimed novel Rhubarb, chosen as the “One Book” of the recent Perth International Arts Festival. Rather than sitting in a stuffy room, nodding off to the dull monotone of an academic reading verbatim off their research report, the e-Festival is a dynamic, lively party. Everyone, expert or non-expert, is able to take part in conversations, share ideas and offer perspectives and insight not only into the issues themselves, but how you can do something about them. If you’re a writer or emerging artist you should definitely check out the panels in the Creative Juices theme. Here’s your chance to talk directly with the Australia Council and Australian Film Commission about how to get funding, with young writers like Craig Silvey about how they got started, with publishers and literary agents about what they look for and with a variety of experts from a range of artistic practices on how they promote and distribute their work. The festival is focused around three themes which each contain three panels: GLOBAL ISSUES: {http://www.vibewire.net/2/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=8999&Itemid=57} - **Nancy Soderberg, Adam Ma'anit, Tim Colebatch, World Vision, Alan Wu +more* *Panels ::* we're rich, they're poor, so what? // global democracy vs global dominance // green becomes grey CREATIVE JUICES: {http://www.vibewire.net/2/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=9000&Itemid=57} - **Peter **Wintonick**, **Australia** Council, Craig Silvey, Stewart Ferris, Ember Swift +more Panels ::* inspiration, perspiration & publication // strut your stuff // dollars and sense MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY: {http://www.vibewire.net/2/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=9001&Itemid=57} -* *Robert Greenwald, Julian Morrow, Andrew Leigh, Margo Kingston, Nick Moraitis +more* *Panels ::* seen but not heard // virtual campaigning // headline fever? See you at the e-Festival! /Vibewire / ---- Dee Jefferson Reelife Short Film Festival Festival Director www.vibewire.net/reelife Dee Jefferson Reelife Short Film Festival Festival Director www.vibewire.net/reelife -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 3740 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050415/f65f1bf1/attachment.bin From lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com Thu Apr 14 23:26:59 2005 From: lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com (lakshmi kutty) Date: 14 Apr 2005 17:56:59 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] ambedkar jayanti Message-ID: <20050414175659.7042.qmail@webmail8.rediffmail.com> To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! Ideals as norms are good and are necessary. Neither a society nor an individual can do without a norm. But a norm must change with changes in time and circumstances. No norm can be permanently fixed. There must always be room for re-evaluation of the value of our norms. The possibility of revaluing values remains open only when the institution is not invested with sacredness. Sacredness prevents revaluation of its values. Once sacred always sacred. -Babasaheb Ambedkar (Courtesy 'Insight', a magazine of the Ambedkar Study Circle, JNU) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/64201ce7/attachment.html From nisar at keshvani.com Fri Apr 15 16:22:59 2005 From: nisar at keshvani.com (nisar keshvani) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 03:52:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] LEA April '05: RE: Searching Our Origins Message-ID: <8296261.1113562379168.JavaMail.root@m16> *sincere apologies for cross-posting* Leonardo Electronic Almanac: April 2005 ISSN#1071-4391 art | science | technology - a definitive voice since 1993 http://lea.mit.edu Subject: LEA March '05: RE: Searching Our Origins LEA’s April issue is the first in a two-part special that explores the theme: RE: Searching Our Origins. Guest Editors Paul Brown and Catherine Mason are at the helm, and in their editorial, introduce the notion of digital computing and the associated theories of cybernetics, logic and formal systems/linguistics. As their piece progresses, they reflect how "it is refreshing at this dawn of a new millennium to discover a renewed interest in the 'lost' histories of the late modern and especially those exploring the interdisciplinary collaborations of the mid to late 20th century." The overwhelming response meant that the material had to be significantly culled, and here they've shortlisted five of those essays. To start, Jennifer Gabrys talks about how technological failure is central to the logic of innovation, and through the consideration of how failure emerges at this moment in art and technology, suggests that the program of failure potentially reveals more about the drive of the automated machine than its recognized successes. Following that, Rodrigo Alonso takes us through the early years of art and technology in Argentina. In *Movements And Passages: The Legacy of Net Art*, Elisa Giaccardi explores net art as a form of thought and practice. The paper stresses how a transdisciplinary analysis of the aesthetical patterns characterizing net art as a "trans-genre" can lead beyond the entrapment of self-referential criticism and allow an understanding and promotion of the legacy of net art in a broader cultural context. Then Riccardo Dal Farra takes us through a lyrical journey to "discover a world of sound that had been partially hidden, if not completely lost", and explains how recently, two actions to preserve, document and disseminate 50 years of Latin American electroacoustic music were realized: Extensive research focusing on the composers and their work in this field, and a musical archive. Finally, Kristine Ploug and Petri Raappana delve into the latter's digital artwork *Timeline [Who writes the history?]*, which is a reaction to the ways of the media today, and addresses questions concerning economic gains, media reform, and the role of the Internet. >From LEA's archives, One From the Vault resurrects Simon Penny's *Critical Issues in Electronic Media* and Paul Hertz's *Culture, Democracy and Computer Media*, which were both first published in LEA in April 1995. Leonardo Reviews has Michael Punt paying tribute to one of the more active members of the panel, Stefaan Van Ryssen, who has returned six reviews this time round, all of which are featured here. Four of these are audio offerings: *Tara's Room: Two Meditations On Transition And Change*, *Electrotheraphy*, *Frequency, Altitude and Time* and *Middle of the Moment*; while the remaining two are publications: *Invisible Cities, A Metaphorical Complex Adaptive System*, a daunting and entertaining mixture of a respectful remake of Italo Calvino's masterpiece; and *Style In The Technical And Tectonic Arts; Or, Practical Aesthetics*, which Van Ryssen proclaims a "magnificent translation, a beautiful book and the result of a bold and adventurous editorial enterprise." In ISAST News, we welcome Meredith Tromble to the Leonardo Advisory Board, and continue our series on the *The Pacific Rim New Media Summit: A Pre-Symposium to ISEA2006*, with statements from two of the working group chairs Finally, with Bytes (featuring announcements and calls for papers), find out more about LEA's upcoming special on Wild Nature and Digital Life and how you can contribute. ************************************************************************ LEA Information and URLs ------------------------------------------- Receive your FREE subscription to the Leonardo Electronic Almanac e-mail digest at http://mitpress.mit.edu/lea/e-mail -- just provide your email address, name, and password, and check off that you'd like to be added to the Leonardo Electronic Almanac monthly e-mail list to keep on top of the latest news in the Leonardo community. How to advertise in LEA? http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/Leonardo/isast/placeads.html#LEAads For a paid subscription (to become an ISAST member and access archives dating back to 1993): http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=4&tid=27&mode=p The Leonardo Educators Initiative ------------------------------------------------------- The Leonardo Abstracts Service (LABS) is a comprehensive database of abstracts of PhD, Masters and MFA theses in the emerging intersection between art, science and technology. Thesis Abstract Submittal form at http://leonardolabs.pomona.edu LEA also maintains a discussion list open only to faculty in the field. Faculty wishing to join this list should submit their details @ http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/faculty.html What is LEA? ---------------------- For over a decade, the Leonardo Electronic Almanac (LEA) has thrived as an international peer-reviewed electronic journal and web archive, covering the interaction of the arts, sciences and technology. LEA emphasizes rapid publication of recent work and critical discussion on topics of current excitement. Many contributors are younger scholars and artists, and there is a slant towards shorter, less academic texts. Contents include Leonardo Reviews, edited by Michael Punt, Leonardo Research Abstracts of recent Ph.D. and Masters theses, curated Galleries of current new media artwork, and special issues on topics ranging from Artists and Scientists in Times of War, to Zero Gravity Art, to the History of New Media. Copyright© 1993 - 2005: The Leonardo Electronic Almanac is published by Leonardo / International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (ISAST) in association with the MIT Press. All rights reserved. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050415/e62fd6ac/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From tobym at ucr.edu Thu Apr 14 20:51:53 2005 From: tobym at ucr.edu (Toby Miller) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:21:53 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Working Paper Message-ID: <6.2.0.14.2.20050414082040.028f65e8@webmail.ucr.edu> Hi to everyone on the list I wrote this working paper on 'anti-Americanism and Popular Culture,' which may be of interest <http://www.ceu.hu/cps/pub/pub_papers_antiamer_miller.pdf>. Regards Toby -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/80a2f175/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Thu Apr 14 13:02:32 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:32:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [irn-dams] Dams Back In Fashion Message-ID: <20050414073233.59587.qmail@web30707.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/9349c088/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Zulfiqar Shah Subject: Fwd: [irn-dams] Dams Back In Fashion Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:30:22 -0700 (PDT) Size: 6803 Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/9349c088/attachment.mht From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Thu Apr 14 14:28:34 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 01:58:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: University of Edinburgh: Studentship in Social Policy Message-ID: <20050414085834.21758.qmail@web30710.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Fwd: massage. Apologies for cross posting. ------------------------- I would be grateful if you could bring the following notice to the attention of interested students. One ESRC 1+3 quota studentship in Social Policy is available in the School of Social and Political Studies at the University of Edinburgh. The studentship pays a maintenance grant (about ?11,000) plus fees for 4 years. Applications are invited from candidates wishing to do a one year research training (MSc by Research in Social Policy or MSc in Childhood Studies) beginning in September 2005 followed by three years PhD study in Social Policy. We are looking for candidates in one of the following areas: comparative welfare states, family policy, socio-legal studies. Please notify your interest by email to F.Castles at ed.ac.uk and apply for a place by post using the university's forms downloadable from http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/applications/forms.html. The deadline for the receipt of completed applications is Tuesday, 19th April 2005. Dr Fran Wasoff, Reader in Social Policy, School of Social and Political Studies, University of Edinburgh, Adam Ferguson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9Ll United Kingdom Dr Fran Wasoff, Reader in Social Policy, School of Social and Political Studies, and Co-Director, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, University of Edinburgh, Adam Ferguson Building, Edinburgh EH8 9Ll United Kingdom tel. (0131) 650 3922; fax (0131) 651 1833 WWW: http://www.crfr.ac.uk/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050414/ad97863a/attachment.html From eye at ranadasgupta.com Sat Apr 16 14:02:13 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 14:02:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Economics and politics of Chinese rural life Message-ID: <4260CD8D.5020506@ranadasgupta.com> The silent majority Apr 7th 2005 | BEIHE VILLAGE, SHANDONG From The Economist print edition A rare look inside a Chinese village IN A country where 800m people, about 60% of the population, live in the countryside on an average income of less than a dollar a day, rural backwardness weighs heavily on the minds of China's leaders as they dream of joining the ranks of the world's leading economies. And in a country whose Communist Party came to power on the back of a peasant rebellion, distant memories of the vehemence of rural discontent arouse fears that unless something is done to make peasants happier, China will be plunged into turmoil. To assess China's future, it is crucial to understand the countryside. But it is not easy. Despite China's increasing openness to prying foreign eyes, the dynamics of village life remain hidden away. Although the Chinese media report extensively on rural problems, foreign journalists require government approval to conduct interviews in the countryside (as indeed, in theory, they do for any off-base reporting in China). Foreign correspondents can often get away with conducting unauthorised interviews in the more cosmopolitan urban areas, but rural officials invoke the rules with far greater regularity, fearful that critical press reports could damage their careers. The presence in a village of any outsider asking sensitive questions can quickly arouse official attention and often results in detention, the confiscation of notes and other materials, and orders to leave the area immediately. Your correspondent originally asked the government of Shandong province for permission to stay in a village he had visited with official approval in the 1980s, but was turned down. Instead, the authorities selected the village of Beihe in Zouping, a prosperous county that was designated by China in the late 1980s as an area (then almost the only one) open to American researchers to do fieldwork. It still delights in its propaganda role. Zouping's brochure calls the county “a window for the US and the whole world to get an understanding” of the countryside. Yan Shengqin, Beihe's party chief at the time, still proudly displays a framed picture of Jimmy Carter with an arm around Mr Yan's shoulders during a visit in 1997. Beihe's 1,000 villagers enjoy a net income per head of around 5,000 yuan ($600) a year—about 70% more than the national average and 40% more than the average for Zouping. It has more than 30 privately owned factories in activities from iron forging to furniture making. Peasants here say they would prefer to keep their rural-residence certificates, a relic of a once-rigid urban-rural apartheid system in China that barred peasants from moving to the cities. Now they are allowed to migrate more freely. But while the urban social-security system is in tatters, most country-dwellers are still entitled to farm (not to own) a small patch of land that can at least keep them from starving. Beihe's villagers prefer to stay put—unlike tens of millions of other peasants for whom even the insecurity and hardship of urban life is better than rural poverty. Beihe's mobile-phone-owning peasants in their newly built courtyard homes with cable television and (in the case of at least 20 households) private cars may not be the best-placed people to give insights into the rural deprivation and injustice that have prompted a growing number of peasants to head to big cities in recent years to petition the authorities. (Even model Zouping had 603 such peasants in 2002 and 338 in 2003, compared with none at the beginning of the decade, according to county records.) Even so, the village does illustrate how sweeping economic and political changes in the past quarter-century have made China's villages far more independent from higher authority. They have also become far more dependent for their success or failure on the abilities of their own local leaders. In Beihe, as in many of China's 700,000 villages, ancient clans have played an important part in both of these changes. The Zhang-Yan clans The revival of village clannism is among the party's many worries about its grip on rural stability. In Beihe, more than half of the villagers share the surname Zhang. Among the rest, Yan is the biggest clan. The Yans and Zhangs live in distinct areas of the village. Yan Shengqin, the former party chief, happens to be one of the most senior within his clan's patrilineal hierarchy. It is to him, he says, that Yans turn to help sort out family disputes or officiate at weddings or funerals. Kim Falk, of America's Carnegie Mellon University, who spent 18 months in Beihe in the early 1990s, says relations between Zhangs and Yans appeared harmonious, as they do today. But it is easy to see how in other villages clan loyalties—as sometimes reported in the Chinese press—lead to bitter feuding between clans and struggles for control of village leadership jobs. The dismantling of Chairman Mao's “people's communes” in the early 1980s allowed villages to re-emerge as independent economic units. Clans acquired a renewed interest in taking control. China's promotion of elections for the post of village head in the 1990s made it easier for them to do so. And more recent moves to have one person act as both village head and party chief have made it easier still. Although Beihe began directly electing its village head a decade ago (and sure enough it was always Zhangs who won), the party chief, Mr Yan, was still the man in charge. This system of having separate elected and party-appointed leaders has caused widespread power struggles in villages, and nearly caused friction in Beihe. In 1999, a wealthy private businessman and member of a senior Zhang clan family, Zhang Fanggeng, was elected village head. Villagers knew that he had had a prickly relationship with Mr Yan. Some peasants who disliked Mr Yan had voted for Mr Zhang hoping that this would stir up a feud. “Some people said that within a month, there'd definitely be quite a show” between the two men, Mr Zhang later said in a report to higher officials. Intervention from officials in Xidong township, to which Beihe belongs, as well as Mr Zhang's own common sense (struggling with the party is rarely a winning move), helped keep these tensions in check. Last year, the Shandong party leadership ordered that next time the province held village elections, ways should be found to ensure that the posts of party chief and village head be held by the same person in more than 80% of villages. Achieving this has involved allowing villagers for the first time to vote for the top party posts as well. The village party committee would still have the final say, but would generally pick the party member “recommended” by the most villagers as party chief. This person would also be appointed village leader. Last December in Beihe, Mr Zhang, who had conveniently joined the party, was a shoo-in for both jobs. His votes, tallied up in chalk on a garage door, are still on display. The last collective Now in full command of the village, Mr Zhang has the task of untangling one of the knottiest problems left by Mr Yan—the fate of Beihe's malt factory, whose dour concrete façade dominates the village skyline of closely clustered houses surrounded by an expanse of fields. Once the mainstay of the village's economy, the factory is idle. Of its more than 200 workers, only its guard remains on duty. The village is hoping a private investor will take it off its hands, but it would take a courageous soul to do so with its 5m yuan of debt and a market for malt now dominated by bigger, better-quality producers. The malt factory is the last relic of the collectively owned industrial complex that was once Beihe. As party chief, Mr Yan had used his networking skills and business acumen to follow the example of many villages around China in setting up enterprises that were owned and operated by the village. Mr Yan himself acted as manager of the malt factory. These were, in effect, state-owned enterprises and suffered the same problems—bloated workforces, inefficient management and a poor understanding of risk. As long as state-owned banks were willing to lend and local officials helped them secure markets, they could prosper. In Beihe they helped transform what had been a village of mud brick and thatch in the 1970s into a community of spacious concrete dwellings that many an urban resident would envy. But tougher lending rules and fiercer competition in recent years have forced villages to close or privatise most of their collective businesses. This may mean Mr Zhang has a quieter time than Mr Yan (who though retired from village duties is now the general manager of a township fertiliser factory). Ms Falk says that in the early 1990s a constant stream of business delegations from around the country visited the malt factory. The road into the village thundered with malt-laden trucks. Now the village, like many others in China, has changed from conglomerate to real-estate dealer, trading on its one remaining commodity, its land. With no more revenue from collective industries, the village's income is made up almost entirely of land rent paid by the privately owned factories. Beihe has recently decided to rent out a large tract of farmland to private investors to turn into a driving school and an auto-parts factory. The peasants who had used the land to grow wheat and corn are being compensated according to how much they would have earned from these crops. This is a meagre sum, it is true; but since they do not own the land and most of them have jobs in the private factories, they are not complaining. Millions of other peasants in China who have been turfed off the land in recent years by villages eager to profit from developers are far less happy. Beihe's bet is that the success of private industry in the area will boost incomes and with it demand for cars. More car owners will mean more demand for driving schools such as the one being built in the village (in China, learner drivers are not allowed on roads). A rosy future, perhaps. If only Beihe were more typical. From shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Apr 16 15:34:18 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 15:34:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] ambedkar jayanti In-Reply-To: <20050414175659.7042.qmail@webmail8.rediffmail.com> References: <20050414175659.7042.qmail@webmail8.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: Now that's indeed a new year for me On 14 Apr 2005 17:56:59 -0000, lakshmi kutty wrote: > To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! > -- Welcome to Mall Road http://mallroad.blogspot.com From eye at ranadasgupta.com Sat Apr 16 15:56:06 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 15:56:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] review of Suketu Mehta and Pavan Varma from Economist Message-ID: <4260E83E.5010208@ranadasgupta.com> India Not losing hope Apr 7th 2005 From The Economist print edition Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found By Suketu Mehta Being Indian: Inside the Real India By Pavan K. Varma AT TIMES of great change, nations inevitably become introspective. In India's case, one recent consequence of a rapidly growing and globalising economy has been an outpouring of books with titles like “Remaking India”, “Shaping India of our Dreams”, “The Great Indian Dream”, “Rising Elephant” and “Rethinking India”. Having escaped the blind alley of economic autarky, goes one common theme, a newly self-confident but widely misunderstood India is ready to take its rightful place as a leading world power. In very different ways, these two books are the best of the recent crop. Both are elegantly written, in English, yet transcend the interests of the English-speaking elite. “Maximum City”, which at the end of March won the Kiriyama prize for non-fiction, is a remarkable documentary of life in India's largest city, now known as Mumbai. This is not the city of bankers, stockbrokers and call-centre workers that many business visitors encounter. Rather the book delves into the interlocking worlds of communal violence, politics, gangsterism, commercial sex, film-making and even religious renunciation. Suketu Mehta must be an extraordinarily winning man. One surprising feature of his book is the trust he has inspired in his subjects, a range of people grappling with the grim business of surviving Mumbai. They have helped him create an account of the city—and of India—which is as intimate and gripping as a novel. What made them do it? There is an incorruptible cop who boasts of his expertise in torture. There is a breathtakingly beautiful bar-girl, who brings Mr Mehta along for a reunion with the father she has not seen for ten years. There is the gangster who puts a pink towel on his head and says his prayers in Sanskrit as a break from describing how it feels to shoot somebody. There is a man making a living as a female dancer, who decides to abandon tweezers and asks Mr Mehta to teach him to shave. There is the struggling would-be entrepreneur, who confides his pleasure in returning to his home village because he likes to feel the grass tickling his buttocks as he defecates. There is the underworld don, who takes to the author so much that, like an indulgent shopkeeper, he offers him an assassination of his choice. Through much of this drama, Mr Mehta, it seems, is just sitting there, tapping it all straight on to the keyboard of his laptop. Many of those he writes about obviously no longer see him as reporter or writer, but as confessor and friend. He vindicates their trust by bringing their stories vividly to life. In doing so, Mr Mehta paints a picture of an India that is so vast, complex and confusing as to defy generalisation, and facing such a terrifying array of problems that it forbids optimism. Yet most of his characters show what Pavan Varma in “Being Indian” calls the intrinsic Indian propensity for not losing hope. That dauntless optimism is in evidence on a national scale at present. To many foreigners it seems almost unseemly: how can a country talk so proudly when so many of its people—260m at the government's count—live below the poverty line? Mr Varma's answer is brutal: the rich in India have always lived a life quite uncaring of the ocean of poverty around them. “Being Indian” is one of the most subtle recent attempts to analyse the continent-sized mosaic of India and simplify it for the general reader. It also fully realises the ambitions of its subtitle. The book describes the emergence of a “new supranational Indian culture” which has “the arrogance of the upstart and the self-absorption of the new”, and which in writers such as Mr Varma and Mr Mehta, is blessed with two quite gifted chroniclers. From shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Apr 16 19:19:59 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 19:19:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] ambedkar jayanti In-Reply-To: <20050416133527.18998.qmail@webmail6.rediffmail.com> References: <20050416133527.18998.qmail@webmail6.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: Yes Lakshmi, it's a very troubling issue. I've been facing it on several counts, and the examples I use in the blog entry were meant only to evoke some thought. But I am looking at a resolution to the problem and would be grateful to anyone who could point me to any essays that exist on the subject. For those of you who are clueless what we are talking about, see http://mallroad.blogspot.com/2005/04/free-speech-hate-speech-and.html On 16 Apr 2005 13:35:27 -0000, lakshmi kutty wrote: > > > cheers, shivam! > > earlier today i read ur 'hate speech/freedom of expression' blog entry and quite liked the shiva image and ur take on this issue! it is quite tricky isnt it, when something enters the 'public sphere/domain'... because then it matters less what intentions were behind it and more what dynamics it creates from that point of entry onwards. but even with all its dangers it's a constant lesson in communication, and it serves to temper one's delusions about the sanctity/seriousness of one's own ideas/feelings, so i'm all for it! > > lakshmi. > > > On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 Shivam Vij wrote : > > >Now that's indeed a new year for me > > > >On 14 Apr 2005 17:56:59 -0000, lakshmi kutty > > wrote: > > > > > To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! -- Welcome to Mall Road http://mallroad.blogspot.com From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Sat Apr 16 20:19:36 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 07:49:36 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] ambedkar jayanti In-Reply-To: 6667 Message-ID: <20050416144936.38023.qmail@web53606.mail.yahoo.com> Shivam, This is a larger issue,(and I may even be deviating from your original subject) and this is only one aspect of the problem.Lets see if we can spark some debate.I am having a debate with a person elsewhere and here are some contentions arising from that- a) The so called leftists who deem that the Hindu right are the "only" danger to the society are making the chasms in the society wider."Only" is the operative word here. b)The model of incremental secularism that we practice-(Start with same Cr P C and Penal Code and then continue evolving with time towards common Civil Code) is not the correct model. It seems to place a larger burden of secularism on the majority (separating religion from politics) than the minority. It seems ironic that it is the Hindu right who are the only entity demanding a uniform civil code, which is essentially a civil libertarian construct. This may be a reason why the term "pseudo secular" is gaining so much currency nowadays. c)It may very well be that the leftists are against Hindu right in not just a political setting; but against Hinduism as a culture and all the cultural and ideological dogma associated with it and which belongs to all Indians(as against the Hindu religion). There is an excellent article by Meera Nanda on this topic. Read it here. http://sacw.insaf.net/DC/CommunalismCollection/ArticlesArchive/MeeraNandaJuly2001.html But then the statement of the problem has to be done in a more articulate way.The more the Hindus think that they are singled out for becoming secular, the more the communal chasms are going to increase. It will be interesting to hear other thoughts on this issue. Cheers Rahul --- Shivam Vij wrote: > Yes Lakshmi, it's a very troubling issue. I've been > facing it on > several counts, and the examples I use in the blog > entry were meant > only to evoke some thought. But I am looking at a > resolution to the > problem and would be grateful to anyone who could > point me to any > essays that exist on the subject. For those of you > who are clueless > what we are talking about, see > http://mallroad.blogspot.com/2005/04/free-speech-hate-speech-and.html > > On 16 Apr 2005 13:35:27 -0000, lakshmi kutty > wrote: > > > > > > cheers, shivam! > > > > earlier today i read ur 'hate speech/freedom of > expression' blog entry and quite liked the shiva > image and ur take on this issue! it is quite tricky > isnt it, when something enters the 'public > sphere/domain'... because then it matters less what > intentions were behind it and more what dynamics it > creates from that point of entry onwards. but even > with all its dangers it's a constant lesson in > communication, and it serves to temper one's > delusions about the sanctity/seriousness of one's > own ideas/feelings, so i'm all for it! > > > > lakshmi. > > > > > > On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 Shivam Vij wrote : > > > > >Now that's indeed a new year for me > > > > > >On 14 Apr 2005 17:56:59 -0000, lakshmi kutty > > > wrote: > > > > > > > To all those who cherish the spirit of > relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the > status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! > > > > > -- > Welcome to Mall Road > http://mallroad.blogspot.com > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to > reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the > subject header. > List archive: > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide From faraazmehmood at yahoo.com Mon Apr 18 13:07:31 2005 From: faraazmehmood at yahoo.com (faraaz mehmood) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 00:37:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Changing banking practices in Udaipur Message-ID: <20050418073731.43973.qmail@web31803.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Anna goes corporate!! As the dusk descends on the hot airs of the day things start brightening & getting lighter in my bank. Anna has spent the day with her grandmother who caters to her needs & tantrums patiently. By six o� clock in the evening her patience has worn thin & she needed a change. The yet to be three year old Anna too welcomes a change of scene. So with the advent of the evening Anna makes her entry to join her mother Maithili Bhanawat the operations head of the bank & will remain in the premises till nine p.m. Magic realism lurking in the corners of the bank throughout the day now permeates every inch of the floor space. The piercing commands of Maithili, her barkings on all of us to get on with the deadlines, her reminders which sound more like threats & the ugliness in her hoarse voice will now be replaced by the change in command, anna & her coaxing reminders. Anna is a frail child, mere bones clad in wheatish skin always on the move with the feet of a ballerina. She lacks all the trappings of a television kid, no chubby cheeks, no rosy lips. Her daily presence from the last one-year has given her a deep unconscious awareness of banking procedures without ever taxing her brains about its meaning. The relevance is perfect though. After circling a few times around her mother. She climbs the back of the chair to get the level with the cash counter. The three guys sorting the cash & the cashier get a dose of the evening wisdom. Picking up the mannerisms of her mother in her childish baritone she yells at the cashier �rajan Uii entry post karo. Keerti atm envelop kholo. cash close karo. Sohan bundle bandho� as the evening progresses she diverts her attention towards the front-office guy animesh in the same command voice �Cumm modify karo, atm card hot listing karo, ddpall khali karo� all this while she is playing prank with the bank paraphernalia. Sometimes sitting on the bundles of the currency notes, while the cash is being loaded into trunks to be taken into the vault, picking up tabs & discarded cheques from the rubbish to build up her imaginative stories, pirouetting & orchrestating into perfect postures to get to the concerned persons with the correct commands. At the clearing desk Mangilal gets ready to receive the pearls of wisdom. Tugging at his sleeve, anna orders him � Mangilal, final entry maro. Tod post karo, bm aage bhejo, afi khali kharo, octm karo�. The beauty about anna is she never gets into anyone�s way, no intervening, no obstructions. She makes her presence intangible, ethereal. She skirts her way into every section of the bank: home loans, demat, insurance, clearing, personal loans, front office & even cash. Her persuasive voice does not irritate or interfere with the hectic schedule of the closing activities. Far from being impertinent, the bank literally waits for her corporate innocence to sweep away the heavy pallor of monotony we all suffer from. Last year around this time when I started my career I rather pitied the two-year-old infant spending her evenings in the glaring lights & the humming air-conditioner of the closed environs. I pitied the child for her yearnings for her mother, for losing the shouts & glee of the evening parks, the tilting seesaws, the swings in the air. I discreetly inquired about her presence in the bank & I was told that anna gets to sleep before her mother reaches home, hence the arrangement. Soon my notions have to be changed & discarded completely. Here is a child who is making the most of the situation. She has accumulated the banking voices into a child�s play with the precision & relevance of a corporate boss. Far from being pitied or condescended she has earned admiration, love & respect from all the bank employees who wouldn�t lose a single opportunity to complain, gibber or back bite. Her amazing innovations, the prattle of her dancing feet, her appearance on the various desks at the right moment with the right advise turn the harsh reality with the magical softness. Every evening we wait for anna to bring in that soft glow of the setting sun, the cool air of the descending evening to lighten the heated airs of the day. Rooplal to the rescue The office attendant of my bank is Rooplal, an amazing character of five feet, who cycles his way to the workplace, twenty kms. To display the vigour of the bird hopping from desk to desk on a twelve hour schedule. He has been in the branch right from its inception & has gained the invaluable insight, an experience of five years. His meagre education a pass in the sixth standard did not ever hinder him from learning the intricacies of the banking software finacle, going through the daily rituals of interconnecting the various desks with the operations head, sales manager, the branch head, interacting with the clients attending to their whims & complaints, reminding the outer agencies for the lapses like non-deliverance of the courier packages or delay in compliance to the provoking demands of an HNI (High Net Worth Individual). The man Friday is loaded with work like the rest of us. The only difference each employee is responsible for his own area of work while Rooplal is shouted upon when he lacks behind in bringing finished work from every desk to the operations head. My branch has six different areas of work, which has to be compiled into reports at the end of the day, generated & fired to be handed over to Maithili Bhanawat at the. The corporate motto is less people more work. After slogging for twelve hours we all shirk the tedious ritual of feeding the report around nine-p.m. Rooplal cannot leave the premises without delivering the stack of fifteen reports from various employees to the operations head. So he eggs on all of us to go speedily over the tedium. Due to more work & less pay the rate of attrition is monumental. At any given point of time half of the bank is peopled with newcomers, tentatively learning the intricacies of finacle. Even a week old employee cannot afford to make a mistake. Whatever he is feeding in the computer gets directly connected to the Bombay headquarters. To escape the rap on the knuckles the green horns sheepishly grin & whisper for Rooplal. The djinn appears on the elbow with the finacle help, � Eph Phour maro, Eph likho, Y likho or ab eph 10 karo� when the novice demands an explanation for punching the relevant keys then Rooplal offers the stock reply, � sab karte hain is liye aap bhi karo� . For all his physical & mental gyrations Rooplal earns a princely salary of Rs. 2000 a month. He punctuates his hectic circling with several five-minute breaks when he leaves the air-conditioned opulence of the bank to sit under a tree on his haunches. Long drags on his beedi restores his balance & gives him ample opportunity to profitably interact with the banks neighbours. My bank is located in a multi storeyed building with many worthy occupants the most admirable being the income-tax dept. Rooplal is marked with the bad luck of getting his bicycle stolen every few months. He likes to shackle his bicycle in a chain, safe & secure for the long day ahead. For the various sorties he has to make around the city he requests the peons of the income tax dept. to lend their motorbikes. In turn he gets many assignments done for the obliging neighbours. Encashment of cheques without standing in the queue, speedy demand drafts, exchange of currencies in big denominations & so on. Across the road is the NCC headquarters & canteen. Getting work done of the NCC men is more alluring for Rooplal. The exchange offer is for all of us to see. Snazzy T-shirts, fatigues, military boots at throwaway prices & a bottle or two which Rooplal discreetly hides in layers of newspapers. Contentment is writ large on the face of our man about the bank. His only grumble since he is not a proper employee of the bank he is not allotted a finacle id, which prohibits him from independently operating the computer. He would rather prefer to feed, generate & fire the fifteen odd reports Mathili Bhanawat demands at the end of the day from each employee. Instead he has to assist, remind, coax & egg on all of us to speedily go over the filing rituals while we attend to the pressing multitudes of the bank each day. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From basvanheur at gmx.net Mon Apr 18 13:28:06 2005 From: basvanheur at gmx.net (Bas Van Heur) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 09:58:06 +0200 (MEST) Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Proposals: The Art and Politics of Netporn Message-ID: <19139.1113811086@www12.gmx.net> Cut.up.magazine (http://www.cut-up.com) invites proposals for a special issue on the art and politics of netporn. This issue is produced in cooperation with the Amsterdam-based Institute of Networkcultures (http://www.networkcultures.org) and will be published two weeks before their two-day conference on The Art and Politics of Netporn in early October 2005. A growing number of theoretical and historical porn studies have appeared over the last decades, yet few have focused on the analysis of netporn as complex networks. We are therefore particularly interested in proposals that address activities such as blogging, p2p porn, queer aesthetics and webcamming, but also those that focus on the political economy of netporn through a mapping of its industry or an exploration of the relation between netporn and war. Proposals are invited for articles of approximately 5000 words. They should be based on original research and explicitly address the specificity of netporn within these networks. Since our aim is to publish high-quality articles that can serve as a basis for further research, each article will be remunerated with 750 euros, excluding possible extra expenses. The deadline for receipt of proposals is May 15, 2005 and may be e-mailed to bas at cut-up.com. More information: Bas van Heur Cut.up.media PO Box 313 2000 AH Haarlem The Netherlands -- +++ GMX - Die erste Adresse f?r Mail, Message, More +++ 1 GB Mailbox bereits in GMX FreeMail http://www.gmx.net/de/go/mail From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Mon Apr 18 14:31:13 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 02:01:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?DASTANS_AND_THEIR_=93WRITERS=94?= Message-ID: <20050418090114.86331.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> THE GATHERERS ARE EAGER-O JAH DASTANS AND THEIR �WRITERS� I have now finished reading the first volume of the Tilism-e-Hoshruba. There is now a mere nine more volumes to go of this series. After that some thirty six more volumes remain of the Nawal Kishori Dastan-e-Amir Hamza, composed in Lucknow at the turn of the century. I have also read the one volume edition of the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza, published by Nawal Kishor Press too. There are several other published single volume editions of this Urdu Dastan. Then there are other Dastans too with other protagonists, other events and other Tilisms. The single volume edition of the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza that I read is ascribed to Syed Abdullah Bilgrami. The end page declares that for the fourth edition, published in 1887, the story was corrected and reworked by Syed Tasadduq Husain, a writer employed by the Press. However Abdullah Bilgrami virtually plagiarised a version produced by Ghalib Lucknawi which was published in Calcutta in the 1850s. The edition today continues to be named after Abdullah Bilgrami showing how a newly introduced print culture can immortalise you for nothing. The tradition of printing Dastans began at the Fort William College, established at Calcutta at the turn of the century to introduce the freshly arrived Englishmen to the languages of the region they were to administer. Khalil Ali Ashk, who claimed to belong to a line of Royal Dastango serving the Mughalia Sultanate, was employed at the College and translated a brief Persian Dastan into Urdu. This same version was then amended a little by Ghalib Lucknawi, mentioned above, which then came to be known after Abdullah Bilgrami and remains in print today. In these cases, as in the case of the 46 volume Nawal Kishori version, the writers also happened to be narrators. It is not entirely clear whether they first recited these huge volumes which were simultaneously transcribed by scribes or whether they dictated it to writers or they themselves wrote it in hand. In most cases they make tall and exaggerated claims about merely conveying, with a few suitable changes and innovations, an old and ancient tale. But then, in all oral cultures antiquity is always attributed to any text or utterance to make it respectable. Obviously the Nawal Kishori writers could not have had any predecessors in terms of the scale of their work. As we have noted the longest version, in Persian, ran into a few volumes while outside India it was usually a single volume edition that remained popular. It is obvious that these forty six volumes emerged from a pre-existing culture of narration, but whether the composed works relied in their entirety on an oral heritage is a moot question. These writers thus made up the stories as they went along but whether the act of composition was written or oral is indeterminate. We do know that Mohammed Husain Jah, who wrote the volume of the Tilism which I read and Ahmed Husain Qamar were both Dastangos and it was perhaps clear to them that these Dastans should be recited orally or at least that the oral narration of the Dastans should be based on the written text. Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar, one of the founders of Urdu prose fiction says in the gloss to one of the volumes that �people nowadays employ Dastangos and get them to recite from this text.� Sarshar himself wrote a picaresque and huge work called Fasana-e-Azad which some regard as Dastans. However, while retaining the element of adventure and travel, Sarshar took out all the supernatural elements quintessential to Dastans [the Tilism, sorcery, trickery] thus rendering his work as an anti-Dastan, in many ways. Whether these texts were original fictional composition or transcriptions of oral narration, their outstanding literary quality cannot be gainsaid. The prose that I encountered in this single work ranges from the most high-falutin Persianised idiom to the most demotic and plebeian speech of Eastern UP and its environs. The haute couture and the hoi-polloi mix exceedingly fluently in the Dastani world. The linguistic patois of courtesans, menial workers such as Dhobis, wine-makers, gardeners, shepherds as well as poets, Nobles and Kings finds representation in virtually every page of this Dastan. Words, usages, idioms and phrases that have been lost to us because of disuse and because of the politics of linguistic changes over the last century have survived intact in these works. In fact the contemporary resonance of those phrases and usages is amazing. Having read this supposedly most Persianised and difficult of Urdu texts, with a reputation for arcane terminology, to people who had very little knowledge of Urdu I was startled to discover the ease with which they could comprehend the text and appreciate its simple and rustic tone. But make no mistake, great sophistication and skill lies behind that apparent charm and simplicity. When W D Fallon came to compose one of modern Urdu�s greatest dictionaries in the nineteenth century-instructively he called it Hindustani-English dictionary-he expressed serious lament that the high scholars of language have consigned many common and popularly used words, phrases and nouns-especially of the erotic and sexual type-to extinction. He made it a point to fill his dictionary with the commonest and earthiest of words. However, if the prose of the Dastans is kept in the mind the passing that Fallon was lamenting seems to have been very much present and thriving long afterwards. A fresh approach to the Tilism-e-Hoshruba may yet succeed in creating something that the father of the nation strove hard for without success: the regeneration of a Hindustani idiom and usage that is at once demotic, inclusive, democratic and colourful. Each Dastan within a Dastan can reasonably lay claim to playing up all the nine Rasas, but equally these mammoth works must also be seen as a repository of coinage, wordsmithery and popular speech that has been lost to us because of colonial interventions into the arena of language and everyday speech. The Dastans have much to teach us about literature, prose, language, fiction, invention, magic and magic-realism. That there are forty six volumes of them makes them one of the most outstanding artifacts of our common and shared linguistic and cultural heritage. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide From rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com Mon Apr 18 18:39:14 2005 From: rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com (Rashmi Sawhney) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 14:09:14 +0100 Subject: =?WINDOWS-1252?Q?Re:_[Reader-list]_DASTANS_AND_THEIR_=93WRITERS=94?= In-Reply-To: <20050418090114.86331.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> References: <20050418090114.86331.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <91290c605041806094c3a04db@mail.gmail.com> Hi all, I'm looking for material on realism and Indian cinema, esp with reference to women's cinema and the New Wave cinema of the 70s and 80s. Any pointers towards books,websites,journals, articles would be very welcome. Also look forward to hearing opinions and viewpoints of the sarai readers, many of whom seem to have a serious interest in cinema. Best, Rashmi From nmajumda+ at pitt.edu Mon Apr 18 19:38:02 2005 From: nmajumda+ at pitt.edu (Neepa Majumdar) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:08:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Indian films in China In-Reply-To: <20050418090114.86331.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> References: <20050418090114.86331.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Can anyone on this list point me to sources on the distribution of Indian films in China? I am looking specifically for information on the distribution of DR. KOTNIS KI AMAR KAHANI (1946). Does anyone know if this film was ever distributed in China? In all the sources I have looked at, there are vague generalizations about Raj Kapoor films in China but no sources are cited. My impression is also that the bulk of Indian film distribution in China began in the 1970s rather than the 1950s. Thanks, Neepa Majumdar From rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com Mon Apr 18 19:39:30 2005 From: rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com (Rashmi Sawhney) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 15:09:30 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema Message-ID: <91290c605041807091cccc710@mail.gmail.com> Hi all, I'm looking for material on realism and Indian cinema, esp with reference to women's cinema and the New Wave cinema of the 70s and 80s. Any pointers towards books,websites,journals, articles would be very welcome. Also look forward to hearing opinions and viewpoints of the sarai readers, many of whom seem to have a serious interest in cinema. Best, Rashmi P.S Appologies for having sent this message earlier as a reply to another posting. From ysaeed7 at yahoo.com Tue Apr 19 16:48:52 2005 From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com (Yousuf) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 04:18:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema In-Reply-To: 6667 Message-ID: <20050419111852.97190.qmail@web51409.mail.yahoo.com> Besides others, look at the following recent book that has some interesting essays, including on realism. Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema (Published by Encyclop�a Britannica India) There is nothing quite like Hindi cinema anywhere in the world. As more and more Mumbai filmmakers recognize the need to use the medium with greater intelligence and precision, scholars of mass culture have begun to perceive Hindi films not merely as vehicles of undemanding assembly-line entertainment but also as robustly colourful celebrations of the cultural and musical mosaic that is India. This exhaustive encyclopaedia looks as much at the trends and techniques of filmmaking in Mumbai as at the personalities who shaped the industry into what it is today. The Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema seeks to capture some of the excitement of Hindi films by presenting a holistic, informed view of India�s popular cinema. Starting off with a historical analysis of Hindi films in the form of seven essays, the book goes on to provide insights into various aspects of the industry�s internal dynamics. The book brings together an array of experts, who either have first-hand knowledge of the craft of filmmaking or have observed the industry from close quarters for decades. The idea is to capture the big picture in a manner that is both informative and entertaining, and not proffer a dry, clinical study of Hindi films. With that end in mind, the encyclopaedia focuses as much on the stars and directors as it does on films and movements. Indeed, the book is rounded off with a comprehensive section that throws light on the work of the towering individuals whose contributions to Hindi cinema in their respective areas of specialization have been second to none. One unique section of the encyclopaedia, the Milestones, is devoted entirely to interviews with legendary Hindi film personalities. The interview with Ashok Kumar was completed a few weeks before the demise of the respected actor. Highlights Produced under the editorial guidance of Gulzar, Govind Nihalani and Saibal Chatterjee Thirty-four essays written by an array of experts who provide insights into various aspects of the industry�s internal dynamics Twenty-one milestones that bring interviews with those legendary personalities who have influenced the dynamics of the industry Two hundred biographies that provide informative snapshots of leading film personalities and their important films Product Details ISBN: 81-7991-066-0 Approx. 600 pages Book size: 276 X 216 mm Actual Price: 2700/- (INR) inclusive of all taxes. For further details e-mail us at shop at ebindia.com or call us at +91 - 11 - 51828194-97 --- Rashmi Sawhney wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm looking for material on realism and Indian > cinema, esp with > reference to women's cinema and the New Wave cinema > of the 70s and > 80s. Any pointers towards books,websites,journals, > articles would be > very welcome. Also look forward to hearing opinions > and viewpoints of > the sarai readers, many of whom seem to have a > serious interest in > cinema. > > Best, > > Rashmi > > P.S Appologies for having sent this message earlier > as a reply to > another posting. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to > reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the > subject header. > List archive: > > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail From rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com Tue Apr 19 17:04:54 2005 From: rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com (Rashmi Sawhney) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 12:34:54 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema In-Reply-To: <20050419111852.97190.qmail@web51409.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050419111852.97190.qmail@web51409.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <91290c605041904342938ae11@mail.gmail.com> Thanks, Yousuf. I'll have a look at the book you suggest. A specific question that I'm thinking about is about the dynamics between realism and melodrama in Indian cinema. Could a film that uses continuity editing, and a classic Hollywood style of realism as its guiding cinematic technique also allow for the resolution of the conflict in the plot/theme to occur outside a rational reality? Perhaps using the modes of Indian melodrama? To take an example, a film like Nihalani's Dev carefully follows classic Hollywood realist guidelines, yet the dialogue between secularism/fundamentalism is resolved only through the death of both ideologies (and their signifiers). Therefore, would Dev be more suitably classified as a realism-based or melodrama-based film? Look forward to hearing some views. Best, Rashmi On 4/19/05, Yousuf wrote: > > Besides others, look at the following recent book that > has some interesting essays, including on realism. > > Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema > (Published by Encyclopædia Britannica India) > > There is nothing quite like Hindi cinema anywouthere in > the world. As more and more Mumbai filmmakers > recognize the need to use the medium with greater > intelligence and precision, scholars of mass culture > have begun to perceive Hindi films not merely as > vehicles of undemanding assembly-line entertainment > but also as robustly colourful celebrations of the > cultural and musical mosaic that is India. This > exhaustive encyclopaedia looks as much at the trends > and techniques of filmmaking in Mumbai as at the > personalities who shaped the industry into what it is > today. > > The Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema seeks to capture > some of the excitement of Hindi films by presenting a > holistic, informed view of India's popular cinema. > Starting off with a historical analysis of Hindi films > in the form of seven essays, the book goes on to > provide insights into various aspects of the > industry's internal dynamics. The book brings together > an array of experts, who either have first-hand > knowledge of the craft of filmmaking or have observed > the industry from close quarters for decades. The idea > is to capture the big picture in a manner that is both > informative and entertaining, and not proffer a dry, > clinical study of Hindi films. > > With that end in mind, the encyclopaedia focuses as > much on the stars and directors as it does on films > and movements. Indeed, the book is rounded off with a > comprehensive section that throws light on the work of > the towering individuals whose contributions to Hindi > cinema in their respective areas of specialization > have been second to none. One unique section of the > encyclopaedia, the Milestones, is devoted entirely to > interviews with legendary Hindi film personalities. > The interview with Ashok Kumar was completed a few > weeks before the demise of the respected actor. > > Highlights > > Produced under the editorial guidance of Gulzar, > Govind Nihalani and Saibal Chatterjee > Thirty-four essays written by an array of experts who > provide insights into various aspects of the > industry's internal dynamics > Twenty-one milestones that bring interviews with those > legendary personalities who have influenced the > dynamics of the industry > > Two hundred biographies that provide informative > snapshots of leading film personalities and their > important films > > Product Details > > ISBN: 81-7991-066-0 > Approx. 600 pages > Book size: 276 X 216 mm > Actual Price: 2700/- (INR) inclusive of all taxes. > > For further details e-mail us at shop at ebindia.com or > call us at +91 - 11 - 51828194-97 > > > --- Rashmi Sawhney wrote: > > Hi all, > > > > I'm looking for material on realism and Indian > > cinema, esp with > > reference to women's cinema and the New Wave cinema > > of the 70s and > > 80s. Any pointers towards books,websites,journals, > > articles would be > > very welcome. Also look forward to hearing opinions > > and viewpoints of > > the sarai readers, many of whom seem to have a > > serious interest in > > cinema. > > > > Best, > > > > Rashmi > > > > P.S Appologies for having sent this message earlier > > as a reply to > > another posting. > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > > the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to > > reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the > > subject header. > > List archive: > > > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! Mail Mobile > Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail > From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Apr 20 00:56:12 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 00:56:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Partition Citizens, anyone? Message-ID: Dear list members, I need to look at any existing historical/sociological work that may have been done on the 'refugees' of the Partition in India, which deals not with Partition but with the post-Partition history of these 'refugees' over the decades up to the rise of Hindu communalism / nationalism. While any such narrative will inevitably draw upon the Partition, what I mean to say is the the act of Partition and related events remain in the background, both textually and historically. It could deal with only the 'Punjabi' 'refugees' or only the 'Bengali' 'refugees'; or both. I intend to compare the two experiences. I would also like to explore such work in the Pakistani context. I would be very grateful to anyone who could point me to any sources on the above. Looking forward to hearing from you, Shivam Vij Delhi -- Memory is what you do not remember http://mallroad.blogspot.com From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Apr 20 02:42:37 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 02:42:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] SC/ST Act: The brutal letter of the law Message-ID: The brutal letter of the law Legislation to protect Dalits is not being misused. In a country still imprisoned in vicious caste prejudice, it is simply not used. By COLIN GONSALVES The Indian Express, 19 April 2005 http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_full_story.php?content_id=68662 Accustomed, as we are, to lawyers and judges saying that the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is being misused, I was amazed to find and document over the last few years, that in fact, the Act is not being used at all. Dalits who try to register a first information report about an offence are faced with insurmountable obstacles. The police are arrogant and offensive. A majority of criminal cases do not get registered at all. When complaints are written by the police, these materially depart from the story orally communicated. The names of accused persons will be found missing. The description of the atrocity will be diluted. The actual words of abuse will be omitted. Finally, the police will threaten the victim with a counter case. Under the Act, the investigation is to be done by a police officer not lower in rank than a Deputy Superintendent of Police. However, in many cases the investigation is done by junior officers and these trials are invariably quashed. On the filing of a chargesheet, bail is invariably granted. Immediately on their release, they begin threatening the complainants, forcing them to withdraw the complaint or turn hostile in court. When a Dalit persists with a criminal case, a social and economic boycott begins. The services of Dalit labourers connected with the complainant are invariably terminated and they find no employment. Shops will not sell them goods. Ultimately, they will be forced to leave the village or face terrible physical reprisal. Then come the prosecutors to mess up the litigation further. Drawn mainly from the upper castes they immediately identify with the accused and begin sabotaging the criminal trial. They will not summon the relevant witnesses. They will advise witnesses for the prosecution to make such statements as will weaken the prosecution's case. They will not produce relevant forensic evidence available to them. Finally, they will argue with a lack of conviction so as to indicate to the judge that the case lacks merits. Truly, the entire judicial system where Dalits are so under-represented, operates unequally against the victims of these most heinous crimes. It is no wonder that Dalit lawyers throughout the country have repeatedly made the demand for reservation in the judiciary. It is equally no wonder that judges throughout the country have uniformly rejected this demand. As a result, the Act remains unimplemented with judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and policemen hardly interested in the implementation of the statute. A study done by People's Watch in Tamil Nadu and by Sakshi in Andhra Pradesh shows that the rate of conviction is less then 1 per cent. A social audit by government is sorely needed. But if the Act is hardly being used, why does the legal fraternity propagate the myth that the Act is being misused? The answer to this lies in the deep-rooted nature of casteism in our country. Filthy abuse is common. Forcing Dalits to vote against their will for an upper caste candidate is common. Recently in Punjab, Dalits were forced to drink urine from a shoe. Instances of stripping and parading Dalit women are regularly reported. Even abject hunger and malnutrition does not diminish the crippling power of caste. After the Supreme Court made it mandatory for the mid-day meal to be served in every primary school, the upper castes were most unhappy that their children had to sit and eat together with the scheduled castes and they were even more offended when the cooks and helpers appointed under the orders of the Supreme Court were Dalits. Though the Act is a marvelous piece of legislation, none of the sub-sections of section 3—which lists the atrocities—are used by the police save section (X) which deals with insults in a public place. It is my impression that the provisions relating to forfeiture of property of accused persons, the removal of persons likely to commit an offence from the area and the imposition of a collective fine have never been used. Under Section 18 of the Act anticipatory bail cannot be granted, yet there are many instances of grant of bail. Under the rules, the authorities are to take proactive steps to prevent atrocities from taking place. They are required to visit the area, cancel the gun licenses of the upper castes, seize firearms, set up vigilance committees and deploy special police forces. After the atrocity takes place the authorities are to draw up a list of victims, prepare a detailed report of the loss and damage to the property of victims, provide protection to witnesses, provide immediate relief in the form of cash, food, water, clothing, shelter, medical aid, compensation and transport facilities. Every state government is required to provide for relief including, allotment of agricultural land and house sites, government employment, pension for widows and other dependents, houses, compensation and healthcare facilities. None of these provisions have ever been followed. It is no wonder then, that this section of society—oppressed a hundred times over with no sign of any redressal within the democratic framework—should in large numbers join the ranks of Naxalites and take up arms against the state. Particularly in the northern belt, fleeing brutal social and economic oppression, they join the militants in the thousands. Treated by society as less than human, they find in the ranks of the dispossessed, a new sense of dignity and purpose. Violence can never be justified. But when one studies the miserable lives of the Scheduled Castes in our country and their struggle for a humane existence, one cannot help but sympathise with the choices they are forced to make. We have only ourselves to blame. The writer is a lawyer and a civil rights activist -- Welcome to Mall Road http://mallroad.blogspot.com From zainab at xtdnet.nl Wed Apr 20 10:06:57 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 08:36:57 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Walking the Station with the Girls In-Reply-To: <425B8524.4020605@gmail.com> References: <1090.219.65.13.153.1113283686.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> <425B8524.4020605@gmail.com> Message-ID: <3167.219.65.12.135.1113971817.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Dear Tripta, Thanks for initiating the conversation after my last posting. Owing to exams, I could not respond. Yes, I do have a copy of The Railway Journey and it's high time that I read it. Given some of the thoughts you raised in the last conversation, I am posting the experience and questions from my next walk at the railway station. Thanks for beginning the conversation ... In continuity and perpetuity, Zainab! 13th April 2005 Walking the Station with One Girl This evening, I land up early at the railway station. I want to see the ‘rush hours’ as Sushanti and Suparna and their other colleagues had told me. It is about 5:00 PM. I go up to platform number 3, looking for Sushanti and the home guard gang. “Arre, you have come early today?” Sushanti exclaims, adding, “You reached home safely the other day nah? Mummy did not shout at you nah? We were getting worried that your mother would be concerned.” I responded to her saying that everything went alright that night, on Saturday. “I have come to see the rush hour today,” I tell them. “So would you want me to come with you?” Sushanti asks. I tell her that I will manage on my own. “Yeah, that’s better. When you go on your own, you can make your own choice and decide what you want to see,” says she, much relieved at the prospect of not having to take me around. Perhaps, in this situation, she feels pangs of anxiety, wondering whether my research agenda is being fulfilled with her various commentaries. She perhaps wonders whether her responses are appropriate to my research, whether the places she takes me to fall in line with my ‘hypothesis’!?!?!?! I dash off to platform number 7 – the danger zone that her colleagues and she have been telling me about. The crowds are gradually beginning to increase. Platform number 7 has long distance fast trains. A look at the railway station and you can imagine the work force which comes from distant places, almost outside of the city, to work in the city. Later, when I meet Vijaya, she tells me, “How these women come from places like Karjat and Kasara? I find it difficult to commute from Khar. I don’t think I can ever work like them. Where is then the time for family and all?” Labour travels long distances in the city and yet, when I classify this as labour, I think the very notion of labour in the city has changed – from the industrial mill workers to the now middle class service sector workers. Then, is the railway station a site for transport of labour? What kind of modernity is this? I stand at platform number 7, the conventional space where women stand i.e. at the beginning of the EMU halt. As I have mentioned previously, several times, this space has been carved out by women, exclusively for themselves. It protects them from being jostled in the crowd – one of the forms of organization at the station. I am trying hard to look for something, until I meet another Sarai Fellow – Prashant Pandey. Now, I am beginning to realize that mathematically, I end up meeting at least two persons everyday in my escapades around the city – either at the promenade or at the railway station. And when I think of this mathematical calculation, I wonder whether the city is as dense as I imagine or is it that I just about know too many people by now. Prashant is looking up in the air and walking. I call his attention and we have a brief chat. “You must study Dadar station,” he tells me, “It is way too crowded.” Hmmmm. After talking with Prashant, I start to stroll around carefully between platforms 6 and 7. The space which is covered by the first three coaches of the train is heavily crowded because people make their entry into the station from South side. The North end has a bridge but is not even a quarter as much crowded as the South end. This is mainly because most of the offices in which the commuters work are located further South and hence, they arrive into the station from the South. I am walking and covering the area of the middle train coaches. The very density of the station begins to decline. And as this density declines, so does the anonymity. I become conspicuous and this conspicuousness increases more and more as I move towards the last few coaches. The space of the fag end of the railway station is absolutely calm, very contrary to the space at the entrance of the station. Here, at the fag end, the station is almost like a halting space. It is largely occupied by the men – the working men folk – middle class and lower middle class. The men lean out towards the track, looking out for the arriving train and then, as the train starts to touch the platform, the men folk jump into the train, pretty much like how the women do. Yet, women seem funnier when they jump inside the moving train. And I wonder whether this mental divide stems from gender conditioning. As I sit quietly at the fag end of the station, I am amused and smiling in my head – what a railway station! And then, even the railway station cannot be classed as a single entity or a homogenous space. How do spaces derive their character? After a while, I start to proceed towards the entrance side of the station. It is 5:30 PM and now will be the start of the rush hour. As I reach the beginning of the EMU halt, a smiling face greets me. “Hello!” she says with a glint of happiness and sparkle in her eyes. This is Vijaya, the home guard I had met at the other railway station on Saturday night. I greet her, “How come here?” I ask her. “Duty has shifted. Now, for one week, I am going to be at this station. Would you like to drink something?” she asks me. I refuse and ask her, “You have your duty on platform number 7?” “Yes,” she responds, adding, “I am deemed as one of the most brave lady cops around here. Platform number 7 is a very dangerous area. That is why my seniors have put me here.” “Why is platform number 7 dangerous?” I ask her. “Because of the gardulay (drug addicts). They do lots of salushan (solution) here. Because of the salushan there is so much smell. Commuters complain about these gardulay. So we have to keep a watch on them and make sure that they don’t enter the ladies compartment. The gardulay kids run and enter the ladies compartments and then, they cut their handbags and steal. So we have to keep a watch. Platform number 1 is also a very dangerous area. The harbour line trains depart from there. That area is infested with thieves. Once, my seniors told me that they want to put me permanently on platform number 1 and I should patrol in civil clothes so that I can nab the thieves. But I refused. Lots of robbery goes on over there.” I listen to her carefully. I am trifle bit surprised about platform number 1 being infested with thieves because it is an area of immense activity. But Vijaya points out that due to multiple entrances, the thieves make it in and out easily. “Come here, stand beneath the fan,” she tells me, “hava aata hai.” I stand with Vijaya. The train is arriving at platform number 7. Women commuters are leaning outwards and readying themselves as if they are about to run a relay. Just as when the train touches the platform, the women jump in. I can almost see the train shaking with the jumping and thuds! Vijaya smiles as she sees me watching all of this. We then stand guard, watching around the platform. Suddenly Vijaya tells me, “Just a moment, I am coming.” She dashes off to a place where two drug addict children are loitering. “Come on, out from here,” she says, beating her danda (stick) to the ground, “Out, out! Out I say! This is not the place for you. There, go there. That place is meant for you.” She shoos them out towards the thin border which separates the local station from the outstation-station. Apparently, the character of this border, with several benches put on it, appears to be one of a public space, almost like the space of the promenade, where anybody can come and sit and do what they like, including lovers talking out their problems and resolving disputes. I ask Vijaya if we can walk the platform. “Sure!” We start to walk. “Lots of rush in the beginning, but now on, the rush decreases,” she says as we pass by the middle compartment. “That’s it,” she tells me as we approach the last ladies coach, “We are not allowed to go beyond the last ladies’ coach,” she tells me. I then begin to wonder about boundaries about spaces which are created – individually, mentally, by authority (as is the case with Vijaya and the home guards who cannot go beyond the last ladies’ compartment), by convention, culturally, politically, through the media, etc. And I also wonder whether these boundaries enable us to organize the space mentally without really physically examining how true the boundaries are? Is this a character of the city where all spaces cannot be examined personally and we have to rely on boundaries to negotiate and understand them in our own minds? I start to think of practices of marking in a similar vein. It is not about the goodness or badness of marking, but more the system which leads us to mark – the system of density and crowd!?!?!?!? As we walk back to the entrance of the station, Vijaya suddenly enters the ladies coach. There is a drug addict boy inside and she is diligently getting him out. Just at the beginning of the platform, an old lady, ragged, is lying on the ground. Her only possessions are a plastic water bottle and a steel drinking cup. Vijaya sighs, “Oh no, this maaji (old lady) is here again.” Maaji is lying right in the middle of the crowds. But each passing person is careful not to trample upon her. Vijaya starts yelling,” Maaji, this is not a place for you to lie down. Please move away from here. Come on.” Maaji is too weak to even stand up on her own. Vijaya summons two hamaals (vagrant drug addicts who act as porters for GRP cops and home guards). “Isko udhar le jao,” she instructs them. They lift her up and put her on the boundary line which seems to be at the receiving end of everything. After the exercise, Vijaya tells me, “What to do? All of this happens at the station everyday. We have to deal with this. I maintain good relations with the hamaals even though my other colleagues scream and shout at them. They can be very useful people. Now see, in situations such as these. This old woman must have been put in the train by some people and she has arrived here. Now someone else will put her in another train and she will land up at some other station. Like this, daily, up and down and up and down she must be doing with someone or the other putting her on the train. I can’t lift her up and put her at the other side of the station (i.e. the border area). She is dirty. These hamaals can do the job.” Vijaya now insists that I must have coffee or cold drinks. I tell her that we will both go and have tea. However, she keeps repeating coffee or cold drinks and I can’t seem to understand. Ultimately, she takes me to the coffee stall where the most expensive coffee (seven rupees as against the usual five rupees) is available. She orders for coffee and my mind goes back to Arjun bhai’s practices of ordering coffee for me. It makes me wonder whether coffee is the global middle-class/service sector drink. How does Vijaya perceive me? An upper middle-class English speaking gal who drinks coffee? Commodities and the railways station then have a link, a link perhaps brought in by advertising, images and notions of globalism?!?!?!?! “Time passes quickly at a big station,” Vijaya tells me as we drink our coffee. “At smaller railway stations, it is boring. I like it when people come to meet me.” After finishing coffee, we go back to platform number 6. “Yes, it is boring everyday to stand like this all the time, watching,” Vijaya tells me when I ask her if she finds her job boring. Suddenly, a man calls out to Vijaya, “Eh, havaldar, come here, come here now.” There are two men and one lady with some suitcases there. Vijaya is dealing with something and after about ten minutes she comes back, saying, “Oh, that man there, is a Ticket Checker (TC). The other man and that woman are husband and wife. The wife has a mail train pass and the man has a harbour line railway pass. The wife entered the harbour line on her mail train pass which is not allowed. Now, when the TC caught them and asked them to pay a fine of Rs. 250, they are refusing saying, ‘but we have a pass – pass to hai nah?’ The man wants me to explain to the TC this. I told the man that the TC has more powers than I do and my job is just to keep a watch on the station. Beyond that, I have no powers. Now they have gone to the station master to resolve the issue.” After about half an hour, the man and his wife come walking by. They wave out to Vijaya. She asks them, “What happened?” “Oh,” said the man, “we had to pay the fine. But this is unfair. We had the pass no. We were not traveling ticketless. And my wife only came into the harbour line train for about three stations – for a five rupee ticket mistake, we had to pay Rs.250.” The man was evidently irritated. His wife kept telling him to shut up and walk. Vijaya tells me, “What people? They should buy the ticket nah? We home guards are allowed to travel free between our home and the station of duty. But on holidays and personal occasions, we also have to buy tickets. I don’t buy tickets. I dress up half-civil and travel free. But yes, I get my kids to buy tickets.” Time goes by. I have spent about three hours at the station now. I tell Vijaya that I have to leave now. We walk towards platform number three where I will get a relatively empty train. Sushma is there at the platform. “So, strolled around today as well?” she asks me. She had seen me on Saturday. “Yes,” I reply. “What is your name?” she asks me. Vijaya is also listening carefully because she hasn’t caught on. I give her my name and Sushma’s next question is, “What is your caste?” Vijaya is listening with rapt attention. “Muslim,” I tell her. I get into the train. Vijaya happily waves out to me! Bye, bye, bye, bye .... From tarana at cal2.vsnl.net.in Wed Apr 20 11:06:33 2005 From: tarana at cal2.vsnl.net.in (Vector) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:06:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ramaswamy's notes Message-ID: <001601c54570$df1e8460$12b841db@vector> A NOTE ON THE THIKA TENANCY ACT AND URBAN VULNERABILITY V Ramaswamy The largest concentration of poor, vulnerable and low-income households is to be found in the bastis of metropolitan Calcutta. Despite environmental improvement programmes in such settlements, environmental degradation remains serious, and basti households face grave environmental health risks. Meaningful improvements in bastis today are simply not possible, on account of the major institutional factor related to bastis, i.e. the Thika Tenancy Act. It may be said that the single most serious institutional factor related to vulnerability in the metropolitan area is the Thika Tenancy Act. This note shall attempt to outline the subject, and indicate the key issues requiring further enquiry and analysis. 1. Bastis in Calcutta came up as the city grew and became the site of various industries. A large labouring population was drawn to the city to work in the factories and also to provide the range of services required by the city's affluent population. While no formal arrangement was made to house this labouring poipulation, an informal system evolved through which a large number of hutment settlements came up in the city, adjoining the factories and elite residential areas. Typically, a landlord would rent out a parcel of vacant land to one of his henchmen, who in turn would build a number of huts on this plot. This person was the 'thika' tenant, meaning that he was contracted by the landlord. Rooms in such huts would then be rented out to the labourers, who were referred to as the bharatiyas. While these were informal settlements, they were not illegal. Thus, this system was able to meet the shelter requirements of the large labouring population of the growing city. Services, such as water supply, or drainage, or sanitation were never provided, with the workers being left to fend for themselves. However, as the locality developed and ultimately began to attract municipal improvements, the landlord would ask the thika tenent to vacate the plot. The workers would be asked to leave and the huts would be dismantled. Workers would simply move to another location. Thus, while shelter was available, it was highly insecure. In fact, one may view the landlord's actions as a speculative operation. Giving the land out to the thika tenant to build huts thereon was a means to enable the locality to become more inhabited. Once there was a sizeable population living there, demands would be made to provide basic services. Once these were provided, land values would rise considerably, and the landlords would simply sell off the basti lands and make huge amounts of unearned profit. As Mr Harrison, the Chairman of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation reported in the 1880s, "the landlords have simply grown rich in their sleep." Besides, bastis would also be required to be knocked down for city improvement programmes such as road laying and widening. Further, public health policies and attitudes in the 19th century were inevitably biased against basti dwellers; public health theories of this period tended to ascribe all ailments to odours, vapours, water in the bastis. But responsibility for basic improvements in basti conditions was a contentious issue; it was never clear whose responsibility it was to undertake these. The landlord preferred to maximise his speculative profit; and the Corporation saw no reason to play into the landlord's game. Basti dwellers were left to suffer the resulting degradation. 2. Thus, by the early part of this century, there were a large number of bastis spread all over the metropolis. Conditions here were extremely grave. Factional politics within the nationalist movement that had taken over the CMC was also responsible for severe administration breakdown. Following Independence and Partition, and the influx of a huge refugee population into the city, pressures on bastis increased. With growing pressure on bastis, the 1950s witnessed a Communist-led basti movement, which was successful in intervening within the process of Slum Acts legislation in the state (following the national legislation). As a result, thika tenants were protected as tenants, and rehabilitation of the thika tenants and the bharatiyas in case of slum clearance was also provided for. Also, with the enactment of anti-landlord legislation in the post-Independence era, and the legal empowerment of thika tenants as protected tenants, landlords stopped making available their lands for bastis. By the 1960s basti conditions had deteriorated to the extent that the WHO in its report on Calcutta spoke of catastrophic consequences unless basic improvements were undertaken in bastis. This led to the Ford-supported Calcutta planning efforts, culminating in the Basic Development Plan (1966-86), the formation of the CMDA and the initiation of the Basti Improvement Programme and the Calcutta Urban Development Programme. 3. With the coming to power of the Left Front government in 1977, a number of further changes were introduced in basti matters. Basti lands were taken over by the state government, and the state replaced the landlords. However, the rights of the state vis-a-vis those of the thika tenants were subject to litigation and finally the High Court ruled that the thika tenants' rights to develop their structures could not be violated. A Thika Tenancy Amendment Act was passed through which restricted rights to develop basti hutments were granted. Most basti lands today are owned by the state, though there are a few cases where the ownership still rests with the private landlord, or institution (such as jute companies). Individual holdings within bastis are also sometimes owned by individuals, though in most cases there would be a thika tenant associated with the holding. Bharatiyas today pay their rent to the thika tenant, and he in turn pays rent to the Corporation. 4. Over the last decade or so, construction activity in the bastis has grown, with the thika tenants making over the plots to promoters, and a promoter-muscleman-politician nexus coming into existence. Unmet demand for housing from the middle-class as well as lower middle-class began to move towards bastis, which had experienced a modicum of improvement through the BIP. Where this has been possible, there has been flagrant violation of building regulations and illegal buildings have come up on basti plots, discharging wastes into open drains, and with apartments in these having been sold to low-income and middle-class families. 5. In all this, the concern about the actual basti hutment dwellers, about the class of such people, and about wholesome city development - has been a casualty. With thika tenants being predominatly low-income persons, without access to much capital, they themselves are unable to undertake any developments. Second, since the land is formally owned either by the state or some private owner, they are unable to access housing finance for building construction. Finally, the possibility of dweller-owned units in such plots is also out of the question now since the land is owned by the state or private owner. Thus, they too are unable to access housing finance. 6. Thus, under the existing Thika Tenancy Act regime, all that is undesirable flourishes, albeit illegally, but flagrantly. The lot of the basti bharatiyas is significantly worsened by whatever happens on the ground under existing circumstances. Unearned income at public cost is enjoyed by promoters, musclemen and politicians. Environmental degradation is significantly exacerbated. Opportunities for area renewal, beginning from dweller-led basti development, is precluded. It may be recalled that with a significant proportion of the city land being under bastis, and with bastis spread all over the city, the city has tremendous renewal potential. Given that bastis today are low-rise high density areas, with considerable scope for multi-storey construction, today's bastis may be viewed as the sites for large scale poor and low-income shelter. This can also happen in close association with market-based commercial and residential developments, so that as much cross-subsidy as possible is realised. But dweller control over the development process is the key issue. The HDFC-KFW scheme, which provides low-interest shelter loans to the poorer sections, has been a non-starter in Calcutta - despite the potential for utilising this scheme as a catalyst for large-scale city renewal. 7. Thus, a rapid, though somewhat in-depth, review of the Thika Tenancy Act is called for, towards identifying the specific policy and legal steps that should be taken - in the interest of the basti dwellers, the poorer sections as a whole, and wholesome city development. From freestspirit at yahoo.co.uk Wed Apr 20 15:46:18 2005 From: freestspirit at yahoo.co.uk (Bikram Jeet Batra) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:16:18 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Right to Information responses Message-ID: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> I am a delhi based lawyer and researcher - subscribed to the list recently. In response to an application I made to an authority under the Maharashtra Right to Information Act, 2002, I received a note (appended with the information sought) which informed me that I could use the information for research purposes but not publish it without the permission of the Govt of Maharashtra. As far I understand the RTI (and any other) legislation, there is nothing that allows the Govt to restrict publication of information that it hands out. I would also be interested in knowing of other such responses made by any authority in reply to an RTI application. best, Bikram Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com From zainab at xtdnet.nl Wed Apr 20 16:48:07 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:18:07 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Right to Information responses In-Reply-To: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> References: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <3097.219.65.14.81.1113995887.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Hi Bikram, Good to see you on the list. The best person who can give you insight and depth into RTI and also address your questions is Shailesh Gandhi. You can write to him on shaileshgandhi2 at vsnl.net. You could give him my reference as well. I have consulted him before. Cheers. Zainab From zainab at xtdnet.nl Wed Apr 20 16:53:46 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:23:46 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Right to Information responses In-Reply-To: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> References: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <3136.219.65.14.81.1113996226.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> HI BIkram and all, Sorry, the email id of Shailesh Gandhi is: shailesh2 at vsnl.com Cheers, Zainab From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Apr 20 17:42:21 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 17:42:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Right to Information responses In-Reply-To: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> References: <20050420101618.96241.qmail@web25306.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Bikram you may also consult RTI activist Prakash Kardaley via his listserv: http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/HumJanenge/ Or visit www.parivartan.com and ask them There are a couple of very useful websites that have come up on RTI and I'm sure the two links above, and a simple google search, can lead you to them. All hail RTI! But I'm for "Duty to Publish" rather than "Right to Information". Shivam On 4/20/05, Bikram Jeet Batra wrote: > I am a delhi based lawyer and researcher - subscribed > to the list recently. > > In response to an application I made to an authority > under the Maharashtra Right to Information Act, 2002, > I received a note (appended with the information > sought) which informed me that I could use the > information for research purposes but not publish it > without the permission of the Govt of Maharashtra. > > As far I understand the RTI (and any other) > legislation, there is nothing that allows the Govt to > restrict publication of information that it hands out. > > I would also be interested in knowing of other such > responses made by any authority in reply to an RTI > application. > > best, > Bikram > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > -- "A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular." - Adlai Stevenson http://mallroad.blogspot.com From vivek at sarai.net Thu Apr 21 13:02:29 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 13:02:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Tales of Cultural Construction... Message-ID: <4267570D.8040001@sarai.net> LRB | Vol. 27 No. 8 dated 21 April 2005 | Adam Kuper Clueless Adam Kuper On 21 September 2001, a man walking across Tower Bridge saw what appeared to be a corpse floating in the river. Twenty minutes later, a police launch took the corpse on board and discovered that the head, arms and legs had been severed. The torso was identified as that of an Afro-Caribbean boy of around five years old. The only evidence of identity was a pair of orange shorts labelled ‘Kids and Company’. In an early statement, Scotland Yard said that the child might have been the victim of domestic violence, or that he might have fallen into the hands of paedophiles, though there was no evidence of sexual abuse. The spokesman added that he might also have been killed in some bizarre ritual. ‘This is one of several lines of inquiry we are looking into,’ he said, but ‘we are keeping an open mind.’ The suspicion of ritual killing hardened. Commander Andy Baker and Detective Inspector Will O’Reilly of the serious crime group of the Metropolitan Police were even prepared to specify the ritual. In Southern Africa, children have occasionally been killed so that their internal organs and genitals can be used in medicines – a practice called muti murder. Three such murders were reported in South Africa in 2000. Although several British anthropologists were consulted by Scotland Yard, none agreed that there was any evidence in the case of the torso in the Thames that might suggest a link to African ritual practice. However, a more helpful South African, Dr Hendrik Scholtz, unknown to the scholarly community here, confirmed the police theory. Baker and O’Reilly travelled to South Africa in April 2002, and Nelson Mandela publicly appealed for anyone with information to come forward. The trail went cold, however, and the police had to admit that since no vital organs had been removed, this was unlikely to be a muti murder of the classic kind. But they stuck to the theory. Perhaps some other African ritual was involved. Perhaps the limbs and skull had been kept as magical trophies. And then they found another clue. Seven half-burned candles wrapped in a white sheet had washed up on the southern bank of the Thames. The Yoruba name ‘Adekoyejo Fola Adoye’ was written on the sheet. After a flurry of excitement, the police discovered that Adoye lived in New York, and that his London-based parents had held a thanksgiving on the banks of the Thames to celebrate the fact that he had survived the terrorist attack in Manhattan on 11 September. Such riverside services were common among Christian Yoruba believers. Checked, but not baffled, the police now came up with a brilliant stroke of publicity. ‘Until we can identify him and his family we will act as his family,’ Commander Baker said. ‘And to remind everyone that he was a person we have given him a name. That name is Adam.’ Adam, he announced, had been brought to the country as a slave, and sacrificed in a barbaric ritual. In September 2002, in a ritual rather like the one performed by Adoye’s parents, the Met held a memorial service for Adam on the Thames. Flowers were laid in the river from a police launch. DI O’Reilly gave a reading from the Bible. ‘The ritual killing of children is an absolute reality,’ he told journalists. ‘We do not want this to gain a foothold in this country. That is why, one year on, we are still working flat out to try and solve this case.’ Hot on the trail of exotic rituals, police raided African shops in London which they claimed were importing ‘bush meat’, including chimpanzee and bush rat, from West Africa. They also announced that some dealers were trading in substances used in witchcraft, which might include body parts. Heathrow’s meat transport director, Clive Lawrence, was sure of it. ‘The intelligence we are receiving suggests human flesh is coming into this country,’ he said. ‘We are dealing with some very nasty people.’ Social workers in Glasgow reported that they had found sinister voodoo objects (‘feathers’) in the home of an asylum seeker from West Africa. The woman was immediately arrested and rushed to London for questioning, but no link could be established to the murder, or indeed to any crime. In late December 2002, a homeless man foraging in a bin on a Camden Town estate found the legs of a middle-aged woman wrapped in a black plastic bag. Police then discovered the upper part of the torso of a second woman in the rubbish. Both were white. This time the police quickly closed in on a mentally disturbed man, Anthony Hardy, who lived nearby. Part of a torso and a hacksaw were found in his flat. He was duly convicted of three murders and according to the police may have been responsible for more. Scotland Yard was not, however, to be diverted from its belief that Adam’s murder had a West African connection. The child had been circumcised – as many boys in Africa are. Even more decisive was DNA evidence which showed that he had West African ancestry. According to a statement from the Met in February 2003, organic and mineral samples found in the post-mortem indicated that he might have come from a 5000 square-mile corridor between Ibadan and Benin City. (This was flagged as a breakthrough for police forensics.) And now they realised that they had overlooked a clue. The shorts found on the victim were orange in colour, and the police claimed (quite wrongly) that a Yoruba river god, Oshun, is associated with the colour orange, and that human sacrifices are made to him, although no sacrifices of this kind have been documented for more than a century. In October 2003, O’Reilly travelled to Nigeria accompanied by a forensic scientist and, for the first few days, by the Arsenal footballer Kanu. Followed by journalists and a TV crew, they tramped gamely around a few villages in that enormous region, but returned empty-handed. This was hardly surprising. Most victims of the Atlantic slave trade were West Africans, so the DNA of most black people from the Caribbean, North America and Brazil would indicate a West African origin. Although there was still no evidence of any link to ritual practices, the police now stumbled on another lead. A Nigerian asylum seeker told immigration officials that she was running away from her husband, who had killed 11 children, including one of her own. Interviewed by the police, she said that she and her husband had been setting up branches of a new demonic cult in London and in Germany. She also claimed that she and other female disciples had been forced to undergo ritual circumcision. Police raided her husband’s home in Dublin and said they had found evidence of a human trafficking ring linked to demon worship. Her husband is now in jail in Dublin fighting extradition to Germany on fraud charges in connection with an alleged human trafficking operation. She, meanwhile, has been deported to Nigeria, and now claims that she lied to immigration officials in the hope that she might be granted asylum. Following up their investigations in Dublin, more than two hundred Met officers, some in riot gear, raided a number of houses in London in August 2003 and arrested 21 Nigerians, who were accused of trafficking in children. ‘We are pretty convinced we are onto the group of individuals who would have trafficked Adam into the country,’ DI O’Reilly said. They were particularly impressed by the discovery of an animal’s skull with a nail driven through it. Last month, Scotland Yard announced that the torso mystery had been solved. They will be calling for the extradition of suspects from a number of countries and the attorney-general might lead the prosecution. There’s always the remote possibility that the dynamic duo from the Yard have stumbled on something at last, but their record is not encouraging. The real question is why this overheated fantasy caught on. No journalist expressed the slightest scepticism about the ritual murder thesis, although there were some disputed details. The Guardian insisted that the evil-doers were not ‘true witchdoctors, or Sangomas’. Good witchdoctors, their expert explained, ‘use natural remedies such as forest herbs, plants, animal skins and bones’. Child murders were ‘a perversion of traditional muti medicine’. The Telegraph, on the other hand, mocked a ‘Nigerian guru’ who claimed that he and his followers were vegetarians. Commander Baker remarked that the case brings together all the worst nightmares of the British public. Indeed, it is a farrago of contemporary myths about witchcraft, Africans, asylum seekers and paedophiles. ‘I think we must maintain that we are not judging the culture,’ Baker told Sky News as he flew to Nigeria. ‘We are investigating a murder.’ In fact, the police are busily reinforcing dangerous delusions. Adam Kuper teaches social anthropology at Brunel University and is the author of Culture: The Anthropologist's Account. From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Fri Apr 22 11:05:43 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:35:43 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Sarai: Fellows and no fellowship......... In-Reply-To: 6667 Message-ID: <20050422053543.63414.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> let the fellows sup of each other and scupper each other on the Saturday of a new month...I the seedy kind will stock up the weedy patches...not quite as good as the Nilgiri pakodas, for after all the Lord Shiva resides there, but certainly blessed enough by him... --- mahesh sarma wrote: > � > Hi > > > This is Mahesh, a researcher (an euphemism for being > completely vella but still retain an air of majesty) > at JNU (the last bastion of quite a few things). I > am currently living off the munificence of Sarai, > and have to produce a report on the politics of CNG > conversion in Delhi. It unlike my PhD project is > going great guns. > > We are all fellows and should definitely need > fellowsip (oops sorry fellowship). So the idea is to > explore the possibility of all of us(if not most of > us) meet together once in a month (to start off we > could meet at JNU). Later as Vivek, suggested we > switch places. > > JNU can provide meeting space, it is central and has > lots of space. Vivek has consented to fund tea and > pakodas (nilgiri pakodas are worth their weight in > gold) and I, the jobless guy, can coordinate. > > So the venue for the first meeting is JNU (will give > exact coordinates in the next mail) and the > tentative dates are either Last Saturday of the > month (April 30th ) or first Saturday of the month( > May 7th.). > > We will be PoMos, and have no agenda, no hierarchy > and of course, no speeches. In case u are game, do > drop a line as to which day and date is convenient > to you all. Once I get the responses, based on > majority preferences, we will zero in on a day and > date. > > Looking forward to seeing u all. > > Rgds > > Mahesh > > PS: Vivek could not resist. So he will there too. > > > B.Mahesh Sarma, > Researcher > Centre for Studies in Science Policy > Jawaharlal Nehru University > New Delhi. 110 067 > Mobile:00-91-9868090468 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From arisen.silently at gmail.com Fri Apr 22 12:11:14 2005 From: arisen.silently at gmail.com (arisen silently) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:11:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Marxism 2005 Message-ID: <1925b33d050421234174890a9f@mail.gmail.com> Marxism 2005 Phone 07815790913 Fax 020 7538 0018 Email marxism at swp.org.uk website www.Marxism2005.net Dear Friend, Marxism 2005 takes place this year from the 7th-11th July. This is directly after the mobilisations against the G8 in Scotland and weeks after the General election in which the Respect Coalition is mounting the most serious radical left challenge to Labour for almost 50 years. Many issues facing our movement will be discussed at Marxism this year including, where next for the left after the election, the current strategy of US imperialism, Hugo Chavez and the revolts in Latin America, the future of the anti-capitalist movement and how we fight racism in Britain. In addition there will be many more meetings on art, music plus Marxist philosophy and economics. Speakers at this year's Marxism include, Samir Amin, Tony Benn, George Galloway, Gillian Slovo, Gareth Peirce, Trevor Ngwane, David Harvey, Gilad Atzmon, China Mieville, Bob Crow, Victoria Brittain, Harold Pinter, Alex Callinicos, Winston Silcott and Lindsey German. For a full list of speakers, plus a list of the range of meetings on offer, accommodation etc please visit our new website at www.marxism2005.net You can also book on-line using our safe, secure booking area at www.marxism2005.net or alternatively phone 07815790913. We hope to see you again at this year's event, Best wishes Marxism 2005 office marxism at swp.org.uk From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Fri Apr 22 13:46:18 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 01:16:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Firangis and Hebrew in the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza Message-ID: <20050422081618.81233.qmail@web80903.mail.scd.yahoo.com> FIRANGIS AND ENGLISHMEN IN DASTAN-E-AMIR HAMZA While Dastangos are not very scrupulous about a realistic depiction of geographical origin yet the very nature of the adventure, in which travels to distant and far off lands are a sine qua non, necessitates a depiction of linguistic and ethnic diversity. Dastangos take us to distant and widespread places, from Greece to China, Egypt and Byzantine to Hindustan and Sri Lanka. Different people speak different dialects apart from the benevolent fiery creatures like Djinns or Paris who have their own language. Amir Hamza�s horse Ashqar Devzad is the offspring of a djinn so he speaks to Hamza in the language of djinns. Amar, Hamza�s chief Ayyar or trickster [whose hardnosed and harsh methods remind one sometimes of Chanakya�s realistic kootneeti] is well-versed with many languages among which is also Hebrew. Barq Firangi, another of the tricksters and Rustam Alamshah (Hamza�s son) lead a firangi platoon and the language of that platoon is English. There is also an entire Tilism, run and controlled by the English, which is called Tilism-e-Khema-e-Firang. The language spoken there is English. Whoever enters that Tilism automatically begins to speak English. Bala Bakhtar, one of the volumes of the cycle composed by Sheikh Tasadduq Husain describes- �Every camp that the Prince entered he found himself adorned by the dress of the same Vilayat and heard the same speech flowing forth. A beautiful damsel, firangin, came out of that camp and holding him by the hand led him inside. On every kothi and bungalow there were firangins, beautiful, fair, handsomely cast, dressed in splendid finery, wearing English topis of many kinds were seated chairs and enjoying the river flow. One firangi Queen, troublemaker for the heart the affliction without cure, saw the Prince Nooruddahar and instantly upon seeing stood up from her chair and holding him by the hand took him inside the Bungalow and seated him on a jeweled chair. She spoke to him in English. The Prince too replied in the same tongue.� (Bala Bakhtar, Nawal Kishor, 1900, pp624/5) In the same volume, on p71 Amar speaks in the Hebrew language to his fellow traveler Aadi Pahalwan, a lumbering giant who eats too much and is wont to rest too much too. �Amar thought that the Pahalwan Aadi has recognized me, he may visit humiliation upon me. Therefore he said to him in Hebrew, o you monstrous eater, I am warning you hold your tongue and do not say anything crude�understanding Amar�s import Aadi replied listen do not talk too much.� In another work in the same cycle, Aftab-e-Shujaat, vol 3 by Sheikh Tasadduq Husain, we travel to the Tilism-Chahl-Chiragh-e-Sulaimani. Among the stages on this Tilism is also the country of Bartania/Britain whose ruler used to be a Muslim but due to the incitement of the King of the Tilism, Ashdar Parizad, he has turned apostate and become a Kafir. Can a historical personality fit the bill of [being] Ashdar Parizad? Excerpt taken from S R FARUQI�s SAHERI, SHAHI, SAHEB QIRANI, A study of Dastan-e-Amir Hamza. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From basvanheur at gmx.net Fri Apr 22 13:56:09 2005 From: basvanheur at gmx.net (Bas van Heur) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 10:26:09 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Issue #12 of cut.up.magazine online Message-ID: <4268B521.1020805@gmx.net> Two days late, but once again with a lot of interesting stuff to think about. Edition #12 of cut.up. is now online @ http://www.cut-up.com Two articles in English: Race Matters, an interview with the author Adam Mansbach (Janeé Bolden); Imagining a World without Copyright (Marieke van Schijndel and Joost Smiers). And three in Dutch: Suicidebar or the strange universe (Roel Verstappen); An interview with Kieran Hebden / Four Tet (Erik Hollanders); Debates surrounding the European Constitution (David Vervoort). Images by Frank Kloos. New Reviews appear around the clock, so drop by on a regular basis. New in the last two weeks: Terminal 11, Doormouse, Boris Hauf, Motel Mozaïque, Philip Claudel, Quasimodo Jones, By Coastal Café, Autechre, Le Tigre, Beitske Bouwman, COH/AGF/Jasch/Hecker/Ilios/Marcus Maeder, )toon)6, 8Rolek, Simon V. Finally: we are looking for people who can contribute on a (ir)regular basis. Writers/journalists/academics, that is. On theory, pop culture, music, film, literature ... with a new media twist. Please contact us and we you will be loved for the rest of your life. Say hello at: editors, info at cut-up.com cut.up.media postbus 313 2000 AH Haarlem -- editor / cut.up.magazine / www.cut-up.com lecturer / institute of media and representation / www.let.uu.nl/umr weblog / hoerkoerper / www.hoerkoerper.blogspot.com From ish at sarai.net Fri Apr 22 14:00:30 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ISh) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:00:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Talkin Sound (conversations with Mr Nakara - Enbee Audio) Message-ID: <4268B626.2050000@sarai.net> Talkin Sound (conversations with Mr Nakara - Enbee Audio) Hi all Following is a conversation with the founder of Enbee Audio Mr. Nakara. He is a multi talented Audiophile who has been manufacturing Hand made music systems for over 35 years now. His latest range of speakers and amplifiers (100/75 watts RMS) produce one of the best sounds I have ever heard. And another way to put it will be that I heard one of my favorite CDs for the first time when I heard it on the Enbee Music System (i.e. John Mc Laughin plays Bill Evans). And as for the other cd’s I heard on this amazing music system it was an out of the world experience likes of which I have heard very rarely and that too only on very high end music systems. I can not do justice to the Enbee music system in words as it is an experience and one would have to be there to experience it. So please make time and visit the Enbee show room with your CD case and sit back and listen. This is a conversation with Mr Nakra about sound, his designs and his life(to be contd..) It was not a straight forward interview as he is very passionate when he talks about this subject, and to give a structure to it (like interviews) will limit his out put. So most of the time the conversation ebbed in and out of very technical details which are also important but will be covered later when this project actually kicks off (details later) Thanks for Reading <>ISh _______________________________________________________________________ Q: question N: Mr Nakara Mrs. N: Mrs Nakara (side details/observations .. in these brackets) (When I entered the Enbee Show Room there was a discussion going on about Vat between Mrs. and Mr. Nakara and it’s confusing ends. And how it affects the small time manufacturers with no differentiation on volumes etc. Tax on end-price or each product or part ….10% …20 %... 12.5 %.....12,400,.. and on and on) Then the conversation shifts to cameras and hunting ... a friend of mine is telling Mr. Nakara about the digital cameras and memory sticks (CF cards). N: we used to go out hunting every sat and sun we used to see beautiful shades of trees and they are of a kind which you don’t find here in the city. . there is so much construction next to the road. Once I saw the sun like this big red ball and it was beautiful, I just got off and ran out to take a picture but I couldn’t find a place from where I could take it as there were electric cables everywhere. And till I went further up the sun had gone down. Mrs N: we had seen the sun twice like that. Once was at the time of sunrise. The Sun completely engulfed the car as it was red (aah). N: Photography puts life into you. Unfortunately I do not do my own developing. In school we used to do black and white and dotting. (school was Bishop Cotton, Shimla) Q: was this in the 40’s … N: oh.. Much Earlier Mrs N: in the 30’s N: we used to do dodging and reduce the light . And then in the dark room you can see what is coming out , it is like a painter giving the final touch. Q: Can you tell us something about records and players lets start for Gramophones. N: The sound box is the gramophone should be made out of film material/ aluminum Or paper, so that is the amplification thing. Then we have the chrome arm. Then you have this arm inside which is not the tube complete it is also exponential The basic reproducing factor is here (needle head) and the grooves in the record. The grooves are cut horizontally in a record and in fact for stereo recoding the grooves are cut at an angle. Shellac records used to wear out the pins really fast like the copper tip pins. So when we were kids we were given records and when the pins used to finish off we would go down in the mountains and pick thorns of a tree(kikkar in hindi) and break them carefully and pattern them out .. the finest sound you get from them(the thorns) and not from the steel pins. One thorn would work one side and produce lovely sound. The kikkar would be nature polished. (laughs) Q: and they will duplicate perfectly N: Yeah . Now what is sound? If there is no air there will be no sound. On the moon I can not talk to you. (picks up a papper and moves the papper around …) There is sound just now.. it is starting to do vibrations and produce sound. This is where one starts perceiving sound. Sound is nothing but vibrations and sound can not go on traveling endlessly. Electronic wavelength can travel endlessly, it has a property that if there is a obstruction in it’s path then divert and continue. This is not so with sound waves. So we use this property to make sound proof rooms Eg glass window with air in and then another glass window with air between it so this is how you cut out the noise and sound pressure. One thing you should have clear in you mind and that is there is nothing perfect in the world. That is to say there is no perfect conductor, there is no perfect insulator. Everything will have it’s capacity to stand and resist the flow of electricity when passed through it and beyond which it will break down and it will burn off. No insulator is a perfect insulator . Insulating properties keep on varying by aging also so is that case with conductors. That holds true for everything. Q: Tell us more about Perceiving the source of sound? N: See there could be a gathering/group that is producing sound. There is a tabla some vocals and a sarangi player for example. So once you look at the configuration of the stage at least you should be able to feel in that manner itself. For eg the tabla player’s sound in more prominent on the left and the vocals on the right side so partiality to the left should be given to the tabla and vice versa the right should be given to the vocal. But I found a very nice way to go about it specially for location recordings because you can not go about carrying all this equipment on location recordings like on top of the hill in Kashmir. You can not subject these people to a studio you see that is not their natural environment. The best technique I found was to cross two microphones round 90degrees on their axis(demonstrates a crossed pair mic’ing technique.. which he swears be) So in this case (of crossed pairs) the sensitivity is spread all across and you can pick up beautiful sound. So like in photography there is lot to learnt in the process of going ahead and doing the work, when you come out of an institution if you honestly ask me you are at a book level. Where you don’t have any experience you haven’t had exposure to face the odds that might come your way and you have no experience of evolving your knowledge into an art. You have to be applying the ideas etc and that’s where the learning starts. That is like if you have read a book you know less than the writer , even if you have read 10 of his books 10 times you will know less than the writer. See you can never equal that .So after acquiring the knowledge of the books you have to develop your skills and experience and then go beyond and when you try to do the practical implementations is the time you start to learn in reality and grow. ===More about the Past ========= Q: how did you get into sound and not some babu job? N: I had joined the British Trade commission . I has there as a Marketing research officer and I worked there for 9 months. I was there I hated their system of files piling up. ….. (describes of the whole babu system and his futile attempt to change it….) He then left the British Trade Comission and did a vocational course in electronics from City and Guilds, London and then went to United states of America and did his PhD in electronics in the 40’s) (He carries on …) N: I had majored in television and at that point of time except teaching students I could not do anything. I knew so much about Radios.(narrates another fable) I had once gone to an electronic shop in California and these people were having problems with noise which I fixed and the owner as very impressed so that put more confidence in me to work with radios. Their Radio were of the make ‘Elecraft’ and there was a distortion in the sound and I fixed it in 10 mins which they could not do for weeks. That was my D-day. then the owner gave me a job as a supervisor. While working for the Trade commission I felt like a personified clerk. It was the same things that I was doing over and over again , and I concluded that this wont give me happiness. I decided that I will not work for any one else…. The thirst in you is not quenched you see for knowledge and to do something creative.. And if a person has a creative bent of mind you have an urge to explore something extraordinary and I suppose that is when money becomes secondary. You have to channel your energies to the areas of your interest to evolve an identity. You want to know more about the work you do so that you can do justice to your work. Then that becomes the concept. The entire field of electronics is very vast and is very interesting. Q: Tell us more about your system design. The biggest challenge has been of reproduction of sound equal to the live performance. At least that was the basic criteria. There has been a lot of gimmicks and techniques to create dramatics in sound. They may be fine for exciting a person but ultimately when you season out you want to be as natural as possible, that is to be closest to the natural sound. You are not working hypothetically as one is working with something visible and audible. Like there are different schools of thought for kathak and tabla even for audio design like there are different schools. So you have to decide what school you belong to and should know the limitations of that school of thought. Then one should try to move towards natural reproduction and try to follow that. What you want is clear from the start and you are trying to accomplish that. Then there is this fundamental of stereo recording which a lot of companies including HMV got it all wrong. Nobody was sure of it and the information(Audio data) was dotted wrongly into the channel. Then there was these stereo recordings with Tabla’s daiyan(right) on one side and baiyan(left) on one side. Now that is very stupid as it moves away from the natural recording aspect. Now if we look at the Audio best design interiors like of an opera house even there the audience will not get direct sound(which will be around 8-12%) . Most of the sound that the audience will be getting will be refracted sound. So your recording and reproduction should be based on this principle and that is the idea. You are spending money to enjoy it a live environment. It is like you are not listening to the speakers, they don’t make their presence felt. There where a lot of reluctance to my designs, like why are you moving away from the convention (shows a few photographs of his designs --pregnant and froggies—these will be covered individully in detail later under design evolution). From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Apr 22 15:59:16 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:59:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'Insight' Message-ID: Dear Friends, I once again write to request you to subscribe and support INSIGHT. It is an outstanding journal being brought out by students of the Ambedkarite Study Circle at JNU. It costs a very modest Rs.200/ for a years subscription ($20/ for overseas subscriptions). Please add 10% if you send a cheque. Please write to Anoop Kumar (insightjnu at rediffmail.com) for more details. Many many thanks. Shiva Shankar. ------------------- 'INSIGHTS' INTO INDIAN NATIONALISM Dr.P.Kesava Kumar Lecturer in Philosophy Pondicherry University Pondicherry The little magazine 'INSIGHT' of Ambedkar Study Circle, a group of Dalit students of JNU, needs encouragement from Indian intellectual community working for egalitarian and democratic society. So far most of the Indian intellectuals and social scientists either kept silent about the issues of caste or explained in a mild way. There is no much theorization about various problems of Dalits and their struggles till the day. That vacuum is filled up by the initiative of young Dalit intellectuals. Now, we can feel proud that there are many organic intellectuals coming up from the Dalit community and raising debate on various issues in civil society. This Insight magazine is the testimony for this. The young scholars committed to the struggles of liberation of Dalits felt that there is a need to bring scholarly publication at popular level to negotiate various political groups of university campus exclusively from the Dalit point of view. They have succeeded so far in bringing the six issues of INSIGHT though they are facing severe financial problems. The last issue of INSIGHT was focused on nationalism and raised many questions in relation to Dalits. INSIGHT set the intellectual debate on the question of nationalism in India. The word nationalism is loaded with emotions and had the capacity to manipulate Indian politics. Any claim or struggle has to be silent in front of the nationalism. Most of the radical struggles like naxalite movements are forced to maintain silence on this issue, otherwise dubbed as anti-national. Parties like BJP came to power so easily with exploitation of sentiment of nationalism. They are consciously propagated and succeeded to certain extent by equating Indian with hindu through their middle class propaganda machinery. In the name of our nation, Indian identity attracted people from all castes including Dalits and Adivasis. This coincided with people's experience of threatening loss of culture and collective life in the wake of globalization. Within no time people realized that hindutva forces limited to cultural nationalism in a selected way, but not connected nationalism in economic and social development. They never bothered about swadeshi economy. Social equality and social justice are not in their project of nationalism. Cultural nationalism has no meaning unless and until it connects to social and economic equality. In the scheme of this upper caste Indian nationalism, social aspirations and imagination of Dalits, Adivasis, Women got marginalized. Reflecting on this kind of situation, INSIGHT focused on the issue of nationalism and debated various questions in relation to this. On the question of what makes a nation, Telugu writer Gurujada Appa Rao, first modernist writer, said that, 'Nation is not just land, it is of people'(Desamante matti kadoyi, Desamante manushuloyi). Bendict Anderson argues that nation is nothing but the imagination of a community. Taking clue from this Partha Chatterjee explains that building of the nation state was taking place simultaneously, one from the social aspiration and anxieties of uppercaste hindu middle class from the above and so far marginalized lower castes from the below. Dr Ambedkar confronted with Gandhi and so called nationalist congress on this issue of freedom of the depressed castes. He held the opinion that social precedes the political. Social equality only guarantees the political equality. From Gandhi to BJP hindutva are not interested in addressing this question. Rather they feel irritated when Dalits raised this question. When Dalits are asserting national identity through their political struggles, it needs critical and creative intervention on this issue. Otherwise it ends up with dominant discourses. The Editorial and Editorial Collective reflects that INSIGHT is clear in understanding the question of nationalism and raised the relevant questions in making Dalit Nationalism. Anoop Kumar's 'Jai Ram to Jai Bhim' is the experience of any ordinary Dalit. His social experience provides the transformation of his self from ramsevak to conscious Dalit. He put it openly without any inhibitions. One should not forget that in theorizing anything Dalit social experience plays a significant role. I hope his article helps other Dalits too speak openly about themselves. As Frantz Fanon said to speak is to assume one's own culture. Milind Awad has explained so nicely how hindu nationalists' target against minority Muslim, that has implications for the Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis and women. Excerpts from G.Aloysious' celebrated book Nation without Nationalism in India are really helpful in providing right perspective to the readers about the discourse of nationalism. After all any nation come into existence, with the struggles of the people. Struggles shape the nation. History of the people could not be manipulated for ever. I hope with the intense struggles of Dalits and other marginalised groups Democratic Nation will come into existence. From ish at sarai.net Fri Apr 22 18:08:30 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ISh) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 18:08:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Working Paper In-Reply-To: <6.2.0.14.2.20050414082040.028f65e8@webmail.ucr.edu> References: <6.2.0.14.2.20050414082040.028f65e8@webmail.ucr.edu> Message-ID: <4268F046.5020300@sarai.net> hi Toby, A very nice paper and a must read for any one interested in mass media and pop. We are all subject to this onslaught and your paper gives an important insight into this subject. Can you give more links to other researches/papers on this subject. I am forwarding your paper to everyone on my mailing list. Thanks <>ISh Toby Miller wrote: > Hi to everyone on the list > > I wrote this working paper on 'anti-Americanism and Popular Culture,' > which may be of interest < > http://www.ceu.hu/cps/pub/pub_papers_antiamer_miller.pdf>. > > > Regards > > Toby > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >List archive: > From aarti at sarai.net Fri Apr 22 19:30:18 2005 From: aarti at sarai.net (Aarti) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 19:30:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation: Sarai.txt 1.2 Message-ID: <42690372.9090905@sarai.net> Dear All, Over the last six months, a broadsheet is being explored at Sarai for the circulation of research work being done at and around, and passing through Sarai. Welcome to the text version of the bimonthly Sarai TXT, a single sheet publication! You are invited to participate in discussions around themes which have been explored so far, on the reader list, and to write to the broadsheet collective with feedback, ideas and suggestions. Also, for the joy of holding a print format in your hands (in colour!) do write to us!! Looking forward, the Broadhseet Collective write to: broadsheet at sarai.net _____________________________________________________________________________ Sarai txt 1.2 *COPY* 15 December - 15 February, 2005 Content of the text version: (Does not include the poster and back page) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDE 01 - This Copy is Yours! - A Question of Standards (by Ravi Agarwal) SIDE 02 - In Bagdadh, Dreaming of Cairo / Essay Review / Reimagining the Public Domain / David Lange by Smriti Vohra - Photocopying (a definitional play) - Courtspeak: Zee Telefilms Ltd v Sundial Communications Pvt. Ltd. - FLOSS is not just good for teeth / Free, Libre and Open Source Explained (finally) in Simple English! - The School of Good Copying - To Copy Writings - Media Spaces: Video Parlours in the city (Mayur Suresh, researcher, PPHP, Sarai) - Imitating Life: Painting fish - Circular: Prototypes - Terminator Seeds ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDE 01: - This Copy is Yours Pronunciation: 'kâpee [A]bstract out of, act like, act out, adopt, affect, alternate, ape, appear like, approach, appropriate, approximate, arrange, autograph [B]ack number, backup, be like, be redolent of, bear resemblance, beat, block print, blueprint, borrow, bring to mind, buy, [C]all to mind, call up, carbon copy, caricaturise, chalk out, change, chart, chorus, clone, collage, collect, color, come again, come close, come near, companion (be/create a), compare with, compose, copy out, correspond, counterfeit, counterpart (make), crosshatch, [D]aub, delineate, depict, derive from, design, diagram, display, ditto (do), do a repeat, do again, do like, do over, document, doodle, double, draft, draw, draw up, dupe, duplicate, [E]cho, edit, effigy (make), elevate, emulate, enact, enface, engrave, engross (yourself), essay, evoke, exact counterpart (make), example, exchange, [F]abricate, facsimile, fair copy, fake, favor, fellow, fiction, figure, fill-in, follow, forge, [G]eminate, ghostwrite, go like, graph, [H]atch, hoke up, [I]conise, identical same (try), idolise, illuminated (be), illustrate, imagine, imitate, impersonate, impressed (be), impression (form), imprint, infect, inscribe, issue, [K]nockoff, [L]ibrary (make own), like, look like, [M]ake commodity, make a recension, make like, make out, make over, make use of, masquerade as, match, mate, microcopy, microfilm, mime, mimic, miniaturise, mirror, mock, model, multiply by two, music (set to), [N]early reproduce, news item (use as), next best thing (try and find), not tell apart, notate, number, [O]utline, [P]aint, paint a picture, pantomime, parallel, paraphrase, parody, parrot, part, partake of, pass for, pattern, pen down, perform, personate, photocopy, photograph, photostat, picturize, piece, pinch, pirate, plagiarize, play, play a part, plot, portray, pose as, pretend to be, print, printout, produce, profile, project, proxy for, push the pen, put in writing, [Q]uadruplicate, quote, [R]eading matter (treat as), rebuild, recense, reconstitute, reconstruct, record, re-create, re-creation, redesign, redo, redouble, reduplicate, reestablish, refashion, reflect, re-form, refound, regenerate, regurgitate, reincarnate, reinstitute, reissue, relief, remake, remind one of, renew, renovate, reorganise, repeat, replace, replicate, represent, reprint, reproduce, resemble, reserve, reshape, restore, restructure, resurrect, resurrection, revise, revive, rewrite, rough out, rub, [S]ample, savor of, say again, scoop, score, scratch, screed (make), script, seem like, sell, shade, shadow, sign, simulate, sketch, smack of, sound like, sow, spill ink on, spitting image (create), spoil paper, stack it up, steal, stencil, sub, substitute, suggest, superscribe, surrogate, [T]able, take, take after, take off, take on, take over, the same (do), tint, token, trace, trade, transcribe, triplicate, twin, type, [U]nderstudy, utilise, [V]ersion, very image (create), very picture (create), very same (create), [W]all paint, work, write down, write out, [X]erox "The truth is, that the natives of that Monarchy [the Mughals] are the best apes for imitation in the world, so full of ingenuity, that they will make any new thing by pattern, how hard soever it may seem to be done; and therefore it is no marvel if the natives there make shoes, boots, clothes, linen, band, and cuff in our English fashion, which are all of them very much different fro their fashions and habits, and yet them make them all exceedingly neat." Terry, Voyage to the East Indies, 1655 ed. Quoted in Ashan Jan Qaisar's 'The Indian Response to European Technology and Culture, AD 1498 - 1707', OUP, 1982 *** - A Question of Standards (by Ravi Agarwal) What do standards mean? And I want to raise questions on environmental norms, what the assumptions are, what the dynamics are and what kind of imaginations they might stop. In thinking through the language and framework of standards, we could loose other ways of looking at the environment and ecology. This is an increasing concern for me as an environmental activist (involved as I am in several standard processes) – why things don't happen and why things don't work and why we aren't doing things in a different way. *A Definition* Standards are normally understood as a proces of standardising technology. So they are, essentially, a technology-oriented take on something. They consider, for instance, how much Carbon Dioxide or Lead is is release in a certain process. That is, you take one single pollutant and set a standard for it. This is called an Ambient Standard. Then, there is the Source Standard, which looks at the source of the pollutant and therefore makes it possible to regulate the source, eg a car, in reference to the set up norm. *A technical question? Or a question of technique?* The truth is, these standards are actually unclear. There is no Ambient Air Quality Standard per say. But we do have Source Standards. And the calculation of the Ambient Standard from the Source Standard requires mathematical modeling. Normally to set a Source Standard is to regulate a source. Eg, if a thermal power plant is set up, it will be checked with a meter to guage if norms are being followed. The presumption here is that these norms are health based standards. However, any pollutant is bound to produce risk. So there's something called the acceptable risk, the first grey area of the world of standards. If an element causes cancer in one person in a million, it is an acceptable risk. This is determined through dose response, that is, how much dose it will take for a “normal” human being to be affected. This is guaged through lab experiments. If you give 20 times the legally permissible dose to a hundred hamsters, how much dose will it take to kill fifty of them? Following this far from fool proof cause and effect relationship, the classification of the pollutant is negotiated. *The standard simulacrum* Both the determination and implementation of standards involves the mobilisation of a huge bureaucracy and scientific institutes, with their own conflicting interests. The latter is important to consider – it means industrial interests would naturally tend towards not raising standards too high. Standards drive technology – technology has to be upgraded to comply with the standards. Moreover, different countries follow different standards. We don't have global standards because costs are not uniform across nations. The WHO sets certain standards, but the European standards are higher. This sets up a differential, which in turn determines the flow of technology, dumping. This, along with being seen as an effect of the standards, needs to be considered as an important influence in the setting of standards. Because the standards that are set are according to the best available technology with acceptable cost in a country. And there is never any clear definition of what constitutes “available technology”. Thus constructed, standards drive laws as well as implementation procedures. Compliance with standards implies the source is environmentally safe. They become the basis for all kinds of environmental action. If you make yourself susceptible by non-compliance, you risk being taken to court by environmentalists. *The after-effects* Standards affect the cost of technology and, so, how the industry looks at itslef. They help frame the fundamentals of environmental policy making, on which decisions are made. They impact investment and regulation.They even impact how we look at our own health. There is a bruhaha of the scientificity of standards. But actually it's about hard core cause and effect science and a lot of political negotiation. And we accept these daily as norms. We start accepting generalisations. Standards become the drivers – “If we accept these”, we think, “everything will fall in place”. Generalisation becomes a known trajectory of what we can accept, and what we find acceptable. The conflict is fundamental, because it deals with life itself. This is the reason why one makes generalisations in the first place. *Imagining alternatives* Lets consider two cases. *The first* We may talk of a certain standard for the quality of food. But contamination may happen at any stage – in production (agriculture), in transportation, in retail marketing, or at the level of consumer awareness. How can we deal with this in an integrated manner when institutions are not talking to one another, in the absence of a common language? *The second* The cost of oil kept rising. There was an idea that if this continued, there may be some boost to looking at renewable sources of energy. But established markets will never let prices rise and give rise to a situation where the manufacturer can't cope, and consumers have to switch to an alternative like bicycles. There will always be a technological innovation to stop that from happening. Even if it means tandards that cars need to comply with are raised. We want to look at renewable energy as an option, but there are no standards for it. Standard driven cost doesn't encourage alternative approaches, and alternative approaches can't be a function of market driven costs. Without actually focusing on alternatives, all one provides are technical alternatives, which do not gain momentum. There is an obvious disconnect here. Our imagination for the environment seems to be the compliance of certain standards. Our imagination of the environment and our solutions get based on technical norms. We are ecological beings, yet our connect is technical. For instance, if we start working on the River Yamuna, there is no other frame than that of the Yamuna being polluted, of not being in a condition in keeping with the accepted environmental standards. And yet, these standards are set by a body of experts who have no relationship to what they are talking about. Norms are being set up without any condition or experiene as part of the understanding. This is a sharp separation between what governs our life and the kind of experience that sets this on our plate. How can we save a river if it isn't in our imagination? People say Thames is clean. That's because they can see it. People don't see the Yamuna. The dynamics of urban issues almost have a known trajectory of where they will be located. And in trying to locate the personal connection of the larger question of culture and web of life, and the ecological space, there is very little common language. Written reproduction of an oral presentation by Ravi Agarwal in the Urban Environment Workshop held at SARAI on the 3rd and 4th November, 2004. Ravi Agarwal is an environmental activist and photographer. Ideas in this presentation are part of a forthcoming article by him in the Sarai Reader 05, “Bare Acts”. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SIDE 02 - In Bagdadh, Dreaming of Cairo / Essay Review / by Smriti Vohra 'Reimagining the Public Domain' by David Lange (from Law and Contemporary Problems, Vol. 66, pp. 463-83) This article is also available at http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/66LCPLange The author is Professor of Law, Duke University. A preliminary footnote to the article declares: "Copyright in this work is hereby disclaimed and abandoned." Paolo Coelho's bestselling book /The Alchemist/ presents the (ironic) notion that one can wander in delusion all over the world in search of whatever one is looking for, or the fulfillment of a need, when in actuality everything one requires is right where one is, within easy reach, in one's own life and thinking. The core idea of Coelho's narrative, which continues to be cited as a modern masterpiece of inspirational literature, is strikingly similar to a long Sufi parable in Jalaluddin Rumi's /Masnavi, /titled 'In Baghdad, dreaming of Cairo: in Cairo, dreaming of Baghdad'. It presents the idea of a man who goes on a journey seeking the buried treasure he saw in a dream. Such a linking of texts in the mind of the reader may be purely hypothetical, but it proves how conditioned we are to established notions of authorship and "transformative appropriations", to borrow a term from the essay reviewed here. David Lange seeks to redefine the public domain and examine its relations with creativity, imagination and rights. He categorically states that he wants the public domain, however it may be defined, to secure the "elemental aspirations" that are innate to human beings: 'to think and to imagine, to remember and to appropriate, to play and to create'. He acknowledges that the term 'public domain' is elastic and inexact, and can be perhaps most usefully seen as a commons, set off against fences that "delimit the interests of individual rights holders"; this definition is invaluable for the purposes of imagining a politics of the commons that structures the operations of cyberspace. Thus, the public domain contests the "expansionism" of intellectual property regimes, which are "boundary-fixing" encroachments upon the imagination, and a means of extracting payment for creativity and creative expression. Lange demands a radical re-conceptualisation and reconfiguration of the public domain itself. It has to be envisioned as autonomous, having an affirmative existence of its own, and strengthened accordingly. "Reform" of the public domain is not enough: there should be "revolution". We are urged to envision the public domain "as if it were a status like citizenship, but a citizenship arising from the exercise of creative imagination rather than as a concomitant of birth". This citizenship confers protection, not merely recognition or definition. The public domain should be understood as an affirmative source of entitlements capable of "deployment" as, when and where required, against encroachments upon the creative imagination by intellectual property regimes. According to Lange, imagination and its parameters form the central focus, reach and scope of the public domain. He asks whether "imagination" is distinct from "action", quoting from an article by Jed Rubenfeld in the /Yale Law Journal/: "The freedom of imagination demands that people be free to exercise their imagination. It is not a freedom to do what one imagines." Violence, intentional misrepresentation, misinformation, do not qualify. Additionally, when copyright law bars simple piracy, it does not punish infringers for exercising their imagination. It punishes them for failing to exercise their imagination--for failing to add any imaginative content to the copied material. By Rubenfeld's standard, peer-to-peer filesharing in the Napster mode does not qualify as an exercise of imagination, but Lange feels that it does indeed, and moreover, does so in a "substantial" manner. He also says that creativity and appropriation are "as inseparable as creativity and memory"; in his opinion, "they should remain so, at whatever cost may follow to whatever other belief systems (including copyright) may thus be obliged to stand aside".Copyright is omnipresent, and is also correspondingly over-extended. It is "fundamentally wrong" to insist that children internalise the proprietary and moral values of the copyright system, as proprietary values inevitably encroach upon the formation and growth of creativity in young minds. He cites the example of Helen Keller, whose early efforts at creative self-expression were damaged "irreparably" by accusations of plagiarism (regarding a story she had composed) leveled against her by her mentor Michael Anagnos, the director of the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, that Keller attended. Lange discusses copyright and the doctrine of fair use in terms of what he calls "transformative" or "creative" appropriations, reminding us that there may always be some level of functional and aesthetic "equivalency" between two works. Creative appropriations require affirmative protections. He defines piracy as "an appropriation unmotivated by any creative exercise, including an exercise of the creative imagination". Somewhat ambiguously, he defines appropriation as "creative" (and thereby qualifying as an exercise of the creative imagination) "when we see in it the qualities or attributes we recognise in conceptual art of any kind". Lange concludes his essay by citing the example of a poem by Anne Frank, written in Amsterdam to her friend Henny on the occasion of the latter's birthday party in 1940: "Dear Henny / Pluck roses on earth / and forget me not." It was later discovered that this poem appeared to have been "appropriated" verbatim from an anthology of poetry widely available in the Netherlands at that time. Lange asks if, by the standards of contemporary copyright doctrines, Anne Frank could be classified as a creator, an author, a plagiarist, a pirate, a thief. He declares that it is wrong for copyright to intrude into private lives, wrong to measure creativity by the standards of copyright. He states unequivocally that it is wrong to lay impediments (moral, intellectual, legal) before exercises of the imagination, "whether great or small". We have to ensure that proprietary modes do not "rob us of this vital aspect of our citizenship: the right to think as we please and to speak as we think". *** - Photocopying (a definitional play) Photocopying is a process which makes paper copies of documents and other visual images. The machine that performs this function is called a photocopier. A high contrast electrostatic image copy is created on a drum and then a fusible plastic powder (called toner) is transferred to regular paper, heated and then fused into the paper. In recent years, photocopiers have adopted digital technology, with the copier effectively consisting of an integrated scanner and laser printer . 1. Place the paper on the dark surface. 2. Close the top. 3. Press the 'START' button. 4. Wait as green bands of light travel across the page. 5. Check if another sheet is sliding out into the tray, transformed into an exact copy of the original. 6. Take copy. *** - Courtspeak: Zee Telefilms Ltd v Sundial Communications Pvt. Ltd. Zee telefilms Ltd. v. Sundial Comminucations Pvt. Ltd. IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICIARE AT BOMBAY Zee Telefilms Ltd & Anr.......Appellants Versus Sundial Communications Pvt. Ltd & Ors.......Respondents Shah and Deshmukh, Judges Decided on March 27, 2003 Held: Having considered the two works involved in this case not hypocritically and with meticulous scrutiny, and by observations and impressions of the average vewier, there are striking similarities in the two works which cannot, in the light of the material places on record, be said to constitute mere chance. The only inference that can be drawn from the material available on record is unlawful copying of the plaintiff's original work. Notes from the judgement: Sundial Communications is a company engaged in television programming, video programming, television serials, etc. In January 2002 it worked out an initial concept montage for a TV serial titled 'Kanhaiya' and presented it to ZEE Telefims Ltd. The latter expressed an interest in producing the serial, and Sundial Communications produced a pilot by October 2002. The pilot was sent to Star TV, Sony TV, and Sahara, along with Zee. For protection, both the initial concept and the pilot were registered with the Film and Writers Association, and the title registered with the Film Producers Association. Initial negotiations fell through and consequently Sundial entered into discussions with Sony Entertainment Television. However, they learnt soon after that ZEE Telefilms was producing a show titled Krish Kanhaiya, which seemed to be based on the concept of Kanhaiya. Upon hearing of the prospective production by Zee, Sony Television refused to sign a contract with Sundial. Hence Sundial took ZEE Telefilms to court for breach of confidentiality, copyright infringement and for passing off Sundial's work as their own. In examining the question of whether the defendant's work violated the plaintiff's copyright, the court considered, “One of the surest and the safest tests to determine whether or not there has been a violation of copyright is to see if the reader, spectator or the viewer after having read or seen both the works is clearly of the opinion and gets an unmistakable impression that the subsequent work appears to be a copy of the original.” When this principle was applied to the case, the following emerged: KK Krish Kanhaiyya(Plaintiff) v. K, Kanhaiyya (Defendant). KK: Family is rich and dysfunctional / K: Family is rich and dysfunctional KK: The Main woman protagonist (stepmother), most affected by the environment in the house, prays for help to God / K: Main woman protagonist Dadi Ma, most affected by environment in the house, prays for help to God (Lord Krishna). KK: The prayer is answered soon by the arrival of Kanhaiyya / K: The prayer is answered soon by the arrival of Kanhiayya. KK: God is in Bal Krishna form / K: God is in Child Form. KK: Their interaction with Kanhaiyya is heartwarming, consoling and gives some support to the main woman protagonist / K: The interaction with Kanhaiyya is heartwarming, consoling and gives some support to the main woman protagonist. KK: Kanhiayya attaches himself to the seeker of help / K: Kanhaiyya attaches himself to the seeker of help. KK: Opening sequence includes is flute music, and instruction normally associated with Lord Krishna / K: Opening sequence starts with rendition to Lord Krishna. KK: Opening title has a prominent peacock feather and the character of Lord Krishna, and the title Krish Kanhaiyya written across it / K: The opening title has a peacock feather with the main character's face and Kanhaiyya written all across it. The audio includes flute music and shlokas from the Gita. In both serials the father is a businessman with three children. In KK, the elder son is a sportsman and a footballer, whereas in K the elder son is a cricketer. In the former, the second child is a budding scientist and does not sleep all night, whereas in the defendant's serial the second child is a computer geek who does not sleep all night and spends too much time on the computer. In Krish Kanhaiyya, the youngest child is a daughter and talks to people through her doll, whereas in the defendant's serial the youngest child is also a daughter and talks in the third person. The servants in both households also have similar characteristics. After viewing both films, the court reasoned, “...a viewer would definitely form an opinion or would get a dominant impression that the defendant's serial has been based on or been taken from the original work of the plaintiffs. It is true that there are some dissimilarities in the manner of presentation which are highlighted by the learned counsel for the defendants in his arguments. However, we think that these dissimilarities are trivial and insignificant. To quote the words of the learned judge Hand in Sheldon v. Metro Goldwyn Picture Corporation (1993), 8/n F 2^nd 49, 'It is enough that substantial parts were lifted. No playwright can excuse wrong for showing how much of his work he did not private'.” *** - FLOSS is not just good for teeth / Free, Libre and Open Source Explained (finally) in Simple English! "Why do they call it 'FLOSS' when it doesn't clean your teeth?" Are you a non-nerd, a human being who happens to use computers without living inside them? Does that make you curious to find out what the buzz regarding open source and free software is all about? What's in it for you? Does it work? Is it fun and easy to use? How is it made and who makes it? And how 'free' or 'open' is it, really? Have you looked long and hard for answers to questions like these in plain English? If that's the case, 'FLOSS is not just good for teeth' could be just what you are looking for. Impress your techie buddies with the fact that you care for your kernel, and open yourself to a whole new world of concepts that offer challenging and exciting ideas about creativity, collaboration and coding. 'Floss' geeks, make yourselves understood to other human beings - download and distribute 'FLOSS is not just good for teeth' to friends, family and colleagues, so they can finally know and appreciate what keeps you awake while they sleep. 'FLOSS is not just good for teeth' is a collaboratively produced introduction to the concepts that underlie free and open source software, written specially for the non-technical reader, at the Sarai Programme (www.sarai.net) of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi. Visit http://www.sarai.net/floss_book.pdf for free downloads Produced at the Media Lab, Sarai-CSDS (Delhi) as part of 'Towards a Culture of Open Networks' (http://opencultures.org), with support from the EU-India Economic Cross-Cultural Programme. *** - The School of Good Copying The general syllabus for art students focuses on the realistic style of painting under the program which is authorized by the Russian Academy of Art. The program consists of work in still life, portraits, nudes, images of the interior of the institute halls, and antique reliefs found in the halls of the museum of sculpture. The study of figures include a portrait, an image of a nude and anatomic figures. When weather permits, primarily in June and July, these studies are taken outdoors and works created 'a la prima' or, as is more commonly known, plein air. The art of copying is performed by students in the 3rd and 6th study level. Depending on the chosen subject (an old Russian work or painting) the student may produce an icon or perhaps an oil painting. The student may choose a work from either the Russian State Museum, The Hermitage, or in the halls of the Academy itself. Occasionally, a student may decide to produce a copy of one of the works which is currently under restoration. All phases in the production of a copy are conducted under the supervision of the instructors of the restoration faculty. *** - To Copy Writings Take a piece of unsized paper exactly of the size of the paper to be copied. Moisten it with water, or with the following liquid: Take of distilled vinegar, 2 lbs.; dissolve it in 1 oz. of boracic acid; then take 4 oz. of oyster shells calcined to whiteness, and carefully freed from their brown crust; put them into the vinegar, shake the mixture frequently for 24 hours, then let it stand till it deposits its sediment; filter the clear part through unsized paper into a glass vessel; then add 2 oz. of the best Aleppo galls bruised, and place the liquor in a warm place; shake it frequently for 24 hours, then filter the liquor again through unsized paper, and add to it after filtration, 1 qt., ale measure, of pure water. It must then stand 24 hours, and be filtered again, if it shows a disposition to deposit any sediment, which it generally does. When the paper has been wet with this liquid, put it between 2 thick unsized papers to absorb the superfluous moisture; then lay it over the writing to be copied, and put a piece of clean writing-paper above it. Put the whole on the board of a rolling-press, and press them through the rolls, as is done in printing copperplates, and a copy of the writing will appear on both sides of the thin moistened paper, on one side in a reversed order and direction, but on the other side in the natural order and direction of the lines. --From the Household Cyclopedia of General Information (1881) *** - Media Spaces: Video Parlours in the city (Mayur Suresh, researcher, PPHP, Sarai) Starting Up Prabhu, a video library owner in the Austin town in Bangalore, says, “We were always talking about movies. Me and my friend. So we bought one VCR player and that time it was in demand and we started hiring it out. We became partners, thinking, 'Why don't we open a library with that?' We invested a little money, Rs 5000, and bought some cassettes. "One other guy next to Galaxy theatre, Sagar King his place is called, helped us out. We initially stocked 300 cassettes. Since we knew that guy, we took from his shop whatever extra cassettes he had. I bought a VCP and my partner bought a VCP. And we said okay, we are partners. If one of us rents out something, we share the profits; and if both of us rent out something, we share the profit." "We spoke to a guy who had an egg shop. We told him, "Give us some place. We will pay you whatever rent you want. We'll have a video cassette shop." He was very happy, at his shop being partly converted to a cassette shop. "The Sagar King guy said, 'Okay, I'll give you 300 tapes, and in return you have to give me Rs 1 per tape everyday.' So it was Rs 300 every day. No matter if ten cassettes went out or twenty went out. It was very good. "We took all the 300 tapes, kept them at the shop, and then we started distributing pamphlets everywhere. The response was excellent. Whenever there were new movies, everyone wanted them. We used to run, get the movies, give them. Business traveled like anything. We had a fantastic business immediately, because we were the first people to start. From far away places people used to come for English Hindi, Tamil films, and all that. "Later we said that this money was not enough, so we took another partner. And then we took the whole egg shop on rent. The egg shop man also joined us as a partner. So then we started off the full-fledged cassettes shop. Business was very good. We went on for four-five years like that.” Video with Chai When PK started his video parlour in the late '80s, he was visited by the police a number of times. But he says that the police also had no idea of how or if they were empowered to regulate the video parlour. “What kind of problems do I have? Yes…mainly police. They used to come and say 'Why you are showing this? What permission have you got?' "In the beginning there were no rules, no permission, so we said that we do not know what permission we are supposed to have. "In fact, this idea came to me was because I was running a restaurant. I was selling tea, coffee, bonda, snacks. In the dull hours there were hardly any people, and there just was a radio or a gramophone to entertain the customers. Then the bright idea come to our mind to get a TV and show video movies. "So when the video was on in the restaurant and there were regular tables and chairs, people used to drink coffee and eat snacks and watch the movie freely. Somebody would watch for ten minutes, half an hour, two hours. Some crazy people might watch for the entire three hours, stretching out one coffee. So then we observed that the crowd started growing steadily. Within one month we realised that we had more customers, and when we started the movie, it was house full. People used to sit for the full three hours, but we didn't do much business. "Then slowly it came to our minds to set a condition that if you order one thing, you cannot sit for more than one hour. So if you wanted to see the whole picture for three hours, you had to order three times. "There were chairs on both sides and half the people were sitting ulta. So, slowly we thought, let us forget the benches and let everyone face the TV side, and we served them only coffee in the hand. We closed down the puri bhaaji and heavy snacks, for which you require a table, and slowly, slowly, we increased the coffee charge also, and then slowly, slowly we thought, you give us a flat Rs 10 for sitting here, forget coffee. So this is how it all started. " http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/commons-law/2004-August/001837.html Mayur Suresh mayur at sarai.net Mayur is a researcher with the PPHP (Publics and Practices in the History of the Present) project, Sarai *** - Imitating Life: Painting fish Fish must be painted swimming and darting with vitality. They should appear startled by a shadow, or they should be floating idly, opening and closing their mouths. As they float on the surface, dive or glide through the weeds, the clear waters envelop them or ripple off them. Deep in one's heart, one envies them their pleasure. As with human beings, they should have idea/meaning (i). If one fails to render this aspect of their divine quality and merely copies their appearance, even painted in a mountain stream or torrent the fish will look as dead as on a platter. Hsu Hsi, The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting (17th century) *** - Circular: Prototypes The R&D wing developed a prototype color photocopier to copy content displayed on a PC monitor two years ago. The prototype measures about 5x9 cm and features a colour LCD display and a photosensitive layer. When a user touches the screen and presses a button, the portion touched is copied. However there have been no responses to the invitation for tenders to make copies of this prototype. A prototype cannot stand alone. A meeting if hereby scheduled for the third of next month to decide the fate of the aforementioned device. *** - Terminator Seeds A seed is a source or beginning; a germ; a propogative part of a plant. It is also an offspring, a progeny. Seeds are borne by plants. They are borne, and then dispersed. Some seeds are ensconsed safely in fleshy fruits, while some are hard and nutty. Some are winged, and travel the wind currents and gentle breezes, possibly making home on a distant mountain slope or fertile valley. Others rely on being carried away, with their fruit, far from their progenitor by the agency of animals. Some seeds are fleshy themselves, and can be eaten. Some of these do not get eaten and sprout into new trees. And some seeds are so hard and tough, that they can be used to make jewellery. Each seed, a carrier of life, develops into the plant it is borne of. Seeds can lie dormant for a long time, till they find conditions ripe for their germination. They are inactive in their dry state. In a moist environment, they absorb water and swell. A root begins to grow out of the seed, a stem emerges as well. With the stem, the seed begins to lift out of the ground. Soon, it unfolds its seed leaves, the cotyledons. These open to catch the sunlight. Between them, a bud gives promise that true leaves will soon appear. And with the opening of true leaves, the plant is off to a good start. Seeds multiply themselves, so human beings find seeds immensely valueable. And because seeds have this perfected ability to make more of themselves, people take on different roles vis-a-vis 'cultivating' them. Some people only breed them - that is, enhance their qualities over generations through different techniques, specifically genetic modification. Other people produce, breed and conserve seeds. These are farmers, who need to sow part of the seeds they produce to grow the next generation of crops. Their area of influence, like their resources, are usually local and small scale. Both rely on and lay claim to the reproductive value of the seed. Since the farmer is also a breeder, the definition of the breeder and the farmer need to be marked and further differentiated. To negotiate this, the question of rights arises - who has what kinds of rights over the reproduction of the seeds? For instance, sometimes certain breeders (who are also big corporations) are allowed to extract fees from farmers and other breeders who want to use new seeds. With rights, there come different forms of infringement and methods of compensation for the holders of the rights. So, if the breeders' seeds, being used by farmer A are carried by wind to the neighbouring farmer B's field, farmer B may be disallowed from sell his yield that year. And because farmer A is bound by terms and conditions to the breeder, he would also be barred from selling or giving his seeds to any other. In addition, a seed's functions also get redefined. When seeds are cultivated, they are not only reused through sowing, but also involve different kinds of transactions - exchange, selling and buying, gifting. These are forms of dispersal, and they are based on the ability of a seed to regenerate, germinate, to reproduce itself. Also, through their practice and knowledge, farmers constantly produce new varieties of plants specifically suited to the region and area to which they belong. This is done by means like cross-fertilisation between varieties, one of which may be hardy and pest resistant, and the other which is high yielding. In the new role of the seed, the final redefinition is brought about through seeds coded to commit suicide. These are called terminator seeds - sterile seeds produced by genetically modified plants. By this means of preventing farmers from reusing the seed for future crops, reproduction of the seed and the nurturing of the practices around it are contained and curtailed. Binding the creation and circulation of the copy - the seed - becomes a precondition for control over domains of knowledge, processes and materials. Notes from proceedings of "New Technologies, Social Knowledge and Intellectual Property Law". A Sarai-CSDS and HIVOS workshop (in collaboration with Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore), November 2003. *** [END OF BROADSHEET TEXT VERSION] From aarti at sarai.net Fri Apr 22 19:39:55 2005 From: aarti at sarai.net (Aarti) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 19:39:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] sarai.txt 2.1 Message-ID: <426905B3.3000308@sarai.net> Sarai txt 2.1 *SHIFT* 01 March 2005 - 01 May 2005 Content of the text version: (Does not include the poster and the back page) write to broadsheet at sarai.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENT: SIDE 01 - Shift! - When Names are Swept Away / Notes from the Diary of a City Researcher / Taha Mehmood (Researcher, Information Society, Sarai) - My Mobile Provider Thinks I am a Tsunami Victim / Paul Keller / from the Reader List - Distress Definitions: Falling Between the Lines / Clifton Rozario and team / from the Reader List - Story: A museum of objects SIDE 02 - Letter to the Reader / Dear Anonymous - Seeing with Cardboard Days / Log from documentary Cardboard Days, dir. Veronica Souto - Improbable Imaginings of Improbable Spaces / from presentation by Sharon Daniels, at 'Contested Commons, Tresspassing Publics' conference, Sarai-CSDS + ALF - No Thoroughfare / Cybermohalla - A Man with His Notes in the City / Bhagwati Prasad, researcher, PPHP, Sarai - Genderchanger (definitions) - Why Do You Travel? / Excerpt from talk by Lusia Passerini - Traces, Imprints, Flows / Independent Fellows, Sarai - Credits ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDE 01: - Shift! paradigm shift, tectonic shift, shifting sands, shifting path, shifting course, late shift, night shift, make shift, graveyard shift, swing shift, circadian shift, tautomeric shift, shift in emphasis, down shift, up shift, stick shift, great vowel shift, shifting languages, language shift, shifting blame, shifting burden, functional shift, population shift, shifty-eyed, einstein shift, zero phase shift mirror, shift clicking, red shift, shifting gears, shape shifting, shifting target, shifting boundaries, shift the scene, shifting center, shiftless, shift off, ever-shifting, shifting cultivation, perceptual shift, time-shifting *** - When Names are Swept Away / Notes from the Diary of a City Researcher / Taha Mehmood (Researcher, Information Society, Sarai) 13-01-05 I am reading an excellent and insightful article by Jane Caplan on, among other things, the politics of naming and identity. In the wake of the Tsunami catastrophe, some of the issues raised were unfortunately very timely. Some ideas that I have gleaned from the essay... Since the 11th century BC administrators around the world have been devising ways and means to deal with the question of how to re-identify someone as the same person he was once known to be. How can one re-individuate a person from other’s like him? Solutions came, but they were few and far between. They came as edicts, decrees, laws, ordinances, administrative ramblings and diktats of the sovereign. Regimes were set in place to mark populations-first at birth, then marriage and at death- till finally every social transaction that an individual undertook during the course of her lifetime, became an instance for enumeration. Laws were formulated to assign a the name to a particular person. For instance, 16^th century France had laws which allowed a person to take assume from a given set of names only, and restrictions were in place to disallow citizens to be named Jesus or Babeline or Lassalline etc. Shifting, moving populations were made immobile by criminalizing movement across, and within, territories. Identity was made the primary and legitimate token for every ‘citizen’ to have a justifiable existence. But what happens when these tokens suddenly disappear? Say, due to a natural calamity such as the Tsunami? The recent Tsunami disaster has left hundreds of thousands of people stranded in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The biggest problem for these people is yet to come-the loss of Identity Documents. As the ocean spitted out and sucked in water, it took away with it everything they ever had, including their identity papers-ration cards, birth certificates, certificates of marriage and death. What happens when your ‘tokens of trust’-your voter ID card, driving license, passport, ration card and property documents-disappear? And the bank that contained trust deeds and LIC papers is literally, and figuratively, swept away? Who are you, then, in the eyes of the state? How does the state cope with this? Does the state have a system in place to deal with a calamity such as this, when the entire bureaucratic machinery is paralysed by a systemic failure? Taha taha at sarai.net Taha Mehmood is a researcher with the Information Society project with Sarai-CSDS *** - My Mobile Provider Thinks I am a Tsunami Victim / Paul Keller / from the Reader List To: reader-list at sarai.net From: paul keller I received my monthly bill from my mobile phone provider, Orange Netherlands. Getting a monthly phone bill is nothing special; but one which informs you that you are a Tsunami victim, and therefore credited with €42.05 for “ extra phone expenses related to the Tsunami,” is strange. Especially if you were on a Jet Airways flight from Bombay to Delhi, when the Tsunami ravaged the coasts of India and Sri Lanka. It is no secret that mobile phone providers record the location data a mobile phone generates, but under Dutch law, this data cannot be used for anything other than invoicing purposes. Moreover, as far as I can remember, I did not generate any data at all during the time the Tsunami struck, as I replaced my Orange sim-card with an Airtel India branded one, and switched back to Orange only on the 11th of January, 2005. I am not comfortable with my phone company using this (non) data to shower its timely benevolence! Not to mention, I was in Delhi during the Tsunami which, thanks to its inland location and altitude, is probably even less Tsunami-affected than Amsterdam. It is not difficult to imagine the mechanics behind this situation. The public relation geniuses at Orange saw in the Tsunami an opportunity to build a personal relationship with their customers. They asked their data-mining department for a list of all customers traveling to South-Asia when the Tsunami struck. The data miners also procured a CNN info-graphic showing the Tsunami affected countries, ran queries based on this information, and arrived at a list of 'Tsunami victims'. This information went back to the marketing department, and here the amount of money available as contingency funds was divided by the number of 'victims'. The billing department accordingly credited each 'victim' with the resulting amount. How should I explain that if I ever wish to avail of such a facility, I will buy a travel insurance policy. I called them and inquired why I was a beneficiary when I was in Delhi the whole time, only to be told, “Well that is in the same region, isn't it?” best, Paul http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2005-February/005021.html *** - Distress Definitions: Falling Between the Lines / Clifton Rozario and team / from the Reader List Subject: Distress Definitions: Falling Between the Lines To: reader-list at sarai.net From: clifton d' rozario From the 28th of December 2004 onwards, a group of us have been helping with relief work in the Tsunami-affected villages of Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) and Karaikal (Pondicherry). One of the major problems that can be identified, is the limited scope of the 'affected person' definition by the state. The attempt to define 'affected persons' has been an extremely problematic exercise and there is much confusion over who is 'primarily affected', 'secondarily affected' and 'not affected'. While the initial approach was based on the lives lost and property damaged, it was later rectified to a certain extent with the recognition of petty traders, farmers, landless agricultural labourers, etc, as 'livelihood affected persons'. The government in its orders has, until now, adopted a property-owner centric policy while addressing livelihood issues in its rehabilitation packages, and has only recognized those who own boats and go out to sea, as well as those who own and operate small shops in the villages. In terms of the farming community that owns agricultural lands that were inundated by seawater, surveys have been carried out by the revenue departments of various districts to assess the extent of inundation and the degree of salination. Post the assessment, a Government Order was issued to provide relief to farmers who have lost standing crops. This categorisation of 'livelihood affected' has meant that in formulation of rehabilitation packages, the people of the fishing and farming communities that do not own boats, nets or lands, generally remain ignored. It has also meant that the government has prioritised the needs of the fisher-boat owning community to the detriment of landless labourers. In Karaikal, fisher-people have received 60 kgs of rice, while landless agricultural labourers have received only 5 kgs. This is inexplicable, since both categories of people have lost their livelihoods to the Tsunami- the fisherman having lost his boat / nets and thus the ability to fish, while the landless agricultural labourer has lost his/her work on lands, since these have been salinated. This differential treatment has resulted in the landless facing serious food crisis. However, the issue is not one of property / asset ownership alone. A majority of the landless are dalits, and most vulnerable to facing severe food crisis. What seems like an issue of class in purely economic terms, becomes extremely complicated when located in a situation of entrenched social hierarchy, where the poorest are also the community most vulnerable to violence and discrimination by socially dominant castes. Caste-based discrimination is exacerbated by the assumption on the part of government agencies of communities being 'homogenous'. Fishing communities comprise of three main castes- the Meenavar Community (Most Backward Caste), dalits (Scheduled Caste) and Pazhankudi Makkal (Scheduled Tribes). While the Meenavars own boats, the others are engaged in ancillary manual tasks. Therefore while relief is 'caste-blind', this presumption leads to severe inequities in relief disbursement. Even within the fisher-people, dalits have been excluded from relief efforts. Finally, within the 'affected persons' category, district authorities seem to have prioritised and counter-posed the interests of those who have lost their kith and kin, against people who have lost their livelihood, to the detriment of the latter. Excerpted and adapted from 'Relief and Rehabilitation of Tsunami-affected persons in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry' and 'Exclusion of Dalits and Adivasis in the time of Tsunami: The Case for an Inclusive Relief and Rehabilitation Policy', by Uvaraj, Niruj, Arvind, Revathi, Nitin, Deepu and Clifton. The full text of the reports can be accessed at: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2005-February/004978.html http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2005-February/004979.html *** - Story: A museum of objects SARAI[S]: A long, long time ago, there was a lake in a city. In the lake was an island, and on the island, a village. The city saw many conquerers over time. To protect their sacred objects from these conquerers, the villagers buried them under the ground. Years passed, people left the island and went away to the mainland. In the meanwhile, the city expanded. The lake was covered, overlaid with buildings. One day, while excavating a foundation for a new building, the buried objects were found. The city council wanted the objects for the museum. But the people of the land didn't want to give them away. The 'villagers' packed them in newspaper and hid them away. People wanted their own museum. But this was an expensive proposition, and in any case, there were so many museums already. What was the point of a new one? So, they began a project. People wrote histories of the objects. They wrote about what the objects meant, and the moment at which they had found them. Stories were woven around tales grandparents might have told about the objects, if these had been handed to the custodians by family elders. They made a book of these objects: of the stories and of their photos. This book is now kept in the 'museum'. The objects are kept in peoples' homes. In the museum, you see the book. If you want to feel the object, and build a possible future relationship with it, you have to wend your way through the streets to the homes. * as told by Conrado Tostado, visitor to Sarai, 2004 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SIDE 02 - Letter to the "Reader" Dear Anonymous, A lot of the texts and ideas presented in the /Sarai-txt/ issues are based on the work of a number of researchers at Sarai, researchers associated with Sarai, students associated with Sarai and the network of Sarai independent research fellows, who together, constitute an intricate web of knowledge producers. This network is constituted by diverse sets of practices-making daily diaries of notes, posting on lists, maintaining blogs, conversing with people in the neighbourhood, locality and the city, meeting different people, recording and transcribing interviews, listening to and recording sounds of the city, making and circulating broadsheets, playing with images, making graphic strips, meeting other researchers in own and different cities. This also includes making archival collections of footage, posters, stickers, booklets, cassette covers, maps, documents, newspaper clippings, photographs and images. The city is soaked in and recreated in different ways, through the intersections of these practices and experiences, and questions gathered from them. Our imagination of who a researcher is, deepens through this diversity of researchers. The researcher no longer remains someone who has an outsider's perspective to the realities she or he begins an engagement with. Research becomes a part of everyday living, arising from the lived and seeping into it. For instance, among these researchers is a young woman who stays at home, busy in her household responsibilities and relationships. Every week she sets up tasks for herself. One of the notations in her daily diary is, “This week I will make a list of words used in the house. If I were to remove the words used most often, in a definitional way, for what is allowed in this dwelling, what would the house become?” Her research questions emerge from her lived experience, and because she is imbricated in it in a specific way, she produces questions around her. And as she is part of the diversity of practices of the network, she can access and experiment with different expressive registers, and forms of circulation. In the process of making this broadsheet, we become attuned to this diversity of practices and nodes. However, this density is not available to us when we begin to imagine the public of the broadsheet-about you, who is reading this publication. This is a question about the relationship of the public of the broadsheet, with the broadsheet-what does our public do with the broadsheet? What is the environment which this broadsheet becomes part of, with you? What are the social relations amidst which it finds itself once it reaches you? When we begin thinking about this, we are confronted by a sparseness. We have very few terms available to us for thinking about our public. 'Recipient', 'user', 'end-user', 'viewer', 'reader', 'consumer' of this work are some of these terms. With these, our challenge becomes even more urgent, because it sharpens the lines between the creator and the reader. How can we think outside the dichotomy of provider and receiver, and so, think beyond and question an authorial conception of creativity and a passive conception of users. The challenge is also to move away from thinking of works as 'property', to thinking about the properties of works, which can perhaps be best understood through the category of circulation-through the networks through which they inhabit and pass through different contexts, inflecting these contexts and being inflected by them. And so we solicit your help, dear anonymous, in thinking through the metaphors which can be applied to you, which we can call you by. We hope, our dear anon, that through correspondence and conversations with us, you will help us deepen and work through these questions. Looking forward, The Broadsheet Collective We would like to acknowledge a number of contexts which have hosted many of the questions we are grappling with, and have expressed in this letter. Among them are the meeting of Sarai Student Fellows (August 17-19, 2004), The 'Contested Commons, Trespassing Publics' Conference organised by Sarai and the Alternative Law Forum (6-8 January, 2005). We are particularly indebted to Peter Jaszi for his provocation to critically evolve metaphors for the recipient of a work. An audio file of Peter Jaszi's presentation can be accessed at:http://www.sarai.net/events/ip_conf/day02_audio/jaszi.mp3 *** - Seeing with Cardboard Days / Log from documentary Cardboard Days, dir. Veronica Souto TC 00 : 08 : 28 A middle-aged man stands in front of a magazine stand, a child clutched to his shirtless belly. His smile is friendly. Next to him, a woman with a pony tail looks around and chats. Her hand rests gently on the handle of her trolley. They look into the quiet distance. Behind them, the magazines are colourful, arranged in a square grid. TC 00 : 08 : 50 A white train waits for passengers. The crowded platform is restless. As many trolleys as people. A man indicates the time left before departure. He checks all passes. Bodies move along the train, searching for place to move into with their trolleys. A patient young man in checked pants sits on the train window, watching the proceedings. TC 00 : 10 : 29 A woman in a white shirt leans comfortably against the door of the train. Talks animatedly. Neatly folded papers shift between her hands. A man, his body bent towards her, listens closely with pursed lips. The city landscape recedes away from them. *TC 00 : 02 : 09* It's late evening. A thick stream of people crosses an intersection. Office-goers returning home. A man with a black leather paper holder under his right arm, walks briskly. A pot-bellied man with a tattoo on his arm squeezes through the crowd. Two shoulders graze. *TC 00 : 02 : 11* Night has fallen. Few pedestrians. A young woman in high heels walks past. The headlights of cars even out all colour. People emerge as silhouettes. A man in his late twenties, pushes a trolley/. /The trolley. Neatly piled cardboard sheets. A huge black sack on top. A few dark bags hang from the handle bars. Two wheels. His white shoes keep pace with them. He disappears behind a dark pillar with a white poster. Traffic lights blink – red, green. The city halts and moves on. *TC 00 : 26 : 11* A woman waiting at a bus stop eyes the stout, brown haired co-traveler suspiciously. Moments of waiting turn endless. *TC 00 : 08 : 09* A young boy growls at the camera, his body half-hiding a cardboard stacked trolley. His tall companion ruffles his hair. A smile is revealed. *TC 00 : 02 : 24* A young man stuffs a white sack, as tall as he is. Behind him stands a department store, its glass walls encased in iron grills. A blue trash can shines in the white light from the store. The gaze of a passer-by in a yellow shirt fixes on the steady, lifting motions of the young man. He pays no attention. The man in the yellow shirt moves on. A black sticker on yellow tiles behind them announces, 'EMERGENCY'. TC 00 : 31 : 25 The weighing machine calibrates – 16.2, 16.6... The numbers move haltingly and then come to a stop. Collections made from the refuse of different streets in the city are measured. Who are these figures who reach the city after sunset, roaming the streets after dark, loading their empty trolleys with cardboard from the garbage on the street? There must be a word they can all be described by. In Buenos Aires, they are called Cartoneros, or Cardboard Collectors - people who make their livelihood from the daily waste of the city. Debates rage in the city: How can this new form of labour be thought of with dignity? Who does rubbish belong to in our society? Thrown out of homes, is it private property? Left out in the streets, is it the property of the city? Can it belong to whoever claims it? Who can take rubbish from off the streets?/ *Dias de Carton/Cardboard Days (2003, 51 mins.) dir. Veronica Souto, Argentina. Type: Documentary. Language: Spanish This text was written after a discussion following the screening of the film at Sarai. Sarai hosts a film screening every Friday. See: _http://www.sarai.net/calendar/calendar.htm_ We wish to thank Breakthrough for providing a copy of the film. _www.breakthrough.tv_ *** - Improbable Imaginings of Improbable Spaces 'Improbable' means 'unlikely'-but also 'marvellous' and 'tall', as in a 'tall tale'…A tall tale speaks of an imagined and, sometimes, marvellous world. Imaginings are points of departure for building something marvellous. For the past two years I have collaborated with Justice Now, a human rights organisation, in documenting conversations with women prisoners, and publishing them on the Internet. The title of this project refers to the improbable, and the monumental. Traditionally, monuments are associated with the 'monolithic' and mono-vocal-a uniform and authoritative representation. But a monument might be re-imagined as a 'repository', or archive for information, objects and memories, which produce a multi-vocal representation of social truths. ImprobableVoices.net, comissioned for the online exhibition 'ImprobableMonuments', is the first publication resulting from our collaboration. The website is a monument-repository of prisoner's descriptions of the experience of incarceration, and their proposals for a monument to the end of prisons. As improbable as it may seem, we are actively imagining (and working toward building) a world without prisons. Visits to the prison require adherence to invasive search and surveillance procedures. I am registered and searched on entry. I am allowed to bring in only a clear plastic bag with an ink pen, identification, a blank legal pad and mini-disc recorder. The recorder must be approved in advance. The serial number is registered, and the device inspected on entry and exit. Only sealed discs are allowed. After our interviews, the women are subjected to strip search and visual cavity searches, that may be performed by male guards. Each of the participants, however, has asked to have their full name associated with their statements online, despite the possibility of retaliation by the authorities. Each participant has a powerful story to tell. And a powerful imagination of alternative 'monuments' in a prison-free world. Beatrice-Smith Dyer's description of a monument-park: “When you walk in, you would see tall beautiful statues of women-Muslim women, Christian women and Jewish women, gay women, young women and old women. They would be surrounding a pond, holding out their hands, with water flowing out of their finger tips...There would be no wall saying who the women were that had passed, but you would know. You could find an area to sit in, with trees and swings hanging from the trees. “Around the area would be a control panel. The control panel could do what ever you wanted-you could have soft light or no light, play any music you wanted, you could change the ambient temperature. You could go down to another area with taller grass and deer. Each area would give you enough privacy, so that if you wanted to sit with your lost love and just talk to her, you could.” (Excerpted and adapted from Sharon Daniel's presentation at the 'Contested Commons/Trespassing Publics' conference organised by Sarai-CSDS and the Alternative Law Forum, in collaboration with Public Service Broadcasting Trust (6-8 January 2005, New Delhi). An audio file of Sharon's presentation can be accessed at: _http://www.sarai.net/events/ip_conf/day03_audio/stream08-morning.mp3_ More information about the Improbable Voices project is available at: www.improbablevoices.net_ *** - No Thoroughfare / Cybermohalla It has been raining today and the colours of the evening seem deeper. The yellow light of the street lamp is twinkling through the rain drops. Clothes left out to dry on the clothesline got drenched in the downpour today. Someone is preparing dinner in a cooker, its whistle echoing in the street. A plastic bag is flailing, stuck between a railing and the wire running over it. It's trying to loosen itself out of their grip. The breeze is cool and moist today. The house in front of me is known as the 'corner house'. There is always a cot in front of its main door. A pack of cards, /bidis/, matches, /hukka/ and a newspaper are lying on the cot. They are all wet because of the rain. But there is no sign of anyone today. I am the gate on street number 6 in the colony. I'm made of iron, and painted black. A board hangs on me, saying 'NO THOROUGHFARE'. The board is not heavy, but the words painted on it are a heavy weight that I carry. The other gate is much better-off than I am. It is at the other end of the same lane, and is also painted black. We look alike. But on it hangs a different board. That board lists all the houses on this street, and directions to get to each of them. The other gate has a big and a small entrance through it. The small entrance is always open, and the big entrance always shut. This gate looks quite happy. It is I who is unfortunate because of this board that hangs on me. Its just that very few people pass through me, now. I try and cheer myself up by watching all the hustle and bustle in the lane in the evening. Many people step out, and pass through the street at that time, talking over the din of sounds. Children yell and squeal as they run after one another, chasing and catching each other. Other children play hide and seek. There is the sound of television from different homes. This board didn't always hang on me. There was an incident in the colony, after which it was placed on me. But I'm not very sure about what this incident was. Before the board, people would take short cuts into the lane through me, pass by with their two-wheelers. Because of this board, they don't any more. But then, like I said, I'm not sure if this is the only reason. If you have a clue about what the reasons could be, please do tell me. Dakshinpuri lab cybermohalla at sarai.net Cybermohalla project of Ankur+Sarai-CSDS *** The stranger is not the person who comes today and goes tomorrow, but the person who comes today and stays tomorrow. He is, so to speak, the potential wanderer. Although he has not moved on, he has not quite overcome the freedom of coming and going... George Simmel http://www.google.co.in/search?q=cache:RmK_xYSsOWgJ:www.blackwellpublishing.com/pdf/women.pdf+simmel%27s+strangers&hl=en *** - A Man with His Notes in the City / Bhagwati Prasad, researcher, PPHP, Sarai He would cut a curious figure anywhere-black pants and shirt, white jacket cut in the Nehru style but longer, wearing dark glasses even inside a small, moderately lit room. But sitting just outside the make-up room, with people flitting in and out, he doesn't strike me as odd at all. We are sitting inside a two-room studio where he is shooting for his next album. He is a singer, who became an instant hit with his song /Janaaza Mera Uthne se Pehle Mehandi Mat Lagana Tum/ in 2002. /“/Video albums can't be made without the singer. People buy music albums for the singer everywhere-in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and even Kashmir,” he smiles. “These are places where my albums do well. In Delhi, they are popular in different places-Uttam Nagar, Shakarpur etc.” It has been a long journey for this singer, whose voice is an everyday companion to bus and truck drivers, among others who make long journeys through different landscapes, in their lives. Mohammed Niyaz spent his childhood in Sitapur near Lucknow, listening to and singing behind Rafi and Talat Mahmood songs. Today, 'sad songs' are his specialty. “When I first came to the industry, they said, '/Beta/, don't copy, develop your own style'. I don't copy them, but take their support. Everyone does-whether in /bhajan/, or in film songs.” Niyaz came to Delhi at the age of twenty, in search of work. “I worked as an accountant for twelve years. Were it not for this job, I would never have been a singer,” he muses. But singing was his destiny. “Many of my friends ran away from home to come here, but I wanted to take my time.” This time came with his father's illness and, being the eldest son, responsibility for the family. An avid listener of old film songs, he participated in the late evening and Sunday singing competitions organised in, and around his locality. “Posters were put up all over. The entry fee ranged between Rs. 10 and Rs. 50. I participated again and again because I always won a position.” Then came his big break. “There was a competition on a larger scale than the ones I had been participating in, called '/Yaad-e-Rafi'/. I sang /Nain Lar Gaye Re/..., and won.” One of the judges was a producer in a music company. “He said I should consider joining the industry. There was no looking back.” Niyaz's childhood hobby led him to a perchance local talent hunt. Today, besides the cassettes he has collected over the years, lie his own three albums. The beginning was rough. He started doing the rounds of companies, gave auditions. Initially, he was turned away. “They said there was no market for a voice like mine.” Then in 1997 Altaf Raja's '/Tum to Thehre Pardesi'/ became a super hit. He recalls, “The industry was a looking for singers who could sing sad songs. I went back to one of the small companies, called Jai, and said, 'I sing like Altaf'.” His first album was created. But he had to wait a year before it was released. What does Niyaz think about this industry, which he followed as a fan, and then made his way into, from an unwanted stranger, to promoting himself through a likeness of voice with a known name, to becoming a hit himself? His reply is of a person who recognises that destiny is not what one person makes alone, and only for himself, “If Janaza Mera...had not been hit, no one would have asked about me. People who were with me then, today say, 'Niyaz mere saath gata tha', and get a break.” I take my leave from Niyaz, as he resumes shooting. On the way home, I stop at a CD burning shop, where disks are created with the customer's selection of songs. It is the marriage season. A boy comes and presents the shop owner with a list of 'sad songs', extracts a promise of delivery by evening, and leaves. I raise my eye brows quizzically. The shopkeeper explains knowingly and in a matter-of-fact manner, “It's a gift for the girl who's getting married. Probably his heart-throb.” I wonder if singing songs to himself, in quiet moments, this is not another singer in the making, and make my way towards home. Bhagwati Prasad bhagwati at sarai.net Bhagwati Prasad is a researcher with the Publics and Practices in the History of the Present project in Sarai-CSDS. *** - Genderchanger (definitions) A small device or adaptor that changes the 'sex' of cables. A plug with pins is male and one with holes, female. For a connection, the pins fit into the holes. A genderchanger has two sides with holes, or two sides with pins. This makes a connection between any port and cable a possibility. A genderchanger makes the 'gender' of the plugs irrelevant. Genderchangers are most commonly used to extend the length of a cable, by connecting two cables together, or simply to change the gender of a cable to the gender you need. http://www.genderchangers.org http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/gender_changers.html *** - Why Do You Travel? / Excerpt from talk by Lusia Passerini It seems to me that in the 1970s, oral history was at the frontier of history. Not for any particular merit, in and of itself, but because it happened to have a particular function of helping to take a large territory of history towards, what might be called, micro-history-towards daily life and material culture, towards a relationship with anthropology and folklore. Oral history added, through 'voice', subjectivity to history. Today, filmic sources, including moving image sources, are in a similar situation for what concerns history-in the sense that they too promise to add something new, to enlarge the territory of the historian. What is this 'something new'? One may be emotion. Let me turn to my own experience. I interviewed the working class, for the first time, in the mid-1970s. In the 80s, I interviewed women who had been feminists in the 1970s. We were looking at who are the subjects of social change. The categories that guided us, conceptually and politically, were class, gender and age. In the 60s, in the context of a political defeat of the radical left, a whole generation was trying to transform politics into culture, and social history into cultural history. What became very clear, slowly, was that something was lacking in this complicity. It had a sense of assumed universality. It lacked the realization that in fact we were particular beings. When I interviewed the workers, or the women, it was assumed that they were the subjects of universal history, that they were going to be the ones to change the world as a whole…it was west-centric, it was Euro-centric, it was the assumption that they were still at the forefront of social change. Then, in the 90s, I began work on two projects. One, a project in 1999 with cross-over women, concomitant with warring Kosovo. I did some of the interviews in camps in Italy, where Rome Kosovo women were refugees. The second, was a project with women migrants from Hungary and Bulgaria, to Italy and Holland. During the course of these conversations, I felt something had changed in the position between the relationship of the self, and the other. The interviews with the Rome Kosovo women struck me the most. These women spoke of their experience in terms completely different from those that the existing literature was attributing to them. Existing literature assumed that Rome people are nomadic. How did they start their narratives? By saying, “My house was burnt, I was thrown out of my house... I wish I could go back…” They had a house. They were not nomadic at all! These women's narrations were completely different from most narrations I had ever heard. They were not narrations with a beginning... they were associations – free associations. When speaking of their reasons for migration, the women said, “Why do you call us migrants? Migrants were those who were obliged to go because they were poor. We are traveling.” And of course some of them have had to work. I mean they are domestic servants, some of them are translators... many of them from Bulgaria work as dancers, some of them might also be involved in prostitution. But love as a motif for migration keeps emerging. They say, “I travel for love... I decided to follow my husband,” or, “ I just went for a short time and I fell in love and I decided to stay.” In this, the subject is changing. The subject presents itself as one for whom love is a primary motive. And then, interestingly, they mentioned the complications that state regulations and the European Union regulations create against love. For instance in the Netherlands, when a person who is not from the European Union wants to marry somebody who is, they have to produce something that proves they are in love. Try to imagine this…it’s not easy… I have seen dossiers with letters from the parents saying, “We are sure they are in love.” Or, there are love letters. A love letter is an incredible document to be used for this… this made me think… the state of the Netherlands and the European union as an institutional organization, are taking love as a marker of subjectivity. Of course they are using it repressively. But this is nonetheless redefining the position of the subject. Excerpted from a talk by Luisa Passerini at the 'History, Memory, Identity' workshop organised at Sarai-CSDS (14-16 January 2005) *** - Traces, Imprints, Flows / Independent Fellows, Sarai *What is that imprint whose source we cannot trace?* Writing is an imprint upon the world. For this trace to be 'real', however, it cannot remain imprisoned only on the paper, or screen, of the writer, to be read by her eyes alone. And so the writer publishes-her books travel to far corners of the world, they are translated into many tongues, and become, she hopes, part of our common imaginations. In this story however, we are never far from the writer. How then do we think of the act of writing, and putting texts into circulation, in spaces (such as the Internet) where we do not know the writer through any of the markers we are accustomed to. We do not know her name, we do not know if she is a 'she' or a 'he', or masquerading as one or the other. We do not which part of the world she comes from, or where she is going. What would be that imprint, whose source we cannot trace? (Adapted from the Independent Fellowship research proposal and postings of Nitoo Das. Her project is titled 'Hypertextual Poetry: The Poetry of MSN Poetry Communities'. river_side1 at hotmail.com) *What is it that flows create?* Joshua Gonsalves is nervous. Bombay is a big city and he's never been more than twenty miles from Mapsa. Everything is different here-people, food, the air. Things will have to be learned quickly. Luckily for him, Jonathan Pinto's letter writing formats, available at the corner book store, list ways in which a house may be acquired, jobs found, relationships with relatives back home, maintained. Marie Fernandez's book of recipes is also useful-ingredients easily available back home, but hard to find in Bombay's busy markets, can be replaced with local substitutes which taste almost as good as the real thing. People travel-leave home and go to new places. The motivation and destination of this journey is not always of their choosing. Transitions are eased however, by the knowledges put in circulation by those who came before, for those who arrive now, and those arriving tomorrow. And by reading advertisements for houses and jobs; singing in church with hymnbooks in the local language; reading novels and stories which evoke the journey they have just made, strangers to a city enter its subjectivity. What is it that flows create? (Adapted from the Independent Fellowship research proposal and postings of Rochelle Pinto. Her project is titled 'Manuel in the City: A Semi-Fictionalised Illustrated Book on the Arrival and Absorption of Goan Migrants to Mumbai'. rochellepinto at yahoo.com) *What is lost when flows ebb? * Mir Baqar Ali, the last famous /dastango/ of India, died in 1928. /Dastangoyee/ is an oral story-telling form, popular in central and northern regions of South-Asia from the 11^th century onwards. The stories revolve around the travels of Amir Hamza, the Prophet's uncle. /Dastans/ are recited at street corners and /chowks/, crowded bazaars, on the steps of mosques, during fairs and occasions of celebration. Baqar Ali was a superlative performer. Tall and regal as a king, small and frail as an old woman, he held his listeners spell-bound by the ability to transform his diminutive frame into the character he was playing. This was no ordinary feat, given the 'theater' of his art. In order that dastangoyee would not be lost, in 1905 Munshi Nawal Kishore hired three writer-narrators to compose a multi-volume edition of the Dastan of Amir Hamza. The edition was immensely popular, and went into several reprints, well into the 20^th century. Dastangoyee also influenced other narrative forms: early Hindi and Urdu novels borrowed heavily from its narrative structure, dastan conventions influenced Urdu theater and the Hindi film industry. From the 1920's onwards however, dastangoyee began to wane, and by the mid 1940's it was all but forgotten. Why did the stories start to fade? Perhaps because the spaces for narration changed, perhaps they circulated in so many 'versions'; the 'original' was forgotten, perhaps sometimes things slip out of circulation. What is lost when flows ebb? (Excerpted and adapted from the Independent Fellowship Research proposal of Mahmood UR Farooqui. His project is titled '/Dastangoyee/: The Culture of Story Telling in Urdu'. mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com) The projects featured here are from the current cycle of fellowships, beginning January 2005. Information about the Sarai Independent Fellowship programme is available at: http://www.sarai.net/community/fellow.htm To access research postings subscribe to the reader-list at: http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list The reader-list archives are accessible at: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [END OF BROADSHEET] CREDITS Editorial Collective: Aarti Sethi Iram Ghufran Shveta Sarda Smriti Vohra Editorial Co-ordinator Monica Narula Design (print version) Gauri Bajaj Mrityunjay Chatterjee Write to broadsheet at sarai.net From ritika at sarai.net Sat Apr 23 23:45:24 2005 From: ritika at sarai.net (ritika at sarai.net) Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 23:45:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] tracing spatial technology In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <426A90BC.4040903@sarai.net> Dear Muthatha, Hello, I am scribbling some of my random thoughts. I liked your rather short but thoughtful posting on the list.However, it'll be nice to read some of your own process that you've been following for producing this set of knowledge. I mean the range of people u're inteacting with, how forthcoming they are in talking, do u also follow some exclusionary and inclusionary methods for deciding whom to interact with, the work environment, the NGO. Further, i am not too sure what methodology you're adopting to follow your work, but perhaps it could be of some relevance for you if you could follow the life and work of people involved in the entire project. The soil scientist seems like a good beginning to deepen the thought that you wish to engage with. The second example seems more like your distillation of observations and perhaps also interviews from the field, which also reflect on how knowledge is produced. Howveer, it'll be nice to get a sense of how 'effective' these memory based works have been. What are the possibilites of errors in such situations. There would surely be some review meetings happening before the 'final' map etc is produced. How 'careful' are the knowledge producers in such meetings? Further - are we trying to glorify 'their' work as that of 'knowledge producers'? DO they understand what they are doing?Or for them, it is just their work? > My research approach, following some recent work in Science and > Technology Studies (authors like Latour and Bowker) is based on the > claim that we not make invisible the spaces and actors involved in the > technical stages of knowledge production, and instead maintain the > linkages from the phenomenon to be represented (e.g. the agrarian > landscape) to the objects of representation (e.g. a land use map) and > it’s use. WOuld it be possible for u to send me the exact reference of the two authors u emntioned? Your query is interesting and this article will help me as well to understand issues better. Thanks In anticipation ritika From vivek at sarai.net Sat Apr 23 16:14:35 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (vivek at sarai.net) Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:44:35 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] "Justice Scalia, do you sodomize your wife?"] Message-ID: <7700.202.138.112.243.1114253075.squirrel@mail.sarai.net> Debriefing Scalia [posted online on April 18, 2005] Editors' Note: Justice Antonin Scalia got more than he bargained for when he accepted the NYU Annual Survey of American Law's invitation to engage students in a Q&A session. Randomly selected to attend the limited-seating and closed-to-the-press event, NYU law school student Eric Berndt asked Scalia to explain his dissent in Lawrence v. Texas, the 2003 Supreme Court case that overturned Bowers v. Hardwick and struck down the nation's sodomy laws. Not satisfied with Scalia's answer, Berndt asked the Justice, "Do you sodomize your wife?" Scalia demurred and law school administrators promptly turned off Berndt's microphone. As Berndt explains in his post to fellow law school students, it was an entirely fair question to pose to a Justice whose opinion--had it been in the majority--would have allowed the state to ask that same question to thousands of gays and lesbians, and to punish them if the answer is yes. We reprint Berndt's open letter below. Fellow Classmates, As the student who asked Justice Scalia about his sexual conduct, I am responding to your posts to explain why I believe I had a right to confront Justice Scalia in the manner I did Tuesday, why any gay or sympathetic person has that same right. It should be clear that I intended to be offensive, obnoxious, and inflammatory. There is a time to discuss and there are times when acts and opposition are necessary. Debate is useless when one participant denies the full dignity of the other. How am I to docilely engage a man who sarcastically rants about the "beauty of homosexual relationships" [at the Q&A] and believes that gay school teachers will try to convert children to a homosexual lifestyle [in oral argument for Lawrence]? Although my question was legally relevant, as I explain below, an independent motivation for my speech-act was to simply subject a homophobic government official to the same indignity to which he would subject millions of gay Americans. It was partially a naked act of resistance and a refusal to be silenced. I wanted to make him and everyone in the room aware of the dehumanizing effect of trivializing such an important relationship. Justice Scalia has no pity for the millions of gay Americans on whom sodomy laws and official homophobia have such an effect, so it is difficult to sympathize with his brief moment of "humiliation," as some have called it. The fact that I am a law student and Scalia is a Supreme Court Justice does not require me to circumscribe my justified opposition and outrage within the bounds of jurisprudential discourse. Law school and the law profession do not negate my identity as a member of an oppressed minority confronting injustice. Even so, I did have a legal point: Justice Kennedy's majority opinion in Lawrence asked whether criminalizing homosexual conduct advanced a state interest "which could justify the intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual." Scalia did not answer this question in his dissent because he believed the state need only assert a legitimate interest to defeat non-fundamental liberties. I basically asked him this question again--it is now the law of the land. He said he did not know whether the interest was significant enough. I then asked him if he sodomizes his wife to subject his intimate relations to the scrutiny he cavalierly would allow others--by force, if necessary. Everyone knew at that moment how significant the interest is. Beyond exerting official power against homosexuals, Scalia is an outspoken and high-profile homophobe. After the aforementioned sarcastic remarks about gay people's relationships, can anyone doubt how little respect he has for LGBT Americans? Even if no case touching gay rights ever came before him, his comments from the bench (that employment non-discrimination is some kind of "homosexual agenda," etc.) and within our very walls are unacceptable to any self-respecting gay person or principled opponent of discrimination. The idea that I should have treated a man with such repugnant views with deference because he is a high government official evinces either a dangerously un-American acceptance of authority or insensitivity to the gay community's grievances. Friends have forwarded me emails complaining of the "liberal" student who asked "the question." That some of my classmates are shallow and insensitive enough to conceptualize my complaint as mere partisan politics is disheartening. Though I should not have to, I will share with everyone that I am neither a Democrat nor Republican and do not consider myself a "liberal" except in the classical sense. I hope that we can separate a simple demand for equality under the law and outrage over being denied it from so much dogmatic ideological baggage. LGBT Americans are still a persecuted minority and our struggle for equal rights is still vital. Four out of five LGBT kids are harassed in school--tell them to debate their harassers. Suicide rates for them are much higher than for others. We still cannot serve in the military, have little protection from employment and other forms of discrimination, and are denied the 1,000+ benefits that accrue from official recognition of marriage. I know some who support gay rights oppose my question and our protest. Do not presume to tell me when and with how much urgency to stand up for our rights. I am seventeen months out of a lifelong closet and have lost too much time to heterosexist hegemony to tolerate those who say, as Dr. King put it, "Just wait." If you cannot stomach a breach of decorum when justified outrage erupts then your support is nearly worthless anyway. At least do not allow yourselves to become complicit in discrimination by demanding obedience from its victims. Many of our classmates chose NYU over higher-ranked schools because of our reputation as a "private university in the public service" and our commitment to certain values. We were the first law school to require that employers pledge not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Of Scalia's law schools that have "signed on to the homosexual agenda," our signature stands out like John Hancock's. We won a federal injunction in the FAIR litigation as an "expressive association" that counts acceptance of sexual orientation as a core value. Those who worry about our school's prestige should remember how we got here and consider whether flattering those who mock what we believe and are otherwise willing to fight for appears prestigious or pathetic. We protestors did not embarrass NYU, Scalia embarrassed NYU. We stood up to a bigot for the values that make NYU more than a great place to learn the law. I repeat my willingess to discuss this issue calmly with anyone who respects my identity as a gay man. I have had many productive talks with classmates since Tuesday and I hope that will continue. Respectfully, ERIC BERNDT From shivamvij at gmail.com Sun Apr 24 04:09:46 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 04:09:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net In-Reply-To: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> References: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Message-ID: You propose, Vivek, and Google disposes: http://print.google.com/ Cheers, Shivam On 4/12/05, Vivek Narayanan wrote: > Hi, > > I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books available on > the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm specifically > looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might have gone up > as a result of initiatives by university presses or other groups. Large > excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And I'm especially > looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. -- [http://mallroad.blogspot.com] Bus Addey, Maal Rode, Camp, Madal Toun, Ajadpur, Shalimaar...! From rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com Sun Apr 24 14:29:38 2005 From: rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com (Rashmi Sawhney) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 09:59:38 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema In-Reply-To: <20050420042509.61549.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050420042509.61549.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <91290c6050424015932647a71@mail.gmail.com> Dear Manosh and Subhajit > I managed to access my mail after a few days gap, and was very pleased to see your responses. Both very thought provking at that. I'm familiar with the essays in 'making Meaning...', JOAI, and Deep Focus. In addition to these I've found Madhava Prasada's 'Ideology of the Hindi Film' to be quite stimulating as well. I haven't found Cinemaya very useful, barring the occassional article. In any case its too expensive for a astudent like myself to dish out the 'international' subscription rates. I'd like to know if the JOAI is still being published. Will certainly look up the Journal of the Moving Image. Can it be subscribed somewhere/ accessed online? Yes, I agree with the point you both made about the realism/melodrama distinction being blurred or needing to be differently understood in relation to the specific constellation of forces that have shaped popular Indian cinema. Manoush, I'm not quite sure that i'd view Dev within the framework of patriotism/terrorism, rather than fundamentalism/secularism...I think Nihalani had a fairly clear plan of persuassion to execute through the film. Of course, the dominant ideology confirms with nehru's vision of secular and economic progress. Therefore, I might not quite agree with your idea (If I've understood it correctly) that the film follows a line of other 'nationalist' films, perhaps like Border, Lakshya etc? best, Rashmi > > > ________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! > > > > ________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! > > From zainab at xtdnet.nl Sun Apr 24 14:50:33 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 13:20:33 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Space, entitlements, contests Message-ID: <1205.219.65.14.27.1114334433.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Entitlements, Space and Contests Incidents from Everyday Life in a City Incident 1: I was sitting in the lobby of her office, waiting for her to finish work and come out. She is my friend who works at Nariman Point. As I was sitting, my eyes fell upon a newspaper. This was a neighbourhood newspaper, the kinds which are now being generated on a large scale in various neighbourhoods across the city, highlighting civic issues, inefficiencies of the municipality and a call to residents towards active citizenship. The cover story of this newspaper addressed the concerns of First Class Commuters on Bombay’s local trains. The article detailed how beggars, vagrants and drug addicts occupy the first class ladies’ compartments at nights and during the non-rush hours of the daytime. Women are subsequently intimidated and they would rather travel in the first class men’s compartments or in the second class ladies’ compartments. Women commuters were evidently upset and those who spoke to the writer to this story mentioned how there is no point in purchasing first class passes (which cost about eight times more than the second class passes) when beggars and vagrants get to enjoy the luxuries. One college girl even stated that prostitutes use the first class compartments at night to solicit customers. Women were upset with the cops who are usually not on patrol (as reported) in the first class ladies compartments. They were also upset with school children who travel on second classes passes in the first class compartments, simply because there is no ticket checking officer to check on them and shoo them out of the first class compartments. “It is these children who scribble graffiti on the first class compartment walls and write lewd comments and remarks,” an upset college-going girl had said. Does it then make sense to purchase first class passes when somebody else, undeservedly enjoys the privilege, the entitlements that come with the purchase of a first class pass??? Incident 2: I know her as a Rajni. She is a lady Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE or TC). She is large, burly and intimidating. Apparently, girls traveling ticketless, upon spotting her in the compartment, jump off the moving train in order to avoid being caught by her. She tells me about her work as we chat informally. “I usually ‘work’ in the first class compartments. That’s where you get the people (and sometimes she refers to the erring commuters as ‘customers’). We have to get hold of the women who are traveling in the first class on second-class tickets because first class travelers shout at us and complain. They feel they are entitled to the luxuries of traveling in the first class when they have paid for it.” I traveled with her on one occasion to watch her ‘work’ on the trains. She is sharp. As we board trains, we quickly checks on tickets. Then we randomly get off one station and board the next train. She watches women with children and other female family members boarding the first class compartments and she instantly warns them, “Ssssh, ssssh, this is first class. Go into the second class.” I ask her how she is able to make out which commuters are potentially first class commuters and which ones second class. “You can make out by their capacity. Haisiyat ho sakti hai kya inki?” she says as a matter of fact, adding, “When I warn them like this and they go away, it is fine. But if they enter the compartment despite my warning, I catch them.” During our journey, Rajini got hold of one girl who was traveling on second class ticket in the first class. The girl mentioned that she boarded the first class because she was in a hurry and did not see that this was a first class compartment. Rajni says she has heard this excuse several times and she is in no mood to let the girl go off. On another occasion, Rajni gets hold of a railways’ sweeper woman who is traveling on the first class with a second class pass. We go to the Station Masters’ office who in turn reprimands the sweeper lady, “Please don’t travel on first class when the railways gives you a second class pass. Commuters shout at us authorities in the railways, telling us that we don’t take strict action against persons traveling first class on second class passes and tickets. And I hate the media. They will take any opportunity to report on us for all of this. Really, I hate the media.” Incident 3: One day, I wrote my blog entry and stated how I believed that residents of A, B, C and D roads of Marine Drive had privatized their streets by clearing off the hawkers and installing private security guards. On reading my entry, a young resident of D Road was upset and she claimed that I write without understanding the issues involved. She stated how her mother and she had protected the hawkers from the BMC vans by giving them shelter in her home. However, when things got out of hand, the step had to be taken. Some days ago, we met in person and I asked her to explain the situation to me for I was missing out the perspective of residents who had undertaken this move. What had caused them to do so? She said, “Our street has about four licensed hawkers. But the problem is that when one hawker comes, he brings ten others along with him. How can we tolerate so many hawkers on our street? Besides, it is true that everybody wants to eat cheap food but we as residents pay streets taxes and various other taxes while the hawkers do business without paying any of the taxes (perhaps implying the logic of the ‘tragedy of the commons’)? That’s not fair nah? Urban space – entitlements – contests – I am still grappling with questions ... Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From zainab at xtdnet.nl Sun Apr 24 14:51:54 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 13:21:54 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] The Speculator and his World Message-ID: <1214.219.65.14.27.1114334514.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> It was a bank holiday. We are to go to our insurance agent’s office to sign some legal papers. We (mom, dad and me) spent the next two hours in his office. I am intrigued by his personality and by his business practices. The objects in his office are interesting as are his thoughts which he articulates from time to time. In this little piece, I present his character and his office space and explore changing business practices in the city. The Speculator and His World (Watching the changing practices of dhanda in the city) He is our insurance agent and we shall call him IA from henceforth. He is not only an insurance agent. He is also a stockbroker and indulges in speculation. He has recently got a new office. It is plush. There are four rooms and each one is equipped with classy furniture, television sets and the latest gadgets. “I got it designed by an architect. I told him I wanted something simple, yet classy,” he tells me as I reflect on the importance of ‘interior decoration and design’ in today’s business practices in the face of global corporatism. We entered his office. He shakes hands with all of us. He is dressed in smart western apparels. Denim shirt, white denim trousers, whiter sports shoes (perhaps of an expensive brand) and funky silver accessories on his person – he looks like a rockstar rather an insurance agent. As he speaks with my parents, I start to look around his room. He has recently been awarded by a Californian Insurance Group which has partners in India, for being a credible insurance agent. The award is a kitschy little object. It is a map of India and on the western side of the map is the Statue of Liberty – a kind of surreal image. The Statue of Liberty appears like a version of Bharat Mata imposed on the map of India. I immediately take a photograph of the award memorabilia. “Oh, you also have this dictionary in your office,” my mother exclaims amidst the conversation. She is referring to the Oxford English Dictionary. “Yes,” he responds, bringing it from the side desk to the main desk, “I use it whenever I cannot understand a word or two. Otherwise it stays on the side desk.” He is not highly educated, but is clearly an instance of the man in this city who has made it big with intelligence, the right contacts/connections and hard work. The dictionary, I believe, refers to his regular dhanda practice which now, in the age of globalism and movement of MNCs, requires him to speak the global language of business i.e. English. I wonder what kind of newspapers he reads – New York Times? The International Herald Tribune? I did not ask him. The conversations continue and my eyes move to the painting which is put up on the wall behind him. It is definitely a Hussain painting. I ask him and he responds, “Yes, it is a Hussain painting. I cannot afford to buy the original. So I bought this duplicate which he makes. It is worth nine thousand rupees.” Global business practices these days appear to use art as a symbol of higher understanding and a sense of refined-ness. Just a few days ago, Bombay Times carried an article about banks purchasing paintings to put up in their offices. “This creates an atmosphere of understanding between our customers and us. The painting helps us connect with them. It creates an atmosphere of warmth,” an executive from a bank had said explaining why his bank had bought so many paintings recently. Sure enough, as I look into our insurance agent’s office and in his mind, it appears to me that “image” is important these days – what image do you as a businessman present to your customer? Mom goes off to do some legal work. Dad inquires about the two thefts which have taken place in his residential colony. “Oh yeah! This is the case of penny wise pound foolish. Our colony refuses to improve the lighting system and hire security guards. What to do?” Somehow, the discussion steers towards the topic of real estate which is a favourite for dad. They talk of the developments in Bangalore city. “Oh yeah,” IA exclaims, “check out the apartments and the residential colonies there. It feels like you are living in America. Truly! It’s amazing. They have up-to-date security and all facilities within the colony itself.” IA then speaks of how he is planning to shift apartments. “Yeah, I want to move, but not in that locality. It is dominated by one caste of people and despite the fact that we are all the same religious affiliation, I cannot get along with people of that caste. Not my type,” he adds. He speaks of religious service which is strongly involved with. And I start to wonder that despite global corporatism, the underlying identities of religion and caste are still there, deep within and perhaps stronger now than before. The boundaries are established and clear! The conversation moves towards understanding his business practices. “Centralized control,” he states as summary. He works with small offices in different cities and exerts control from Bombay. “If anyone acts smart in any office, you press the remote control from here.” Thinking dhanda practices in the city – I walk out of IA’s office and am mulling over business practices in this city. The hawker on the roadside has his connections with the street dada, the local cops and perhaps even the local corporator. A real estate agent I once met on the railway station spoke to me of his political connections and how, despite fears, he handles the bhailog viz., the underworld. A local businessman talks to me of his apnawala corporator connections and if I have any problems, he could simply introduce me to the corporator and my problems will be solved. Mumbai City – In the midst of all of this messiness, small fries and big sharks, the city has survived. Dhanda practices are messy with intricate and complex connections. And at various levels, people have “influence” which is what works at the end of the day. As I think about IA and his business practices, I wonder how global corporatism is defining a new culture of dhanda, of business. The messiness needs to be eradicated and centralization brought in. Loose spaces cannot exist. Then, is this new business culture re-defining the city anew? Is it reducing spaces of freedom, of the capacity to dream? Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From zainab at xtdnet.nl Sun Apr 24 15:01:18 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 13:31:18 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Shani Bazaar Message-ID: <1250.219.65.14.27.1114335078.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> Dear Shweta and Aseem, Wonderful postings. I am really inspired. Looking forward to more from Shani Bazaar! Keep 'em coming! Cheers, Zainab! Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From jeebesh at sarai.net Sun Apr 24 15:21:57 2005 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh Bagchi) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 15:21:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Institutional mapping sites (1) Message-ID: <426B6C3D.2000009@sarai.net> http://www.fiatpax.net/ [Fiat Pax is a research and advocacy based website which provides information to university students, faculty, and the public regarding the militarization of science and society.] http://www.fiatpax.net/unisandmil.html Universities and the Military Since WWII, DoD funding of scientific research, development, testing, and evaluation has remained the first priority of federal research funds. The military led the way in creating federal agencies, offices and partnerships with America's universities and research centers. Prior to WWII there had been no serious attempt by the federal government to fund academic research. During WWII, the DoD created agencies and linkages that provided billions of dollars to universities and corporations to research and design the weapons that would win the war and wage future wars. Among these weapons was most notably the atomic bomb, but also the proximity fuze, missile technology, and radar. Breakthroughs in electronics during the war led to the modification of anti-aircraft guns with analog computers, used to calculate the firing times and trajectories necessary to hit high speed targets like fighter-bomber aircraft and the German V-1 rocket. Computers were used to calculate artillery tables, they solved complicated engineering problems, decoded enemy communications, and opened up the future of technological war. /*The Enlistment of Science and Technology */ Leading members of America's academic institutions joined Vannevar Bush, an electrical engineer at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT) in the creation of the National Defense Research Committee. The committee's mandate was to conduct research in service of America's military. It was composed of Frank Jewitt (National Academy of Science and AT&T), James Connant (President of Harvard), Karl Compton (President of MIT), and Richard Tolman (Caltech). A year later the same men founded the Office of Scientific Research and Development, which allowed them more ability to take research projects from basic phases into the development and applications stages. President Roosivelt signed off on the efforts signaling that, "essentially for the first time, the proper function of government included support of basic research by university scientists". Toward the wars end the future of academia and the military were bound. Charles E. Wilson, Executive VP of the War Production Board , President of General Motors Corp., and later Secretary of Defense under the Eisenhower administration, summed it up in 1944 saying: /"What is more natural and logical than that we should henceforth mount our national policy upon the solid fact of an industrial capacity for war, and a research capacity for war that is also 'in being'? It seems to me that anything less is foolhardy."./ Universities and the Military (part 2) According to historian Richard Abrams, "As the war neared its end, Edward L. Bowles, science advisor to the secretary of war Henry Stimson, called for 'an effective peacetime integration' of the military with the resources of higher education." The Office of Naval Research quickly took to this task of integration, and by 1949 it was funding thousands of research projects, at hundreds of universities nationwide5. Founded in 1946, it remains the largest distributor of DoD funds. Soon after the ONR's chartering, the other services got involved with the commandeering of academia for the purpose of war. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (1952), the Army Office of Scientific Research (1958), and the Advanced Research Projects Agency (1959), later called DARPA, all established linkages between the military, universities, and corporations. In the interim of the ONR's establishment, and the coming of the other military research offices, the government chartered the National Science Foundation. The NSF's primary goal was to provide civilian, or non-military research funds, but it remains unclear as to how much this agency falls under the control or influence of military goals. In addition to funding many areas of interest to the DoD, the NSF can be interpreted as an outgrowth of the military's relationship with academia. In fact, the first director of the NSF was Alan Waterman, who came directly over from the Office of Naval Research to administer the new agency: The NSF's foundational years were led by the same men who constructed the vast university-military relationship. Parallel to these developments was the growth of the DOE labs, managed by the University of California, and constituting the core of the military's nuclear weapons infrastructure. These labs provided a shining example of what became he nation's Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), funded by the military or proxy agencies, and managed by universities, drawing from their superb human resources, and using their prestigious names as an effective legitimation of the work carried on inside. Universities and the Military (part 3) Technological war The war of economies bent toward productive destruction, the creation of the most effective, and horrifying weapons systems has flourished ever since. The DoD has managed to guide the disciplines of science and engineering into a militarized knowledge of control, force, application, and functionality. The military has transformed broad aspects of science, so much so that it is hard to draw the line between the civilian and military purposes of some technologies. We have in many ways an economy based on warfare, but the interaction between war and science has not only been a one way street. Warfare - strategy and tactics have been profoundly influenced by the inclusion of science. MIT professor Carl Kaysen describes it as, "...a rapid evolution of military technologies [that] has led to a much broader and more rapid interplay between technology and strategy". The exponential expansion of capabilities, the ability to strike targets anywhere on the planet, real-time network communications, data, radar, night vision, unmanned aircraft, logistics - every new technological revolution fueled by scientific research has changed the way war is fought. The most striking example is the DoD's gaming approach to war. In his description of modern industrial society's most apocalyptic tendencies, social theorist Herbret Marcuse described the process by which the Air Force's RAND think tank (a quasi academic institute of the military) would create US nuclear strategy. The "thinkers" at RAND would divide into teams, red and blue. The red team would be put on the offensive, while the blue team's goal would be to maintain deterrence from nuclear attack. In such a way the forces of destruction are organized and readied8. Through gaming theory, the Gulf War of 1990-1 was fought out long before Hussein ever invaded Kuwait, two years to be exact. Prior to the war, the US military conducted countless games involving wildly different scenarios in the Middle East (as they still do for almost every conceivable conflict in ever last corner of the earth), several of which included the nearly exact scripting of Operation Desert Storm9. But the games have gone much further. RAND's theorists, and other military minds have experimented with "limited nuclear exchanges" in regions like Vietnam, and Korea, while helping to pioneer a style of "detached", "academic," and "rational" approaches to war: /"Many of RAND's brightest minds - and it had these in abundance were mathematicians... trained in the techniques of 'operations research' (mathematical analysis of complex strategic problems, such as the optimum number of ships in a protected convoy) during the war. RAND soon began to apply statistical analysis, systems analysis, game theory, and other formal and mathematical techniques to the burgeoning problems of nuclear strategy. Their results led to a series of shifts in the US military strategy." / Technoscience, the child of the Pentagon has changed it's creator as much as the military has changed the academic institutions which have carried out the research. The military entered academia, shaped it, and fostered a cooperation by asking for superior weapons What they got was the beginning of a revolution in warfare that continues to this day. Universities and the Military (part 4) The first computers, Colussus (1943) in the UK, and ENIAC (1945) in the United States were both constructed by university professors in partnership with their governments. ENIAC was built by scientists at the University of Pennslyvania under the supervision of the US Army who desired the machine for computing ballistics calculations. ENIAC's first assignment in 1946 was to calculate a particularly complicated equation for the atomic bomb program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, administered by the University of California. "Just before pressing a button that set the ENIAC to work on the atomic bomb, Maj. Gen. Gladeon Barnes spoke of 'man's endless search for scientific truth." What he really meant was some men's endless search for war. Computers have since found their way into every facet of life, but most funding for computer science still comes from the military. In 1999 the DoD spent $643 million to fund computer science within American universities, and this sum was projected to rise another $100 million by 2001. In addition, the most powerful computers remain in the service of the warfare-state. The UC administered Lawrence Livermore Lab's ASCI White, the world's most powerful computer is used mostly to simulate nuclear explosions, both testing aging weapons in the US stockpile, and now new weapons with designs that cannot be tested in actual explosions since the US suspended underground explosions in 1992. ASCI stands for Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative White. Accordingly, "It's also just the beginning. The government says that to certify the nuclear arsenal with full confidence, it needs a supercomputer that is 10 times as powerful as ASCI White by 2004". Clearly warfare still guides the future present and future of computing. The entire hyper-dominance of the US military has evolved through research conducted through American universities. Without access to the best and the brightest the stream of technological and strategic innovation would dry up. For example, around 55-60% of the DoD's basic electronics research is conducted in universities, computer science is higher, around 70%, not surprisingly the humanities and arts recieve nothing. The DoD is extremely reliant on its access to academia. And science has been equally affected. The military-university relationship has symbiotically created an American science, or more accurately a militant form of knowledge. Science, most strikingly the disciplines of the physical sciences have been molded by this relationship, so much that physics, and engineering owe much of their theoretical basis, methodology, and purpose to assumptions about the world which include uses of force, that the earth is possessable, disposable, and winnable (assumptions that we find within and exemplified by the military). A 1953 DoD publication concerning R&D clearly explains this molding of basic physical science (and scientists) into knowledge of military application as intended, /"...to maintain effective contact between the Armed Services and the scientific fraternity [note the masculine identity of America's scientists] of the country, so that the scientists can be legitimately encouraged to be interested in fields which are of potential importance to national defense." / Universities and the Military (part 5) The Reagan administration echoed these words with its introduction of the University Research Initiative of the 1980's. University science was guided into fields of applicability, not knowledge, force, not energy, power, not understanding, and here it remains today. The fields have developed under these assumptions. Within electrical engineering the discipline became more focused on quantum electronics, solid state physics, applied science rather than pure science going so far as to impact the theoretical foundations. Many scientists have described the structure of research within American universities as tending to force one into the arms of the military. Professors are responsible for obtaining the majority of their funding through grants. This money supports both their research, and graduate students. When upwards of 70% of the available funds are distributed by the military, professors tend to compete by moving their research toward more obvious, and much of the time directly applicable topics of interest to the Pentagon. The Mansfield Amendment of 1970 was intended to stem the military control of research by limiting DoD fuds to projects of direct relevance and application to the military. It was believed that such a law would decrease academia's reliance on DoD funds, which at the time supported much of the basic (non-applied) research within American universities. Instead, the law had the effect of transforming science itself into applied and military oriented topics. Military funding is structural component of the university, the individual researcher, departments, and entire fields of study must to fit into this structure, or at least modify themselves as to gain some degree of advantage. In 1987, the American Mathematical Society, the largest association of university mathematicians took up the topic of military funding and control over knowledge through a mail referendum. The text read: /"The AMS is concerned about the large proportion of military funding of mathematics research. There is a tendency to distribute this support through narrowly focused (mission oriented) programs, and to circumvent peer review procedures. This situation may skew and ultimately injure mathematics in the United States..." / The subsequent vote was 5000 to 1300 in favor of increasing the fraction non-military funding in hopes of staving off a militarization of math (which had unfortunately occurred long before). Physicist Edward Gerjuoy and Elizabeth Baranger of the University of Pittsburgh conclude of DoD funding in the physical sciences that, "research directions are being skewed, department hiring and promotion policies probably are being influenced, and top level administration policies and recruiting may be influenced as well". Thus is the military-university relationship. Attempts to wean scientific research from military funds have failed because they do not attack the root of the problem - the military. The historical relationship outlined above continues to this day, the military continues to fund and guide science, especially technological research, the assets of the university remain at the disposal of the warfare-state, and the quest for ever more destructive weapons continues. From sananth at sancharnet.in Sun Apr 24 18:44:08 2005 From: sananth at sancharnet.in (Ananth) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 18:44:08 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Changing Culture of Business: Informal Sector and the Finance Business Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.0.20050424184259.027f5710@smma.sancharnet.in> The Culture of Business: The Informal Sector and the Finance Business – April Monthly Research Report Submitted By S.Ananth, Vijayawada This monthly report outlines the nature of dispute settlement / arbitration processes in the finance business and the role played by the State. The research looked at the role of various aspects of dispute settlement (including the role of the state) and how the whole system of ‘arbitration’ works in the settlement of disputes. It also highlights some aspects of legality. This aspect of the business is one of the important areas looked into in this research. One can clearly discern various types of mechanisms in the settlement of disputes. A person who borrows money from a financier (either a company or an individual money lender) is asked to sign a promissory note or the relevant documents. A formal finance company normally asks the borrower to sign a large number of pledge or related documents. Among these documents may include promissory note(s) and in certain instances they even take post-dated cheques. An individual money lender may demand (and usually gets) promissory notes and blank, signed cheques. As per the law, in all these documents and all the columns should be duly completed. In a promissory note, the important columns to be duly filled are the interest rates and amount borrowed. In case of cheque, the date and the amount borrowed are to be completed as part of the loan related agreement. There is no law governing the amount of interest rate that may be charged for personal or domestic uses of the money borrowed. However the interest rates charged are not to be usurious. In case of agriculture related loans, the interest rate that may be charged cannot exceed twelve percent. The interesting aspect of the finance business (including most of the formal players and all the informal players) is that these rules are rarely followed. An informal finance player always insists on blank promissory note(s) and blank cheque(s). The number of cheques or promissory notes depends on the amount of money lent. In case of hire-purchase, the financiers are in an advantageous position vis-à-vis the law as the mortgages / pledges are clearly indicated and the courts would be favourably disposed provided the ‘due process of law’ is followed. In case of disputes, which till recently were few and far in between, very few would approach the court of law. Till the process of globalisation / liberalisation, or more precisely till about 1995, very few of the borrowers dared to quarrel with the financiers. This was because of the scarcity of the lenders, as banks did not indulge in retail lending on a significant scale. The second reason why it was prudent not to pick up a quarrel with the financier was the constant increase in the prices of old vehicles. Such an increase in prices gave the owners an incentive to repay their loans and procure more vehicles. A third reason is the culture of business that exists in Vijayawada – it was in nobody’s interest to take up a confrontationist attitude, which was seen as being bad for business. The financiers were at an advantage as they could always cash in on the ‘symbolic capital’ that they had accumulated over a period of time. At the same time, the need for socially acceptance of business practices meant the financier could not do as he wished. This is not to say that there are no disputes. These disputes have increased markedly since 1995. A remarkable feature has been the continuation of the arbitration process over a period of time. It is considered to be a remarkable feature because the proponents of globalisation claim that there is a process of ‘modernisation’ / ‘changes in mindset’ due to the influence of global players. Often one hears that the process of globalisation has inaugurated a series of changes that have revolutionised the way the Indian companies work, think and undertake business. The arbitration process involves a system that is referred to as ‘settlements’ or ‘panchayats’ where the services of ‘peddamanushulu’ are used. Literally, peddamanushulu means ‘big people’ or respectable people, often people from various walks of life. An interesting question that needs to be asked is who constitutes a ‘peddamanushi’ (big man). In cases of arbitrage, one would normally expect the mediators to include people with expertise in law / jurisprudence or people who would arbitrate in an impersonal, ‘neutral’ and judicious manner. In the recent past it is interesting to note that peddamanushulu often comprise of people with muscle power or people who are well connected to those with influence and muscle power. There have been instances when lower level police officials have also acted as arbitrators. Each side would marshal their contacts or acquaintances. The net result would be that the peddamanushulu of both sides would sit and ultimately arrive at a mutually accepted decision. In reality the financiers would be at an advantage since they can marshal people with influential and always draw on the connections of their peers in the association. Hence it is ‘normal’ for a borrower to wring out minor write offs / reductions in interest or dues and never complete cancellation of the debt. Financiers opine that a client does not have the ‘moral’ ground to ask for the cancellation of the principle. They can only ask for a reduction of the penal interest and in exceptional circumstances, a reduction of the interest. If an aggrieved party is not ‘satisfied’ then they can approach a court of law, but this will only draw the ire of all the peddamanushulu (on both sides) as it will be considered to be an affront on their credibility and ability to settle the problem. It is relevant to note that these ‘settlements’ would always look into and take cognisance of the defaulters past history, present problems, social and economic status before arriving at a decision. It is significant that the decision would be influenced by the perceived ‘reliability’ and ‘ability’ of the person to keep his end of the bargain. The intervention of the Financiers’ Association is rarely challenged (however there are few exceptions to this and it will be explained a little later). In the case of informal financiers, the local musclemen are most often the ‘peddamanushulu’. An interesting event will better explain the influence of local practices. In 2003 Kotak Mahindra Finance (henceforth KMF) faced a problem with a client over repayments. Unlike, the local companies, the national and international companies think the easiest way to recover the loan is to repossess the vehicle at the earliest. The client (names are not disclosed at the request of the sources) had a history of prompt payment and he was stated to be facing short-term cash flow problems due the expenses linked to his daughter’s marriage. KMF in its characteristic style repossessed the vehicle. The lorry owner complained to the Krishna District Lorry Owners’ Association (another very powerful body). In this case, the Lorry Owners’ Association supported the owner as this was considered to be ‘unjust’ in the given circumstances. The confrontation between KMF and the lorry owner rattled both the Financiers’ Association and the Lorry Owners’ Association. In the ensuing ‘settlement’, KMF remained obstinate because ‘they had to follow the company rules’. The Financiers’ Association talked to the Vice President of the Company in Mumbai and forced them to accept the decision of the ‘peddamanushulu’ – in the interests of the business. This system of settlement has continued in Vijayawada since the early 1980’s. The instruments of the State rarely intervened formally. If at all they did intervene this was usually on behalf of formal financiers. In case of the informal lenders, it could take years for the dispute to be settled by the courts. Hence most of the times, the private settlements by local leaders or muscle men ‘solved’ the problems. In case of large amounts the leaders who had undertaken the ‘settlement’ are given a portion of the disputed amount. In fact the criminal gangs of the city have had a field day by way of these ‘settlements’. At times, these gangs (led by local politicians) clash because of competition to ‘settle’ the problem. Usually this happens only when large amounts are involved. The only instance when these ‘settlement’ equations were drastically altered was when N.V. Surendra Babu was appointed as the Commissioner of Police for Vijayawada in 2002. As soon as he assumed office, he declared that the illegal activities of the financiers would have to be stopped and he would crack down on practices such as ‘settlements’, taking blank cheques and blank promissory notes. The formal players were asked to follow all the rules while undertaking repossession of vehicles and follow all the rules, failing which criminal charges would be initiated. Immediately there was a flood of complaints about the harassment by money lenders and financiers. Krishna District Auto Financiers’ Association (whose business model risked collapse) immediately sought a meeting to put forth its view on the matter. It was clearly told that it would have to play by the rule book. Surendra Babu’s tenure as Commissioner of Police drew attention to the intricacies and illegalities of the finance business in the city. From nmajumda+ at pitt.edu Sun Apr 24 19:02:03 2005 From: nmajumda+ at pitt.edu (Neepa Majumdar) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 09:32:03 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema In-Reply-To: <91290c6050424015932647a71@mail.gmail.com> References: <20050420042509.61549.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> <91290c6050424015932647a71@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: The Journal of Arts and Ideas is online now at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/artsandideas/ It is still in publication. Best, Neepa On Sun, 24 Apr 2005, Rashmi Sawhney wrote: > Dear Manosh and Subhajit > > I managed to access my mail after a few days gap, and was very pleased > > to see your responses. Both very thought provking at that. I'm > > familiar with the essays in 'making Meaning...', JOAI, and Deep Focus. > > In addition to these I've found Madhava Prasada's 'Ideology of the > > Hindi Film' to be quite stimulating as well. I haven't found Cinemaya > > very useful, barring the occassional article. In any case its too > > expensive for a astudent like myself to dish out the 'international' > > subscription rates. I'd like to know if the JOAI is still being > > published. Will certainly look up the Journal of the Moving Image. Can > > it be subscribed somewhere/ accessed online? > Yes, I agree with the point you both made about the realism/melodrama > distinction being blurred or needing to be differently understood in > relation to the specific constellation of forces that have shaped > popular Indian cinema. > Manoush, I'm not quite sure that i'd view Dev within the framework of > patriotism/terrorism, rather than fundamentalism/secularism...I think > Nihalani had a fairly clear plan of persuassion to execute through the > film. Of course, the dominant ideology confirms with nehru's vision of > secular and economic progress. Therefore, I might not quite agree with > your idea (If I've understood it correctly) that the film follows a > line of other 'nationalist' films, perhaps like Border, Lakshya etc? > > best, > > Rashmi > > > > > > ________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! > > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > From sdatta at MIT.EDU Mon Apr 25 01:27:59 2005 From: sdatta at MIT.EDU (S Datta) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 15:57:59 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Let's talk about issues. (fwd) - more on Scalia and Sodomy Message-ID: following up on the post vivek forwarded yesterday, here's more from the guy who asked scalia about whether he buggers his wife, via a friend who goes to NYU law school with him. enjoy!! ----- for those of you were impressed by eric's first post that got published in the nation, here's a later post that deals more with legal issues. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- To: American Constitution Society at NYU Law Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 05:10:26 -0400 Subject: Let's talk about issues. This is a long post, but if there is any wind left in this discussion, I would like to move it toward analysis of the issues in Lawrence, of gay rights, and of how Scalia's anti-homosexual mentality effects the law. Perhaps due to being misquoted, many posts have assumed that a good moral point (why can you ask me when I can't ask you) was in fact my only point. Luckily, I didn't flunk constitutional law and realize the government is allowed to do things that would be incourteous of private citizens, like take 40% of your income. It is probably my fault for devoting like 2 sentences to legal argument last post, but I was more worried about my classmates understanding my moral and personal reasons for irreparably traumatizing everyone and driving away Professor Levinson than about whether you think I am a stupid lawyer. Hopefully a better discussion of the interstices of Lawrence, Scalia, homophobia, and the law will replace debating whether I am evil or just obnoxious. Lawrence was not primarily about privacy, but liberty - specifically the liberty to form loving relationships free from the demeaning state-created stigma sodomy laws wrote large. Opposition to homophobia is not about privacy, but dignity. People can disagree about moral choices without denying others' basic dignity. The Question was ultimately about dignity. Impolite discussion of others' sexual conduct demeans that relationship in the same way sodomy laws and anti-homosexual speech demean gay relationships and lives. A loss of dignity caused by the government infringes a liberty interest. The current uproar illustrates the harm inflicted by demeaning personal relationships. Analogize the outrage of The Question to the outrage gay people endure as a result of homophobia and discriminatory laws, and you get the point. Scalia does not get that point because he sees no outrage in demeaning gay relationships and lives. His lack of empathy pervaded his dissent in Lawrence and made it impossible to understand the liberty claimed: homophobia effects his ability to judge. As a man and public figure, it prevents him from seeing homosexuals as full people, and therefore he can claim no immunity to demeaning rejoinders from those he insults. The rest of this post goes like this: I. What decided Lawrence. II. What Scalia said in Lawrence. III. Why he was wrong, why prejudice influenced what he wrote. IV. The Question within this framework V. Conclusion. I. Kennedy's opinion in Lawrence. Lawrence turned on official stigma that demeans a central liberty interest of human beings to form loving relationships without being marked for discrimination and lower status. Held: "The convictions under the Texas statute violated the two men's vital interests in liberty and privacy protected by the due process clause� the statute.. sought to control a personal relationship that was within the liberty of persons to choose� the stigma that the statute imposed was not trivial" Most importantly, if gays can't SODOMIZE each other, they can't form loving relationships: "When sexuality finds overt expression in intimate conduct with another person, the conduct can be but one element in a personal bond that is more enduring. The liberty protected by the Constitution allows homosexual persons the right to make this choice." Id. at 567. The liberty claimed was the liberty to form a relationship, not just to have sex. Gays do form loving relationships, so they automatically bore the social stigma that what everybody knows they do together violate laws. The concern that sodomy statutes "demean [homosexuals] existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime" exists regardless of whether the state violates spatial or bodily privacy. Texas did not have to enter John Geddes Lawrence's apartment to burden his ability to live a full life as an openly gay man, the statute's sting and the discrimination it allowed (in family law, hiring practices, etc.) already did (Scalia hilariously cited this discrimination to counsel reliance on Bowers � reliance on discrimination as a good under the Constitution!). Consistent with his prior substantive due process jurisprudence (he coauthored Casey, which balanced the woman's liberty interest against the state's interest), Kennedy eschewed minimum rationality review in Lawrence and asked, not only whether there was a legitimate state interest, but whether there was a state interest "which could justify the personal intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual. His opinion has some weaknesses (it did not overrule Bowers' holding denying a fundamental right to sodomy and might have made more clear for Nino that minimum rationality was not being employed), but its central holding is logically consistent and left no room for the crazy parts of Scalia's dissent. II. Scalia's dissent. It is conceded that substantive due process is contested ground and that Scalia might have found no constitutional protection consistent with his views elsewhere (I will not address whether these views themselves are chosen because they foreclose certain rights). He did not, however, correctly analyze the majority opinion, and accused its authors of falling to a homosexual plot to end-run the American people. I will try to show he did this because of prejudice. His errors: 1.Scalia repeated the error made in Bowers in assuming that the liberty claimed was merely a right to homosexual sodomy. "�the Court simply describes petitioners' conduct as 'an exercise of their liberty'--which it undoubtedly is." 539 U.S. at 586. The liberty claimed was not just the sex, it was the ability to form relationships absent official disrespect for one's life. Scalia floundered on the same obsession with sex that plagued the Bowers court. **The above quote is another example of Scalia's derision of gays throughout the opinion � judicial neutrality? 1. Scalia rightly identified Kennedy's refusal to apply minimum rationality ("unheard of form of rational review"), but contradictorily portrayed the majority as having found the state's law to lack a rational basis, as would have been necessarily true only under minimum rationality review. "the ground on which the Court squarely rests its holding: the contention that there is no rational basis for the law here under attack." 539 U.S. at 599. Kennedy would have made it easier for everyone had he declared a level of scrutiny, but he did not accept Scalia's default by silence. Nino dishonestly tried to have it both ways by saying the majority had both (1) used an unorthodox test and (2) destroyed morality legislation. 2. He led following parade of terribles: "State laws against bigamy, same-sex marriage, adult incest, prostitution, masturbation, adultery, fornication, bestiality, and obscenity� [are] called into question by today's decision."(at 590). This statement is possible only if Nino either (1) ignored Kennedy's point that adult-adult relationships implicate liberty in a way that adult-child, adult-sheep, adult-corpse do not, or (2) does not think there is anything about gay people that separate them from animals, rapists, and prostitutes. Oh yeah, "The impossibility of distinguishing homosexuality from other traditional "morals" offenses is precisely why Bowers rejected the rational-basis challenge," I guess it's (2). 3. He added gratuitous mean-spirited comments about how much people don't like homosexuals ("Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children's schools, or as boarders in their home" id. at 602), then made a pathetic attempt to claim neutrality ("I have nothing against homosexuals� promoting their agenda through normal democratic means") that relied on casting claims of liberty under the constitution as an "agenda." At oral argument he worried that gay teachers would convert children. Finally, he concluded his analysis of the law by attributing the decision to "a court, which is the product of a law profession culture, which has largely signed on the so-called homosexual agenda," instead of attributing it to a different conception of due process and liberty than his own. He chose to impugn the integrity of fellow Justices rather than admit that they had correctly identified a liberty interest protected by the moral principles they believe the constitution enacted. Though the case comes out differently under a perfectly fine disagreement about the meaning of "substantive due process" (an "illusory concept" for which Nino has developed a systematic treatment � of a non-entity), Scalia focused most of his opinion on a bogeyman agenda, leading a fatuous parade of terribles, and mischaracterizing the majority's reasoning and the liberty claimed. 4. Despite irrefutable scientific evidence, he refused to believe that homosexuality is an immutable trait for classification purposes. This responded to O'Connor's concurrence, but reinforces how homophobia undermines his judging. III. Why Scalia missed the point and said hateful things in Lawrence. The Lawrence dissent showed a man incapable of understanding the majority's point because he could not conceptualize what great liberty interest ANYONE could find in homosexual relationships. His sarcastic dismissal of gay relationships at the Q&A confirmed this lack of imagination and sympathy. Ending Scalia's parade of terribles before it reached pedophilia and bestiality required only that he acknowledge the majority's conceptual distinction between things unacceptable to majoritarian morality, and things unacceptable to majoritarian morality that form an essential part of loving adult relationships. See id. at 578. The burden is on him to explain how he could have led this parade unless gays are indistinguishable from animals and child-molesters. Scalia's Lawrence dissent and other comments prove by at least a preponderance of the evidence that he does not respect homosexuals and that this impedes his ability to judge. He produced a cartoonishly bigoted and often irrelevant dissent in Lawrence because he could not see the human dignity that created the liberty interest the majority recognized. Whether he believes the majority should recognize such a liberty interest under the due process clause is conceptually distinct from whether he understood it. At the Q&A, he responded to a question about Lawrence by mocking the majority's recognition of the "beauty of homosexual relationships"(Nino's words, he was exaggeratedly waving his hands to signify beauty while he said this � disgusting). Thus, outside of the courtroom, Nino showed that he might understand the majority after all, but disagrees on whether gay adults can form beautiful relationships. Although judges often sound rhetorical trills when decisions don't go their way, their motivation is seldom as bad as Scalia's was in Lawrence (and Romer). People will try to defend him personally by referring to Catholicism. Justice Kennedy is a Catholic. He also knows that moral disapproval of another's conduct, including her sexual conduct, does not sever the ability to recognize beauty in the other's life. Do you think it is coincidental that their jurisprudence mirrors that difference? Law depends on judicial virtue; bigoted justices produce bigoted opinions. IV. The Question's relevance. Reference second paragraph. The Question was part of a conversation. It asked how serious the interest John Geddes Lawrence and Tyron Garner had was. He responded with something about "every law violates privacy," once more misconstruing or avoiding the point of Lawrence. I knew I would not be allowed to walk Scalia through the majority's opinion without being cut off (as I was after the first sentence), so I sketched that there was an interest involved, and asked The Question to illustrate the serious damage that trivialization of personal relationship entails � among other motivations, of course. He missed the point in Lawrence, in his reading of Bowers, and I assumed he would miss the point again, so this comment was for everyone else. The Question momentarily invaded Scalia's social and moral privacy rights to not discuss intimate relations with his wife in public. This impolite public discourse over private sexual conduct paralleled the statute's state-backed stigmatizing discourse. Stepping outside law school issues, it paralleled the way public homophobia by men like Nino makes private gay conduct a topic of public censure. I doubt Nino got it, but for a moment he must have felt the way gay people feel all the time. Of course, there are many other good messages to find in standing up to bigoted bully. V. Note to self: Integrity and activism within law school may have higher costs than benefits. Lawyers will demand that you explain everything, then deconstruct your reasons for explaining. Note to Scalia: You picked the wrong field to pass bigoted cruelty as professional neutrality. Note to haters: I'm saving a scrapbook of my favorite nasty posts so years from now, when gays finally have equal rights, you can recall what reactionary prudes you were in law school. SODOMY, SODOMY, SODOMY, oh my! Note to supporters: Thanks for the emails, I love you guys. Note forwarded to bloggers: This is an email, not a tract. - --- You are currently subscribed to law-acs as: shabnam at nyu.edu To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-law-acs-1456347F at forums.nyu.edu From tg2028 at columbia.edu Mon Apr 25 03:14:06 2005 From: tg2028 at columbia.edu (Trisha Gupta) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 17:44:06 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net In-Reply-To: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> References: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Message-ID: <1114379046.426c13261bd41@cubmail.cc.columbia.edu> Hi Vivek, Just came across this site - http://eserver.org/ which seems to have a huge variety of books online - including novels, plays and academic books. This is what it says it about itself: "The EServer is a growing online community where hundreds of writers, artists, editors and scholars gather to publish and discuss their works. In today's world of corporate publishing, value is placed on works that sell to broad markets. Quick turnover, high-visibility marketing campaigns for bestsellers, and corporate "superstore" bookstores have all made it difficult for unique and older texts to be published. (Further, the costs this marketing adds to all books discourage people from leisure reading as a common practice.) And publishers tend to encourage authors to write books with strong appeal to the current, undermining (if unknowingly) writings with longer-term implications. The EServer (founded fifteen years ago, in 1990 at Carnegie Mellon as the English Server), attempts to provide an alternative niche for quality work, particularly writings in the arts and humanities. Now based at Iowa State University, we offer 45 collections on such diverse topics as art, architecture, race, Internet studies, sexuality, drama, design, multimedia, and current social issues. In addition to short and longer written works, we publish hypertext and streaming audio and video recordings. Our collections grow as increased membership has new works to publish with us, and as we teach new members how to publish works to the Web and to the more than million readers who visit our site per month." Trisha Quoting Vivek Narayanan : > Hi, > > I'm trying to put together a list of links to free books > available on > the net; we all know about Gutenberg and Bartleby, but I'm > specifically > looking for books published after 1930 or so, which might have > gone up > as a result of initiatives by university presses or other groups. > Large > excerpts are good, but entire books are better. And I'm > especially > looking for links to sites with a number of books on them. > > Do send me any links you have, and I will compile and repost the > link > collection to this list. > > As a starter, I offer this, UC Press's public archive: > http://texts.cdlib.org/ucpress/authors_public.html > > It's a very nice collection, including such classic recent stuff > like > Timothy Mitchell's Colonising Egypt, the collected essays of > Robert > Creeley, south asian regional stuff, and so on. > > Looking forward to hearing more-- let's map this thing out. > > Vivek > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > From jeebesh at sarai.net Mon Apr 25 03:27:28 2005 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh Bagchi) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 03:27:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Documenta 12 - Project One Message-ID: <426C1648.9020103@sarai.net> Documenta 12 has worked out it's first project and it looks like an imaginative expansion on the Documenta 11 ideas of Platforms. best j http://www.documenta12.de/documenta12/english/ In the first important press conference since his election as artistic director of documenta 12, Roger Martin Buergel introduced in Kassel one main project on the way to the exhibition in 2007: a journal of journals. More than 70 print periodicals worldwide, editorial offices and online-media are going do discuss the exhibition’s central subjects together with documenta 12. This global network project, in which international prestigious publications as well as specialized media of small linguistic areas away from the big artistic centres are going to participate, is to Roger M. Buergel “not only an important medium of information but also the organizational form that prepares the ground for the exhibition at the preliminary stage.” The first journal of documenta 12 will be published in spring 2006 and is dealing with the subject: “The Modern Age is our Antiquity”. Until then the participating magazines will engross in this topic locally and with their specific knowledge in texts, features and images. The project is organized by the Viennese art publicist, Georg Schöllhammer . --------------------- The documenta12 magazine 1. The project: During the next two-and-a-half years, documenta 12 will work together with more then 70 print and online periodicals throughout the world. These journals and magazines will discuss the main themes and theories behind documenta 12 and reflect upon their meaning for the respective local context. The documenta partner journals will publish texts on the documenta together with reactions to these texts, entering into a dialogue with the documenta. The documenta will then compile these debates and the texts central to them into a comprehensive publication. This publication - a journal of journals, so to speak, published in three issues - represents a platform for worldwide aesthetic discourse. This platform will in turn also form part of the documenta 12 exhibition in Kassel. 2. The context: Magazines and journals represent a central interface between the production, discussion and criticism of art. Various positions taken in the discourse are developed here and subjected to ongoing discussion. These periodicals thus play an important role in translating these positions into terms that can be understood and made use of by either a specific audience or by a broader public. The journal, and more specifically the art and culture journal, is a medium uniquely devoted to reflecting the relationships between art and theory, and between art and the public, as well as dealing with the issues involved in artistic practice and theoretical work. With this project, the documenta enters into a dialogue with those journals across the world that are important to its work. The means by which this dialogue takes place can be understood within the context of how it relates to local configurations and translocal intentions. Not the size of the medium is significant here, but rather its relevance. The project therefore spreads its activities among media of different sizes, ranging from micropublications in relatively uncommon languages, to leading transnational media, with the aspiration of becoming a platform for the transfer and discursive consolidation of specialized knowledge. 3. The structure and sequence: The project begins with a research phase, in which we put together an editorial team made up of local experts and draft a mapping of discourse-relevant journals and their positioning. This editorial team acts as a curatorial network, selecting potential partners to serve as authors for the project, and encouraging their participation and progress. Editors, critics, theorists and artists will thjen take part in "silent colloquia", electronic working symposia in which the conceptual and theoretical leit motifs of the various documenta 12 publications will be developed. This procedure takes place in the form of a dialogue. Each of the journals participating in the network prints one of the texts or devotes an article, section or even an entire issue to one of the themes, utilizing various formats: interviews and essays, features and fiction. By virtue of the autonomous editorial departments participating in the project, the discourse is already embedded in the local context and conveyed to the corresponding public. It is thus able to reach very specific audiences all over the world. This also ensures that disparate local and editorial approaches become discernible. The texts and contexts, as well as the discussions in the silent colloquia and in the individual journals will form the basic material used to put together the documenta publication series. This material will be supplemented with pivotal texts on the concept and context of documenta 12. Each publication will thus offer a general introduction to one of the core themes of documenta 12, a reader addressing not only a specialist public, but the interested layperson as well. The series will appear in at least two languages: German and English. A print on demand tool makes them available in other world languages, such as Russian, Chinese, Spanish and French 4. The main aims: Every response to a question, every theoretical debate, will bring up a whole series of further issues: What does cultural transmission mean? Where are the boundaries between theoretical assumptions and actual aesthetic practice? What form do discourses take in alleged centres as opposed to putative peripheral areas? Which shifts in thematic emphasis and changes in paradigm can be ascertained between various disciplines? How does the concept of artistic work differ from other kinds of work, if at all? How does artistic theory differ from practice, and from other kinds of texts, for example from literature and politics, etc.? The documenta 12 publication project opens up a lasting dialogue. The project is not about a theoretical self-appraisal carried out by documenta 12 itself, but rather about the process of developing the theories of the documenta and juxtaposing these with ideas currently circulating in the art discourse and among artists in the international, local or other specific contexts. The point of the project is thus not the role played by discourses in artistic practice, but instead the discursive practice itself, with its media, dialects and transformations in various contexts. . Since the project is based in particular on transregional themes and motifs, it can help to elucidate the differences and similarities between local dimensions of aesthetic practice. With information being transmitted directly to particular scenes and editorial departments, it is possible to involve precisely those persons and audiences around the world who are interested in the relevant issues in exhibition work. Another objective is to gain broader insights into present-day transformative processes: What kinds of mentalities have evolved in various regions? What kinds of discussions are taking place on the changes occurring in the various economic, social, intellectual and artistic milieus? Which impulses can be derived for the international discourse from these regional self-concepts? An important aim of the network is to provide a broader forum in which authors, theorists and artists who work on the local implementation of discursive practices can expound on their experiences, and compare these experiences with those of people in other situations and contexts. The creation of long-term international cooperations and excellence networks beyond the scope of the project itself should provide inspiration and ideas for local and regional cultural milieus. The project will also endeavour to open up new channels for independent distribution networks, and to encourage flexible forms of translocal communication. Particularly interesting here are the long-term effects of the project well beyond the period of documenta 12 itself, such as the development of sustainable information infrastructures, databases and other communication tools. 31.01.05 Georg Schöllhammer From abhi1200 at yahoo.co.uk Sat Apr 23 14:00:44 2005 From: abhi1200 at yahoo.co.uk (Abhishek Sharma) Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 09:30:44 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Color Balancing of MUGHAL-E-AZAM Message-ID: <20050423083044.42601.qmail@web25010.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Dear All, Hi again! I am back with my Fourth posting on the colorization of Mughal-E-Aazam(MEA). This time I am sending excerpts from the conversation I had with Mr.Rajiv from RAJTARU studios, a prime post production set up in Mumbai, who did the color balancing for the colorized version of MEA. The complete process will be attached in the final report. Please go through and give your valuable feedback. What was your role in the resurrection of MEA in color? We did the color balancing for the film, after it was digitally colorized by Indian Academy for Arts and Animation (IAAA). It’s a crucial process because when you do coloring frame by frame, flickers start to happen. So we did the entire color balancing of the film and made it more balanced to suit the film exposure. We also did the formatting of the aspect ratio of the film, as originally the film was shot on the full screen format as against the current trend where we shoot in Cinemascope (Anamorphic). Thus, we formatted the entire film to suit the Cinemascope screen and then exposed it back on the negative. How did you do this format change from full screen to Cinemascope? By compressing the frames or by trimming them? Did you loose out on any information in the frame? We didn’t compress the film (it would lead to distortion). It was more like keeping the necessary information and let go the information that really doesn’t matter. Like the Headroom? Its not about just the headroom, it’s the overall framing that has to be judged and taken a call on. You definitely loose some information, but that’s negligible, only 5 - 10%. How did the project come to you? When the film was colorized, they did several tests with many companies in the industry and finally they liked the results given by us and we ended up doing the entire film. Before taking up the project we did a lot of tests for them to see what all we could achieve, because we really wanted to be sure whether we would be able to handle it or not. As it was artificially colorized, was it very difficult to do the color balancing? It was definitely difficult. It took almost 4 months only on color balancing and then exposing on the negative. As the colors were digitally generated, they had a lot of variation and contrast. So, it was a tedious job to balance those colors frame by frame. There are a few portions in the film which are originally shot in the EASTMAN color. Do they match easily with the artificially generated colors? Definitely they can’t match 100% because the colorization is a computer generated process, wherein you scan the frame and then color it artificially. But I think there are no jerks to the human eye. We have done more than a decent job. Kindly explain the process in a lay man’s language. Once we receive the colorized frame, we have to break them into sequences, depending on one sequence where the color balances, it should be standardized the way the whole sequence would look. So once we line up that whole sequence, we design a color that suits the whole sequence using the color that has already been done on the film. Then we balance it. When we use the term “balance”, it basically means removing the jitters and flickers that appear in between frames. So basically it is a very straight forward color correction process in which we add or remove the contrast to the image to basically suit the Cinema format. And when you formatted the film into Cinemascope, did you cut it manually? No, its not done manually but you have to do certain tests by exposing it to the negative in order to know how its going to look in the projection. Restoration / Colorization has already been happening in Hollywood for the video format. How was it different to do it for the first time for the 35mm format / Theatrical release? When you are working on video resolution, its very less information / data, that you have to work on. But when you are working on 35mm, the frames are very large in size and resolution is much higher. thus the process for celluloid is much more time consuming and lengthier as opposed to video. Some people have taken this Restoration / colorization as an infringement of the original work while others have taken it as an enhancement. What is your take on it? I don’t think its infringement. Mr.K.Asif had a dream to make his film in color, which has been fulfilled now. Regards, Abhishek Sharma Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050423/31ab10ca/attachment.html From avm124 at hotmail.com Mon Apr 25 08:02:50 2005 From: avm124 at hotmail.com (Adhimoolam Murugan) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 19:32:50 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Digital library of African American Women Writers of the 19thCentury Message-ID: Hi, I thought that the following info might be of interest to you. Vetri. Click on the following link to explore more. http://digital.nypl.org/schomburg/writers_aa19/intro.html Introduction African American Women Writers of the 19thCentury Howard Dodson, Chief Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture The New York Public Library The nineteenth century was a formative period in African-American literary and cultural history. Prior to the Civil War, the majority of black Americans living in the United States were held in bondage. Law and practice forbade teaching blacks from learning to read or write. Even after the war, many of the impediments to learning and literary productivity remained. Nevertheless, black men and women of the nineteenth century learned to both read and write. Moreover, more African-Americans than we yet realize turned their observations, feelings, social viewpoints, and creative impulses into published works. In time, this nineteenth-century printed record included poetry, short stories, histories, narratives, novels, autobiographies, social criticism, and theology, as well as economic and philosophical treatises. Unfortunately, much of this body of literature remained, until very recently, relatively inaccessible to twentieth-century scholars, teachers, creative artists, and others interested in black life. Prior to the late 1960s, most Americans (black as well as white) had never heard of these nineteenth-century authors, much less read their works. The civil rights and black power movements created unprecedented interest in the thought, behavior, and achievements of black people. Publishers responded by revising traditional texts, introducing the American public to a generation of new African-American writers, publishing a variety of thematic anthologies, and reprinting a plethora of "classic texts" in African-American history, literature, and art. The reprints usually appeared as individual titles or in a series of bound volumes or microform formats. The Schomburg Center, which has had a long history of supporting publishing projects on the history and culture of Africans in the diaspora, became an active participant in many of the reprint revivals of the 1960s. Since hard copies of original printed works were the preferred formats for producing facsimile reproductions, publishers frequently turned to the Schomburg Center for copies of these original titles. In addition to providing such materials, Schomburg Center staff members offered advice and consultation, wrote introductions, and occasionally entered into formal co-publishing arrangements in some projects. Most of the nineteenth-century titles reprinted during the 1960s and 1970s, however, were by and about black men. A few black women were included in the longer series, but works by lesser-known black women were generally overlooked. The last two decades have witnessed an explosion of interest on writing by and about black women. In response to this interest, the Schomburg Center, in collaboration with Dr. Henry Louis Gates and Oxford University Press, published the thirty-volume Schomburg Library of Nineteenth Century Black Women Writers in 1988. This collection is now out of print, but there is a continuing need to make works by 19th-century black women writers available to scholars, students and the general public alike. They constitute the foundations of the African American and African American women's literary traditions, containing as they do, the first book of poetry by an African American (Poems on Various Subjects, Religions and Moral by Phillis Wheatly (1773); the first book of essays by an African American, Essays by Ann Plato (1841); and the first novel published by a black person in the United States, Our Nig by Harriet Wilson (1859). African American Women Writers of the 19th Century is a digital collection of some 52 published works by 19th-century black women writers. A part of the Digital Schomburg, this collection provides access to the thought, perspectives and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920. A full text database of these 19th and early 20th- century titles, this digital library is key-word-searchable. Each individual title as well as the entire database can be searched to determine what these women had to say about "family", "religion", "slavery" or any other subject of interest to the researcher or casual reader. The Schomburg Center is pleased to make this historic resource available to the public. [6/9/98] ©1999 The New York Public Library Photographic Services & Permissions Send comments to DigitalSchomburg at nypl.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050424/2336cd79/attachment.html From ish at sarai.net Fri Apr 22 17:57:01 2005 From: ish at sarai.net (ISh) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 17:57:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Working Paper In-Reply-To: <6.2.0.14.2.20050414082040.028f65e8@webmail.ucr.edu> References: <6.2.0.14.2.20050414082040.028f65e8@webmail.ucr.edu> Message-ID: <4268ED95.8090201@sarai.net> Hi Toby, A very intersting papper and I think it is a must read for everyone any specially those intersted in mass media and pop. We are all subject to this onslaught and I m forwarding it to all the people on my mailing list. Please let us know about your other works. Thanks ISh Toby Miller wrote: > Hi to everyone on the list > > I wrote this working paper on 'anti-Americanism and Popular Culture,' > which may be of interest < > http://www.ceu.hu/cps/pub/pub_papers_antiamer_miller.pdf>. > > > Regards > > Toby > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >_________________________________________ >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >Critiques & Collaborations >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. >List archive: > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050422/c5b548d2/attachment.html From kcoelho at email.arizona.edu Wed Apr 20 17:09:05 2005 From: kcoelho at email.arizona.edu (Karen Coelho) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 17:09:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Tales of order: schemes and strategies of water supply Message-ID: <001601c545a1$674b3380$c16841db@user> Tales of order: schemes and strategies in water supply I have been exploring the different ways in which our sense of urban order clings to a grid-like frame despite everyday encounters with other kinds of order. Chennai, even in its physical layout, is anything but grid-like - its streets sweep in curves and send off small meandering street-lets in angular multipliers. Its spaces are arranged in secretive alleys. Grids are, among other things, formulae for accessibility, meant to allow the outsider to apprehend the city complex. But this city is at best a very reluctant grid, I realize as I daily navigate the bus system. As reformers in many spheres envision a transparent and rational urban geography assisted by signage, schedules and smiling service-people, the city's geist resists. The insider-outsider relation with its politics of knowledge is casually practiced by street-level publics through economies of information. Try getting hold of a bus schedule in which timings, routes and stops might be listed for the aspirant to an overview. At the terminus office they say it is only available at the main office - at the other end of the city. So the neophyte resorts to guessing, asking, gets wrong information, takes wrong buses and turns, asks again, wonders. And learns. It is not, ultimately, meant to be that simple. Knowledge of how things really work is subtly encoded in idioms of insidership. Transparency is a slogan of the planners' world, that neither they nor the people on the ground seriously believe is possible -- or even desirable. More secretive still, harder to plumb, are the geographies of urban water access. Keeping a close watch, as city water planners do, on indicators of quantum supply and distribution through pipes or through registers of water truck routes and schedules gives at best a sketchy and at worst a very distorted picture of who gets how much and what kind of water, when and where. Official narratives of order remain supremely grid-like. Straight lines that intersect, on which you can map functions. These orders are, however, substantiated and held in place, both ideologically and in practice, by webs of local rationalities, strategies historically and practically developed to deal with the contingency, unreliability and intractability of official orders. I dropped in to one of local water depots of Metrowater, Chennai's state-run water utility, where I knew the assistant engineer from my earlier research. She was not happy to be still in the same depot: "In this department, only those who give money will get transferred, if you are straightforward you remain in the slum areas. That is how this organization works!" As far as the water situation went, however, she said things were going very well - Krishna water had been coming in, and was being supplied through the newly revamped water distribution system on alternate days. There was no water problem at the moment, she said. "How about in the slums?" I asked. She responded fervently: "Of all the people in this city, these are the people enjoying the most today!! They don't pay taxes or charges, but they get twenty-four hours supply through the public standpipes, they use good treated water for everything - washing vessels, washing clothes, bathing!" This was, in a nutshell, the view of the slums from the water planners' window - I had heard it repeatedly voiced in different ways throughout my earlier research with the city water utility. The engineer went on: "We are now trying to stop tank and truck supply as much as possible, because there is enough water now coming through the pipes. We have been repairing all the public standpipes." "How long will this situation last?" I asked. "I don't know - they (the authorities) don't release information on amounts in storage." In fact information was tighter than ever, according to this engineer. She said the MD had sent around a circular prohibiting any information to be given to the Press or to any outsiders. A week later, I recalled her image of "24 hours, good treated water" as I talked about water with women in M.R.Thottam, a complex of Tamil Nadu Housing Board tenements ringed by huts and shacks and small semi-thatched houses. The alleys between the blocks teem with activity - men sitting in groups playing cards, tiny shops selling cigarettes, biscuits and small plastic items. In one of these alleys is a walled temple, sheltering a large shady tree inside its compound. D lived in one of the TNHB apartments; we sat with her and a group of other women - mostly her sisters, cousins and other family members -- in her mother's thatched house across the road. Along the wall were several brass pots piled up, full of water collected from the tanks. D's mother, who had moved there 40 years earlier, said water used to be abundant until about 25 years ago -- there were two large wells in the area, and the flats piped water into their homes - it was not fit for drinking, but for everything else. The wells, however, slowly ran dry and about ten years ago they were closed down. "We got drinking water from the handpumps on the streets. In those days we hardly needed to pump at all - water just flowed freely, poured out when you touched the pump! But the pumps were not everywhere - we had to go and fetch water, sometimes by cycle, from the nearest pump. We had to go to Sethnagar and ask the people there to let us take water." Now the place was spotted with handpumps, at least a couple along each block. But many were in disrepair and were draped with clothes or mats. Many others had their handles removed. These were still operational but were controlled by individuals who kept the handles locked away. The women laid out for us a dense picture of the multiple modes of water access they strove to maintain as they negotiated complex interlocked criteria of taste, timing and reliability. A collection of local leaders, both formal and informal, define and defend these criteria, mediate local arrangements for water, and control various modes of supply in various ways. In addition to the handpumps, large syntax tanks were ranged on every corner. These were filled everyday by trucks that hauled the water from surrounding districts. "But this is not treated water, so we have to boil it. We don't know where this water comes from. It is not always the same water from the same place - each time it has a different smell, sometimes a bad smell." The handpumps supplied treated water from the underground municipal network. "But even this water sometimes has a drainage smell. We cannot always trust it. So we often have to use the tank water for drinking, but we always boil and strain it. Or sometimes we have to buy canned water to drink. Also, the lorries are not regular - we cannot rely on them." "Another problem with the pumps is that water gets released at odd times - midnight, 1 a.m. you can never tell when it comes. Then a huge crowd gathers and starts jostling and pushing, because the water will suddenly stop. Many of the pumps don't work, so everybody crowds around one pump, the whole Housing Board comes to collect from one pump on this side. A lot of fights and conflicts ensue. If you are really tough, you can push through and get some water - people like us cannot do that. And, for example, water did not come today, so people have to make do with what they collected yesterday. So we buy water from the tanks - we spend Rs. 5 a day, sometimes Rs.10 a day if we have to buy canned water. . But with all this switching back and forth between piped water and tank water, our health suffers. We get sick. The piped water in particular is so unreliable in quality that people tend to stick to tank water even if it is untreated. This is why we are insisting on tank water being continued. Not that we don't want the piped water, but it is so unreliable, and we don't want to keep switching! We need to have both options: tap water and tank water. This is what we are demanding. As soon as the summer comes, they will stop supplying through pipes. People get lost and confused, not knowing what to do, fighting and struggling for water. At least if the tank water comes everyday, they can be sure of at least a few pots. From the pump we can take any amount, but there is where the problems and fights come." These comments, we realized after a while, had to be seen in light of the fact that D's mother controls one of the tanks - she allocates the water, allowing each family 3 pots, and collects 50 p. per pot. As in most of these local arrangements, a fixed amount is paid to the lorry driver, and the local controller keeps the rest. In many cases they claim to contribute the funds to the local temple. Also, as in the majority of these cases, local water managers have links to one of the major political parties - this family is related to a DMK partyworker. D's sister said: "Now that water is coming more freely in the pipes, they are cutting off the lorry supply. But we are organizing people to demand more lorries, especially as the summer is coming". Another sister said: "When we go to the JE (Junior Engineer at the Metrowater depot), he says, 'Why do you need that, now that you get water in the handpumps? You are all just lazy, you don't want to pump the water! Why can't you take a proper house connection and get piped water in your house?' But we don't have the money for that, and we would have to pay taxes and charges on top of the connection charges, and then, after paying all this, we won't even get water in the pipes!" We asked: "Have you even enquired where this tank water comes from?" D said: "We have asked. Sometimes they say Neyveli, or Chembarambakam, or Chengleput. Sometimes we notice differences in the taste. When we ask: what is this water, we are afraid to drink it, and how are we going to use this water for cooking, the lorry driver tells us: 'this comes from a river source, or is mixed with river water.' And sometimes we wonder about the lorries too. These days the lorries that come are old and in bad condition, leaving us worried and nervous about the condition of the water: will it have worms? Once the water was stinking badly, then the driver said that there was a lizard in there. When we complained to the JE about this, he said: 'how do you know it is the water? It might be the tank itself!' And we are hesitant to complain, because the next day they might not send the lorry at all! When the women developed a clear plan for what they wanted, they usually organized delegations to present their demands to the JE. "Even people who were jealous and resentful of us because we controlled the water eventually came to us because they realized that we could get things done. They would say: let's go complain to the JE, we will come with you, about 10 of us. Even the (ward) councilor, he tells us how to go about putting pressure on the JE to get tanks: he says, 'because water is now coming in the pipes, you should go to the JE in a group of 10 or so. I will come and assist.'" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050420/2a71cb8b/attachment.html From kristoferpaetau at WEB.DE Tue Apr 19 16:36:39 2005 From: kristoferpaetau at WEB.DE (Kristofer Paetau) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:06:39 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] AKT SALOON: a happening including a pony, a bodybuilder and academic drawing Message-ID: <1164405965@web.de> You are very welcome to have a look at the documentation of this artistic action entitled AKT SALOON, initiated by the artists Kristofer Paetau (Finland) and Ondrej Brody (Ecuador). A web documentation to view at: http://www.paetau.com/downloads/Akt_Saloon/Akt_Saloon.html A PDF documentation (2,9 MB) to download at: http://www.paetau.com/downloads/Akt_Saloon/Akt_Saloon.pdf Best wishes, Kristofer Paetau -- If you do not want mails anymore, you can unsubscribe automatically by sending an empty e-mail from your e-mail account to: ARTINFO-L-unsubscribe-request at listserv.dfn.de If this doesn't work, you probably got this e-mail re-routed through another address: Please reply to this mail and write UNSUBSCRIBE in the mail subject and please indicate some old or alternative e-mail addresses in order to help us unsubscribe you. Thank you and apologizes for the trouble! -- . __________________________________________________________ Mit WEB.DE FreePhone mit hoechster Qualitaet ab 0 Ct./Min. weltweit telefonieren! http://freephone.web.de/?mc=021201 From lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com Sat Apr 16 19:05:27 2005 From: lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com (lakshmi kutty) Date: 16 Apr 2005 13:35:27 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] ambedkar jayanti Message-ID: <20050416133527.18998.qmail@webmail6.rediffmail.com> cheers, shivam! earlier today i read ur 'hate speech/freedom of expression' blog entry and quite liked the shiva image and ur take on this issue! it is quite tricky isnt it, when something enters the 'public sphere/domain'... because then it matters less what intentions were behind it and more what dynamics it creates from that point of entry onwards. but even with all its dangers it's a constant lesson in communication, and it serves to temper one's delusions about the sanctity/seriousness of one's own ideas/feelings, so i'm all for it! lakshmi. On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 Shivam Vij wrote : >Now that's indeed a new year for me > >On 14 Apr 2005 17:56:59 -0000, lakshmi kutty > wrote: > > > To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! > > > > >-- >Welcome to Mall Road >http://mallroad.blogspot.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050416/4347482d/attachment.html From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Fri Apr 22 11:47:39 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 23:17:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] DASTANGOI PERFORMANCE-IIC 4TH MAY Message-ID: <20050422061739.35801.qmail@web80902.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Dear All, We are trying to devise a Dastangoi performance. The first attempt is on at the IIC at the 4th May at 6.30 pm. Obviously, as modern actors, we are wholly ill-equipped to use our voices in the manner that the Dastangos of yore could do it. Still, one would like to find out what it was that could make Emperor 'Akbar cry like a child' or make the poet Ghalib feel he had attained heaven because 'it is raining, he has six-volumes of Dastans with him and a few bottles of wine, what more could he want.' Do come. MF __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "mohd tasleem" Subject: scan Date: 20 Apr 2005 07:12:48 -0000 Size: 352976 Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050421/66b334b2/attachment.mht From lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com Sat Apr 16 18:54:54 2005 From: lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com (lakshmi kutty) Date: 16 Apr 2005 13:24:54 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: My God became a dog Message-ID: <20050416132454.13629.qmail@webmail9.rediffmail.com> prashant, glad to know that u and i share ambedkar's thoughts on the importance of not investing anything with sacredness such that it inhibits re-evaluation! my intention in sending the greeting across was not to suggest that he be treated akin to gods, rather to remember & value an idea that has much to offer our lives and practices today. and it is worth reiterating who/what/where we wish to draw our legacy from, isn't it? also, it would be interesting to discuss how/why ambedkar has come to occupy the same space in public memory (like in yours) as shivaji and savarkar. this would imply an ignorance of the vastly different political investments made by these three figures ('mythic' maybe, but political nonetheless). since i dont want to assume wrongly or misunderstand u, do write back... lakshmi.   On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 Prashant Pandey wrote : >this is with due respect to all the politicians and people who have fostered Ambedkars's vision at a tremendous social cost. >i think its time we forget Ambedkar( and other mythic figures like Shivaji,Savarkar etc ) and move on. >what he said applies to himself, isnt it ? >let every 50th year convert our gods into dogs. >i rather belive in "once sacred makes other always scared" >prashant > > > >On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 lakshmi kutty wrote : > >To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! > > > >Ideals as norms are good and are necessary. Neither a society nor an individual can do without a norm. But a norm must change with changes in time and circumstances. No norm can be permanently fixed. There must always be room for re-evaluation of the value of our norms. The possibility of revaluing values remains open only when the institution is not invested with sacredness. Sacredness prevents revaluation of its values. Once sacred always sacred. > > > >-Babasaheb Ambedkar > >(Courtesy 'Insight', a magazine of the Ambedkar Study Circle, JNU) > >_________________________________________ > >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > >Critiques & Collaborations > >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > >List archive: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050416/7b2aa7dd/attachment.html From lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com Thu Apr 21 16:29:20 2005 From: lakshmikutty at rediffmail.com (lakshmi kutty) Date: 21 Apr 2005 10:59:20 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: ambedkar:icon:pros and cons Message-ID: <20050421105920.29754.qmail@webmail50.rediffmail.com> hi prashant, ur irritation/discomfort arises from the fact that (1)leaders of the past are being appropriated by political factions today and this appropriation is merely for power, not to benefit the lives of the disadvantaged (2)this iconization is hazardous because the disadvantaged look to these political parties for salvation but get nothing other than 'phony promises for cultural political power' (3)when compared, u feel the politics of the hindu right might be considered less dangerous than dalit politics because atleast the former does not generate the kinds of self-destructive trends that the latter does. and the most telling sign of the failure of dalit politics is this: that it entails chaos and loss of life/limb/property without having 'helped out' its followers who continue to live in poverty and deprivation. firstly, there is nothing inherently wrong with figures being co-opted by political groups, and merely this does not spell doom. whether we endorse or resist such party-figure associations, and why, is the important thing. as for me, i find ambedkar's ideas and work have something to offer me, so i am interested in him as an important thinker. to see this interest as 'iconizing' means that i would never be able to justify my interest in anybody's ideas! secondly, what constitutes successful politics, prashant? is economic/political power the only thing? why is 'cultural political power' considered phony? by what yardsticks are we measuring the usefulness or hazards of dalit politics? and why are we assuming that these are the yardsticks of the dalit movement as well?!?! you think that effective dalit politics would entail a job, a house and social security for every dalit; what if for a dalit activist, effective politics meant, alongside these material things, attacking and eroding the upper-caste mindset of the public domain? and do u really think that the movement has not resulted in more economic/political power than earlier, even if the difference is marginal? if politics for a dalit activist included among other things reversing an oppressive attitude, repressive symbols and icons, an unwritten code of discriminatory behaviours, and the mainstream understanding of politics constituted achieving a house/job/security, this gap tells us something. how do we understand something as nebulous as an attack on attitudes or icons as being 'political'? the exposure of this gap in the mainstream's understanding of politics owes something to the dalit movement... and we're the richer for this! parallels with feminist politics come rushing to my mind, and at the risk of collapsing too much too soon, i'll make a slight detour. it's too simplistic and reductive to say that political activity is pointless if it does not show immediate and tangible results. a constant refrain one comes across in casual conversations is: what has the women's movement really achieved for us? dowry exists, female foeticide exists, violence against women in the family and outside still exists, so how did the feminists change anything?! what is ignored here is that the struggles of the women's movement have made it possible over time to re-structure the way we speak and think of women's rights, women's issues, representation of women, issues of equality/discrimination, etc. changes occured not just in tangible, material things like access to education or jobs or marriages by choice, but also in our understanding of the family and its gendered hierarchies, of the control of female sexuality, of how women have to carry the burden of culture, of the tense relationship between law and culture, of the intense masculine nature of public spaces, etc. we dont live in a completely egalitarian society now, but we understand more and more the demands we make for 'egalitarianism'. an interesting example of how the terms of public debate have changed is that today a large number of debates about sex work focus on 'rights at work' regarding security, health, finances, dependents, etc. and have moved beyond the classic 'victim or villain' paradigm. true, exploitation in sex work exists, and the victim/villain paradigm is not fully dead, but today we have different participants and a differently charged language in this debate... wouldnt we be naive to say that feminist practice has not changed anything?! politics need not always be programmatic, with a well-defined goal and step-by-step programme chart. this is how i see it: an act does not exist in a vacuum. what is as important as doing the act, sometimes even more important, is the context of it. who did it; in response to what was it done; did it intend merely to make its presence felt, or then to intervene and destabilize; did it have only one aim, only one target audience? yes, iconizing or glamourizing figures/ideas could be counter-productive, but this doesnt take away from the significance of foregrounding certain things that are best left untouched in mainstream discourse. lastly, why is it that we think dalit politics affects its 'followers' only? what does dalit politics do to u and to me, non-dalits? an important aspect of dalit politics is that it makes an active dent in the imaginations of those who have had the privilege of taking too much for granted - power, education, public presence, family background, cultural capital, personal confidence. not that dalit politics is infallible, but surely we cannot direct all our questions/attacks at them, can we? is self-reflection not an effective legacy to uphold? lakshmi.   On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 Prashant Pandey wrote : > HI >hope u are doin great.their investments might be different(and its natural) but all these figures have been appropriated by political factions...do you know that ambedkars widow is still alive and living a life of poverty. ? why doesnt BSP,Republican party etc help her out. for me Dalit Politics in india is as hazardous as the hindu right. both have created these big icons (jyotiba phule,sahuji maharaj,valmiki-dalit icons and savarkar,shivaji etc for hindu right, >with the only difference that the politics of hindu right doesnt take way much from its follower. if i follow BJP i do not do it at the cost of my existence as i am relatively well off and can afford to be amused by the RIGHT Wing but for a poor dalit options are very limited and sees its salvation in these political formations,which are nothing but a phony promise for cultural political power. pains me to see dalits getting killed in a stampede in a mayawati rally in lucknow. is this the legacy of ambedkars politics? > > > > >t, 16 Apr 2005 lakshmi kutty wrote : > >prashant, > > > >glad to know that u and i share ambedkar's thoughts on the importance of not investing anything with sacredness such that it inhibits re-evaluation! > > > >my intention in sending the greeting across was not to suggest that he be treated akin to gods, rather to remember & value an idea that has much to offer our lives and practices today. and it is worth reiterating who/what/where we wish to draw our legacy from, isn't it? > > > >also, it would be interesting to discuss how/why ambedkar has come to occupy the same space in public memory (like in yours) as shivaji and savarkar. this would imply an ignorance of the vastly different political investments made by these three figures ('mythic' maybe, but political nonetheless). > > > >since i dont want to assume wrongly or misunderstand u, do write back... > > > >lakshmi. > > > > > >On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 Prashant Pandey wrote : > > >this is with due respect to all the politicians and people who have fostered Ambedkars's vision at a tremendous social cost. > > >i think its time we forget Ambedkar( and other mythic figures like Shivaji,Savarkar etc ) and move on. > > >what he said applies to himself, isnt it ? > > >let every 50th year convert our gods into dogs. > > >i rather belive in "once sacred makes other always scared" > > >prashant > > > > > > > > > > > >On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 lakshmi kutty wrote : > > > >To all those who cherish the spirit of relentlessly questioning and de-stabilizing the status quo... greetings on Ambedkar jayanti! > > > > > > > >Ideals as norms are good and are necessary. Neither a society nor an individual can do without a norm. But a norm must change with changes in time and circumstances. No norm can be permanently fixed. There must always be room for re-evaluation of the value of our norms. The possibility of revaluing values remains open only when the institution is not invested with sacredness. Sacredness prevents revaluation of its values. Once sacred always sacred. > > > > > > > >-Babasaheb Ambedkar > > > >(Courtesy 'Insight', a magazine of the Ambedkar Study Circle, JNU) > > > >_________________________________________ > > > >reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > >Critiques & Collaborations > > > >To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > > > >List archive: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050421/998160af/attachment.html From openspace_india at yahoo.com Mon Apr 18 12:22:30 2005 From: openspace_india at yahoo.com (openspace india) Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:52:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] review of Suketu Mehta and Pavan Varma from Economist In-Reply-To: <4260E83E.5010208@ranadasgupta.com> Message-ID: <20050418065230.89206.qmail@web31602.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Here's a review of Suketu Mehta's book, MaximumCity: Bombay, Lost and Found from www.openspaceindia.org http://www.openspaceindia.org/essays_12.htm Cheers Renu Iyer Another interpreter of Indian maladies Maximum City: Bombay, Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta. Alfred A Knopf, New York: 2004, pp 542, hardback, $27.95 - Arshia Sattar Suketu Mehta�s Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found picks up, historically, where V S Naipaul left off -- with the post-Babri Masjid riots and bomb blasts of 1993. Mehta follows the same trajectory of trying to understand the lumpenisation of a great and throbbing metropolis I was reading Suketu Mehta's Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found on an interminable flight into Bombay , and suspended in that impenetrable cocoon of space-and-timelessness, the book filled the vacuum with smells and colours and pictures. As the plane circled over Bombay at noon , the city was covered in a brown haze that seemed to thwart the bright sunlight of the early summer. And when I left the neutral zone of the airport, I tried to look at the city of my youth anew: to look through and past the surface to the shadow world of gangsters and bar dancers that Mehta shines a candle on as he lives for a while, like Jonah, in the belly of the beast. Mehta begins his examination of Bombay 's inner life after the communal riots and bomb blasts of 1992-1993, events that were the culmination of years of shifting, turbulent undercurrents, and which conclusively changed the city's course and the way it thought about itself. Suketu Mehta spent his childhood in Bombay and then moved with his parents to the outer boroughs of New York City when he was 14. For this book, he relocates his young family to the city of his boyhood as he explores its underbelly in an earnest quest for how the city lives, works and plays after the polarisation that followed the betrayals, death and destruction of 1993. Mehta shows us a Bombay that we all know exists, but one that we, as the middle class, rarely have the misfortune to experience: a city controlled by goons and thugs, a city where for many young men the only jobs are provided by political gangs and the underworld, a city where the glittering bar dancers of the night are melancholic and suicidal young women by day, where perceived might is the only right, on the street as well as in middle class housing societies. Carefully researched and equally carefully thought through, Mehta confirms every bit of gossip and scandal that animated the Chinese-whispers circles of the city in the 1990s � from Michael Jackson using Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's toilet to actress Mandakini's relationship with the underworld's Dawood Ibrahim. Mehta takes us with him when he meets small-time gang shooters in sleazy hotels on the outskirts of the city and when he meets Bal Thackeray in his den as the �leader' talks about his motivations and desires for the city. We eavesdrop on phone conversations with Chota Shakeel and learn the ethics of another kind of gangster. We follow Mehta to his meetings with the police inspector Ajay Lal, chief investigator for the bomb blasts case, and listen to the tales of torture and punishment. We also visit the Sapphire Bar at night and get involved in Mehta's relationship with the dancers Monalisa and Honey. And we enter the interior landscapes, emotional and physical, inhabited by the rich and famous like actor Sunjay Dutt and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra. In these encounters, Mehta is not merely our physical guide, but also our moral conscience as with him, we examine our own ambivalence towards �good cops' who use torture and brutality to get information, towards the �honour' that exists between men who murder people for small sums of money, towards a system of pimps and whores and johns that respects personal boundaries as its inhabitants dream of true love. Mehta carries his book close � he is on every page, not as a neutral observer, but as a thinking, feeling, caring and involved writer. Even as he lives the borrowed lives of people as unlike him as apples are from oranges, he also shares his �real' life with the reader. His wife and two small children provide an oasis of comfort, familiarity and security, a counterpoint to the confusions and torments unleashed by the �others' of the city. Mehta understands the new world around him through his family, using them and his emotions as a father and a husband as the touchstone of truth and morality. And from this vantage point, he is able to give a credible and sympathetic account of all those he meets even as he maintains his own �purity'. It is no surprise then, that the book ends with an admiring description of wealthy Jain diamond merchants (Mehta's own community) who renounce all their worldly power and pelf, as well as the bonds of family to wander as monks and nuns, in the world, but not of it, as they seek moksha. Much has been written (almost all of it positive), in the Western press about this teeming, tumbling, tortuous and (sometimes) tortured account of Bombay , a city that must surely burst with its own contradictions or ooze into the seas that surround it. Mehta has long been an interpreter of Indian maladies for the West. Like V S Naipaul, he, too, carries the precious tag of the insider-outsider, able to understand what the outsider can't and see what the insider won't. In many ways, Maximum City updates Naipaul's India: A Million Mutinies that was published in 1990. Mehta picks up, historically, where Naipaul left off, with the post-Babri Masjid riots and the bomb blasts of 1993. He follows the same trajectory of trying to understand the lumpenisation of a great and throbbing metropolis, of the small man's desire for recognition and power, of who is excluded in the newly emergent tribalisms that dominate the inner life of the city, of who really owns the city and what they intend to do with this magnificent and troublesome possession. Mehta asks himself the right questions and then persuades his subjects to consider providing the answers. In dealing with this city of dreams, both small and poignant as well as large and outrageous, Mehta touches the obvious ends of the spectrum: the shadow world of the gangster and the dancer and the klieg lights of Bollywood, each a reflection of the other, symbiotically bound in the twilight zone where dreams and reality come together. And yet, there remains something fundamentally male and adolescent about Mehta's account of the city and where he locates its narratives. We can see a boy's fascination for men who carry guns, for glittering, fragile women who live at night, for heroes of the silver screen who get to keep the gun and the woman. While this naivet� contributes, initially, to the book's charm, it begins to wear thin with endless iterations and countless biographies of smaller and larger lives. Mehta's enterprise and his book also suffer from shades of a new Orientalism � this is the way we think about the chaotic metropolises of the non-West, be they Bombay, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong, or even Moscow � as cities run by gangsters and criminals, where the rule of law is not even a Platonic idea to strive for, where real power has moved into the bylanes of criminality and the nether world of amorality. And where the honest, hardworking middle classes are under siege from both dysfunctional governments and an increasingly aggressive underclass. Nonetheless, Mehta's book is timely, for as we live through the first decade of the new millennium, we need to look back at how and why our finest city has changed over the last century. To balance Mehta's somewhat skewed (though entirely sincere) perspective, Maximum City should be read alongside two other recent books about Bombay � Meena Menon and Neera Adarkar's vibrant and significant compilation of oral histories about Girangaon, the mill district, One Hundred Years, One Hundred Voices (Seagull, 2004) and the surprisingly exhilarating �novel' Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (Abacus, 2003), an escaped Australian convict who became part of Bombay's underworld in the 1980s. Together, they present a fuller picture of Bombay 's expanding margins and the perilous future that lies ahead as the human and urban cost of that exclusion becomes evident. InfoChange News and Features, March 2005 Rana Dasgupta wrote:India Not losing hope Apr 7th 2005 >From The Economist print edition Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found By Suketu Mehta Being Indian: Inside the Real India By Pavan K. Varma AT TIMES of great change, nations inevitably become introspective. In India's case, one recent consequence of a rapidly growing and globalising economy has been an outpouring of books with titles like �Remaking India�, �Shaping India of our Dreams�, �The Great Indian Dream�, �Rising Elephant� and �Rethinking India�. Having escaped the blind alley of economic autarky, goes one common theme, a newly self-confident but widely misunderstood India is ready to take its rightful place as a leading world power. In very different ways, these two books are the best of the recent crop. Both are elegantly written, in English, yet transcend the interests of the English-speaking elite. �Maximum City�, which at the end of March won the Kiriyama prize for non-fiction, is a remarkable documentary of life in India's largest city, now known as Mumbai. This is not the city of bankers, stockbrokers and call-centre workers that many business visitors encounter. Rather the book delves into the interlocking worlds of communal violence, politics, gangsterism, commercial sex, film-making and even religious renunciation. Suketu Mehta must be an extraordinarily winning man. One surprising feature of his book is the trust he has inspired in his subjects, a range of people grappling with the grim business of surviving Mumbai. They have helped him create an account of the city�and of India�which is as intimate and gripping as a novel. What made them do it? There is an incorruptible cop who boasts of his expertise in torture. There is a breathtakingly beautiful bar-girl, who brings Mr Mehta along for a reunion with the father she has not seen for ten years. There is the gangster who puts a pink towel on his head and says his prayers in Sanskrit as a break from describing how it feels to shoot somebody. There is a man making a living as a female dancer, who decides to abandon tweezers and asks Mr Mehta to teach him to shave. There is the struggling would-be entrepreneur, who confides his pleasure in returning to his home village because he likes to feel the grass tickling his buttocks as he defecates. There is the underworld don, who takes to the author so much that, like an indulgent shopkeeper, he offers him an assassination of his choice. Through much of this drama, Mr Mehta, it seems, is just sitting there, tapping it all straight on to the keyboard of his laptop. Many of those he writes about obviously no longer see him as reporter or writer, but as confessor and friend. He vindicates their trust by bringing their stories vividly to life. In doing so, Mr Mehta paints a picture of an India that is so vast, complex and confusing as to defy generalisation, and facing such a terrifying array of problems that it forbids optimism. Yet most of his characters show what Pavan Varma in �Being Indian� calls the intrinsic Indian propensity for not losing hope. That dauntless optimism is in evidence on a national scale at present. To many foreigners it seems almost unseemly: how can a country talk so proudly when so many of its people�260m at the government's count�live below the poverty line? Mr Varma's answer is brutal: the rich in India have always lived a life quite uncaring of the ocean of poverty around them. �Being Indian� is one of the most subtle recent attempts to analyse the continent-sized mosaic of India and simplify it for the general reader. It also fully realises the ambitions of its subtitle. The book describes the emergence of a �new supranational Indian culture� which has �the arrogance of the upstart and the self-absorption of the new�, and which in writers such as Mr Varma and Mr Mehta, is blessed with two quite gifted chroniclers. _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. List archive: --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050417/8c8a7e8b/attachment.html From kranenbu at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 25 18:30:40 2005 From: kranenbu at xs4all.nl (Rob van Kranenburg) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:00:40 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: ambedkar:icon:pros and cons In-Reply-To: <20050421105920.29754.qmail@webmail50.rediffmail.com> References: <20050421105920.29754.qmail@webmail50.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: "secondly, what constitutes successful politics, prashant? is economic/political power the only thing? why is 'cultural political power' considered phony? by what yardsticks are we measuring the usefulness or hazards of dalit politics? and why are we assuming that these are the yardsticks of the dalit movement as well?!?!' when antonio gramsci was in prison he wrote to his mother to tell him what saints the peasants were carrying in their procession, that would tell him about their level of optimism for the year. in fact his sole idea that he worked on during his life is: you got to have cultural power before you can have political power. unfortunately in the west where the left does nothing but talk and look at itself in the mirror it is the extreme right that has understood, claimed and graseped this effectively thus handing over a politics of sentiment, feeling to the enemy. more: http://www.italnet.nd.edu/gramsci/igsn/articles/a09_5.shtml -- http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/person-1024.25.html&lang=en http://blogger.xs4all.nl/kranenbu/ 0031 (0) 641930235 From kranenbu at xs4all.nl Mon Apr 25 18:53:48 2005 From: kranenbu at xs4all.nl (Rob van Kranenburg) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:23:48 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] [water] Fisherpeoples' protest in Delhi Message-ID: Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:09:03 +0200 To: right-to-water at iatp.org X-Loop: water at lists.riseup.net List-Help: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: Subject: [water] Fisherpeoples' protest in Delhi From: initiative at riseup.net Press release 24.4.2005 PLEASE LET US LIVE Fisherpeoples' indefinite dharma in Delhi from 25th April 2005 The fisheries sector in India has been undergoing drastic changes from one extreme to another. We have Catamarans with sail on one hand and deep-sea industrial fishing fleet on the other. About 90% of fisherpeople, who depend on fishing for livelihood, are catching only 30% of 3 million tonnes of fish available annually. The remaining 70% of the catch goes to the mechanised fishing sector benefiting only the profiteering entrepreneurs. Uncontrolled mechanisation resulted in destruction of resource base by bottom trawlers and purse-seiners. Government is again trying to bring big/industrial vessels in the guise of resource specific deep-sea fishing. High power Murari Committee recommendation - result of a national consensus on marine fishing and accepted by the Union Cabinet on 27th September 1997 - has been sent to the cold store. Our seas and coastal zone - our fishing grounds and habitats - are being given away to private companies and corporations. We are evicted from our traditional occupation in the name of environment, industry, tourism, beautification etc. We are driven out of our age-old settlements for the benefit of land mafias. We had been running from pillar to the post with our 42 points Charter of demands for last five years. We have knocked at the doors of four successive Agriculture Ministers, two Ministers for Environment and Forest, two Ministers for Petroleum and Natural Gas and above all the Prime Minister of India again and again. Each time we have been given assurances and promises by the honourable leaders of the country, which have seldom been honoured. Those who walked out of the parliament in support of our struggle have done precious little when they got to remain 'shining' in power for five years! In the meantime our plights have gone bad to worse. We always remain susceptible to natural calamities. Death and damage caused by the killer tsunami on 26th December 2004 shocked the world. Tsunami left more than 20,00,000 people uprooted and hapless in our coastline. But occupational and other long-term rehabilitation of the victims still remains a far cry. Change of Government generated great aspirations. The CMP of the UPA Government pledges to: "enhance the welfare and well being of farmers, farm labour, workers, particularly those in the unorganised sector, and assure a secure future for their families in every respect" and "to provide for full equality of opportunity particularly in education and employment for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and religious minorities." But it is a matter of great regret that (a) the future of 10,000 fishermen of Jambudwip has been written off by the MoEF (b) thousands of fishermen are evicted from coastal towns and city slums along with other poor people (c) Sethusamudram mega project - with the potential of destroying vast fishing community - has been cleared (d) once buried Umbergaon Port project has been resurrected. (e) the ghost of foreign fishing vessels started peeping into Indian waters in the name of 'New Deep-sea Fishing Policy'. All these happened during the present UPA Government! We have once again come to the capital to urge upon the Government and the people of India and their representatives that we have been rendered to the status of "endangered species" and are racing fast to the verge of extinction. The nation has a responsibility to see that we too have a right to live a decent and peaceful life. Once again we are putting forward our demands to the Government. We shall begin and continue to remain in Dharna in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi from 25th April 2005 onward till our demands are met. Our demands are: · Supply Kerosene at subsidised rate · Restore livelihood of fishermen in Jambudwip · Step up grant & expedite tsunami rehabilitation · Stop import of foreign fishing vessel · Ban industrial aquaculture · Enact Fishing Regulation for EEZ · Scrap Sethusamudram Project · Protect and conserve fishing grounds from oil exploration · Scrap Umbergaon port · Waive road tax on diesel for fishing boats · Stop eviction of fisherpeople in the name of development · Release fishermen and fishing boats from Pak custody · Fishermen are part of marine ecosystem, Protect shark, turtle as well as fishermen. · Implement the Coastal Regulation Zone, Notification1991. · Frame legislation empowering the fisher people to own and manage water bodies. We call upon all fisherpeople of the country to organise rally, public meeting, dharna, blockade, picketing and other forms of continuous agitation in support of Delhi dharna from 25th April onwards. We request all labour organisations, student, youth, farmers, intellectuals, social activists,CSOs and other sections of society to support our struggle for survival. NFF - ZINDABAD. Thomas Kocherry Harekrishna Debnath N.D.Koli T.Peter R.K.Patil P.V.Khokari Basudev Bollur Phill. Mary P.Ramalingam Paul Samy Nitai Jana K.Alleya Ramesh Dhuri Vincent Jain T.K.Rahaman Peter Das -- http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/person-1024.25.html&lang=en http://blogger.xs4all.nl/kranenbu/ 0031 (0) 641930235 From majorod22 at yahoo.com Mon Apr 25 19:17:17 2005 From: majorod22 at yahoo.com (Mario Rodrigues) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 06:47:17 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] the political sociology of indian golf -- posting Message-ID: <20050425134718.70250.qmail@web51702.mail.yahoo.com> The political sociology of golf in India--posting Golf was institutionalised as the sport of royalty after James IV of Scotland reversed the ban on the sport imposed by his grandfather in 1502 and stamped his royal seal of approval by swinging his clubs. Since then, golf has become known as the sport of kings, presidents, world leaders, celebrities et al. It has further been embraced by royalty of the present � the corporate chiefs, the movers and shakers of the globalised economy. What is not so well known is that golf is also the favourite sport of the generals. Like cricket, golf also has a hoary connection with colonialism, considering that the game came to South Asia on the sails of British imperialism. Not surprisingly, many of the golf courses initially built in India/South Asia, beginning from the early nineteenth century onwards, were set in or around military cantonments. These were controlled by the colonial military establishment of those times. Control of these courses in turn passed on to the military authorities of India and Pakistan after independence. As a result, about 75 per cent of the 210-odd golf courses in India are controlled by the military even today. For example, out of the five golf courses in the cantonment town of Pune, four are military ones, where civilians have restricted access. Thus, in India, the game has been largely appropriated by the military (and that too only by its top brass) simply by virtue of the fact that they own a brute majority of the courses. The Indian Army even advertises golf as one of its attractions in its recruitment drives for the officer cadre. It seems that our generals and military top brass enjoy the luxury of playing golf, at considerable public expense, while the jawans at the lower end of the pecking order, who are pitched on the frontline in times of war, have to settle for lesser pursuits! But golf�s connection with the generals has acquired even more sinister connotations in South Asia and South-East Asia. The generals of Pakistan and those in Myanmar belonging to the junta re-christened as the State Peace and Development Council have monopolised the game in their own insidious ways, grabbing land to build new courses, and have become pioneers of golf tourism and golf development in the region. They also cut some sweet deals pertaining to other subjects on the courses. The generals, past and present, not only own or control several of the new golf courses in Pakistan, Myanmar, as well as in the fledgling democracies of the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia that were once ruled by brutal military dictatorships, but several other vital sectors of the economy as well. For example, General-turned-President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is a keen golfer and so are the successors of the original dictator General Ne Win, who seized power in a coup d�etat in 1962, in Myanmar. The notorious Myanmar junta uses golf to entertain foreign VIPs and in turn are accorded similar facilities when they visit neighbouring or foreign countries. In July 2000, when the Indian army chief and supreme commander of the Indian armed forces General V P Malik visited Burma, he played golf with his Burmese counterpart, General Maung Aye, deputy commander-in-chief of the defence services and vice-chairman of the SPDC at the Thiriyadana Golf Club at Konmyintlha. Similarly, when General Musharraf visited Sri Lanka some time ago, he played a round of golf during his state visit! Another point. If one looks up the list of office bearers of the national golf associations or federations of these countries, do not be surprised to find generals and military types prominent in the list of past and current officials. It is quite possible that many of these generals may be quite respectable and law-abiding citizens though!!! Perhaps the biggest promoter of golf is the US military, which owns around 200 courses all across the world for the use of its four wings � Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines (see www.usforcesgolf.com for a list of US military golf courses). Now the US forces, which are engaged in bringing �democracy� to Iraq for the last couple of years, are also engaged in promoting golf closer to home. US soldiers have reopened and are running a golf course in Afghanistan and preaching the gospel of golf to the redeemed natives! Ends __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ From manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com Tue Apr 19 18:44:55 2005 From: manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com (Manosh Chowdhury) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 06:14:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema In-Reply-To: <91290c605041904342938ae11@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <20050419131455.30657.qmail@web53310.mail.yahoo.com> Hi! Rashmi, I am an illiterate person in this line. And hardly ever I responded in this forum. But the point you raised here just made me to engage a little. I think the dichotomy realism-melodrama is a misleading to approach the contemporary filmic genre, especically those in India. Even if the dichotomy had a merit in the previous days, which I am not much sure of, it should no more be considered as a viable binary. If we are to take seriously some productions during the last decade, and specifically made by kind of makers like Mani Ratnamin, the binary is simply invalid. In my consideration, there are at least two kinds of contemporary Mumbai cinema that clearly transgress the demarcation line of real and melodrama - if they could really be any comprehensible categories - 1. films those anticipated diasporaic viewers as its potential consumers; 2. films having a plot that set out on a "gross" political outlet of modern India [truely, with overt or covert references either to the colonial past or postcolonial relationship with Pakistan]. While I am saying this, I actually believe that a "melodrama" framework for reading Indian cinema could best supplement underestimating the power of the medium - both as a visual product and as vehichle of norms. Regarding the film you mentioned, Dev, I don't think the contradiction as secularism vs fundamentalism. At best, it could be named as terrorism vs patriotism in my understanding. And yet, the utmost mission of this film is to subscribe the virtue of a 'nationhood', hence the Indian one. Hope we could continue. Kind regards manosh Rashmi Sawhney wrote:Thanks, Yousuf. I'll have a look at the book you suggest. A specific question that I'm thinking about is about the dynamics between realism and melodrama in Indian cinema. Could a film that uses continuity editing, and a classic Hollywood style of realism as its guiding cinematic technique also allow for the resolution of the conflict in the plot/theme to occur outside a rational reality? Perhaps using the modes of Indian melodrama? To take an example, a film like Nihalani's Dev carefully follows classic Hollywood realist guidelines, yet the dialogue between secularism/fundamentalism is resolved only through the death of both ideologies (and their signifiers). Therefore, would Dev be more suitably classified as a realism-based or melodrama-based film? Look forward to hearing some views. Best, Rashmi --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Plan great trips with Yahoo! Travel: Now over 17,000 guides! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050419/29266959/attachment.html From ambarien at gmail.com Sat Apr 16 16:30:06 2005 From: ambarien at gmail.com (ambarien al qadar) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 16:30:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Screening of EU-India Cross Cultural Documentaries Message-ID: <5ea7953c050416040076416ca6@mail.gmail.com> The Spice of Life: An EU-India Experience The Thomson Foundation cordially invites you to the screening of two cross-cultural documentaries produced under The EU-India Documentary Initiative: ELSEWHERE India-Spain, duration: 28 minutes. Crew: Directors: Consuelo Alonso Pimentel and Ambarien Al Qadar Camera: Shakeb Ahmed and Speed Editing and Script: Ambarien Al Qadar Sound Recording: Juan Manuel Lopez and Ambarien Al Qadar Sound Mixing: Pradip Maitty. Between Delhi and Madrid, the film explores the worlds of three young Muslims- Hasnae and Hicham are Moroccan immigrants in Madrid. While Hasnae works in a restaurant, Hicham looks out for work. A burden of prejudice follows them almost like a shadow. In Delhi, Anjala dreams of breaking out of her world that seems to shrink everyday. The film is located within a context wh Fighting Alcoholism India-Denmark, duration: 28 minutes. A film by Kamlesh Sahu and Andreas Koefed. The film enters the worlds of two compulsive alcoholics and tries making connections between notions of their personal happiness and larger histories. 6.30 pm on Saturday, April 16, 2005, Gulmohar, Convention Centre, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003 (Entry from Gate No. 3 on Vardhaman Marg) Each film has been made by and Indian and a European film maker working together on a social issue/conflict of importance to both their home countries. Programme 6.30 pm Tea/Coffee 7.00 pm Screening of films followed by an interaction with the film makers The EU-India Documentary Initiative is a project under the EU-India Cross-Cultural Programme implemented by: The Thomson Foundation, Cardiff Indian Institute for Mass Communication, New Delhi University of Tampere, Finland Media Management Group for Literacy and Development, New Delhi Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, London The EU-India Documentary Initiative is being undertaken with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of the documentaries are the sole responsibility of The Thomson Foundation and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. Regards, Ambarien _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From mmdesai2 at yahoo.co.in Mon Apr 25 14:51:06 2005 From: mmdesai2 at yahoo.co.in (mmdesai) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:51:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: interesting article by Bittu Sehgal Message-ID: <00d401c5497f$fcd32f20$0a18fea9@com1> ----- Original Message ----- From: Deepa madhavan To: pgdel nlsui ; Aravind ; Raji ; RAmu ; chinna mama ; Ravi BV ; RS LIZA ; Ruta Shah ; Shailendra Singh ; Sharad Sheth ; Sharada Hubli ; Gregory Seelhorst ; Greg ; Gregory ; Ms.Guna Venkataraman ; Subhashini Hari ; Haresh Gajjar ; Mittu,Sipu ,Rolly Common address ; kaustubh DAs ; Mishra Manisha ; Tapas & Sheoli Mitra ; MAdhavi Desai ; BB prakash ; Arvind & Neera Adarkar ; Viji Srinivasan ; gogo ; Aman Mehta ; Mithu Analji 's official ; Guna Venkataraman ; Anuradha Chhillar ; Aruna Venkatesh ; Arun Swaminathan ; Balaji Vaghela ; Bindu ; George William Ssendiwala Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 3:24 PM Subject: interesting article by Bittu Sehgal Green Tips You CAN make a difference! By Bittu Sahgal When most people think of the massive environmental problems ahead of us, they wonder how anything they could do can possibly help the environmental movement. But from my experience, it is always the acts of individuals that wind up making a difference... either to help or harm the environment. Think about it. Every time you go out to buy medicines or vegetables for instance, a shopkeeper thrusts a plastic bag in your hand and by accepting it you add to a very serious problem in our towns and cities. The bags cannot be disposed off safely. Even if you throw it in the garbage bin, they wind up in dumps from where the wind carries them to drains, which they block. If they land in the sea, turtles and dolphins choke on them because they look like tasty jellyfish in the water. Even if each of us uses only one or two bags a day, the problem becomes gigantic in a city where millions of people live. But this is one environmental problem you can easily solve: just carry a cloth bag around (like your grandmother used to!) And remember to tell the shopkeeper why you are not taking his bag from him so that he slowly gets the message and stops offering them to customers. You can also start a "clean-up" campaign in your organisation or neighbourhood. And, of course, one of the best ways for you to help the environment would be to write letters to newspapers about how you feel, or to politicians to protest against plans to destroy the environment. If you respect nature, learn all you can about nature and support conservation organisations; you can take a great first step towards launching yourself on the path of environmental activism for the rest of your life. It's such a beautiful world and if each of us does even very little to help, we can keep it that way. Every individual can play a role in safeguarding our environment. Adapt your lifestyle and make a significant change! Conserve water Did you know? One person out of every 5 people in the world does not have clean water to drink. 99.5 per cent of all fresh water in the world is in glaciers and ice caps. Conserve Water! Little drops make the ocean... Fix every leaking tap the moment you detect the leak. Use flushes that use half the quantity of water and low-flow taps at the washbasin. When washing your face and hands, keep the flow down to a trickle instead of a torrent. Never leave the tap running while washing clothes and dishes or brushing teeth and shaving. Take a bucket bath instead of a shower. (80 per cent of the city is forced to do this anyway, but those with running water use as much as all the others put together). Never wet-service your car or two-wheeler. Besides conserving water, this will also protect your vehicle from corrosion damage. If you use a washing machine, make sure you always run it on full load. The amount of energy utilised is the same. Put a brick into the flush tank to decrease the quantity per flush. Don't litter Did you know? The average middle class urban family produces 20 kg. of trash every week. Disposable diapers could take 500 years to decompose in a landfill. It's not all trash! Don't dispose your kitchen waste in non-biodegradable polythene bags. Separate household wastes into 'Wet' and 'Dry' components. The 'Wet' portion comprises foodstuffs, dead animals, plant remains and wastes which are biodegradable. These can be processed to yield manure and fuel in the form of biogas. Non-degradable wastes like plastic, metals and glass should be given to recycling factories. Do not litter. Always throw waste in the dustbins that you find on the roadside, and if you cannot find one, carry the waste back home and throw it in your own household bin. Use cloth bags for shopping. Reuse envelopes, use both sides of paper and if you must use wrapping paper, be creative and consider options like coloured newspapers for attractive packaging. Stop junk mail. Write to companies asking them to take you off their mailing list. Buy products in bulk to minimise packaging, and do not patronise products with unnecessary and wasteful packaging. Carry your own ceramic cup to the office to avoid using paper cups. Pass on textbooks to a younger child and share books and magazines for leisure reading. Encourage the practice of passing on old newspapers and magazines to the raddiwalla. Stop polluting Did you know? Pollution levels inside cars can be up to 18 times higher than those outside the vehicles. Mumbai city alone discharges around 2574.23 million tonnes of sewage into the sea everyday. India uses nearly 100,000 tonnes of pesticides annually, of these 70 per cent are either banned or strictly restricted in industrialised nations. India's standard for suspended particulate matter in residential areas is 2.3 times the 60 micrograms per cubic metre guideline recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Act now! Special devices should be installed in factories to remove particles and poisonous gases before releasing fumes into the atmosphere. Steps should be taken to ensure that automobiles do not release unburned fuels from their exhausts. Use unleaded petrol and ensure that a PUC (Pollution Under Control) test is done regularly. Encourage car pools to travel. Use neem leaves to keep out insects instead of toxic pesticides. Save energy Save energy Save energy Did you know? A 40-watt tube light consumes as much electricity as a 100-watt bulb. Refrigerators and air conditioners emit CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) that are responsible for destruction of the ozone layer. According to some conservative estimates, oil reserves will last for less than 40 years. At the present rate of consumption India's reserves will last for only 22 years. Save electricity Removing two lamps in a fixture meant for four would save 50 per cent of the electricity bill. Compact fluorescent bulbs consume less energy for more output. Replace bulbs with tube lights as they consume less electricity for the amount of light they give out. Turn electrical appliances off when you do not need them. Saving electricity means conserving fossil fuels and reducing pollution. Instead of using air conditioners rigorously in summer, consider using old-fashioned khus sheets or just try splashing water on yourself and sitting under the fan. Open refrigerators less frequently to save energy. Do not switch lights on during the daytime. Open your windows instead and let the sunlight in. Protect wildlife Did you know? If present trends of extinction continue, a quarter of the world's species of animals and plants could vanish within 50 years. Two per cent of India's mammals, ten per cent of its flowering plants and five per cent of its birds are on the verge of extinction. The world loses up to three animal species per day and according to some scientists this may go up to three animals per hour in the next ten years. It is estimated that India loses at least one tiger every day. 80 per cent of all ivory is taken from elephants that are illegally hunted and killed to make artefacts. More grain and cereal is fed to the livestock bred for meat in Russia and the USA than is consumed by the entire population of the third world. A single sheep or goat bred for meat is fed the equivalent of 4 hectares of vegetation every year. Care for nature Report any instances of cruelty to animals to organisations such as the SPCA. Boycott visits to zoos or circuses where animals are treated badly. Do not hunt or disturb animals when you visit a sanctuary. Be kind to your pets and to all animals in your neighbourhood. Change your food habits. It's greener to be vegetarian. Best wishes , Deepa __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/a75f8b38/attachment.html From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Mon Apr 25 18:29:38 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 25 Apr 2005 12:59:38 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Zen & the BJP, Prashant Pandey Message-ID: <20050425125938.27357.qmail@webmail9.rediffmail.com> i have taken a short break from my research on the Bollywood song, offering you some twisted digressions; here is my remix version of a Zen Story. Now pay attention,every word matters in a Zen story.   Just Go to Sleep Pramod was sitting at the bedside of Atal three days before his teacher's passing. Atal had already chosen him as his successor. A mosque recently had burned and Pramod was busy rebuilding the structure. Atal asked him: "What are you going to do when you get the temple rebuilt?" "When your sickness is over we want you to speak there," said Pramod. "Suppose I do not live until then?" "Then we will get someone else," replied Pramod. "Suppose you cannot find anyone?" continued Atal. Pramod answered loudly: "Don't ask such foolish questions. Just go to sleep." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/f936c376/attachment.html From rochellepinto at yahoo.com Mon Apr 18 23:27:18 2005 From: rochellepinto at yahoo.com (rochelle pinto) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:57:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Goan migrants and medicine In-Reply-To: <20050418100006.2C01928D903@mail.sarai.net> Message-ID: <20050418175718.61421.qmail@web30505.mail.mud.yahoo.com> A dominant note that weaves through the writings of non-elite Goans is the resistance to the medical profession. The discipline and institutions of medicine began to represent elite dominance in the realm of education and within professions. In part, this derives from the fact that the earliest western medical institution to be set up in Asia was the Goa Medical College. Consequently, prior to the twentieth century, the Catholic elite in particular furnished several doctors. In fact, in a prosperous family that had generated sons, it was customary to hand one over to the medical profession, one to law, one to the church, and, stereotypes and popular lore claim, the idiot son to business. In Bombay as well, Goans constituted a substantial percentage of students emerging from Grant Medical College � an institution that Hindu Goans could also access with ease, though by this time, discrimination within educational institutions in Goa had diminished. The financially strung out migrants were dismayed to find that they had to pay money they could scarcely afford for medication. Whatever their actual experience of allopathic medicine was, it is evident that the profession of Goan doctors, to them, was nothing but an illustration of how the rich proverbially grew wealthy by playing on the misfortunes of the poor. The sight of these sleek, educated compatriots appears to have generated sustained irritation. Through songs, pamphlets, plays, and incidental diversions from the main plot of novels, migrant writers found a way to ridicule or criticise doctors. S.G. D�Souza, also known as Karachiwala, (Karachi was a destination for migrants), published a play called Gabruchi Sasumai (Gabriel�s Mother-in-law) that contains a long song, elaborating the uselessness of doctors. D�Souza instead enumerated the many local remedies available for diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, and cold that could be had from chamar communities, grandmothers, barbers, fisherwomen, etc. Practically every community had its own home grown speciality remedies for specific illnesses that, according to the writer, were far more efficacious than the fake medicine through which doctors in Bombay extracted money from the poor. While novels would warn readers against going to quacks, D�Souza cast aspersions on the profession in itself, alleging that the medical licence was a means to prevent the barber from practising, and the setting up of medical institutions, a way in which to exclude the doctors of yore. The plague in particular, was historicized repeatedly, for the suffering it caused to the migrants, and for the deep corruption of the city�s doctors (all Goan in these narratives), that it made visible. While these critiques range from those that claim to be entirely factual, to those that are expressly rhetorical for the purpose of expansiveness, none can be discounted when placed within the range of writing that almost insistently made the elite doctor the focus of criticism. While a large part of the writing of Goan migrants spelt out class antagonisms against priests, teachers, and government officials, perhaps the relationship of necessary dependency between patient and doctor, and therefore, the tangible sense that a fundamental need was being exploited, drew the attention of writers. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050418/dc281347/attachment.html From s.zehle at kein.org Sat Apr 16 18:20:05 2005 From: s.zehle at kein.org (sz) Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 14:50:05 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Incommunicado 05: Call for Contributions to Publications and Open Sessions (Modified by geert lovink) Message-ID: <3373453effd79ae8f97262a8f69bf753@kein.org> Incommunicado 05: Call for Contributions to Publications and Open Sessions Date: June 15 (Public Event), June 16-17 (Working Conference) Location: De Balie, Amsterdam, Netherlands Organization: Institute of Network Cultures (INC), Waag Society, Sarai. Concept: Geert Lovink & Soenke Zehle See for information on program, participants, and registration or contact the INC at . A Note on this Call This is a call for contributions for TWO publications, a pre-conference reader with short texts (ca. 2,000 words) to be published in June 2005 and a post-conference publication with longer texts (up to ca. 5,000 words) to be presented in cooperation with HIVOS at the WSIS PrepCom3 in September 2005. Deliberately broad, the call intends to encourage contributions that critically engage the overarching conference theme of accountability and representation in an emerging global info-politics. For detailed descriptions of specific issue areas, see below. On all topics listed, we welcome case studies and original research as well as analysis and commentary. Please email complete submissions to (pre-conference essays by May 30 2005, post-conference essays by July 15). We also encourage participants interested in presenting case studies etc. in one of the open sessions to contact the INC to register specifically for such a session (see online conference program for details). Incommunicado 05: From Info-Development to Info-Politics Incommunicado 05 is a two-day working conference that will attempt to offer a critical survey of the current state of 'info-development', most recently known by its catchy acronym 'ICT4D'. Not too long ago, most computer networks and ICT expertise were located in the North, and info-development seemed to be a rather technical matter of knowledge and technology transfer from North to South. While still popular, the assumption of a 'digital divide' that follows this familiar cartography of development has turned out to be too simple. Instead, a more complex map of actors, networked in a global info-politics, is emerging. Different actors continue to promote different - and competing - visions of 'info-development'. States with emerging info-economies like Brazil, China, and India form south-south alliances that challenge our sense of what 'development' is all about. New grassroot efforts are calling into question the entire regime of intellectual property rights (IPR) and access restrictions on which commercial info-development is based. Commons- or open-source-oriented organizations across the world are more likely to receive support from southern than from northern states, and these coalitions are already challenging northern states on their self-serving commitment to IPR and their dominance of key info-political organizations. Actors no longer follow the simple schema of state, market, or civil society, but engage in cross-sectoral alliances. Following the crisis of older top-down approaches to development, corporations and aid donors are increasingly bypassing states and international agencies to work directly with smaller non-governmental actors. While national and international development agencies now have to defend their activity against their neoliberal critics, info-NGOs participating in public-private partnerships and info-capitalist ventures suddenly find themselves in the midst of a heated controversy over their new role as junior partner of states and corporations. Long considered a marginal policy field dominated by technology experts, info-development is embroiled in a full-fledged info-politics, negotiated in terms of corporate accountability, state transformation, and the role of an international civil society in the creation of a new world information order. NGOs in Info-Development We have become used to thinking of NGOs as 'natural' development actors. But their presence is itself indicative of a fundamental transformation of an originally state-centered development regime, and their growing influence raises difficult issues regarding their relationship to state and corporate actors, but also regarding their self-perception as representatives of civic and grassroots interests. Following a survey of some of the major info-development NGOs and networks, this workshop will address questions related to the politics of representation pursued by these actors: why should they sit at a table with governments and international agencies, and who is marginalized by such a (multistakeholder) dynamic of 'inclusion' dominated by NGOs? After WSIS: Exploring Multistakeholderism For some, the 2003-5 UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is just another moment in an ongoing series of inter-governmental jamborees, glamorizing disciplinary visions of global ICT governance to distract from other info-political struggles. For others, WSIS revives 'tricontinentalist' hopes for a New International Information and Communication Order whose emphasis on 'civil society actors' may even signal the transformation of a system of inter-governmental organizations. Either way, WSIS continues to encourage the articulation of agendas, positions, and stakes in a new politics of communication and information. Following the effort to actively involve civil society actors in WSIS activities, the idea of an emergent 'multistakeholderism' is already considered one of the key WSIS outcomes, yet many are sobered by what appears to be the consensualist minimalism of incorporating critical positions in ever more encompassing final statements and action plans. Info-Corporations at the United Nations The controversial agreement between Microsoft and the UNDP, issued at a time when open source software is emerging as serious non-proprietary alternative within ICT4D, is just one in a series of public-private partnerships (PPP) between corporations and the UN. As the UN reaches out to Cisco, HP, or Microsoft, many argue that these cooperations are simply an expansion of the PPP approach to international organizations, and should be assessed on their respective terms. Others suggest, however, that these developments are indicative of a much more fundamental transformation of the UN and its member organizations, and point to the sobering outcome of the almost-no-strings-attached Global Compact, widely criticized as multilateral collusion in corporate 'bluewashing', the Cardoso Panel on UN-Civil Society Relations and its controversial definition of civil society, or the ongoing controversy over a new set of international standards for corporate accountability. WIPO and the Friends of Development As the international info-economy has come to revolve around intellectual property rights, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has asserted its status as a key player in matters of info-development. Overseeing the implementation of international IPR regulations, the little-known agency has been calling for an expansion of the dominant IPR regime and generally supports euro-american strategies of bypassing multilateral negotiations through an aggressive 'TRIPS-Plus' bilateralism. But recently, the agency has been targeted by a global campaign, lead by a group of southern states, to challenge its limited agenda. Aid & Info-Development after 9-11 What is the status of aid in the promotion of ICT4D, and how have ICT4D actors responded to the politicization and securitization of aid, including the sale of security and surveillance technologies in the name of info-development? To what extent does info-development overlap with new info-infrastructures in the field of humanitarian aid (ICT4Peace)? Are global trade justice campaigns a response to classic development schemes? ICT4D and the Critique of Development The critique of development and its institutional arrangements - of its conceptual apparatus as well as the economic and social policies implemented in its name - has always been both a theoretical project and the agenda of a multitude of 'subaltern' social movements. Yet much work in ICT4D shows little awareness of or interest in the history of such development critique. Instead, techno-determinist perspectives have become hegemonic, and even many activists believe that ICT will lead to progress and eventually contribute to poverty reduction. Have development scepticism and the multiplicity of alternative visions it created simply been forgotten? Or have they been actively muted to disconnect current struggles in the area of communication and information from this history, adding legitimacy to new strategies of 'pre-emptive' development that are based on an ever-closer alliance between the politics of aid, development, and security? Are analyses based on the assumption that the internet and its promise of connectivity are 'inherently good' already transcending existing power analyses of global media and communication structures? How can we reflect on the booming ICT-for-Development industry beyond best practice suggestions? New Axes of Info-Capitalism We are witnessing a shift from in the techno-cultural development of the web from an essentially post-industrialist euro-american affair to a more complexly mapped post-third-worldist network, where new south-south alliances are already upsetting our commonsensical definitions of info-development as an exclusively north-south affair. One example of this is the surprising extent to which a 'multilateral' version of internet governance has been able to muster support, another is the software and ipr reform (WIPO Development Agenda). info-development, that is, has ceased to be a matter of technology transfer and has become a major terrain for the renegotiation of some of the faultlines of geopolitical conflict - with a new set of actors. But does this really affect the established dependencies on 'northern' donors, and if so, what are some of the new alliances that are emerging? FLOSS in ICT4D Pushed by a growing transnational coalition of NGOs and a few allies inside the multilateral system, open source software has moved from margin to center in ICT4D visions of peer-to-peer networks and open knowledge initiatives. But while OSS and its apparent promise of an alternative non-proprietary concept of collaborative creation continues to have much counter-cultural cachet, its idiom can easily be used to support the 'liberalization' of telco markets and cuts in educational subsidies. What is the current status of OSS as idiom and infrastructural alternative within ICT4D? Accountability and the Critique of Representation The decade-long controversy inside the 'NGO community' on issues of accountabilty is also affecting actors in ICT4D. The singularity of network environments and the particular brand of info-politics it has facilitated suggest, however, that 'accountability' cannot simply be transferred into the context of the post-representative politics of network(ed) cultures. So beyond embracing stakeholder consultation and participation, what is ICT4D's original contribution to one of the core concepts in the renewal of development as a project? The New Info-Politics of Rights After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the bilateral order, the discourse of human rights has become an important 'placeholder' for agendas of social change and transformation that are no longer articulated in 'third worldist' or 'tricontinentalist' terms. In the field of communication and information, major NGOs and their network 'campaigns' have also decided to approach WSIS-related issues by calling for 'new rights', paralleling other trends toward a juridification of info-politics more generally. Nuts and Bolts of Internet Governance One of the few areas where WSIS is likely to produce concrete results is internet governance (IG). The IG controversy revolves around the limits of the current regime of root server control (ICANN/US) and possible alternatives, but it is also significant because it signals the repoliticization of a key domain of a technocratic internet culture that long considered itself to be above the fray of ordinary info-politics. Media & Migration Some of the organizations active in the WSIS process lost their accreditation because participants used their visa to say goodby to Africa. Widely reported, the anecdote suggests that media and migration form a nexus that is nevertheless rarely explored in the context of ICT4D. From s_bismillah at yahoo.com Sun Apr 24 22:54:48 2005 From: s_bismillah at yahoo.com (syed bismillah) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 10:24:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Kashmiri Encounter Message-ID: <20050424172448.67001.qmail@web31004.mail.mud.yahoo.com> There are many Kashmiris locked inside Tihar jail. No one knows how many exactly but it is estimated that there are hundreds. Almost all of them are suspects in "terrorism related" offences. When people hear of the police allegations against these Kashmiris the public gets an image of these people as some kind of unthinking fanatics. However, if we listen to the stories of each one of these locked up in the high risk cells we see a reality which is very frightening and also heart rendering. The stories of the families of these men have their own story to tell. I know their stories because I was one of them. I went to visit my brother in Tihar and went through all the trials and tribulations of family members of those whose dear ones are locked behind bars. We would travel around one hour to one and half hour to reach the jail by around eight in the morning and sign the register. Then we would all wait in a large hall, rather like a railway station waiting hall. Our turn would come around 12 or 12.30 when a jail authority would scream "high risk". By then all the others would have left. Then we go into the room with people standing around all shouting at their jailed relatives. My brother would stand in a corridor with bars across and a deep drain separating us. It was impossible to have a conversation in the midst of the noise and the mulaqat would last barely ten minutes and we would be herded out. In these ten minutes we could give him money for coupons, clothes but not books. This system was fortunately changed and the jail decided to have the families of the high risk prisoners mulaquat in the evenings. This meant we did not have to rush in the mornings and we got ten minutes extra. I was fortunate because I was able to rent a house, of course with great difficulty. But the other family members who come from Kashmir only for a day for this precious twenty-minute meeting do not find any hotel willing to give them rooms even for a few days. The only way they get the hotel or lodging is by hiding their identity and the two or three days they spend in Delhi is full of fear and humiliation. I have been interviewing the families of some of these people and I find they are afraid to speak even to me. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050424/71b77c4f/attachment.html From himanshusamvad at yahoo.co.in Mon Apr 25 21:07:30 2005 From: himanshusamvad at yahoo.co.in (himanshu ranjan) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 16:37:30 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Unfolding the "Hindi Pradesh" Controversy (Posting 4) Message-ID: <20050425153730.30121.qmail@web8501.mail.in.yahoo.com> Unfolding the "Hindi Pradesh" Controversy (Posting 4) Madan Mohan Malviya was whole-heartedly involved in the Hindi-Devanagri movement of the Benaras School and had prepared the ground for the forthcoming Allahabad phase. He led the Nagari movement and won. At the behest of the Nagri Pracharni Sabha and almost in its sponsorship, a new leading organisation the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan was formed in 1910 and the movement was launched more vigorously in the leadership of Malviyaji.So many Hindi literary figures and virtually the leaders of Hindi of both the cultural centres collaborated and met a joint effort for the cause, but now the full fledged venue was Allahabad itself. A parallel institution was the Indian Press which came into existence a bit earlier, gave its services to the cause on a different plane.with a number of grand publications in humanities in its fold, it also started a leading jounal of Hindi "The Saraswati". Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi took charge of the magazine as its editor in 1903 and silently worked for about 20 years. He was not a Hindi leader like those of the Nagri Pracharni Sabha and the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, but to his credit, there is a vast and multifaceted work for the developement of Hindi language and literature, the standadisation of the language being one of them. His tremendous contribtion has rightly been termed as "Hindi Navjagran" by Ram Bilas Sharma. In the meantime the Nationalist Movement under the leadership of the Indian National Congress had travelled a long distance. In the previous century Dayanand Saraswati had made Hindi the vehicle for his reform movement. Now Gandhiji upgraded it as "Rashtrabhasha" along with the political plank of the nationalist movement. At the advice of his friends and followers he attached himself with the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. He presided over the Sammelan convention of 1917. Actually he made a lot through the Sammelan and Rashtrabasha Prachar Samitis in the south and elsewhere and gave a national stature to Hindi in the real sense of the term.Undoubtedly he was the sole leader in command of the Congress in twenties and onwards. A big team of Hindi leaders was incorporated in his political following of the Congress. The most important thing he did, was his command and control over the national character of Hindi. It was being developed like the link language among the different states of different language origins and, in the national vision of Gandhiji, it was going to challenge and replace English, a symbol of the imperialist oppression. Hindi was getting warm welcome throughout the country. The Hindu Hindi agenda was checked and postponed as was as Gandhiji was there. None of the Hindi leaders could dare to defy him. But everything was not going to be smooth and ok. The communal passion of the previous century, going slow up till now, errupted with vehemence and the politics of the Mulsim League was very much there making a parallel space in the nationalist movement. No doubt, greater sections of the Muslim community had a whole-hearted adherence to the Congress and Gandhiji, but the elitist leaders like Jinnah, who joined the Muslim League very late, indulged openly in the power play. Being throughout his career a mordern secularist politician, he ultimately stood by the communalist politics and used it as an instrument to establish himself as 'the sole spokesman' of the Muslims of India. He was nothing to do with Islam and perhaps did not know Urdu well, which had acquired a communal colour till then. Gandhiji was puzzuled. He tried his best to check the communal divide. But the Hindu card players in the Congress had been bold enough to defy Gandhiji shamlessly. The secular combine of Gandhi-Azad-Nehru could not make and maintain the balance, and there was a more cunning tug-of-war between the Congress and the League. Gandhi, with his strong ethical appeal, continued his compromise drive throughout his life, but failed, as his compromise formula on language plane could not do. A strong propagator of Rashtrabhasha Hindi, Gandhi took a peculiar turn and coined 'Hindustani' as a common language for both Hindus and Muslims. Neither Hindi, nor Urdu, but Hindustani. Gandhiji was not a linguist, nor a literary figure who could deal with the delicate intricacies of the domain. Still a literary stalwart like Prem Chand stood by him and a number of historians, jurists, and men of other discliplines were in favour of his compromise coinage 'Hindustani'. But the leaders of the sammelan like Purshotam Das Tandan outrightly rejected Hindustani and thereby Gandhiji had to disassociate himself from the sammelan. The battle was ultimately faught on the constitutional plane, the constituent assembly debates making a documental landmark of the whole episode. The Hindustani Academy of Allahabad stands still today as a historic symbol of Gandhiji's vision of HIndustani and the goodwill behind it. A trio of Gandhiji's followers - Pt. Sunder Lal, B.N. Pandey and Mahmud Ahmed Huner - also launched a Hindustani magazine 'The Naya Hindustan' which was printed in both Nagri and Urdu script side by side. The silent academic workers in the tradition of Saraswati and Mahabir Prasad Dwivedi remained almost aloof, but made a nationlity oriented structure of Hindi language. Rahul Sankrityayan and Dhirendra Verma were two such personalities, the former being rather a mobile propagator as well. Rahul's contribution is in researching and discovering the historicity of the language whereas Verma made a spatial and geographical outline of 'Madhyadesh', the area which the Hindi speaking people belong to. This very M'adhyadesh' was developed later on as 'Hindi Pradesh' by Ram Bilas Sharma, though the thesis being very controversial today. I am sticking on the controversy and trying to unfold the unscientific, rather 'imagined' formulations behind it. Himanshu Ranjan An independent CSDS Fellow Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partneronline. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/60009adb/attachment.html From subhajitc at rediffmail.com Tue Apr 19 19:10:36 2005 From: subhajitc at rediffmail.com (Subhajit Chatterjee) Date: 19 Apr 2005 13:40:36 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Realism and Cinema Message-ID: <20050419134036.24894.qmail@webmail9.rediffmail.com>  hi rashmi ...take a look at the set of eassays in making Meaning In Indian Cinema some of which specifically adresses this issue ..also see essays coming out in Deep Focus , Cinemaya etc which might be relavnt to ur specific querries ..however the problem is not of the smae order as Indian Cinema didnot have the imperative to become realist quite in the same way as Holltywood did due to specific historical nd ideological circumstances ..the incoherent mixture of codes drawn from continiuty or PMR traditoions is quite an early phenomena ..leading to more peculiar situations when realism came in the form of a reformist cum modernist drive ..do take a look at some ressays published in Journal of the Moving Image Vol 1 and 2 , Dept of Film Studies ,JU ....cheers Subhajit Chatterjee Centre for the Study of Culture and Society 466 9th Cross Madhavan Park 1st Block Jayanagar Bangalore - 560 011. India. Office Tel : 91 080 2656 2986 Office Fax : 91 080 2656 2991 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050419/9fa2ad6a/attachment.html From zzjamal at rediffmail.com Sat Apr 23 01:07:49 2005 From: zzjamal at rediffmail.com (Khalid) Date: 22 Apr 2005 19:37:49 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Fast food chains: McMaya & McManagers!! Message-ID: <20050422193749.20962.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com>   Mangers in the making. Ever since I have started working on fast food chains , my primary focus remained on the the crew members who form the major junk of work force in any fast food joint. But then I thought its also important to now a little bit about managers as well. How are they trained to train further and what are kind of briefings do they receive to perform managerial tasks? Hence, this posting. It took me quite a while to get things out from a couple Buddy-managers who I have known. One of them almost became a friend and was quite informal with me. He showed me some of the training documents and his mails that he got from senior managers. On the basis of this and through few other resourses I am writing whatever I could note on the field ,what I could memorise and what I could quote from documents. So, this is what the mangers are told to do , in some way or the other: 1. Bring a smile to work: It is said that if the manager consistently has an upbeat attitude ,the staff,will too.Hence they are told to have the kind of fun that benefits the business.Play games to liven the training sessions,hold sales-building contests, keep a sense of humor when things get tough.Hold important meetings outside the restaurant.Set up a humor corner.Designate space on the bulletin board where employees can post cartoons,jokes and other funny materials. 2. Make a statement: Plan the kick off meeting to be different from any other attendees have seen.Crank popular music as everyone arrives.Set out beverages and snacks .The extent of your preparations will shed light on the level of your commitment .Make a loud—and –clear statement. 3. be quick to laugh : at yourself and with your people.Never compromise their respect and dignity.When you observe a mistake ,smile while you coaching and teaching.Laugh it off if appropriate .You will perceived as fun,informative and helpful. Don’t manage with signs: Few crew members will read them with the level of enthusiasm and seriousness with which you write them.In other words, avoid the temptation to grab a marker and scribble out policies,procedures, guidelines and other notices on printer paper.You can imagine how unprofessional it looks to have bunch of hand-written notes taped up on walls and doors.If you occasionally use signs,at least be creative about it. 4. Use pre-shift meeting time wisely: Use it as forum for group communication.An informal question-and- answer session will enable crew members to provide input from their point of view, allowing them to express opinions will make them feel a part of the team and underscore your approachability. Also schedule private conversations with every member of your teamAnd do regularly whether its before,during or after the shift. Be careful not to raise unnecessary cause for alarm. If you say” I ‘d like to talk to you after the shift”, an employee may fear the worst and wonder” What did do wrong?” Assure everyone that its just the opportunity to get to know each other better.Then ,when you sit down with them, try not to talk business with themMaintain eye contact and smile continuously.Once employee understand that you are simply attempting to have a polite conversation ,they will probably follow suit.If they don’nt get it,prompt them with non-business questions.Its okay ,for instance ,to ask what they are studying at college or what their hobbies are.Remember this is’nt an interview or an interrogation. 5. Never be late. 6. Be organized: The better you establish a daily operational routine, the better you will be perceived as organized and in control.Crew members will respond to your commitments to quality shifts. 7. Take positive lap: As you leave work each day ,walk through your entire store ,shaking hands with employees and thanking them,by name ,for their efforts and support. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : Maya Occupation : Mc.Employee Place: Delhi Qualification : B.A(Music) Experience: Working with McD.for the last 2 years. Dream: To climb up the ladder and become a Training Manger. In her words: “ I think I love my job.That’s why I m here for the last 2 years when several of friends have quit. One of the things,about my workplace and my work, that fascinates me, is the kind of energy that I get when I’m here. At McDonald’s I am a changed person. I feel more energetic, alert and active. There is something miraculous about it.” “The other day I went the ENT specialist. Everyone at home ‘d been telling me that I am hard of hearing, so I decided to take up a treatment. After series of tests, the specialist told me that I have 60% hearing loss!! And I needed a hearing aid!” “Since then, it has got into my head. I really have to strain, to listen to what people are saying especially group conversations. This is critical because my parents are concerned & are planning my marriage. Often people( groom & family)come to our home to meet me. That’s really a nightmare because it’s always a very formal occasion and I need to talk.They ask me things I can’t hear. I often have to ask to repeat. This really bugs my father ,more than anyone else. He feels that my “lack of hearing” could be detrimental to my potential marriage proposals. I understand his feelings and concerns.” “But what really baffles me is that I really have no-hearing problem when I am at work, at my workplace!! I am always on the move, my mind is always pre-occupied and ironically, customers speak relatively lower than that at home, and yet they are always clear. As a matter of fact, I understand their concerns even before they speak, through their body language and facial expressions. And most of the time, I am right, both, in my anticipation and my interpretation.” “I think this has to do something with the environment in which I work. May be, its an ambience-effect that has an effect on my senses, too. “But I wonder if I could ever explain this to my father?” “Often, people come to see me at my workplace,too, with my family, as getting offs are’nt easy. But this really isn’t a hassle because I don’t feel intimidated. I, being at work, provides me immense confidence. Unlike being at home, and answering questions! But I know it’s an experience that I have by the virtue of my work and is beyond words and logical reasoning.” “Nevertheless, I take great pride in what I do. As a crew member, I learn what its takes to succeed. I learn to talk with a wide spectrum of strange people who come has customers, I learn how to cook food properly which, I am sure, is going to help me especially after marriage.” “Apart from this I also learn the new ways and importance of cleanliness, the value of showing up on time and what it means to work as an integral member of a team.As a whole, I learn how to take pride in what you are doing, which I find so rare.” “While I perform my job, I gain valuable experience and confidence, and at the same time, learn leadership and management skills that last a life time. I believe that as a crew member, the potential for growth is massive. If you know your job well and do it well, with complete dedication and motivation, sky is the limit. Infact, many members of our top management team began their McDonald’s career as crew members. Charlie Bell,President and Chief Operating Officer, began his McDonald’s career at 15 in Australia. Mats Lederhausen,President of McDonald’s Business Development Group started with McDonald’s as crew in Sweden, Claire Babrowski, President of McDonald’s Asia-Pacific Middle East Africa Group,Lynn Crump-Caine Executive Vice-President of McDonald’s Worldwide Operations and Eduardo Sanchez,President of McDonald’s Latin America and Canadian Group all began their career as crew employees in their respective hometowns.” “And Fred Turner,McDonald’s Senior Chairman, was Ray Kroc’s first grill man!!” “My job teaches to be hard core specialist in whatever I do, and for what ever time period I do it for. I realize it more when I go to other offices, particularly govt. offices and see their work culture. They all seem so demotivated, lazy and disinterested in what they are doing. Be it passport office, driving licence or electricity deptt., its all the same every where; nepotism and bureaucracy. And it’s not just the working culture that is sad, its the whole “look’ of the workplace that bores me:the color of the walls, choice of furniture, interior designing, dim lights, no music, everything!! A nd above all, it irritates me most when I see these guys “chatting” over the phone when they should be doing their job!! When we were told not to use mobile phones on floor, I personally got little pissed. But now I see its significance. Now I realize how “hepp” my Work and my Workplace are. wishing you happiness and health. Khalid -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050422/8e6489c5/attachment.html From sovantarafder at yahoo.co.in Mon Apr 25 21:30:55 2005 From: sovantarafder at yahoo.co.in (sovan tarafder) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 17:00:55 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] 4th posting: Urban entertainment in Kolkata Message-ID: <20050425160055.65498.qmail@web8504.mail.in.yahoo.com> Dear all This is my 4th posting, and, this time onwards I'm basically going to share with you my reflections on the field works which I have done in the course of this research. Now I'll be elaborating on three sites of entertainment in Kolkata, namely, City Centre (residential-cum-commercial complex), Swabhumi (heritage park) and Aquatica (water theme park) I would like to start with a little historical investigation, since all three sites here, despite being spatially located in present day Kolkata, are in essence caught in a queer time-knot, so to say. Swabhumi is the re-creation of a colonial 'past' as was seen in Kolkata. Aquatica, the water theme park, on the other hand, can well be considered as a negation of the spatial history of the piece of land where it is situated. This is because this space has been entirely revamped in order to make it feasible for a purpose which is completely different from the one which was associated with the land so far. This is a site that invokes, and maybe incarnates the future of the city's entertainment scenario. In between, stands City Centre, a typically in-fashion shopping hub cum residential complex that spells, and sells too, a futuristic vision but which nonetheless claims to have a finger on the traditional aspect of the city also. So, all the three tenses are there in these three enetertainment sites. The tenses have, in a sense, become commodities that turn out to be the USP of the sites concerned. Now, as Mark Cousins writes, historical investigation "must deal with problems of identity and difference....Phenomena must fall under the same class as other phenomena, or they must differ from them...In this sense, historical investigation must establish differences. But the differences which it establishes and represents must have a limit...For something to support a history there must be a space of sufficient identity. Historical writing is then caught up in the play of representing differences through identities which differ from each other." (Cousins 1987; 128) As I'll be trying to write something like a fragmented history of the contemporary Kolkata, my writing too, will be dealing with this interplay of identity and difference. The point here is simple: the identity of each of these three urban entertainment sites is predicated on a difference in the sense that 1) each of them claims to be different from the similar sites of entertainment in their own respective ways and 2) more importantly, each of them claims to have built up a site where either history is re-created or it just ceases to be any more. Somewhere the undoing of history is the selling factor, while there are places that take pride in re-doing the History as it was. Any historical writing on the present day entertainment scene in Kolkata, then have a responsibility to investigate the identity of each space vis-a-vis the history of the space concerned and the wider matrix of the spatial history of the city too. In that sense, all these three sites of entertainment are located onto spaces that, even in not-too-distant past, was outside the reach of traditional urban sector. So, what they all share is a lack of urban history. The history which they have does not even involve land also. The entire eastern fringe part of Kolkata, now called 'Salt lake' or 'Bidhannagar' (named after the legendary Congress chieh minister of West Bengal Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy), was literally a salt lake, a wetland, which began to be developed during the tenure of Dr. Bidhan Roy only to emerge much later as one of the most posh spaces in the city of Kolkata. Is it just coincidental that the future of the city's urban entertainment gets built up on a space that virtually has no history of human habitation? So, free from the burden of the pastness, City Centre and Aquatica try to project themselves on a germainating present continuous space which seeks to flaunt the splendor of the space concerned and hide the squalor. Apparently, there is nothing wrong in it. The target consumer group of these entertainment sites being the upper and upwardly mobile classes of the city, the squalor should not ideally be there. Yet when, in the brochure, they provide maps of the area, the glaring absence of what Ashis Nandy would call the 'unintended city' proves to be striking. Earlier, I brought this Ashis Nandy term in my second posting, but I prefer to repeat it since nowhere in the present cityscape is the simultaneous existence of the intended and the unintended city more glaring than it is here, around these three entertainment sites. The maps I was referring to have, expectedly, the significant urban pointers but they carefully smuggle the huge urban slums under the carpet. Within a few hundred yards from both Swabhumi and City Centre, there is a thickly populated area of slum dwellers. And Aquatica is literally encircled with the slum and village-turned-slum areas. Most of the people residing at those places, in effect, live unimaginably distant from those spaces of entertainment. These are the persons who can rightfully claim themselves to be the sons (and daughters) of that soil. After the wetland entered the map of the urban proper, they had to make way for the richer people and in stead, they could only find, lawful and mostly unlawful shelter in slums on both sides of the sprawling Dattabad Road that connects Salt Lake area to the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, the much-touted 'road to the future' in the city. This 'road to the future' then carries people to the spots where they can transport themselves to time past and time future. Swabhumi, the very name of the space indicates that this is the space of the past. The past of the urban middle class, the Babus of Kolkata, sprinkled as they were with the firangi culture. The city thus becomes a huge cauldron where different temporalities get interpenetrated before the gaze of the consumer. What all these entertainment sites do is to defamiliarize the space and precisely this process of defamiliarization involves the twist of time. Swabhumi seeks to create a replica of the past, while City Centre and Aquatica those of the future. Since at present the city is undergoing a massive developmentalist change (or face-lift, as it is fondly called!), a tension starts looming large. Traditions are thrown out and simultaneously re-incarnated by the very same people. Aquatica is happy to call itself a space unprecedented in the cultural history of Kolkata. So it marks a break in the history of urbanity here. Swabhumi, as was already said, is just the opposite. City Centre tries to keep a balance in between. On one hand, it is futuristic in the architecture and modernized (read ‘Americanized’!) in the services it offers (multiplex, food court, shopping mall), while on the other, the resident architect of the project informs that the horizontal structure of the building is inspired by the traditional street-side bazaar of Kolkata. In a sense, Aquatica and Swabhumi too are not monolithic spaces, as far as the temporality of the spaces is concerned. Aquatica recreates the visuals of the seashore and waterfall, i.e. things that are normally considered to be traditional. Even more than that, eternal. Through these, the past makes its entry into the present which is an image of the future. Swabhumi is futuristic in the smart packaging of the past. Cousins, Mark : The practice of historical investigation, Post-structuralism and the question of history; Attridge, Bennington & Young (eds.), Cambridge University press, 1987 Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partneronline. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/344d3281/attachment.html From pukar at pukar.org.in Tue Apr 19 17:15:33 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:15:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] Talk by Dr Raminder Kaur: Tuesday, 26th April Message-ID: <012b01c544d5$693a04e0$5dd0c0cb@freeda> PUKAR cordially invites you to a talk by Dr Raminder Kaur on Cruising on the Vilayeti Bandwagon:Diasporic Representations and Reception of Popular Indian Movies Date: Tuesday, 26th April 2005 Time: 6:30 p.m. Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan Kala Ghoda Mumbai Since the 1990s, the UK has become the site of maximum profits for popular Indian films, particularly amongst its South Asian diaspora. This paper critically examines the debates about the representation of diasporic subjects in films as well as the reception of two blockbuster movies in London: Dilwale Dulhane Le Jayenge and Dil Se. It argues that box office successes and ratings cannot simply be translated into a discourse about the prevalence of 'NRI nostalgia' for India. It also highlights a new global hegemony which has been created by the capital and distributive networks surrounding Indian cinema, which in the end amounts to authorative statements about what it means to be a 'proper Indian', regardless of other particular histories and cultural productions. Dr Raminder Kaur is Lecturer in Anthropology and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex, UK. She is the author of Performative Politics and the Cultures of Hinduism (Permanent Black, 2003), co-editor of Travel Worlds Journeys in Contemporary Cultural Politics (Zed Books, 1999), co-author of Diaspora and Hybridity (Sage 2005), and co-editor of Bollyworld: Popular Indian Cinema through a Transnational Lens (Sage, 2005). See you there! Warm regards, The PUKAR team -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research) Mumbai Address:: 1-4, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Sir P. M. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 Telephone:: +91 (022) 5574 8152 / +91 (0) 98204 04010 Email:: pukar at pukar.org.in Website:: www.pukar.org.in -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050419/e89719af/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From pukar at pukar.org.in Mon Apr 25 10:21:21 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 10:21:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] The Hindi Film and the Diaspora: A Talk: Tuesday 26th April Message-ID: <000301c54952$86155ca0$5dd0c0cb@freeda> PUKAR cordially invites you to a talk by Dr Raminder Kaur on Cruising on the Vilayeti Bandwagon: Diasporic Representations and Reception of Popular Indian Movies Date: Tuesday, 26th April 2005 Time: 6:30 p.m. Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan (Next to Jehangir Art Gallery Kala Ghoda Mumbai Since the 1990s, the UK has become the site of maximum profits for popular Indian films, particularly amongst its South Asian diaspora. This paper critically examines the debates about the representation of diasporic subjects in films as well as the reception of two blockbuster movies in London: Dilwale Dulhane Le Jayenge and Dil Se. It argues that box office successes and ratings cannot simply be translated into a discourse about the prevalence of 'NRI nostalgia' for India. It also highlights a new global hegemony which has been created by the capital and distributive networks surrounding Indian cinema, which in the end amounts to authorative statements about what it means to be a 'proper Indian', regardless of other particular histories and cultural productions. Dr Raminder Kaur is Lecturer in Anthropology and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex, UK. She is the author of Performative Politics and the Cultures of Hinduism (Permanent Black, 2003), co-editor of Travel Worlds Journeys in Contemporary Cultural Politics (Zed Books, 1999), co-author of Diaspora and Hybridity (Sage 2005), and co-editor of Bollyworld: Popular Indian Cinema through a Transnational Lens (Sage, 2005). The talk is open to all. See you there! Warm regards, The PUKAR team PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research) Mumbai Address:: 1-4, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Sir P. M. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 Telephone:: +91 (022) 5574 8152 / +91 (0) 98204 04010 Email:: pukar at pukar.org.in Website:: www.pukar.org.in -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/89264448/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Apr 20 10:21:29 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 10:21:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] US Institute of Peace -2006-2007 Senior Fellowship competition: On Muslims/Islam [Fwd] In-Reply-To: <20050420041924.23996.qmail@ns.yesglobalweb.net> References: <20050420041924.23996.qmail@ns.yesglobalweb.net> Message-ID: FYI ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Yogi Sikand US Institute of Peace -2006-2007 Senior Fellowship competition The United States Institute of Peace invites applications for the 2006-2007 Senior Fellowship competition in the Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace. The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution created by Congress to strengthen the nation's capacity to promote the peaceful resolution of international conflict. Twelve to fifteen fellowships are awarded annually to scholars and practitioners from a variety of professions, including college and university faculty, journalists, diplomats, writers, educators, military officers, international negotiators, NGO professionals, and lawyers. The Institute funds projects related to preventive diplomacy, ethnic and regional conflicts, peacekeeping and peace operations, peace settlements, democratization and the rule of law, cross-cultural negotiations, nonviolent social movements, U.S. foreign policy in the 21st century, and related topics. This year the Institute is especially interested in topics addressing problems of the Muslim world, post-war reconstruction and reconciliation, and responses to terrorism and political violence. Projects which demonstrate relevance to current policy debates will be highly competitive. Fellows reside at the Institute in Washington, D.C. for a period of up to ten months to conduct research on their projects, consult with staff, and contribute to the ongoing work of the Institute. Books and reports resulting from fellowships may be published by the USIP Press. The fellowship award includes a stipend of up to $80,000, travel to Washington for the fellow and dependents, health insurance, an office with computer and voicemail, and a half-time research assistant. The competition is open to citizens of all nations. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. All application materials must be received in our offices by September 15, 2005. For more information and an application form, please visit the Institute's website at , or contact the Jennings Randolph Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, 1200 17th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3011, USA, phone: 202.429.3886, fax: 202.429.6063, e-mail: jrprogram at usip.org. AND The United States Institute of Peace invites applications for the 2006-2007 Peace Scholar dissertation fellowship competition of the Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace. The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution created by Congress to strengthen the nation's capacity to promote the peaceful resolution of international conflict. The Peace Scholar program supports doctoral dissertations that explore the sources and nature of international conflict, and strategies to prevent or end conflict and to sustain peace. Dissertations from a broad range of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields are eligible. Peace Scholars work at their universities or appropriate field research sites. Priority will be given to projects that contribute knowledge relevant to the formulation of policy on international peace and conflict issues. Citizens of all countries are eligible, but Peace Scholars must be enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States. Applicants must have completed all requirements for the degree except the dissertation by the commencement of the award (September 1, 2006). The dissertation fellowship award is $17,000 for one year and may be used to support writing or field research. All application materials must be received in our offices by January 9, 2006. For more information and an application form, please visit the Institute's website at , or contact the Jennings Randolph Program, U.S. Institute of Peace, 1200 17th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3011, USA, phone: 202.429.3886, fax: 202.429.6063, e-mail: jrprogram at usip.org. - ------------------ Jean R Brodeur (jbrodeur at usip.org) Program Assistant Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace United States Institute of Peace 1200 17th Street NW Washington DC 20036 Tel. 202-429-3853 Fax. 202-822-5199 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To be removed from this mailing list click on the link below http://www.islaminterfaith.org/mailing/mail.cgi?shivamvij at gmail.com - -- Welcome to Mall Road http://mallroad.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From river_side1 at hotmail.com Mon Apr 25 23:45:57 2005 From: river_side1 at hotmail.com (River .) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 18:15:57 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/df03f58b/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Tue Apr 26 00:38:29 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 00:38:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Re: My God became a dog In-Reply-To: References: <20050416132454.13629.qmail@webmail9.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: As someone who has great admiration for Ambedkar's writings and his contribution to shaping Indian politics before Independence (in the nationalist movement), after Independence ('father of the Constitution') and showing the way for caste emancipation at a scale that Gandhi's model could not achieve... I mean Prashant would you like to reconsider your statement, "let every 50th year convert our gods into dogs." I am not exactly offended, or may be I am, and would like you to explain your comment. Meanwhile, I agree with Lakshmi when she says, "I share ambedkar's thoughts on the importance of not investing anything with sacredness such that it inhibits re-evaluation!" In this context you may want to read Osho on the Poona Pact in which he is hilariously critical of both Gandhi and Ambedkar: http://www.mail-archive.com/zestcaste at yahoogroups.com/msg00384.html The excerpt is from a book, the whole of which is at http://www.barnett.sk/software/sos/osho/osho-talks/person05.htm So Vivek, you may want to include the link in your list of free online books. Cheers, Shivam -- [http://mallroad.blogspot.com] Bus Addey, Maal Rode, Camp, Madal Toun, Ajadpur, Shalimaar...! From soudhamini_1 at lycos.com Tue Apr 26 09:07:15 2005 From: soudhamini_1 at lycos.com (sou dhamini) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 22:37:15 -0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities Message-ID: <20050426033715.1CC5D3384B@ws7-3.us4.outblaze.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050425/58328d55/attachment.html From machleetank at gmail.com Tue Apr 26 11:36:10 2005 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen P) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 11:36:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BLANK NOISE: WHO DOES NOT LIKE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED? In-Reply-To: <20050425160055.65498.qmail@web8504.mail.in.yahoo.com> References: <20050425160055.65498.qmail@web8504.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: http://www.fotolog.net/machlee/?photo_id=11578604 http://www.fotolog.net/machlee/ I take my gun out and shoot him. It is a thrilling moment. He is caught He is exposed. An idea.(Would a stalker mind me stalking him? How can a stalker refuse to be stalked instead?) These days I shoot them down for fun. I have as much 'fun' as they have when they go out to target someone. Hi everyone.... looking forward to hearing from you, Jasmeen From pz at vsnl.net Tue Apr 26 12:15:42 2005 From: pz at vsnl.net (Punam Zutshi) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 12:15:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] tracing spatial technology References: Message-ID: <002401c54a2b$93c61a90$d5fd41db@punamzutshi> Hello Muthatha! Read your mail with interest especially when you write : <<< However a preliminary thought is that processes of making data or knowledge available is linked to the epistemology and cultures of practice/learning/memory… In following different stages in the production of knowledge reasons for choices about representation, documentation and sharing such as cultivating an interpretive process of knowledge productive, or one that relies and values memory are revealed. Studies that focus solely on institutional aspects and the politics of representation generally tend to point to power and control as factors that influence choices in the production of knowledge. I am not arguing that power is not an important variable in my case, but instead that paying attention to the details of actual practice of knowledge construction yields other insights that are valuable for a more enabling process of knowledge sharing.>>> Let me think aloud : I think that the focus on knowledge construction is very important and that the account of the soil scientist provides for interesting ethnography, as do your reflections on the culture of memory that the scientists stressed. But for the big picture to emerge it may be important to keep records of 1) the problem areas/controversies/differences within the group 2) the differences between competing paradigms The thought experiment that needs to be carried out is : What will fall outside the expert's frame of analysis? That is to say what are the kinds of features that the soil scientist will not draw upon, regardless of the tacit knowledge that he possesses.Figuring out this tacit knowledge will be task enough, but you will be able to establish the boundaries of his paradigm. You speak about knowledge that empowers : could you provide an example? Foucault allowed us to see that discourse rests on non discursive practices.The so called agenda, the project that guides the soil scientists /GIS groups would be a lynch pin in the analysis.You are aware of the questions of power but what are the implications of the exercise being carried out in your field of study? Clarification : What is the relationship between the exercises of soil classification undertaken by the soil scientist and the remote sensing agencies ? Is there a division of labour? What happened to traditonal /native comprehensions of the soil or the cosmos? Is this something that has somehow fallen out of the exercise? Regards, Punam From river_side1 at hotmail.com Tue Apr 26 15:31:46 2005 From: river_side1 at hotmail.com (River .) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:01:46 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] RE: [ZESTPoets] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities [Fwd] In-Reply-To: <20050425202405.67277.qmail@web81510.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050426/327ab1c9/attachment.html From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 26 15:20:33 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 15:20:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <426E0EE9.9080300@sarai.net> Nitoo, One clarification-- in these groups that you're covering, you seem to describe a wiki-like interface where any reader is welcome to come in, change a poem written by someone else without prior consultation and create a recension. Is this how it works, and in which groups? It wd be very exciting to see examples of that. My understanding, however, was that in most if not all current online poetry groups, a poet presents a poem that she/he has written, gets comments, and then changes a poem based on the comments only if she/he wishes to do so. Thus the poet, although shaped by a collaborative process, retains authorial control over the poem. If the latter is the case, it would not be so different from the way poetry has been written for a very long time-- the myth of the poetic genius in a vacuum is only a very recent blip in this history. The only difference the internet makes is in its archival capacity to represent and organize this collaboration succinctly-- the kind of work, for instance, that had previously been done in cumbersome varorium editions. (There's also simultaneity and speed of transmission, but speed is an ambiguous and contestible value when it comes to poetry.) I'm not saying that online existence does not have the capacity to produce substantially new kinds of poetry, "demistify" poetry, or alter the way it is written, and make Moulthorp's utopia come true-- just that it has not been able to do so yet. The most experimental works of hypertext poetry that I have seen have tended to get crushed under the weight of their own self-conscious theory and-- what else do we expect from poetry, if not this-- do not adequately engage or pleasure the senses, in my humble opinion. The other stuff seems to work on the reader and writer in pretty much the same way that offline poetry does, and succeeds or fails for the same reasons as well. My sense is that, for all our cybermania, we have still been unable to inhabit the network technology fully, imaginatively, and organically in a way that would lead to this revolution in poetry that you speak of-- perhaps it will happen soon. About the question of tradition, which came up some time ago. The most exciting thing about the net for me as a writer and reader of poetry is the fact that it has been able to make freely accessible an enormous amount of historical poetry; the original edition of the collected poems of Emily Dickinson, for instance, to give an example of a must-read. (The selected Emily poems print editions that you can buy in India and elsewhere have the infuriating habit of "cleaning up" and editing out Dickinson's idiosyncratic punctuation, etc., which completely changes the poetry!) There are also jpegs around of a couple of poems in Dickinson's own handwriting, which as Susan Howe has shown, adds a whole extra dimension by showing some of Dickinson's visual rhymes, further idiosyncracies, etc. The amount of historical public domain poetry now half-a-click away is mind-boggling, yes? And of course, the large amount of recordings of poets reading, which always adds new dimensions to a poem. Of course, we are speaking largely of the European languages here, and that is also an issue. All this material in different media freely available now should give internet poets a number of never-before chances to engage with poetic tradition and thus, to transform it in a meaningful way. But-- the danger would be that poets are so bedazzled by their gizmos and the superficial enchantment of the contemporary they end up not reading very much historical poetry at all... Too old-guard a response? Vivek River . wrote: > Sometimes, I procrastinate. Like certain things I do, even > procrastination takes on gargantuan dimensions. So, after two (three?) > months of silence, I am making a reappearance on the reader list. I > have a litany of excuses, but will refrain from unleashing them on you. > > I am back to cogitating on things like poetry and hypertext and this > post will incorporate three months worth of research. Don’t tell me > later that you were not warned. > > Since many people (some politely, some not so politely) posed this > question to me, “What (the $^<#) do you mean by hypertext and what > connection, if any, does it have to poetry?” my February post was > supposed to deal with the meaning and application of the term in > contemporary interdisciplinary areas. Therefore, in the first part of > this post, I will look at the history and definition of hypertext. In > the second segment, (my March portion) I will analyse a section of > Stuart Moulthrop’s essay, “You say you want a Revolution? Hypertext > and the Laws of the Media”. I apologise in advance for the rather > heavy theoretical stuff, but some things need to be done. On the > positive side, these “things” need not be repeated. In the final bit, > my post for this month, I will see if hypertextual formulations can be > used to radically subvert generic constraints of ‘traditional’ poetry. > For this purpose, I will briefly look at the architecture of MSN > poetry sites and try to see — (i) if the structure of a medium can be > seen as concomitant to the content of an aesthetic work, (ii) the > empowering possibilities of “incompleteness” and (iii) whether this > new, demystified poetic space can be a freeing one where linkages and > affiliations can be privileged and glorified. > > Theodore Nelson, who first coined the term, “Hypertext” in 1965, said > in his 1981 manifesto, “Literary Machines”, that “forty years from now > (if the human species survives) there will be hundreds of thousands of > file servers, and there will be hundreds and millions of simultaneous > users.” He had used the word, hypertext, to mean electronic textual > connectivity. Hypertext, or “non-sequential writing”, as Nelson puts > it, as a system, refers to the connective, interactive potential of > computers to reinvent texts, not as fixed symbols, but as a “variable > access database in which any discursive unit may possess multiple > vectors of association.” The collective, linked text was called > “docuverse” by Nelson and it held within itself the potential of > limitless expansion. Nelson’s new world, Xanadu, was the new textual > universe, an optimistic look at writing as an epic of recovery. He > talks of a “grand hope”, “a return to literacy, a cure for television > stupor, a new renaissance of ideas…a grand posterity.” In this world, > all work becomes “text”, not a closed, contained substance, but a > referential, open-ended connection. > > Apparently, Nelson was inspired by a 1945 essay by an American > engineer, Vannevar Bush. In this essay, entitled, “As We May Think”, > Bush envisaged a future in which mechanically linked bodies of texts > (which he called “memex”) would allow users to access information in a > non-traditional, non-linear, almost recurrent fashion. As George > Landow, one of the pioneering names in hypertextual literary theory, > puts it, Bush’s concept of connected textuality worked “to replace the > essentially linear, fixed methods that had produced the triumphs of > capitalism and industrialism with what are essentially poetic > machines—machines that work according to analogy and association, > machines that capture the anarchic brilliance of the human imagination.” > > Because hypertext, by definition, is a shifting, shimmering, > interwoven network of links, webs, paths, the reader is no longer > trapped within the authority of the page, but becomes a “virtual > voyager” through icons, film clips, animated archives. For example, > Landow, in his Hypercard Programme on Tennyson’s “In Memoriam”, says > that such a non-linear poem can best be read, not sequentially, but > through linkages and webbing. Each word, then, becomes a “hotspot”, > which, when clicked, opens up newer levels of information and > annotation. The marginal, the tangential, the contingent, all become > significant in this new system of knowledge. The fixity of the printed > page can be transcended to reveal different modes of learning. As > Landow states, hypertext “promises to have an effect on cultural and > intellectual disciplines as important as those produced by earlier > shifts in the technology of cultural memory that followed the > invention of writing and printing.” > > This takes me to the March section of this post. Here I will look at > certain portions of Stuart Moulthrop’s essay, “You say you want a > Revolution? Hypertext and the Laws of the Media”. He begins by giving > an overview of Nelson’s “Vision in a Dream, Xanadu”. He explains with > some care Nelson’s use of the word, “populitism”. Populitism, for > Nelson, refers to the democratic space where “the deeper > understandings of the few (can) at last (be made) available to the > many.” Moulthrop says that a “populite culture might mark the first > step toward realisation of Lyotard’s “game of perfect information” > where all have equal access to the world of data. Moulthrop wants to > know if Nelson’s Xanadu and his vision of “populitism” can actually > change the existing shape of written texts into radical hypertextuality. > > For this purpose, he takes up four questions posed by Marshall McLuhan > for a framework of a semiotics of technology. These four questions can > be posed for any invention and they are: 1. What does it enhance or > intensify?, 2. What does it render obsolete or displace?, 3. What does > it retrieve that was previously obsolete?, 4. What does it produce or > become when taken to its limit? > > Moulthrop tries to answer these four questions by substituting “it” > with “hypertext”. So that the questions become:1. What does hypertext > enhance or intensify?, 2. What does hypertext render obsolete or > displace?, 3. What does hypertext retrieve that was previously > obsolete?, 4. What does hypertext produce or become when taken to its > limit? > > _1. What does hypertext enhance or intensify?_ > > Moulthrop is of the opinion that, if hypertext is about connection, > linkage, affiliation, then it simply is an extension of what > literature has always been. > > _2. What does hypertext render obsolete or displace?_ > > He wonders if he could answer, “the book”, but decides that the answer > should be “the idiot box”. It is the intellectual problem that > hypertext seems excellently suited to address. So hypertext renders > obsolete, not “literacy”, but “post-literacy”. It foresees a “revival > of typographic culture (…in a truly dynamic, truly paperless > environment).” Moulthrop knows that this may seem “naïve or emptily > prophetic”, but also knows that “it is quite likely, valid.” Since > “hypertext means the end of the death of literature.” He also makes it > clear that the hypertext culture must consider the incorporation of > images and sounds and other interactive multimedia texts along with > alphabetic script. > > _3. What does hypertext retrieve that was previously obsolete?_ > > Here Moulthrop makes a rather startling comment about a second domain > in hypertextual literacy, what Jay David Bolter calls, “writing space” > as opposed to the ordinary, grammatical space of “literature”. This > “writing space” can be exploited by any literate person to become an > author. All readers can become potential writers. Anyone can publish > in hypertextual space and to write is to create a “secondary literacy”. > > _4. What does hypertext produce or become when taken to its limit? _ > > There is the fear that hypertext, when taken to its limit, might > realise McLuhan’s prophecy of reversal, “an empowering technology (may > be) turned into a mechanism of co-option and enslavement.” As > Moulthrop says, perhaps Xanadu too would “sell out to Sony, > Matsushita, Phillips or some other wielder of multinational leverage.” > However, he is optimistic, as long as there is a possibility of an > “other place”, a heterotopia, which would not work according to > understood paradigms of property. > > This discussion of Moulthrop’s essay will be put to interpretational > uses in the third part of my post, my April post. For all intents and > purposes, this is where I start exploring the poetry sites run by > Microsoft Network, more commonly known as MSN. Poetry is just one > category among many other categories of discussion fora, which include > subjects as diverse as sports, movies, health, automobiles or > alternative sexual lifestyles. The groups are designed in a way > whereby the “What’s New” page shows links on the left, new pictures > posted on the right, sponsored links and advertisements on the top, > new messages below the welcome message and a list of new members > (which can be viewed only by people who are already members) just > below that. The slightest click by the reader/user will allow her > entry; allow her to play in a polymorphic space that could take her to > tangents of various kinds. It could take her to a decentred, dynamic > space with very few and indeed, unstable hierarchical impediments. > > [Links to the “what’s new” page of a few sites: > > http://groups.msn.com/themustardbastard/_whatsnew.msnw > > http://groups.msn.com/Blackwidowswindowofpoetry/_whatsnew.msnw > > http://groups.msn.com/ThePoetsPlace/_whatsnew.msnw ] > > The architecture of these sites is such that one has to travel through > complicated alleys of links to navigate the various boards and pages. > More often than not, there are categories within categories like > Haiku, erotic poetry, dark/horror poetry, comic poetry etc. this > categorization would only mean more links to be traversed, more > clickable pressure points to be negotiated. > > Open groups, where membership is unrestricted, can be joined by > anybody with the help of any hotmail e-mail account. One hotmail > account gives you 3MB of storage space and the use of one screen name. > You can use your real name, of course, but such instances are rare. As > I said in my first post, my aim is not to investigate the use of > disguises and constructed identities in computer-mediated > communication. Enough work has already been done in this area. Suffice > to say here that anonymous poetry, or poetry written under interesting > screen names or “nicks”, as they are called, can drastically change > certain existing definitions of poetry as a lyric/subjective medium. > The self-naming of the poet-persona can be read as an attempt to > unsettle ordinarily held assumptions that the poetically created > artefact is stitched to the body and the imagination of the individual > who created the poetic text. The very fact that once you use up the > 3MB of storage space allotted to you, you will have to rejoin with a > new hotmail account and a new nickname (since the old one will show up > as being already in use) proves that in this poetic space, the name of > the creator, the aura of the original writer, is almost lost. > > Even though this may seem unnecessarily anarchic to most people, there > is much to be said about the instability and the decentredness of the > authorial voice. This is a fundamental reconfiguring of text > production and I would argue, also of reception. The reader will have > to keep track of the polyvalence of the voices, read through the > shifting mass of identities, textual materials and stylistic > interweavings. > > The movement of the poem from the written version to the typed, > on-screen, what I call, the /fonted /version, is a tortuous one and > requires basic computing skills. For instance, a direct copy-paste > from MS Word to the posting pop-up would render the poem > unintelligible since annoying HTML tags would taint the /meaning/ of > the poem. It would be interesting to frame this slippery space between > technology and poetry according to Robert Pepperell’s Post-human > Manifesto (1995) where he says: (i) Human bodies have no boundaries > and (ii) Post-humans regard their own being as embodied in an extended > technological world. Though the manifesto is problematic in various > ways, these are formulations that we need to take into consideration > when we try to locate the literal embodiment of our poetic selves on > the computer screen. I may look at this issue more closely in later posts. > > In the MSN Poetry sites, we see a hypertextual privileging of > recurrence, a permeable boundary between selves and machines, a > confrontation with simultaneity (in so far as a poem can be read by > any number of simultaneous users immediately after it is posted). The > archives co-exist seamlessly with the present. Any poem in the > archives can be brought back into the “What’s New” page, can be > “pushed to the top”, “bumped” to the present. Because hypertext > resists closure, we see that the poems exist in a state of chaotic > incompleteness. There are no final endings; a poem can be infinitely > reworked, reedited, can exist in a perpetual workshop space. So the > reader is no longer an outsider to the text, but a richly interactive, > almost busily so, entity. Sometimes, a poem almost takes on a > “patchwork”-like quality, and I do not mean this in the pejorative > sense. Readers put in various inputs, delete lines, add new words, > change punctuation and line breaks, sometimes rewrite entire stanzas, > sometimes, the whole poem. > > This recombinant potential of hypertext, the usage of “writing space” > for “secondary literacy”, where all readers are potential writers (or > at least commentators, critics and editors) is something that we have > to keep in mind. It also erases commonly held suppositions that the > gift of poetry is granted by higher powers to only a selected few. > Hypertextually speaking, all accessors of data are poets in the > making. It is interesting that poetry is also freed substantially from > the tyranny of the written word and annotations can be visual or aural > links, animated graphics, movie clips, poetry readings/recordings. All > these can become part of the poetic text, in fact can become /the > /poetic text, making its meaning roll into formerly unimaginable areas. > > If we look at Moulthrop’s discussion of McLuhan’s final question, we > see that there is a fear of being co-opted, appropriated within the > existing power structures of capital. We cannot afford to forget that > these groups are run by managers and assistant managers. The > creator/manager of a group can design/change the front page, add or > delete pages/boards, delete single comments or whole discussion > threads, invite or ban members and also assign assistant managers to > help in the general running and maintenance of the site. Even though > the powers exercised by many managers are minimal, there are sites > where the rules cited by MSN are followed strictly. Moreover, > advertisers and sponsors are difficult to erase even though spammers > and porn-bots are kept out by frequent banning. Moreover, Microsoft, > after all, is a great wielder of power. So will the vehement > pluralism, the heterotopia of this space be compromised and lead to > reversal and enslavement? I will look at the problems raised by these > questions/observations in my May post. > > Nitoo Das > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > MSN Careers! Your ticket to the best jobs! > Sign up now! From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 26 16:22:11 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:22:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] another response to M Suri In-Reply-To: <20050425202405.67277.qmail@web81510.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050425202405.67277.qmail@web81510.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <426E1D5B.3060309@sarai.net> Well, let me throw my hat in here as well. I am skeptical of the little hypertext poetry I have seen so far, for reasons I have elaborated elsewhere ( see, for instance, my review of Stephanie Strickland, http://www.webdelsol.com/Perihelion/strickland.htm ), but I certainly don't feel that it would be a futile exercise. Nitoo asks for a definition of what poetry is, and what better than the one already given below by M Suri, namely, "to launch into space without a particular destination in mind, ultimately, to be lost in oblivion"? Whatever we do, we will learn from. I'm not sure I fully understand the concern over "plagiarism". Now, let me be very clear, I am certainly disgusted by people who build their careers without giving credit where credit is due, but, that aside, we have to face the fact that poetry comes out of and goes into a commonly-shared pool of language. Are we outlawing the borrowing/modification of lines from other poets, which has happened for centuries and used to be called "alluding"? What do we do with the brilliant found poetry of poets like Edwin Morgan (who by the way has also rocked my mind with his purely visual, concrete poems which are not meant for oral performance but for display)? What do we do with the Ern Malley affair, where two poets created a third, hoax, "fake" poet who borrowed lines but went on to be far more famous and highly regarded than either of them ( http://www.jacketmagazine.com/17/index.html ) or, with the canonical German poet Hans Magnus Ensenzburger's poetry machine from the 60s ( http://www.jacketmagazine.com/17/enz.html ) which processes and regurgitates found text according to an algorithm? The very nature of poetry is in sampling and re-circulation (although just borrowing/stealing lines does not automatically make you a good poet): this, we have to come to terms with. Vivek M Suri wrote: > > Sometimes, it's best that one procrastinates and never shakes one's > self of that sweet yet nagging self-indulgence of inaction. Then one > can spare one's self and the world of one's inanities or overblown, > hypertectual meanderings. > > "Hypertext poetry"? Unless one has seeded the internet with one's own > works and then used them to compose a poem (or any other literary > work, for that matter) one is plagiarising on a massive scale. This > is not poetry. The effort of allowing one's mind, as a creator or a > reader, to travel in the fluidity of hypertext may be poetic but to > call the result a work of (original) poetry is, in my humble opinion, > sheer balderdash. It is web-surfing and that act may or may not be > poetic in its execution but the result is not poetry. All the > verbosity and pseudo-intellectual blather in the world will not > salvage this canard. > > Redefining an art form in one's own vision of it is not a new > exercise. But naming it "hypertext poetry," particularly, in the > absence of any examples goes beyond the pale. I'm all for > experimentation but "hypertext poetry" is an exercise in fulitlity > taken to the extreme. I suspect someone went strolling among the > trees and lost sight of the forest and its constraints. > > Poetry is a medium which is not limited to the page. Its origins were > in the oral tradition. A poem was recited. It could be short or even > an epic. Regardless of its length it was a means of communicating > that made sense to the poet and the auditors. It increasingly became > incomprehensible to newer audiences who had lost touch with the > allegorical references or were too intellectually lazy to make an > effort to understand the poet and his poem, especially, when the > alternative modes of entertainment provided more facile comprehension > and enjoyment. > > Poems could also be created by the collective input of several poets. > However, to conceive of a poem as an exercise in the realm of > hypertext is to launch into space without a particular destination in > mind, ultimately, to be lost in oblivion. Try reading to an audience > a poem created in hypertext at a poetry venue. If you want to write > the Iliad or the Mahabharat, that's one thing but pray do not drag us > through hypertext to do it. Poetry is straining to keep a hold on its > rapidly dimninishing audience, as it is. I sincerely doubt that it > will retain, much less gain, an audience when one needs to explain its > new form with a treatise such as has been presented. > > Enough said. > > Mani Suri > From shivamvij at gmail.com Tue Apr 26 16:57:47 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:57:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [ZESTPoets] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities [Fwd] In-Reply-To: <20050425202405.67277.qmail@web81510.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050425202405.67277.qmail@web81510.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: M Suri Date: Apr 26, 2005 1:54 AM Subject: [ZESTPoets] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities [Fwd] To: ZESTPoets at yahoogroups.com Sometimes, it's best that one procrastinates and never shakes one's self of that sweet yet nagging self-indulgence of inaction. Then one can spare one's self and the world of one's inanities or overblown, hypertectual meanderings. "Hypertext poetry"? Unless one has seeded the internet with one's own works and then used them to compose a poem (or any other literary work, for that matter) one is plagiarising on a massive scale. This is not poetry. The effort of allowing one's mind, as a creator or a reader, to travel in the fluidity of hypertext may be poetic but to call the result a work of (original) poetry is, in my humble opinion, sheer balderdash. It is web-surfing and that act may or may not be poetic in its execution but the result is not poetry. All the verbosity and pseudo-intellectual blather in the world will not salvage this canard. Redefining an art form in one's own vision of it is not a new exercise. But naming it "hypertext poetry," particularly, in the absence of any examples goes beyond the pale. I'm all for experimentation but "hypertext poetry" is an exercise in fulitlity taken to the extreme. I suspect someone went strolling among the trees and lost sight of the forest and its constraints. Poetry is a medium which is not limited to the page. Its origins were in the oral tradition. A poem was recited. It could be short or even an epic. Regardless of its length it was a means of communicating that made sense to the poet and the auditors. It increasingly became incomprehensible to newer audiences who had lost touch with the allegorical references or were too intellectually lazy to make an effort to understand the poet and his poem, especially, when the alternative modes of entertainment provided more facile comprehension and enjoyment. Poems could also be created by the collective input of several poets. However, to conceive of a poem as an exercise in the realm of hypertext is to launch into space without a particular destination in mind, ultimately, to be lost in oblivion. Try reading to an audience a poem created in hypertext at a poetry venue. If you want to write the Iliad or the Mahabharat, that's one thing but pray do not drag us through hypertext to do it. Poetry is straining to keep a hold on its rapidly dimninishing audience, as it is. I sincerely doubt that it will retain, much less gain, an audience when one needs to explain its new form with a treatise such as has been presented. Enough said. Mani Suri - ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/rkgkPB/UOnJAA/Zx0JAA/yqIolB/TM - --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Did you get this mail as a forward? Subscribe by sending a blank mail to ZESTPoets-subscribe at yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/join. Members are encouraged to post poetry, their own and others', respond critically to the poems circulated, and participate in discussions. Post via email at ZESTPoets at yahoogroups.com OR online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/post From river_side1 at hotmail.com Tue Apr 26 19:20:39 2005 From: river_side1 at hotmail.com (River .) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 13:50:39 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities In-Reply-To: <426E0EE9.9080300@sarai.net> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050426/0e0029b1/attachment.html From keith at thememorybank.co.uk Tue Apr 26 20:35:42 2005 From: keith at thememorybank.co.uk (Keith Hart) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 17:05:42 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN Poetry Communities In-Reply-To: <426E0EE9.9080300@sarai.net> References: <426E0EE9.9080300@sarai.net> Message-ID: <426E58C6.1010608@thememorybank.co.uk> This all very interesting. Lots of things leap to mind when reading this exchange. I don't claim that what follows adds up to an argument. Somehow the triad of book/idiot box/hypertext doesn't quite cover the options. Let us assume that a contemporary poet will first draw on her own social and cultural expereince and hope through that to reach an audience whose scope is unknowable in advance. Today this will include above all movies and TV, recorded music and radio, newspapers and magazines, plus books of course. Poetry is one way of advancing the human conversation. But there is poetry with a big P (making things up that make a difference, perhaps poesis in Vico's sense) and poetry with a little p (the existing genre known as such). Then maybe she is drawn to hypertext because of its plastic capacity to combine different sources in new ways, as well as to create with others new forms of social interaction and communication. This could be an experimental venture limited in its social influence to a few avant garde artists or it could aim at having a popular impact, at the extreme to help shape the society that the internet calls into being. And many variations in between, esepcially in regard to the degree of continuity with existing practice. Movies are bound to have shaped the awareness of contemporary poets and their audiences. I resent film being called a visual medium because of the importance of dialogue and music. Hypertext offers new means of combining image and sound, movement and stability. This implies a critical understanding of the potential and limitations of the world wide web as a medium. The Cubists tried to put the viewer into the picture at several points simultaneously. Could hypertext be a vehicle for a new Cubism, combining Apollinaire and Picasso perhaps? Or is it stuck with the reader being always in one place only, whatever the sequence of moves? The exchange with Nitoo seems to be most concerned with the issue of individual authorship which does seem old-fashioned to me, even if I sometimes like to say that we shouldn't feel guilty just because they only hand out brains one at a time. The curren6 panic about plagiarism is really about the contradiction between private property and digital means of reproduction. The case of Homer is instructive. Modern scholarship suggests that 'he' was the eponymous author of a collective bardic tradition that took on a new significance with the introduction of alphabetic writing. We should expect the important poets of the internet age to be similar social hybrids. Speaking of which, Vivek brought up the dreaded question of dominance of the anglophone tradition. I was watching a Marx Brothers DVD the other day, with its repartee, song and dance numbers and painting-by numbers script and my wife remarked in astonishment that it was just like a Bollywood movie.... I would like abstract discussion of new possibilities for poetry to be anchored in specific cultural discourses rather than be abstract, like the avant-garde composers of 'serious' music in the twentieth century. Le Monde des Livres had a big article not long ago claiming that contemporary Indian novelists as a group are now taking the novel form further than any other comprarable category, much as the Russians or Latin Americans may once have. What struck me about Nitoo's essay was that she didn't bother with the issue of where authors are from. But I would hazard a guess that the mass audience is for English as a second language and that may have something to do with it. Apologies for rambling, but I could not begin to approach the fine essay writing on this topic that Nitoo shared with us. Keith Hart From river_side1 at hotmail.com Tue Apr 26 21:28:57 2005 From: river_side1 at hotmail.com (River .) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 15:58:57 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Hypertextual Poetry: A Study of MSN PoetryCommunities In-Reply-To: <426E58C6.1010608@thememorybank.co.uk> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050426/3e933646/attachment.html From kaiwanmehta at gmail.com Tue Apr 26 21:37:51 2005 From: kaiwanmehta at gmail.com (kaiwan mehta) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 21:37:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Grandfather on the Building!! Message-ID: <2482459d050426090762792b0f@mail.gmail.com> Hi All, The last month has been interesting since its been a month where my basket of meeting people and collecting information has been full. Besides interviews, of residents, there has been a collection of responses of my friend moving in the area, as she was ready to be my subject in the area. Did you know which was the first book translated into Hindi in Bombay? Or where did Premchand sleep when he stayed in Mumbai for 6 months? Where did Tilak hide during the British crackdown on freedom fighters? Well soon you will know! Secondly I conducted a studio exercise on the project with Second Year students. This was a part of the Humanities and History of Architecture studio. Since the studio ended the year on a discussion of Industrialisation and Colonialism, the project suited well to the context of the class. I am joining below the text produced by two of the researching groups. At the end of this exercise we had a discussion on research methods adopted by them and the way they wrote the text. This is becoming a document by itself! the manner we conducted the exercise was an important process and exercise i need to document. The students developed some drawings and interesting images, which I have not figured how to attach here. Do you know families still recognise plastered images of their great grandfathers on buildings here, while queen victoria peers from her cast iron bust fitted in grilles? Text follows .... KRANTI NAGAR British developed Bombay as their colony. They built fort area as their main administration centre. Bombay grew as an industrial city. Textile mills grew on very large scale. People from interior of Maharasatra started to migrate to the town. British set up factories in areas like Lower Parel, Lal Baug etc. The residential areas for these workers were built away from Fort areas like Girgaum, Bhuleshwar etc. A group of people staying together belonging to the same community came to be known as wadi. Our site is one of such wadi. In those days in the Girgaum area landlord Mr. Shivnath Rele was the third richest person after Parshuram Mehta and Mr. Jaggannath Shankar Seth being the first richest. At present, the Mehta family members are the in laws of the Rele family. Out of the property owned by the Mehtas, three villas at Napien sea road were leased to the British officials then. This clearly symbolizes the high status of the Rele family in the eyes of the British government at that time. The prestigious position owned by the landlords at time is clearly evident from the fact that the main roads were blocked for common people to let the landlords car pass through. Our wadi, in 1890s was a horse stable under British government. The horses were used for pulling carriages, which were popularly known as 'Victorias'. Hence this area in those days came to be known as 'Sarkari Tabela'. Chawls 'H' and 'I' (fig 1) housed the carriage riders on the first floor and stables on the ground floor. This plot was under mortgage with landlord Mr. Shivnath Rele who was an accountant at British administrative office. As the owner couldn't pay for it, Mr. Shivnath Rele got the land. Later, he developed the land in 1890s comprising of 10 chawls and rented it out to people. The blocks H and I were G + 1 structure which had a stable on the ground floor and riders' residences on the first floor. When Rele got this plot it already consisted of these blocks which still exist. Shivnath Rele constructed the landlord's mansion. The blocks A, B, C, D, E and F already existed as ground floor structures which were later extended. In initial days on ground floor of block D only flower vendors stayed and hence the building was known as 'Phoolwala' building. On the first floor of this structure all educated people used to stay. Some of them worked as teachers in the neighboring schools, some were clerks in British offices and many of them worked in post office. Thus this wadi in general housed people from different profession. The main modes of transport in those days for these people were trams. Majority of working strata of this wadi used trams as their main traveling mode for reaching their respective working places, whereas there also existed a group, which preferred walking to their work places, mainly at Byculla, Lalbaug, Fort etc. If looked into history of these residents' native towns, none of them had come from the same area, yet all of them had migrated from different fragments of Maharashtra. The wadi wasn't dominated by any particular caste of people, but majority of them were Maharashtrians. Then later in the year 1954 'Sane Guruji' named this wadi as 'Kranti Nagar'. The Landlord's mansion in those days also comprised of G+1 structure with a pitched roof. The Rele family resided on the ground floor and the first floor was used as a hall for public and family get-togethers. All the marriages in Rele family were held here. This hall in those days was also used for Ganesh utsav and many political meetings. The Ganesh Utsav was celebrated on a very large scale over here. The importance was it was highly decorated with costly accessories. They even had electronic toys for display. And in those days only the privileged rich class had access to such goods. This wadi also became important for political get-togethers addressing the common public, as this wadi was one of the most thickly populated wadis. Bal Gandharva had come to this wadi for Ganapati Jagran. Famous political leaders such as George Fernandez, Pramod Navalkar and industrialists like Naval Tata had delivered speeches in this wadi. After Shivnath Rele the property was taken care of by his four sons, Raghunath, Kesarinath, Gopinath and Vishwanath. As the Rele family grew another floor was added to the existing G+1 landlords mansion. • Block K was given to the eldest son Raghunath Rele, which is at present taken care by his daughter Kanchan Mohan Dsouza. • Block A, B and C were handed over to his second son Kesarinath Rele, of which block A belongs to his younger son Milind Rele and block B and C to his elder son Uday Rele. • Block H and I were handed to the third son Gopinath Rele, who lost his entire property due to his ill vices. Thus the blocks H and I are the only block in the wadi which are owned by the respective residents. • Block D and E were handed over to the youngest son Vishwanath Rele. The block D at present is maintained by MHADA. Whereas block E is under mortgage to an institute 'Messrs Simon Reuben Samuel, Simon Reuben, Solomon Simon Reuben'. The distinct feature of the wadi is that it is completely cut-off from the busy lane just outside. It has two general stores, one vegetable vendor and also a laundry within its premises. In a way the wadi serves most of the basic needs to the residents. At present the landlord's mansion is divided into two sections, Milind and Uday Rele reside in the left hand side section and Kanchan Dsouza in the right hand side section. The hall on left hand side of the first floor was rented to the 'Agarwal Classes', whereas the right hand side of the hall was given to the architect Pravin Katwi. Currently the first floor is empty and the ground floor is rented to some tenants. Even though all the chawls were under the same family, the different chawls at present have different management procedures as the maintenance of the chawls was completely the responsibility of the chawl members and the landlords played no part in it except collecting taxes on one date of every month. The tenants paid a monthly rent of Rs. 89 for single rooms and Rs. 152 for double room. Previously, the tenants used to pay Rs. 5 as the rent. In some of the blocks there are treasurers, who collect funds in case of any large-scale maintenance problem. If there is any leakage or any damage, the individual tenant is responsible for its repair. In short the landlord has a negligible role in the building affair and is yet respected by his tenants. The corridor, which is between block E and D (MHADA), is a dump yard. People from both the buildings happily throw all their garbage in this corridor. The most distinctive feature of this corridor is that a small gutter divides it and it belongs to two different authorities. The right side belongs to MHADA and the left belongs to the building itself. The corridor is cleaned every morning but makes no big difference, as the scenario remains the same. Today, since, the wadi no longer exists as a concrete, united structure, the garbage disposal mismanagement is clearly visible from the wastes dumped in every nook and corner of the area. The entire floor has a common washing place at the end of the corridor. In some building it is also used for bathing by men and in some it is no longer used as sinks. Block A and B share a common toilet. Hence they have built a bridge connecting the two blocks. In spite of this wadi being one of the first ones to have large scale Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav now a days they don't hold one. Blocks A and B have a small scale Ganesh utsav amongst them selves. At present this wadi only celebrates large scale Sarvajanik Gokulastami, Holi and Shiv Ratri. This wadi now has a small Sai Baba temple, which is recently built and taken care by the residents. The residents regularly visit the temples of Babulnath, Mumbadevi, Gora Ram and Kala Ram, of which the tradition of visiting the two hundred year old Kala Ram temple, since the wadi came into being, has been carried on till date. The main schools in the proximity of the wadi are 'Chikitsa Samuha', 'Aryan high school' and 'Kamlabai School', which is the only girls' school in this area. Speaking about the status of the residents of the wadi, one can say that they are all purely middle class working families, working various fields such as, in the mantralay, reliance energy, gold and diamond merchants, whereas some had set up small scale household business such as tailoring, florist, printing etc. one peculiar aspect of the florist is that they also undertake large scale contracts of providing flowers for marriages and similar other functions, working just in a 2x2 m space. In spite of the new development happening around, the wadi still stands and maintains its own distinct identity. One of the most interesting factors of the entire Wadi is that, though all the chawls together form the entire complex of the WADI, still individual chawls have different management systems and the interaction between them is much lesser than what one would expect it to be…….. BHATIA MAHAJANWADI The areas of Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi formed the native town during the British rule. The Fort area had the British residents and commercial areas while Indian traders, workers and shopkeepers lived to the north of Princess Street. The Fort area is well documented in this period while the native town was quite neglected in terms of historical documentation. We tried to deduce the history of the area by understanding the history of one of the colonial era buildings. The methods employed were looking at the elements of the building and talking to the residents there. The particular area of the old native town that we studied is Kalbadevi. Walking from Marine Lines station along Princess Street we found the Mumbai we were so used to. As soon as we took a left to enter Kalbadevi, we felt we were transported to another town altogether. The narrow streets were unusually crowded and buildings lined both sides of the road. The buildings were as closely packed as the people on the streets. The buildings are mostly belonging to the colonial era but some new buildings have come up mostly after demolishing older buildings. The buildings show a mix and match of different architectural styles with the building typology resembling traditional Indian architecture but the details are a combination of both Indian and European architecture. Mostly they are residential buildings. Lots of these buildings were built exclusively for a particular community but some have over the years accepted other communities. The building we picked for our study is more than 175 years old and called the Halai Bhatia Mahajanwady. It is owned by a trust called the Bombay Halai Bhatia Mahajan Trust. The residents allowed to stay in the building are only Bhatias and the trust makes sure that the exclusivity of the building is maintained except for a Maharashtrian doctor who also runs his clinic there. Initially, shops weren't there in the building but the ground floor of the residential buildings shows some commercial establishments of late. The trust office is on the first floor of the older residential building. About 600 people live in the building. As we enter from the street, the gate of building seems quite large and decorated. On further enquiry, we discovered that the gate is a heritage structure. The entrance of the buildings flows onto the main pathway leading from the gate to the community building. The courtyard of the building is formed due to 3 buildings enclosing it with the gate on the fourth side. The two residential buildings are the oldest structures in the complex while the most recent additions have been added around 50-60 years ago. The innermost building is the community gathering space. The residential buildings show a common house typology. Both the buildings have two entrances into the building from either ends but on the same side. Each floor has between 14 and 20 single rooms sharing a common bathroom, toilet and washing area. Both buildings have shops on the ground floor, which have been added much after the building was built. Some of the people residing in these rooms have bought more than one house next to each other and combined them to form large houses. Some houses have bathrooms inside them but private toilets are not allowed by the trust. Initially, all the rooms were connected to each other by doors but after repairs carried out in 1996, most of the residents opted to have these doors removed. The houses are 10' by 18' in size. The height of these rooms is about 12' and this allows for a small storage area above the door. Building number 1 has five floors while building 2 has four. The trust office is on the first floor of the first building. Commercial establishments happen on the road facing side on the ground and first floors of the building. However, access to the upper commercial establishments is from inside. In the first building, people on the first floor owned single rooms while those on the upper floors had more than one rooms. One of the houses had five rooms owned by the same person who connected them to form one large house. The second building had these conjoined rooms scattered all over the building. One marriage hall is on the ground floor of the second building. The community building at the end of the path was built about 150 years ago. It has 2 halls, on the ground and the first floor each. The building shows tremendous colonial influence. The ground floor has a higher plinth and shows an arcade. The keystones are carved to depict the founders of the wadi. The iron grills on the first floor were highly decorative with floral patterns and a casting depicting Queen Victoria. The hall on the first floor had paintings of founders of the wadi. Storerooms containing records and food grains were there. The wooden flooring in this building is damaged to a large extent. In spite of being a heritage building, it is be demolished on the 26th of March 2005. However the façade is to be retained. The community halls have different functions taking place frequently like thread ceremonies, weddings, bhajans, pujas etc. When we were short listing buildings for our study, we met a group of old men in the building who gave us a little information about the building. Most of them stayed there since birth, which meant that they were there for about 70 years or so. They mentioned where they originally hailed from and asked us about the project. They seemed quite happy to share information and answered our questions without any hassles. One of the old men was a former trustee and he was instrumental for getting us access to the community building which was closed on that day. He spoke about 'pagdi', which interested us a bit. The few people who we talked to that day convinced us that the community was quite welcoming and this made the building quite appropriate for our study. On our second visit, we conducted detailed interviews of the residents in the buildings. By now word had spread about the fact that we had visited the building the earlier week, which showed how close-knit the community was. People seemed quite curious and welcoming. However there were some exceptions. Some people refused to talk before we went to the trust office and when we did go there, we were spoken to very rudely and asked to leave. Talking to the individual families was a different experience as we got lots of information from them On our second visit, we conducted detailed interviews of the residents in the buildings. By now word had spread about the fact that we had visited the building the earlier week, which showed how close-knit the community was. People seemed quite curious and welcoming. However there were some exceptions. Some people refused to talk before we went to the trust office and when we did go there, we were spoken to very rudely and asked to leave. Talking to the individual families was a different experience as we got lots of information from them One of the families we spoke to consisted of two sisters and a brother who were all in their early seventies. One of the sisters was widowed and the other two were unmarried. The eldest remembers being here since childhood. She could not exactly remember exactly how many generations of a family lived there but she assumes her great-grandfather first settled here. She recollected her childhood days when there were as many ten people living in one room, all of them being more than six feet tall! One wonders how they managed to sleep in the same room. Now, like many families in the building, the number of people in one room had come down drastically. She remembered playing games in the courtyard, which was quite large before the latest additions. The community celebrated festivals together quite frequently and the family took an active part in these festivals. Her family was involved in the cloth business for a long time before switching to other professions. One of her grandnieces is training to be a chemical engineer. She seemed quite nostalgic about the past and considers the new generation to be quite aloof from the rest of the community. She also misses the days when all the rooms were connected to each other by doors. However, the community feeling is still quite strong she said. The large number of old people who lived alone in the building were taken care of by other residents. The other family that gave us some really interesting information was from the older building. Three generations of the same family lived in the same house. This gave an overview from the younger generation also. The man gave us a background about the Bhatias, right from the activities happening in the community hall to the people and the trust being very helpful by nature. The Bhatias are traditionally cloth merchants from the Saurashtra area. People living in this wadi probably founded the Mangaldas cloth market. As time passed, they have entered other professions mainly due to the collapse of the cloth market. Now, the Mangaldas market, which was purely a cloth market, has started selling everything. We saw old family photos on the wall of the house members, which showed that at least three generations might have lived in that house. Though very small the house could accommodate more than seven members, some of them had mezzanine rooms, which were used to sleep in. One of the houses had a family of four. The father was busy on the computer yet gave us information. Infact he was one of the people involved in the repair of the building ten years ago. He was in his early fifties and was remembering the situation in his childhood. At that time, there were Gujarati medium schools located practically every 2-3 buildings in the neighborhood. Education till matriculate level was common but after that the children joined the family business. Now, he noticed that all the Gujarati medium schools had shut down and English medium schools had gained popularity. Earlier, Gujarati medium schools like Gamadia and Shakuntala were quite popular and now most of the community went to schools like St. Xavier and St. Anne's. Economically, most of the people living in the building are quite well off and own some property elsewhere in the city. However, many prefer remaining here because it's close to their workplaces. He remembered the road in front of the building had a tram running on it for a long time. Now instead of the ghoda-gadi in which he traveled, there were cars and traffic jams all day. The daughter thinks that since everybody is joining their rooms and now the chawl system is turning into a flat system. We asked about the furniture lying outside the room and he said that it was his mother's junk and waiting for her to pass away so he could get rid of it. One of the houses had a family of four. The father was busy on the computer yet gave us information. Infact he was one of the people involved in the repair of the building ten years ago. He was in his early fifties and was remembering the situation in his childhood. At that time, there were Gujarati medium schools located practically every 2-3 buildings in the neighborhood. Education till matriculate level was common but after that the children joined the family business. Now, he noticed that all the Gujarati medium schools had shut down and English medium schools had gained popularity. Earlier, Gujarati medium schools like Gamadia and Shakuntala were quite popular and now most of the community went to schools like St. Xavier and St. Anne's. Economically, most of the people living in the building are quite well off and own some property elsewhere in the city. However, many prefer remaining here because it's close to their workplaces. He remembered the road in front of the building had a tram running on it for a long time. Now instead of the ghoda-gadi in which he traveled, there were cars and traffic jams all day. The daughter thinks that since everybody is joining their rooms and now the chawl system is turning into a flat system. We asked about the furniture lying outside the room and he said that it was his mother's junk and waiting for her to pass away so he could get rid of it. One of the flats had a large family where we met a young woman who taught in G.D. Somani pre-primary school. When we mentioned the old woman's complaints that the young generation doesn't take part in the community affairs, she remarked that old people could only complain and do nothing else. She said that they do take part in festivals like Holi, Diwali and Janmashtami, which the community celebrates together, but because of their busy work schedules they cannot meet often. Moreover, most people of her age have left the building and it makes it tough to socialize much. Her house was the largest in the 2nd building with as many as 6 rooms combined. Another woman who was married outside the community said that it was impossible for non-Bhatias to buy flats in the building. She commeted about the trust's attitude. The trust is so strict that they did not allow even eggs to be eaten in the building. However, of late, they allow eggs to be eaten. During solar eclipses, it was believed that water gets impure and they had to throw away stored water after the eclipse and everybody had to take a bath with their clothes on in the bathrooms. The trust seems quite compassionate though. After the partition, many Bhatias from Pakistan were given rooms in the wadi free of cost and the community is so close-knit that now one cannot even guess who is a refugee. Also, in spite of the costs involved in running the building, she felt that the trust charging only Rs. 100 per room as monthly charges was quite fair. She complained about the water problem and said that sometimes the second floor residents had to collect water from the ground floor, since there was only one tap for almost 50-60 people. The mystery of the pagadis was solved by one of the families. This family owned five rooms in a row connected to form a large house. The house was a blend of historic and modern styles. The grandmother of the house said that the family was living there right from her great-grandmothers age. She said that the people from the wadi were very helpful and very trust worthy since they had once helped her when she was getting robbed by some outsider. Since then, she says, the rules of the wadi have become strict. She told us that it was very convenient to stay in the wadi due to easy railway and market access. Also less payment of the monthly maintenance helps them a lot. The aunty there told us that the pagadi symbolized the caste and sub-caste to which that person belongs. Different shapes of the pagadi showed different sub-castes like the one she showed us had a rounded end, which was symbolic of the Bhatias In a building of more than 600 close-knit residents and a trust that rarely reveals anything, rumours spread quite frequently and easily. Some residents said that Parsis owned the building when it was first built and due to some reason or the other, had to vacate it and gave away the building free of cost to the Bhatia community. Although we cannot aunthenticate this information, many residents believe this to be true. The community building which is to be demolished has sparked off a whole rumour mill by itself. One of the trustees told us that the building will have its façade retained and any changes made will be from the inside. Moreover, the two marriage halls, the storerooms etc are all going to be retained. However, many residents felt that the building was going to be demolished and a seven-storey residential building was going to be built. Some others feel that a shopping complex is going to be built. One of the residents mentioned that the ghost of the building's founder is seen sometimes in the courtyard. Apparently, he is not happy with the way the wadi is run… The history of the wadi spans six generations as far as we know and we managed to get the point of view of practically every single generation. In spite of the differences and the changing times, people still live together in harmony through the occasional problem. Most people do not remember occurrences happening outside the wadi, which shows the insular nature of this community. Nostalgia among the older generation is quite frequent and the indifference of the younger generation seems to irritate them. The younger generation complains that the older people don't understand them. Water problems everywhere. Traffic problems on the road outside. In spite of its 170 year-old history, doesn't seem to be different from any other building, does it? -- Kaiwan Mehta Architect and Urban Reseracher 11/4, Kassinath Bldg. No. 2, Kassinath St., Tardeo, Mumbai 400034 022-2-494 3259 / 91-98205 56436 From jeebesh at sarai.net Tue Apr 26 23:53:11 2005 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh Bagchi) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 23:53:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Making Things Public Message-ID: <426E870F.6090806@sarai.net> Making Things Public Exhibition. ZKM Curated by Bruno Latour and Peter Weibel http://makingthingspublic.zkm.de/ PUBLIC TEXT -------------------- No Politics Please Contrary to Aristotles’ assertion, man does not seem to be a political animal. To assemble in order to form a Body Politic is not a natural and universal reflex. Before renewing the ways to practice politics in our climates, it’s important to fathom the complexity of other types of assembling. It’s not only the case that people might disagree on which position to take inside their representative assemblies, not only that they might contest the right of this or that person to represent their will, not only that they wish to modify the institutional setting of politics, it’s also that people disagree on what it is to assemble, or even on the very necessity of assembling. If for several centuries Europeans had the feeling that they were enlightened enough to welcome the whole humanity inside their own definition of politics, they had not considered the many dissembling ways of assembling. To represent, to argue, to dissent, to be a citizen, might not offer that much of a common ground. Entire empires have survived without isolating politics as a specific sphere of activity. There might be atmospheres of democracy even in the absence of the European based types of institutions. So, before imagining any possible renewal of the conditions for democracy, it’s very important to realize under which conditions some of the concepts taken to be at the foundation of political assemblies are allowed to travel and to be translated. The first lesson is not to rush into expanding politics everywhere. The Puzzle of Composite Bodies In spite of centuries of social theory, of economics, of psychology, the problem remains intact: when we assemble, how is it possible to form a collective person, a corporate body, a super-organism, a being that is sometimes more, and sometimes less, than the sum of its parts? This problem of composition is not theoretical but also artistic: through which devices and visual tricks, through which original medium, with which metaphors, in which language can you produce the simultaneous presence of those that are assembled and of the new bizarre entity that is generated out of the assembling? Since the early fable of the members and the stomach all the way to the modern notion of organization, through the powerful myth of the invisible hand, this problem of composition has been shifted to biological metaphors. There exist, we are told, a body politic. But it’s also possible to stress another tradition, the pragmatic one, that considers the political assembly not as a body, but rather as a phantom, that is, as a shifting and barely visible tracing of the unintended consequences of collective action. What if politics was made of a multitude of issues, much like a digital image is made of pixels? The phantom public would look a lot different from the body politic. It’s fascinating to see that new media can try to tackle again the same question as those of early engravers and natural philosophers, but that in all the cases the artistic solution possesses the same degree of complexity as the very political assembling that they try to represent. The Good and the Bad Government Politics is even more tellingly visible in the famous fresco painted by Lorenzetti in Siena's city hall. Many scholars have deciphered for us the complex meaning of the emblems representing the Good and the Bad Government, and have traced their complex genealogy. But what is most striking for a contemporary eye is the massive presence of cities, landscapes, animals, merchants, dancers, and the ubiquitous rendering of light and space. The Bad Government is not simply illustrated by the devilish figure of Discordia, but also through the dark light, the destructed city, the ravaged landscape, and the suffocating people. The Good Government is not simply personified by the various emblems of Virtue and Concordia, but also through the transparency of light, its well-kept architecture, its well-tended landscape, its diversity of animals, the ease of its commercial relations, its thriving arts. Far from being simply a décor for the emblems, the fresco requests us to become attentive to a subtle ecology of Good and Bad Government. And modern visitors, attuned to the new issues of bad air, hazy lights, destroyed ecosystems, ruined architecture, abandoned industry, and delocalized trades are certainly ready to include in their definition of politics a whole new ecology loaded with things. Where has political philosophy turned its distracted gaze while so many objects were drawn under its very nose? From Objects to Things What is a thing? First of all an assembly. There is some danger in resurrecting the oldest etymology in many languages especially the European ones of the word for ‘thing’ meaning a gathering around a disputed state of affairs. This etymology has been used and abused, especially by Heidegger, in order to strike an opposition with ‘object’, that is, what is thrown out of any human group, what is the dream of scientific mastery. And yet, once we reopen the question of composition and representation, once we bring the cosmos back into politics, there is some wisdom in rejuvenating the old meaning for things. Yes, politics is also Dingpolitik, not because it goes back to its archaic foundation against the movement of modern life, but precisely for the opposite reason: because the ‘objects’ that had been thrown out of assemblies by the tradition of political philosophy are now back inside them. There is thus a crucial interest in shifting the centre of gravity of politics from an assembly of people, to an assembly of matters of concern. After all, the prestigious word Res-publica includes the word ‘res’, thing, in its very definition and the pragmatic tradition has centered around ‘pragmata’, that is, things again. Whether in Latin or in Greek, the same question is raised: what would politics look like if it becomes a politics of things? No Mediation, No Representation What has completely modified the divide between objects and things, science and politics, is the very development of modern sciences. Whereas, for the three last centuries, the great idea was to replace the uncertainty of political arenas by the certainty coming out of scientific laboratories, there has been recently a tide change. The very extension of scientific laboratories to the whole of the human activities has made their complex techniques of representation and of validation part and parcel of daily life. Scientific practice has become the best example of public things. We are now all entangled into the sciences. The great advantage is that we share some of their vocations, of their equipment, of their requirements. The down side is that the sciences no longer seat as a court of appeal for the vagaries of politics. We are all embarked into controversies dealing with indirect and sometimes incomplete proofs. The objects of science are still objective, but they have become things, in great need of an assembly. Some people see this deep change as dimming the hopes of the Enlightenment, others take it as the best occasion to redefine what it means to be enlightened by the scientific instrumentarium. Which Assembly for those Assemblages If we continue to compare assemblies with one another without being limited to those who look like bona fide parliaments, the most ubiquitous ones are probably the complex of technological networks inside which we find ourselves constantly intertwined. All of us live in an artificial landscape generated by the crisscrossing of endless number of artifacts each of which has been the result of a plan, a decision, a discussion about a certain order of the world. Each object has first been a project. The problem is that those assemblages have no assembly to represent them. This is the reason why they look like a rather dull, mechanical, autonomous force exerting power without anyone exerting power. And yet, when looked at more closely, there is not a single technology around which, very quickly,you don’t find a swarm of different people which have indeed assembled around it to make it come into existence. As Diego de Rivera fresco of Ford plants indicate so well, even an industrial plant deploys a whole cosmopolitics. What is especially important for the comparison between assemblies is that those informal and sometimes virtual groups are very well equipped and instrumented in order to visualize in advance their projects and their plans. Technological networks are extremely rich in drafts, drawings, scale models, representation techniques of all sorts. Doesn’t that make a lot of sense to bring some of those techniques to bear on politics? The Parliaments of Nature It might seem odd at first to consider natural sites just after having considered religious assemblies. But if the great Pan is dead, it means that natural sites are no longer those peaceful and well ordered groupings which could be used as a pattern for public life. On the contrary, the more we move into ecological controversies, the more important it becomes to consider an ecosystem as a sort of assembly without walls inside which many types of ‘speakers’ are allowed to ‘have a voice’. Not because we want to imitate the usual parliamentary settings, but, on the contrary, because it’s obvious that the traditional sites of politics have to move toward the centre of gravity of ecology. Ecology is not about a naturalization of politics —as if one wanted to ‘treat humans like plants and animals’— but about the recognition of the immense complexity of what it is for any entity —human or non-human— to have a voice, to take a stand, to be counted, to be represented, to be connected with others. From the beginning of modern science to the contemporary engineering of rivers, landscape and agriculture, it’s clear that the number of speech-apparatus and instruments have immensely increased. Without those many mediations, no representation would be possible. If we have to live from now on in the assemblies of nature, we better be aware of the procedures that make them livable or tyrannical. Follow the Paper Trails Intellectual technologies are among the most ubiquitous equipment that allow people and things to get together inside virtual assemblies. The problem is that those techniques are looked down because they are associated with the much despised bureaucrats, technocrats and other paper-shufflers. File, lists, archives, paper-clips, codes don’t look like very promising instrument to make things public. It seems that people would prefer to be rid of all this red tape in order to have a transparent and direct representation. But since there is no such a thing, since politics is always about blind leading blind, we have to rely on those tiny paper trails in order to assemble and to gather our thoughts as well as the concerned parties. This is especially true, when those paper trails are what bring the power of law in the daily occurrences where it’s most needed. If you follow the paper trail, you soon realize how efficient those prosthesis are. Every file, every article of law, every procedure seem to render more opaque and more complicated the course of our lives, but it’s also what protect those very same lives against arbitrary violence. Files can be changed and amended but they can’t be done without. Once again, if there is no mediation, there is no representation. Transparency might not be after all the ideal of politics. The Market Place is a Parliament, too Most of us have probably never been inside any of our national parliaments and if many people vote they rarely penetrate the sphere of what is officially called politics. And yet there exist another ubiquitous set of rallies in which, without realizing it, we vote, we decide, we are influenced, we are voted down, we are coerced, we are excited, we are made to be indignant. Those are the immensely powerful assemblages making up what is called the economy, although they used to be called much more accurately, political economy. And political they are indeed in the sense of assembling people and goods in the most energetic and conflicting ways. The problem is that they are rarely considered as having taken their decisions according to some due process. They rather seem to be some autonomous and irresistible set of forces roaming the world in the wildest manner. Which they are most of the time for those who are submitted to their iron laws. However, some of this violence comes also from the fact that they are not taken as assemblies and not considered in comparison with the other types of assemblies with which they are often in competition. Iron laws, yes, but laws nonetheless. So the question is to detect where those laws are made up and through which procedure. There is thus an immense interest in considering market places as yet another sort of assembly and to detect their many techniques of representation. No matter which effort they might make to look natural and to escape the domain of politics they are fully inside it. So much so that a close inspection of their ways to gather, decide, enforce their edicts might go some ways toward enriching the usual definitions of politics. Especially because they too look like a Dingpolitik, that is, things count dearly in the infinitesimal decisions we constantly take about them. Parliaments too are Complex Technologies So what about parliaments? What about what people have in mind when they talk about the public sphere and the profession of politics? After having visited the assembly of assemblies and bade farewell to the modernist dream of a one encompassing dome, the physical apparatus of government now appears as a stunningly efficient and fragile set of techniques. It’s certainly efficient since those techniques are able to represent in specific sites the swarm of issues that have been labeled political; but they are certainly fragile in the sense that they surely cannot claim to represent all the other assemblies of science, religion, technology, nature, markets, law to which they are connected. This is where the question of Dingpolitik becomes so tricky: parliaments are one technology of representation among many others, and yet they claim to sum up all the others. Nothing guarantee that parliaments are relevant for all the other assemblies. Democracy is not naturally given. It needs to be instrumented. So before parliaments expand, it’s crucial to explore how their architecture has evolved, what types of equipment they have developed to express voices, what kind of techniques are necessary for casting a vote, what sort of qualities they have to endow those they designate as their representatives. One is not born a citizen with a voice and an opinion. We become able to argue, elect and vote only if we are well equipped to do so. The Obscure Objects of Politics Political expression is always disappointing. In terms of the transfer of exact undistorted information on the social or natural world, we could say that it always seems to be totally inadequate : truisms, clichés, handshakes, half-truths, half-lies, windy words, repetitions mostly, ad nauseam. That is the ordinary, banal, daily, limp, tautological character of this form of discourse that shocks the brilliant, the upright, the fast, the organized, the lively, the informed, the great, the decided. When one says that someone or something is ‘political’, one signals above all this fundamental disappointment , as if it were no longer possible to move forwards in a straight line, reasonably, quickly, efficiently, but necessary to ‘take into account’, ‘a whole lot of’ ‘extra-rational factors’ of which one fails to clearly understand all the ins and outs but which form an obscure, soft, heavy, round mass that sticks to those with the best intentions and, judging by what they say, seems to slow them down. The expression ‘that's political’ means first and foremost ‘it doesn't move straight’, ‘it doesn't move fast’; it always implies that ‘if only we didn't have this load, we'd achieve our goal more directly’. A New Eloquence There is no way to expand politics if we are not able to extend the equipment that would allow to present the issues that matters, to designate the people who may argue about them, to draw the sites where they have to be gathered. Eloquence is the word that best designates the common ground for what is being at issue and who is to be convinced. Eloquence has been somewhat despised because it seemed that there was a way to do entirely without it and jump directly into absolute, indisputable and incontrovertible proofs. But once the issues that have to be brought to bear in the assemblies are as vast as they are remote, the proofs of what is said about them are of necessity indirect and always mediated through complicated apparatus. This is where a new eloquence has to be explored, not the one that would add flowers of rhetoric to the hard obvious facts, but one that would learn to vividly present anew what it is to argue about matters of concern. This is where all of the meanings of representation have to converge, the artistic, the political, the technical. Can issues be again eloquently articulated? New Politic Passions By definition a thing is what in which we are forced to gather because there exist strong conflicts. Politics is not about agreement, cohesion, unanimity, sociability, but about practical and sometimes humble ways to deal with dissent, sometimes extreme dissent. The atmospheres of democracy do not rely only on the cold circuitry of reason but also on the violent draughts of passions. But passions too evolve and have to be cultivated. They are in many ways habits of thought. They can be channeled along different lines. It’s clear from the elements assembled in this book —and what is a collective book if not a Thing of some sort?— that we have not finished exploring the repertoire of political passions. Each time techniques of representation change, so do the passions we associate with politics. It’s still uncertain at this point how much of the new techniques can renew the vocabulary, procedures and feelings necessary for a political life. From lawrence at altlawforum.org Wed Apr 27 08:05:10 2005 From: lawrence at altlawforum.org (lawrence at altlawforum.org) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 22:35:10 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Celebrating Intellectual Property Day with TM Parody Message-ID: <37210-22005432723510898@M2W075.mail2web.com> Hi all The 26th of april was World Intellectual Property Day, and so in keeping with this joyous'occasion, we have created a parody of WIPOś pedagogic Trademark Comic. WIPOś comic may be found at http://www.wipo.org/freepublications/en/marks/483/wipo_pub_483.pdf For the parody please visit http://www.altlawforum.org/lawmedia/TM.pdf For feedback and suggestions please mail namita at altlawforum.org Some of you may remember that around a month ago we had created a parody of WIPOś Copyright Comic, and for those who have not had a chance to read it do have a look at http://www.altlawforum.org/lawmedia/CC.pdf We shall soon bring out a parody of their patent comic as well Yours parodically Tahir, Namita and Lawrence -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . From askshetty at rediffmail.com Wed Apr 27 01:20:41 2005 From: askshetty at rediffmail.com (prasad shetty) Date: 26 Apr 2005 19:50:41 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Stories of Entrepreneurship Message-ID: <20050426195041.13554.qmail@webmail47.rediffmail.com> Dear Everybody, The cases are becoming more interesting as they reveal a whole lot of strategies and tactics used by the entrepreneurs. I am sending two more samples of the cases. These are more detailed then the previous ones and disclose a lot about the trade. The language and the details are left raw as they indicate multiple layers of meanings themselves.   The VEGETABLE VENDOR He came to Mumbai in 1989 from Mauul taluka in Poona. He was the eldest son of a farmer family and the most educated (9th grade, Marathi medium) among his two brothers and two sisters. So it was upon him to take care of his family. At the age of sixteen, a friend of his father’s offered to take him along to Mumbai and absorb him into his own business in vegetable and fruit vending. For two and a half years, he worked for him in return of only food and stay. He stayed in Bandra (E). Every morning, he would go by train to the vegetable wholesale market at Byculla (and Crawford street for fruits). He would then travel back by local train to set up shop at a corner in a residential locality in the suburbs (Seven Bungalows, Andheri) in the mornings and evenings. In the afternoons, he would vend vegetables door-to-door. In 1993, he got married to a girl from the same village and decided to start his own business. He borrowed Rs. 600/- from a village friend and bought a ‘tokri’ (basket) at Rs. 60/- from a market in Cotton Green, a ‘tagdi’ (balance) at Rs. 160/- from a market in Nal Bazaar, Masjid Bunder. He also got himself a second class passenger + luggage railway pass and invested the rest in vegetables, which he sold in the same locality in Seven Bungalows, as his old customers had taken a liking to the young boy and he made a profit of Rs. 39/- on the first day. Rates at the wholesale market vary depending upon the quality of goods and so do his rates. He started door-too-door vending in the afternoons at the society buildings of his old frequent customers and gradually more buildings in the same locality. While the other vegetable vendors from Uttar Pradesh who set up ‘permanent’ shop resisted his door-to-door vending, his customers supported him because he was young and warned them to keep away. For some building societies, he had to acquire a society gate pass, by speaking to the Society Chairman and was required to submit a photograph and permanent address, after which he was made the ‘authorized’ vegetable vendor for the society. Gradually he began a business in vending fruits on Sundays, when the wholesale vegetable market was closed. In 1997, he bought a double-storied house (each storey – 7 x 14 sq. ft.) from his savings in Gundavali Gaothan (Andheri East) at Rs. 1,40,000/-. (The house, however, was built in 1993, and that makes him eligible for a free house under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme. He has got himself registered through his party contacts, but is aware that most eligible people in his locality aren’t. He tries to help them only as far as it will not harm him personally.) When it became difficult to travel in the overcrowded trains, he travelled by a car (1997), which charged Rs. 60/- per day from 7 Bungalows to Dadar market and back. Actually, the car was bought in his own name for some relatives who were not doing too well financially. Since they had no legal papers, he applied for a loan for them, which they pay back from their own earnings from the escort service business. He soon became an anchor for the newcomers from his hometown and thus very popular. When his close cousin stood for the BJP in the assembly elections in Poona and lost, the party approached him to join them. He obliged and has ever since been affiliated to the party. Any work for the village, like installation of pumps, setting up schools, has to be done on the sly without any knowledge of the opposition party till the government stamps its approval or else the project ends before it even begins. He visits his home town twice a month by share-a-sumo or a bus from Dadar T.T. His father and younger brothers manage farming on their 7 acres of land. They grow jowar, wheat and rice, now that a water pipeline worth 2.5 lakhs has been installed through his party connections. They have also started a poultry farm. In a year, he has bought two more cars on loan from Apeejay Finance – a Maruti van and a Cargo (LPG). He has hired a driver from U.P. at Rs. 3500/- and leased one of the cars to a courier company ‘Origin’ at Andheri for Rs. 22,000/- (for 3000 km. per month, and Rs. 4/- per extra km). He has leased the other car to another courier service company from 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. @ Rs. 18,000/- per month and the same overtime charges. Every morning he gets LPG worth Rs. 400/- filled in the cars at Raj Petrol Pump, Vile Parle. He plans to buy another car – Mahindra Pickup (Rs. 3, 80,000/-) as recommended by the courier company itself. He has already bought a Hero Honda motorbike for household purposes. On a regular day, he finishes sale of vegetables / fruits by afternoon and then handles maintenance of his cars, and organises accounts for his Chit fund service. He started a chit fund service, which has 40 members today with a collective kitty of Rs. 7, 00,000/- per month. At the end of each cycle, the customers buy him an article of Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 12,000/- for his services. He buys the newer types of vegetables – red, yellow capsicum, mushrooms, broccoli, baby corn, baby potatoes, etc. available in the wholesale market and informs himself of their names and usage through the recipes published in the newspapers. It has helped in increasing his clientele. He is not threatened of supermarkets which sell cheaper and well packaged goods, for he thinks nothing can compete with day-to-day fresh vegetables and fruits. He pays an income tax only on his earnings from vending vegetables, which amounts to Rs. 680/- per year. He uses a Nokia 3310 with an Orange (billing) connection that has helped increase his efficiency in multi-tasking of vending vegetables, maintaining his courier vans and his party work. He doesn’t holiday, for his regular day is quite relaxed and occasionally watches cricket on his television set. He aspires to enrol his son in a military school and hopes he will join the Navy for a better future. His son currently goes to an English medium school nearby, while his daughter goes to a Marathi medium school in their hometown, for its much safer there for her. (There are no English medium schools in their hometown). REAL ESTATE AGENT He worked as a sales officer for Heinz, Glaxo (Worli, Mumbai) and retired from Glaxo in 2002, at the age of sixty years. Four – five years before retirement, he mooted on the idea to become a real estate agent, for it required no investment and he had seen some friends who were estate agents and doing pretty well, and the work pattern was similar to his own present job of selling a commodity, only the product had changed. He bought himself a handbook for Rs. 400/- to learn about the various procedures involved including registrations, stamp duty, etc. As his sales jurisdiction kept shifting from Napean Sea Road to Mahim, to Colaba to Andheri to Malad, he started contacting real estate agents, friends, and other relevant people to spread the word about his newly acquired status of a self – employed real estate agent and to learn about the property rates, market fluctuations apart from the technicalities. (He soon got a bungalow, owned by a friend, sold. He contacted an Estate Buyer who was interested in the property and the deal came through. Another friend approached him with an interest to buy a house. After acquiring the budgetary details and the other requirements i.e. a 5 BHK bungalow in Juhu Scheme, he contacted various Estate Agents in Juhu, who showed him various properties and on selection of a likened property, the deal was initiated.) When a deal is through and token money is exchanged, the estate agent finds out if the seller is a primary, secondary, tertiary owner, the mortgage status of the property, share certificates-if there are any dues pending to the society, etc. Once the agreement is signed, and the No Objection Certificate obtained, the client pays for the stamp duty and registration. The buyer and the seller share the Society Transfer Fees. In some cases, the charges towards the real estate agent are also part of the agreement, but it is not a necessity. Most of the remuneration towards the real estate agent is by word of mouth. The Estate Agent bears the cost of advertising in newspapers, magazines, etc, and his own phone bills to network with other agents. The agent doesn’t require a license to practise. There are two types of estate agent deals – one where there is a single Estate Buyer and single estate seller – who get their commission from their respective clients - In ‘side by side’, there may be multiple Estate Buyers or/and multiple Estate Sellers and they share the commission from their respective clients. The commission charged is generally 2%, however, for a good property higher commission is negotiated and in reverse, a lower commission is charged for a distress sale. In the other type – a monopoly – while a building is being constructed, the builder asks for a deposit of around Rs. 15 lakhs (however that is negotiable depending upon the saleable area - number of storeys, rate per sq. ft. etc.), under the condition that all or 50% the flats should be sold within a deadline, usually six months. This is recorded in an agreement on paper. Again, all the expenditure on hoardings, advertisements, etc. are borne by the agent, in return he gets 2% on the sale of each flat. Even if a customer approaches directly, the agent gets 2% on the sale of the flat. If another agent brings a customer, then he gets 1% on the sale. If the agent has a good rapport with the builder, having worked on multiple projects together, then no deposit is expected – only faster sale of flats. Only when the agent has a monopoly (by word of mouth only) of a property/ies (‘sole sale agency’), does he invest in advertisements (in newspapers, magazines) – usually he publishes a joint advertisement for the multiple properties on which he has a monopoly. An advertisement in the Times costs Rs. 2000/- when paid directly. However there is an authorised ad agent in Dhake Colony, Andheri, who receives 20 % on the ad published by him. Since he has an arrangement with such an agent, he gets 5 – 10% concession on the ads. In case of rented properties, the agent receives two months rent (again negotiable); rent is determined by the market rate and whether the property is un/furnished. If the property is leased for 11 months or 33 months or 5 years as in the agreement, the agent receives another month’s rent at the time of the renewal (at current market rate) or through mutual understanding an extra one month’s rent + 10% at the time of the deal itself. For all the paper work, he goes to an office in Bandra that only produces stamp duty and registration papers. They prepare all the necessary papers along with three copies at an average of Rs. 5,500/- Rs. 8,000/-. A lawyer would charge Rs. 20,000/- for the same work. Since there are so many real estate agents in the market, it becomes imperative to establish and maintain as many networks as possible through circle of friends and acquaintances, and other real estate agents. He even travels upto Vashi if there is a good project and simultaneously meets the local estate agents, exchanges cards and develops a professional relation. He has been able to maintain such networks right from Colaba to Borivali to V.T. to Thane. He has even sold off a project for a friend in Poona. He doesn’t own a vehicle and mostly travels by local train. A good service includes negotiating for a good deal for the client, the legal paperwork; follow up after sale of the property, ensuring possession of the property, etc. If the property is purchased on loan, then the full payment is through clean money – sometimes, the full payment is paid part by black money, depending upon the clients’ requirements – and the agent receives his commission on the total exchanged, part in white, part black. However, it becomes very tough to receive the due payment towards the commission, for a lot of clients do not appreciate the third party cost, in spite of getting all the work done, so they pay a small token instead. The agent cannot use force for that would cut off one channel of his networks, so a compromise is made in hope that more projects will be procured from that end. Our agent does not operate in an office and hence doesn’t have any staff to pay salaries to. Also that means he doesn’t have staff to show properties to the clients and does it all himself. He uses a cell phone to do most of his networking and travels by train as and when required. He doesn’t refer to the newspapers for realty rates because there is always a variation of 20 – 30%. He gets all his market information from other agents with whom he has a good rapport. He doesn’t plan to open an office for that would require a huge investment or get into a partnership. He, however, does hope to expand his presence in the real estate market for plots, residential + commercial properties and rented properties. Prasad Shetty Residence: 501, Marigold, Opposite Shakti Motors, New Link Road, Malad (W), Mumbai 400 064 INDIA Phone: +91-9820912744 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050426/1d9dddb4/attachment.html From carlos.katastrofsky at gmx.net Wed Apr 27 00:02:14 2005 From: carlos.katastrofsky at gmx.net (carlos katastrofsky) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 20:32:14 +0200 (MEST) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] [ ann ] [netzine] wurstmaschine - new edition Message-ID: <3704.1114540334@www51.gmx.net> [en] the second issue of the bilingual net- zine „wurstmaschine“ is now online. check it out at http://www.wurstmaschine.net.tf wurstmaschine (a german term for a machine that chops/ processes sausage) is to be considered as a border-crossing project in between art and science. it stands for the interface of free communication and restrictions of the everchanging coyright-issue. -------------------- [de] die zweite ausgabe des zweisprachigen netzmagazins „wurstmaschine“ befindet sich nun im netz unter http://www.wurstmaschine.net.tf wurstmaschine versteht sich als künstlerisches - wissenschaftliches projekt an der schnittstelle zwischen freier kommunikation und den restriktionen des sich aktuell wandelnden copyrights. -- +++ GMX - die erste Adresse für Mail, Message, More +++ 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS http://www.gmx.net/de/go/topmail _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From monica at sarai.net Tue Apr 26 16:58:21 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:58:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Young Women's Feminist Advocacy Initiative call for participants Message-ID: The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) ActionAid Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA) Shirkat Gah Women´s Resource Centre The Young Women's Feminist Advocacy and Leadership Institute (YWLI) South and South East Asia CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS Bangkok, Thailand 13 - 18 June, 2005 Are you a young South or South East Asian woman, an emerging leader and committed to social justice in your community? If so, we welcome your application to participate in a regional Young Women's Feminist Advocacy and Leadership Institute to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, June 13 to 18, 2005. The Institute will be organized around the following themes (with a focus on 3 of the key issues identified): 1: Feminist Leadership and Advocacy: The Now and Future 2: Frameworks and Tools Towards an Integrated Approach for Social Justice 3: "The What", "The Hows" and The Role of Young Women 4: Regional and Global Frameworks, Strategies and Opportunities These themes will be woven around discussions on four key themes that emerged at the the Asia-Pacific Beijing +10 process: i) the impact of globalization and trade liberalization on job security and labor rights of women; ii) peace-building and enhancing women and girl's abilities to work on this issue; iii) combating the increase of HIV/AIDS iv) trafficking and protecting women migrant workers' human rights; and v) securing women's sexual and reproductive rights in the face of the attacks from political and social intolerance. The Institute will allow participants to: explore the challenges faced by young women in their different contexts; share their personal experiences of successful and not-so-successful initiatives in their own communities; gain a theoretical and historical background of feminist organizing around specific issues; facilitate skills-building on deepening analysis and advocacy; develop new strategies to effect real change for women's rights and social justice in the region. The Institute will allow participants to come together to explore key elements of the challenges they face in their contexts, provide opportunities to learn new leadership skills and explore effective strategies for changing the models and institutions that enable current inequalities. Throughout the event, the intersection of feminist leadership, advocacy, activist strategies, and the issues examined will be underlined. Participants can expect to be challenged, to return home with a deeper analysis, tangible tools and skills, to enrich their current activism and engagement in social justice. To participate you must: be a young woman (between 18 and 30 years of age); be resident in any of the following countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Phillipines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China); have a minimum of 2 years experience working on gender issues, women's rights, development and/or youth activism (voluntary or employment); be able to demonstrate how you will use what you learn at the Leadership Institute in your work and how you will continue to participate in any follow-up activities of the group; and have a good working knowledge of the English language. Cost: Participants will be required to pay a registration fee of US$50. This will cover materials, meals and accommodation for the meeting. Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available. Scholarships will cover materials, meals and accommodation costs for the duration of the meeting. To apply to participate in the Leadership Institute, please submit the application form and requested documentation by 10 May 2005. ------------------------------- The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) AWID is an international membership organisation working to promote gender equality, sustainable development and women's human rights. The Leadership institute is an initiative of AWID's Young Women and Leadership Program. Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) DAWN is a southern based international network of women activists and scholars who engage in feminist research and analysis of the global environment and are committed to working for equitable, just and sustainable development. Over the last two decades, DAWN has been actively advocating for alternative development processes that emphasise the basic survival needs and rights of the world's poorest, especially women. ActionAid ActionAid is an international development agency whose aim is to fight poverty worldwide. Formed in 1972, for over 30 years the organisation has been growing and expanding to helping over 13 million of the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people in 42 countries worldwide. In all of its country programmes, ActionAid works with local partners to make the most of their knowledge and experience. Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA) CREA is a not for profit organization based in New Delhi, that aims at empowering women to articulate, demand and access their human rights by enhancing women's leadership and focusing on issues of sexuality, reproductive health, violence against women, women's rights and social justice. Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre was established in 1975 as a non-hierarchical collective to integrate consciousness raising with a development perspective and to initiate projects translating advocacy into action. Shirkat Gah's vision is that of 'fully empowered women in a just and vibrant, democratic and tolerant and environmentally sound society, where equity and opportunity are ensured for all, resources sustainably used, where peace prevails and where the state is responsive". Its mission is women's empowerment for social justice and social justice for women's empowerment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young Women's Feminist Advocacy and Leadership Institute Bangkok, Thailand June 13-18, 2005 APPLICATION FORM Part 1: Please provide the following information. 1. Surname: 2. Other Names: 3. Date of Birth: 4. Nationality: 5. Address: 6. Telephone: 7. Fax: 8. Email: 9. Organisational Affiliation: 10. Position: Part 2: Please respond to the following questions. 1. Why do you want to attend this Institute? 2. Why do you consider yourself a leader? What are your personal goals and aspirations as an emerging leader? 3. What skills and experiences would you be able to share with other participants at this Leadership Institute? Would you be willing to present an optional session on an issue that you are involved in? (If so what would the topic of your session be?) 5. How long have you been involved in gender equality issues? In what capacity? 6. What do you think are the main challenges facing women in your region? Describe your "community" and identify the main challenges facing women in this community 7. Describe the main goals of the organization or project you are currently involved with. What is your role in this organization? 8. Describe a campaign or advocacy activity you would like to take forward following the Institute. 9. How will you share the information and skills you acquire from the Institute with your community? Part 3: A. Please include your curricula vitae (CV) or resume. B. Please also include information about the organization or project with which you are currently involved (brochure, publication, etc.). C. Include a letter from the head of your organization supporting your participation in this workshop and your participation in any follow-up activities that may emanate from this workshop. D. If you are applying for a scholarship - please write a one page note stating why you would require this support. Application deadline: 10 May 2005 (no late applications will be accepted) Completed application should be sent to: Association for Women's Rights in Development 2nd Floor Community House, 41 Salt River Road, Salt River 7925, Cape Town, South Africa Tel: 27 21 447 8821, Fax: 27 21 447 9617 Email: swilson at awid.org -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From isast at leonardo.info Wed Apr 27 01:30:35 2005 From: isast at leonardo.info (Leonardo/ISAST) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 13:00:35 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Leonardo Co-Sponsors YASMIN Network Around Mediterranean Rim Message-ID: <20050426200530.F2F5028D705@mail.sarai.net> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Roger Malina rmalina at alum.mit.edu Leonardo is pleased to announce the launching of the YASMIN mailing and discussion list hosted by the University of Athens. It is a collaborative project of a consortium of organisations and individuals around the Mediterranean rim and region. YASMIN is a network of artists, scientists, engineers, theoreticians and institutions promoting communication and collaboration in art, science and technology around the Mediterranean Rim. We seek to promote contact and collaborations. YASMIN welcomes information on events, artists' works, organisations' programmes, projects, initiatives, as well as discussions and critical analysis in the field of art, science and technology around the Mediterranean Rim. The official language of the YASMIN list is English. However posts in the other languages mastered by the moderators are allowed as long as a summary of the post in English is provided. Those languages are currently: Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese, French, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew. We welcome everyone to subscribe to the list at: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin/ NOTE: You must first REGISTER on YASMIN and then in a second step SUBSCRIBE if you wish to receive the YASMIN information by email. Each new subscriber is asked to introduce themselves to the list and describe their activities. The list is currently moderated by the following team: Julien Knebusch, Samirah Alkassim, Ahmed Hassouna, Pau Alsina, Dimitris Charitos, Neora Berger and Nina Czegledy. They form the "YASMIN group" together with Roger Malina, Jaco Du Toit, Annick Bureaud and Andreas Giannakoulopoulos. We are currently inviting individuals around the Mediterranean rim to serve as corresponding editors. Please contact us if you are interested. The YASMIN mailing list was made possible thanks to ISOC (Internet Society), The Rockefeller Foundation, Leonardo/OLATS, The University of Athens, Artnodes- UOC Barcelona and all the coordinators from the "YASMIN Group". It is co-sponsored by the DigiArts Programme of UNESCO. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From askshetty at rediffmail.com Wed Apr 27 01:26:18 2005 From: askshetty at rediffmail.com (prasad shetty) Date: 26 Apr 2005 19:56:18 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Some More Stories of Entrepreneurship Message-ID: <20050426195618.21234.qmail@webmail28.rediffmail.com> Dear Everybody, I just thought that I will add some more best sample cases for those who read the earlier ones and found them interesting. THE ENGLISH TEACHER Completed her Honours in French from the Sophia College, Bombay University – she stayed at home for about 15 – 20 years managing her household, though always interested in languages. Around in 1990-’91 she was approached through her common friends from college, by the principal of a suburban school (Gyan Kendra, Lokhandwala, Andheri) to start a French department in the school. She taught French to the senior secondary students and also extended the course to include in it seminars, conferences, etc at the Alliance Francaise (She had become a member during her college days) to expose the students in a bigger way to French culture and not just restrict it to the language. However, she stayed on only for three years, since the job had begun to stagnate. Also, her husband was in the initial stages of setting up his own factory for manufacturing castor wheels for bags, so she joined him and helped with the administration and supervision of production. Along side, she took French tuitions for students. However, when the language began to diminish with Marathi becoming the second language in S.S.C. schools, she joined part time courses that taught ‘managing small – scale industries’ (one month) at the S.I.S.I., Saki naka, and Import-Export at I.I.T.C., Bandra. Since her work timings were flexible, she was able to attend these courses. She also joined the W.I.M.A. – an organisation for women entrepreneurs / self employed women which helped get grants, loans, land and licenses and provided information on technical expertise and relevant rules and regulations. This organisation has its principal chapter in Poona. Registration is open to all women interested in business at a nominal refreshment fee. Influential ladies from the Dahanukars, Bajajs, Vimla Patil, etc. were all part of the board of members and Sharad Pawar, the then chief minister was instrumental in the setting up of a lot of businesses by women. She began work as a co-ordinator, which involved setting up meetings with eminent speakers who would give guest lectures on entrepreneurship and meeting up with the board regularly at the President’s bungalow in Altamount Road near Peddar Road. She worked there for a year and when her husband’s business gradually settled she decided to move on with something of her own. She regretted not having a masters’ degree or a high-ranking qualification, so she tried to balance that with all the short-term courses. She also joined a Public Speaking course conducted by renowned Mr. Palekar who also conducted the same course for various management colleges in the suburbs. She also took up a course in Transactional Analysis, which was a corporate training programme for teaching professionals in the field of Human Resources. With an intention to pursue a career in English, she visited the British Council library (of which she is a member) at Nariman point, twice a week. She met a lot of professionals but who wouldn’t share their knowledge, so from following a lot of the educational seminars conducted by the British Council Library, their curricula, she started creating her own curriculum. She was attached to the British Council Library and well in touch with their programmes to keep her updated. She also conducted along with a team of professionals - some of their summer camps for children – 80-100 children per camp - which included fun and learning activities at a picnic spot like Madh Island, etc. She decided to start her first course – an elementary course in English for housewives. It required her to advertise, so she contacted a printer in Dhake colony (whose name and contact number was printed at the bottom of another flier) and printed 5000 fliers. She personally went to Andheri station (the suburban source) and got her fliers inserted into the newspapers that would be circulated in the whole of Andheri (W). From 200 phone calls she managed to register 10 admissions. The programme was for 3 months - thrice a week, 1 ½ hour per session. It cost Rs. 2500/- and no certificate was awarded since it was her first. She conducted the programme in the living room of her residential apartment (2BHK) in the afternoons when her children were away at college. The course intended to develop a good foundation in English grammar and speech that laid stress on pronunciation and conversational abilities. The programme included reading aloud, writing, listening and speaking English with an interactive approach where discussions pertaining to their daily lives would be conducted. Most of the students were semi professionals and affluent ladies with ‘bottle-necked personas’ who couldn’t cope with their social life due to absence of English in their lives. Mothers with English speaking children studying in English medium schools, mothers-in-law who were threatened by their English-speaking daughters-in-law, women with high – profile husbands who wouldn’t take them to socialite parties lest they get embarrassed, women entrepreneurs venturing out from home based industries to bag bigger corporate orders, etc. The course gradually introduced ‘role plays’ where they would rehearse mock-dialogues that could be used for various occasions like at the banks, open houses in school, parties, offices, corporate meetings, etc. In six months she started another batch and with the growing popularity, she started the Intermediate Course and the eventually the Advanced Course, both set up again from a lot of material from the British Council Library. At the end of the batches, she would organise a small party where she would call ‘successful’ people from the Hotel Industry or other women entrepreneurs and encourage interaction and gauge their conversational capabilities. Gradually she got calls from the corporate world inviting her to create separate courses for their lower, middle and higher management staff. One of her students – the wife of an ex-minister (Mukesh Patel) made her a member of the ‘Limousine Bus Service’ an air conditioned bus service between the suburbs and South Bombay - She again became regular at the British Council Library and started corresponding with the London University to create customised courses. She began freelancing and created her courses on an old typewriter and travelled short distance on her three wheeler scooter. She was approached by the ex-president of the Lioness’ club, Lokhandwala to become the president of the club. She got involved in a lot of community projects – polio operations, T.B. medication for the poor, food and education for rehab homes and orphanages, etc. and was even awarded various honours for the same. She arranged the funds by approaching various industrialists and procuring ATG exemptions for their contributions. She even conducted courses for the Lioness’ Club and a lot of other co- Associations and built a lot of repute. Meanwhile, her husbands’ industry couldn’t compete in the market flooded with Chinese goods, and his business reached stagnancy with losses beyond control. So he joined her and converted her enterprise into a full fledged institute called ‘Palms Academy’ that would generate a substantial income. Since she had no formal training in the field and was going to start one herself, she decided to go through a Personality Development Course at the British Council to become a certified trainer. They initially hired two galas in a (service based) commercial centre with the help of newspaper advertisements and real estate agents and soon hired a third gala in the same premise. From English language, they introduced courses in Personality Development and other foreign languages. She contacted the various resource people including professional trainers, etc, by advertisements in the newspapers and appointed them after personally conducted interviews. They are paid Rs. 150/- to Rs. 500/- per hour. Soon they hired free-lancing seasoned faculty to not only train their students in English, foreign languages, Personality Development, but also to translate official documents of international companies setting up base in India – catalogues, brochures, manuals, drawings, etc. They also started offering short-term courses in Personality Development to young children from II grade to VII grade in schools and have signed such a contract with the CNMS, a school in the suburbs. At the end of the course, they conduct dance and grooming sessions at The Renaissance Hotel, with whom they have had an arrangement of regular business for the last two years. As the cost of advertising in newspapers and wall hoardings have gone up, it has become difficult to manage the institute. So they have handed it over to another person who handles all the activities of the institute, which has now transformed into a preparatory course for young boys and girls wanting to join BPOs and call centres. The couple co-ordinates between their staff and multinational companies, e.g. a German Pharmaceutical company which is setting up base here, and wants their staff to learn the German language, or an IT industry whose mid-management has to interact with their foreign counterparts, coffee shops (Café Coffee Day), schools, etc. for Personality Development. Currently, she has been invited to Dubai as a consultant to the English Language Laboratory set up by the private business houses in the IT industry which run full fledged academies, to set up a new curriculum for language studies. She was offered the project at a Conference on Learning English, Leading and Assessment in Abu Dabi, where she was present as a participant. She has been collecting material on the internet from the websites of Oxford, Cambridge, Longmann Universities. She has also been invited by the University of Dubai to conduct level analysis for military personnel. TWO HOME BASED CATERERS A teacher at the Besant Montessori School was approached by her next-door neighbour who took voluntary retirement from her bank (Bank of India) in June ’04 to start a side business in catering. Since her children were on their own – daughter was Junior Executive in Birla Sun Life and son was pursuing a B.Sc in I.T. at St. Andrews, Bandra, she agreed. They spread the word amongst acquaintances and friends and got their first order for a birthday party at the Bank of India, Yari Road branch. They decided upon a menu that fit into the budget and bought all the raw materials required from Good Luck Stores or Apna Bazaar. Generally, whoever is free, buys the materials. They buy all the material at the retail price and have no arrangement with the shop owners. For non-vegetarian items they go to the Versova wholesale meat market at 9.00 a.m. to get fresh goods and a competitive price (Boni). They share the expenses and also the work between their own kitchens. Vegetarians themselves, they do cook non-vegetarian food and request their children to taste and comment. The remuneration is kept aside in one of their houses and is used for the next order. If a big order has been placed and a lump sum of about Rs. 10,000/- Rs. 20,000 is received, then they share it amongst themselves. They have hired a maid to help with the cutting of vegetables, meat, cleaning of utensils and other odd jobs. They pay her according to the work, e.g. Cutting-cleaning Rs. 150/- per day, scraping coconuts – Rs. 50/- per day, making chapattis – Rs. 200/- per day, etc. They have purchased a few large vessels (aluminium) and storage cans for larger orders for Rs. 500/- from the wholesale market at Andheri station. They restrict their purchases to the bare minimum for they do not own a separate space for storage and have to use their own homes for the same. If there are leftovers of the raw materials, then they keep it aside for the next order or share it amongst themselves before the goods perish. Over a period of time they have procured all kinds of orders for parties, occasional home food – traditional Maharashtrian style, puja food for priests, ice creams, day-to-day food for large marriage parties, etc. They plan the work such that a lot of preparatory jobs are done the previous days and only the final cooking is done fresh. They generally charge double the amount spent on raw materials to balance out for gas, travel for shopping, etc. They do charge extra if the items include ghee or if the items consume more gas, etc. Their earnings are not fixed for they take up orders based only on their convenience and do not plan to expand it in any big way. Each order becomes an advertisement for the next so they do not advertise publicly. Their clientele includes families staying in Vile Parle, Indian Oil Nagar and the clients themselves mostly transport the goods. In case they have to deliver it themselves, they do so in a rickshaw charging extra for transportation. THE LIC AGENT Born in a fisherman community in Katpadi, Mattu, Karnataka to illiterate parents, he left home with his twin brother at the age of 9 years to join his maternal uncle in Mumbai, (1948) who worked in Dalal and Shah Chartered Accountants as a peon. Soon a friend who worked in Times Of India recommended him and he was offered the job as an attendant with a monthly salary of Rs. 165/-. He had studied till the 5th grade along with his twin brother in their native town. (Since they were born twins, they were considered special and most of the villagers contributed in their education). His job included delivery of letters (around 125 per day) to offices in and around Ballard Pier from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. He walked to and from the office for delivery; and pleased with his performance, the in-charge ‘awarded’ him canteen coupons (1 anna – 2 annas). He also confirmed his job within three days, much to the annoyance of the other Maharashtrian delivery boys. He went to a night school (Bombay Fort Free Night High School) from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. run by a South Indian which had 300 other students – all boys. He also participated in the Scouts Programme at the night school, which involved military training on Sunday at the Azad maidan. In 1 ½ years, the Traffic Control Police sent a letter to the office (TOI) for permission to grant him leave for training in Traffic Control, at the end of which he received a Scouts Training Certificate. In 1954, he passed his S.S.C. examination and applied to the clerical post in the same office. The asst. editor made an application and a recommendation to the Business Manager after which he was recruited for a 3 month training programme and a salary of Rs. 300/- per month. His job now involved despatching letters to various people in and out of the office. Soon he joined Siddharth College of Arts. Fees at the college were Rs. 200/- per year and he bought all his books from the second hand book stall nearby. Since the office was pleased with his performance anyway, he was allowed to come one hour late and leave one hour early. He studied at the Free Reading Library near V.T. He along with his brother slept in an office premise, which closed down at 10.00 p.m. The security guard allowed them to sleep here in return for Rs 1 – 2/- per month. There was a caterer nearby who made two meals and prepared tea and refreshments for 30-35 working men at Rs. 35/- per month. They had an arrangement with a laundryman who would wash their clothes once a week. He also sent Rs. 10/- every month to his family back home. In 3 months, his job was confirmed and he began to draw a salary of Rs. 350/- per month. The senior clerk in the office was like his godfather, and he offered him his own house at a pagdi of Rs. 750/- and Rs.9/- per month as rent. However, since he had no money, out of affection he gave custody of the fully furnished house (along with the utensils et. al.) in Sandhurst Road. The house was a 20 X 12 ft. chawl type on the 4th floor of the building. It had a mori and a bath with a water connection with a common toilet for 10 such rooms. They travelled by train with a monthly pass of Rs. 3/-. They sold old bottles from the house and bought newer articles. Gradually they started paying a monthly rent of Rs. 9/- too. After 8 years his brother got married and he applied to the Housing Board and got a house in 1960 at Rs. 10,000/-. His landlord (godfather) also wanted to sell the room he was living in, so he offered to buy it from them. Due to familiarity, they sold it to him at Rs. 7000/-. He collected the money from various sources – Rs. 3000/- from an uncle in Kuwait, applied for a loan at the TOI society for Rs. 3000/-, he was a member of the Mogaveera Fund from where he got the remaining Rs. 3000/-. In eight years, there was negligible increment, and he had to repay his debts, and there was no money for household expenditure. In 1972, he applied to the Mahalaxmi Society which had 240 houses built and a known relative helped in release of a loan through Syndicate Housing Finance. He bought the house for Rs. 8,000/-. He also sold his Sandhurst Road house at Rs. 10,000/-. A Development Officer, also an acquaintance suggested he take up a part time job of an LIC agent in his own agency, which had 18 – 19 other agents. He took it up and got the whole of TOI insured under the Salary Savings Scheme. He also sold about 150 life insurance policies. The Officer conducted competitions amongst his agents and had them awarded by dignitaries from the Development Office. In the 2nd, 3rd year, he got promoted as the assistant branch manager managing a business of 3 – 3.5 lakhs per year. He visited other banks and offices during their lunchtime and would pay the in-charge a commission to get the policies sold in their offices. He had started this in his wife’s name, but as the taxes increased due to high income, he started an agency in his own name. He visited the Acharya Insurance Service Centre which was one of the biggest agencies at that time, and collected their leaflets and copied their strategies – booklets on summaries of all policies and their advantages, letterhead formats, etc. He gradually got upgraded as the Branch Manager Club member and then the Zone Manager Club Member and then the Chairman Club Member which are statuses allotted to agents having completed a certain benchmark of lives insured, sums issued, premium amounts, etc. Through an X-Y-Z chain system, he expanded his network. Seeing his progress, LIC offered him a car in his 8th year – so he applied for a car loan (he was allowed upto 5 lakhs for 8 years) and bought a Premier Padmini Deluxe. He used it for 5 years and then found that his driver sold petrol worth Rs. 800/- every month, so he sold it. He instead purchased land at Udipi and built a 2000 sq. ft. house finished in marble, granite, and the works! at 18 lakhs. LIC loaned him some money, while his twin brother (who had a business in radios and became very rich) loaned him 8 lakhs. As the taxes became heavier, he started one more agency in his daughter’s name, who has become the Divisional Manager Club Member, while he himself got upgraded to a MDRT– Million Dollar Round Table – is a group consisting of insurance agents across the world. He runs his agencies himself. Since the last 10-12 years he has installed computers in his office (Rs. 16,000/- packages) with the help of Rs. 1.5 lakh loan from LIC again. He has hired sophisticated staff to handle all the computer work and his daughter oversees their work. He also maintains manual records for he doesn’t completely trust the computer. He has over 5000 clients today under the salary savings scheme right from SEEPZ, Bilimoria, Sarvodaya Industrial estates in Andheri (E) to Hare Rama Hare Krishna, MVM School staff to Panvel on the Central line to Borivali on the Western line. He travels with a three-route pass by train. He owns three agencies today in a 500 sq. ft. carpet area space in a building in Mahalaxmi. He was granted loan by LIC again of Rs. 1.5 lakhs. He oversees personally the daily record of collecting premiums and sends letters by courier service – he has signed a contract with the Vichare Courier Service to despatch 10 -15 letters per day. And personally meets up with potential clients who can expand his chain. His phone bill comes upto Rs. 4000/- per month. Prasad Shetty Residence: 501, Marigold, Opposite Shakti Motors, New Link Road, Malad (W), Mumbai 400 064 INDIA Phone: +91-9820912744 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050426/c51bdb05/attachment.html From kranenbu at xs4all.nl Wed Apr 27 15:29:31 2005 From: kranenbu at xs4all.nl (Rob van Kranenburg) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:59:31 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] RISKS-LIST: Risks-Forum Digest Tuesday 26 April 2005 Volume 23 : Issue 85 Message-ID: From: RISKS List Owner Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:33:52 PDT List-Subscribe: , RISKS-LIST: Risks-Forum Digest Tuesday 26 April 2005 Volume 23 : Issue 85 ACM FORUM ON RISKS TO THE PUBLIC IN COMPUTERS AND RELATED SYSTEMS (comp.risks) Peter G. Neumann, moderator, chmn ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy ***** See last item for further information, disclaimers, caveats, etc. ***** This issue is archived at as The current issue can be found at Contents: Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains sidelined until summer (Monty Solomon) Amtrak woes echo standard software engineering complaints (Michael J Harrison) Remote computer locks the doors, or does it? (Mark Lutton) Hacker broke into CMU computers (Bill Schackner via Monty Solomon, Bob Heuman) Another out-of-bounds condition that needs NO checking (David Lesher) A large scale disruption caused by incorrect virus-definition file (Chiaki) The risks of opening a PayPal account (Ross Anderson) Risks of having a distinctive surname (Stefek Zaba) SFPD officer accused of using airport cameras to ogle women (Bob Van Cleef) Trial ID card scheme is withdrawn in Cornwall (Chris Leeson) Steven Hauser Audit shuts down Minnesota Car License Web Oops! US Air round trip for $1.86 (Howard M Israel) Banks still force users to be vulnerable to ID theft (Brad Hill) "The national phone system failed"? (Mark Brader) Re: Michigan message board says speed limit 100 mph (Jeffrey Waters) Re: SecurID and E*TRADE (Jonathan Lewthwaite, Kurt Raschke) Abridged info on RISKS (comp.risks) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 01:12:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains sidelined until summer Amtrak will not be able to run any of its high-speed trains until the summer because of delays in getting replacement parts to correct brake problems on Acela Express cars. The brakes were to last 1 million miles; the current Acela fleet had about half of that mileage. Amtrak pulled all of its 20 Acela trains out of service on Friday after finding millimeter-size cracks in 300 of the fleet's 1,440 disc brake rotors. Each Acela train has 72 brakes. This part is unique to the Acela and there is no active production line casting them. Fewer than 70 disc brakes are currently available. [Source: The Associated Press, article by Donna De La Cruz, 20 Apr 2005; PGN-ed] http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/04/20/amtraks_high_speed_acela_trains_sidelined_until_summer/ [Amtrak had cannibalized parts from other trains to get one or two trains able to run, but quickly abandoned that effort. Risks of custom design and no spare parts... Risks of building a system that really required new tracks, rather than trying to run on old tracks... PGN] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 16:32:23 -0700 From: Michael J Harrison Subject: Amtrak woes echo standard software engineering complaints A paragraph from an op-ed in *The New York Times*, 19 Apr 2005 (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/19/opinion/19tierney.html): "He chronicled the Acela mistakes, starting with Amtrak's decision to build a new train instead of modifying an existing European one, and to build it as a working train without first testing a prototype. The result was a long series of problems, design changes and lawsuits between Amtrak and its Canadian contractor, each accusing the other of botching the job." It seems that old-fashioned mechanical engineering is not immune from the ills commonly ascribed to its software counterpart. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 11:32:00 -0400 From: Subject: Remote computer locks the doors, or does it? I found this at http://www.stupidsecurity.com, which references http://www.wral.com/news/4354102/detail.html Wake County, N.C. uses a central computer to lock 50 of its buildings in and around Raleigh. The Wake Country Animal Shelter was closed on Easter Weekend, but the computer didn't know that. The doors were left unlocked and several animals were stolen from the shelter. It would be cynical of me to note that animal shelters are one service where pilferage of the goods reduces net costs, so I won't. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 01:09:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hacker Broke Into CMU Computers (Bill Schackner) A hacker who tapped into business school computers at Carnegie Mellon University may have compromised sensitive personal data belonging to 5,000 to 6,000 graduate students, staff, alumni and others. The breach confirmed by officials in the Tepper School of Business is the latest in a recent string of campus computer break-ins nationally and the second since early March affecting Tepper. There is no evidence that any data, including Social Security and credit card numbers, have been misused, officials said. But they have begun sending e-mails and letters alerting those affected. They include graduate students and graduate degree alumni from 1997 to 2004, master's of business administration applicants from September 2002 through May 2004, doctoral applicants from 2003 to this year, and participants in a conference that was being arranged by the school's staff. ... [Source: Bill Schackner, *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*, 21 Apr 2005] http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05111/491836.stm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:50:58 -0400 From: Bob Heuman Subject: Hacker Broke Into CMU Computers Another case of not knowing how long the exposure existed and therefore how much exposure the personal information really had. Once again we have Social Security Numbers, credit card data, etc. exposed for an indeterminate amount of time. I have gone to the university's own web site and the Tepper School web site and neither has any mention of this report as of the time I checked, which is Apr 21 at 4:45PM EDT. http://kdka.com/local/local_story_111102454.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:16:07 -0400 (EDT) From: David Lesher Subject: Another out-of-bounds condition that needs NO checking X-URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/21/nyregion/21check.html?pagewanted=print&position *The New York Times*, 21 Apr 2005 New York City's school system recently agreed to pay $86,000 to the lawyer of a child with autism to cover special educational services for his client. But when the lawyer opened his mail on Tuesday, he found a check for slightly more: $8.6 million. {off-by-one decimal point; usual excuses cited...} ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 02:14:34 +0900 From: Chiaki Subject: A large scale disruption caused by incorrect virus-definition file It is widely reported in Japan that an errant virus definition distributed by a anti-virus PC software company caused a large scale disruption of businesses and individual users. The company, TrendMicro with its headquarters in Tokyo, has been selling its anti-virus PC software products for quite some time. Its first product was developed in 1991. Now, on Saturday morning 07:30 (JST), the software's automatic update site in the Philippines released a new virus definition file which, according to the company's comment, was not adequately tested. This file was picked up by many users in Japan and abroad who either automatically or manually invoked the virus definition update function of the software. Unfortunately, Windows XP sp2 and Windows 2003 server users with this software installed (there are a few variants of the products in the software suite and a few of them were affected.) and updated the definition file AND rebooted the PC after the update (as suggested by the software it seems) saw the CPU usage go up to 100% immediately after booting and could not do much on their PCs. The problem was that the incorrect update caused the infinite looping of scanning of a certain system file and no CPU time was left for any task to do. (If the user didn't boot and waited for another several hours, the re-worked update file was again automagically picked up if automatic update feature was enabled and there would be no harm.) According to the various reports, corporate licensees include media big names such as Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Kyodo wire news service, and reservation division of railway company JR East. (The company put the user number around 10 million individual users.) I noticed that the early reports of disrupted computer network at Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo wire service on Saturday morning and wondered what could cause LAN disruption at such well-protected places. (It seems that DHCP client could not get the address after boot due to the heavy CPU load inside the anti-virus service). After many inquiries began pouring, the company checked and released the re-worked virus definition file. However, 170000 download took place during the incorrect definition was at the download server. Many individual or small business users who didn't realize the problem was caused by the virus definition update brought their PCs to tech service companies or re-installed the OS, etc.. Some had their disks got re-formatted. The scale of the disruption was rather large and on Saturday evening many TV stations carried the news of the disruption with the correct cause identified. Some affected users who tried to `fix' their computer noticed these news broadcasts and could now bring their PC into normal status. The word cyberterrorism came to my mind, but it is ironical that the cause was due to the inadequate testing at an anti-virus software corporation. Of course, we will see whether the release of the definition file without adequate testing was a deliberate act or simple neglect. Lucky me: I am using Symantec Anti-Virus software on an Windows PC, and linux on another PC. Diversity is wonderful when we can afford it. PS: The remedy was to reboot the computer into safe-mode (after forced power-off in many cases) and replaced the errant file and reboot. The anti-virus software now would pick up the new corrected file. PPS: I think I should add, in order to feel the scale of the problem, we now know Monday morning that on Saturday, - JR railway reservation division could not check the reservation status (fed via network to PCs?) and so diverted (telephone) inquiring customers to manned counters at railway stations, - Kyodo wire service could not send out automatic wire service news for a few hours, and so resorted to send out important news via FAX (I believe that the initial news articles from Kyodo was sent in this manner.), - Osaka subway system saw its computer to distribute accident information to its stations failed to reboot, and - Toyama city's election committee could not handle advance voting for its mayoral and city alderman elections on their computer and had to resort to manual processing. These are just a part of problems reported in Japanese press Monday morning. However, life goes on as usual as of Monday morning as far as I can tell. (But those unfortunate companies who had suffered from the problem over the weekend may have a hectic time right now.) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:16:33 +0100 From: Ross Anderson Subject: The risks of opening a PayPal account Regular RISKS readers know that many things can go wrong with naming and authentication. Here is an interesting example. I opened a PayPal account on the 18th April and tried to link it to a checking account I have at a UK bank (the NatWest). The PayPal website balked at the name of the bank branch ("Cambridge King's Parade") on the grounds that it contained a non-ascii character. It was also too long for the web form. All I could do was enter "Cambridge" and hope for the best. Now it's prudent for programmers to check input, but this is rather extreme. After all, most of the names of people and places in this world are non-ascii. Compulsory asciification turns that inoffensive Italian, Signor de'Ath, into the sinister Transylvanian Mr Death. Also, when I worked in banking many years ago, a common source of fraud was that when money arrived at the wrong branch, staff put the money into a "suspense account" while they queried the sender. Fraud and abuse involving suspense accounts was a serious problem. So I tried to bring to PayPal's attention that their web page was not merely culturally inappropriate, but also a security vulnerability. I was unable to get their help-desk to link up successive e-mails about the issue, let alone refer me to someone who could talk policy. So far, so broken. I reported the incident on a local mailing list (ukcrypto) where one of the regulars informed me that the King's Parade branch had in fact closed, with all the customers being transferred to another branch. This was the first I'd heard of it! I walked by my bank branch and found it indeed closed. The two small payments that PayPal said it would send to my bank account, to check I have access to the bank statements, have vanished. You just could not make this up. PayPal relies for authentication on bank branch names, which a large UK bank will change without notifying its customers (at least, not in any way I noticed). I won't even begin to speculate about all the possible risks. Ross Anderson http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rja14/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 19:40:59 +0100 From: Stefek Zaba Subject: Risks of having a distinctive surname Generally, having a distinctive forename-surname combination serves me well enough: not much chance of double-booking in hotels, and people find it easy enough to remember. There's a privacy downside, in that once you know the surname and city (country, even) I'm not hard to find. And I acquired the obvious surname-related domain, zaba.com, getting on for a decade ago. Then, about the middle of March 2005, my inbox started to attract angry emails: "remove me from your Website immediately"! Since the www.zaba.com page has been unchanged since my mid-1997 entry on "what I did in the UK crypto-policy wars", I at first thought this was a new form of e-mail address harvesting -- send an angry accusation, attract an indignant response, email address confirmed. But few of the correspondents' addresses seemed suspect, and when I got one from a .mil address I started filing them away. It took another week or so for one of the e-mails to identify, by way of a screenshot, which website people were concerned about. US readers will have cottoned on by now; but for The Rest Of Us: there's a new people-searching website appeared in the US, under the name of zabasearch.com. Frantically trying to deal with their unhelpful "optout" procedures (which change frequently, and require you to submit personal data!), some people hit on the idea that zaba.com would be a better place to send emails, or Googled for the unusual word in question and found my email address. It's since been circulated in warning messages which get passed on in Craig Shergold fashion. zabasearch.com themselves say they're 'only republishing publicly available information'. RISKS readers, well-versed in notions of fair information handling, will just about be able to grasp the distance between "on file at the county records office", and "made available at no cost, pre-indexed by name". What's made available for free is basic personal info - name, address, phone numbers, years-at-address; for a fee they'll do further background checks. All with the same rigorous attention to data quality which has led colleagues to find themselves listed under addresses they left several years ago, and having 30 years added to their age. What's been interesting is receiving over a hundred angry "REMOVE ME"s, only three or four of which identified the website in question. "Clearly", with that website covered in Zaba-this and Zaba-that, the great majority of correspondents observed the name coincidence and inferred identity. Carl Ellison's "10 RISKS of PKI", and the SPKI work about the unreliability of global naming, just got validated again, at my expense. More gory details over at < http://www.zaba.com > Stefek Zaba, HPLabs, Bristol, England [Many thanks. Having a unique name sounds like a recipe for Zaba-loney. Or maybe someone is being fed Za-baloney? PGN] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:42:08 -0700 From: Bob Van Cleef Subject: SFPD officer accused of using airport cameras to ogle women Another case of "who is watching the watchers". According to a report on a local TV station, KTVU 2 in San Francisco, CA, a police officer is facing possible disciplinary action for allegedly using surveillance cameras at San Francisco International Airport to ogle women as they walked through the terminal. http://www.ktvu.com/news/4398749/detail.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:33:04 +0100 From: "LEESON, Chris" Subject: Trial ID card scheme is withdrawn in Cornwall The BBC News site has an article reporting that an ID card system being used in Cornwall has been withdrawn: "Plans for national ID cards may need to be reconsidered following the breakdown of a pilot project in Cornwall. The 'smart card' was tested through the Cornish Key scheme, but now the trial is to be withdrawn, despite an investment of £1.5m of government cash." The withdrawal is being blamed on problems with the readers, and the system is being replaced by a newer system with "dumber" smart cards. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4459493.stm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 15:42:28 -0500 (CDT) From: Steven Hauser Subject: Audit shuts down Minnesota Car License Web The Minnesota Legislative Auditor report shut down a web service: Department of Public Safety Web-based Motor Vehicle Registration Renewal System Security Audit Security Controls as of March 2005 http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/fad/2005/fad05-23.htm The report based its audit on http://www.owasp.org/documentation/topten.html the Open Web Application Security Project's top ten list and a previous audit in 2001 in which the findings and recommendations were ignored. This story was front page news in the *Saint Paul Pioneer Press* and *Minneapolis Tribune* on 19 Apr 2005. Other MN Department of Public Safety website shutdowns occurred from the Minnesota Legislative Auditor include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's CriMNet. The legislative auditor seems to find a lot of RISKS in the Department of Public Safety. Steven Hauser http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hause011/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 11:40:11 -0400 From: "Israel, Howard M \(Howard\)" Subject: Oops! US Air round trip for $1.86 http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/19/news/fortune500/usair_cheap_flights/index.htm?cnn=3Dyes Oops! US Air round trip for $1.86 Report: Carrier will honor more than 1,000 tickets sold at discounted price due to computer glitch. The airline also was hit by what its chief executive termed a "meltdown" of its baggage system during the Christmas holiday. That problem resulted in it sending some flights out of its Philadelphia hub without any bags. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:52:05 -0600 From: Brad Hill Subject: Banks still force users to be vulnerable to ID theft This may have been discussed before, but with the recent spate of DNS cache poisoning attacks and fake WiFi hotspot proliferation I believe it has new relevance. I was actually rather shocked to find that U.S. Bank (http://www.usbank.com/), Chase (http://www.chase.com) and Bank of America (http://www.bankofamerica.com) all still *force* users to enter their login and password on an insecure page. This exposes account holders to a great risk of their credentials being stolen. The login forms on their genuine home pages are submitted to a secure site, as they claim. The problem is that you need security *before* you enter your data. If DNS, a router or a proxy server anywhere along the path to their server were compromised, the login page could be substituted for one that submits to another site or injected with JavaScript that sends info elsewhere, asynchronously, before it goes to the real destination. Without an SSL certificate chain there is no way to verify that the insecure page with the form came from a trusted source and no way short of exhaustive code inspection to tell where the form data is actually going. BankOne, Wells Fargo, Citi, Washington Mutual, Bank of the West, Key Bank and Sun Trust all offer SSL versions of their login page, but for some reason, U.S. Bank, BofA and Chase redirect to an insecure site or return an error when trying to connect with SSL. You *can't* log in securely, even if you try. The existence of this kind of obvious and fundamental security mistake after all the publicity about this category of attack (note that all these banks *do* have a user education page on phishing/fraud prevention!) is definitely something to keep in mind when choosing a bank. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:45:00 -0400 (EDT) From: msb at vex.net (Mark Brader) Subject: "The national phone system failed"? (Goodman-Jones, Risks-23.84) > Ch7 is one of the three national commercial TV stations in Australia. "The national phone system failed", and what RISKS hears about is a *television* outage? Please tell me that this was just a careless wording! Mark Brader, Toronto, msb at vex.net [Probably not. TV is much more visible than electricity to many people... PGN] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:44:02 -0500 From: "Jeffrey Waters" Subject: Re: Michigan message board says speed limit 100 mph (R 23 84) While living in Florida, I always wondered what would happen if one of the message boards on northbound I-95 would have said something along the lines of "Notice - DEA Checkpoint 2 Miles" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 16:11:56 +0100 From: "Jonathan Lewthwaite" Subject: Re: SecurID and E*TRADE (Taft, RISKS-23.84) Online security with usability problems? In RISKS-23.84 Ed Taft wrote an article about the potential drawbacks of using a keyfob device to facilitate two-factor authentication. Ed made several observations of his experience and notes that: "... while this appears to have good security, some potential deficiencies come to mind: It requires more typing than the old scheme, including an unfamiliar sequence of characters that changes every time. A better arrangement would be for the keyfob to have a USB connector that I plug into my computer to prove that I have the keyfob." This 'deficiency' has already been addressed: The solution is to allow the 'token' software to be installed on some other device such as a USB memory stick. This can then be used to prove that the authenticating user has the device (by plugging it in). For an example and explanation have a look at: http://www.passgo.com/products/softwareTokens.shtml To maintain the two-factor authentication plugging in the device by itself is not enough -- the user must supply something they know. As Ed noted this is an unfamiliar sequence of characters that changes every time. With the software token installed on your USB memory stick, supported application ions can be configured to require a PIN allowing the challenge/response sequence to be handled automatically. The solution ports to other common electronics that folks have such as PDA's and Mobile devices giving even greater freedom to the end user. For further information on the need for strong two factor authentication = and solutions RISK readers can follow this up at: http://www.passgo.com/products/defender/index.shtml Jonathan Lewthwaite Technical Account Manager www.passgo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:59:42 -0400 From: Kurt Raschke Subject: Re: SecurID and E*TRADE (Taft, RISKS-23.84) Ed Taft's commentary in RISKS-23.84 on E*TRADE's apparent use of RSA's SecurID system to authenticate users to their website raised a few points that I think merit additional consideration. On Ed's first point, about the added typing necessitated by the system and his desire that it have a USB plug: Having a keyfob with a display allows the device to be used with any sort of computer--not every computer out there has a USB port, or one that is user-accessible. What if you log in using a phone or a PDA? On multiple service providers using SecurID: Theoretically this could become a problem, but there's no reason why a trusted third party couldn't run a copy of RSA's ACE/Server (the app used to authenticate SecurID tokens) that others could connect to over a VPN to use for authentication. One token, many sites. (This, though, has plenty of inherent RISKs too.) Finally, on his point about the keyfob's battery dying: RSA has a good plan for that--replace the unit. It's as simple as that. Ed raises these issues as though E*TRADE is the first company to ever implement SecurID (and they may be the first to implement it for a public-facing service, but not the first ever), but in reality they are not very grave issues, and many government labs and other organizations find SecurID to be a good security method despite them The real RISK? Weaknesses in the SecurID system: http://www.homeport.org/~adam/dimacs.html. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 2004 (LAST-MODIFIED) From: RISKS-request at csl.sri.com Subject: Abridged info on RISKS (comp.risks) The RISKS Forum is a MODERATED digest. Its Usenet equivalent is comp.risks. => SUBSCRIPTIONS: PLEASE read RISKS as a newsgroup (comp.risks or equivalent) if possible and convenient for you. Mailman can let you subscribe directly: http://lists.csl.sri.com/mailman/listinfo/risks Alternatively, to subscribe or unsubscribe via e-mail to mailman your FROM: address, send a message to risks-request at csl.sri.com containing only the one-word text subscribe or unsubscribe. You may also specify a different receiving address: subscribe address= ... . You may short-circuit that process by sending directly to either risks-subscribe at csl.sri.com or risks-unsubscribe at csl.sri.com depending on which action is to be taken. Subscription and unsubscription requests require that you reply to a confirmation message sent to the subscribing mail address. Instructions are included in the confirmation message. Each issue of RISKS that you receive contains information on how to post, unsubscribe, etc. INFO [for unabridged version of RISKS information] .UK users should contact . => SPAM challenge-responses will not be honored. Instead, use an alternative address from which you NEVER send mail! => The INFO file (submissions, default disclaimers, archive sites, copyright policy, PRIVACY digests, etc.) is also obtainable from The full info file may appear now and then in future issues. *** All contributors are assumed to have read the full info file for guidelines. *** => SUBMISSIONS: to risks at CSL.sri.com with meaningful SUBJECT: line. *** NOTE: Including the string "notsp" at the beginning or end of the subject *** line will be very helpful in separating real contributions from spam. *** This attention-string may change, so watch this space now and then. => ARCHIVES: ftp://ftp.sri.com/risks [subdirectory i for earlier volume i] redirects you to Lindsay Marshall's Newcastle archive http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/VL.IS.html gets you VoLume, ISsue. Lindsay has also added to the Newcastle catless site a palmtop version of the most recent RISKS issue and a WAP version that works for many but not all telephones: http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/w/r . ==> PGN's comprehensive historical Illustrative Risks summary of one liners: for browsing, or .ps for printing ------------------------------ End of RISKS-FORUM Digest 23.85 ************************ -- http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/person-1024.25.html&lang=en http://blogger.xs4all.nl/kranenbu/ 0031 (0) 641930235 From tripta at gmail.com Wed Apr 27 15:10:43 2005 From: tripta at gmail.com (tripta) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:10:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Stories of Entrepreneurship In-Reply-To: <20050426195041.13554.qmail@webmail47.rediffmail.com> References: <20050426195041.13554.qmail@webmail47.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <426F5E1B.3090500@gmail.com> Dear Prasad, Enjoyed your posting on entrepreneurship as find resonance of what I am looking at the moment. I presume that the research is in its initial stage and the narrative will deepen. Also, I do not know the context in which you are conducting the research so ignore redundant queries. The three case studies you have sent represent three different contexts with connections of some sort, i suppose. It was in this context I was wondering how you are mobilizing the term `entrepreneurship'; are these people `self proclaimed' entrepreneurs or they are `identified' as same by their peers? How does being an `entrepreneur' shape the sociality of the relations, existing and evolving? Is the success accounted for in terms of alleviated `social status'? Are there any negatives of being a success story articulated within the narratives of the self or the other? Does it alter the manner in which entries into `spaces' and `narratives' are sought? For instance, is the knowledge of `newer types of vegetables' for the vendor a means to seek entry into `newer' spaces? How are these `newer' vegetable articulated in the everyday language? Does it represent a certain class/ social status/lifestyle? thanks and looking forward to your response tripta From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Wed Apr 27 15:14:39 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 02:44:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] DIVINITY AND GODHOOD IN DASTANS Message-ID: <20050427094440.91038.qmail@web80901.mail.scd.yahoo.com> GODHOOD, FALSE GODS AND RELIGION IN Tilism-e Hoshruba While ostensibly the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza purports to be an account of the triumph of Islamic armies over infidels and worshippers of other Gods, in its essence it is a highly secular narrative. Very rarely does it engage in what can be called proselytisation. This is vastly different from encouraging enemies to renege from their faith and their side and join the Islamic side. Here is the greatest of the false Gods Laqa, driven from country to country by the indefeasible Islamic warriors, yet charismatic enough to make those who shelter him bow in submission to him. Here is one such vassal writing to those below him- �It is a sign of the Almighty�s benevolence that despite being harassed by his subjects he does not punish them and instead says that they are all my creatures and I created them in a moment of intoxication therefore they have turned rebellious and degenerate and now their fate cannot be changed and the Almighty is helpless. They repent and plead to be forgiven but the Almighty refuses their repentance. And his subjects say that now that the Almighty does not accept our apologies we may as well enjoy our independence and do as we see fit.� (p28 TH 1 In the Dastani worldview the good and the bad are evenly matched, infinitely. When an evil sorcerer dies, a new one rises to replace him. When someone on the righteous side is killed, another one is quickly found to replace him. It is as if they can keep replenishing their numbers infinitely and the good and the bad will remain evenly matched no matter who emerges victorious. When Hamza and his cohorts capture one Tilism, they are faced with another. Laqa will keep finding vassals, they will keep fighting and thus it is that Dastans can go on endlessly. They never need end, all depends on the listeners and the performer. Amar, Hamza�s chief trickster, is captured several times over by Afrasiyab, the Emperor of the sorcerers in the first volume of the Tilism-e-Hoshruba itself. Each time though he effects his escape, either through his own ingenuity or because of Afrasiyab�s credulity. It is in Amar�s nature to trick people and he will always do so, it is Afrasiyab�s lot to be tricked and he will continue to do so. On one such occasion Afrasiyab has managed to trap Amar in a Tilism and he is brought, starving and humiliated, before Afrasiyab. Before he arrives Afrasiyab says, �If I did not have to inquire something from him, I would have starved him to death in that jungle. As long as the Tilism-e-Hoshruba remains, my life remains and until I remain alive the Tilism that I have cast will not be broken by any save myself and the Aiyyars will never be freed.� (p437 TH 1) However, when Amar is brought before Afrasiyab he manages to convince him, of all things, that he Amar is the confidant of the God Laqa whom Afrasiyab submits to. Here is Amar�s rationale. �Afrasiyab said, what I want to ask you is this. Who dropped you across the magic-river and how did you return from the Almighty at the Koh-e-Aqiq to the Tilism? Hearing this talk Amar broke into a guffaw and said O Emperor, this is hardly worth concealing. I am a beloved subject of my God and when I was determined to come this side I started praying to my God who sent a houri from paradise and she seated me on her shoulders and brought me across to this side. Afrasiyab asks who is your God. Hearing this Amar laughs loudly and said I have already mentioned several times that I am an Angel of Zamurrad Shah Bakhtari meaning the Divine Laqa and God has sent me into this Tilism as the messenger of death and yet you ask who your God is. That one is our only God, there is none to rival him today and nobody can share anything with him. To tell the truth I worship only that one God and submit to him, I do not care for the other 175 Gods. What would you know of the secrets and confidences that I share with my God. What I will say now is that the Almighty was very put out at [your] worshipping Samri and Jamshed and he commanded me to go and kill the worshippers of other Gods. Outwardly he says kind things but he is not happy with you people. He is happy with those who consider him alone as the singular Almighty because [as] God says the Gods who are dead, their divinity is also dead. Consider this O King of Sorcerers, I am merely a speck of a few grams whereas you weigh a thousand quintals. How can we be matched yet is it not because of God Almighty�s displeasure that I overcome you.� [p439] In the passage quoted above Amar is transposing the usual arguments for monotheism that the partisans of Islam had upheld for centuries, into Laqa�s mouth. Laqa himself is a false God in the Tilism and is repeatedly humiliated by Amar. Yet, the terms on which he is presented could be turned around, on a slightly subversive reading, to apply to the monotheistic God of the Muslims itself. Further, the readers know that it is not the false God Laqa who abets Amar in his confrontation with Afrasiyab but the true God of the Muslims. The irony is therefore doubled for the informed listener. Further, taking potshots at the false Gods in this garb and in this manner could all too easily have been a surrogate for questioning the dominant and prevalent conception of divinity and Godhood in the wider society itself. What was so far couched in a confusion of identities comes dangerously close to blasphemy as Amar�s wisecracks at Laqa, the sole and overpressed God, could apply wholesale to the one and true God. �When the fairy reached the mid-river it dived inside and I saw a stream of blood flowing and I started drowning in it. At that moment a boat appeared and Khudawand Laqa was riding in it, he pulled me out of that Nallah and hauling me into the boat began to take me across. I found such a stink and noxious smell coming out of Khudawand that my mind was benumbed and I fainted. When I came to I found myself on this side. Afrasiyab asked why was there a stink emanating from Khudawand. Amar said the reason for the stink is that Khudawand does not wash himself sometimes for ten days after shitting. And he never ever cleans his mouth, his teeth are mouldy and when he talks it seems as if it is not his mouth opening but the door of the toilet bowl that is ajar. The reason for this is that he does not get a minute off from his work for the subjects. Having to kill someone, to give birth to another, making someone rich, throwing someone to poverty and so on and so forth. You tell me how and when can he wash himself and clean his mouth and face. � [p439} By now Amar, who had reached Afrasiyab�s presence cowering with apprehension only two pages before is in such a flow of trickery that he seems to be fully warmed up to prime Afrasiyab and the latter too seems ripe for priming. �Afrasiyab responded you have uttered obscene remarks regarding his Almighty�s august presence but you spoke the truth. For where we, his subjects, are so preoccupied with managing just one Tilism that we find no time to wash ourselves etc then the Almighty, who has to look after the whole universe, has to kill, give birth and provide for so many people then how would the Almighty find even a minute to spare. While Afrasiyab was still saying these things when one of his maids spoke up saying O Emeperor, whose words are you being taken in by. He is deceitful, just ask him where is a Nala in the magic-river. Afrasiyab got very upset at the maid and said, idiot what do you know that you poke your feet in such exalted matters, doesn�t blood flow into the magic-river, it is that which he refers to as the bloody Nallah.� [p439] Having convinced himself about Amar�s truthfulness, thus paving the way for his own perdition, Afrasiyab then wants to know why Khudawand Laqa and his chief Devil are outwardly so inimical to him. �Amar said the reason for that is that once Khudawand had leisure for an hour or so. In that leisure the Almighty thought let me do something so that a Devil/satan is born in my divinity. Since the Almighty was engaged in purposeless repose he began to indulge in the forbidden deed and Devil was born. When he had given birth to him and he began to lead the subjects astray, at that time Khudawand thought let me produce someone to oppress the devil too and he should be such a man who would be insolent towards me and should have the status of my father so having spent a lakh years to that end he created me and made me his father. It is for that reason that I shave Khudawand�s beard and beat up the Devil.� (p439) True to his nature Bakhtayarak, the Satan-Devil created by the false God Laqa frequently takes potshots when things go wrong for Laqa. On one such occasion when Sawar Qudrat, a great sorcerer who had come to assist Laqa against Hamza is killed Bakhtayarak asks him, �Bakhtayarak said, o Almighty what is this fate you have cast. Laqa broke into a huge laughter and said who can appreciate our divination see we have visited our benevolence upon him and despatched Sawar Qudrat to heaven where he is enjoying himself. Hearing this all the people in the gathering started saying no doubt you are the God of ever shining light, you are the almighty and may do as you please. Everyone else was saying these things while Bakhtayrak was quitely saying damnation upon the liars. While this talk was going on the cloud that had appeared on the horizon came near and Toofan Feel Dandan {toofan with elephant�s teeth}who had been sent by Afrasiyab arrived there�Bakhtayarak passed water around Laqa and gave it to Toofan to drink and said remember this favour that drinking this water will increase your age by ten years everyday and you will remain cool. Toofan said of course my body is already cold. Bakhtarak again whispered to himself whichever bastard comes here is a liar.� [p484] After a battle the sorcerers reassemble and Qahhar announces his intention to do the Muslims under. �Qahhar said o Almighty you are all powerful, you have given me a humble and dirty subject such powers that I will now slay all the Muslims. Hamza has the power of the Ism-e-Azam [a chant that keeps him safe from all magic] if he escapes then he will killed anyway and if he remains alive then he will find it difficult to survive the bereavement of his helpers and friends. Bakhtayarak said all that is correct but the problem is that firstly the Muslims are not in the habit of dying and secondly the Almighty�s grandson Iraj is in their camp and his son in law Qasim too. What if the Almighty therefore feels pity for them and overturns the fate. Laqa replied that this time I am determined that they all be killed and this time I will not change my divination.� [Tilism-e-Hoshruba, p 486] Satan being satan has no lack of knowledge. It is in fact the clarity of his vision and the depth of his intellect that makes him a fit enough candidate to try and take on God. Here too Bakhtarak being wise is fully aware of the righteousness of the Islamic side and the emptiness of Laqa�s divinity. He has been humiliated and punished several times by Amar, whom he regards as a guide and preceptor and addresses him with the Sufi term Murshid. It is well known to all that he is secretly on the Muslims� side, yet he must go on being the Devil of the false God. That is his nature and his lot and he cannot escape it. ISLAMIC WINE At one point in the Tilism-e-Hoshruba Laqa succeeds in capturing several leading commanders of the Islamic army. They are all under a spell so they participate willingly in everything that Laqa bids them to do. But just as caste rules determine dining and intercourse in this land, the same rules apparently apply for wining too. Of course conventionally Muslims are not supposed to drink, not so however in the Tilism. �Bakhtayarak whispered into Laqa�s ears, right now the Islamic commanders are under a spell and at the moment they will drink our wine despite the fact that we are kafirs to them. But when they come to and lest like the others Paikan [who has cast the magical spell on them] too is killed then these people will destroy us because they will say that non-believers and Kafirs have corrupted us by making us drink [their] wine. It would be best therefore if you say to one of these people that we have heard that the Islamic side makes great wine, why don�t you go and buy some and offer it with your own hands to your brethren. Laqa liked the idea and repeated what Bakhtayrak had advised him to Faramarz. Faramarz got up and went to the Islamic camp, seeing the Prince the watchman did not obstruct him because he said the Prince will beat me up if I stop him and I will not be able to raise my hands on him. Seeing the Prince he went to the tavern and brought forth canisters of wine and started serving everyone with drinks.� [TH, p827]. By far the most agreeable resolution to chhua-chhoot, as far as drinking is considered. Banned it may be but forbidden it is not. {All quotes are from Tilism-e Hoshruba Vol. 1, Khuda Bakhsh Public Library Patna, 1988} __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Wed Apr 27 15:14:46 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 02:44:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] DIVINITY AND GODHOOD IN DASTANS Message-ID: <20050427094446.53883.qmail@web80902.mail.scd.yahoo.com> GODHOOD, FALSE GODS AND RELIGION IN Tilism-e Hoshruba While ostensibly the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza purports to be an account of the triumph of Islamic armies over infidels and worshippers of other Gods, in its essence it is a highly secular narrative. Very rarely does it engage in what can be called proselytisation. This is vastly different from encouraging enemies to renege from their faith and their side and join the Islamic side. Here is the greatest of the false Gods Laqa, driven from country to country by the indefeasible Islamic warriors, yet charismatic enough to make those who shelter him bow in submission to him. Here is one such vassal writing to those below him- �It is a sign of the Almighty�s benevolence that despite being harassed by his subjects he does not punish them and instead says that they are all my creatures and I created them in a moment of intoxication therefore they have turned rebellious and degenerate and now their fate cannot be changed and the Almighty is helpless. They repent and plead to be forgiven but the Almighty refuses their repentance. And his subjects say that now that the Almighty does not accept our apologies we may as well enjoy our independence and do as we see fit.� (p28 TH 1 In the Dastani worldview the good and the bad are evenly matched, infinitely. When an evil sorcerer dies, a new one rises to replace him. When someone on the righteous side is killed, another one is quickly found to replace him. It is as if they can keep replenishing their numbers infinitely and the good and the bad will remain evenly matched no matter who emerges victorious. When Hamza and his cohorts capture one Tilism, they are faced with another. Laqa will keep finding vassals, they will keep fighting and thus it is that Dastans can go on endlessly. They never need end, all depends on the listeners and the performer. Amar, Hamza�s chief trickster, is captured several times over by Afrasiyab, the Emperor of the sorcerers in the first volume of the Tilism-e-Hoshruba itself. Each time though he effects his escape, either through his own ingenuity or because of Afrasiyab�s credulity. It is in Amar�s nature to trick people and he will always do so, it is Afrasiyab�s lot to be tricked and he will continue to do so. On one such occasion Afrasiyab has managed to trap Amar in a Tilism and he is brought, starving and humiliated, before Afrasiyab. Before he arrives Afrasiyab says, �If I did not have to inquire something from him, I would have starved him to death in that jungle. As long as the Tilism-e-Hoshruba remains, my life remains and until I remain alive the Tilism that I have cast will not be broken by any save myself and the Aiyyars will never be freed.� (p437 TH 1) However, when Amar is brought before Afrasiyab he manages to convince him, of all things, that he Amar is the confidant of the God Laqa whom Afrasiyab submits to. Here is Amar�s rationale. �Afrasiyab said, what I want to ask you is this. Who dropped you across the magic-river and how did you return from the Almighty at the Koh-e-Aqiq to the Tilism? Hearing this talk Amar broke into a guffaw and said O Emperor, this is hardly worth concealing. I am a beloved subject of my God and when I was determined to come this side I started praying to my God who sent a houri from paradise and she seated me on her shoulders and brought me across to this side. Afrasiyab asks who is your God. Hearing this Amar laughs loudly and said I have already mentioned several times that I am an Angel of Zamurrad Shah Bakhtari meaning the Divine Laqa and God has sent me into this Tilism as the messenger of death and yet you ask who your God is. That one is our only God, there is none to rival him today and nobody can share anything with him. To tell the truth I worship only that one God and submit to him, I do not care for the other 175 Gods. What would you know of the secrets and confidences that I share with my God. What I will say now is that the Almighty was very put out at [your] worshipping Samri and Jamshed and he commanded me to go and kill the worshippers of other Gods. Outwardly he says kind things but he is not happy with you people. He is happy with those who consider him alone as the singular Almighty because [as] God says the Gods who are dead, their divinity is also dead. Consider this O King of Sorcerers, I am merely a speck of a few grams whereas you weigh a thousand quintals. How can we be matched yet is it not because of God Almighty�s displeasure that I overcome you.� [p439] In the passage quoted above Amar is transposing the usual arguments for monotheism that the partisans of Islam had upheld for centuries, into Laqa�s mouth. Laqa himself is a false God in the Tilism and is repeatedly humiliated by Amar. Yet, the terms on which he is presented could be turned around, on a slightly subversive reading, to apply to the monotheistic God of the Muslims itself. Further, the readers know that it is not the false God Laqa who abets Amar in his confrontation with Afrasiyab but the true God of the Muslims. The irony is therefore doubled for the informed listener. Further, taking potshots at the false Gods in this garb and in this manner could all too easily have been a surrogate for questioning the dominant and prevalent conception of divinity and Godhood in the wider society itself. What was so far couched in a confusion of identities comes dangerously close to blasphemy as Amar�s wisecracks at Laqa, the sole and overpressed God, could apply wholesale to the one and true God. �When the fairy reached the mid-river it dived inside and I saw a stream of blood flowing and I started drowning in it. At that moment a boat appeared and Khudawand Laqa was riding in it, he pulled me out of that Nallah and hauling me into the boat began to take me across. I found such a stink and noxious smell coming out of Khudawand that my mind was benumbed and I fainted. When I came to I found myself on this side. Afrasiyab asked why was there a stink emanating from Khudawand. Amar said the reason for the stink is that Khudawand does not wash himself sometimes for ten days after shitting. And he never ever cleans his mouth, his teeth are mouldy and when he talks it seems as if it is not his mouth opening but the door of the toilet bowl that is ajar. The reason for this is that he does not get a minute off from his work for the subjects. Having to kill someone, to give birth to another, making someone rich, throwing someone to poverty and so on and so forth. You tell me how and when can he wash himself and clean his mouth and face. � [p439} By now Amar, who had reached Afrasiyab�s presence cowering with apprehension only two pages before is in such a flow of trickery that he seems to be fully warmed up to prime Afrasiyab and the latter too seems ripe for priming. �Afrasiyab responded you have uttered obscene remarks regarding his Almighty�s august presence but you spoke the truth. For where we, his subjects, are so preoccupied with managing just one Tilism that we find no time to wash ourselves etc then the Almighty, who has to look after the whole universe, has to kill, give birth and provide for so many people then how would the Almighty find even a minute to spare. While Afrasiyab was still saying these things when one of his maids spoke up saying O Emeperor, whose words are you being taken in by. He is deceitful, just ask him where is a Nala in the magic-river. Afrasiyab got very upset at the maid and said, idiot what do you know that you poke your feet in such exalted matters, doesn�t blood flow into the magic-river, it is that which he refers to as the bloody Nallah.� [p439] Having convinced himself about Amar�s truthfulness, thus paving the way for his own perdition, Afrasiyab then wants to know why Khudawand Laqa and his chief Devil are outwardly so inimical to him. �Amar said the reason for that is that once Khudawand had leisure for an hour or so. In that leisure the Almighty thought let me do something so that a Devil/satan is born in my divinity. Since the Almighty was engaged in purposeless repose he began to indulge in the forbidden deed and Devil was born. When he had given birth to him and he began to lead the subjects astray, at that time Khudawand thought let me produce someone to oppress the devil too and he should be such a man who would be insolent towards me and should have the status of my father so having spent a lakh years to that end he created me and made me his father. It is for that reason that I shave Khudawand�s beard and beat up the Devil.� (p439) True to his nature Bakhtayarak, the Satan-Devil created by the false God Laqa frequently takes potshots when things go wrong for Laqa. On one such occasion when Sawar Qudrat, a great sorcerer who had come to assist Laqa against Hamza is killed Bakhtayarak asks him, �Bakhtayarak said, o Almighty what is this fate you have cast. Laqa broke into a huge laughter and said who can appreciate our divination see we have visited our benevolence upon him and despatched Sawar Qudrat to heaven where he is enjoying himself. Hearing this all the people in the gathering started saying no doubt you are the God of ever shining light, you are the almighty and may do as you please. Everyone else was saying these things while Bakhtayrak was quitely saying damnation upon the liars. While this talk was going on the cloud that had appeared on the horizon came near and Toofan Feel Dandan {toofan with elephant�s teeth}who had been sent by Afrasiyab arrived there�Bakhtayarak passed water around Laqa and gave it to Toofan to drink and said remember this favour that drinking this water will increase your age by ten years everyday and you will remain cool. Toofan said of course my body is already cold. Bakhtarak again whispered to himself whichever bastard comes here is a liar.� [p484] After a battle the sorcerers reassemble and Qahhar announces his intention to do the Muslims under. �Qahhar said o Almighty you are all powerful, you have given me a humble and dirty subject such powers that I will now slay all the Muslims. Hamza has the power of the Ism-e-Azam [a chant that keeps him safe from all magic] if he escapes then he will killed anyway and if he remains alive then he will find it difficult to survive the bereavement of his helpers and friends. Bakhtayarak said all that is correct but the problem is that firstly the Muslims are not in the habit of dying and secondly the Almighty�s grandson Iraj is in their camp and his son in law Qasim too. What if the Almighty therefore feels pity for them and overturns the fate. Laqa replied that this time I am determined that they all be killed and this time I will not change my divination.� [Tilism-e-Hoshruba, p 486] Satan being satan has no lack of knowledge. It is in fact the clarity of his vision and the depth of his intellect that makes him a fit enough candidate to try and take on God. Here too Bakhtarak being wise is fully aware of the righteousness of the Islamic side and the emptiness of Laqa�s divinity. He has been humiliated and punished several times by Amar, whom he regards as a guide and preceptor and addresses him with the Sufi term Murshid. It is well known to all that he is secretly on the Muslims� side, yet he must go on being the Devil of the false God. That is his nature and his lot and he cannot escape it. ISLAMIC WINE At one point in the Tilism-e-Hoshruba Laqa succeeds in capturing several leading commanders of the Islamic army. They are all under a spell so they participate willingly in everything that Laqa bids them to do. But just as caste rules determine dining and intercourse in this land, the same rules apparently apply for wining too. Of course conventionally Muslims are not supposed to drink, not so however in the Tilism. �Bakhtayarak whispered into Laqa�s ears, right now the Islamic commanders are under a spell and at the moment they will drink our wine despite the fact that we are kafirs to them. But when they come to and lest like the others Paikan [who has cast the magical spell on them] too is killed then these people will destroy us because they will say that non-believers and Kafirs have corrupted us by making us drink [their] wine. It would be best therefore if you say to one of these people that we have heard that the Islamic side makes great wine, why don�t you go and buy some and offer it with your own hands to your brethren. Laqa liked the idea and repeated what Bakhtayrak had advised him to Faramarz. Faramarz got up and went to the Islamic camp, seeing the Prince the watchman did not obstruct him because he said the Prince will beat me up if I stop him and I will not be able to raise my hands on him. Seeing the Prince he went to the tavern and brought forth canisters of wine and started serving everyone with drinks.� [TH, p827]. By far the most agreeable resolution to chhua-chhoot, as far as drinking is considered. Banned it may be but forbidden it is not. {All quotes are from Tilism-e Hoshruba Vol. 1, Khuda Bakhsh Public Library Patna, 1988} __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Wed Apr 27 15:14:54 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 02:44:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] DIVINITY AND GODHOOD IN DASTANS Message-ID: <20050427094455.91612.qmail@web80904.mail.scd.yahoo.com> GODHOOD, FALSE GODS AND RELIGION IN Tilism-e Hoshruba While ostensibly the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza purports to be an account of the triumph of Islamic armies over infidels and worshippers of other Gods, in its essence it is a highly secular narrative. Very rarely does it engage in what can be called proselytisation. This is vastly different from encouraging enemies to renege from their faith and their side and join the Islamic side. Here is the greatest of the false Gods Laqa, driven from country to country by the indefeasible Islamic warriors, yet charismatic enough to make those who shelter him bow in submission to him. Here is one such vassal writing to those below him- �It is a sign of the Almighty�s benevolence that despite being harassed by his subjects he does not punish them and instead says that they are all my creatures and I created them in a moment of intoxication therefore they have turned rebellious and degenerate and now their fate cannot be changed and the Almighty is helpless. They repent and plead to be forgiven but the Almighty refuses their repentance. And his subjects say that now that the Almighty does not accept our apologies we may as well enjoy our independence and do as we see fit.� (p28 TH 1 In the Dastani worldview the good and the bad are evenly matched, infinitely. When an evil sorcerer dies, a new one rises to replace him. When someone on the righteous side is killed, another one is quickly found to replace him. It is as if they can keep replenishing their numbers infinitely and the good and the bad will remain evenly matched no matter who emerges victorious. When Hamza and his cohorts capture one Tilism, they are faced with another. Laqa will keep finding vassals, they will keep fighting and thus it is that Dastans can go on endlessly. They never need end, all depends on the listeners and the performer. Amar, Hamza�s chief trickster, is captured several times over by Afrasiyab, the Emperor of the sorcerers in the first volume of the Tilism-e-Hoshruba itself. Each time though he effects his escape, either through his own ingenuity or because of Afrasiyab�s credulity. It is in Amar�s nature to trick people and he will always do so, it is Afrasiyab�s lot to be tricked and he will continue to do so. On one such occasion Afrasiyab has managed to trap Amar in a Tilism and he is brought, starving and humiliated, before Afrasiyab. Before he arrives Afrasiyab says, �If I did not have to inquire something from him, I would have starved him to death in that jungle. As long as the Tilism-e-Hoshruba remains, my life remains and until I remain alive the Tilism that I have cast will not be broken by any save myself and the Aiyyars will never be freed.� (p437 TH 1) However, when Amar is brought before Afrasiyab he manages to convince him, of all things, that he Amar is the confidant of the God Laqa whom Afrasiyab submits to. Here is Amar�s rationale. �Afrasiyab said, what I want to ask you is this. Who dropped you across the magic-river and how did you return from the Almighty at the Koh-e-Aqiq to the Tilism? Hearing this talk Amar broke into a guffaw and said O Emperor, this is hardly worth concealing. I am a beloved subject of my God and when I was determined to come this side I started praying to my God who sent a houri from paradise and she seated me on her shoulders and brought me across to this side. Afrasiyab asks who is your God. Hearing this Amar laughs loudly and said I have already mentioned several times that I am an Angel of Zamurrad Shah Bakhtari meaning the Divine Laqa and God has sent me into this Tilism as the messenger of death and yet you ask who your God is. That one is our only God, there is none to rival him today and nobody can share anything with him. To tell the truth I worship only that one God and submit to him, I do not care for the other 175 Gods. What would you know of the secrets and confidences that I share with my God. What I will say now is that the Almighty was very put out at [your] worshipping Samri and Jamshed and he commanded me to go and kill the worshippers of other Gods. Outwardly he says kind things but he is not happy with you people. He is happy with those who consider him alone as the singular Almighty because [as] God says the Gods who are dead, their divinity is also dead. Consider this O King of Sorcerers, I am merely a speck of a few grams whereas you weigh a thousand quintals. How can we be matched yet is it not because of God Almighty�s displeasure that I overcome you.� [p439] In the passage quoted above Amar is transposing the usual arguments for monotheism that the partisans of Islam had upheld for centuries, into Laqa�s mouth. Laqa himself is a false God in the Tilism and is repeatedly humiliated by Amar. Yet, the terms on which he is presented could be turned around, on a slightly subversive reading, to apply to the monotheistic God of the Muslims itself. Further, the readers know that it is not the false God Laqa who abets Amar in his confrontation with Afrasiyab but the true God of the Muslims. The irony is therefore doubled for the informed listener. Further, taking potshots at the false Gods in this garb and in this manner could all too easily have been a surrogate for questioning the dominant and prevalent conception of divinity and Godhood in the wider society itself. What was so far couched in a confusion of identities comes dangerously close to blasphemy as Amar�s wisecracks at Laqa, the sole and overpressed God, could apply wholesale to the one and true God. �When the fairy reached the mid-river it dived inside and I saw a stream of blood flowing and I started drowning in it. At that moment a boat appeared and Khudawand Laqa was riding in it, he pulled me out of that Nallah and hauling me into the boat began to take me across. I found such a stink and noxious smell coming out of Khudawand that my mind was benumbed and I fainted. When I came to I found myself on this side. Afrasiyab asked why was there a stink emanating from Khudawand. Amar said the reason for the stink is that Khudawand does not wash himself sometimes for ten days after shitting. And he never ever cleans his mouth, his teeth are mouldy and when he talks it seems as if it is not his mouth opening but the door of the toilet bowl that is ajar. The reason for this is that he does not get a minute off from his work for the subjects. Having to kill someone, to give birth to another, making someone rich, throwing someone to poverty and so on and so forth. You tell me how and when can he wash himself and clean his mouth and face. � [p439} By now Amar, who had reached Afrasiyab�s presence cowering with apprehension only two pages before is in such a flow of trickery that he seems to be fully warmed up to prime Afrasiyab and the latter too seems ripe for priming. �Afrasiyab responded you have uttered obscene remarks regarding his Almighty�s august presence but you spoke the truth. For where we, his subjects, are so preoccupied with managing just one Tilism that we find no time to wash ourselves etc then the Almighty, who has to look after the whole universe, has to kill, give birth and provide for so many people then how would the Almighty find even a minute to spare. While Afrasiyab was still saying these things when one of his maids spoke up saying O Emeperor, whose words are you being taken in by. He is deceitful, just ask him where is a Nala in the magic-river. Afrasiyab got very upset at the maid and said, idiot what do you know that you poke your feet in such exalted matters, doesn�t blood flow into the magic-river, it is that which he refers to as the bloody Nallah.� [p439] Having convinced himself about Amar�s truthfulness, thus paving the way for his own perdition, Afrasiyab then wants to know why Khudawand Laqa and his chief Devil are outwardly so inimical to him. �Amar said the reason for that is that once Khudawand had leisure for an hour or so. In that leisure the Almighty thought let me do something so that a Devil/satan is born in my divinity. Since the Almighty was engaged in purposeless repose he began to indulge in the forbidden deed and Devil was born. When he had given birth to him and he began to lead the subjects astray, at that time Khudawand thought let me produce someone to oppress the devil too and he should be such a man who would be insolent towards me and should have the status of my father so having spent a lakh years to that end he created me and made me his father. It is for that reason that I shave Khudawand�s beard and beat up the Devil.� (p439) True to his nature Bakhtayarak, the Satan-Devil created by the false God Laqa frequently takes potshots when things go wrong for Laqa. On one such occasion when Sawar Qudrat, a great sorcerer who had come to assist Laqa against Hamza is killed Bakhtayarak asks him, �Bakhtayarak said, o Almighty what is this fate you have cast. Laqa broke into a huge laughter and said who can appreciate our divination see we have visited our benevolence upon him and despatched Sawar Qudrat to heaven where he is enjoying himself. Hearing this all the people in the gathering started saying no doubt you are the God of ever shining light, you are the almighty and may do as you please. Everyone else was saying these things while Bakhtayrak was quitely saying damnation upon the liars. While this talk was going on the cloud that had appeared on the horizon came near and Toofan Feel Dandan {toofan with elephant�s teeth}who had been sent by Afrasiyab arrived there�Bakhtayarak passed water around Laqa and gave it to Toofan to drink and said remember this favour that drinking this water will increase your age by ten years everyday and you will remain cool. Toofan said of course my body is already cold. Bakhtarak again whispered to himself whichever bastard comes here is a liar.� [p484] After a battle the sorcerers reassemble and Qahhar announces his intention to do the Muslims under. �Qahhar said o Almighty you are all powerful, you have given me a humble and dirty subject such powers that I will now slay all the Muslims. Hamza has the power of the Ism-e-Azam [a chant that keeps him safe from all magic] if he escapes then he will killed anyway and if he remains alive then he will find it difficult to survive the bereavement of his helpers and friends. Bakhtayarak said all that is correct but the problem is that firstly the Muslims are not in the habit of dying and secondly the Almighty�s grandson Iraj is in their camp and his son in law Qasim too. What if the Almighty therefore feels pity for them and overturns the fate. Laqa replied that this time I am determined that they all be killed and this time I will not change my divination.� [Tilism-e-Hoshruba, p 486] Satan being satan has no lack of knowledge. It is in fact the clarity of his vision and the depth of his intellect that makes him a fit enough candidate to try and take on God. Here too Bakhtarak being wise is fully aware of the righteousness of the Islamic side and the emptiness of Laqa�s divinity. He has been humiliated and punished several times by Amar, whom he regards as a guide and preceptor and addresses him with the Sufi term Murshid. It is well known to all that he is secretly on the Muslims� side, yet he must go on being the Devil of the false God. That is his nature and his lot and he cannot escape it. ISLAMIC WINE At one point in the Tilism-e-Hoshruba Laqa succeeds in capturing several leading commanders of the Islamic army. They are all under a spell so they participate willingly in everything that Laqa bids them to do. But just as caste rules determine dining and intercourse in this land, the same rules apparently apply for wining too. Of course conventionally Muslims are not supposed to drink, not so however in the Tilism. �Bakhtayarak whispered into Laqa�s ears, right now the Islamic commanders are under a spell and at the moment they will drink our wine despite the fact that we are kafirs to them. But when they come to and lest like the others Paikan [who has cast the magical spell on them] too is killed then these people will destroy us because they will say that non-believers and Kafirs have corrupted us by making us drink [their] wine. It would be best therefore if you say to one of these people that we have heard that the Islamic side makes great wine, why don�t you go and buy some and offer it with your own hands to your brethren. Laqa liked the idea and repeated what Bakhtayrak had advised him to Faramarz. Faramarz got up and went to the Islamic camp, seeing the Prince the watchman did not obstruct him because he said the Prince will beat me up if I stop him and I will not be able to raise my hands on him. Seeing the Prince he went to the tavern and brought forth canisters of wine and started serving everyone with drinks.� [TH, p827]. By far the most agreeable resolution to chhua-chhoot, as far as drinking is considered. Banned it may be but forbidden it is not. {All quotes are from Tilism-e Hoshruba Vol. 1, Khuda Bakhsh Public Library Patna, 1988} __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From machleetank at gmail.com Wed Apr 27 16:43:48 2005 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen P) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 16:43:48 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BLANK NOISE....on blogspot In-Reply-To: <20050426195618.21234.qmail@webmail28.rediffmail.com> References: <20050426195618.21234.qmail@webmail28.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: Hi everyone... I have finally started using blogspot..after I realized how 'difficult' I found 'reporting' by the 25th of every month.. it needs some sort of order...will also lead to the creating of a personal website. would appreciate your feedback and comments...on www.blanknoiseproject.blogspot.com with kind regards Jasmeen From shivamvij at gmail.com Thu Apr 28 00:41:54 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (Shivam Vij) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 00:41:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net In-Reply-To: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> References: <425B8AED.8090609@sarai.net> Message-ID: Hi Vivek, Google print's searchable databse is now online; they just announced it on the Google blog. I could find so many useful books online that it seems they're going to make me site before the computer forever. Check it out: http://print.google.com/print?ie=UTF-8&q=sarai&btnG=Search Cheers Shivam -- [http://mallroad.blogspot.com] Bus Addey, Maal Rode, Camp, Madal Toun, Ajadpur, Shalimaar..! From arisen.silently at gmail.com Thu Apr 28 08:04:29 2005 From: arisen.silently at gmail.com (arisen silently) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:19:29 +0545 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Aesthete: At The Tableau. In-Reply-To: <42701DAE.6050307@accessus.com> References: <42701DAE.6050307@accessus.com> Message-ID: <1925b33d05042719344c679342@mail.gmail.com> Contents: 1. The Telepathic Table (May Day, 2005) What is it? What is it for? 2. How it works and how you can join, wherever you are 3. Local contacts and information for your city (so far Arhus, Baltimore, Chicago, New York, more coming) 1 What is it? What is it for? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Telepathic Table A collaborative project on and around the artistic, social, and political potential of tables. May 1st, 2005. See local announcements for each city's times and locations, or email to local Contacts (see 3): http://www.16beavergroup.org/chicago Organized by 16 Beaver Group (New York) In collaboration with rum46 (Aarhus), Patriot (Baltimore), many more coming (your group / city goes here) 16 Beaver Group was invited to be part of this year's Version Festival in Chicago: http://www.versionfest.org We will be given a table at the Zhou B. Center (Chicago) between 12:00pm and 8:00pm on Saturday April 30th and May 1st. While we've tried to deal with placing representative objects on display, whether it is a wall, a table, or a pedestal, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to 'represent' what we do, so we've just decided to give it up. Instead, we insist on 'activating' the social environment to which we've been invited. So having been offered this table has now triggered the following kinds of questions: How are tables social and political objects? How can this social aspect be enacted, rather than represented? What can we all do with a table, to fully take advantage of its potential? Are tables used for the same things in different cities around the world? What is the significance of tables in the date of May 1st? We are also aware that events like Version<05, as well as the World Social Forum, or more specifically art oriented endeavors, such as the growing number of international Biennials, are based on the assumption that people need to be physically present in one place at the same time. This creates a big conflict with the reality of art budgets, which are hardly sufficient to provide for a basic living. Needless to say, the idea of travelling around the world on this budget seems impossible, especially for alternative initiatives and artist run spaces. So, very much like we've done in the past with projects like 'The International Lunchtime Summit (2003, in 21 cities around the world), we are now telling everyone who is interested in art, politics, and social change, that they don't have to move from where they are. You can join the Telepathic Table, and be with us all, in different places, at the same time. 2. How it works and how you can join, wherever you are ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Select a table in your town or city, invite some people to do something with it at any time this coming Sunday, May 1st. What you do, and what you call it may or may not have anything to do with the questions or ideas listed above. What you do on May 1st can be the first gesture toward a table project you can develop for two weeks after that. We will collect materials related to all table projects between May 2nd and May 15th, and then put them all up, organized by city at: http://www.16beavergroup.org/chicago The webpage will be up on the night of May 15th. These are the kinds of materials we'd love to put up related to your project: - Take a photograph of the table when your gathering begins, and one when it ends (Note that your table may be a cloth, if it's a picnic, or many other things) - Any texts, images, or ideas that can be emailed, produced on May 1st or afterwards (May 2nd to May 15th ) related to your table or the ideas above. - A list of participants, title of project if there is one, and any urls that might be good to put up for more information on participants. Email all materials gradually or in one big bunch to: peterlasch at 16beavergroup.org You don't need to contact us before May 1st. Just do something with other people at a table, think telepathically, politcally, artistically, and send us the results after it happens! We'll put it all up. 3. Local contacts and information for your city (so far Arhus, Baltimore, Chicago, New York, more coming) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go ahead and add your own group/table/project and let us know what happened after you do it. You can also join one of the following if you're in NY, Arhus, Chicago or Baltimore. See the details or email the contact person for info. Aarhus, Denmark – at - rum46 Contact: rum46 at rum46.dk -------------------- Baltimore, USA - at The Contemporary Museum - Patriot Contact: Jesal Kapadia: jesalkapadia at hotmail.com -------------------- Chicago, USA (Sunday, May 1st – 1:00pm – 4:00pm) - 16Beaver, Red76, Mess Hall, Polvo, Temporary Services, Chiapas Media Project, subRosa, others (not all participants are confirmed) Contact: Peter Lasch: peterlasch at 16beavergroup.org We will gather at 1:00pm at the 16Beaver Table at the NFO Expo, work on tables and then literally carry our table into the Chat Room for a discussion on Alternative Spaces in the same building (Zhou B. Center) at 2:30pm. Everyone is invited, and no need to stay the whole time. You can drop in and out as you wish. --------------------- New York, USA (May 1st -- Washington Square Park, 2:00pm-4:00pm) 16Beaver, Reverend Billy, many more Contact: Ayreen Anastas: everytime at 16beavergroup.org We're joining the Rally at Washington Square Park, against the redesign / privatization / fencification of the park. We'll meet under the Arch at 2:00pm. See the info online at: http://www.openwsp.com/user/may1alert.htm Please sign the online petition if you like. A table in the park is a table cloth mostly and it can be used as a rally banner as well as a picnic cloth. We'll do both at different times. Bring your banner. Bring your table. Eat and scream __________________________________________________ 16 Beaver Group 16 Beaver Street, 4th / 5th fl. New York, NY 10004 phone: 212.480.2093 for directions/subscriptions/info visit: http://www.16beavergroup.org From pukar at pukar.org.in Wed Apr 27 13:14:11 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:14:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] Roundtable Discussion on the wider issues around the Marine Drive rape crime. Message-ID: <001f01c54afd$145d0930$5dd0c0cb@freeda> PUKAR Gender & Space project invites you to a discussion on the wider issues around the Marine Drive rape crime Date: 29 April 2005 Time: 6 pm Venue: PUKAR Office, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Opp Stand Book Stall, Sir. P M Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel: 5574-8152 The recent incident of rape at the police chowky at Marine Drive has seen the city and citizens respond with anger and outrage, underlined by the upper class area where the crime took place and the fact that it involved a college girl and the perpetrator was a police constable. The rape and the policeman's attitude are both a matter of grave concern, as is the insistence of the Mumbai police that this is an isolated incident. It is disturbing to find that senior police officers have repeatedly called the rapist constable a pervert or perverse suggesting that these crimes are not just an aberration but also the product of an abnormal mind. Furthermore, the excessive focus on the drunken state of the policeman suggests that a sober policeman (or indeed any other sober man) would not commit such a crime. While it is important to focus on drunkenness among the police, this is not the real issue in this rape. During the last one and a half year that we have been researching women and public space in the city, we have often walked into police stations across the city and found varying reactions from helpfulness to sneers. One question however, was asked over an again "Why should women be out in public space when they had no work there?" It is just this attitude that defines women's location in private spaces (where statistics on domestic violence have proved time and again that they are NOT safe) which underlies the article in the Samana suggesting that not only do women invite sexual assault through so called provocative clothing but also that they have no business being out in public in the first place. During an elective course which we taught at an architecture college in the city, in an exercise students were asked to map spaces they perceived to be safe and unsafe. One student mapped an area of marine drive - the space located exactly opposite the police chowky where the rape took place as an unsafe space as it was hidden from the road and was dark and deserted. Our research suggests that the material aspects of city design and planning have an impact of women's sense of safety and comfort in public spaces. It is important to ask at this point if it may be possible to view public spaces in the city and suggest ways in which they might be made safer. In another assignment, a student re-designed the information-kisok opposite CST station to make it transparent (precisely the move the police is now taking with the police chowky). Is it possible to examine these spaces and enact preventive changes rather than wait for a crime to happen? It is a source of comfort to find many voices raised against this crime and the demand that the city be made safer for women. Women's groups have also demanded that the SC ruling which overturned the previous Bombay High Court ruling that a woman could not be arrested after sunset and without the presence of a woman constable be reviewed and changed. They have also asked that a women's desk be instituted at every police station. These are important issues that we unreservedly support. We at the Gender & Space project hope to take this discussion beyond safety to take on full frontally the challenge issued by the Samana piece to assert that women, all women, sex workers, bar dancers, spaghetti strap clad, sari clad and burkha clad have the right to access public space as citizens. This is the time to challenge the ideological assumptions about a woman's proper place that normalize women's anxieties in relation to public space and at the same time to make a strong claim for women's right to experience the varied pleasures of the city as flaneurs who may choose to take risks and as individuals who have not just a conditional right to protection but to a fuller and more meaningful citizenship. We would like to invite you to a discussion of the wider issues surrounding this crime, a first of a series of monthly discussions that we plan to institute at the PUKAR Gender & Space Project. Date: 29 April 2005 Time 6 pm Venue: PUKAR Office, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Opp Stand Book Stall, Sir. P M Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel: 5574-8152 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050427/0cf79d4a/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From abshi at vsnl.com Thu Apr 28 11:53:19 2005 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:23:19 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Mumbai: Roundtable discussion on the issues surrounding the marine drive rape crime Message-ID: <2cbb4ba2cbc844.2cbc8442cbb4ba@vsnl.net> PUKAR Gender & Space project invites you to a discussion on the wider issues around the Marine Drive rape crime Date: 29 April 2005 Time: 6 pm Venue: PUKAR Office, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Opp Stand Book Stall, Sir. P M Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel: 5574-8152 The recent incident of rape at the police chowky at Marine Drive has seen the city and citizens respond with anger and outrage, underlined by the upper class area where the crime took place and the fact that it involved a college girl and the perpetrator was a police constable. The rape and the policeman’s attitude are both a matter of grave concern, as is the insistence of the Mumbai police that this is an isolated incident. It is disturbing to find that senior police officers have repeatedly called the rapist constable a pervert or perverse suggesting that these crimes are not just an aberration but also the product of an abnormal mind. Furthermore, the excessive focus on the drunken state of the policeman suggests that a sober policeman (or indeed any other sober man) would not commit such a crime. While it is important to focus on drunkenness among the police, this is not the real issue in this rape. During the last one and a half year that we have been researching women and public space in the city, we have often walked into police stations across the city and found varying reactions from helpfulness to sneers. One question however, was asked over an again “Why should women be out in public space when they had no work there?” It is just this attitude that defines women’s location in private spaces (where statistics on domestic violence have proved time and again that they are NOT safe) which underlies the article in the Samana suggesting that not only do women invite sexual assault through so called provocative clothing but also that they have no business being out in public in the first place. During an elective course which we taught at an architecture college in the city, in an exercise students were asked to map spaces they perceived to be safe and unsafe. One student mapped an area of marine drive – the space located exactly opposite the police chowky where the rape took place as an unsafe space as it was hidden from the road and was dark and deserted. Our research suggests that the material aspects of city design and planning have an impact of women’s sense of safety and comfort in public spaces. It is important to ask at this point if it may be possible to view public spaces in the city and suggest ways in which they might be made safer. In another assignment, a student re-designed the information-kisok opposite CST station to make it transparent (precisely the move the police is now taking with the police chowky). Is it possible to examine these spaces and enact preventive changes rather than wait for a crime to happen? It is a source of comfort to find many voices raised against this crime and the demand that the city be made safer for women. Women’s groups have also demanded that the SC ruling which overturned the previous Bombay High Court ruling that a woman could not be arrested after sunset and without the presence of a woman constable be reviewed and changed. They have also asked that a women’s desk be instituted at every police station. These are important issues that we unreservedly support. We at the Gender & Space project hope to take this discussion beyond safety to take on full frontally the challenge issued by the Samana piece to assert that women, all women, sex workers, bar dancers, spaghetti strap clad, sari clad and burkha clad have the right to access public space as citizens. This is the time to challenge the ideological assumptions about a woman’s proper place that normalize women’s anxieties in relation to public space and at the same time to make a strong claim for women’s right to experience the varied pleasures of the city as flaneurs who may choose to take risks and as individuals who have not just a conditional right to protection but to a fuller and more meaningful citizenship. We would like to invite you to a discussion of the wider issues surrounding this crime, a first of a series of monthly discussions that we plan to institute at the PUKAR Gender & Space Project. Date: 29 April 2005 Time 6 pm Venue: PUKAR Office, 2nd Floor, Kamanwala Chambers, Opp Stand Book Stall, Sir. P M Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Tel: 5574-8152 From mamtam at aptech.ac.in Thu Apr 28 11:56:00 2005 From: mamtam at aptech.ac.in (Mamta M) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:56:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] searching for free libraries on the net In-Reply-To: <20050428060928.0DF2228D93F@mail.sarai.net> Message-ID: <00b201c54bbb$24f63550$4001010a@Aptech.Ltd> I didn't read the full thread but if you are searching for literature then these links should be useful: www.bibliomania.com www.textz.com http://www.netlibrary.com/reading_room/index.asp http://www.gutenberg.org http://www.ipl.org/reading/books/ http://all-ez.com/literary.htm http://www.free-ebooks.net/ http://www.ebooksnbytes.com/ www.literature.org Regards, Mamta -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by HO MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. From machleetank at gmail.com Thu Apr 28 14:57:55 2005 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen P) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 14:57:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BLANK NOISE NIGHT WALK /Mumbai: Roundtable discussion on the issues surrounding the marine drive rape crime In-Reply-To: <20050426195618.21234.qmail@webmail28.rediffmail.com> References: <20050426195618.21234.qmail@webmail28.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: Hello everyone at pukar and sarai once again I'm opening the Blank Noise project to people/ women. Also bringing in the context of the recent rape case in mumbai: " One question however, was asked over an again "Why should women be out in public space when they had no work there?"- Pukar The participants of Blank Noise have been plannign a night walk / performance through the night in and around brigade road. It is in the initial stages- hence the costumes/ garments for the performance have not been designed yet. there are ideas of wearing existing 'normal' garments but making them neon. or creating them with lights. We could perhaps do the same in bombay and delhi? I see this happening 3 weeks from now.... what do you think? would you be interested? Jasmeen www.fotolog.net/machlee/ www.blanknoiseproject.blogspot.com From abshi at vsnl.com Thu Apr 28 17:23:55 2005 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 16:53:55 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] BLANK NOISE NIGHT WALK /Mumbai: Roundtable discussion on the issues surrounding the marine drive rape crime Message-ID: <2da35332da3bd3.2da3bd32da3533@vsnl.net> Dear Jasmeen amnd others This sounds very interesting. Three weeks from now would be mid-May. If there are others on this list in Mumbai who might be interested we could choose a street, maybe in this case Marine Drive would work best symbolically. And you could brief us on the clothing. This sounds like it has possibilites. More thoughts, ideas? Shilpa PUKAR From machleetank at gmail.com Thu Apr 28 18:18:55 2005 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen P) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 18:18:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BLANK NOISE NIGHT WALK /Mumbai: Roundtable discussion on the issues surrounding the marine drive rape crime In-Reply-To: <2da35332da3bd3.2da3bd32da3533@vsnl.net> References: <2da35332da3bd3.2da3bd32da3533@vsnl.net> Message-ID: Hi Shilpa and everyone on the list, Perhaps we could chose a day and do this performance through the night across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Calcutta to make its point. About the clothing; it would best, 'ideal' if we could wear what is 'normal' /everyday to us and we make it neon. I have to figure the technical aspect of doing this. do give me a couple of hours and will write back? later with more thoughts and ideas warmly, Jasmeen www.blanknoiseproject.blogspot.com www.fotolog.net/machlee/ On 4/28/05, abshi at vsnl.com wrote: > Dear Jasmeen amnd others > This sounds very interesting. Three weeks from now would be mid-May. If there are others on this list in Mumbai who might be interested we could choose a street, maybe in this case Marine Drive would work best symbolically. > And you could brief us on the clothing. > This sounds like it has possibilites. > More thoughts, ideas? > Shilpa > PUKAR > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > List archive: > -- ph: + 91 98868 40612 From cahen.x at levels9.com Thu Apr 28 18:36:19 2005 From: cahen.x at levels9.com (xavier cahen) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 15:06:19 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Do you know http://www.pourinfos.org ? Message-ID: <00c901c54bf3$120c76b0$0401a8c0@acerkxw6rbeu2s> POURINFOS.ORG / THE DAILY ART NEWS http://www.pourinfos.org pourinfos.org is a information page on the contemporary art (molstly on the french scene), it means, the art which is done today. This page is intended to the visual artists, to mediators, to teachers of art, to students... It accomodates at least additional information per day of Monday at Friday... In this page, you will find information very official like the Programme type of Beaubourg and others very specialized, like, attributions of exceptional assistances to the artists, job offers, calls for project, calls to participated, proposals coming from the artists themselves. The principle of pourinfos is to set in the same page all kind of informations about visual arts who take the same media importance, same importance in our perception of information, thus leaving place with our interest, that of the reader. This space is your, pourinfos.org to you is guaranteed not to have, each time, your disseminated information (one to four information per maximum day is the possibilities limit...), but if you address information to us precise and short on your activities or proposals, we will not fail to let it know (english and french version as possible...). This page of information is before a whole place of exchange for the professionals of visual arts. It proposes rough information, without image, calendar, archives and authorizes the syndication of its contents in order to integrate it in any other site. Xavier Cahen To receive information by mail: You can be registered and receive by mail each Monday and thurday, the letter pourinfos with the whole of its topicality. http://www.pourinfos.org To receive information on your cell phone, pda: Do not remain any more wedged on your premise, leave and to find the addresses of exposure, the meetings, the conferences, by using the service wap pourinfos.org (limit technical of the messages: 15 last advertisements, 250 characters by advertisement). Address wap: http://pourinfos.org/wap.php To place informations of pourinfos on a page of your site: You also can, if you wish it, by specifying it to us (thank you), to create your own page, on your site, by directly integrating the sources of this page of information (rss or javascript). You will find the instructions at this address (in french): > To integrate the wire of information http://pourinfos.org/indexclassic.php?rubrique=integrer2 Example of syndication : > To take part in the network http://pourinfos.org/indexclassic.php?rubrique=reseau ------ Example of the last newsletter pourinfos.org l'actualite du monde de l'art / daily Art news ----------------------------------------------------------------------- infos from April 26, to April 28, 2005 (included) ------------------------------------------------------------------- (mostly in french) WARNING : pourinfos.org newsletter will be closed from April 29 avril until may 2, 2005 See you soon... Xavier ------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Residency : for artist, La Galerie, Contemporary art center, Noisy-le-Sec, France. http://pourinfos.org/residences/item.php?id=1468 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 02 Call : HypeGallery, Rencontres d'Arles, meetings of photography, Arles, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1464 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 03 Call : 1st International Stickeraward, Wilsmile Studios, Dresden, Germany. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1463 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 04 Call : video on the topic of the night, All the night together, France 5 TV, Tetra Media, Boulogne, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1462 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 05 Call : special issue on the art and politics of netporn, Cut.up.magazine, Haarlem, Netherlands. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1461 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 Divers : One day song, poetry for one evening, Bookshop La Terrasse de Gutenberg, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/divers/item.php?id=1460 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 Exhibition : screening and Performance, videobox, Miss China, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1459 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 08 Meeting : Conference on Fluxus, L'association Rock'n'roll Charity Hospital, Littoral Côte d'Opale University and the Frac Nord-Pas de Calais, Casino of Dunkerque, France. http://pourinfos.org/rencontres/item.php?id=1466 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 09 Meeting : Tourism is the leading industry worldwide today, Fundació Caixa Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. http://pourinfos.org/rencontres/item.php?id=1465 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Residency : Only for women artist, 4 weeks, Miss China Beauty, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/residences/item.php?id=1458 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Publication : Robert Mallet-Stevens, complete work, Olivier Cinqualbre, Centre Pompidou Editions, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/publications/item.php?id=1457 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Publication : Under Fire, Jordan Crandall, Printed Matter, Inc., New York, USA. http://pourinfos.org/publications/item.php?id=1456 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Studies : Call to candidature new session of the School : l’Ecole du Magasin, Grenoble National Center of Contemporary art, Grenoble ,France. http://pourinfos.org/emploi/item.php?id=1455 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Job : an artistic professor of teaching specialized typography, Ecole Superieure des Arts et de la Communication, Pau, France. http://pourinfos.org/emploi/item.php?id=1454 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Meeting : Conference, presentation of the project "Pollstream", collectif HeHe, Confluence, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/rencontres/item.php?id=1453 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Exhibition : Robert Mallet-Stevens, Architect, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1452 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Lecture : _interstice.txt, Sébastien Smirou, la box, Ecole nationale superieure d'art de Bourges, Bourges, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1451 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Screening : A man without history, a film of Pierre Maillard, le Centre pour l'image contemporaine à Europ'Art, Geneva, Switzerland. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1450 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Exhibition : Ninth edition of Art Dealers, International Show of Contemporary art, Marseille, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1449 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Exhibition : Beauty Room, " Dangerous Liaisons " 5 and "Peuplier", Seulgi Lee, Miss China Beauty, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1448 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Residency : Artist-in-Residence program at IAMAS, Japan. http://pourinfos.org/residences/item.php?id=1447 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Call : Exhibition opportunity, The Mattawoman Creek Art Center, Maryland, USA. http://pourinfos.org/candidature/item.php?id=1446 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Call : Bases del concurs Fescurts 200, Torelló, Spain. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1445 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Exhibition : Watchwords passwords, Espace Paul Ricard, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1444 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Exhibition : Anita Molinero, Artist's studio at Marseille, documentsdartistes.org, Marseille, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1443 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Exhibition : on line, L'archive vivante, Hansik Gebert Archiv, Siegburg, Germany. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1442 From sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk Sat Apr 30 20:39:17 2005 From: sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk (sabitha t p) Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 16:09:17 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Early women's magazines: the debate on education Message-ID: <20050430150917.48005.qmail@web25404.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> The Debate on Education In this part of my research, I have looked at the general debate on women’s education in early women’s magazines in Malayalam. At this stage I am yet to fully collect the material for this because my archives are in Kerala and I will be spending the next two months in Trivandrum and Trichur to collect more archival material. Therefore I have based my argument and conclusions, for the time being, on the material I already have and which I take to be representative of each decade that I am looking at (the 1890’s to the early1930’s). I would like to begin by giving you a taste of my archival material. I have translated two essays almost entirely. The first essay is by P Kavamma who was a regular contributor to women’s magazines such as Sarada and Lakshmibhai and also participated in debates on women’s issues in other journals such as Vidyavinodini and Bhashaposhini. Hers is a spirited defense of English education for women. The essay begins by looking at the general merits of learning English and goes on to apply those reasons for educating women in English. We can see three types of discourse being employed in this essay to justify English education for women. The first can be called the pragmatic-utilitarian discourse that employs the reason of the use-value of English. The second is the intellectual-rational discourse that looks at the merits of having access to a wide arena of knowledge through access to the English language. And the third I call the moral discourse that deploys the terms of morality itself to counter the belief that education makes women licentious and desirous of freedom from subjugation by men. These three kinds of discourses are regularly employed by those who justify women’s education. I will analyze these discourses in more detail and with more examples later. The second essay is by Puthelathu Govinda Menon, published in Lakshmibhai in 1930. Puthelathu Govinda Menon was a regular contributor to women’s journals and his essays, full of invective and sarcasm, usually take a rather regressive stance. In this one, predictably, he argues against a certain kind of education (“Western”?) for women and indicates an alternative paradigm on which to model the education of women. His ideas about what is proper and improper for women is largely based on established notions such as women’s role as caretakers of large households, domestic cooks and caregivers for children. However he does make allowances for a public role for women. In the last paragraph, there is a nascent nationalist consciousness that sees women’s role in spinning and weaving indigenous clothes. This activity restores purity to them that he perhaps sees as lost in Western education. Here are the essays: Women and Western Education It is commonly known that education – with modifications where necessary – is essential for everyone, without discriminating between men and women. Therefore I do not intend to describe its greatness or merits. Everyone has to perform various tasks that are useful to themselves and society. It is only with the help of education that those can be fulfilled justly. Since the main purpose – though not the real one – of education is to help us in our daily tasks of survival, there are no two opinions that it has to be relevant to the times. Therefore, please think about whether Western education is relevant to our times, whether it is necessary for our women and what state it is in right now. Not only has Western education spread throughout the Indian subcontinent, its reach increases everyday in an unprecedented manner. Nobody, nothing, can prevent its speedy march to the top. Even though there are in India, which stretches up to the Himalayas, several castes, religions, customs, manners, communities and languages, wherever one looks, without exception it is English education that shines above all these. These days, a person who does not know English cannot travel in the way he wants satisfactorily. Most names of cities and towns are now in English. Our native who does not know English will not be able to understand names such as Benares, Mahe, Trichy and Quilon unless someone tells him the old names in his language. Not only names, every minute everything is turning into English. Therefore those who do not know English have many difficulties and those just keep increasing. We see nothing in this land that is not touched at least a little by the Western wind of change. Western manners have even entered our comfortable domestic life and other activities related to it Since all things around us have become and are fast becoming English we will have to learn the English language if we want to carry out our tasks without encumbrance from now onwards. We should also never forget that English is our sovereign’s language. Education cannot be considered appropriate unless it lasts all our lives and helps us in our daily tasks and duties. Therefore it is indubitable that our women too, like men, should acquire an education relevant to our times. Now, if we look at the world of children too it appears doubtless that women need to be given English education. It is, after all, a boy who is under his mother’s care today who will enter the world’s stage tomorrow as a great social leader or someone interested in the welfare of the public. It is indeed an apt saying that goes: “As long as there is life in a man, does he forget his habits as a child?” Hence, no one will argue that the stage of childhood does not need our special attention. That is when the child’s education also begins. Earlier, “Hari Sree” used to be taught first. Now it is “a,b,c,d.” Everyone teaches their children English for various reasons. Most of one’s education takes place in one’s childhood. At this time does not the authority of their care rest with the mother? If she is not at all educated in English she will be unable to punish or advise the children and lead them to a righteous path when they pick up and read morally unhealthy sections of novels full of the sringara rasa or when they tell the mother they are studying while in reality they are spending their time looking at the pretty pictures in the catalogues of “P. R. and Sons” or “Ox and Co.” Since most of the father’s time is spent in matters outside the house, he will rarely have time to pay attention to domestic affairs or to closely scrutinise the character and manners of the children If our children have to move with the times, our women need to be educated in English. Now, even if we anaylse the merits and demerits of the English language, we find more greatness in it. Because, when we learn our mother tongue Sanskrit (sic!) we only learn about our ancient customs and religious principles. We do not understand anything about other races. On the other hand, in English, since there are translations of the sastras, puranas and vedas of the various religions in all parts of the world and of all other good books, if we just learn this language we can easily know everything about the state of various countries and other matters. It is doubtful that any other education is strong enough to inculcate ideals such as expansion of the mind and knowledge of the world. Therefore we should have no hesitation in providing English education to women. Many people have the superstition that if women are given English education they will become independent and licentious, and will not submit to men. If the former is to be prevented, women should not be given any education. Any kind of education will increase the natural desire for freedom. What we should think about is whether this desire for independence is detrimental to society. It is never so. If it was so, we should have seen this happen to men when Western education was started for them. What we see rather is great progress in them. Even nature shows us in several ways that women are at best just equal to and not better then men. Then why the aforesaid fear about women? How do I write about how absurd the second fear about women is? There is no doubt at all that usually a person who is educated feels reluctance, impassiveness and hatred towards such immoral activities. Is this not how we distinguish between an educated and uneducated person? Who will believe that someone whose intellect has been refined by education will bring on damage to her chastity? Do our puranas and pandits not claim that education is a fortress that protects our moral character? Western scholars and their books also say the same. They never teach that we should be unchaste or adulterous. Those who have received some amount of education rarely engage in such illegitimate activities that destroy happiness in this world as well as the other world. My only reply to superstitious people is that if anyone does commit such wrong it is for other hidden reasons and is not the fault of education. Dear readers! I have tried your patience too much! Even though there is a lot more to write about this issue, I end this essay here out of fear and doubt that I will be given more space in this magazine. Please allow me to say once more that there should be no skepticism about or hesitation in giving women an English education since it has been proven by the reasons given above that they deserve it. (‘Streekalum Paschatya Vidyabhyasavavum’, P. Kavamma, Lakshmibhai Jan-Feb 1913 [1088 makaram]) Two Words to our Girl children Oh little ladies! That you have set out with the intention of competing with or overtaking men is mere derring-do. Because, if you step into men’s places, who will take your position? Even if it is amusing for your parents to see you imitate Western ways, it may not be agreeable to Bharatmata, your great grandmother. I do not say that you do not need education. However, the education that you are receiving now is inappropriate for you and your country. Have you or your guardians ever thought about how useful it is for you to pass the examination of the tenth, twelfth or fourteenth grade? You should understand that the system of education in the State of Cochin, nay, the Indian State, is wrong. When the English sneaked into India as traders they started English education with the intention of getting translators – for interacting with the natives – as well as accountants and clerks for minute salaries. As a result of that two-hundred-year-old education system, apart from saying that we now have in India many officers – most of whom are poor clerks – and many vakils – most of whom cannot save enough money for even subsistence – has any good come to the country’s or our society’s economic status or welfare? That you have stepped out on the path of this kind of an education system, which is not even useful to men, is indeed a pity. Do you know that there are countless young men – your brothers – with a B.A. degree who are wandering about without employment and who have no skill to do any other kind of work? Do you intend to imitate them? You will not fulfill your destiny by passing the tenth grade and getting a mistress’s job in some girls’ school. You should not forget your social obligations and rights. I have seen, among you, some girls who walk around with spectacles. If it is only for fashion, there is nothing more foolish. If your eyes have become weaker due to reading sleeplessly at night or due to the heat and smoke of kerosene lamps, please forego everything to protect your organ of sight. Do not do anything against nature. If you think about nature’s laws, does it not become clear that you undergo mental and physical changes from the start of menstruation? Has not nature decided that the human race be procreated through its womenfolk? Some of you may say that you are not studying to get a job or make a living. I ask one of those sixteen or eighteen-year-old little mistresses: “Do you know how to govern a family of four? Do you know how to cook for a few people? Do you know how to milk the cow? Do you know how to take care of children? Do you know anything about God?” If the little mistress replies unconscientiously, she will answer thus: “ I don’t go to school to learn to cook and serve, govern a family, milk the cow or to take care of children. Our teachers do not tell us anything about God either.” This is why I say that the education you receive now is inappropriate for you, your family and your country. Just because I have said all this, do not mistake me for a person opposed to women’s education. Certainly, education is necessary for you. All I say is that it should not be too much or in too wrong a manner It is necessary and desirable for many of you to become teachers so that education can be spread completely among the community of women It will be enough for your purposes if you impart education up to the level of the third grade. Therefore those of you who wish to be teachers need to be just qualified enough to teach the third grade When I see some of you setting out to work in other departments, what can I call them except conceited? Sometimes I think that thanks to women’s education our women may even become policemen (sic) and soldiers! Until the human race entirely rejects the dharma of marriage, is it not impossible for women to avoid the two states of being a wife and a mother? Women should chiefly engage in activities that help them fulfill these roles in the best possible manner. Your education should be suitable for these purposes The government should, without delay, enlist women’s education in a new plan that will be best for the status of our country. For that, many industries that are appropriate for women and that will ensure the welfare of our country need to be set up. However, for now, all of you should engage in spinning clothes – an activity that you can easily undertake and that will enlighten the whole country. May the sacred clothes that your pure hands weave spread throughout Kerala. (‘Nammude Penkidangalodu Randu Vakku’, Puthelathu Govinda Menon, Lakshmibhai, May-June, 1930 [1106 edavam]) More soon!Comments from people working in similar areas are very welcome. ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony From sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk Sat Apr 30 20:45:56 2005 From: sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk (sabitha t p) Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 16:15:56 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Sarai: Fellows and no fellowship......... In-Reply-To: 6667 Message-ID: <20050430151556.77203.qmail@web25402.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Hi everyone, I'd love to come though the proposed dates are difficult. I'm off to Kerala on the 5th of May for archival work related to the fellowship. Will the 4th be possible at all?? Sabitha --- Vivek Narayanan wrote: > So how about May 8, then...? (Sorry, Shivam vetoed > the 30th, and it's > first come first served even if, admittedly, he > seems to live in > cyberspace - :)) > > JNU this time, DU or Sarai or Connaught Place next, > and perhaps we > should even have a historic Sarai summit one of > these months in > Ghaziabad...? > > (But we're not in the right class bracket for > farmhouse parties, I'm > afraid, unless anyone has a farmhouse to spare) > > V > > vijender chauhan wrote: > > > To me all dates are equally easy (or difficult) so > please let me know, > > what it is, I'll reach. Got reservations abt > calling JNU, central. It > > has always been at extreme (or say margin) in more > meanings of the > > word then one. Still its fine. Though sarai or DU > is definitely > > better. may be next time. > > vijender > > > > >From: Vivek Narayanan <vivek at sarai.net> > > >To: mahesh sarma > <maheshsarma at rediffmail.com> > > >CC: sabirhaque at yahoo.co.in, > > leenanarzary at yahoo.co.in,nidhidhini at yahoo.com, > > zzjamal at rediffmail.com,Archnakjha at rediffmail.com, > > > maninder_jk2003 at yahoo.com,sunil-monica at rediffmail.com, > > > anannyaleh at yahoo.com,veenanaregal at hotmail.com, > > moruoak at yahoo.com,singhgurminder2000 at hotmail.com, > > jitendra82003 at yahoo.com,sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk, > > prem_tiwari26 at yahoo.com, > shivamvij at gmail.com,space4change at gmail.com, > > cswara at hotmail.com, > > > schatte2 at unity.ncsu.edu,vijender_chauhan at hotmail.com, > > > sausum at mantraonline.com,river_side1 at hotmail.com, > > > sannil472 at hotmail.com,tasneemdhinojwala at rediffmail.com, > > > mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com,s_bismillah at yahoo.com > > >Subject: Re: Sarai: Fellows and no > fellowship......... > > >Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 13:47:29 +0530 > > > > > >How about 8 May as a third possibility, then? > There's a workshop > > >that Ravikant is part of that goes on till the > 7th. Otherwise, 7th > > >works fine for me too. > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > News, views and gossip. > http://www.msn.co.in/Cinema/ Get it all at MSN > > Cinema! > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony From cugambetta at yahoo.com Fri Apr 29 12:33:18 2005 From: cugambetta at yahoo.com (Curt Gambetta) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 00:03:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] ART presents ambientTV.NET in Bangalore April 30th Message-ID: <20050429070319.42799.qmail@web31715.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Art, Resources and Teaching Presents: ambientTV.NET With ambientTV.NET artistic co-directors Manu Luksch and Mukul Patel Venue: Centre for Education and Documentation (CED) No.7, 8th Main, 3rd Phase, Domlur 2nd Stage Bangalore 560 071 Date & Time: Saturday 30th April, 2005 at 5:00 pms Directions: On Airport Road at Domlur, take a left at the Water Tank. There is the Domlur Bus Depot and a temple on your right. Continue on this road, some other landmarks are the BDA Shopping Complex, Halasur Police station, Sagar super bazaar, Asia travel. Walk until the dead end. The road will take a natural left, continue and you will see an exposed brick structure ie., CED. Incase of guidance for directions please contact CED- 2535 3397 or 2535 1627. For further details contact: Malini Ghanathe or Curt Gambetta Ph: 2580 0733/ arthistindia at yahoo.co.in About ambientTV.NET ambientTV.NET was founded in London in 1999 for the conception and production of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and critical artworks, events, and media projects. The organisation, which is incorporated as a limited company, evolved first into an experimental hybrid-media hub and website, and later into a fully-fledged interdisciplinary arts production company and artist-run space in East London. Our work draws together many genres, including video, sound, net and software art, dance, documentary, installation, and cuisine. In 2002�2004, we focused on telematic dance/theatre, locative media, and responsive environments. We are committed to developing a resource-efficient arts practice with a global sensibility, realised through independent, open, and locally-accented infrastructure. Projects include Broadbandit Highway (2001), an online road movie repurposing internet streams from traffic surveillance cameras around the world; AV Dinners, a multi-sensory live and streaming gastronomic event; The Spy School (2002, continuing), a series of �exercises� examining the implications of surveillance technology; Triptychon (2003�4), a performance for dancer and roaming writer linking a location-aware media environment with the urban situation outdoors. Triptychon developed out of the Telejam series (2001), a platform for streaming media jam sessions between audio-visual artists in different locations, and developed into Myriorama (2004), a dance performance deploying locative media and motion-tracking technologies as narrative devices. ambientTV.NET has performed or presented work at FACT (Liverpool), Kiasma Theatre (Helsinki), Lyon Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Tate Modern, and at festivals and symposia including Ars Electronica (Linz), Art+Communication (Riga), ISEA 2004, Pixelache (Helsinki), South Asian Aesthetics Unwrapped! (London), Trafalgar Square Summer Festival, Video As Urban Condition (London), Switch (Chiang Mai), Viper (Basel). Mukul Patel is artistic co-director and inhouse composer at ambientTV.NET. Sound and word are points of focus; informed by a background in sciences and Indian music, his work plays along the borders between music and noise, rule-bound forms and chance, and technology and tradition. Mukul has worked extensively with dance in a range of environments, from electronic music clubs in the 1990s, through to more formal settings by contemporary choreographers such as Russell Maliphant, Shobana Jeyasingh, and Akram Khan. Manu Luksch, founder member and artistic co-director, studied Fine Arts in Vienna and Bangkok, and was artistic director of the Media Lab Munich before she moved to London. Her current project, Faceless, is compiled from surveillance video footage recovered under the UK�s Data Protection act, weaving fictive narratives from "Big Brother"�s cinema verit�The film explores urban fantasy and subjectivity under the regime of closed circuit TV, personal stereo and the multitude of ways we now leave data-traces and are tracked through the city. www.ambientTV.NET 'you call it art, we call it independence!' Art, Resources & Teaching (A.R.T.) 79, Rose Villa, 2nd Cross Hutchins Road, St Thomas Town Bangalore 560 084 India +91 80 2580 0733 / arthistindia at yahoo.co.in __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements