From ravig1 at vsnl.com Fri Jul 1 11:43:04 2005 From: ravig1 at vsnl.com (Ravi Agarwal) Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2005 11:43:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. References: Message-ID: <004701c57e03$f2e32020$6801a8c0@ToxicsLink.local> dear all, It may be useful to also see this in light of the new plans for 'old' Delhi, and its 'decongestion' and beautification,' as have been appearing in the press over the past months. This may not be isolated and could be followed by other evictions/ demolitions. ravi ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lawrence Liang" To: "Untitled 3" Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:04 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > Hi all > > > Just to follow up on Ravi's suggestions, I am thinking aloud on the kinds of > strategies that one may think of. One of the usual strategies, if one sees > past judicial strategies when it comes to asserting rights of street > hawkers/ vendors has been a right to life and right to trade argument. And > again apart from a few 'sympathetic' sweet nothings, the SC has generally > rejected these fundamental rights arguments. > > > It however be interesting in terms of a campaign to argue, apart form a > livelihood argument, an argument of a violation of freedom of speech and > expression. Since the SC has held in favour of right to information, it > would be useful to start thinking of the question of infrastructures of > information in addition to the question of access. This can also be > pursuasive given that a large number of the book sellers sell basic text > books. While the question of the link between infrastructure and freedom of > speech has thus far been used only by large media players (the Indian > express case argued that costs of news print can affect freedom of speech), > how do we start using these arguments to speak of infrastructures for > common people? > > > I am also interested in looking at the connections between these urban > cleansing programs and the question of the emerging regimes of > information, such as copyright. I am not sure if there is a linkage that is > being made here , or any pressure that is asserted by say, the Indian Boo > Publishers Association, because a few years ago I was in a meeting > organised by the IBPA and one of the things that they were advocating was > stringent action against street book sellers. > > > Lawrence > > > > > > > On 6/28/05 3:08 PM, "Ravi Agarwal" wrote: > > > Dear all, > > > > I will be happy to participate and / or help in taking this forward. We > > should consider a range of options, including legal remedies, media, street > > protest, letters to mcd...but first we must also we should ask the street > > book sellers what their view on this is..... > > > > ravi > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "shivam" > > To: "Anand Vivek Taneja" > > Cc: "Reader List" ; > > Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:06 PM > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > > > > > > They did the same in Mumbai recently. What, just what, is wrong with > > these guys? Sarkari monsters who work at the "municiopal corporation" > > seem especially berserk. "Municipal corporation(s)" have special teams > > to withdraw the menace of cows and rabid dogs from the city. These > > teams are equipped with a huge van and nets and what not. I suggest > > establishing a paralell municipal corporation (with maoist help from > > nepal, if you please) and putting our cattle-catching team after these > > sarkari monsters. > > > > May I float a conspiracy theory? Has the MCD been requested, > > pressurised, bribed by Daryaganj's publishers and booksellers into > > doing this? > > > > sv > > > > > > On 6/25/05, Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: > >> Dear All, > >> > >> Woke up to the horrifying news in this morning's Hindustan Times that > > > > > > www.shivamvij.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: > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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: From lalitbatra77 at yahoo.co.in Fri Jul 1 12:34:25 2005 From: lalitbatra77 at yahoo.co.in (lalit batra) Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 08:04:25 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. In-Reply-To: <004701c57e03$f2e32020$6801a8c0@ToxicsLink.local> Message-ID: <20050701070425.48410.qmail@web8303.mail.in.yahoo.com> dear all, i agree with ravi that we have to read mcd's decision to close down daryaganj book market in a larger context. 'decongestion' and 'beautification' of old delhi is an agenda which is at least 73 years old. but in recent times it seems to have acquired an urgency which was not there earlier, at least, not since 1940s. the draft master plan for delhi-2021, for instance, designates the entire walled city, walled city extension and karol bagh as a 'special area' in need of extensive 'redevelopment' to ensure 'modern services and amenities' and create 'parking and open spaces'. the proposed redevelopment plan entails shifting out wholesale markets and industrial units, allowing transferable development rights and higher floor area ratio and redesigning street pattern in such a way as to basically ensure that 'all roads lead to metro stations'. for daryaganj area 'comprehensive redevelopment schemes with conservative surgery as a planning tool' has been proposed. it seems the first limb to go in this surgery is the sunday book bazaar. lalit batra --- Ravi Agarwal wrote: > dear all, > > It may be useful to also see this in light of the new plans for 'old' > Delhi, > and its 'decongestion' and beautification,' as have been appearing in > the > press over the past months. This may not be isolated and could be > followed > by other evictions/ demolitions. > > ravi > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lawrence Liang" > To: "Untitled 3" > Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:04 PM > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > > > > Hi all > > > > > > Just to follow up on Ravi's suggestions, I am thinking aloud on the > kinds > of > > strategies that one may think of. One of the usual strategies, if one > sees > > past judicial strategies when it comes to asserting rights of street > > hawkers/ vendors has been a right to life and right to trade argument. > And > > again apart from a few 'sympathetic' sweet nothings, the SC has > generally > > rejected these fundamental rights arguments. > > > > > > It however be interesting in terms of a campaign to argue, apart form > a > > livelihood argument, an argument of a violation of freedom of speech > and > > expression. Since the SC has held in favour of right to information, > it > > would be useful to start thinking of the question of infrastructures > of > > information in addition to the question of access. This can also be > > pursuasive given that a large number of the book sellers sell basic > text > > books. While the question of the link between infrastructure and > freedom > of > > speech has thus far been used only by large media players (the Indian > > express case argued that costs of news print can affect freedom of > speech), > > how do we start using these arguments to speak of infrastructures for > > common people? > > > > > > I am also interested in looking at the connections between these urban > > cleansing programs and the question of the emerging regimes of > > information, such as copyright. I am not sure if there is a linkage > that > is > > being made here , or any pressure that is asserted by say, the Indian > Boo > > Publishers Association, because a few years ago I was in a meeting > > organised by the IBPA and one of the things that they were advocating > was > > stringent action against street book sellers. > > > > > > Lawrence > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 6/28/05 3:08 PM, "Ravi Agarwal" wrote: > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > I will be happy to participate and / or help in taking this > forward. We > > > should consider a range of options, including legal remedies, media, > street > > > protest, letters to mcd...but first we must also we should ask the > street > > > book sellers what their view on this is..... > > > > > > ravi > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "shivam" > > > To: "Anand Vivek Taneja" > > > Cc: "Reader List" ; > > > > Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:06 PM > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > > > > > > > > > They did the same in Mumbai recently. What, just what, is wrong with > > > these guys? Sarkari monsters who work at the "municiopal > corporation" > > > seem especially berserk. "Municipal corporation(s)" have special > teams > > > to withdraw the menace of cows and rabid dogs from the city. These > > > teams are equipped with a huge van and nets and what not. I suggest > > > establishing a paralell municipal corporation (with maoist help from > > > nepal, if you please) and putting our cattle-catching team after > these > > > sarkari monsters. > > > > > > May I float a conspiracy theory? Has the MCD been requested, > > > pressurised, bribed by Daryaganj's publishers and booksellers into > > > doing this? > > > > > > sv > > > > > > > > > On 6/25/05, Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: > > >> Dear All, > > >> > > >> Woke up to the horrifying news in this morning's Hindustan Times > that > > > > > > > > > www.shivamvij.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: > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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: > > _________________________________________ > 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: > __________________________________________________________ Free antispam, antivirus and 1GB to save all your messages Only in Yahoo! Mail: http://in.mail.yahoo.com From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Jul 1 13:26:08 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 13:26:08 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'Imp and Urgent' [Fwd] In-Reply-To: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From cahen.x at levels9.com Fri Jul 1 16:01:09 2005 From: cahen.x at levels9.com (xavier cahen) Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 12:31:09 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] pourinfos letter / 06-24 to 07-01-2005 Message-ID: <005a01c57e27$febc3a20$0201a8c0@acerkxw6rbeu2s> pourinfos.org l'actualité du monde de l'art / daily Art news ----------------------------------------------------------------------- infos from june 24, 2005 to july 01, 2005 (included) ------------------------------------------------------------------- (mostly in french) Dear reader, pourinfos will be closed from July 3 until September 15, 2005 Have good summer holidays or activities... see you soon... Chers lecteurs, pourinfos sera suspendu du 3 juillet au 15 septembre 2005 Bonnes vacances ou activites... à bientôt... Xavier ------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Exhibition : Nancy Rubins, Le Frac Bourgogne, Dijon, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1893 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 02 Call : Web Biennial 2005, Istanbul Contemporary Art Museum, Turkey. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1891 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 03 Call : " The most beautiful people of the world ", Michel Szulc-Krzyzanowski, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1890 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 04 Call : free*, image revue, photographs and contemporary art, zai-batsu, Lyon, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1888 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 05 Call : ARTS & SCIENCES 2005, ENSTA, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1892 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 Call : Call for Poets / Invito ai poeti - La Biennale di Venezia 2005, Italy. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1894 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 Call : " Hello ", Cecile Briand & Isabelle Mayaud, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1887 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 08 Call : " Landscape, in the end...", call for a ludic economy, KRN, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1886 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 09 Call : emerging artists, Circuit, Eyebeam, New York, USA. http://pourinfos.org/candidature/item.php?id=1885 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Call : print Workshop, l'Atelier 2, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. http://pourinfos.org/candidature/item.php?id=1884 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Meeting : poetic evening and song of Dhrupad India, at the Nicolas Schöffer studio, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1881 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Performance : Intravertie, Parkinprogress 2nd edition, Marly-le-Roy, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1880 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Exhibition : The Table of the Elements, Contemporary art museum of Grand-Hornu (MAC's), Hornu , Belgium. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1879 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Exhibition : Kirsten Everberg et Monique van Genderen at the Consortium, Angela Bulloch at Usine, Dijon, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1878 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Performance : The v' U and the promise, Casa do Bonesco, Chateau d'Esquelbecq, Wormhout, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1877 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Exhibition : Site Specific Sculpture, work of students, School : Ecole superieure des beaux-arts de Tours, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1876 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Exhibition : walk of Contemporary art in valley of the Lot, Oltis-Calvignac Association, the Abatoires, Toulouse, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1875 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Exhibition : program, international art center of art and landscape, Ile de Vassivière, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1874 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Exhibition : performance, " Dangerous connections " 7, Miss china beauty, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/expositions/item.php?id=1883 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Various : Meeting of the Commission Culture and Education of the European Parliament on june 16/17, 2005. http://pourinfos.org/divers/item.php?id=1873 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Call : Be on the agency catalogue on line, Rencontre Service, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1852 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Call : Spark Video Canada, Call for entries, London, Canada. http://pourinfos.org/participation/item.php?id=1851 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Publication : Hide this sex which I could not see, Essais, Dis Voir Editions, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/publications/item.php?id=1849 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Publication : Semaine 26.05, Analogues Edition, march-april 2005, Arles, France. http://pourinfos.org/publications/item.php?id=1848 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Workshop : The seminar weeks, eipcp, Vienna, Autriche. http://pourinfos.org/emploi/item.php?id=1847 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Meeting : Digitales vision, Demain des l'aube, Pompidou Center, Paris, France. http://pourinfos.org/rencontres/item.php?id=1846 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Meeting : the European university of summer of the Ministry for National Education, Boulogne-Billancourt, France. http://pourinfos.org/rencontres/item.php?id=1845 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Various : Happy journey to the postcard's country!, The cARTed Picture Show, Siouville, France. http://pourinfos.org/divers/item.php?id=1844 From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Jul 1 16:24:06 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 16:24:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Imp and Urgent [Fwd] In-Reply-To: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: seems the message didn't appear on the list. am sending it again. apologies, sv ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From monica at sarai.net Fri Jul 1 18:20:05 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 18:20:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Imp and Urgent [Fwd] In-Reply-To: References: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: dear shivam Please don't send attachments to the reader-list! and no images!! All we get is gibberish and nothing gets archived best M At 16:24 +0530 1/7/05, shivam wrote: >seems the message didn't appear on the list. am >sending it again. apologies, sv > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >g&öÓ¢¤FFS¢§VÂÂ#R#£#bÐ¥7V&SV7C¢-×æBW&vVç@¥Fó¢-æfô7F÷&vv-æræ÷&p >¢ >¤Ý'Â'Ò&VÆÇ'-×&W76VBv-F’7F÷&vv-ær6×-vââ-B-0¤WÝ6VÆÆVçBâ'Sö-æVBERÆ7B-V"ÂFÝ-2-V"'ÝfRv-âv-fVâ"*@¤¤TRæBv-ÆÂ&RSö-æ-ær"*Bà >¤ -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From zzjamaal at yahoo.co.in Fri Jul 1 00:09:25 2005 From: zzjamaal at yahoo.co.in (khalid jamal) Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:39:25 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] july 7th book bazar dharna In-Reply-To: <1667.68.34.105.165.1120142283.squirrel@mail.chintan-india.org> Message-ID: <20050630183925.30452.qmail@web8604.mail.in.yahoo.com> Buck up ,Bharti!! I will join you with my friends..!! What can be done by being there, right there physically, cannot be done any other way. Resistance on Street is the best. Let the motto be clear: Our rights or we bite!! Bharati wrote: lawrence and others : while all these issues you mention have been discussed when the sunday bazar was shut down and then brutally pruned, we have decided to jump into the fire and begin with a protest. i am not sure an on-site protest is someting many people on this list may wish to participate in, (given the arguments about fighting it through the courts which should not, in my opinion, be done wihtout the kabaris saying yes and actively participating in it) but the dharan is what many of the kabaris want to start with. you are all welcome to join. the invite letter is as below. bharati *************** Oppose MCD’s Decision to Close Down Sunday Book Bazaar You might be aware that the MCD has decided to close down the historic Sunday Book Bazaar at Daryaganj in Delhi. The book bazaar has existed for over four decades. It is a paradise for book lovers all over Delhi and beyond as a mind-boggling variety of rare books is usually available in this market at very affordable prices. It’s a cliché to say that books one can’t find anywhere else would be available in Daryaganj Sunday Bazaar. For many students this is the only place from where they can afford to purchase a book. From students to artists to designers to theorists to activists- Daryaganj is the favourate place to be on a Sunday. This is the reason why this bazaar has occupied an important place in the collective psyche of book lovers in Delhi for generations. The decision of the MCD to close down the book bazaar has come as a rude shock since this bazaar is an integral part of Delhi’s culture and heritage. Harit Recyclers Association (HRA), a registered organization of small junk dealers, many of whom have been associated with the Sunday Book Bazaar, has decided to oppose this decision. Chintan-HRA have joined hands to hold a ‘Dharna’ outside the MCD office on July 7th as a first step. We request all of you to come out in open against the arbitrary decision by the MCD. We request the members associated with Sajha Manch and other organisations and individuals to fully support and participate in Dharna. For more information, please contact Shashi Bhushan Pandit of Chintan-HRA –9350271397 or quick mail at hra at chintan-india.org, you can also snail mail at 12-Jangpura Market, Near Eros Cinema, New Delhi-110014. Date of Dharna: 07 July 05 Venue: Town Hall, MCD Office Near Chandani Chowk Time: 11:00 a.m > Hi all > > > Just to follow up on Ravi's suggestions, I am thinking aloud on the kinds > of > strategies that one may think of. One of the usual strategies, if one > sees > past judicial strategies when it comes to asserting rights of street > hawkers/ vendors has been a right to life and right to trade argument. And > again apart from a few 'sympathetic' sweet nothings, the SC has generally > rejected these fundamental rights arguments. > > > It however be interesting in terms of a campaign to argue, apart form a > livelihood argument, an argument of a violation of freedom of speech and > expression. Since the SC has held in favour of right to information, it > would be useful to start thinking of the question of infrastructures of > information in addition to the question of access. This can also be > pursuasive given that a large number of the book sellers sell basic text > books. While the question of the link between infrastructure and freedom > of > speech has thus far been used only by large media players (the Indian > express case argued that costs of news print can affect freedom of > speech), > how do we start using these arguments to speak of infrastructures for > common people? > > > I am also interested in looking at the connections between these urban > cleansing programs and the question of the emerging regimes of > information, such as copyright. I am not sure if there is a linkage that > is > being made here , or any pressure that is asserted by say, the Indian Boo > Publishers Association, because a few years ago I was in a meeting > organised by the IBPA and one of the things that they were advocating was > stringent action against street book sellers. > > > Lawrence > > > > > > > On 6/28/05 3:08 PM, "Ravi Agarwal" wrote: > >> Dear all, >> >> I will be happy to participate and / or help in taking this forward. We >> should consider a range of options, including legal remedies, media, >> street >> protest, letters to mcd...but first we must also we should ask the >> street >> book sellers what their view on this is..... >> >> ravi >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "shivam" >> To: "Anand Vivek Taneja" >> Cc: "Reader List" ; >> >> Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:06 PM >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. >> >> >> They did the same in Mumbai recently. What, just what, is wrong with >> these guys? Sarkari monsters who work at the "municiopal corporation" >> seem especially berserk. "Municipal corporation(s)" have special teams >> to withdraw the menace of cows and rabid dogs from the city. These >> teams are equipped with a huge van and nets and what not. I suggest >> establishing a paralell municipal corporation (with maoist help from >> nepal, if you please) and putting our cattle-catching team after these >> sarkari monsters. >> >> May I float a conspiracy theory? Has the MCD been requested, >> pressurised, bribed by Daryaganj's publishers and booksellers into >> doing this? >> >> sv >> >> >> On 6/25/05, Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: >>> Dear All, >>> >>> Woke up to the horrifying news in this morning's Hindustan Times that >> >> >> www.shivamvij.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: >> >> _________________________________________ >> 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: > _________________________________________ 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: ONE LIFE. ONE SHOT. Happiness, Health & Peace, Syed Khalid Jamal --------------------------------- How much free photo storage do you get? Store your friends n family photos for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. http://in.photos.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050630/c3afe6c9/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Jul 2 00:10:04 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2005 00:10:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Imp and Urgent [Fwd] In-Reply-To: References: <20050630185610.96680.qmail@web33714.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Dear Monica, Problem is, it was *not* an attachment. It wasn't even html. It was plaintext. I don't know what's gone wrong here. Apologies, Shivam On 7/1/05, Monica Narula wrote: > dear shivam > > Please don't send attachments to the reader-list! and no images!! > > All we get is gibberish and nothing gets archived > > best > M > > At 16:24 +0530 1/7/05, shivam wrote: > >seems the message didn't appear on the list. am > >sending it again. apologies, sv > > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- > >g&öÓ¢ -- I poured reason in two wine glasses Raised one above my head And poured in into my life (-JD) www.shivamvij.com From hra at chintan-india.org Sat Jul 2 12:01:07 2005 From: hra at chintan-india.org (hra at chintan-india.org) Date: Sat, 02 Jul 2005 12:01:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Dharna against closing down of Sunday Book Bazar Message-ID: <20050702063152.5360.qmail@ngblhost1.netgables.com> An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: not available Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050702/0f8a4341/attachment.pl -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050702/0f8a4341/attachment.html From turbulence at turbulence.org Sat Jul 2 03:05:32 2005 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2005 17:35:32 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] "Games-Language: An Interview with Noah Wardrip-Fruin" by Cicero Inacio da Silva Message-ID: <42C5B724.7090602@turbulence.org> "Games-Language: An Interview with Noah Wardrip-Fruin" by Cicero Inacio da Silva Cicero Inacio da Silva: You have recently edited a book on new media, story and games. Why are you interested in games? NWF: I would say, for a couple reasons. I think that in a fundamental level, playing games, performing for each other, telling each other stories and poems, are deep human activities. All these activities have come in the digital media, in one way or another, and I wanted to create a book where people who were thinking about all of this would be in one context, and could actually respond to each other - so we can start to, through that dialog, think about the field in a broader way. This is part of the motivation. But another motivation was that, although I think this is changing, there is a sense that games were a kind of the Other, the separate thing in digital media. Games were very successful commercially, but very uninteresting from an artistic point of view, from a scholarly point of view. So I also wanted to challenge that a little bit and say: "Yes, games are one of the most popular forms of digital media, but they are also interesting art work, interesting writing, and this is happening and is related to games, and I think that scholars and artists have to contribute to our discussion about making and criticizing games." Read full interview at networked_performance (http://turbulence.org/blog): http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001075.html -- Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856 Turbulence: http://turbulence.org New American Radio: http://somewhere.org Networked_Performance Blog and Conference: http://turbulence.org/blog -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050701/5cc806d7/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From sananth at sancharnet.in Sun Jul 3 08:26:27 2005 From: sananth at sancharnet.in (Ananth) Date: Sun, 03 Jul 2005 08:26:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Culture of Business: The Informal Sector and the Finance Business Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.0.20050703082538.027e3060@smma.sancharnet.in> The Culture of Business: The Informal Sector and the Finance Business – June Monthly Research Report Submitted By S.Ananth, Vijayawada This report essentially sums up the finance activity and the inter-linkages between the formal and informal finance businesses in the region. Lending practices may not differ in different regions, but what differs is the acceptability of the practices that accompany the finance business. In most of the places ‘generally accepted norms’ accompany the lending places. To generalise this could mean that certain behavioural patterns are expected from the borrowers and vice-versa. To transcend these generally accepted norms could be difficult for both the lenders and borrowers. It is imperative to keep in mind that these ‘generally accepted norms’ – culturally and spatially. In most parts of the country, lending money (at least on high rates of interest) was considered to be socially mean. Similarly in a number of places, social acceptability may have very strict legal connotations. Historically these factors seem to be alien to the region. Since the 1970’s (at that is the point which most of the people interviewed recollect) Vijayawada has been the scene of various innovative schemes and activities that cannot be construed as being legal, yet they are all socially acceptable. Infact these activities / schemes have thrived in Vijayawada. This could be because of the perception people that large scale (often enormous and speculative gains) as possible with minimal risk. This conception of possibility of exceptional returns (often speculative) returns has largely been responsible for the social acceptability of such schemes and the ease with which people in region are convinced about their viability – even if they are not legal. The existence of unofficial and illegal stock exchanges is a clear indication of this. The ease with which the members of these unofficial and illegal stock exchanges were and continue to be respectable members of the local society may be baffling to those who do not understand the cultural practices of the region. This research believes that such business culture is largely historical. Though this research, it has become apparent that local conditions influence the nature of capitalism that exists and operates in different regions. Claims about the uniformity and centralising tendencies of capital may be exaggerated – at least based on the experience of the operation of finance capital in a region like Vijayawada. Capital uses every mechanism / tool to expand and extend its profitability – often even pre-capitalist means. From anupam_iase at yahoo.co.in Sun Jul 3 08:36:56 2005 From: anupam_iase at yahoo.co.in (anupam pachauri) Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 04:06:56 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Staging of ' Warren Hastings ka Saand' Message-ID: <20050703030656.66608.qmail@web8402.mail.in.yahoo.com> Uday Prakash's 'Warren Hastings ka Saand'is being staged at IHC basement auditorium on July 3, Sunday at 7.30 pm. The production is an outcome of a month long theatre workshop conducted by Mr. Arvind Gaur from Asmita Art Group. All are cordially invited. Regards, Anupam Pachauri for Asmita www.indiantheatre.blogspot.com _______________________________________________________ Too much spam in your inbox? Yahoo! Mail gives you the best spam protection for FREE! http://in.mail.yahoo.com From kaiwanmehta at gmail.com Sun Jul 3 11:20:25 2005 From: kaiwanmehta at gmail.com (kaiwan mehta) Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 11:20:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Alice In Bhuleshwar / Gothic Jain!! Message-ID: <2482459d05070222503628b631@mail.gmail.com> Hi, My 7th posting, detailing one other experience with architecture in Bhuleshwar, and the string of questions that came strolling down. Thanks, Kaiwan Gothic by Jain … Or Moksha in Bhuleshwar Manish Modi today runs the Hindi Granth Karyalaya (HGK). A devout Jain, structuring his life on the various tenets of the religion and its philosophy, however he makes sure to impress upon you that he is no blind believer but a critical practitioner. He is clear on the world views he subscribes to and is also eager to learn others. Manish Modi is important for two reasons; 1) Hi personal vision of life and society, from his stand point as a young learned and devout religious person. 2) His great grandfather was a revolutionary for his times – right in the midst of Bhuleshwar. The HGK is the oldest publishing house in this city. Manish took me on a walk on Sunday evening. I maybe familiar with most areas he suggested to show me, but as my belief goes, there will surely be something new he has to share. And I was right! He has a love for the area and its architecture; he has a good judgment for form in architecture, although there is nostalgia in the appreciation of architecture, it was kept to a minimum. That was appreciative because you did not get the normal rhetoric from him, on how old is good and new is bad. The areas he took me were the Khotachiwadi and the various temples in Bhuleshwar. He concentrated on temples and I realized that what he meant by 'showing me around' the area was a visit to the temples! However he really appreciates Khotachiwadi and the Dharamshala, the building which houses his book shop, which are the only non religious buildings he concentrated on. Khotachiwadi has these quaint Venetian houses, verandahs, pitched roofs and all that goes with it. I like them too, but there is too much nostalgia for it and that is painful. However Manish was not just nostalgic but appreciative in many other ways… actually he appreciated the various architectural elements and their use by family, community or climatically. He was in fact critical of the colours there, found them gaudy, whereas I love them! The Dharamshala building has been interesting for me for a long time now. And now to chat with a historical user or occupant of that building was exciting. You have various renaissance and Indian classical motifs and imaginations with the buildings in the area, but Gothic – I think this is the only one I have seen. Now to discover it had a staunch Jain heritage!! But it all connects well. He explained to how the various motifs were out of Jain theology. Some I had recognized some I could not correctly interpret and some I had thought of only as decoration. The building is a corner building with pointed arches along one face and semi-circular along the other. Looks often like a Dharamshala from Mandvi in Kutch. But the pointed arch side looks a slice off the Gothic churches, with alligators and trefoils. At the corner is a circular arch tympanum with a cow and lion eating out of the one and same basket. This is repeated on the upper floor too. This is a very popular theme with the Jains and the Buddhist – in the presence of the 'Great One' opposites come together and there is all peace and the preaching of non-violence. At the other end of the gothic face, where the monumental gate to the complex interiors is, is another tympanum on the upper storey with a tree and a few men around it. This I learn represents the tree that humans hang from, as animals try to devour them below and a sword soaked in blood hangs over their head. Clinging to the tree displays the craving for clinging to life although its immersed in pain and the tortures around it are the punishments for this craving. This immediately strikes me gothic! As medieval Christendom wielded its theological power and control and threatened people with hell more than attracting them with the pleasures of heaven (remember The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man) so as Manish further narrates how various goblins and alligators threaten suffering and pain as a punishment to your worldly mistakes, the Christian gothic psychology of fear applied to gothic architectural sculpture, makes it clear why the gothic format works well for a Jain Dharamshala. It was a revelation that excited me, great to see formats in religion and architecture making a conversation across continents. Initially as I waited for Manish to come, I observed that the springing point of every arch had a specific animal head. This becomes clear as we move to the next site of Manish's tour. It is a new temple (name) – a Jain one, just down the street (which I learnt later was built through a controversial struggle of heritage situations). It was a clean concrete structure with arches and the topping of a shikhara to add the heritage or maybe temple value!! Manish took us inside, a fine building with security (not plastered or carved on the wall, but a real guy with uniform), an internal courtyard building. We went up to the first floor which has the main shrine (encaged in glass – like the Pope's bullet proof box!). Something revealing I notice here, firstly there is a stain glass mural close to the ceiling – an image of the lion and lamb drinking from the same pond in a wide landscape. Then I see the window panes, each with a self stained image of a different animal. I learn, each animal represents one of the Jain tirthankaras. Then it strikes me that every circular arch in the dharamshala building had at its springing point the head of an animal – and I found it weird then to see a different animal at every springing point – now the logic was clear. A string of questions are raised by this encounter. A hundred years apart two buildings shared their logic of imagination. Their form and value attached to it were different, but the images within the building carried on – but even here there was a crucial change of materials. From plaster to glass. An association of progress or being up-to-the-mark and wothy of constructing a building to the gods, a building that matched the contemporary standards. That seemed very clearly the logic. Logic of continuation, what is this continuity or ritual that we cling to? And in architecture? Architecture seems to become this register then of storing imagination and belief, a manager of continuity. But how do labour and professionals manage this. At one point guilds structured themselves on caste or region, but with the domination of a trained professional what becomes of these registers of memory? In the recent revival of Greek classicism or American glazed facades of buildings, what does the register say? How has society used architectural material to an imagination of the self (or the gods?)? What role has professional journalism and education of the professional played in creating an imagination, or rather furthering an imagination? It is like Alice in Wonderland – juggling worlds of (confused?) identity. (The next posting will be devoted to Premiji – Manish's grandfather, an extremely interesting historical character who lived in Bhuleshwar. I will try to sketch some parts of his life.) -- 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 zainab at xtdnet.nl Sun Jul 3 16:18:26 2005 From: zainab at xtdnet.nl (zainab at xtdnet.nl) Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 14:48:26 +0400 (RET) Subject: [Reader-list] The Candy Man Message-ID: <4223.219.65.9.212.1120387706.squirrel@webmail.xtdnet.nl> The Candy Man His name is Mishraji. His home is in Madhya Pradesh, in Central India. Mishraji mans the khomcha, the knick-knacks stall at Byculla Station on Platform Number 3. He is a simple person with his khaki coloured uniform and white Maharashtrian conical topi (cap). “I am standing here from 5 AM in the morning until 2 PM. I have a lunch break from 2 PM to 5 PM. From 5 PM, I am standing at the stall till 8 PM. At 8 PM, someone comes and relieves me for a while. It is then that I take a twenty minute to half hour break and go to have tea. Then, from 8:30 PM till 11 PM, I am at the stall. I keep standing all day. If I sit down for a moment, I will not be able to stand up.” Mishraji tells me his story of how he landed in Bombay. “One day, I was beaten up at school for a little mischief. They beat my up so that badly that I decided to run away. How can they beat a little child with such ruthlessness? I came to Bombay in 1984. I used to roam around at the railway station idly. At that time, the fine was five rupees. Then it increased to ten rupees, later fifty and now, two hundred and fifty.” Mishraji secured his first job at Kandivali Station. “There were three khomchas at Kandivali then. Also at that time, we used to sell paan at the khomchas which used to make our job very tough. Each khomcha would be manned by three persons. One would make paan. The other two would manage the rest of the sales and keep a watch on customers and the goods. Kkomchas would be packed with people at all times. After sometime, paan was banned and when Madhavrao Scindia became railway minister in the ‘80s, even cigarettes were banned. Now each khomcha is manned by one person.” Mishraji continues with his story, “Once I started working and earning money at Kandivli station, I learnt the tricks of the trade and decided to leave and go out to work. I started working in a wholesale factory at Bombay Central. But life was tough there. I decided to come back to the railway station. I then moved to Grant Road Station. I used to draw a salary of three hundred rupees which was a lot of money. Daily I would spend three rupees on lunch. Three rupees was a lot of money then. I completed my education and degree by studying here and appearing for exams in MP. After some years, I went back to my village and stayed there for six months. On my return, I started working at Kalyan station and was then posted in Surat and Gujarat for some months. I worked in a chemical factory in Ahmedabad. One day, the smell of the acid and sulphur got to me and I was hospitalized. After that, I promised not to work here and came back to Bombay in 1998. Since then, I have been working at Byculla Station!” Mishraji talks to me about how the early times at the railway station were. “Rules and regulations were very strict. If our nails were slightly longer, we would be fined twenty five rupees and suspended for two days. If we did not wear uniforms, we would be fined for fifty rupees. Now everything is free. See, I can stand here with two of my shirt buttons opened.” Mishraji works for eighteen hours a day. “Maut aur dhande ka koi samay nahi hota (there is no fixed time for death and business),” Mishraji says to me when I ask him about what times in the day does he do booming business. “With regular customers, we know the kind of goods they patronize and what they are likely to pick up. After so many years of service, I can tell you which public will buy goods worth one rupee and which public will buy hundred rupees worth saaman.” Mishraji speaks with a tired tone. It appears that life is monotonous for him. I wonder whether I can equate Mishraji with a call center worker. I ask Mishraji whether he thinks the railway station is a ruthless place. He says, “I cannot say that the railway station is a ruthless place. It is what you make the place to be. Some people come and they talk lovingly. You feel nice. Some people come, touch different things at the stall, waste time and don’t buy. But what can you do? All five fingers of the hand are not of the same length,” he says philosophizing. “People come, point out to what they want and I give it to them. It is like automation!” I will end Mishraji’s story here today, but there is a lot more to say about him. I wonder what would happen if the khomchas at the railway station were replaced with supermarket kind of machines where you simply put in the money, press the number of the item you want and pop! the item comes out? What kind of a value does Mishraji bring to the railway station or does he bring any value at all? Zainab Bawa Bombay www.xanga.com/CityBytes http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html From radiofreealtair at gmail.com Sun Jul 3 22:38:30 2005 From: radiofreealtair at gmail.com (Anand Vivek Taneja) Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 18:08:30 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. In-Reply-To: <20050701070425.48410.qmail@web8303.mail.in.yahoo.com> References: <004701c57e03$f2e32020$6801a8c0@ToxicsLink.local> <20050701070425.48410.qmail@web8303.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8178da9905070310081355733d@mail.gmail.com> dear All, the latest update from daryaganj. The sunday book bazaar does not face the threat of closure anymore. my first impression, as soon as i got there (around twelve) was that the bazaar was as busy as it had ever been, and everything was back to normal. this was more or less confirmed later. Moyukh Chatterjee and I met at the Sunday book Bazaar today, and spoke to three shopkeepers he knows. what follows is an account put together from the three brief narratives. it all fits in very well with lalit's and ravi's intervnetion about the 'decongestion plan' and with shivam's 'publisher conspiracy theory'. here goes - the beginnings - the whole issue started about a month back, with the clearing of the sunday kabaadi bazaar - across the road from the southern part of the red fort, next to the parade ground. (apparently all part of the decongestion plan!!!) the immediate provocation offered by the mcd was traffic clogging and accidents caused by the part of the sunday book bazaar which has spread at right angles to the netaji subhash marg onto asif ali road. apparently that part of the market has a different union from the 'original', as it were. the upshot of it all was that the eviction notices were served, and the booksellers were asked to vacate, and set up shop at velodrome road, behind the new secretariat, from where jhuggis had recently been cleared. the booksellers were supposed to pay 7,500 rupees each to the mcd to confirm their new 'squatting rights'. many did so. (currently they pay 100 rupees a wek to the MCD.) this money has so far not been paid back. Last Sunday - there was a half hearted seller turnout at the Book Bazaar, becuase of the rain and uncertainity. those who set up shop didn't bring all their stock. the police tried to enforce the mcd orders, but the presence of camera crews, media people, etc; along with students having a firld day doing vitriolic on site interviews (will you give us the money to buy books?) ensured that nothing happened. by afternoon, the booksellers confidence had soared, and they were sure they'd be back next week. Last Week - last week saw much 'middle class outrage' (as reflected in the voluminous postings on this list!), much media hype (everyone mentioned khushwant singh's statements in support of the book bazaar) ) along with political pressure (vijay goel's name was mentioned). there were two meetings between the bookseller's union, and the mcd. there was much fussbudgetry about 'properly' registering the union; but in these meetings, the 'real' issue emrged. apparently, many publishers had complained about the growing volume of pirated (as opposed to second hand/remaindered) books sold at the book bazaar, and how this was eating into their profitability. some sort of settlement was reached, and today, there were no 'pirated' books on sale. (imho, pirated books are not the mainstay of the book bazaar anyway, unlike say, the connaught place pavement booksellers. at any rate, business did not seem to be affected today!) this sunday - early in the morning, policemen once again asked those who were setting up shop to vacate. the 'pradhan' of the booksellers union spoke to them, and told them that they'd already reached a setllement with the mcd. no further bother after that, the sunday Book bazaar almost back to normal. However, I find it interesting that unlike the Sunday Book Bazaar, there was barely a murmur about the removal of the kabaadi bazaar, which has a different (and i assume, largely lower class) clientele. perhaps it's only my being a sketchy skimmer of the morning papers, but i did not know about the removal of the kabaadi bazaar till i read about it in the context of the book bazaar. the kabaadi bazaar/chor bazaar has already been removed once, from the back of the red fort, adjoining the ring road, to the much more congested front. the land where the bazaar used to be set up has been made into an enclosed park (where i never see people) as part of jagmohan's riverside devlopment plans. now it's ben removed again, to rather a rather inhospitable territory for trade. i think there's about a kilometre's walk from the nearest bus stop, and it's tucked away safely from all traffic and people flows. it is humbling to realise that the book bazaar has been saved largely becuase of the 'class' of its patrons. now that the sunday book bazaar has been 'saved', perhaps the dharna on the 7th will/should focus on the plight of the chor/kabaadi bazaar. Cheers, Anand On 7/1/05, lalit batra wrote: > > dear all, > > i agree with ravi that we have to read mcd's decision to close down > daryaganj book market in a larger context. 'decongestion' and > 'beautification' of old delhi is an agenda which is at least 73 years old. > but in recent times it seems to have acquired an urgency which was not > there earlier, at least, not since 1940s. > the draft master plan for delhi-2021, for instance, designates the entire > walled city, walled city extension and karol bagh as a 'special area' in > need of extensive 'redevelopment' to ensure 'modern services and > amenities' and create 'parking and open spaces'. the proposed > redevelopment plan entails shifting out wholesale markets and industrial > units, allowing transferable development rights and higher floor area > ratio and redesigning street pattern in such a way as to basically ensure > that 'all roads lead to metro stations'. > for daryaganj area 'comprehensive redevelopment schemes with conservative > surgery as a planning tool' has been proposed. it seems the first limb to > go in this surgery is the sunday book bazaar. > > lalit batra > > --- Ravi Agarwal wrote: > > > dear all, > > > > It may be useful to also see this in light of the new plans for 'old' > > Delhi, > > and its 'decongestion' and beautification,' as have been appearing in > > the > > press over the past months. This may not be isolated and could be > > followed > > by other evictions/ demolitions. > > > > ravi > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Lawrence Liang" > > To: "Untitled 3" > > Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:04 PM > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > > > > > > > Hi all > > > > > > > > > Just to follow up on Ravi's suggestions, I am thinking aloud on the > > kinds > > of > > > strategies that one may think of. One of the usual strategies, if one > > sees > > > past judicial strategies when it comes to asserting rights of street > > > hawkers/ vendors has been a right to life and right to trade argument. > > And > > > again apart from a few 'sympathetic' sweet nothings, the SC has > > generally > > > rejected these fundamental rights arguments. > > > > > > > > > It however be interesting in terms of a campaign to argue, apart form > > a > > > livelihood argument, an argument of a violation of freedom of speech > > and > > > expression. Since the SC has held in favour of right to information, > > it > > > would be useful to start thinking of the question of infrastructures > > of > > > information in addition to the question of access. This can also be > > > pursuasive given that a large number of the book sellers sell basic > > text > > > books. While the question of the link between infrastructure and > > freedom > > of > > > speech has thus far been used only by large media players (the Indian > > > express case argued that costs of news print can affect freedom of > > speech), > > > how do we start using these arguments to speak of infrastructures for > > > common people? > > > > > > > > > I am also interested in looking at the connections between these urban > > > cleansing programs and the question of the emerging regimes of > > > information, such as copyright. I am not sure if there is a linkage > > that > > is > > > being made here , or any pressure that is asserted by say, the Indian > > Boo > > > Publishers Association, because a few years ago I was in a meeting > > > organised by the IBPA and one of the things that they were advocating > > was > > > stringent action against street book sellers. > > > > > > > > > Lawrence > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 6/28/05 3:08 PM, "Ravi Agarwal" wrote: > > > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > > > I will be happy to participate and / or help in taking this > > forward. We > > > > should consider a range of options, including legal remedies, media, > > street > > > > protest, letters to mcd...but first we must also we should ask the > > street > > > > book sellers what their view on this is..... > > > > > > > > ravi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "shivam" > > > > To: "Anand Vivek Taneja" > > > > Cc: "Reader List" ; > > > > > > Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:06 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] sunday book market faces closure. > > > > > > > > > > > > They did the same in Mumbai recently. What, just what, is wrong with > > > > these guys? Sarkari monsters who work at the "municiopal > > corporation" > > > > seem especially berserk. "Municipal corporation(s)" have special > > teams > > > > to withdraw the menace of cows and rabid dogs from the city. These > > > > teams are equipped with a huge van and nets and what not. I suggest > > > > establishing a paralell municipal corporation (with maoist help from > > > > nepal, if you please) and putting our cattle-catching team after > > these > > > > sarkari monsters. > > > > > > > > May I float a conspiracy theory? Has the MCD been requested, > > > > pressurised, bribed by Daryaganj's publishers and booksellers into > > > > doing this? > > > > > > > > sv > > > > > > > > > > > > On 6/25/05, Anand Vivek Taneja wrote: > > > >> Dear All, > > > >> > > > >> Woke up to the horrifying news in this morning's Hindustan Times > > that > > > > > > > > > > > > www.shivamvij.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: > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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: > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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: > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________________ > Free antispam, antivirus and 1GB to save all your messages > Only in Yahoo! Mail: http://in.mail.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: > -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. (with apologies to Dilbert) http://www.synchroni-cities.blogspot.com/ Only that historian will have the gift of fanning the spark of hope in the past who is firmly convinced that without a sense of humour you're basically pretty f***ed anyway. (with apologies to Walter Benjamin) http://www.chapatimystery.com/ From geert at xs4all.nl Sun Jul 3 16:57:44 2005 From: geert at xs4all.nl (Geert Lovink [c]) Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 13:27:44 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] computer society of india communications [u] Message-ID: > From: "Rafael Capurro" > Date: 3 July 2005 10:50:07 AM > To: > Subject: [icie] computer society of india communications > Reply-To: Rafael Capurro > > Dear all, >   > the Special Issue of the CSI (Computer Society of India) > Communications on Information Ethics (K. Weber, R. Capurro Guest Eds.) > that was made possible thanks the commitment of Dr. R V Gopal (Chief > Editor) is now available at > http://www.capurro.de/csi_June2005infoeth.pdf >   > It includes the following contributions: > Guest Editorial (Karsten Weber, Rafael Capurro) > The Digital Divide, Epistemology and Global Justice (Soraj Hongladarom) > Information Ethics (Rafael Capurro) > A brief history of information ethics (Thomas Froehlich) > Seken as old cultural aspects in Japan including meanings of the > Internet (Makoto Nakada) > Ethics and the IT Professional - Showstopper or Showcase? (Anthony > Lobo) > Transactional Information, Internet Cookies, and Data Mining (Herman > T. Tavani) > Mobile Access to Information: Some Questions (Karsten Weber) > Open Source Software (Richard A. Spinello) > Information Ethics Education: A Brief Overview of Current Issues (Toni > Carbo) >   > kind regards >   > Rafael >   >   > Prof. Dr. Rafael Capurro > Hochschule der Medien (HdM) University of Applied Sciences, > Wolframstr. 32, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany > Private: Redtenbacherstr. 9, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany > E-Mail: rafael at capurro.de; capurro at hdm-stuttgart.de > Voice Stuttgart: + 49 - 711 - 25706 - 182 > Voice private: + 49 - 721 - 98 22 9 - 22 (Fax: -21) > Homepage: www.capurro.de > Homepage ICIE: http://icie.zkm.de > Homepage IRIE: http://www.i-r-i-e.net From sunil at mahiti.org Mon Jul 4 01:27:22 2005 From: sunil at mahiti.org (Sunil Abraham) Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 01:27:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Usury in the Holy Koran Message-ID: <1120420642.7600.35.camel@localhost.localdomain> Thanks to: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/simple.html ________________________________________________________________________ The Cow 1. [2.275] Those who swallow down usury cannot arise except as one whom Shaitan has prostrated by (his) touch does rise. That is because they say, trading is only like usury; and Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury. To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, then he desists, he shall have what has already passed, and his affair is in the hands of Allah; and whoever returns (to it)-- these arc the inmates of the fire; they shall abide in it. 2. [2.276] Allah does not bless usury, and He causes charitable deeds to prosper, and Allah does not love any ungrateful sinner. 3. [2.278] O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and relinquish what remains (due) from usury, if you are believers. The Family of Imran 1. [3.130] O you who believe! do not devour usury, making it double and redouble, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful. The Women 1. [4.161] And their taking usury though indeed they were forbidden it and their devouring the property of people falsely, and We have prepared for the unbelievers from among them a painful chastisement. The Romans 1. [30.39] And whatever you lay out as usury, so that it may increase in the property of men, it shall not increase with Allah; and whatever you give in charity, desiring Allah's pleasure-- it is these (persons) that shall get manifold. -- Sunil Abraham, sunil at mahiti.org http://www.mahiti.org 314/1, 7th Cross, Domlur Bangalore - 560 071 Karnataka, INDIA Ph/Fax: +91 80 51150580. Mob: (91) 9342201521 UK: (44) 02000000259 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050704/242a891f/attachment.bin From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Sat Jul 2 15:45:10 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2005 03:15:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The crisis of democracy in America Message-ID: <20050702101510.89214.qmail@web30702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The crisis of democracy in America Gara LaMarche The pillars of American democracy – the open society, the culture of law, a free media, independent science and academia – are under assault from the radical right, says Gara LaMarche of the Open Society Institute. A serious, coordinated response is needed, founded on robust and honest debate. In the preface to the revised (1952) edition of The Open Society and its Enemies – from which the foundation employing me, the Open Society Institute (OSI) draws its name – Karl Popper wrote that his mood of depression over open society had passed, “largely as a result of a visit to the United States”. Popper’s spirits would not be lifted by a visit today. In the last few years, radical-right political leaders have moved from the fringe essentially to control much of the national and many state governments. They, the fundamentalist clerics and their followers who comprise the “base” to which they feel most accountable, and the network of think-tanks and attack media which support them, make clear their intent to roll back the Great Society and the cultural, social and political gains of the 1960s. Now, with fights over social security and the courts, they are targeting the New Deal. Some of these figures and institutions wish explicitly to return United States government, and its relationship to its citizens, to what it was before the Progressive Era. But their combined efforts to remake American society suggest a more recent and disturbing parallel: the McCarthy era. It is tempting to take some satisfaction from the radical right’s recent missteps, and wait for the benefits of the backlash. But meanwhile it is doing steady damage to key elements of open society, the very elements that can monitor and check the abuses of a power-hungry political majority. We ignore it at our peril. The Open Society Institute context Why have I come to take so dire a view of our situation, and why do I think there is a serious and coordinated threat to open society – at times, it seems, even to enlightenment values – that calls for a serious and coordinated response? Before answering these questions, I want to retrace the history of the Open Society Institute’s activities and the thinking which lies behind them. In the first ten years or so of George Soros’s philanthropy, he established foundations in countries that were in transition from closed to open societies, helping to create and take advantage of the “revolutionary moment.” Most of these, in eastern and central Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union, were shaking off decades of communism. What they had in common was the absence of any meaningful checks on the power of the state. Elections and courts were rigged; political opposition was suppressed; any independent activity in media, the academy, the law and the arts that would serve to challenge official truth was crushed. Religion, in so far as it was tolerated, was in effect an arm of the state. In light of this legacy, the main task of the Soros foundations was to support the creation or re-emergence of independent institutions. In the mid-1990s, when Soros turned his attention to his adopted country, the United States, he contrasted the open society challenges here with those faced in the rest of his network. He believed that democracy and civil liberties were relatively secure in the paradigmatic open society. If the formerly communist world was characterised by the suppression of the marketplace, in the United States the problem was its exaltation – the Newt Gingrich Republicans who had (in 1994) taken over Congress saw the market as the solution to everything, to the detriment of professional ethics and standards, and to public values. The US programmes of the Open Society Institute sought to challenge this trend, particularly persistent race and class barriers to equal justice, opportunity and education. We tried to foster debate about draconian drug laws, urban futures and high-school reform, and supported policy, grassroots and legal efforts to reduce mass incarceration. These issues remain critically important. But in the broader political arena, the pillars of open society that make social progress possible have been shaken. 9/11 and the open society The United States response to the attacks of 11 September 2001 revealed that civil liberties were far from secure. In a matter of weeks, the repressive Patriot Act was rammed through Congress with little dissent, hundreds of Arab, Muslim and south Asian men were languishing in inaccessible detention, and military tribunals grossly lacking in due-process protections were being readied to deal with “enemy combatants.” We have learned since of systematic torture and abuse of detainees authorised at the highest levels of government. OSI responded forcefully to these “collateral” casualties this new “war on terrorism”. As Aryeh Neier has pointed out, no other country faced with terrorism – not Israel, not Britain with the Irish Republican Army, not India with Kashmir – has detained suspects indefinitely without access to lawyers, as the United States has. Many of these abuses were made possible by the exploitation of genuine fears about security in the wake of the most dramatic attack on US soil for sixty years. In contrast to the McCarthy era and the Japanese-American internments of the 1941-45 war, leading advocacy groups (most supported by OSI) did not lose their voice or forget their principles, and from the beginning there was a strong and articulate opposition. In time, some judges and public officials found their footing, and those responsible for abuses like torture, while regrettably avoiding serious accountability so far, have at least been put on the defensive. The public is sceptical of terrorism “warnings” that seem curiously timed with moments of political weakness or exposure, and those have been shelved for now. But no one should be confident that a second serious terrorist incident would not usher in even more draconian restrictions on basic rights. >From democracy to theocracy My mounting concern is with the damage done in the US to independent and oppositional institutions. We are closer now to ideologically-driven, one-party rule in the US than ever before, and its hand-in-glove pertnership with the most reactionary, intolerant media and religious forces creates something resembling theocracy. It is not necessary to believe that the election of 2000, or even of 2004, was stolen (despite the persistence of rules and practices which disadvantage low-income and minority voters), in order to take the view that democracy itself has been tampered with in order to consolidate power. Unprecedented mid-term Congressional redistricting in places like Texas – a priority so precious to Tom DeLay, Republican leader in the House of Representatives, that he commandeered the homeland security department to locate resistant Democrats who had fled the state capital to block his plan – has created a situation in which so few seats are truly contested that Republican power in the House may be guaranteed for a generation. The Senate’s constitutional composition means that it cannot be manipulated through gerrymandering, but a serious effort was made to change the rules to make it easier for the majority to have its way – to eliminate the filibuster that has allowed minorities to slow down or block the passage of legislation. The “nuclear option” pressed by Bill Frist, Republican majority leader in the Senate, and his allies has one purpose: to secure the lifetime appointment of hard-right judges who will remove remaining barriers to one-party rule. It is blocked for now by the emergence of the “gang of 14,” a bipartisan moderate group who stopped the rule change, but this was done at the significant cost of letting at least three of the worst Bush judicial appointments go through. The culture of law The appalling battle over Terri Schiavo must be seen in this light. One article in The Weekly Standard, the organ of the Republican right, reassured readers that if the “battle” over Schiavo was being lost, the right’s position in the “war” over the composition of the courts was being strengthened. Indeed, from the beginning, the crude and unprecedented – and deeply un-conservative – intrusion of the Congress into this family dispute was little more than a set-up job, a kick of the ball to the despised courts, who would predictably fail to “save” Schiavo’s life, thus stoking the anger of religious-right activists against moderate Republican Senators and red-state Democrats who might waver on extremist Bush judicial nominees. Public revulsion at the machinations over Schiavo, like the growing resistance to social-security privatisation, is a warning of the dangers of hubris. As when Gingrich shut down the government, overreaching can result in a backlash – Clinton was re-elected, despite the seeming weakness of his position after the 1994 elections, in part because the electorate wanted a balance of power in Washington. (Something the Republican Congress sought to undo in another gross instance of overreaching, one of the first salvos in the current crusade, the 1998 impeachment.) For all the talk by President Bush and others of the “culture of life” – a particularly galling bit of hypocrisy from the authors of the war in Iraq, assailants of the safety net and environmental protections, and defenders of the death penalty – it is the culture of law that is truly endangered in the United States today. It is law, and particularly the constitution and the bill of rights, that is meant to save us from the excesses of temporary, inflamed majorities. The founders gave federal judges lifetime tenure precisely so they could resist majoritarian pressure – as a number of courageous Republican judges in southern states did in beginning to dismantle the machinery of segregation in the 1950s. The Senate has a two-thirds rule for impeachment convictions and for passage of amendments to the constitution – and, for the moment, a filibuster option for extending debate precisely to “cool the saucer” and resist extremist agendas. The assault on civil society institutions The American political and social scene has not in memory seen so systematic an effort by a controlling party and ideology to hobble all significant and potential sources of opposition. As many countries in the Soros network move past their repressive histories to grapple with the problems that often accompany democracy – such as violence, corruption and inequality – the essential institutions of open society (the media, the academy and even independent philanthropy itself)are under assault in the United States. The media The media is the biggest battleground. From the point of view of most progressives, right-wing voices - and often very harsh ones - dominate the airwaves, newspaper and magazine columns, and the web. This is not the place to go into the lopsided tally of right-wing pundits and talk-show hosts vs a few isolated liberals; the imbalance has been well-documented elsewhere. >From the right’s point of view, though, the media still has a liberal bias, which the right chooses to address by pursuing the rare bastions of independent journalism and opinion. In the centrist media, Dan Rather has been a favourite target ever since he sharply questioned George Bush senior (then vice-president) during the 1988 presidential campaign. His mistakes in reporting on George W Bush’s National Guard record during the 2004 campaign were amplified and exaggerated by a relentless series of attacks on right-wing radio and television and in magazines like The Weekly Standard and The National Review, until he resigned. (The right-wing “blogosphere” also claimed CNN’s Eason Jordan after repeatedly distorting his remarks about US soldiers killing journalists in Iraq). With the retirements of Tom Brokaw and Ted Koppel, and the illness of Peter Jennings, the remaining generation of network anchors who cut their teeth as working journalists is effectively gone. National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System have been targets for years not only because of the quality and relative diversity of their programming, but because government funds provide part of their support, leaving them vulnerable to Congressional pressure. An early harbinger of what lies ahead was the letter to PBS of secretary of education, Margaret Spellings, in January 2005 urging it to drop the episode of Postcards from Buster – a children’s show in which an animated character visits various kinds of families all over the country – that featured a family headed by a lesbian couple in Vermont. Then, in June, it was revealed that PBS chair Kenneth Tomlinson went outside policy secretly to hire two consultants to monitor the network’s programming – one to watch Bill Moyers’s news and discussion show, NOW, and keep track of the political leanings of guests. The notorious Janet Jackson “SuperBowl” incident and a few other cases of racy television programming has the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) bearing down on broadcast “indecency” – particularly following the departure of its chairman Michael Powell, who despite his deregulatory zeal, had little interest in issues of such importance to the religious right. These efforts to restrict the content of programming need to be opposed, but they may turn out also to be smokescreens for measures to liberate broadcasters further from cross-ownership limits and the few remaining obligations to act in the public interest. In the end, these seemingly technical and (to many) arcane battles over the structure of the electronic media reveal more about what kind of country we live in than many higher-profile issues. Academic freedom In October 2004, Republican state legislators in Virginia who had heard of a planned appearance on a state university campus by Michael Moore, questioned whether his speaker fee was an appropriate use of state funds. The university withdrew the offer. It was a crude foray by politicians into campus matters in which both the interference and the capitulation were wrong. This kind of incident is long familiar. Now, however, a more concerted effort is underway, because many on the right view universities as one of the last significant bastions of opposition and criticism. James Piereson, executive director of the Olin Foundation, explains his emphasis on the creation of new conservative departments of law and economics on the grounds that universities are “key institutions in our country and places where we ought to wage war and combat for our ideas and principles.” Others on the right have given up trying to change, and instead do what they can to destroy, the great research universities. Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth told a gathering of conservative donors: “Stop funding universities. I mean, the biggest frustration is conservative donors who give money to Harvard and Yale. Hundreds of billions of dollars a year flow into these totally corrupt institutions. Stop! Because the money talks and if conservatives would stop funding these ridiculous programs that universities run, they would have to stop their activities.” Even more bluntly, David Keene of the American Conservative Union told the same group: “The good news and the bad news about the universities is that the universities are the last privileged sanctuary in America for liberal collectivism. The bad news is that they have retreated to those universities and clearing them out is a little bit like clearing out the Japanese stragglers on a Pacific island in World War II. And so it’s God’s work, but it’s not easy, but it is certainly something we should do.” Enter the “Academic Bill of Rights” (Abor). This initiative of a group called Students for Academic Freedom is now pending in twelve state legislatures; it would require, in most of its forms, that curricula and reading lists in all public and private colleges provide dissenting sources and viewpoints. (In this respect, its veneer of “balance” echoes the increasingly successful movement to introduce creationist theory – now repackaged as “intelligent design” – into high school biology textbooks.) Ohio’s version of Abor bars faculty from “persistently introducing controversial matter into the classroom or coursework that has no relation to their subject of study and that serves no legitimate pedagogical purpose.” The Ohio senator who sponsors it, Larry Mumper, told the Columbus Post-Dispatch that 80% or so of professors in the state are “Democrats, liberals, Socialists or card-carrying Communists,” explaining that the latter term was a euphemism for “people who try to over-regulate and try to bring in a lot of issues we don’t agree with.” John Sexton, president of New York University, comments on Abor in an essay called “The University as Sanctuary”: “The invocation by the legislation’s sponsors of the need to encourage a diversity of viewpoint on campus is nothing more than a transparent mask for a concerted effort to chill freedom of inquiry and create a governmentally approved list of views that must be represented in the research agendas of faculty, obviously compromising the right and ability of scholars to shape their inquiry and take it wherever their research leads them.” When the occasional scandal erupts – like the controversy over Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor who (despicably) called some of the financial industry executives who perished in the World Trade Center attacks “little Eichmanns” – it is seized on to promote this agenda. After the brouhaha over whether Churchill should be permitted to speak at Hamilton College in New York, his home institution came under attack, and an investigation into other aspects of his conduct http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Churchill, such as alleged plagiarism, is still underway. Bill Owens, governor of Colorado, used this episode to pressure the University of Colorado’s president into first “voluntarily” accepting the Academic Bill of Rights provisions, then resigning. That the right sees the Churchill incident as a gift to its university agenda was revealed when James Piereson advised his colleagues to “point out that this disgrace that has been brought upon Hamilton College and the University of Colorado was caused by this broad movement that universities have endorsed over the past generation.” Enter the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (Acta), headed by Lynne Cheney and Senator Joseph Lieberman, which urges trustees of colleges and universities to become watchdogs over curricula and faculty. Acta, which launched the “defense of civilization fund” after 9/11, issued a report subtitled “How Universities are Failing America,” claiming that “colleges and university faculty have been the weak link in America’s response.” The report asserts that “when a nation’s intellectuals are unwilling to defend its civilization, they give comfort to its adversaries.” Among the 117 incidents cited as evidence of anti-American sentiment are the comments of Wesleyan University’s president that “disparities and injustices” in the United States and around the world contribute to hatred and violence. Recent skirmishes at two of the nation’s leading universities, Columbia and Harvard, can be seen in light of this larger movement. The attack on Columbia’s Department of Middle East Asian Language and Culture started with an outside group, The David Project, which purports to monitor anti-semitism and anti-Israeli sentiment on campuses. After the campus had been embroiled for months in allegations of bias and intimidation of students, a faculty commission report found only one teacher-professor exchange – still denied by the professor in question – that, if true, could be characterised as over the line. The problems of Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard University, following his January 2005 address offer an interesting contrast. There are ample grounds for criticism of his observations about women and science, though the vote of no-confidence in him by his faculty probably has more to do with an attitude and a series of imperious actions and comments. But in the right-wing press, Summers – despite his generally progressive views and service in the Clinton administration – is portrayed as a hero for taking on a politically-correct elite. Scientific integrity A related issue is the growing concern within the scientific community about the politicization of science by federal policymakers. This is a development which can have life-and-death consequences, from slowing down action on toxic substances or global warming to increasing AIDS infections by impairing access to contraception and safe sex information. Henry Waxman was first to note the trend that when the Bush administration’s political goals conflict with established science, it distorts and censors findings by the government’s own scientists, or manipulates the underlying data to align results with political decisions. Nominees for scientific advisory panels have been subjected to political litmus tests, and non-experts and under-qualified people from outside the scientific mainstream or with ties to affected industries have been appointed to key scientific bodies. Most recently, Philip Cooney, chief of staff to the Bush administration’s Council on Environmental Quality, was forced to resign after leaks revealed that he had doctored reports on global warming to tone them down. He was then hired by Exxon. These distortions and misrepresentations of science have played a substantial role in the administration’s pursuit of policies on climate change, biodiversity, toxic substances, nuclear weapons, missile defense, sex education, emergency contraception and stem-cell research, with serious consequences for public health, safety and security in the United States. Philanthropy Another favourite target of the right is foundations. As Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute, a frequent critic of “liberal foundations”, puts it: “Let’s face it: foundations have produced big-time cultural damage over the last four decades. Racial preferences, identity politics, gender studies, welfare and homeless rights – all were catapulted into nearly untouchable status by the biggest names in philanthropy: Ford, Rockefeller and Carnegie.” (There is an alternative view, succinctly stated by Grover Norquist: “Large foundations have little or no effect on the political life of a commercial republic. The Right is winning based on other strengths.”) While OSI has many sharp differences with foundations on the right, I’ve always believed we are similar in our efforts to engage and affect public policy. The right and the left are in the same boat when it comes to their protected status under the tax laws. To restrict OSI’s support of advocacy also affects, say, the voucher-promoting Bradley Foundation in Wisconsin. There are signs of change in this area too. A particularly disturbing one is a talk by John Fonte, senior fellow of the Hudson Institute, at the institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal. In answering “yes” to the talk’s title – “Philanthropy and the American Regime: Is it Time for Another Congressional Investigation of Tax-Exempt Foundations?” – Fonte sorts philanthropic initiatives into four kinds: acceptable “regime improvement” and “regime maintenance,” and illegitimate “regime transformation” and “regime revolution.” Fonte argues that “the policies fostered by money from some foundations (including Rockefeller as well as Ford and others) represent a direct challenge to the core values of the traditional American regime.” There is little question about where Fonte would see the Open Society Institute in this matrix. He cites with admiration a McCarthy-era panel, the Reece Committee, which charged the leading American foundations of the time with support of research favouring “the concept that there are no absolutes, that everything is indeterminate, that no standards of conduct, morals, ethics and government are to be deemed inviolate, that everything including basic moral law is subject to change.” The Ford Foundation was subject to sustained attack over its support of some Palestinian groups’ attendance at the United Nations anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa in 2001. The campaign, led by conservative advocacy organisations and fuelled by columns and editorials in the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, resulted in Ford ending support for several of the groups; it also changed its policies to require all grantees to sign a statement assuring the foundation that funds would not be used to promote “bigotry, terrorism, or destruction of a state.” The American Civil Liberties Union (Aclu) and the Drug Policy Alliance, viewing this language as akin to a loyalty oath, refused to sign the conditions and forfeited Ford grants. The US justice department, responding to a lawsuit by Aclu and numerous other organisations over new anti-terrorism requirements imposed on non-profit beneficiaries of the Combined Federal Charities Campaign, justified the government’s position by citing the grant conditions imposed by Ford and less sweeping ones adopted by several other foundations. Neo-McCarthyism? I am inspired to employ this phrase by Domna Stanton, the president of the Modern Languages Association, who used it in her inaugural address after cataloguing academic freedom concerns. One of the best ways to get a perspective on how it works is to discuss the experience of OSI and the Soros Foundation Network, particularly in light of the way that George Soros in his personal capacity became a critic of the war on drugs and a supporter, then funder, of efforts to unseat President Bush. The attacks on Soros and OSI are characterised by innuendo, guilt-by-association, and questioning of our patriotism – all classic McCarthy techniques. Here are four examples: First, the 2 March 2005 edition of CNS News.com, a right-wing web news service, featured a “special report”, (featured along with a story headlined “George Soros Sued Over Dog Attack”). It claimed that David Brock, founder of Media Matters for America – a website set up in 2004 to monitor right-wing news and opinion outlets – had been forced to “backpedal” on his denials of funding from George Soros. I happen to know, as the person who turned down his grant request, that Brock – whose website has performed a useful service in throwing a spotlight on the right-wing attack media and the way it operates – has not received a grant from OSI or any Soros entity. The “smoking gun” that CNS found was in the form of links between Brock and Soros “affiliates” like MoveOn.org (which received personal contributions from George Soros), the Center for American Progress (which also received personal Soros contributions) and insurance billionaire Peter Lewis of Cleveland (who sometimes funds the same organisations and initiatives as Soros, but who would be surprised to be called a “Soros affiliate”). Despite these facts, David Horowitz, the 1960s radical-turned-right-winger, called Brock’s original denials of Soros funding a “lie,” and called it typical of Brock’s operation, which “split[s] hairs to present an untruth”. Second, the 11 February edition of the Fox News TV programme The O’Reilly Factor featured an expose of the “Soros-Sundance” connection, an irresistible teaming of one favourite right-wing enemy, George Soros, with another – Robert Redford, the Sundance founder. Terry Scanlon of the Capital Research Center, noting that the Soros Documentary Fund was transferred to the management of the Sundance Institute shortly after its director went to work for Sundance, told the O’Reilly show that the fund “had a very leftist tinge to it” (Scanlon is apparently ignorant of many films supported by the fund that exposed human-rights abuses by governments in, for example, North Korea and Iran). The programme’s host, Bill O’Reilly, claimed that Redford “is now being used or has been bought” by Soros. Scanlon commented that Sundance receives $1.6 million in federal grants (for unrelated Sundance arts activities) and O’Reilly, objecting to “the stealth” of the alleged Soros-Redford alliance, said: “I don’t think the U.S should be putting tax dollars into what is decidedly not a fair and balanced operation.” Third, shortly after the conviction of attorney Lynne Stewart in February 2005 for relaying a message from her client, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, a series of articles appeared in the right-wing press, culminating in a New York Post editorial, attacking OSI for a $20,000 grant made in 2002 to Stewart’s defense committee. The American Spectator, without bothering to ask OSI why it made the grant, said that “Soros and the OSI sent a message: Funding terrorist enablers is more important than fighting a War on Terror.” Listing a number of groups which receive $100,000 or more from OSI, including the American Bar Association and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the American Spectator called on all OSI grantees to “consider returning the money you received from the Open Society Institute” and asked whether “you will accept grants in the future from donors that assist accused terrorists.” Fourth, a House of Representatives government reform sub-committee held hearings on harm reduction in February 2005; these provided a forum for the chair, Mark Souder of Indiana, to attack George Soros for support of needle exchange and other harm reduction programs. Souder called witnesses who serve on the board of the Drug Policy Alliance, a key OSI grantee, and confronted them with a children’s book on marijuana to which a staff member had contributed an afterword – but which was funded by another donor and which the board members testifying had never seen. These examples could be multiplied. Hardly a day goes by without some assault on George Soros; Bill O’Reilly, for example, has claimed that US taxpayers are “subsidising” Soros’s alleged leadership of “the culture wars against traditional Americans” because the Open Society Institute administers a number of government-funded scholarship programs and US Agency for International Development (Usaid) contracts. Increasingly, any independent research supported by OSI faces a concerted campaign of delegitimisation. An argument for more argument I want to relate these attacks on the independent sector to the emerging movement in which a number of us are engaged, to build a stronger infrastructure for progressives in the United States to counter and overcome the systematic investment in policy centers, leadership, media and other areas by the right over the last thirty years. This is a critically important task. But I am not sure that enough emphasis has been given so far in these efforts to ideas and to what generates, tests and strengthens them: argument. Progressives badly need better message development and communications training and dissemination. But a message is the way of delivering an idea, not the idea itself. We certainly need stronger institutions on our side, all the things that comprise what we call the “progressive infrastructure”. But no one marches into battle under the flag of “infrastructure”. When the right started to change the country, they were primarily moved by a vision of how they wanted it to look. A disturbing vision, to be sure, much of which has come to pass, but a vision nonetheless. In articulating, creating and achieving our own vision, we would do well to remember that debate and criticism are essential to any movement, and particularly to one so grounded in open society values, as ours is. The New York Times columnist David Brooks reinforces these points. “Conservatives,” Brooks argues, “fell into the habit of being acutely conscious of their intellectual forebears and had big debates about public philosophy. That turned out to be important: nobody joins a movement because of admiration for its entitlement reform plan. People join up because they think that movement’s views about human nature and society are true.” Brooks concludes: “In disunity, there is strength.” When I mentioned earlier that some on the right were determined to roll back the Progressive era, I had in mind, among others, Steven F Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute, who made such a call at the Bradley Center forum on vision and philanthropy. What he had to say about its relationship to “liberalism” and progressive values and institutions is worth quoting at greater length: “Liberalism as a programmatic ideology derives much of its energy and legitimacy with the public by assuming to be the prime force of human progress. In practical terms ‘progress’ means the continual – and in principle unlimited – expansion of government. This is why more and more spheres of economic and social life end up being politicized despite our best efforts, and is also why today’s liberals slide naturally into calling themselves ‘progressives’ to avoid the unpopularity associated with the liberal label. Public opinion remains vulnerable to liberal/progressive appeals, which is why narrow cost/benefit analysis and similar approaches are not sufficient to turn back liberalism. Right now the conservative movement does not explicitly contest the left over how the terms of human progress are understood. “As a historical matter, it was during the Progressive Era 100 years ago that both the intellectual foundations of modern liberalism, and the corruption of American constitutionalism, were set in place. The ideas spawned during the Progressive Era established the foundations of both the welfare state and the regulatory state. Progressive liberalism began as a broad-based intellectual movement, comprising economists, lawyers, political scientists, historians, journalists and practical politicians. In the space of a generation this movement reshaped our understanding of our political system. It requires an equally broad-based intellectual movement to reverse this. “In other words, we should seek to roll back the Progressive Era. This is less daunting and far-fetched than it may seem on the surface. Liberals today are largely unreflective about their own premises. Therefore, what is necessary is a sustained program to force liberalism to engage in arguments they avoid, or to examine its unstated premises.” This hits the mark, a little uncomfortably so. But you could read widely on the right, as I have been doing, and find many similar statements. David Keene of the American Conservative Union claims of his movement: “It is both ideological, and distrustful of certitude”. We would do well to earn the same label. You don’t have to think that the right always lives up to these claims and aspirations of robust and honest debate to think that it’s an ideal worth striving for. There are genuine differences among progressives – over globalisation, over interventionism in foreign policy, over “identity” politics, over numerous economic issues – that have been muted in the common effort to stand up the right-wing assault. The challenge is to argue openly and respectfully among ourselves, coming together on urgent issues and at critical moments. Some ideas, and an invitation Progressive institutions and alternative policies and messages need to be built and nurtured. That must and will be done, with our involvement. But we must also build and nurture institutions that are not progressive or conservative, but independent – capable of resisting extremism and counteracting the polarisation that is deepening in American society. In many ways, the Open Society Institute and its grantees, and many of our donor colleagues, are dealing with the range of open society threats I discuss above. In some areas we need to step up this work; in others we need to find or help create new initiatives and institutions; in all we need to recognise the integrated nature of the threats and integrate our own responses accordingly. Here are seven steps we need to take: We need to protect the independence of the judiciary as urgently as ever. The key US advocacy groups are in the vanguard of resistance, but at least at the federal level, the situation has become steadily worse. Preserving the filibuster as an option to block the worst judicial nominees is only a first step. We need a longer campaign to monitor judicial appointments, particularly with the balance of the Supreme Court at stake. Such a campaign must involve the civil liberties and pro-choice groups already in the foreground, and also build the broader civil-rights and environmental communities. It must include groups whose social and economic justice agenda is threatened by judges determined to reverse hard-won civil rights and the very underpinnings of social welfare and regulation in the public interest We need a much more intensive campaign – of documentation, media public education and litigation – to challenge the legitimisation of torture, which is both a moral abomination on its own terms and deeply corrosive to the culture of law . We need to strengthen institutions that monitor the fairness of the media and call them to account for violations of journalistic ethics and standards. We need to strengthen the emerging grassroots movement for media reform: protecting the independence of public broadcasting, monitoring the FCC on ownership rules and other regulatory issues, and supporting legal challenges We need to call attention to the politicisation of science, and assist scientists to organise and speak out against the corruption and manipulation of scientific findings We need to recognise that academic freedom and university independence are under increasing attack, and respond by strengthening them We need to organise with colleagues in the field of philanthropy who want to use the special status of our institutions to protect the interests we represent, and to advance broader social-justice issues. We need to do more to encourage dialogue and new ideas about the best ways to foster open society. I hope that the Open Society Institute will play a key role in this thinking and development This is only the beginning. There is a long way to go. The debate starts here. Source: Open Democracy --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050702/50cf94ea/attachment.html From aman.malik at gmail.com Mon Jul 4 13:12:13 2005 From: aman.malik at gmail.com (Aman Malik) Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 13:12:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] IMPORTANT Message-ID: <95be635605070400423f3457b6@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, I am currently engaged in doing a story (for a mainstream Indian publication) that seeks to analyze whether or not the " need-cum-merit" scholarships, freeships and other such financial assistance being provided to underprivileged Indian students, by Indian universities/colleges (liberal arts and pure sciences) at the BA,/BSc level, is enough and if not, what measures may be taken to generate enough funds to help such students who lack financial resources but may be otherwise deserving. One of the plausible solutions that I am looking at is the setting up of a corpus fund with participation from the side of the industry, the government and the universities themselves. This issue is extremely pertinent, especially because each year scores of deserving candidates who wish to pursue a "liberal arts/ pure science" degree, cannot do so at a college/university of his/her choice as they cannot afford the same. Moreover, the Planning Commision had recently indicated that university fees might be hiked soon. As a part of this study, I seek to interview such people who have completed/are pursuing an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts or pure sciences (or for that matter any non-technical stream) and had faced/are facing financial constraints while pursuing the same. Some of you might have had to forego admission to a university/college/institute of your choice for want of financial resources. There might be people who, despite getting freeships/scholarships and/or any other financial assistance would still have found it difficult to continue with your degree program as the financial assistance might not have been enough to meet all your academic and related expenses. If there are any such people on this group, please do get across to me ASAP. My contact information: E-mail: aman.malik at gmail.com, amanmalik000 at hotmail.com Expecting a favourable response from your end. Regards, Aman Malik New Delhi From eye at ranadasgupta.com Mon Jul 4 13:37:27 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 13:37:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka Message-ID: <42C8EE3F.3020703@ranadasgupta.com> This is a recent article I wrote for Tehelka on the media in India. R The Indian media http://www.ranadasgupta.com/texts.asp?text_id=33 A few months ago, a book I wrote was released in the British Commonwealth (which of course includes India) and the US. Not having published a book before, I didn’t know what to expect of this sudden appearance-in-public, nor of my own feelings about it. The book had demanded more than three years of intense focus – sitting alone with my laptop for weeks and months on end, wandering aimlessly, wondering how to write about the world I found myself in, finding breakthroughs in newspaper articles or overheard conversations, asking friends to read, listening to their dissatisfactions, wandering aimlessly again, deleting, re-writing – before I arrived at something broadly satisfying, called a necessary halt to the otherwise eternal process of trying to perfect it, and submitted it to the publishers. There was some brief post-natal depression, but it is surprising how quickly you can forget about something you have spent three years on; and by the time the book suddenly arrived on other people’s agendas, some eighteen months later, it was a fairly hazy memory. At the same time, it is a satisfying thing to produce a work, and see it attain its final form; it is good to celebrate the completion of something, even eighteen months after the fact; and of course, more than anything, it is fascinating to see how other people will respond to all the things that gripped your mind for so long – all the questions of politics and the workings of the world, all the situations of human intensity, all the innovations you have tried to make in the sphere of literature itself. So as the time drew near for the book to come out, a moment I had considered as a mere formality, I began to get unexpectedly aroused by what might happen. This book was written in Delhi after I moved here from New York slightly more than four years ago. It owed a lot to Delhi’s vibrant intellectual climate, and to the experience of confronting all the new things of a vast, Protean city I had never lived in before. Delhi therefore seemed like the book’s home, and I was particularly intrigued to see how an Indian readership would respond to it. Clearly, the first place to look for such a response was in the pages of the newspapers. Over time, a small number of reviews appeared. Attentive and well-written, they were at the same time introspective and unambitious. For the most part, they remained at the level of the literary, speaking of the various pleasures and displeasures of the reading experience, and devoting their discussion to issues of literary language and form. They seemed to approach literature as private pleasure rather than as a part of the more general, extra-literary conversations of the world. This was somewhat disappointing since I had conceived this book as a pointed intervention into such conversations. If you examine the cramped, ghetto-like environs that newspaper editors provide for book reviews, however, all this is not surprising. It is difficult, in a review of less than eight hundred words, to do much more than simply describe a book, and book reviews in Indian newspapers are often much shorter than that. The most extensive space allotted to book reviews in a mainstream newspaper is the Asian Age’s Sunday book section which is a cut-and-paste job from the New York Times and Spectator – with the emphasis on “cut”. In order to fit these articles into their new, straitened quarters, the “editors” run the paragraphs together, cut out the connecting words and phrases (“of course,” “unfortunately”, “however”) and then pluck out whole sentences and paragraphs for good measure. But if you look at precisely how these cuts are made, you realise that good book reviewers are confronted not merely with a lack of space in Indian newspapers but, more defeatingly, with a highly reductive conception of how books should be talked about: one that is baldly consumerist and quite inhospitable to the finer aspects of the reviewer’s craft. A recent New York Times review of two novels on the subject of women and sexuality in the Muslim world said: "Both books deliver their ostensibly shocking subject matter with good-natured pragmatism. Their characters are not much interested in the politics of the veil, or in Islam and gender or in anything else that might appear on a cultural studies syllabus." In the version of the same article that appeared in the Asian Age, this became: "Both books deliver their shocking subject matter with good-natured pragmatism. Their characters are not much interested in the in Islam and gender [sic]." The cuts change the meaning significantly. “Ostensibly shocking subject matter” is very different from “shocking subject matter,” and to reduce the former to the latter is to remove a crucial nuance in the reviewer’s discussion, even if it makes the book sound more racy. And of course the second sentence, which tries to evoke a wider context of thought about women in Islam is slashed, in the Asian Age’s impatient hands, into pure babble – although possibly, once again, babble that serves to de-intellectualise the discussion and make it more immediate and sexy. Later in the same New York Times piece, we read: "Satrapi's previous books, "Persepolis" and "Persepolis 2," make up a comic-book autobiography of the author's Iranian childhood that effortlessly overturns such prejudices. Composed in intense, sparkling black and white -- each strip looks like a set of fiercely charming little woodcuts -- they transport the reader straight back to the craving days of reading "Tintin." Satrapi's drawing genuinely animates her writing in a way that makes her, in this translation by Anjali Singh, a delight to read. ""Embroideries" is a more modest book than its predecessors, but it is just as appealing." In my Sunday newspaper, this passage appeared thus: "Satrapi's drawing genuinely animates her writing in a way that makes her, a delight to read. "Embroideries" is a modest book, but it is just as appealing [sic]." What Embroideries is just as appealing as, readers of the Asian Age could not know, for the newspaper determinedly cuts out material that is not pure “information” about the single object under consideration. Subjective words such as “amusing” or “touching” are axed if too numerous, and essayistic flourishes are brutally pruned (resulting often in pure absurdity); but most vulnerable of all to the knife are reviewers’ attempts to describe a book’s connections to other things – previous works by the same author, works by other authors, or indeed other things entirely (in the quoted review, for instance, the Asian Age chose to strike out a comparison between Satrapi’s graphic novel form and cinema). In sum, the universe of the Asian Age book section is a harsh and atomistic one in comparison to that of the New York Times: it is a place where attempts to make connections and meaning are cut away to leave what is, as far as possible, raw product description, lists of discrete “features” uncluttered by ideas. It is predictable that such an ethos would create a besieged mentality amongst those Indian journalists who genuinely love and wish to celebrate literature. It is not surprising if they choose to speak about books as pure aesthetic experience, as a kind of guilty, sensuous refuge from a journalism that is so brutally pragmatic and market-driven. If they do not often try to speak about a book in the world, it is because this is not the editorial conception of their task: they are not asked to describe a vision, or a set of ideas that connects to other sets of ideas, but simply to describe the experience that can be obtained for Rs 395. And even when reviewers approach their task with greater ambitions than this, the other pages of the newspaper act with single-minded intent to cut books and their ideas back down to size. In addition to the sparse smattering of reviews of my book came a veritable deluge of phone calls from journalists wishing to write what they called “profiles”. The interest of this second category of journalists was not in “literature” but in “personality”. They wrote for columns with stomach-churning titles like “Celebtalk” and they came to my house to note down a few snatched words that could then be patched together in a collage of more or less incoherent stereotypical catch-phrases crowned with a photograph. One sensed among them a panic of speed, the terrible anxiety of having to feed the newspaper’s insatiable hunger for new and different kinds of celebrity; and they were often hilariously unprepared. I had one exchange with a journalist who possessed only two items of information about me – the fact that I had written a book, and my mobile telephone number – and who had to extract from me, during the course of a twenty-minute phone conversation, various other items essential to her article (whose deadline was approaching in the next two hours) – such as the title of the book, the nature of its contents, and my name. The pieces that finally appeared in the newspapers were so mangled and improvised that they frequently bordered on the bizarre. Here are some extracts from an interview that appeared in the Kolkata city section of the Times of India: Every writer has a few characteristic traits in his writing. What is your forte? Yeah. I agree with you. If you go through my novel you will find that it is an investigative expose. But I have tried not to write it as a crime investigation report. I have tried to delve into the human virtues of people from different parts of the world. Why did you make the international launch of this novel in India? Though I live in Britain, I have my roots in India. It was just normal for me to do the launch at a place where I could share it with my near and dear ones. Your novel deals with different locales and cross cultures. Did it mean extensive travelling or browsing the Internet? Both. Actually I consider myself to be a fundamentalist. [...] So utterly removed was this from the actual conversation I had had with this journalist that I read it with genuine intrigue. I was surprised to find myself falling into the journalist’s weary jargon where people do not “read” novels but merely “go through” them; I was startled to discover that my book was an “investigative expose” (“exposé”?) ; and my entire sense of self was thrown into confusion with the news that I considered myself to be a “fundamentalist” (where the **** did he get that from?). The second of these answers, on the other hand, is not surprising at all, though it is complete fabrication; for such pat talk about “roots” is the entirely predictable currency of these kind of pieces. The fundamental story these columns are trying to tell is one of the dynamic, self-assertive nation as allegorised by the individual Indian “celebrity.” The very first thing you have to do in such interviews, therefore, is to “confess” that you are Indian, even if you are not – otherwise the entire logic of the interview breaks down. “Why do you deny you are Indian?” several journalists asked me. “I am not denying anything,” I replied. “I’m just not pretending to be what I’m not. I hold a British passport, I grew up in England, I speak no Indian languages and I did not live in India until I was nearly thirty years old. I live here now and my work is greatly influenced by being here; but I cannot claim to be an Indian writer.” But such talk poses real problems for columns that must be about Indian writing, or Indian celebrity. So while a couple of journalists respond melodramatically by writing about the “outsider”, while a couple more continue to mutter in a dark, Stalinist kind of way that this man “denies” he is Indian, most just ignore any complications of this kind and go ahead as they had always planned. At the core of the tale of aggressive “success” that they are going to write, they plant the tender kernel of national belonging. Hence cloying rhymes like “near and dear ones”. What kind of individual will symbolise this nation in its era of markets and world takeover, its era of buying French pharmaceutical firms and judging Cannes and building global IT centres and sleeping with Liz Hurley? Certainly not the dreamy, thinking type. Not the kind of person who sits alone in a room for years on end wrestling with an entirely cerebral, poetic project. My conversations with the writers of “profiles” therefore had little to do with the book I had written, which was the ostensible reason they had any interest in me in the first place. They asked questions, instead, about what means I had employed to secure a publishing contract, and what it was like, now, to revel in publicity. The fact that I had spent three years forging a four hundred-page communication with the world was not relevant; now I had to tell the real story, which was the one of my own ambition, calculation and endeavour. The book was just my “product”, my means to an end. Its existence in the market proved that I had the necessary balls to seize a little bit of the media universe for myself, and now was my chance to explain how I had acquired such balls, and how wonderful it felt to possess them. As far as these columnists were concerned, it seemed, the persona of the “thinking individual” is just a front for something else. Deep down, people are interested only in acquisition, in getting more of everything, and every kind of accomplishment can therefore be boiled down to another article about how another lucky person “made it”. So, while newspapers and radio stations in the UK and US were wanting to have interviews about what a literature of globalization would look like, or how one can write successfully about ethics in a seemingly post-moral world, Indian columnists wanted me to spill the beans about my staggering personal ambition, the enormous pay-offs I had received, and all the glorious rewards of fame and success. (If my irony is not apparent, I should state clearly that none of this is actually true to my experience.) Since serious artists and intellectuals make their name, generally, as a result of the cogency of their vision of the issues of politics, philosophy and aesthetics that face a given society – one would expect, on the face of it, that the purpose of seeking interviews with such people for a newspaper would be to inject those ideas in an interesting and provocative way into social debate. But, with a very few exceptions, there is no serious social debate in the mainstream Indian press, and this is not its purpose in speaking to such people. The press already has its Idea – the celebration of the grand pantheon of Indian power and money – and it is not looking for new ones. Artists and intellectuals are called upon not to offer critique or alternative visions but to sidle in compliantly amongst the lowest rungs of this same pantheon and so to boost its size and glory. For anything else, Indian newspapers currently do not even possess the language. This can be seen at its most extreme in Indian press coverage of contemporary art, which never even makes an attempt to talk about the questions raised by this most daring and radical of areas of contemporary creativity; all it can do instead is to quote sale prices and gloat nationalistically, if ignorantly, over the slowly rising value of Indian art on the international markets. Any trip to Eastern Europe or Latin America will demonstrate that this whole situation is monotonously widespread in the world, especially in places where the recent euphoria of global markets has made the rightness of wealth banally self-evident, and where the ubiquity of poverty lends it all an additional erotic thrill. But the problem is that India is truly growing into a global superpower – while the delusional excesses of page 3 can make you believe that this is merely a country of the superrich, there is actually something behind the circus’s maniacal energy – and the press will have to abandon these infantile obsessions, so unnerving in a giant, if the rise of this country’s influence is to be accompanied by any significant reflection as to what it means. First of all this implies that newspapers should try to think of people as thinking, not merely acquisitive, individuals. Of course writers and artists and academics, like anyone else, wish to earn money for their work; of course they possess all the same frailties of ego and ambition as everyone else – but their work cannot be reduced simply to this. A true intellectual culture – even just a literate culture – depends on the circulation of these people’s ideas as ideas and not as just more success stories. Virtually the only people whose ideas are expounded seriously and in detail at present are politicians and leading businessmen; and this is a woefully inadequate basis for us to think critically and creatively about the very grave issues that face us. Everyone else is an unthinking, crass, acquisitive machine: every last architect, theatre director, jewellery maker or political activist answers the same ten trite questions in much-edited five-word sentences, appears under the same soul-destroying rubric of “celebrity,” and spouts the same joy at India’s rising and the new possibilities for self-aggrandizement that it offers. (While it is wearying that every individual comes across as the kind of greedy, opportunity-optimising economist’s freak that is the newspapers’ dominant conception of the human being, it is truly terrifying to think of such a creature magnified several hundred million times and turned into an oil-guzzling, market-craving, globe-striding nation-monster, utterly uninterested in fine sentiment or ethical detail.) Secondly, the Indian press might try to take seriously its own stories of global coming-of-age, and to abandon its childish parochialism. While India’s nascent imperialism is having real effects on daily life all over the world, and not necessarily welcome or positive ones, the “outside” is still spoken about in the press with a weird mixture of guilt, envy and superiority that seems to turn the national boundaries into a wall too high for the imagination or the intellect to scale. The outside is exotic and sexy and full of shopping; the outside doesn’t take enough notice of India; the outside is nice but not Indian enough; the outside is getting filled up with rich Indians! – the poverty and relentless egocentrism of such perspectives on the world is just not adequate for an honest consideration of this country’s place in it at the present time. We need discussions about the world that do not have to make room for an orgasm or a brain haemorrhage every time a foreign place name is mentioned. Rather than trying to establish the Indian credentials of everyone who speaks in the press, no matter how forced they might seem, journalists need to be able to write about ideas for their own inherent interest, wherever they happen to originate. This inability to properly consider the foreigner as foreigner – not as a melodramatic fact, but just in the sense that a person can come from somewhere else and still be just a normal person – is an extremely disquieting phenomenon when projected into the future. Just take seriously the present-future-fantasy of today’s Bollywood films – which have moved on a lot from the films of the 70s, with their quaint, hesitant foreign forays – in which the whole of the world has been colonised by wealthy, attractive “NRIs” and everyone else belongs to an admiring, imitative slave class... From iram at sarai.net Mon Jul 4 14:57:28 2005 From: iram at sarai.net (iram) Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 14:57:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Digital Video Image Masterclass Message-ID: <42C90100.6030209@sarai.net> Call For Applications DIGITAL VIDEO IMAGE MASTERCLASS @ Sarai Masterclass Tutor: Kabir Mohanty Kabir Mohanty works in film and in video. In the former as a film director of an ensemble form shooting in 35mm, working with actors in a tradition of filmmakers before him that thought of film as a serious art form. In video, he works more as a solo artist, bringing to video the hands-on, performative aspect of music or drawing. For Kabir Mohanty, the two are related in many ways and not mutually exclusive. His films and videos have been shown at many festivals and art venues in India and abroad. He has received support in the form of a number of international grants and awards. Kabir Mohanty studied economics at Presidency College, Calcutta and film and video at the University of Iowa in the United States. From September 2002 till June of 2004 he was a visiting artist in UCLA's art department. He is currently working on a number of digital video pieces, installations, single channel works and a feature length video essay towards two solo shows next year. The duration of the workshop is five weeks commencing from Wednesday, 31st August 2005. The participants will meet every Wednesday and Saturday, thereafter from 3pm to 7pm. The workshop ends on Saturday 01st October, 2005 with the submission of final works produced. Those interested may send a short resume with a one-page note on why they want to attend this workshop and a sample of creative work from any of the following mediums - photography, painting or sculpture (one can submit stills of work), a piece of music performed or composed, video, film or a piece of prose or poetry to : Iram Ghufran, Sarai Media Lab, Sarai- CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 54 iram at sarai.net Samples of work submitted shall not be returned. Last Date for applications: August 01, 2005 Selected participants will be informed on email by August 10, 2005 Masterclass Fee: Rs. 2000/- to be paid after confirmation of selection. The Digital Video Image: Kabir Mohanty The video image is almost instantly generated. You could switch on the camera, take off the lens cap, and press auto exposure. There is an image, press record and you are shooting video. A child when given a pencil and a piece of paper does not hesitate to draw the first lines unless he is being punished. It is this spontaneous, drawing-like gesture, this anybody-can, this there-is-nothing-technical-about-it core of video, this pencil-like beginning that I would like to make with this workshop. From this child-like start, begin to connect the camera to one's imagination, to composition. Smaller cameras have allowed anybody to make images, the way Godard said `When film becomes as cheap as paper and pencil, great films will be made' To my mind, these cameras have allowed the immediacy of drawing to be brought back. A particular kind of immediacy, and a contraction of time, a possible creation here and now. In this ten-week workshop I would like to go back to video's basic parameters, exposure, focus, its horizontal axes movements, namely panning left and right, its vertical axes movements, namely tilting up and down. If one has a lot of prior experience in video, this workshop does not ask you to leave anything behind. On the contrary, to bring to the basics, all the compositional preparedness that one already has. The workshop assumes that the practitioner is going to handle the camera herself. At times one may become a composer for a particular work and need an instrumentalist like Gary Hill in his beautiful 4-minute video, Site Recite. These weeks are also preparing sight, preparing the self. What will one do if one is never able to raise money. Again, the eye as intuitive knowledge in Stan Brakhage. All the exercises or studies if you will are to be performed mos, with the rider that the camera mic is to be left on. A level should be set for sound for the camera mic and then not tampered with during shooting. When one gives to an exercise it gives back. Hindustani musicians define a practice of the sargam or doing the scales. Then, the most minor deviations from this scale as a bend in the note towards the next note or the meend becomes the beginning of a profound musical expression. It is the beginning of movement. What is the basic scale of your shot? Do you think about it? Am I laying down some essential characteristics of the medium? Is this the only way to think about the medium? The answer to the second question is a definite ` No' The first question is harder to answer. One would like to address it through the quarter without being reductive. Here are certain ways of thinking about the medium from a practitioner's point of view. These could be thought of as a series of yoga asanas. They could remain physical or a formal examination only or they can become artistic content, when we simply say yes there is something to this, this speaks, when the yoga asana connects mind and body and becomes simultaneously dance and self-knowledge. This course is about attractions, and provocations, through doing. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From grade at vsnl.com Tue Jul 5 15:49:01 2005 From: grade at vsnl.com (Rakesh) Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 15:49:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: Bargirls-trafficking References: <6.1.0.6.0.20050703082538.027e3060@smma.sancharnet.in> Message-ID: <002701c5814a$fcbbdb60$9c0d130a@user378> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --MIMEStream=_0+100389_7248737917816_8871191616 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Monday, July 04, 2005 Close this window Columns Barred minds and bar girls Rakesh Shukla In a temporary reprieve, the ordinance banning dance bars in Maharashtra has been returned by the governor. However, with an all-party consensus including socialist-feminist Mrinal Gore, the ban is bound to translate into law in the forthcoming assembly session. The media is replete with reports that the crackdown on dance bars in Maharashtra has led to minor girls being trafficked into Delhi. By all accounts, the bar 'girls' in Maharashtra are in fact adult women. In fact, last year the Bhartiya Bargirls Union, the first-ever trade union of bargirls, was formed. In August, they held a demonstration culminating in Mumbai's Azad Maidan demanding better working conditions and had posters like "Bar bala bhi veer bala hai" (the bar girl is also a brave girl). They do not appear to have been "trafficked" through coercion into the profession. Nor do they look too keen to be "rehabilitated" into lowly-paid sewing work. Like it or not, bar girls clearly want to continue in the profession. Women in prostitution have also found strength in numbers, the most well-known union being the Durbar Mahila Samanvay Committee in Kolkata with about 60,000 members. In Maharashtra there is VAMP, the Veshya Aids Mukabla Parishad. These groups work towards less exploitative working conditions and effective access to health services. In a country, where many wives cannot ensure condom use by their husbands, it is a remarkable that many of these groups have successfully enforced mandatory condom use by client-customers. The vital issue of ensuring less exploitative conditions for bar girls and sex workers gets bogged down due to their alleged links with trafficking. In the public consciousness, sex workers and bar girls get equated to trafficking. Yet a recent study on bar girls by Mumbai's SNDT University and the Forum against Oppression of Women did not "see any case of trafficking as is being talked about in the media and by the proponents of the ban". The law relating to prostitution/sex work - the earlier Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA), which has now been rechristened the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act - both make the same mistake. The legislation deals with acts like keeping a brothel/soliciting in a public place. It neither has a definition of trafficking nor any provision pertaining to it. Yet so deeply is the association of prostitution with trafficking, that the law with regard to prostitution is called Prevention of "immoral traffic". However, the provision merely reflects the second association which blocks any discussion about steps to improve the work environment of categories like that of bar girls and sex workers. In every meeting that sex workers have had with other sections in society, the discussion gets stuck on the issue of "consent". Sex workers keep trying to take the discussion forward. However, other participants steadfastly refuse to move beyond, "Are sex workers not forced into prostitution?" The questions are posited as if everyone else in any other job or profession has exercised a wonderful free choice. Persons come into sex work through a variety of ways and for differing reasons, just like they do in other professions. Yes, some are forced into it and may wish to continue while others may want to leave. Caste, class, other factors are ignored and the discussion revolves around "consent". Trafficking is abominable. However, trafficking means the use of threats, force, coercion, fraud or deception on the person involved. No organisation working towards the de-criminalisation of sex work or the rights of bar girls to continue their profession, is in favour of trafficking. Similarly, no organisation is advocating entry of minors into these professions. There is a consensus that there should be no minors in the industry. The difference, perhaps, lies in the way to go about prevention. The age-old methods of raid and rescue have not worked in preventing the entry of minors. The alternative strategy of working through gharwalis or 'madams' is being tried out by some organisations with moderate success. There are still minors in the profession but the numbers appear to be significantly lower. The strategy needs to be given a fair chance. Madams, of course, are exploitative. Some treat their 'girls' badly, pay less and provide no protection against cruel clients. All the more reason to move away from the association of sex work and bar girls with trafficking. The writer is a Supreme Court advocate URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=73793 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expressindia | The Indian Express | The Financial Express | Screen Kashmir Live | Loksatta | Lokprabha About Us | Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Labelled with ICRA � 2005: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. --MIMEStream=_0+100389_7248737917816_8871191616 Content-Type: image/gif; name="ie_logo_ins.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 R0lGODlhtwASALMAAP///wAAAL29vUJCQouLi2NjY5ycnHR0dKysrM/Pz4CAgFRUVO/v7xUVFd/f 3y0tLSH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAC3ABIAAAT/EMhJq7046837NEooigYyClMioqNIoFNLOpMgjxRyDMMB Vzqer2IgGI/Il2Gx8FgYiKOB5nEsD07nIMDtdgcOb2OyDTQYAK+6kZCo1QO04u2VMB7v+OSeR0sa DwYCAngvAgQBgwFYWRULAQONAAIBBBIICJIYZXSRB14GAAhdCm50XA00p18Ac6sSeHQPE7FvswAO TRNcfgCRoz+aW5mNiG1pAZoXnHkADA1dY9BmfqtcBchcDwPTXSrWAAZeD7UBoeJd5KDhvaORE5af yrsBvU4LY5fE82SkGIhfuoQyxQUFgwLRsiWSkMALAVeQLiDkwghRgwNtJi6SYBEjgGMS/z5ZmkBj Gz9Ktxo1wMZvkz8M3RLSKyiBUheFP7yEYGWB0wMq+3ylA5oBD0gJYUZGsTeJwMALIpEeskMgKC6n DQcyEHCUQZGtxBIIGOiAwFEJnAacyPEmqBcYAM3grAkKYoMRAzWiKvAUgF4zfDGEyUdBXAIGBKIy LIBiASMLeFCUjSjgAB4KBwowSPCIhgBoID+jQGSJc6VwBxq8o8BMZwVmqwkG2MasiTUuDiDCkYDu DRvep34TCaCLQoExBNCYY3gmZOw9cumazUSAcAGWaVJym4BAOCIqxhC0GYC9H51SmMVUuI3idind XlaXU3NsvpezCPv+KZB8UoA2z2jVgP9+lxAHTyIjDaCLZRRs5EwALDnQwD7VkdHAIG6MxNop6CEV 03Iz0TGQNQPBx5Mzf3XB0kGnlAcANFSksAhc+RyH1AMuToCQhtxoeFoYP1BCzCh5xUbeLgMMRMlZ QnHRoQUpNicbbWrF6MV167Ry4gVlPaIeSQR4KRND0VGACHYPNMEAcQZkFkwFoO0i3ChtMKhjPSHh ueY+YRCDkh+pLfOSBWFo45psb4aIQjfvQPQcQ21qKGYyCUQ6waRmOkhBZ3acNkp/GgxWA4QTBPqi hs/IdwsimfqByFNpCnrNILQew4kDnEj5Fga7ftIFDRA9QCuto6ACVzTFmnEsKhta9eL/aoYBgEii Fpx54A8NNAHkgSMlJUEBq6VqoR/e9rRKJDaRmi6pc12wa0NdWGJiHTEBcuWLYpRTHi8VUPKUjYiB yNAFj8BKmLfAMLSFQeIIwAADPJTagCUPsxvOf0w12YnGVDCjShfUttvNLPPelKxvNJy8RoyjpHQg Bap5FcYDrjL5zEIPatiwIAYKMACrySEkLQCPHFYAMOIl/G0yGprXSW+PrWsbyLxSLe19JXPB24ez gWQA1w8ckwACeAx4VKwTNDAxR2YoyKQAXnpE54EDtBHLAgFrRjSEaBTLRkN1A2CqBI/oTcQNIRQh gj0PLT5CjBU8jtQJNiDeoVfgquUsIeY8KOCsEw5AvhXkkgQjQIw/bEWBAz8chsFmLcUuu+wRAAA7 --MIMEStream=_0+100389_7248737917816_8871191616 Content-Type: image/gif; name="printstory.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 R0lGODlhgwASAJEAAP///wAAAJmZmY2NjCH5BAAAAAAALAAAAACDABIAAALyhB2peu0Po5y02otb gEr4D4biSJbmiabqeWzPksXyTNeN0ALDvgOuDQwKbTgEZ4hMKiNFn443cEpgCEbVlcgtrFfYT2ql vhjb7FUTdvxwXPRXk5PKf2a5/QWPg/P8uVpPZyRoIIBVZvY2iAWoNXj3p+f3CIkXuad4V2iRKBmI uWhJ6bMFyNmS+PUGapeoWcEpJtbJOpHKp2pa1afaJUqYu9EWujprO7UbOnnbd8nr4EoBWyk5Zxxh PTu8vE39WAgFDiUtGox4ykyeFyZ8WvfYZt16OL9Ub0/UdK+/H+TB/w9Qhr+ABAsyWYEwocKFDBuG KAAAOw== --MIMEStream=_0+100389_7248737917816_8871191616-- From aman.malik at gmail.com Tue Jul 5 15:47:35 2005 From: aman.malik at gmail.com (Aman Malik) Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 15:47:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Need Help Message-ID: <95be6356050705031725059726@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, I am currently engaged in doing a story (for a mainstream Indian publication) that seeks to analyze whether or not the " need-cum-merit" scholarships, freeships and other such financial assistance being provided to underprivileged Indian students, by Indian universities/colleges (liberal arts and pure sciences) at the BA,/BSc level, is enough and if not, what measures may be taken to generate enough funds to help such students who lack financial resources but may be otherwise deserving. One of the plausible solutions that I am looking at is the setting up of a corpus fund with participation from the side of the industry, the government and the universities themselves. This issue is extremely pertinent, especially because each year scores of deserving candidates who wish to pursue a "liberal arts/ pure science" degree, cannot do so at a college/university of his/her choice as they cannot afford the same. Moreover, the Planning Commision had recently indicated that university fees might be hiked soon. As a part of this study, I seek to interview such people who have completed/are pursuing an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts or pure sciences (or for that matter any non-technical stream) and had faced/are facing financial constraints while pursuing the same. Some of you might have had to forego admission to a university/college/institute of your choice for want of financial resources. There might be people who, despite getting freeships/scholarships and/or any other financial assistance would still have found it difficult to continue with your degree program as the financial assistance might not have been enough to meet all your academic and related expenses. If there are any such people on this group, please do get across to me ASAP. My contact information: E-mail: aman.malik at gmail.com, amanmalik000 at hotmail.com Expecting a favourable response from your end. Regards, Aman Malik New Delhi From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Tue Jul 5 17:36:46 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 05:06:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?Pandora=92s_Box=3A_Paulo_Coelho?= Message-ID: <20050705120646.85203.qmail@web30701.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Pandora’s Box Paulo Celho [unpublished] On the same morning, three signs arrive from different continents: an e-mail from journalist Lauro Jardim asking for confirmation of some data on a note about me and mentioning the situation in the Rocinha slum neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. A phone call from my wife who has just landed in France: she has been traveling with a couple of French friends to show them our country and they ended their trip frightened and disappointed. And lastly, the journalist who is coming to interview me for a Russian television channel: “Is it true that in your country half a million people were murdered between 1980 and 2000?” “Of course it isn’t true, “ I answer. But it is. He shows me data from “a Brazilian institute” (actually the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, one of the most prestigious in the country). I keep silent. The violence in my country crosses oceans and mountains and comes all the way to this place in Central Asia Central. What to say? Saying is not enough; words that are not turned into action “bring the pest”, as William Blake said. I have tried to do my part: I opened my institute, and together with two heroic persons, Isabella and Yolanda Maltarolli, we try to give education, affection, and love to 360 children from the Pavão-Pavãozinho slum in Rio de Janeiro. I know that at this moment there are thousands of Brazilians doing much more, working away in silence, without any official help, without any private support, just not to let themselves be overwhelmed by the worst enemy of all: despair. At some moment I thought that if everyone did their part things would change. But tonight, as I contemplate the frozen mountains at the border with China, I have some doubts. Perhaps, even with each one of us doing our part, the saying I learned as a youngster still holds true: “there is no argument against force.” I look at the mountains again, lit up by the moon. I wonder if there is no argument against force. Like all Brazilians, I have tried, fought, and forced myself to believe that the situation in my country will one day get better, but each year that passes things seem to grow more complicated, regardless of who is in the government, the party, the economic plans, or the absence of any plans. I have seen violence in the four corners of the world. I remember once in the Lebanon, right after the war of devastation, I was walking through the ruins of Beirut with a friend called Söula Saad. She remarked to me that her city had been destroyed seven times. I asked her half in jest why they did not give up re-building and just move elsewhere. “Because this is our city,” she answered. “Because those who do not honor the earth where their ancestors are buried will be damned for ever.” The human being who does not honor his land does not honor himself. In one of the Greek myths of creation, one of the gods, furious at the fact that Prometheus has robbed the fire and is going to make men independent, sends Pandora to marry his brother, Epimetheus. Pandora brings a box with her, which she is forbidden to open. However, just like Eve in the Christian myth, her curiosity gets the better of her: she lifts the lid to see what is inside and at that moment all the evil in the world is released and spreads over the Earth. Only one thing remained inside: Hope. So, despite everything pointing to the opposite, despite all my sadness, this feeling of impotence, despite being this very moment almost convinced that nothing is going to get better, I cannot lose the only thing that keeps me alive: hope – that word always used with such irony by pseudo-intellectuals who consider it a synonym for “fooling someone.” That word so manipulated by governments who make promises fully aware that they are not going to keep them and tear the hearts of the people even more. That word is with us so often in the morning, is wounded in the course of the day and dies at nightfall, yet always rises with the dawn. Yes, there is a saying that goes: “there is no argument against force.” But there is another saying that goes: “where there is life there is hope.” And that is the one I shall remember, while I gaze at the snow-covered mountains on the Chinese border. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050705/0daeb2c8/attachment.html From monica at sarai.net Tue Jul 5 19:27:41 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 19:27:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Internet addicted? Succour in china! Message-ID: from: http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000397049315/ Irritable? Edgy? Waiting for the day when a real rain will come and wash the streets clean? Well perhaps your antisocial behaviours are a sign that you're addicted to the Internet. If you live in China, now you can check your head while preventing further decay to "public morality" at the first officially licensed (read: government stamp-o-approval) Internet addiction clinic in Beijing. The two-dozen-strong doctors and nurses treat mostly 14 to 24 year olds who demonstrate those tell-tale symptoms of "depression, nervousness, fear and unwillingness to interact with others, panic and agitation, sleep disorders, the shakes and numbness in their hands." So come on in, rid yourself of the Internet-crack-monkey while snuggling up to your complimentary Winnie the Pooh duvet and special clear fluid drip to "adjust the unbalanced status of brain secretions." Damn, how do we sign up!? -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From riaz at chintan-india.org Wed Jul 6 12:01:09 2005 From: riaz at chintan-india.org (riaz at chintan-india.org) Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 12:01:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Sign the memorandum for closing down of Sunday Book Bazar Message-ID: <20050706063215.26138.qmail@ngblhost1.netgables.com> An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: not available Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050706/0fa53f1e/attachment.pl -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050706/0fa53f1e/attachment.html From monica at sarai.net Wed Jul 6 19:02:29 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 19:02:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On remixing, by William Gibson Message-ID: God's Little Toys Confessions of a cut & paste artist. By William Gibson you can read the entire article here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.07/gibson.html a bit thats esp nice: Our culture no longer bothers to use words like appropriation or borrowing to describe those very activities. Today's audience isn't listening at all - it's participating. Indeed, audience is as antique a term as record, the one archaically passive, the other archaically physical. The record, not the remix, is the anomaly today. The remix is the very nature of the digital. Today, an endless, recombinant, and fundamentally social process generates countless hours of creative product (another antique term?). To say that this poses a threat to the record industry is simply comic. The record industry, though it may not know it yet, has gone the way of the record. Instead, the recombinant (the bootleg, the remix, the mash-up) has become the characteristic pivot at the turn of our two centuries. We live at a peculiar juncture, one in which the record (an object) and the recombinant (a process) still, however briefly, coexist. But there seems little doubt as to the direction things are going. The recombinant is manifest in forms as diverse as Alan Moore's graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, machinima generated with game engines (Quake, Doom, Halo), the whole metastasized library of Dean Scream remixes, genre-warping fan fiction from the universes of Star Trek or Buffy or (more satisfying by far) both at once, the JarJar-less Phantom Edit (sound of an audience voting with its fingers), brand-hybrid athletic shoes, gleefully transgressive logo jumping, and products like Kubrick figures, those Japanese collectibles that slyly masquerade as soulless corporate units yet are rescued from anonymity by the application of a thoughtfully aggressive "custom" paint job. -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From bharati at chintan-india.org Wed Jul 6 17:04:12 2005 From: bharati at chintan-india.org (Bharati) Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 17:04:12 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] [Fwd: Postponement of Dharna] Message-ID: <1526.68.34.105.165.1120649652.squirrel@mail.chintan-india.org> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050706/64c6a44d/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: untitled-1_2.DEFANGED-78 Type: application/defanged-78 Size: 606 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050706/64c6a44d/attachment.bin From tarana4545 at dataone.in Wed Jul 6 14:26:03 2005 From: tarana4545 at dataone.in (From Us) Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:26:03 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Kolkata meeting and otherthings Message-ID: <000001c5820a$b16c0f20$0301a8c0@userb2dbe9d049> Dear Sarai, We are planning another meeting on Saturday the 9th of July at 5 pm at Udipi cafe on Jatin Das Road. anyone interested do drop in >From Deshapriya Park, cross Rashbehari Avenue on Sarat Bose (Lansdowne) Rd, first rt turn is Jatin Das Road, Udipi a few doors down did get Red Hat linux installed recently-but have forgotten the password- is there anyone who can help? Vasudha -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050706/00869371/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Jul 6 19:34:36 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 19:34:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Himal Southasian - July 2005 - www.himalmag.com In-Reply-To: <42CC170F.28906.1A710FE@localhost> References: <42B2BA06.16034.9932A0@localhost> <42CC170F.28906.1A710FE@localhost> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kanak Date: Jul 7, 2005 6:08 AM Subject: Himal Notice (Shivam, pls do your best to spread this alert) HIMAL IS BACK! Himal Southasian, the region's only review magazine, is back on the stands after a year's hiatus. Our special Jul-Aug 2005 issue is all about building linkages -- from gas pipelines to airways, cross-border media to trade regimes - - and also projects the shared democratic ideals from which some of us are moving away, and others, towards. Mostly, the 35 essays, reports and articles in the magazine, listed below, ask that we consider the people. For a preview of the articles and subcription information, please visit www.himalmag.com . To receive a hard copy of the magazine at no charge, as an introductory offer, write to distribution at himalmag.com . Thank you, Himal Team, Kathmandu +++ Himal Jul-Aug 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER STORY Persian gas for Southasian engine by Kanak Mani Dixit Burma-to-India gasline by Prashant Jha Bangladesh as Nepali saviour by Rajendra Dahal COMMENTARY BANGLADESH · NEPAL · SRI LANKA Understanding India NEPAL Royal regime change MALDIVES Heady days in Male PAKISTAN Jinnah: The fractured image ANALYSIS The mechanics of peace by Jehan Perera Bangladeshi Maobaadis by Afsan Chowdhury Air travel takes flight by Himali Dixit Thimphu's new constitution by Prashant Jha The upcoming Bihar flood by Dinesh Kumar Mishra REFLECTIONS Who killed Siva by Kunda Dixit The kernel of Kashmir by A G Noorani REPORTS Media outbreak by Akash Banerjee Manisha, take care by Nandini Ramnath ESSAY King Gyanendra and rule of law by Aziz Huq OPINION India abandons the refugees by A C Sinha India's NGO establishment by Pandurang Hegde E par Bangla, O par Bangla by Dipankar Sinha Muivah's road to peace by Dolly Kikon The trade regimes caged by Posh Raj Pandey SOUTHASIASPHERE Melancholy of May by C K Lal TIME AND A PLACE Modpur by Rajshri Dasgupta ELSEWHERE The Pakistani Southasian by Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali REVIEWS Re-writer of history by Ajmal Kamal Naipaul's Naxalites by Amitava Kumar Women, work and power by Firdous Azim Citizens as denizens by Samir Kumar Das The middle class and the ladder by Sukumar Muralidharan BOOKS RECEIVED BRIEFS LASTPAGE _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From ravikant at sarai.net Thu Jul 7 20:28:11 2005 From: ravikant at sarai.net (Ravikant) Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 20:28:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Kolkata meeting and otherthings In-Reply-To: <000001c5820a$b16c0f20$0301a8c0@userb2dbe9d049> References: <000001c5820a$b16c0f20$0301a8c0@userb2dbe9d049> Message-ID: <200507072028.12500.ravikant@sarai.net> On Wednesday 06 Jul 2005 2:26 pm, From Us wrote: > Dear Sarai, > > We are planning another meeting on Saturday the 9th of July at 5 pm at > Udipi cafe on Jatin Das Road. anyone interested do drop in > > >From Deshapriya Park, cross Rashbehari Avenue on Sarat Bose (Lansdowne) > > Rd, first rt turn is Jatin Das Road, Udipi a few doors down > > did get Red Hat linux installed recently-but have forgotten the password- > is there anyone who can help? Vasudha From shekhar at crit.org.in Thu Jul 7 15:04:06 2005 From: shekhar at crit.org.in (Shekhar Krishnan) Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 15:04:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Wikimedia Sponsorships for Indian Language Content in Wikipedia References: <20050701055527.70320.qmail@web52802.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <651BD253-C964-44CE-809D-10530E0EE0D2@crit.org.in> Begin forwarded message: > From: Maruthu Pandian > Date: 1 July 2005 11.25.27 GMT+05:30 > To: lis-forum at ncsi.iisc.ernet.in > Subject: [LIS-Forum] Sponsorship for students on Indian languages > for Wikipedia > > > Hi, > > So far the Wikipedias in Indian languages have seen > very slow progress. These are among the lowest ratio > "number of articles / number of speakers". There a > number of technical and other reasons. > > Some people from the Wikimedia Foundation think that a > financial help may boost these languages. They are > willing to sponsor students who might contribute > writing articles in Indian languages on different > subjects for Wikipedia. > > Here is the URL for further reading. > > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Promoting_the_Indian_languages_projects > > Here are some proposed rules: > * The articles should be written in Indian languages > from scratch or translated (probably from the English > Wikipedia). > * The articles should be encoded in Unicode. > * The articles sould be released under the GFDL > licence (free to edit and copy). > * The articles should be more than 500 words. > > Here are a list of articles: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ > Wikipedia:List_of_articles_all_languages_should_have > This list should be completed with specific Indian > topics (Indian states and cities, personalities, > events, etc.). > > A proposition of a list of Indian subjects is welcome. > > For each language, at least two persons are needed to > review the quality of the articles (teachers, writers, > etc.). > > Please could you also transfer this message to people > who might be interested by this project ? > > Regards, > Maruthu Pandian.B > Pubsub Concepts Pvt Ltd. > > > > > __________________________________ > Discover Yahoo! > Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM and more. Check > it out! > http://discover.yahoo.com/online.html > _______________________________________________ > LIS-Forum mailing list > LIS-Forum at ncsi.iisc.ernet.in > http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum > _____ Shekhar Krishnan 9, Supriya, 2nd Floor Plot 709, Parsee Colony Road no.4 Dadar, Mumbai 400014 India http://www.crit.org.in/members/shekhar From penguinhead at linux-delhi.org Thu Jul 7 18:00:26 2005 From: penguinhead at linux-delhi.org (Pankaj kaushal) Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 18:00:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bombblasts in UK Message-ID: <42CD2062.3060704@linux-delhi.org> hello, Four Blasts Hit London, Killing at Least 2 AP - 10 minutes ago LONDON - Three explosions rocked the London subway and one tore open a packed double-decker bus during the morning rush hour Thursday. The blasts killed at least two people and reportedly injured more than 90. Tony Blair calls attacks it a work of terrorists. http://xrl.us/gokg -- Alas, even today there's little worth thinking and saying that does not grievously wound the state, the gods, and common decency. -Goethe From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Thu Jul 7 15:45:47 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 03:15:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Love Traps: Paulo Coelho Message-ID: <20050707101547.50502.qmail@web30709.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Love Traps Paulo Celho [unpublished] The Caliph and his wife The Arab Caliph sent for his secretary: “Lock up my wife in the tower while I’m away,” he ordered. “But she loves Your Majesty!” “And I love her,” answered the Caliph. “But I respect an old traditional prover­b of ours that says "keep your dog thin and he will follow you; make him fat and he will bite you." The Caliph went off to war and returned six months later. On arriving, he called for his secretary and asked to see his wife. “She has abandoned you,” was the secretary’s answer. “Your Majesty quoted a beautiful proverb before leaving but forgot another Arab saying that goes: "If your dog is tied up it will follow anybody that opens its cage". Trying to control the soul We often think we can control love. And then we catch ourselves asking the completely useless question: "is it really worth it?" Love does not bother itself with that question. Love refuses to be priced like some piece of merchandise. One of the characters in Bertold Brecht’s play "The Good Person of Szechuan" tells us about true love: "I want to be next to the one I love. I don’t care what this will cost me. I don’t care whether this will do my life good or bad. I don’t care whether this person loves me or not. All I want, all I need is to be close to the one I love." The measure of love “I have always wanted to know if I was able to love like you do,” said the disciple of a Hindu master. “There is nothing beyond love,” answered the master. “It’s love that keeps the world going round and the stars hanging in the sky.” “I know all that. But how can I know if my love is great enough?” “Try to find out if you abandon yourself to love or if you flee from your emotions. But don’t ask questions like that because love is neither great nor small. You can’t measure a feeling like you measure a road: if you act like that you will see only your reflection, like the moon in a lake, but you won’t be following your path.” The contemplative quest Linda Sabbath took her three sons and decided to go and live on a small farm in the interior of Canada, where she wanted to dedicate herself completely to spiritual contemplation. In less than a year she fell in love, got married again, studied the saints’ techniques of meditation, fought for a school for her children, made friends, make enemies, neglected her teeth, got herself an abscess, hitchhiked in snowstorms, learned to fix the car, thaw out frozen pipes, make her alimony stretch out at month’s end, survive on unemployment money, sleep without indoor heating, laugh for no reason, cry with despair, build a chapel, make repairs to the house, paint walls, and give courses on spiritual contemplation. “And I eventually realized that a life of prayer does not mean isolation,” she says. “Love is so big it has to be shared. Source: Warriors of Light Network --------------------------------- Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050707/466b7301/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Thu Jul 7 16:08:18 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 03:38:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: New ACT Publication on Careers in International Peace and Conflict Resolution Message-ID: <20050707103819.70520.qmail@web30715.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050707/b0faf53e/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Subject: New ACT Publication on Careers in International Peace and Conflict Resolution Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 14:56:53 -0400 Size: 15119 Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050707/b0faf53e/attachment.mht From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Thu Jul 7 16:26:19 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 03:56:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Training Camps for Resistance in Balochistan Message-ID: <20050707105620.73968.qmail@web30712.mail.mud.yahoo.com> 'Kahan Training Camps for Resistance' in Balochistan An exclusive visit by Quetta journalists to 'Kahan Training Camps for Resistance' in Balochistan QUETTA: [A group of local journalists visited the Kahan Camps recently where activists of 'Resistance Movement' are under training. We are giving here brief translation of the article published in a Sindhi daily Ibrat, Hyderabad dated Aug 01, 2004, by Ismail Khoso with courtesy and in good faith - ed]. After the creation of country (Aug 1947), Balochistan in Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the only province where 3rd. time Army Operation has recently been launched. Recently, not only Baloch nationalists but also members of ruling Muttehda Majlis Amal (MMA) and Pashton (Pushto speaking) members in Balochistan Assembly including ministers has passed a unanimous resolution demanding Govt of Pakistan to give up the construction of army cantonments in the province. Army Operation against Balochs, first time was launched during the tenure of Army dictator President Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan in the year 1958. 2nd Army Operation was launched during the days of former Prime Minister late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) in early 70s. Air Force was used against the Balochs. The main target was Kohlu Area in Balochistan where big deposits of oil still exist. The Mari Tribe headed by Mir Sher Mohammad Mari (generally known as General Sherrof) fought against the Govt of Pakistan whereas Sardar Khair Bux Mari - another influential person of Marri Tribe parted his way due to his differences with General Sherrof. He lives in Kahan (near Kohlu). Some trainees of Marri Tribe with arms in a Training Camp During the recent journalists' visit to Training Camps, it was disclosed that more than 60 training camps are working in the area where Baloch youth are getting armed training. The estimated number of such persons is in thousands whereas hundreds of youth are joining these camps daily. Dosteen Baloch is Commander of one of such Training Camps. He told the journalists: 'Resources of Balochistan have been occupied whereas the entity of Balochs has been badly damaged. The time to resolve the problems through democratic means has already exhausted. Now we have been compelled to take our Arms.' He added: ' I am graduate and married. Now our children ask when they will join the movement.' Another Commander of the Camp namely said he is a landlord who got an opportunity to exchange the views with some young persons already present in the Camp. Now I have decided to participate in the struggle in principle. He complained that national rights f Balochistan have been looted. During the survey conducted by journalists, it was noted that Balochs were being trained with Rocket Launchers, RPG Seven, Mortars, Anti-aircraft Guns, Kalashnikovs, land mines etc. They were possessing modern wireless sets, walkie-talkies, and satellites sets. Nevertheless, they had modern communication system. The camps were equipped with electric generators. For transport, they had motorcycles, pick-ups etc., When Chief Minister of Balochistan Mir Jam Yousuf contacted in Naushki, he said 'Operation' would be launched in the areas where such training camps exist. He said disclosure of such camps is tantamount to blackmailing tactics. Meanwhile, Chief of Jamhoori Wattan Party (JWP) and former Governor of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti told journalists about such training camps, in Dera Bugti, it is the result of state oppression, injustices and prevailing 'sense of deprivation' among the Balochs. He further said that Govt has itself created such situation where the Balochistan has become centre of such resistance movements and it has also compelled our Baloch youth to take arms. In Islamabad, Federal Interior Minister Faisal Hayyat replying to a question said: Like Al-Quaida, nationalists have proved themselves detrimental to the country. Meanwhile, many Baloch leaders have been arrested in Turbat, Mund and other parts of Balochistan. The world media has also covered activity of such training camps with photographs. Operation in Balochistan: Another view Well placed sources maintained that the government has decided, for the movement, not to go ahead with its plan of a military operation in Balochistan and buy some time by talking to local tribal leaders who they basically view with contempt. It is generally believed that the present insurgency in Balochistan which includes almost daily rocket attacks on the Quetta cantonment and other strategic installations besides gas pipelines has been perpetrated by the still undefined Baloch Liberation Army. The Baloch Liberation Army is an amorphous, underground organization which was envisaged in the Balochistan university many years ago during the cold war era. Extremists, left-leaning students of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) were in most important component. To establish the BLA as a countervailing force in a region perceived to be the weakest link in the US chain, that is, Pakistan, the former USSR funded BLA with money and arms and logistics. After the Soviets were removed from power in Russia, nothing was heard about BLA. However, after the collapse of the Taliban in Afghanistan but with their a presence near the Pak-Afghan border areas, sources said the US thought it prudent to establish its own spy network to counter-check the information made available to them by the ISI. The anti-Taliban nationalists elements, whether they are Pakhtuns or Balochs , were thought to be the best available resource that could be used to keep a track on Taliban activities. In these circumstances, when Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal came from London to Pakistan after a long exile, it was not surprising for many long suspicious people. Sources in the Pakistan Army went on to say that soon after the Sardar returned, the youth were reorganized under the banner of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Kohlu was the place where a recruitment and training camp was established. Sources in Pakistan Army maintained that about 200 people were armed and trained in Kohlu in which the Afghan and Indian government officials came deep into Pakistan and played a major role. These same sources said that apart from the 200 people, the main propelling force are the tribal chiefs like Nawab Akbar Bugti, Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal and Nawab Khair Bux Marri who are instigating their tribes to revolt against the Pakistan Army. It is there perceptions, whether real or imagines, which have created grounds in the military minds for an operation in Balochistan. Sources say that such is the mindset that has developed that the Army thinks it can wipe out the insurgents once and for all as the terrain in Balochistan is not tough like South Waziristan and tracking insurgents would not be a problem but the army cannot afford to open up so many fronts at once. Though major political leaders have not been arrested, including Nawab Khair Bux Marri, Attaullah Khan Mengal, former Chief Minister Akhtar Hussain Mengal but the Govt has, at the movement, abandoned its designs in the area and are pushing the arrested leaders to play their role to pacify the situation. Source: Sindh Today http://www.sindhtoday.net/bs.htm --------------------------------- Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050707/209b4299/attachment.html From prayas.abhinav at gmail.com Fri Jul 8 00:55:31 2005 From: prayas.abhinav at gmail.com (Prayas Abhinav) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 00:55:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Pages Of The Story: (publicity, promises...) - posting # 6 Message-ID: <825bb7b005070712256a27fb87@mail.gmail.com> Hi All, I have completed the final selections of the photographs (See "Something odd, a selection of 49 photos" at http://prayasabhinav.net/article29.html ). I have also drafted accompanying poems for all of them. I am posting something else this month (actually last month, this is June's posting). To write the poems, I arranged all the photographs in my high school album. I kept every alternate pocket empty. In these pockets I put pieces of paper and then one by one I wrote poems, glaring at the photos. The photos are the "immersing worlds" for each poem. They are not just about what you'd think if you looked at the photo, they are the things you'd think if you were in that environment. Walking or driving by. What did he say, what did she say, that looks funny. Advertisements in public spaces (on hoardings, generally) act as anchors, pivots. Which initiate fluctuations in the mindscapes. So some of these poems directly tackle my concerns, doubts, perspectives about my city. Some explore the personal space, which habitats in a tiny pocket of the city. Some tackle histories, stories, music. When I had drafted out all my poems (last to last night), I could see that the pieces of paper and the photographs had made themselves comfortable in the album. Made themselves comfortable with each other, made friends. These photographs and poems joined themselves together and formed a story. This story of me moving around in the city, in the summer. And yellow glimmering hoardings imprinting themselves in my memory. These hoardings taking on a meaning, these hoardings never seeming to talk to me. Because I was never in the market for jeans, TV, motorcycle, car, loan, mutual funds... So, yesterday morning I photographed my album. And this month's posting is a web link to the photographs. All the pages of story. Next month (this month, really), I will be posting the text of the poems. I really need to work on them for a few days. Hope you enjoy these photos, do comment, best wishes, Prayas Abhinav "Publicity, Promises and the Public Space (in Ahmedabad)" -------------------------------------------->> LINKS TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS (SELECTED 49): http://prayasabhinav.net/article29.html LINKS TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS (COMPOSITIONS): http://prayasabhinav.net/article28.html -------------------------------------------->> -------------------------------------------->> From vivek at sarai.net Fri Jul 8 12:17:05 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 12:17:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Other Side of Judith Miller's Martyrdom Message-ID: <42CE2169.4060309@sarai.net> Before we get all het up about "censorship" and restrictions of press freedom, let's not forget that Judith Miller was responsible for the false planting of the Weapons of Mass Destruction, thus one of the principal actors responsible for the Iraq war. --V. >From "Pariah" to "St. Judy" The Luckiest Martyr By ALEXANDER COCKBURN and JEFFREY ST. CLAIR Is there ever anyone luckier than Judy Miller! All last year she was pilloried as the prime saleslady for the imaginary WMDs that offered the prime pretext for the invasion of Iraq. Although it refused to denounce her by name the New York Times publicly castigated itself for poor reporting, and Miller's career seemed to be at an end, except for the occasional excursion to CNN studios for tete a tetes with Larry King. But then came a glimmer of hope. With unexpected zeal, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was pressing his investigation of who exactly outed Valerie Plame as a CIA officer. Plame as the world knows, is the wife of Joe Wilson, who had incurred the displeasure of the Bush White House by discrediting the phony yellowcake of Niger story, part of their vast propaganda operation to sell the Iraq attack to Congress and the American people. He was threatening journalists with prison time unless they disclosed their sources. It wasn't long before some journalists informed the zealous Fiztgerald that they had been released from confidentiality by their sources. Indeed Scooter Libby, Cheney's chief of staff, declared publicly that any journalist who had talked to him was free to discuss such conversations with Fitzgerald. The Washington Post's Walter Pincus and Glenn Kessler testified forthwith before the federal grand jury, as did Tim Russert of NBC. The general assumption is Robert Novak, who'd outed Plame in his column in July 2003, was subpoenaed by Fitzgerald and duly testified. How Miller's heart must have leaped. Here was the glorious prospect of her instant conversion from pariah, only one rung up from Jayson Blair, to martyr to free speech, only one rung below John Peter Zenger. She and Matt Cooper of Time magazine reclined to testify or furnish their notes. Encumbered by the counsel of that perennial incompetent, Floyd Abrams, (representing the NYT) their cases commenced their climb up through the federal courts, until the US Supreme Court refused to review the ruling of the federal appeals court in favor of Fitzgerald. Time magazine roared its dedication to free speech, while simultaneously declaring it had to obey the law of the land. Against his proclaimed wishes Time handed over Cooper's notes to Fitzgerald. The New York Times said it would not comply. But Fitzgerald was not appeased by Time's ductility. He said he was not to be appeased by only Cooper's notes. By now he wanted to grill the two journalists on the stand. The issue was not just the matter of the identity of the White House source, but the handy standby of all federal prosecutors, the matter of perjury. Ask Martha Stewart. It was her misleading declarations to federal investigators that put her in prison. Cooper bid a manly adieu to his family, packed his toothbrush and made himself ready for incarceration at least as far as October, when the grand jury's term expires. Then came the dramatic release from confidentiality by Cooper's source. Cooper went off to court, embraced Judy Miller in a fine display of solidarity and then told the judge he would comply with Fitzgerald's subpoena. Miller of course was publicly adamant. But there seems to be no reason why she should not have echoed Cooper's statement to Judge Thomas Hogan. Fitzgerald has publicly declared that not only does he know the identity of Miller's source, but also that this source has released Miller from confidentiality. But Miller was not be balked of the martyrdom that will make her the heroine of the Fourth Estate, with lucrative lecture fees and book sales for the rest of the decade. Never, she told the judge, would she reveal the Name that could not be named. The gates of the federal prison in Alexandria invitingly beckoned. There are curious questions hanging over Miller's determined march towards her prison cell, not far from that of Moussaoui, who is probably offering her free legal advice on the prison grapevine. Miller never actually wrote a story in the New York Times about Plame being in the CIA. So why has Fitzgerald been so eager to have her testify? The answer may lie in a paragraph buried in Wednesday's Washington Post, reading as follows: "Sources close to the investigation say there is evidence in some instances that some reporters may have told government officials not the other way around that Wilson was married to Plame, a CIA employee." We could conjecture that when Fitzgerald interviewed White House political adviser Karl Rove and Cheney's chief of staff, again this is surmise might well have learned this from one of her other sources, whether Perle or Chalabi or someone else in the intelligence world. After all, this is Miller's style of reporting. Learn something (entirely false in the case of the WMDs) from one source, then bounce it off another, and then put together a story citing two sources. In the case of the WMDs Chalabi would give her a "defector" who would duly impart his fantasies about Saddam's arsenal. She would relay the defector's story to "a high intelligence source" who would confirm it. We applaud prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's gallant bid to do what now departed Times ombudsman Daniel Okrent should have done: grill Miller about the techniques and veracity of her reporting. Here, after all, is a journalist with blood on her hands, a fabricator who played a major role (rivaled perhaps only by the New Yorker's Jeffrey Goldberg) in selling a war with one fabrication after another, eagerly offered to the public by the New York Times. But alas, all hopes that her career would expire in ignominy have now been dashed. As swift as the moves to canonize John Paul II, the vestments of sainthood are being draped over St Judy. If her past career is anything to go by, already the prison guards are melting before her winsome smiles and confiding the little secrets and disclosures that will soon being (sic) their careers to end and their families to the brink of starvation. It would require the pen of Henry Fielding to do her proper justice From uddipandutta at rediffmail.com Fri Jul 8 15:50:48 2005 From: uddipandutta at rediffmail.com (uddipan dutta) Date: 8 Jul 2005 10:20:48 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] The Migration, the Fear and Hatred of the Outsiders Message-ID: <20050708102048.10183.qmail@webmail52.rediffmail.com> The Migration, the Fear and Hatred of the Outsiders and the issue of Development and Progress in the Early Formation of Assamese Identity: Probing the text of Jonaki By: Uddipan Dutta The Times of India New Delhi, Friday, May, 13, 2005 Youths ‘evict’ illegal migrants from Assam TIMES NEWS NETWORK Dibrugarh: Herding them into buses, tempos and rickshaws, groups of young Assamese men began forcing suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Dibrugarh town and neighbouring districts. By the end of the day, nearly 15,000 people were evicted. Maintaining that “government tied down with vote bank politics, will not do anything to solve an issue that is threatening demography social fabric of Assam,” the groups of young men in Dibrugarh said they were forced to “devise the drastic” action because political leaders would not do anything about it. As the Bangladeshis exited Dibrugarh, police did not take any action because there was no violence and no complaint had been made about threats of intimidation. “We could not take any action against any group or individual because no one is being dragged or forced out,” said superintendent of police Pradip Chandra Saloi. Many of you must have read, heard or seen this news in the newspapers, radio channels or TV channels. Although this news item does not tell much on the overall affairs of the things in the state, anybody who remembers the past events rocking the state would be startled by one commonality in the event – the ‘local’ resentment against the ‘outsiders’. For quite a long time Assam is in the news for the violent manifestation of the ‘local’ resentment against the outsiders. In November 2003 a violent campaign was started by the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) militants against the Hindi populace in Assam particularly the Bihari labourers. The problem started when the Assamese students demanded 100% reservation in the Group D jobs in the Northeastern Frontier Railways. Bihari students were obstructed from taking written examination in Guwahati. In rebound passengers from the North East were attacked in the trains which pass through Bihar. A girl was allegedly raped in a railway station in Bihar and many female passengers were molested. The situation took a very violent turn when the insurgent group ULFA unleashed a reign of terror on the Hindi speaking populace particularly the Bihari labourers. The apprehension that the ‘natives’ of Assam would be very soon overwhelmed economically, outnumbered politically and over swamped culturally can be traced even to the early days of the formation the Assamese identity in the nineteenth century itself and this feeling got percolated through the collective unconsciousness of the Assamese middle class and the manifestation of this apprehension is seen in the various movements rocking the state ranging from language to refinery agitations before the starting of the Assam Movement also known as Anti Foreigner’s Movement. Some of the ideas disseminated about the threat of the outsiders still holds good in the popular mindset of the people of Assam. One just gets wonderstruck how well the threat of the large scale migration to Assam was prognosticated by some authors of the ‘Jonaki Era’. Whenever we talk of Assamese nationalism in the present context we cannot overlook this threat perception and also we must concentrate on how that threat was perceived by these early architects Assamese nationalism. What is important here is to remember the fact that this fear was expressed usually in the context of development or progress of the region. How to achieve “Unnoti” (Development or progress) was one of the most seriously discussed and debated topics in the pages of “Jonaki”. The issue of the outsiders and the imminent danger of them swarming the region were cropped up again and again. My modest endeavour would be to find out this perception of threat in the early construction of Assamese identity manifested in the pages of Jonaki. I won’t dwell much on the detailed nitty-gritty of the different migrations taking place in Assam after the advent of the British and the consequent demographic changes (but would give a sketchy picture of it for the convenience of the readers). I don’t even have a solution to offer to this issue of migration. Pages have already been written on this issue and a lot of researchers are engaged on research to find the different patterns of migration in Assam and to find solutions to it. In the very first issue of Jonaki we get the article titled “Jatiyo Unnoti” (National Progress/ Development) by Kamalakanta Bhattacharya. In the fifth issue of the first year another article came under the heading “Axomiyar Unnoti (The progress of the Assamese). The author was the same. Afterwards, he wrote a very long article which appeared in series, with a slight change in the name of the article “Axomar Unnoti” (The Development/progess of Assam). First it appeared on the second issue of the second year. Then the third issue of the second year, ninth issue of the second year, tenth issue of the second year, eleventh issue of the second year, and eleventh- twelfth issue ( which appeared together) of the fourth year. A protest article was written to that article on the first issue of the third year by Ramdas Goswami (it was the pen name of Ratneswar Mahanta) and a criticism to that same article appeared on the fourth issue of the third year. A protest to that protest was written Kamalakanta Bhattacharya which appeared on the seventh issue of the third issue. A similar article was written by Panindranath Gogoi. It appeared under the title of “Axomor Unnoti ne Abonoti” (Progress or Degeneration of Assam). It’s clear that a lot of thought was given on what is progress or development and how to achieve it for the Assamese nationality. Naturally, the question of outsiders and their looming danger on the demography of Assam was prognosticated in the pages of Jonaki. The author Kamalakanta Bhattacharya starts his article “Jatiyo Unnoti” (National Progress/ Development) in the first year first issue with the following paragraph: “There are many people who want to contribute to the growth of the nation .I will discuss how to achieve it and what will lead to this development. Hope my discussion is well timed. As the material used in the construction of a big house must be very strong in order to have a strong house, the materials to be used in the development of a nation must also be strong. The most important material of this construction would be education. Although the growth of a nation or a country depends more upon the liberty it enjoys, but if the people of that country remains illiterate, the country cannot progress.” Citing examples from the developed countries of Europe he argued that the development of education led to the development of science which was facilitating trade and commerce. The wealth was generated by the flourishing trade and commerce. The educated masses of these countries became aware of their rights and the kings could no longer act arbitrarily the author argued. Unity is another ingredient that he identified for the development of a nation. Here he makes a very interesting comment. As there in no unity in India, Indians are the slaves of the others for the last “seven hundred” years. He was hoping that the thread of unity will once again be tied between the Indians. Two important observations can be made here. The author’s glaring Hindu fundamentalism and the recognition of India as the nation of concern not Assam. This is very important because till the ULFA gave a call for separate sovereign Assam, Assamese nationalism was imagined within the periphery of India first the British India and afterwards the Indian State, unlike the Naga nationalism. Secondly the ideology of Hindu nationalism has been trying to hijack Assamese nationalism ever since its modern incarnation. Then he emphasizes the importance to have a national language. “It is a very important thing to have a national language. In the foreign countries when there is no national language there is no nationality. We always see that the languages of the developed and civilized nations also flourish. The English language has developed as much as the English people. When we look at the beauty of the Sanskrit language, we can well conclude that India in that period was hundred times developed than the present India.” This remark is again a pointer to the author’s Hindu nationalism based on a glorious past. . Then he gave two examples of patriotism from Greek and Roman history and also mentions the patriotism of George Washington. But what is interesting here is the mention of Raja Rammohan Roy as the archetype of patriotism in India. It shows clearly how this author and his other contemporaries were affected by the Indian Renaissance ushered in by Raja Rammohan Roy and his followers. He concludes the article with remarkable lines: “The development of one’s own nation would lead to the development of the country. I will write in future on the issue of how Assam can be developed after looking at the things carefully.” His next article appeared on 5th issue of 1st year – He starts the article with a strange and rather controversial line – “Before the advent of the most civilized British, Assam was ruled by half-civilized Chutiya, Barobhuyan, Ahom etc.” Then he continues: “it was the dark age of Assam. After Assam became a part of the British, it has received light and the people of Assam are now becoming conscious of their faults in that light. Some of them are becoming conscious to take their motherland from the dark to the light, to impart education to the uneducated Assamese, and to bring wealth to this poor country. These are the virtues of English education. The benevolent British has done a lot for our development, schools are established for our benefit; providing scholarships to the meritorious students to study abroad. After seeing all these we can only say that the path of the progress in education in Assam is very short.” One of the salient features of Assamese Nationalism of the nineteenth century, what we are terming as the Print Nationalism was the British loyalty and their gratefulness to the British for providing modern education to the natives. But after that he rues the non- the progress in the field of trade and commerce was quite negligible. He explicates his argument in the following lines: “Many people of our state have not noticed how the people from the other states are becoming rich through trade and commerce. The Nature has given us in abundant, our land is fertile, many valuable crops are grown in our country, still we have not been able to make any progress in the field of trade and commerce. The outsiders or foreigners are raking in the wealth of our land. But our store is empty; - we do not know what trade is. If someone comes out bravely to do business, it soon gets fizzled out for the want of determination and perseverance. I cannot say how many days will pass like this. But we can hope that the education would help the Assamese people to learn trade and commerce . We hope that the education would eradicate all the evils crippling our society ” Then he dwells upon the issue of language. Many of the complaints are still getting reverberated in the popular discourses in the magazines and meetings of literary societies. He writes: “Assamese is the language of our nationality, the development is very less in this language, and the process is not complete (standardization); so the development of Assamese is a duty of every Assamese. It is a grave injustice not to look after this. But there are some Assamese who don’t want to call it a language. ‘Is there a different language in Assam’ such sort of a question embarrasses us? But what so ever, we hope that the literate Assamese would try to increase the glory of the language. And we also wish that the people engage in the development of the language also become successful.” In the previous article he mentioned the need of the patriotic fervour for the progress of the nation. He reemphasizes on it in the progress of Assamese nationality. He blames on the lack of unity among the people of Assam for the degeneration. He takes the example of the neighbouring Bengal where a lot of literary societies have flourished for the strengthening of their nationality. But he concludes the article with the following line: Knowing that Assamese is an Aryan race, if the Assamese people do not strive to save the glory of the race, they would not be able to develop their own nationality. The assertion that the Assamese is an Aryan race has a very far reaching effect in the imagination of Assamese nationality. It alienated the Mongoloid and other races in the later political developments of the state. Then came the most important prognosis: “We will have to admit that the contentment of the Assamese people is receding slowly”. It would not be wrong to say that there is no doubt that some of the joys of Assamese people would no longer be there in the future. The symptom is already evident that the fertile soil of Assam would no longer remain unused for long. Assamese people would soon taste the bitter fruit of being lazy. When you will have to buy grass to feed your cows, what will you do brothers?” I think I should stop here and let the readers see how development was defined in the formation of their own nationalities.   -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050708/aa577af0/attachment.html From vivek at sarai.net Fri Jul 8 13:43:49 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:43:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] KRVIA Fellowship Programme Message-ID: <42CE35BD.8050901@sarai.net> Please note that the deadline for applications for this fellowship is July 15, 2005. The contact person for enquiries would be the Registrar, Lalitha Subramaniam, at 022-26700918, as mentioned at the bottom of the text; the email address would be krvia at vsnl.com . -- FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME The Kamla Raheja Research Fellowhip 2005 - 2006 Call for Applications INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies has instituted a Fellowship Programme in the academic year 1998-1999 which admits four graduates every year and provides them with assistance for a stipulated time period to conduct independent research in the areas of Architecture, Fine Arts, Technology and Urban Studies. Theoretical criticism forms one of the central themes of such a programme; wherein the notion of 'practice' gains and debates with 'research'. This search for situating the activities of the institute in a critical relationship with the existing circumstances has extended our academic curriculum, leading to the initiation of a Research Fellowship Programme. One of the primary objectives of this programme is to foster an attitude towards research in the current milieu. In this case research is not seen as an isolated activity but a critical space for the contemporary practice in the broader field of cultural studies. A Research Fellow may choose to work in one or more such fields that are operating in the city while conducting the research. For example, the Design Cell KRVIA can be viewed as one such practice, which forms an integrated part of the school as well as intervenes within the city's fabric through its research-based practice. The research conducted by the Fellows would provide a database to impart education within the institute, as well as look at the role of educational system with critical insight. DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME Research Fellows will be engaged in independent research, articulating positions within the paradigms of practice. On successful completion of the programme the Fellows get a certificate of ' Post-Graduate Fellowship Programme' Eligibility Graduates from the fields of Architecture, Design, Arts, Fine Art and Engineering are eligible for the Fellowship Programme. Each programme admits four fellows. Application And Selection Criteria Students applying for the fellowship have to submit their biodata, academic records and a STUDY PROPOSAL The study proposal shall be in one of the research areas specified by the institute. The list of research areas and the guides are listed below. The institute would also honour and consider research proposals beyond those defined below. As the fellowship programme culminates in a paper presentation; the main criterion for admission to the programme is a well-defined proposal related to architecture, fine arts or technology and shows promise for development as a research. The school is involved in the issues relating to Housing, Environment and Heritage Conservation in the City of Mumbai and hence would be interested in strengthening these areas through fellowship research papers. The proposal should outline a study plan that the candidate can accomplish in the stipulated time period. Students should also identify a guide from the core faculty ( full time or part time faculty members only) as per the research areas identified, and discuss the proposal with the guide prior to submitting the synopsis. This programme accepts students who exhibit a capability for independent research. Candidates are selected on the basis of academic records and individual study proposals. Duration The duration of the Fellowship Programme is for one academic year, beginning in the first week of July every year and continuing till the end of May in the following year (i.e 11 months only). Final Presentation in June, (i.e 12 months). The stipend shall be payable for 12 months only. If extension sought and granted, to be determined jointly by the guide and the Director/Programme coordinator. Such extension shall be without stipend. Commitment The appointed Research Fellow is required to spend twenty hours a week for their individual research on campus. Besides the time spent on research, according to his/her discretion, the fellow may dedicate five hours every week as teaching assistant. Alternately, Fellows would be involved in allied activities of the institute as decided by the Director, for time not exceeding five hours a week. Remuneration Research Fellows are given a stipend of Rs. 3,500/- per month for the period of research, i.e. from June to April. RESEARCH AREAS 1. Urban Peripheries; Guide: Anirudh Paul 2. Architecture of the small town; Guide: Rohan Shivkumar 3. Architecture and Desire; Guide: Rohan Shivkumar 4. Landscape ecologies and the Urban Environment; Guide: Pallavi Latkar 5.Technology for Energy Efficient Architecture in the Urban Context; Guide: Pallavi Latkar 6. Traditional House Design as an Art Form; Guide: Kamu Iyer 7. Evolving Policy and Design Guidelines for an Architectural Intervention in a Heritage Precinct; Guide: Kamu Iyer 8. Historical and Analytical Study of Early Modern Architecture in India; Guide: Kamu Iyer 9. Demography and Built Form; Guide: Kamu Iyer 10. Study of some Architects of the Modern Movement in India leading to a monograph on their works; Guide: Kamu Iyer 11. Historical Evolution of Localities/ Spaces/ Uses; Guide: Amita Kanekar 12. Socio-economic shifts and the Physical Landscape of Mumbai; Guide: Amita Kanekar 13. Vision Mumbai - A Critique; Guide: Sandeep Pendse 14. Architectural History, Ethics and Language; Guide: Nemish Shah 15. Neighbourhood Histories - Maps and Museums; Guide: Kaiwan Mehta 16. Cultural Formats - Architectural Deviations; Guide: Kaiwan Mehta 17. Restoration of Historical Constructions; Guide: Sudhir Deshpande 18. Structural use of Composites in Architectural Design; Guide: Sudhir Deshpande 19. Rapid Pedestrian Movement in South Bombay - Business District of Fort area as a focus; Guide: Sudhir Deshpande 20. Rapid transit system from city centre to Sahar Airport - A study of various options; Guide: Sudhir Deshpande Evaluation The final paper presentation to external jury shall be in the month of June. The examining committee shall consist of the Fellowship Programme Committee and not less than two additional external members as examiners. Periodical performance of the fellow will be judged by the guide. Inadequate performance at any stage, lack of commitment to the research subject would result in discontinuation of the stipend , which may be resumed only after satisfactory performance determined jointly by the guide and the Director. Award of Certificate A Certificate of Postgraduate Fellowship Programme will be awarded at the end of the successful research presentation. The institute will have copyrights on the final papers. Facilities and infrastructure Fellows are eligible to utilize all the facilities of the institution and will have access to a workstation and a dedicated space. Periodic Reviews The Fellowship Programme Committee will review the progress of the research every six weeks and could terminate the research at any stage if not found satisfactory. SELECTION AND COORDINATION Fellowship Programme Committee The Fellowship Programme Committee would coordinate the research and select the Fellow on the basis of the study proposal, the interview and the preceding records of the candidate. The Institute will provide an individual guide to each fellow. The guide would essentially be a core faculty member. Fellowship Programme Committee comprises of: a. Chairperson, Director, KRVIA b. Deputy Chairperson, Deputy director, KRVIA c. Fellowship Coordinator, Faculty member d. One guest scholar invited for every review. e. Group of Coordinators appointed by the Institute for guidance of each research fellow. SCHEDULE Fellowship Programme 2004-2005 IMPORTANT DATES 1. Receiving Applications 15th July 2005 2.Interview and Selection 23rd July 2005 3. Commencement of the programme 1st August 2005 4. First stage - Presentation of Synopsis - Last week of September 2005 5. Second Stage - Intermediate Presentation - Second week of February 2006 The Presentation is made with Fellowship Programme Committee and selected in-house jurors 6. Third Stage - Pre-Final Presentation - Last week of April 2006 7. Fourth Stage - Final Presentation - Fourth week of July 2006 Presentation is to be made to the external jury members. -- For further details,Contact : Lalitha Subramaniam, Registrar at 022-26700918 k r v i a Upanagar Shikshan Mandal's Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shivamvij at gmail.com Fri Jul 8 19:11:55 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 19:11:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] I met Amitabh Bachchan! Message-ID: crossposted from http://mallroad.blogspot.com/2005/07/amitabh-bachchan-yadav.html Just came back home on a rick. (Home nowadays is Noida - am living in office!) I have this strange habit of getting personal with rickshawpullers. I have therefore discovered that all rickshaw pullers in Delhi-NCR (all of them!) are immigrants from Bihar. (Just as I'm an immigrant from Uttar Pradesh.) Many of them pull a rented rickshaw for a few months, thereby making some money to go back home with, and return to the native Bihar village, working in the fields for the rest of the year. So I ask him his name. "My name is Amitabh Bachchan." Excuse me? I thought he was lying because he didn't like the condescending manner in which I asked him his name. Both of us were immigrants in the big city but that made no difference to the class equation. Who was I to ask him his name? I wasn't even a policewallah asking for hafta. I did not have the authority to ask him if he had something ridiculous called a rickshaw license. Most importantly, the class equations implied that he could not turn back and ask me my name. May be he found my question too intrusive. But Amitabh Bachchan? After my continued prodding he explained that ever since he was born, he's been fondly called Amitabh Bachchan. "So you don't have a name?" I asked. "I do," he said, "Amitabh Bachchan." But what's your dad's last name? "Yadav." "So you are Amitabh Bachchan Yadav?" "Yes." (I wondered if this could have anything to do with 'close relations' between the Bachchans and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav.) "Do you have any brothers?" "Yes, seven of them." "Is any one of them called Ajitabh?" "No." "Okay, thank you." ABY reminded me of another rickshaw puller outside my college - a young lad from Bihar - who also had an interesting name, though it was not as amusing as ABY's. He was called Ashok Mandal. He was also from Bihar, also from an agrarian background, also a "backward" (by caste). He was almost my age. "Have you heard of the Mandal Commission?" I remember asking him. "What?" he said sheepishly, "Hum padhey likhay nahin hain." (I am not educated.) All you anti-reservationists, don't worry. There are no reserved seats for students belonging Other Backward Castes in Delhi University or its affiliated colleges. From jcm at ata.org.pe Sat Jul 9 09:14:33 2005 From: jcm at ata.org.pe (Jose-Carlos Mariategui) Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 22:44:33 -0500 Subject: [Reader-list] VIA SATELITE opens in Buenos Aires Message-ID: Opening in Buenos Aires of the Touring Exhibition VIA SATELITE a Contemporary Panorama of Photography and Video in Peru http://www.viasateliteperu.org/ Opening: Thursday 14 of July, 7 pm Espacio Fundación Telefónica Arenales 1540, Buenos Aires Tel/Fax: (5411) 4333-1300 /4333-1301 A project of Jose-Carlos Mariategui and Miguel Zegarra This exhibition arises with the intention of showing a selection of recent Peruvian visual arts production in the last 10 years in different countries from Latin America, Europe and the rest of the world. Participating artists in Via Satellite: Roger Atasi, Luz Maria Bedoya, Rafael Besaccia, Angie Bonino, Jose Luis Carbajal, Jorge Luis Chamorro, Ivan Esquivel, Flavia Gandolfo, Philippe Gruenberg, Max Hernandez, Pablo Hare, Natalia Iguiñiz, Diego Lama, Carlos Letts, Ivan Lozano, Gilda Mantilla, Jose Carlos Martinat, Andrea Miranda, Juna Pablo Murrugarra, Humberto Polar, Sergio Urday, Beatrice Velarde, Eduardo Villanes and Álvaro Zavala. For more information and conferences: http://www.fundacion.telefonica.com.ar/espacio/ From pz at vsnl.net Sat Jul 9 12:05:43 2005 From: pz at vsnl.net (Punam Zutshi) Date: Sat, 09 Jul 2005 12:05:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka References: <42C8EE3F.3020703@ranadasgupta.com> Message-ID: <003701c58450$6fda6140$fefefe0a@punamzutshi> Thanks for the article and not only the perceptive but the analytically powerful look at the media. To exercise independent judgement is clearly a far higer mountain to climb than settling for the celebration of ' having arrived ' --- a heady mix of consumer goods and a lifestyle that is 'cosmopolitan'. I am intrigued by your attraction to the vibrant intellectual climate that led you to settle in Delhi : what are the components of this vibrancy , my ethnographer self is moved to ask. Are you saying that there are enough people and institutions in Delhi that sustain the life of the mind but not any/many that allow this to be part of a public culture? Do you think the vibrancy reflects in some other mode..say, of practice/s ? Punam From iram at sarai.net Sat Jul 9 12:10:14 2005 From: iram at sarai.net (iram at sarai.net) Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2005 08:40:14 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd:Urgent - sign the petition Message-ID: <1a6447a169a0d3fdfae2249b1cd7e927@sarai.net> ------ Original Message ------ Subject: Urgent - sign the petition To: reader-list at sarai.net From: faizan ahmed Date: Sat, 09 Jul 2005 07:50:40 +0200 Dear all Please sign the petition below. ------------------------------------------------- Hello Again, Thank you for your very encouraging response to the statement sent out yesterday. I am now writing to tell you what we have done/intend doing with the statement to which you have lent your support and your name. The initial idea was to urgently start an exercise in opinion-building. To build a consensus on where we stood. But, more importantly, to reach out to those who hadnt yet formed an opinion and who could be encouraged to view it in a manner compatible with progressive ethics.I think, all of us have together managed to achieve that by mailing it hundreds of people. As the emails traveled through the day, peace-workers in Ahmedabad also took print-outs of the statement - updating it every few hours as new signatures arrived - and distributed it in colleges, among the youth and among people of different communities. I have to apologize and admit, though, that not all signatures/names could be included in the print-outs. I am pleased to announce that the response that we got was wonderful and people pledged to keep the peace. Finally, the statement has now been posted on this site: May I request you, once again, to go to this site and sign our statement? The plan is that after we collect a significant number of signatures, we will post it - as our pledge for peace and justice - to all the Indian political parties. In solidarity, shahrukh P.S. THANKS TO MONICA, FRIEND AND COMRADE, FOR POINTING OUT THAT THE SIGNATORIES TO THE STATEMENT DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH IT. --------------------------------- Free antispam, antivirus and 1GB to save all your messages Only in Yahoo! Mail: http://in.mail.yahoo.com From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Sat Jul 9 20:41:45 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2005 08:11:45 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka In-Reply-To: <003701c58450$6fda6140$fefefe0a@punamzutshi> Message-ID: <20050709151145.83542.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Yes...where lives that 'intellectual vibrancy'? Outside the reader-list... --- Punam Zutshi wrote: > Thanks for the article and not only the perceptive > but the analytically > powerful look at the media. > To exercise independent judgement is clearly a far > higer mountain to climb > than settling for the celebration of ' having > arrived ' --- a heady mix of > consumer goods and a lifestyle that is > 'cosmopolitan'. > I am intrigued by your attraction to the vibrant > intellectual climate that > led you to settle in Delhi : what are the components > of this vibrancy , my > ethnographer self is moved to ask. > Are you saying that there are enough people and > institutions in Delhi that > sustain the life of the mind but not any/many that > allow this to be part of > a public culture? Do you think the vibrancy reflects > in some other > mode..say, of practice/s ? > Punam > > > _________________________________________ > 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 for Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail From eye at ranadasgupta.com Sat Jul 9 21:38:31 2005 From: eye at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Sat, 09 Jul 2005 21:38:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka In-Reply-To: <003701c58450$6fda6140$fefefe0a@punamzutshi> References: <42C8EE3F.3020703@ranadasgupta.com> <003701c58450$6fda6140$fefefe0a@punamzutshi> Message-ID: <42CFF67F.9070200@ranadasgupta.com> > I am intrigued by your attraction to the vibrant intellectual climate that > led you to settle in Delhi : what are the components of this vibrancy , my > ethnographer self is moved to ask. > Are you saying that there are enough people and institutions in Delhi that > sustain the life of the mind but not any/many that allow this to be part of > a public culture? Do you think the vibrancy reflects in some other > mode..say, of practice/s ? I don't know if I can answer this to the satisfaction of an ethnographer, because my entree into Delhi intellectual life was personal rather than ethnographical, and remains so. That life, for me, has mainly been made up of conversations in apartments rather than participation in institutions. That said, Sarai is an inspiring institution to have around, one that has produced an amazing range of writings and ideas, and attracted to Delhi many people from the rest of India and the world who have added their thoughts to its debates. Without such institutional nourishment, perhaps, those private conversations would be the poorer. Also: the fact that Delhi is the centre of the news media, documentary film making, national cultural centres, and publishing, and even the fact that NGOs and embassies are based here - these things do inevitably lead *some* people to come to the city with interesting questions. As can be seen by the number of the country's leading writers and artists who live here, despite the city's reputation as a cultural wasteland... R From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Sun Jul 10 14:01:14 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 01:31:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Migration, the Fear and Hatred of the Outsiders In-Reply-To: <20050708102048.10183.qmail@webmail52.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <20050710083114.77014.qmail@web80905.mail.scd.yahoo.com> What was the jonoki-era-which years. How did they negotiate the term Aryan race-and who, when, where, how takes place the alienation of the Mongolid? When, how, who etc... wrote: > The Migration, the Fear and Hatred of the Outsiders > and the issue of Development and Progress in the > Early Formation of Assamese Identity: Probing the > text of Jonaki > > By: Uddipan Dutta > > The Times of India > New Delhi, Friday, May, 13, 2005 > Youths ‘evict’ illegal migrants from Assam > TIMES NEWS NETWORK > Dibrugarh: Herding them into buses, tempos and > rickshaws, groups of young Assamese men began > forcing suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrants from > Dibrugarh town and neighbouring districts. By the > end of the day, nearly 15,000 people were evicted. > Maintaining that “government tied down with vote > bank politics, will not do anything to solve an > issue that is threatening demography social fabric > of Assam,” the groups of young men in Dibrugarh said > they were forced to “devise the drastic” action > because political leaders would not do anything > about it. > As the Bangladeshis exited Dibrugarh, police did not > take any action because there was no violence and no > complaint had been made about threats of > intimidation. “We could not take any action against > any group or individual because no one is being > dragged or forced out,” said superintendent of > police Pradip Chandra Saloi. > > Many of you must have read, heard or seen this news > in the newspapers, radio channels or TV channels. > Although this news item does not tell much on the > overall affairs of the things in the state, anybody > who remembers the past events rocking the state > would be startled by one commonality in the event – > the ‘local’ resentment against the ‘outsiders’. For > quite a long time Assam is in the news for the > violent manifestation of the ‘local’ resentment > against the outsiders. In November 2003 a violent > campaign was started by the ULFA (United Liberation > Front of Assam) militants against the Hindi populace > in Assam particularly the Bihari labourers. The > problem started when the Assamese students demanded > 100% reservation in the Group D jobs in the > Northeastern Frontier Railways. Bihari students were > obstructed from taking written examination in > Guwahati. In rebound passengers from the North East > were attacked in the trains which pass through > Bihar. A girl was allegedly raped in a railway > station in Bihar and many female passengers were > molested. The situation took a very violent turn > when the insurgent group ULFA unleashed a reign of > terror on the Hindi speaking populace particularly > the Bihari labourers. > > The apprehension that the ‘natives’ of Assam would > be very soon overwhelmed economically, outnumbered > politically and over swamped culturally can be > traced even to the early days of the formation the > Assamese identity in the nineteenth century itself > and this feeling got percolated through the > collective unconsciousness of the Assamese middle > class and the manifestation of this apprehension is > seen in the various movements rocking the state > ranging from language to refinery agitations before > the starting of the Assam Movement also known as > Anti Foreigner’s Movement. Some of the ideas > disseminated about the threat of the outsiders still > holds good in the popular mindset of the people of > Assam. One just gets wonderstruck how well the > threat of the large scale migration to Assam was > prognosticated by some authors of the ‘Jonaki Era’. > Whenever we talk of Assamese nationalism in the > present context we cannot overlook this threat > perception and also we must concentrate on how that > threat was perceived by these early architects > Assamese nationalism. What is important here is to > remember the fact that this fear was expressed > usually in the context of development or progress of > the region. How to achieve “Unnoti” (Development or > progress) was one of the most seriously discussed > and debated topics in the pages of “Jonaki”. The > issue of the outsiders and the imminent danger of > them swarming the region were cropped up again and > again. My modest endeavour would be to find out this > perception of threat in the early construction of > Assamese identity manifested in the pages of Jonaki. > I won’t dwell much on the detailed nitty-gritty of > the different migrations taking place in Assam after > the advent of the British and the consequent > demographic changes (but would give a sketchy > picture of it for the convenience of the readers). I > don’t even have a solution to offer to this issue of > migration. Pages have already been written on this > issue and a lot of researchers are engaged on > research to find the different patterns of migration > in Assam and to find solutions to it. > > In the very first issue of Jonaki we get the article > titled “Jatiyo Unnoti” (National Progress/ > Development) by Kamalakanta Bhattacharya. In the > fifth issue of the first year another article came > under the heading “Axomiyar Unnoti (The progress of > the Assamese). The author was the same. Afterwards, > he wrote a very long article which appeared in > series, with a slight change in the name of the > article “Axomar Unnoti” (The Development/progess of > Assam). First it appeared on the second issue of the > second year. Then the third issue of the second > year, ninth issue of the second year, tenth issue of > the second year, eleventh issue of the second year, > and eleventh- twelfth issue ( which appeared > together) of the fourth year. A protest article was > written to that article on the first issue of the > third year by Ramdas Goswami (it was the pen name of > Ratneswar Mahanta) and a criticism to that same > article appeared on the fourth issue of the third > year. A protest to that protest was written > Kamalakanta Bhattacharya which appeared on the > seventh issue of the third issue. A similar article > was written by Panindranath Gogoi. It appeared under > the title of “Axomor Unnoti ne Abonoti” (Progress or > Degeneration of Assam). > > It’s clear that a lot of thought was given on what > is progress or development and how to achieve it for > the Assamese nationality. Naturally, the question of > outsiders and their looming danger on the demography > of Assam was prognosticated in the pages of Jonaki. > > The author Kamalakanta Bhattacharya starts his > article “Jatiyo Unnoti” (National Progress/ > Development) in the first year first issue with the > following paragraph: > > > “There are many people who want to contribute to the > growth of the nation .I will discuss how to achieve > it and what will lead to this development. Hope my > discussion is well timed. As the material used in > the construction of a big house must be very strong > in order to have a strong house, the materials to be > used in the development of a nation must also be > strong. The most important material of this > construction would be education. Although the growth > of a nation or a country depends more upon the > liberty it enjoys, but if the people of that country > remains illiterate, the country cannot progress.” > > Citing examples from the developed countries of > Europe he argued that the development of education > led to the development of science which was > facilitating trade and commerce. The wealth was > generated by the flourishing trade and commerce. The > educated masses of these countries became aware of > their rights and the kings could no longer act > arbitrarily the author argued. > > Unity is another ingredient that he identified for > the development of a nation. Here he makes a very > interesting comment. As there in no unity in India, > Indians are the slaves of the others for the last > “seven hundred” years. He was hoping that the thread > of unity will once again be tied between the > Indians. Two important observations can be made > here. The author’s glaring Hindu fundamentalism and > the recognition of India as the nation of concern > not Assam. This is very important because till the > ULFA gave a call for separate sovereign Assam, > Assamese nationalism was imagined within the > periphery of India first the British India and > afterwards the Indian State, unlike the Naga > nationalism. Secondly the ideology of Hindu > nationalism has been trying to hijack Assamese > nationalism ever since its modern incarnation. > > > Then he emphasizes the importance to have a national > language. “It is a very important thing to have a > national language. In the foreign countries when > there is no national language there is no > nationality. We always see that the languages of the > developed and civilized nations also flourish. The > English language has developed as much as the > English people. When we look at the beauty of the > Sanskrit language, we can well conclude that India > in that period was hundred times developed than the > present India.” This remark is again a pointer to > the author’s Hindu nationalism based on a glorious > past. . > > Then he gave two examples of patriotism from Greek > and Roman history and also mentions the patriotism > of George Washington. But what is interesting here > is the mention of Raja Rammohan Roy as the archetype > of patriotism in India. It shows clearly how this > author and his other contemporaries were affected by > the Indian Renaissance ushered in by Raja Rammohan > Roy and his followers. He concludes the article with > remarkable === message truncated ===> _________________________________________ > 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: __________________________________ Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online and more. Check it out! http://discover.yahoo.com/ From pz at vsnl.net Sun Jul 10 17:53:39 2005 From: pz at vsnl.net (Punam Zutshi) Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 17:53:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka References: <42C8EE3F.3020703@ranadasgupta.com> <"003701c58450$6fda6140$fefefe 0a"@punamzutshi> <42CFF67F.9070200@ranadasgupta.com> Message-ID: <004c01c5854a$35977680$53fd41db@punamzutshi> Thanks for your response and no, I was not expecting ethnographic reasons , merely wanting as an ethnographer to understand what Delhi offered to different people.I did wonder whether the universities in the city would figure in any way. The "ethnographer self " was a qualification to ensure that I was not posing a rhetorical question or being ironical.Which has not deterred Mahmood from shooting off an e mail, to which I will respond separately! Punam ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rana Dasgupta" To: "Punam Zutshi" Cc: Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2005 9:38 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka > > > I am intrigued by your attraction to the vibrant intellectual climate that > > led you to settle in Delhi : what are the components of this vibrancy , my > > ethnographer self is moved to ask. > > Are you saying that there are enough people and institutions in Delhi that > > sustain the life of the mind but not any/many that allow this to be part of > > a public culture? Do you think the vibrancy reflects in some other > > mode..say, of practice/s ? > > I don't know if I can answer this to the satisfaction of an > ethnographer, because my entree into Delhi intellectual life was > personal rather than ethnographical, and remains so. That life, for me, > has mainly been made up of conversations in apartments rather than > participation in institutions. > > That said, Sarai is an inspiring institution to have around, one that > has produced an amazing range of writings and ideas, and attracted to > Delhi many people from the rest of India and the world who have added > their thoughts to its debates. Without such institutional nourishment, > perhaps, those private conversations would be the poorer. > > Also: the fact that Delhi is the centre of the news media, documentary > film making, national cultural centres, and publishing, and even the > fact that NGOs and embassies are based here - these things do inevitably > lead *some* people to come to the city with interesting questions. As > can be seen by the number of the country's leading writers and artists > who live here, despite the city's reputation as a cultural wasteland... > > R > From pz at vsnl.net Sun Jul 10 17:54:30 2005 From: pz at vsnl.net (Punam Zutshi) Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 17:54:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka References: <20050709151145.83542.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <004d01c5854a$5383ae20$53fd41db@punamzutshi> Hi Mahmood, I cannot resist the temptation to say that you chose not to respond to my queries on the reader list , though you did say polite things off it ! Punam ----- Original Message ----- From: "mahmood farooqui" To: "Punam Zutshi" ; Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2005 8:41 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Indian Media - article from Tehelka > Yes...where lives that 'intellectual vibrancy'? > Outside the reader-list... > > --- Punam Zutshi wrote: > > > Thanks for the article and not only the perceptive > > but the analytically > > powerful look at the media. > > To exercise independent judgement is clearly a far > > higer mountain to climb > > than settling for the celebration of ' having > > arrived ' --- a heady mix of > > consumer goods and a lifestyle that is > > 'cosmopolitan'. > > I am intrigued by your attraction to the vibrant > > intellectual climate that > > led you to settle in Delhi : what are the components > > of this vibrancy , my > > ethnographer self is moved to ask. > > Are you saying that there are enough people and > > institutions in Delhi that > > sustain the life of the mind but not any/many that > > allow this to be part of > > a public culture? Do you think the vibrancy reflects > > in some other > > mode..say, of practice/s ? > > Punam > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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 for Mobile > Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail > From mpillai65 at yahoo.com Mon Jul 11 12:00:34 2005 From: mpillai65 at yahoo.com (Meera Pillai) Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 23:30:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The stories not pursued at Vijaywada Railway Station Message-ID: <20050711063034.32689.qmail@web53507.mail.yahoo.com> The Stories Not Written Connected with my research at Vijayawada Railway Station is also the tale of the stories I don't know enough about, and which I cannot tell in any detail. The stories that highlighted the fairly constrained limits of my zone of comfort when I did not pursue them. - The story of the woman in her mid-twenties who sat for long hours on Platform No. 6, day after day. She sat on one of the pentagonal granite benches that surrounded the metal struts that held up the roof of the station, a forbiddingly deep and inward expression on her face. She sat there, seeming to do nothing, occasionally eating a meal from the packages sold on the platform that someone bought for her, the newspaper parcel lined with the beedi leaf plate on her lap. She was always fairly well-dressed. Her salwar kameezes in rich colours like red and green heightened her dusky colour and the elegant angles of her face, and rarely drew attention to their faint griminess. The field workers who worked every day at the railway station said that she spent the bulk of her time sitting on Platform 6. She would not answer questions about herself, and even they, who were familiar with her for a few years now, did not know her name. She had tried to beat up one field worker who had suggested that she might like to come to the shelter for a change. She looked well-groomed, and they told me that in the evenings, she would go to the taps on the comparatively deserted platform 10 to bathe. The field workers said that she would occasionally talk to men, but would get furious if a woman tried to speak to her. Even without this piece of information, this lady gave the sense of a very dignified self-possession, a very self-conscious withdrawal that made it seem intrusive to puncture it. That apart, I also lacked the courage. - I also lacked the courage to come face to face with Kalki Baba, a middle aged man who typically spent almost all his time on platforms 9 and 10. Not fully operational, and used only by freight trains to the extent they are used at all, these platforms are a haven for those who are at once on the fringe and integrally involved in the life of Vijayawada railway station. On the fringe because they are not part of any official plan or activity chalked out for the railway station, integral because unlike the passengers and the trains for whom the railway station was built to service, who come and go, these folks are part of the permanent texture of the place. I saw Kalki Baba at a distance, almost naked except for an almost negligible loin cloth. Of medium build, he sported a greying beard. He walked up and down the platform, his body oiled, his hands stroking the oil into his limbs. I was told that he never wore more than his loin cloth, and the comparatively deserted platforms 9 and 10 gave him the space to be dressed the way he preferred. Apparently he did little, and the young boys who lived in the railway station, some as young as 10, shared the food that they bought with their earnings with him. -The little girl who shied away like a startled wild animal when one of the field workers in the station tried to speak to her. When she saw how comfortable her companion, a slightly older girl, was, talking to the male fieldworker, however, she darted back behind her companion, using her as a shield and throwing glances at us over her shoulder, responding to our casual conversation with nods and shakes of the head, and tugging at her friend's skirt to leave when the conversation lasted beyond a couple of minutes. She looked about seven or eight, was probably around ten years old, and heartbreakingly beautiful. I saw her several times at the railway station, often with her friend, her feet flying as she darted across the footbridges or platforms. The only other time I was a witness to a conversation with her, I was with a female fieldworker. The child spoke to her, but the reason was probably not only related to gender, but also that she was stoned on "solution" - her eyes completely spaced, as if she had no connection with anything in the universe. She told us that she used two bottles a day, and then left us listlessly to lie down, her limbs folding awkwardly like a newborn calf's on one of the corridors on the first floor of the station. The field worker also told me that the girl children frequently engaged in sex work, charging fifty rupees at a time. - There was the railway policeman's widow sitting on Platform One, slightly out of kilter with the world around her. Apparently with no one in the world after the death of her husband, she came to the railway station, sat there through the day while its complex life swirled around her. The cops were kind to her as she sat there, causing no disturbance, just having a place to go to during the day. It turned out that the railway station was a public utility space in ways not conceived of at all by planners or architects and railway officials. It affords space, shelter, food and companionship to those not travelling to and fro on the 130 odd trains that pass through the station everyday, but who just happen to be at vastly different stations on that other, more unpredictable journey, life, as compared to the more conventional travellers. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From ravikant at sarai.net Mon Jul 11 18:32:21 2005 From: ravikant at sarai.net (Ravikant) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 18:32:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: virus bombers Message-ID: <200507111832.21579.ravikant@sarai.net> I received this from a friend in England. ravikant http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/08/london_bombing_spambot/ Virus writers have created a Trojan which poses as London terrorist attack news footage. Infected emails harbouring the Trojan pose as a CNN Newsletter which asks recipients to ‘See attachments for unique amateur video shots’ (example below). If executed, the malicious attachment turns infected Windows PCs into spam zombies. The as-yet unnamed Trojan attempts to obtain a list of SMTP servers that the victim's machine is configured to use and starts to use these servers to send large volumes of unsolicited mail. Email security firm MessageLabs has intercepted a handful of copies of the malware, so it's not widespread, but it does illustrate the depth virus writers are prepared to sink to in order to spread their wares. The use of topical events to spread malware is nothing new and it wouldn't surprise us if most London bombing-themed Trojans were created. It's yet another reason to avoid any temptation to open unsolicited email attachments. ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: (no subject) Date: Sunday 10 Jul 2005 2:21 pm From: Mohan Rana To: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/08/london_bombing_spambot/ ------------------------------------------------------- From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Mon Jul 11 13:20:57 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 00:50:57 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] dastans, indian media In-Reply-To: <006401c550e4$21eccda0$97f341db@punamzutshi> Message-ID: <20050711075057.46944.qmail@web80905.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Dear Punam, YOu have got me where it matters...most certainly time for me to make amends.. ((Some preliminary questions for Mahmood : What is the tone/style of the bazm and war stories > ( razm?)? Would the > style adopted by Mahmood and Himanshu be appropriate > to the narration of > these other streams?)) The bazm sections in the Dastans follow a set pattern, but the pattern itself has many streams. ANy single magician from any one side can wreak havoc on the other side...one day it might be Bahar Jadu, who has defected from Afrasiyab's side to Hamza'--and they are forever defecting to the good side without it affecting the overall strength of the sorcerers-whose magic consists of making everyone see Bahar/spring all around them, the smells, the breeze, the sights and they all fall in love with her and follow her around, enchanted. The pace of the bazm sections accordingly varies with the kind of action being described...very often the Islamic armies may attack at night, although Hamza usually desists from surprise attacks or from pursuing his enemies and always pardons those seeking redemption..and then the sorcerers, unable to distinguish friend from foe, fall upon each other, decimating large sections of their own side... Then there are set piece accouts of the opening of battles-people come forward, challenge the other side, the bards sing accounts of their genealogy and their valour, the naqib shouts to all to be prepared for battle and to be willing to sacrifice their all, the battle begins and their might be hand to hand combat or again any particular magician may carry the day...there is no previously set logic as to how the battle would unfold and what would be its outcome. The descriptions of these battles changes therefore with what is being described...there might be fast and furious accounts of the swords, the battlegear, the armoury, the weapons with a lot of room, obviously, for alliteration and punning and rhymes... There might be irony, humour and scatology when the sorcerers are in utter confusion and are falling upon each other.. Accordingly, it requires a greater mastery over the Art of narration to describe battle scenes without succumbing to declamatory peroration...further, in bazm scenes it is not the content(the nature of action) that is as important as the style...for audiences generally unattuned to the Dastanic world it might not be as easily comprehensible or enjoyable... ((The magical universe is also parodied in some ways > in some ways isn't it? > Have you thought of Bettelheim's 'uses of > enchantment' in this context?)) Certainly parody is always present around the corner when the magical universe is being described...but on the other hand, as in the passage we narrated about Amar Ayyar getting trapped in a tilism where all food turns to dust, the world of tilism can also be presented as an object lesson, for its creators as well as its opponents...in this particular case Amar is reminded of his own unworthiness and smallness because for all his cunning, for all the wealth of the zambil(bag/pandora's box)full of goodies from Prophets and other notables he is unable to feed himself... Really, eventually it depends on the Dastango and what he wants to make of the action...the same passage or event may be treated with sarcasm by one teller and be filled with terror by another. Of course uses of enchantment would be highly useful in apprehending the world of Dastans as would Todorov's study of the Fantastic and Jackson's explication of the fantasy as the literature of subversion...I am yet to get to them for I am still fascinated by this freewheeling run of the imagination, the construction of an imaginary run where the world is rearranged as the writer sees fit which has an autonomous moral economy of its own...but this would al be more useful once I have dwelt longer and better at the Dastans themselves... it is a wondrous creation after all, as ABru says- Daaman-e Dasht kiya naqsh-e Qadam soon pur gul Kis bahaaran ka yeh deewaana tamashaai hai ((There is blood and violence and 'aaiyari' in these > stories...what is the > world view of the dastans? What do the dastans say > about love and war and > magic? What of the relationship between Khuda and > Shaitan, and between their > powers and tilism?)) It is difficult for me to sum up the Dastani world view...I will reproduce a para from Faruqi's marvellous book on it- "“Here virtue always prevails over vice and so does justice over tyranny. War and peace, love and duplicity, valour and bravery, friendship and enmity, human prowess versus the supernatural, human knowledge and gnosis, fate and inspiration are all themes which meet a very sophisticated and consistent treatment, and all daastaans contain a developed world view, which was in every sense contrary to the one then being imposed by the colonial order. Unlike Daastaan-e-Amir Hamza, Fasana-e-Ajaib and Bagh-e-Bahar (the ones patronized by the British) lack this metaphysical, moral dimension.” The Dastans, on the surface, are all for romantic love as is obvious from the number of Muslims who fall for women from the sorcerers side and vice versa...this 'randibazi' sometimes gets Amar's goat for oftentimes it gets in the way...but most of the action in the Dastan is led by people falling in love then being attacked, or in turn attacking their opponents...or magician women betraying afrasiyab and releasing captive Muslims...perhaps that is why both THanvi and Shibli had forbidden women from reading this subversive text... ((What is the relationship of these stories to speech > , literature and poetry? > Could you elaborate a little on Ghalib's view of > these dastans? Have other > major writers commented on these texts?)) The Dastans are obviously embedded in the same literary culture where poetry was always meant to be recited aloud...the poetry encountered in the dastans may be of several kinds...the compositions of the dastango himself, of his ustad or patrons, of rival poets who may be ridiculed, there may be dohas, kabits or quatrains from braj and awadhi, there might be masnavis, long poems, ghazals, qasidas and even hujus...that is satricial poems...basically poetical interruptions, I surmise, would have servedthe same purpose as present day song breaks...a time to refill the huqqa to replenish the opium and to refill the glass.. as far as speech is concerned, obviously the template for many scenes was the actual spoken language..so ofeten in scenes depicting common people or the bazar or particular classes like dhobis, kalwars, mochis or kumhars you find a rustic awadhi being used...but eventually the Dastango was creating not only his own world, but also his own language..his virtuosity lay not in imitating the speech patterns outside but in creating a speech that was in consonance with the progress and pattern of his Dastan... We do know for sure that GHalib loved these Dastans for he has commented in a letter how he was thrilled because he had six cases of wine, six volumes of a Dastan and it was raining...and he wrotea few poems using the chief characters of Dastans...but he did not write or elaborate much more than that about Dastans...we can also surmise that Mir loved Dastans but again, he has not directly commented upon it...it is the same with other major writers...we know there were Dastangos attached to courts but it was such a self-evident part of the cultural life that not too many people commented upon it formally. ((but have there been Dastans/ narratives about 'historical' events.)) As far as I know there haven't been any...you might find the occasional reference to actual historical events as such, like firangi aiyyar, but no actual historical Dastans...they were a means purely for secular entertainment but a mode of story telling in which the story mattered as much as its telling. ((In deciding to adopt or create a certain style...what forms of conversation/speech went into the making of this performance?)) It took us some time selecting the text...what I wanted was to select portions that were humorous and bawdy...but no clear narrative pattern would emerge if I only chose those scenes...most people I read them out, Urdudaan people, were quite pessimistic about how much of it would appeal to the wider public...then there were the highly Persianised introductory remarks...traditionally there was only one Dastango but I was apprehensive that it would get monotonous with only one person and with two people we could weave in a lot of simple dramatic devices...speaking together, one person taking over from another, both coming together, breaking the poetry into two portions...I thought it would keep the audience busy... INitially we were wondering how much imitation and mimicry we should employ..whether we should try and create voices of women, Kings...whether we should overplay the seduction and underplay the terror... Eventually, though our rehearsals boiled down to earmarking the portions each of us would recite...I preferred to take the more Persianised passaged and let Himanshu tackle the more demotic and commonspeak portions... I retained the declamatory style that I am familiar with and HImanshu brought in more subtlety and easygoing recitation...mostly it was a foray in the dark for while we realised the fluency of the language on repeated readings we were unsure how it would communicate with the audience...and we were also very unsure about what people would understand of the story for the narrative is vast and the number of characters massive..there was no way we could fill the audience up on the whole story especially since we outselves were not fully up on it.. It is easier any way to identify with the ruthless aiyyar and his shenanigans and those were the portions we restricted ourselves up to...but the Dastans actually come into their own when the Tilisms are at play...and there are as many kinds of tilisms as there are volumes...that is where the Dastans desciptive art reaches its apogee and in future tellings we hope to include some flavour of those as well.. DER AAYAD DURUST AAYAD... about Rana's mails...obviously that bit about ethnography was a bit of a joke but the point I did want to share was where this 'thriving intellectual culture' lay and a point that rana hasn't answered is why it can lie all around us, in drawing rooms and in Sarai, and not appear in the media or public culture...is it because the media/public culture is formed of personnel who are outside this vibrant zone or is it that the same people may be exciting in the drawring room but deadened in their public roles? In that case how do any 'crossings' happen>? ANd when they do happen what kind of mediation is required? Does it take 'necessary balls' to plunge into them as is shown by the fact that Rana's piece critiquing that public culture/media was carried in one of its leading constituents? And if there is such vibrancy around us then why do not more crossings happen? galiyon ko chup lagi hai nagar bolte nahin awwal to bolte nahin is shahar ke log jo bolte hain baar-e digar bolte nahin... Many apologies and thanks, for drawing me out... MF. --- Punam Zutshi wrote: > Mahmood, Himanshu and Sarai, Congratulations on a > perfectly riveting > performance at IIC! > > Mahmood and Himanshu seem to have pulled off a > masterly recreation of the > dastangoi in tandem.The feat surely lies in > presenting a dastangoi style > which has both originality and integrity.One finds > it difficult to imagine > anything but the wry and not so wry humour and > sophistication with which the > " tilism " stories were told. > > Wish though, that there was more on dastans and > dastangoi in the limited > time available by Prof Farooqui and Mahmood. > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > Punam > > Prof S.R. Faruqui mentioned tales in Bosnia ( was it?) that seemed to recount histories of wars.The Dastans you drew upon were both very oral and very writerly, and fantastical.Of course there are the 46 volumes found in no one library to reckon with Some day, you may consider contacting Dr.Roma Chatterjee of the Dept of Sociology, DSE who has extensively read and written on the analysis of narratives. Her thesis on Purulia and its oral traditions may be of interest.(Purulia is also home to one type of the Chhau dance) (A propos the 'historical' I specifically recall from Dr.Chatterjee's fieldwork a song that was composed about the Damodar Valley Corporation's entry into the scene...But all this is not meant to take you too far afield) You may certainly believe that what you did was effortless but perhaps all your life you have prepared for this,absorbing the language and the world that the dastan belongs to... that's a lot, isn't it ? Some of the Farsi/Urdu usage certainly did elude me, but when I think of it, I would rather that a small preface/ longish sub title as in pre 20th century style of titles for the uninititated be added.( Example " In which the hero ....undergoes..../journeys ... et al ) Recently, I watched an Opera performance in Delhi which had the English translation of the Italian scrolling down on large screens on either side of the huge stage. I think it a huge achievement that what you accomplished was to include the audience in its variety without any such intervention. The text certainly provides the base for the performance but it was the act of storytelling that Himanshu and you undertook that conveyed a 'nafasat' combined with directness, the horrific/fantastical juxtaposed with the scatological, a vitality that was palpable... The bareness of the stage was wonderful, a wonderful foil to the emroideries and ornaments of speech, never taking away from the hold of the storytelling. Punam > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Sat Jul 9 12:21:09 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 23:51:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Qaeda Attack in U.S. Likely to Be More Catastrophic Than London Bombings Message-ID: <20050709065110.81821.qmail@web30708.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Qaeda Attack in U.S. Likely to Be More Catastrophic Than London Bombings Stephen E. Flynn Stephen E. Flynn, the Council on Foreign Relations' top expert on homeland security, says that the well-coordinated July 7 bombings in London indicate that al Qaeda or its affiliates remains a deadly threat in Western Europe. "I guess it's clear that al Qaeda retains a footprint, an organization, in Western Europe," he says. "This appears to be a very well-organized, well-rehearsed, simultaneous attack." The risk for the United States, he says, is that, while al Qaeda may have a smaller presence in the United States, it is more likely to husband its limited resources for a more devastating attack. "If they took three years to put a footprint down, they're not going to squander it on something that, while newsworthy, doesn't have a really disruptive impact. They're not going to risk their limited resources on a lower-end attack." Flynn, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies, was interviewed by Bernard Gwertzman, consulting editor of cfr.org, on July 7, 2005. Let us begin by acknowledging that there are many unanswered questions about today's attacks in London. But they do have the earmarks of an al Qaeda attack. Do they tell us anything about al Qaeda in the West? It tells us that al Qaeda is increasingly more of a movement than it is an organization. There are splinter groups and it would appear, in this instance, that many of these groups are homegrown--that is, they're made up of U.K. citizens rather than foreign fighters who have arrived on British soil. Why do you say that? I don't have a lot of detail, obviously--but what I've picked up from the web and the bit of reporting I've heard from Scotland Yard indicates that is likely the case. Many of the folks who are setting up these [Qaeda-affiliated] organizations carry a European Union passport. In some instances, they are first generation. Others are established citizens living in the cities, as opposed to Saudis who come in to carry out these attacks. Of course, that was the case with [the March 2004 al Qaeda bombings of commuter trains in] Madrid as well. It sounds like the attackers were familiar with the travel patterns of people in London. That's right. They can do the surveillance and the dry runs. I guess it's clear that al Qaeda retains a footprint, an organization, in Western Europe. It has been obvious since the Madrid train bombings that al Qaeda is able to carry out a rather sophisticated attack. This appears to be a very well-organized, well-rehearsed simultaneous attack in rush hour, set around a politically sensitive event, the G-8 meeting [in Gleneagles, Scotland]. Al Qaeda's presence remains; its ability to carry out sophisticated, coordinated attacks in a Western democracy is an illustration of that. Now, why do they target mass transit? One reason is that, timed as it was during rush hour, the attack would cause mass casualties and substantial disruption. Obviously, London, like New York, is very dependant on its mass transit system to function as a city. When you target that system, you get a two-fer: You not only get the loss of life and the terror that it generates, but also the loss of a critical piece of infrastructure necessary for the operation of a modern city. Security in mass transit is almost nonexistent. No one checks baggage or takes other precautions like the kind that are common in airports. This may be a point to make on how today's attacks relate to the U.S. I would say that there's bad news/good news here. The bad news is that the U.S. system is much worse in terms of the level of security. In the U.K., you have the combination of some technologies like closed-circuit television, pretty good central oversight of the security and the operation of the system, as well as a pretty mature population, i.e., one that has had a bit of experience with the [violent separatists in the] IRA [Irish Republican Army]. Things like loose packages and the general sort of commuter awareness are much higher in the U.K. than they are in the United States. The good news for the U.S. is it seems pretty clear the al Qaeda presence that exists in the U.K, Germany, Spain, France, and so forth is much higher than what exists here. We probably have a greater vulnerability in terms of our mass transit system, but al Qaeda has less capability here simply because, unlike in Europe, it doesn't have the sizable indigenous population groups that support its aims. Are there further lessons for the United States? Yes. There is this notion that we can have a threat-based approach to homeland security that presumes we will receive intelligence that will allow us to raise the alert level and then put protective measures in place, timed around what we believe to be the threat. But that's just not going to work, because this is an adversary from whom we are unlikely to receive that kind of warning. Security has to be integrated into systems like our mass transit systems. I'm not talking about lock-down security, I'm talking about ongoing awareness and commuter education. A lot of it, frankly, is built around effective response. If you can't prevent these attacks--in the case of mass transit, it's very difficult to do without the law-enforcement intelligence piece of it in place because it's such an open system with so much usage--then it puts a premium on your ability to respond to these events when they happen. Government, in this case, should be judged equally not only on how it prevents the attack, but also how well it can respond. At least preliminarily, the Brits have shown a very capable response. I worry that, in New York's context, you need to have effective preventative measures in place, and we have very little in the way of ability to respond effectively to large-scale casualties in our transit system. We haven't done the drills, we haven't done the exercises, the kinds of things that the Brits do routinely. What does the London attack say about the ongoing threat? It says, especially, that the ongoing threat in Europe remains. It doesn't give us a lot of clarity about what exists here in the United States. What's likely in the U.S. context is far fewer but more catastrophic attacks. If they took three years to put a footprint down, they're not going to squander it on something that, while newsworthy, doesn't have a really disruptive impact. They're not going to risk their limited resources on a lower-end attack. The fact that it was a conventional weapons attack in London and not one using weapons of mass destruction reminds us that terrorists don't necessarily use the most sophisticated weapons available. They tend to use weapons that are more readily available. And, in the aftermath of the London attacks, it's likely that very quickly you'll see law enforcement identify the responsible parties and to start to roll up their organization. In Madrid, the group responsible for the attacks was rolled up relatively quickly. Terrorist groups have to be careful about carrying out attacks. They have to be successful, because they put their organization at high risk whenever they carry out an attack. It's impossible not to leave bread crumbs. The scale of the forensic evidence for this kind of coordinated, large-scale attack endangers an organization. It suggests that attacks, when they happen, are more likely to be of this sophisticated, coordinated nature, not a single event. Compared with the death toll on 9/11, the casualties in London make it seem a rather modest attack. This, again, is a bit of the difference between the attacks in Europe--where you have a substantial organization in place and need to do things from time to time for morale purposes--and the United States, where you're likely to see much longer intervals between attacks but more catastrophic attacks. The broader issue is that you're unlikely to receive warning and that the attacks are going to be well-coordinated, targeting critical infrastructure like our transport system. It's not all about mass casualties. And, as in this case, timing it around a political event is desirable. Someone other than I can speculate about possible links to U.S.-British relations and the war in Iraq, but one of the concerns that most of us who focus on terrorism have had is that Iraq has not diminished the threat but, rather, to an increasing extent is elevating the attacks on Western societies. In this case, it would appear it's another way to try to isolate an important ally of the United States in the war in Iraq. I expect though, politically, at least in the short term, this will increase support for Bush's war on terrorism. I think it's safe to say in the United States it will. But it's going to be a tricky issue for [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair. For the United States it could be interpreted as, "See, the terrorists are still out there, that's why we need to hold the course." From the U.K.'s perspective it will be, "See, this is the cost of being an ally to the United States." Won't you get the British stiff upper lip? I think you will get that. The first response is going to be, "We'll be damned if the terrorists are able to change our course." But the challenge here is there's so little public support already for the Iraq war in the U.K. that it makes it very difficult to rally people around it. Source: CFR --------------------------------- Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050708/048f6737/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Sat Jul 9 12:24:16 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 23:54:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Europe's Angry Muslims Message-ID: <20050709065416.52842.qmail@web30705.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Europe's Angry Muslims Robert S. Leiken Summary: Radical Islam is spreading across Europe among descendants of Muslim immigrants. Disenfranchised and disillusioned by the failure of integration, some European Muslims have taken up jihad against the West. They are dangerous and committed -- and can enter the United States without a visa.1 Robert S. Leiken is Director of the Immigration and National Security Program at the Nixon Center and a nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of Bearers of Jihad? Immigration and National Security After 9/11. AN AMERICAN CONCERN Fox News and CNN's Lou Dobbs worry about terrorists stealing across the United States' border with Mexico concealed among illegal immigrants. The Pentagon wages war in the Middle East to stop terrorist attacks on the United States. But the growing nightmare of officials at the Department of Homeland Security is passport-carrying, visa-exempt mujahideen coming from the United States' western European allies. Jihadist networks span Europe from Poland to Portugal, thanks to the spread of radical Islam among the descendants of guest workers once recruited to shore up Europe's postwar economic miracle. In smoky coffeehouses in Rotterdam and Copenhagen, makeshift prayer halls in Hamburg and Brussels, Islamic bookstalls in Birmingham and "Londonistan," and the prisons of Madrid, Milan, and Marseilles, immigrants or their descendants are volunteering for jihad against the West. It was a Dutch Muslim of Moroccan descent, born and socialized in Europe, who murdered the filmmaker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam last November. A Nixon Center study of 373 mujahideen in western Europe and North America between 1993 and 2004 found more than twice as many Frenchmen as Saudis and more Britons than Sudanese, Yemenites, Emiratis, Lebanese, or Libyans. Fully a quarter of the jihadists it listed were western European nationals -- eligible to travel visa-free to the United States. The emergence of homegrown mujahideen in Europe threatens the United States as well as Europe. Yet it was the dog that never barked at last winter's Euro-American rapprochement meeting. Neither President George W. Bush nor Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice drew attention to this mutual peril, even though it should focus minds and could buttress solidarity in the West. YOUR LAND IS MY LAND The mass immigration of Muslims to Europe was an unintended consequence of post-World War II guest-worker programs. Backed by friendly politicians and sympathetic judges, foreign workers, who were supposed to stay temporarily, benefited from family reunification programs and became permanent. Successive waves of immigrants formed a sea of descendants. Today, Muslims constitute the majority of immigrants in most western European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, and the largest single component of the immigrant population in the United Kingdom. Exact numbers are hard to come by because Western censuses rarely ask respondents about their faith. But it is estimated that between 15 and 20 million Muslims now call Europe home and make up four to five percent of its total population. [Muslims in the United States probably do not exceed 3 million, accounting for less than two percent of the total population.] France has the largest proportion of Muslims [seven to ten percent of its total population], followed by the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Given continued immigration and high Muslim fertility rates, the National Intelligence Council projects that Europe's Muslim population will double by 2025. Unlike their U.S. counterparts, who entered a gigantic country built on immigration, most Muslim newcomers to western Europe started arriving only after World War II, crowding into small, culturally homogenous nations. Their influx was a new phenomenon for many host states and often unwelcome. Meanwhile, North African immigrants retained powerful attachments to their native cultures. So unlike American Muslims, who are geographically diffuse, ethnically fragmented, and generally well off, Europe's Muslims gather in bleak enclaves with their compatriots: Algerians in France, Moroccans in Spain, Turks in Germany, and Pakistanis in the United Kingdom. The footprint of Muslim immigrants in Europe is already more visible than that of the Hispanic population in the United States. Unlike the jumble of nationalities that make up the American Latino community, the Muslims of western Europe are likely to be distinct, cohesive, and bitter. In Europe, host countries that never learned to integrate newcomers collide with immigrants exceptionally retentive of their ways, producing a variant of what the French scholar Olivier Roy calls "globalized Islam": militant Islamic resentment at Western dominance, anti-imperialism exalted by revivalism. As the French academic Gilles Kepel acknowledges, "neither the blood spilled by Muslims from North Africa fighting in French uniforms during both world wars nor the sweat of migrant laborers, living under deplorable living conditions, who rebuilt France [and Europe] for a pittance after 1945, has made their children ... full fellow citizens." Small wonder, then, that a radical leader of the Union of Islamic Organizations of France, a group associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, curses his new homeland: "Oh sweet France! Are you astonished that so many of your children commune in a stinging naal bou la France [fuck France], and damn your Fathers?" As a consequence of demography, history, ideology, and policy, western Europe now plays host to often disconsolate Muslim offspring, who are its citizens in name but not culturally or socially. In a fit of absentmindedness, during which its academics discoursed on the obsolescence of the nation-state, western Europe acquired not a colonial empire but something of an internal colony, whose numbers are roughly equivalent to the population of Syria. Many of its members are willing to integrate and try to climb Europe's steep social ladder. But many younger Muslims reject the minority status to which their parents acquiesced. A volatile mix of European nativism and immigrant dissidence challenges what the Danish sociologist Ole Waever calls "societal security," or national cohesion. To make matters worse, the very isolation of these diaspora communities obscures their inner workings, allowing mujahideen to fundraise, prepare, and recruit for jihad with a freedom available in few Muslim countries. As these conditions developed in the late 1990s, even liberal segments of the European public began to have second thoughts about immigration. Many were galled by their governments' failure to reduce or even identify the sources of insécurité [a French code word for the combination of vandalism, delinquency, and hate crimes stemming from Muslim immigrant enclaves]. The state appeared unable to regulate the entry of immigrants, and society seemed unwilling to integrate them. In some cases, the backlash was xenophobic and racist; in others, it was a reaction against policymakers captivated by a multiculturalist dream of diverse communities living in harmony, offering oppressed nationalities marked compassion and remedial benefits. By 2002, electoral rebellion over the issue of immigration was threatening the party systems of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands. The Dutch were so incensed by the 2002 assassination of Pim Fortuyn, a gay anti-immigration politician, that mainstream parties adopted much of the victim's program. In the United Kingdom this spring, the Tories not only joined the ruling Labour Party in embracing sweeping immigration restrictions, such as tightened procedures for asylum and family reunification [both regularly abused throughout Europe] and a computerized exit-entry system like the new U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator Technology program; they also campaigned for numerical caps on immigrants. With the Muslim headscarf controversy raging in France, talk about the connection between asylum abuse and terrorism rising in the United Kingdom, an immigration dispute threatening to tear Belgium apart, and the Dutch outrage over the van Gogh killing, western Europe may now be reaching a tipping point. GOING DUTCH The uncomfortable truth is that disenfranchisement and radicalization are happening even in countries, such as the Netherlands, that have done much to accommodate Muslim immigrants. Proud of a legendary tolerance of minorities, the Netherlands welcomed tens of thousands of Muslim asylum seekers allegedly escaping persecution. Immigrants availed themselves of generous welfare and housing benefits, an affirmative-action hiring policy, and free language courses. Dutch taxpayers funded Muslim religious schools and mosques, and public television broadcast programs in Moroccan Arabic. Mohammed Bouyeri was collecting unemployment benefits when he murdered van Gogh. The van Gogh slaying rocked the Netherlands and neighboring countries not only because the victim, a provocative filmmaker, was a descendant of the painter Vincent, the Dutch's most cherished icon, but also because Bouyeri was "an average second-generation immigrant," according to Stef Blok, the chairman of the parliamentary commission reviewing Bouyeri's immigration record. European counterterrorism authorities saw the killing as a new phase in the terrorist threat. It raised the specter of Middle East-style political assassinations as part of the European jihadist arsenal and it disclosed a new source of danger: unknown individuals among Europe's own Muslims. The cell in Hamburg that was connected to the attacks of September 11, 2001, was composed of student visitors, and the Madrid train bombings of March 2004 were committed by Moroccan immigrants. But van Gogh's killer and his associates were born and raised in Europe. Bouyeri was the child of Moroccan immigrant workers. He grew up in a proletarian area of Amsterdam sometimes known as Satellite City because of the many reception dishes that sit on its balconies, tuned to al Jazeera and Moroccan television. Bouyeri's parents arrived in a wave of immigration in the 1970s and never learned Dutch. But Bouyeri graduated from the area's best high school. His transformation from promising student to jihadist follows a pattern in which groups of thriving, young European Muslims enlist in jihad to slaughter Westerners. After graduating from a local college and then taking advanced courses in accounting and information technology, Bouyeri, who had an unruly temper, was jailed for seven months on a violence-related crime. He emerged from jail an Islamist, angry over Palestine and sympathetic to Hamas. He studied social work and became a community organizer. He wrote in a community newsletter that "the Netherlands is now our enemy because they participate in the occupation of Iraq." After he failed to get funding for a youth center in Satellite City and was unable to ban the sale of beer or the presence of women at the events he organized, he moved to downtown Amsterdam. There, he was recruited into the Hofstad Group, a cell of second-generation Islamic militants. The cell started meeting every two weeks in Bouyeri's apartment to hear the sermons of a Syrian preacher known as Abu Khatib. Hofstad was connected to networks in Spain, Morocco, Italy, and Belgium, and it was planning a string of assassinations of Dutch politicians, an attack on the Netherlands' sole nuclear reactor, and other actions around Europe. European intelligence services have linked the cell to the Moroccan Islamic Combat Group, which is associated with the Madrid bombings and a series of attacks in Casablanca in 2003. Its Syrian imam was involved with mujahideen in Iraq and with an operational chief of al Qaeda. "Judging by Bouyeri's and the Hofstad network's international contacts," an analyst for the Norwegian government says, "it seems safe to conclude that they were part of the numerous terrorist plots that have been unraveled over the past years in western Europe." The Hofstad Group should not be compared with marginal European terrorist groups of the past, such as the Baader-Meinhof Gang in Germany, Action Directe in France, or the Red Brigades in Italy. Like other jihadist groups today, it enjoys what Marxist terrorists long sought but always lacked: a social base. And its base is growing rapidly, thanks in part to the war in Iraq. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service [AIVD] says that radical Islam in the Netherlands encompasses "a multitude of movements, organizations and groups." Some are nonviolent and share only religious dogma and a loathing for the West. But AIVD stresses that others, including al Qaeda, are also "stealthily taking root in Dutch society" by recruiting estranged Dutch-born Muslim youths. An AIVD report portrays such recruits watching jihadist videos, discussing martyrdom in Internet chat rooms, and attending Islamist readings, congresses, and summer camps. Radical Islam has become "an autonomous phenomenon," the AIVD affirms, so that even without direct influence from abroad, Dutch youth are now embracing the fundamentalist line. Much the same can be said about angry young Muslims in Brussels, London, Paris, Madrid, and Milan. THE RANK AND FILE Broadly speaking, there are two types of jihadists in western Europe: call them "outsiders" and "insiders." The outsiders are aliens, typically asylum seekers or students, who gained refuge in liberal Europe from crackdowns against Islamists in the Middle East. Among them are radical imams, often on stipends from Saudi Arabia, who open their mosques to terrorist recruiters and serve as messengers for or spiritual fathers to jihadist networks. Once these aliens secure entry into one EU country, they have the run of them all. They may be assisted by legal or illegal residents, such as the storekeepers, merchants, and petty criminals who carried out the Madrid bombings. Many of these first-generation outsiders have migrated to Europe expressly to carry out jihad. In Islamist mythology, migration is archetypically linked to conquest. Facing persecution in idolatrous Mecca, in AD 622 the Prophet Muhammad pronounced an anathema on the city's leaders and took his followers to Medina. From there, he built an army that conquered Mecca in AD 630, establishing Muslim rule. Today, in the minds of mujahideen in Europe, it is the Middle East at large that figures as an idolatrous Mecca because several governments in the region suppressed Islamist takeovers in the 1990s. Europe could even be viewed as a kind of Medina, where troops are recruited for the reconquest of the holy land, starting with Iraq. The insiders, on the other hand, are a group of alienated citizens, second- or third-generation children of immigrants, like Bouyeri, who were born and bred under European liberalism. Some are unemployed youth from hardscrabble suburbs of Marseilles, Lyon, and Paris or former mill towns such as Bradford and Leicester. They are the latest, most dangerous incarnation of that staple of immigration literature, the revolt of the second generation. They are also dramatic instances of what could be called adversarial assimilation -- integration into the host country's adversarial culture. But this sort of anti-West westernization is illustrated more typically by another paradigmatic second-generation recruit: the upwardly mobile young adult, such as the university-educated Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker, or Omar Khyam, the computer student and soccer captain from Sussex, England, who dreamed of playing for his country but was detained in April 2004 for holding, with eight accomplices, half a ton of explosives aimed at London. These downwardly mobile slum dwellers and upwardly mobile achievers replicate in western Europe the two social types that formed the base of Islamist movements in developing countries such as Algeria, Egypt, and Malaysia: the residents of shantytowns and the devout bourgeoisie. As in the September 11 attacks, the educated tend to form the leadership cadre, with the plebeians providing the muscle. No Chinese wall separates first-generation outsiders from second-generation insiders; indeed, the former typically find their recruits among the latter. Hofstad's Syrian imam mentored Bouyeri; the notorious one-eyed imam Abu Hamza al-Masri coached Moussaoui in London. A decade ago in France, the Algerian Armed Islamic Group proselytized beurs [the French-born children of North African immigrants] and turned them into the jihadists who terrorized train passengers during the 1990s. But post-September 11 recruitment appears more systematic and strategic. Al Qaeda's drives focus on the second generation. And if jihad recruiters sometimes find sympathetic ears underground, among gangs or in jails, today they are more likely to score at university campuses, prep schools, and even junior high schools. THE IRAQ EFFECT According to senior counterintelligence officials, classified intelligence briefings, and wiretaps, jihadists extended their European operations after the roundups that followed September 11 and then again, with fresh energy, after the invasion of Iraq. Osama bin Laden now provides encouragement and strategic orientation to scores of relatively autonomous European jihadist networks that assemble for specific missions, draw operatives from a pool of professionals and apprentices, strike, and then dissolve, only to regroup later. Typically these groups target European countries allied with the United States in Iraq, as was proved by the Madrid bombings, the November 2003 attacks on British targets in Istanbul, as well as the lion's share of some 30 spectacular terrorist plots that have failed since September 11. In March 2004, within days of the London police chief's pronouncement that a local terrorist attack was "inevitable," his officers uncovered a plot involving nine British nationals of Pakistani origin and seized the largest cache of potential bomb-making material since the heyday of the Irish Republican Army. A few months later, Scotland Yard charged eight second-generation South Asian immigrants, reportedly trained in al Qaeda camps, with assembling a dirty bomb. Three of them had reconnaissance plans showing the layout of financial institutions in three U.S. cities. Several hundred European militants -- including dozens of second-generation Dutch immigrants "wrestling with their identity," according to the Dutch intelligence service -- have also struck out for Iraq's Sunni Triangle. In turn, western Europe serves as a way station for mujahideen wounded in Iraq. The Iraq network belongs to an extensive structure developed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, now formally bin Laden's sworn ally and the "emir" of al Qaeda in Iraq. Recently unsealed Spanish court documents suggest that at a meeting in Istanbul in February 2002, Zarqawi, anticipating a protracted war in Iraq, began to lay plans for a two-way underground railway to send European recruits to Iraq and Middle Eastern recruiters, as well as illegal aliens, to Europe. Zarqawi also activated sleeper cells established in European cities during the Bosnian conflict. A chief terrorism investigator in Milan, Armando Spataro, says that "almost all European countries have been touched by [Iraq] recruiting," including, improbably, Norway, Switzerland, Poland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. The recruitment methods of the Iraq network, which procures weapons in Germany from Balkan gangs, parallels those for the conflicts in Chechnya and Kashmir. Thanks to its state-of-the-art document-forging industry, Italy has become a base for dispatching volunteers. And Spain forms a trunk line with North Africa as well as a staging area for attacks in "al Andalus," the erstwhile Muslim Spanish caliphate. LAX POPULI Although for some Europeans the Madrid bombings were a watershed event comparable to the September 11 attacks in the United States, these Europeans form a minority, especially among politicians. Yet what Americans perceive as European complacency is easy to fathom. The September 11 attacks did not happen in Europe, and for a long time the continent's experience with terrorism mainly took the form of car bombs and booby-trapped trash cans. Terrorism is still seen as a crime problem, not an occasion for war. Moreover, some European officials believe that acquiescent policies toward the Middle East can offer protection. In fact, while bin Laden has selectively attacked the United States' allies in the Iraq war, he has offered a truce to those European states that have stayed out of the conflict. With a few exceptions, European authorities shrink from the relatively stout legislative and security measures adopted in the United States. They prefer criminal surveillance and traditional prosecutions to launching a U.S.-style "war on terrorism" and mobilizing the military, establishing detention centers, enhancing border security, requiring machine-readable passports, expelling hate preachers, and lengthening notoriously light sentences for convicted terrorists. Germany's failure to convict conspirators in the September 11 attacks suggests that the European public, outside of France and now perhaps the Netherlands, is not ready for a war on terrorism. Contrary to what many Americans concluded during Washington's dispute with Paris in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, France is the exception to general European complacency. Well before September 11, France had deployed the most robust counterterrorism regime of any Western country. Irish terrorism may have diverted British attention from jihad, as has Basque terrorism in Spain, but Algerian terrorism worked the opposite effect in France. To prevent proselytizing among its mostly North African Muslim community, during the 1990s the energetic French state denied asylum to radical Islamists even while they were being welcomed by its neighbors. Fearing, as Kepel puts it, that contagion would turn "the social malaise felt by Muslims in the suburbs of major cities" into extremism and terrorism, the French government cracked down on jihadists, detaining suspects for as long as four days without charging them or allowing them access to a lawyer. Today no place of worship is off limits to the police in secular France. Hate speech is rewarded with a visit from the police, blacklisting, and the prospect of deportation. These practices are consistent with the strict Gallic assimilationist model that bars religion from the public sphere [hence the headscarf dispute]. Contrast the French approach to the United Kingdom's separatist form of multiculturalism, which offered radical Arab Islamists refuge and the opportunity to preach openly, while stepping up surveillance of them. French youth could still tune into jihadist messages on satellite television and the Internet, but in the United Kingdom open radical preaching spawned terrorist cells. Most of the rest of Europe adopted the relaxed British approach, but with less surveillance. Now, the Madrid bombings and the van Gogh killing have strengthened the hand of engaged politicians, such as Germany's Social Democratic interior minister, Otto Schily, and the former French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who leads the governing Union for a Popular Movement. They have also prompted Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris, and The Hague to increase resources and personnel devoted to terrorism. In general, European politicians with security responsibilities, not to mention intelligence and security officials who get daily intelligence reports, take the harder U.S. line. Schily has called for Europe-wide "computer-aided profiling" to identify mujahideen. The emergence of holy warriors in Europe and the meiosis of radical groups once connected to al Qaeda have prompted several European capitals to increase cooperation on counterterrorism as well as their counterterrorism resources and personnel. Yet a jihadist can cross Europe with little scrutiny. Even if noticed, he can change his name or glide across a border, relying on long-standing bureaucratic and legal stovepipes. After the Madrid bombings, a midlevel European official was appointed to coordinate European counterterrorist statutes and harmonize EU security arrangements. But he often serves simply as a broker amid the gallimaufry of the 25 member states' legal codes. Since the Madrid bombings, the Spanish Interior Ministry has tripled to 450 the number of full-time antiterrorism operatives, and the Spanish national police are assigning a similar number of additional agents to mujahideen intelligence. Spanish law enforcement established a task force combining police and intelligence specialists to keep tabs on Muslim neighborhoods and prison mosques. Similarly, special police cells are being organized in each of France's 22 regions, stepping up the surveillance of mosques, Islamic bookshops, long-distance phone facilities, and halal butchers and restaurants. The 25 EU members have also put into effect a European arrest warrant allowing police to avoid lengthy extradition procedures. Despite widespread concerns about possible privacy abuses, several EU countries have lowered barriers between intelligence and police agencies since the van Gogh murder. Germany aims to place its 16 police forces under one umbrella. In France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, intelligence and police officers meet with officials in state-of-the-art communications centers, or "war rooms," to share information about interrogations, informant reports, live wiretaps, and video or satellite pictures. Still, counterterrorism agencies remain reluctant to share sensitive information or cooperate on prosecutions. Measures proposed in the wake of the Madrid attacks, such as a Europe-wide fingerprint and DNA database and biometric passports, remain only that -- proposals. Fragmentation and rivalry among Europe's security systems and other institutions continue to hamper counterterrorism efforts. For nearly a decade, France has sought the extradition of the organizer of several bombings in the Paris metro in the 1990s, but his case languishes in the British courts to the anguish of the Home Office as well as Paris. The new mujahideen are not only testing traditional counterterrorist practices; their emergence is also challenging the mentality prevailing in western Europe since the end of World War II. Revulsion against Nazism and colonialism translated into compassion toward religious minorities, of whatever stripe. At first, Muslim guest workers were welcomed in Europe by a liberal orthodoxy that generally regarded them as victims lacking rights. In some countries, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, that perspective spawned a comprehensive form of multiculturalism. London's version verged on separatism. While stepping up surveillance, the British authorities allowed Islamists refuge and an opportunity to preach openly and disseminate rabid propaganda. Multiculturalism had a dual appeal: it allowed these states to seem tolerant by showering minorities with rights while segregating them from, rather than absorbing them into, the rest of society. Multiculturalism dovetailed with a diminished Western ethos that suited libertarians as well as liberals. But now many Europeans have come to see that permissiveness as excessive, even dangerous. A version of religious tolerance allowed the Hamburg cell to flourish and rendered German universities hospitable to radical Islam. Now Europeans are asking Muslims to practice religious tolerance themselves and adjust to the values of their host countries. Tony Blair's government requires that would-be citizens master "Britishness." Likewise, "Dutch values" are central to The Hague's new approach, and similar proposals are being put forward in Berlin, Brussels, and Copenhagen. Patrick Weil, the immigration guru of the French Socialist Party, sees a continental trend in which immigrant "responsibilities" balance immigrant "rights." The Dutch reaction to van Gogh's assassination, the British reaction to jihadist abuse of political asylum, and the French reaction to the wearing of the headscarf suggest that Europe's multiculturalism has begun to collide with its liberalism, privacy rights with national security. Multiculturalism was once a hallmark of Europe's cultural liberalism, which the British columnist John O'Sullivan defined as "free[dom] from irksome traditional moral customs and cultural restraints." But when multiculturalism is perceived to coddle terrorism, liberalism parts company. The gap between the two is opening in France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and to some extent even in Germany, where liberalism stretched a form of religious tolerance so much so that it allowed the Hamburg cell to turn prayer rooms into war rooms with cocky immunity from the German police. Yet it is far from clear whether top-down policies will work without bottom-up adjustments in social attitudes. Can Muslims become Europeans without Europe opening its social and political circles to them? So far, it appears that absolute assimilationism has failed in France, but so has segregation in Germany and multiculturalism in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Could there be another way? The French ban the headscarf in public schools; the Germans ban it among public employees. The British celebrate it. The Americans tolerate it. Given the United States' comparatively happier record of integrating immigrants, one may wonder whether the mixed U.S. approach -- separating religion from politics without placing a wall between them, helping immigrants slowly adapt but allowing them relative cultural autonomy -- could inspire Europeans to chart a new course between an increasingly hazardous multiculturalism and a naked secularism that estranges Muslims and other believers. One thing is certain: if only for the sake of counterterrorism, Europe needs to develop an integration policy that works. But that will not happen overnight. Indeed, the fissure between liberalism and multiculturalism is opening just as the continent undergoes its most momentous population shift since Asian tribes pushed westward in the first Christian millennium. Immigration obviously hits a national security nerve, but it also raises economic and demographic questions: how to cope with a demonstrably aging population; how to maintain social cohesion as Christianity declines and both secularism and Islam climb; whether the EU should exercise sovereignty over borders and citizenship; and what the accession of Turkey, with its 70 million Muslims, would mean for the EU. Moreover, European mujahideen do not threaten only the Old World; they also pose an immediate danger to the United States. A FINER SIEVE The United States' relative success in assimilating its own Muslim immigrants means that its border security must be more vigilant. To strike at the United States, al Qaeda counts less on domestic sleeper cells than on foreign infiltration. As a 9/11 Commission staff report put it, al Qaeda faces "a travel problem": How can it move its mujahideen from hatchery to target? Europe's mujahideen may represent a solution. The New York Times has reported that bin Laden has outsourced planning for the next spectacular attack on the United States to an "external planning node." Chances are it is based in Europe and will deploy European citizens. European countries generally accord citizenship to immigrants born on their soil, and so potential European jihadists are entitled to European passports, allowing them visa-free travel to the United States and entry without an interview. The members of the Hamburg cell that captained the September 11 attacks came by air from Europe and were treated by the State Department as travelers on the Visa Waiver Program [VWP], just like Moussaoui and Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. Does that mean the VWP should be scrapped altogether, as some members of Congress are asking? By no means. The State Department is already straining to enforce stricter post-September 11 visa-screening measures, which involve longer interviews, more staff, and more delays. Terminating the VWP would exact steep bureaucratic and diplomatic costs, and rile the United States' remaining European friends. Instead, the United States should update the criteria used in the periodic reviews of VWP countries, taking into account terrorist recruiting and evaluating passport procedures. These reviews could utilize task forces set up in collaboration with the Europeans. Together, U.S. and European authorities should insist that the airlines require U.S.-bound transatlantic travelers to submit passport information when purchasing tickets. Such a measure would give the new U.S. National Targeting Center time to check potential entrants without delaying flight departures. And officers should be stationed at check-in counters to weed out suspects. Europe's emerging mujahideen endanger the entire Western world. Collaboration in taming Muslim rancor or at least in keeping European jihadists off U.S.-bound airplanes could help reconcile estranged allies. A shared threat and a mutual interest should engage media, policymakers, and the public on both sides of the Atlantic. To concentrate their minds on common dangers and solutions might come as a bittersweet relief to Europeans and Americans after their recent disagreements. Source: CFR __________________________________________________ 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/20050708/ec95c416/attachment.html From swamivandana at yahoo.com Mon Jul 11 22:05:59 2005 From: swamivandana at yahoo.com (vandana swami) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 09:35:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] railway posting Message-ID: <20050711163559.21307.qmail@web60322.mail.yahoo.com> TRAVE ‘LOG’ UE: A MID- 19TH CENTURY JOURNEY OF THE TIMBER LOG FROM THE FORESTS OF KHANDESH TO THE RAILWAY TRACK In this piece of writing, I would like to think about some of the archival materials that I was able to locate in the Maharashtra State Archives on the themes of wood, timber logs and forests in mid to late 19th century western and central India in the context of railway construction. I would be discussing John Blackwell’s Report on the Survey of Forests of Khandesh, written on 4th June 1857. As I have mentioned in my previous postings, the reason for discussing these themes is that several important critiques of colonialism can be attempted through a critical discussion of discourses and activities centered around wood, timber logs and forests. Through such engagement, one can begin to approach the loopholes inherent in the terrain of environmental history of India, both in terms of what all constitutes the subject-matter of environmental history as well as, in light of the former, what productive and useful directions can an Indian environmental history take in the future. This report, written by John Blackwell, a railway engineer, is a very interesting and informative document from the colonial archive embodying and laying bare several contradictions inherent in colonial discourses. An extremely detailed and minutely observed survey report, this survey document had been commissioned by W Langdon Esquire, Secretary to the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company, in order to assess the scope and extent of the availability of quality timber and other fine woods to be used for railway sleepers from the forests of Khandesh. One of the first things that emerges from a reading of this report is a very clear sense of a precisely mapped geography, as for instance in the following sentence “ .on 27th January last, I placed myself in communication with Mr. Mansfield, the Collector of Candeish – it was then arranged that I should meet that gentleman at Shada – a place lying N W from Dhoolia, distant about 60 miles ..” (pg 565-566, Blackwell’s Report). It seems evident that the local terrain has been well-traveled and well-traversed by the colonial officials, such that they are able to have a good ground sense of both their own whereabouts and also the whereabouts of where and how good timber can be found. For example, as Blackwell writes, “ ..this place (Dhoolia) is the residence of the Mamlatdar of the Sultanpur Talooka and has a weekly timber sale which is held on every Tuesday from the month of November in one year to the month of May in the next ” (p.566). Blackwell further continues, “At Shada, I obtained from Mr. Mansfield orders on the native authorities of Tulloda, Sirpoor, Chopra, Yawul, Ravere and Buglaw to render me every assistance in the prosecution of my enquiries ..” Also reflected in this report, as in other colonial documents is the avid use of local knowledge in locating areas where good timber can be found. In the words of Blackwell, “I must bring to your notice that a peon had been placed at my service by Mr. Mansfield who had been through the forests in and bordering Candesh, and who consequently knew the country very well. This man I found useful to me in expediting my enquiries ”(pg 566). Obviously, it would be no mean task for colonial officials to traverse the thickly forested jungles of Khandesh without crucial local assistance. Blackwell continues his report and keeps his timber-search wide open. As he writes, “I left Shada on the 4th of February and reached Tulloda the same date, and witnessed the timber sales that took place there the following day Tulloda is the principal timber mart from where the supplies of Candesh are procured and lies from Dhoolia N W about 60 miles. After witnessing the timber sale, I proceed to some of the forests from where the timber is felled that is brought to that mart, viz., those of Gowallie and Sagebaree which lie distant from Tulloda in a westerly direction 30 and 40 miles respectively .”(pg 567). “I then returned to Shada from whence I proceed to the jungles of Kamtee Cotarra whilst en route to Sirpoor, the production of which I reported to be of too small dimensions for conversion into railway sleepers” (pg 568). Displaying an amazing sense of detail, Blackwell further discusses his journeys, “ From Sirpoor, I went to Palusair, a place lying north a little east of Dhoolia distant 50 miles on the Bombay and Indore Road – above Palusair in a North East direction distant 6 miles. I went to the forest of Moorud and Samneir and returned to Palusair en route to Chopra passing through the jungles of Amba, from which place I furnished a report giving the description of woods procurable from those forests.”(pg 568) The journey of the timber log from its place of origin to its destination on a railway track also comes across clearly in Blackwell’s report. As he mentions at one place in the report, “I descended from the Pal Tuppa to Ravere and proceeded to Burhampoor, where I learnt timber was collected that was cut from the forests of Sowleeghur distant from that city about 61 miles and of which I obtained an account from the Patel of Seerwal (indication of use of local knowledge again) whom I met at Burhampoor – I did not proceed to these Jungles, as I had no authority to go beyond Candeish, and the information I had received was not from a reliable source. I then returned to Dhoolia where I employed myself endeavoring to discover and induce parties to come forward for the supply of sleepers” (pg 569). Blackwell has also tried to configure the exact yield that will be generated from the forests that he is visiting. As he writes, “I have now to submit in a tabular form the probable number and description of sleepers that these jungles can afford , making a distinction between those woods that have been in use, compared with those that have not been so employed.” This way of governmentalizing the forests that Blackwell is employing is also an important instrument of colonial control over these forests. In some parts of the report, one finds Blackwell wondering about the quality of the woods he is finding, and if they don’t seem up to the mark, he displays a prescient sense of trying to find alternatives that might be useful. What seems clear from a further reading of this report is that Blackwell has really been put on a mission to locate and procure good timber from the jungles of Khandesh and that he is sparing no effort in the task assigned to him. It also emerges that forests are not open areas at this time, ready to be harvested by the colonial authorities at their own will and as and when needed. Forests are evidently the subject of power relations between colonial and native authorities. The Bheel tribals also have areas of forests demarcated for them and colonial authorities have to seek permission to enter these areas. After having accomplished the job of trying to locate timber and other fine woods, Blackwell has also been entrusted with the job of trying to find ways and means to harvest the timber and to get some sense of the market value of this wood. Once again, rising to the task, Blackwell’s ever-watchful ethnographic eye locates some fascinating details regarding the nature of labor-regime to be employed that would best yield a good and profitable return for the GIP Railway Company. As he writes, “ the system of day work is at all times objectionable and expensive, even when the nature of the work is of such a character as to keep people together under the eyes of a single supervisor. But to employ people by the day for the felling of trees would be not only very costly from the increased supervision that will have to be adopted, but the foresters are not to be depended upon in giving a regular attendance to the work by such a plan I found that no certain estimate could be arrived at shewing the value of a sleeper converted from timber so obtained.” Consequently, says Blackwell, “I turned my attention to the village system ..The village system is where the headman of a village or the headman of several villages undertake to fell, clean and drag the timber at so much for a log to certain points of the forest where the conveying away of the so collected log of wood is rendered practicable by the employment of wheeled vehicles by such a system, the value of the wood is easily ascertained, the people would go to work more willingly and more timber would be felled as they would feel themselves to be under no compulsion or restraint which will be the case under the day system.(pg 575)” Obviously, this is a situation where the colonial authorities are trying to accomplish a reversal of the authority structure, where the symbols of coercion are reversed in order to ensure compliance with colonial authority structures. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From kumartalkies at rediffmail.com Tue Jul 12 10:28:48 2005 From: kumartalkies at rediffmail.com (pankaj r kumar) Date: 12 Jul 2005 04:58:48 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Interview with a Woman Boxer Message-ID: <20050712045848.20608.qmail@mailweb33.rediffmail.com>   The body is a landscape infinite with suggestion, curiosity and incarnate possibilities. It is also a metaphor pullulating with signifiers about birth, death and all other things between. The way we care for it, nourish it, adorn it, display it, represents important statements about our culture. The space it occupies, the curves it defines; the manner of its regulation; the methods of its restraint; its fertility and sexuality: these features make the body a potent instrument for understanding. How we produce and consume the body confirms something we already suspect about culture: that control needs to be exteriorized. Representation is as important, no, more important than action. Implicit control is barely control at all: it needs concrete expression. There are few more effective and enduringly legitimate means of expression than sport. Here is the medium for absolute control: over one’s own body and over those of others - the opponents. Success in sport involves the participant in subordinating the body as completely as one can to the will of the rational mind. The body can be made to travel faster, longer, higher; it can be controlled in such a way as to exercise mastery over and bring order to the otherwise random movement of projectiles with implements or body parts. Success goes to those who can best control their bodies. Having the necessary zeal for competition and a desirable level of aggression was typically associated with men. Women who competed in sports were considered either too masculine to begin with, or likely to expose themselves to virilism - and take on masculine characteristics - during training and competition. Changes in sexual politics produced a new recognition: that the gender regime, as Foucault called it, was built in a field of power and that the gendered differences, far from being natural, were inscriptions of a set of reciprocal yet unequal power relations. Why boxing? This was the question that triggered my curiosity towards this sport. What thrill did women enjoy to be punched right on their faces? In other words, what drove women to a sport which challenged the socially sanctioned 'feminine' boundaries? The motivations vary from empowerment, self-defense, hobby and ‘I had nothing better to do’ and sometimes a violent father forcing his daughter to learn the sport so that she would not be as helpless as her battered mother. (The following interview was done with Richa Huishing. Richa has quit boxing and is currently finishing her Diploma in TV Direction at FTII, Pune. The interview looks at her views on boxing and her reaction to the sport in retrospect.) P: When you get into the ring, who defines the rules? A man or a woman? R: People into the game, people serious about it and attached to it, will define; be it a man or a woman. It doesn’t make a difference. If I’m a female and I’m into a game, if I’m serious and attached to the whole thing, if I’m involved, then it’s me. If I happen to be a man, then be it a bloody man. What difference does it make? As long as I know what the requirements are, and as long as I know what the involvement is, I will be serious about it. P: Do you think it will make a difference for the sport if there are more women coaches? R: Of course. Maybe the understanding, the mental thing. I have had a male coach and for me it was the best. It was my relationship with my coach, that’s it. If I link with a person well, if I get what I want from him, if I develop a rapport with him, if I share something special with him or if I learn from him – then he’s my coach. I didn’t feel a lack of any sensitivity or any understanding, by my coach just because he happened to be a male. He was sensitive, understanding, and very helpful. So I didn’t feel the need for a female coach. In fact being a male coach helped being an all male team was a good thing for me because the standards are high. I spar with men, I’m treated as any other. The training is expected as per masculine standards, which was one advantage. But the treatment was very feminine. I mean, I was well taken care of, being a female the chivalry thing. I enjoyed my boxing with boys more than when I was between girls. Because the boys were my friends. Anyways if I had to get into boxing again, I’d prefer it to be with guys again – because training time is not competition time. Training time is learning time. That’s the difference I guess, to train with girls and training with guys. A certain kind of “win-lose” thing when it creeps into you, your learning process gets subdued somewhere. That should not happen. And it will never happen when you’re with guys, because guys will be there to always teach you the guys with whom I’ve practiced are better than me. Physically, gamewise, techniquewise, so you learn more and there is no question of winning of losing. P: You or any boxer for that matter, would aspire to be a better and a better boxer. What would those standards be? R: Good technique, that’s it. Cool, to be cool, to be not affected, because once you’re in the ring, only you know how much affected you are. Affected as in, you are charged up. A certain kind of aloofness should be there I suppose, a certain kind of a detachment. Detachment from the consequences. From winning or losing. P: The bout gets over and you WIN. How does it feel? R: It feels great. You feel a WINNER. And you win because you don’t want to lose. It is my faltering I should say, that I have won not because of the technique, but I’ve won because I’ve wanted to win – which is a wrong way of playing a game. A game should be played with all its technique. I have played only with josh all I knew was to give a straight punch. And that was the best game for my physique and my kind of body. Because my hands are long and my height is tall and I have to make the best advantage of it. So I have to play a straight game swift on my legs and quick with my hands. That was the game for me. I’ve not developed myself as far as the game is concerned. Although all that I could do in 3 years time I’ve done it well. So that’s quite all right. But you see I have won because of fear of losing. P: What was that fear of losing? R: I just didn’t want to lose. It’s not right to lose. Or maybe it’s right to lose. I don’t know. When I have got into the ring, it’s only to win. And fortunately I have won. It’s ok, but had I lost – which I did, I lost in National Games because I was very happy. When you’re happy you cannot fight you know you need to be taut and you need to be collected. You need to be AT EDGE to win. When you’re happy, everything is so flowery and wonderful, so you cannot win. You cannot fight, rather the GRIT is not there. So maybe I lacked the grit, for that particular bout. So the point was that a certain kind of a grit should be there. Otherwise you cannot win. That’s what boxing is. P: Is it important to be in a state of mind, before you get into the ring? R: A grit. As I said, if you fists are like this, (she folds her fists) like this, you cannot win. You can only win when your fists are like this. Full and tight. If you’re not that, you cannot win. You cannot win with loose fists. P: But when you’re in the ring, how do you look at your body? is Richa Hushing a weapon, or is Richa Hushing a target? R: Richa Hushing is a stand. It means that I stand for something and it should not fall down. It is closer to a weapon obviously it is not a target. It can never be a target. But I wouldn’t even say its a weapon. It’s just a stand. It stands for something and should not fall down. And that’s the reason I’ve won maybe. The things that I stand for, it’s those things I’m defending. I think it’s just a stand. P: How do you look at your opponent in the ring? R: It’s another stand which I don’t believe in. The opponent is faceless. I’m trying to figure out a face and an identity to the opponent. You’ll see it through my films, perhaps. The “opponent exists”, it’s a very severe thing. It’s something that affects me a lot. As I’ve told you my films and my boxing and my being, is not physical. I am fighting and the fight will carry on...against something that’s very vague. That I would like to define, I would like to identify. My boxing was one attempt to identify it. My filmmaking would be another attempt to identify the thing I’m fighting against. P:What are you fighting against? R: It’s as of now very vague. Maybe a certain kind of attitude, a certain kind of lifestyle. A certain kind of a conduct of people, a crowd, a mass thing I have no words for it. Maybe that’s’ why I’m making films. P: Have you met your opponents after the bout? R:Yes. P: What does it feel like? R: That you don’t know whether they are your friends or enemies. They’re just beings and, at times you respect them, but at times you don’t know what to think about them. It’s strange to meet opponents to pretend that you’re friends. You are not. P: Did you ever hurt anyone severely? R: Yeah. P: How did you react to it? R: Not much, because every time I hurt somebody, I was hurt too...either my nose was bleeding there was no time to think about somebody else being hurt. It was tit for tat. P: But what does it feel like to be hit? R: To be hit? Nothing. You don’t feel it in the ring. Because you stand there. You had subjected yourself to that. Who the bloody hell has asked you to get into the ring? It’s your own legs! You stand there to take whatever comes. And it shouldn’t matter, because it’s fair. It’s quite fair. P: You must have seen so many boxing bouts, how do you react, when somebody gets hurt in the ring? R: Now? Now it seems madness to me. Because now I have come to a state where I think that boxing is no solution to things. There are other ways of expression that I’ve found, which are more dear to me and which are more sensible to me, than boxing. Then it was different. Then also, I don’t know how much game I saw. I don’t know actually. Maybe I was all into myself to notice the game. Or to notice anybody hitting anybody. I don’t remember registering then. But now I do register, and because I register, I think. And I think that there are better ways of expression. P: But you had a very specific reason in mind. Do you think everyone who gets into boxing has a reason? R; Yeah. For anything in life there’s a reason! It’s big thing, a big step... Somebody hitting you on face is quite a severe thing, and you take that. And you give it back. So not anybody can get into it. He/she may not be aware of it, but somewhere there is a reason. There has to be something in you that enables you to take and give those blows, physically on your face. As I’ve always told you, I’ve lived life in phases. So that was one phase. I still do not know if it’s over or not. Because I still love the game. And I love everything that it stands for, and the spirit that goes with it. And I love my coach and my other fellow members for that. But I don’t know if I’ll be able to punch. Because punching was an expression, and I’ve found another expression. P: You think boxing has helped you or it will help you make films in the future? R: It has helped me live a life it has given me an attitude. It has given a face to a faceless thing. So it has made life simpler for me. There is something vast and vague and something that I cannot yet define, but something that disturbs me a lot. And boxing helped me to deal with such a vast thing. P: Then why did you quit? R: As I said, because I got a finer way of expression. And I’m involved in that. There’s no time for boxing. If still I can manage time then perhaps I would love to be in training. And tone my skills and techniques, because still I’m technically a very bad boxer. I’m not good. I just play with my josh, but that’s not enough at national level and international level. You have to play with a cool mind. So if I learn to play with a cool mind and technique then that technique will somehow seep into my life. P: You said five minutes ago that now when you look at a bout, irrespective whether it’s male or female you find it madness? Are you trying to say you’re completely detached from this sport? R: It affects me more. No its like I cannot take it, now it becomes that intense. I don’t know. It’s intense. I’m not detached, no way I’m detached from the game, otherwise I wouldn’t be affected. I’m affected in the manner that I cannot see it. I cannot bear it. So that’s why I choose not to see it at all, I choose to remain away so that I’m not so affected that I lose my, you know, normal state of mind. (laughs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050712/10380259/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Sat Jul 9 12:29:24 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 23:59:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] London lives Message-ID: <20050709065924.35359.qmail@web30707.mail.mud.yahoo.com> London lives Mary Kaldor The best response to London’s terror attacks is to stay calm and keep a steady focus on existing, vital political issues, says Mary Kaldor. There is something perverse about globalisation. I live and work in the area of London targeted in the four explosions on Thursday 7 July. None of our phones worked for several hours and I couldn’t reach my family and close friends. Yet even before I quite realised what was happening, I was receiving emails from India, America, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and even Baghdad. This area [Holborn, Russell Square, Aldwych] soon became eerily quiet except for the sound of sirens and helicopters. Between the dozens of ambulances and fire engines, people milled around on the streets trying to get their mobiles to work. The latest tally of victims from the four bombings is more than 50 killed and 700 wounded. It is impossible to dignify this nihilistic crime by attributing political motives. It cannot be explained in terms of religion, ideology, or any rational motive, however perverted. A group calling itself “Secret Organisation of al-Qaida in Europe” claims responsibility and says it is taking “revenge” on the “British Zionist crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan”. If the claim proves accurate, what kind of revenge is it to attack the city where 2 million people marched against the war in Iraq? Surely this is not the way to get the British out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Some argue that the aim is to divide our city; the terrorists want Muslims to stay at home. They want to create an idea of jihad. But even this hypothesis implies too much rationality. The most that can be attributed to these insane criminals is a desire to be important. They have no other way to make us take notice except violence. They are small people who want a moment of global action. This is why the best reaction to this crime is to ignore it – to refuse to allow its perpetrators their moment of notoriety. Of course, it is important to strengthen protection of innocent people, and to track down the criminals and bring them before the courts. But the crime should not be allowed to derail everyday plans and projects. So far, the response from the emergency services, from political, religious and civic leaders, and from London’s population has been exemplary. They have offered solidarity to the victims and emphasised the need for Londoners to stick together. The crime has not produced terror or panic. Where possible, people are continuing with whatever was on their agenda where this is not disrupted by transport or by the hideous effects of the explosions. Will citizens and their leaders carry this insistence on normality and continuity of behaviour into the broader political arena? They face this crucial question amidst an extraordinary period in London’s, and Britain’s, history. The mobilisation around the G8 summit, the spectacular Live8 concerts, the vast protest march in Edinburgh, and the excitement generated by the Make Poverty History campaign have all generated a palpable mood of collective expectation. Then, on 6 July, the announcement that the 2012 Olympics would be held in London created a wave of jubilation. Every day for a fortnight seems to have been a global drama. Then the bombers struck, as if in an attempt to poison and derail this evolving mood. This makes it even more vital that politicians and citizens keep their balance. The G8 must retain its focus. Tony Blair is right to decide that the leaders gathered in Gleneagles should “continue to discuss the issues that we were going to discuss and reach the conclusions that we were going to reach.” Even George W Bush says that it was important to talk about debt reduction and aid for Africa – though he could not quite bring himself to use the “c-word” [climate change] and referred to a “cleaner environment” instead. The best way that those powerful men in Gleneagles could show their solidarity with London is to make historic decisions on debt reduction, aid and trade, and climate change. This consistency is also needed on other critical political issues. We need to go on thinking about Iraq, identity cards, Europe, the environment, in a way that is not swayed by these terrible events. For example, I still want to help build a peaceful and democratic Iraq, to support an inclusive government in Baghdad, and end the occupation irrespective of what happened in London. I still oppose the introduction of identity cards and want to defend civil liberties in Britain. Ken Livingstone, London’s mayor, got it right. London is a great cosmopolitan city with hundreds of languages and religions, where people keep coming “to be free, to live the life they choose, to be able to be themselves”. Most Londoners love the city for that very reason. The message of Live8 and the Olympics bid was the solidarity, pride and enthusiasm of Londoners of all classes, religions, colour or culture. The best way to respond to threats from whatever quarter – Islamic terrorists or white vigilantes – is to remember how we felt before the attacks and keep that mood alive. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com __________________________________________________ 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/20050708/8653435e/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Sat Jul 9 12:59:00 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2005 00:29:00 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Tariq Ali on London Bomb Blasts Message-ID: <20050709072900.93554.qmail@web30713.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The price of Occupation Tariq Ali During the last phase of the Troubles, the IRA targeted mainland Britain: it came close to blowing up Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet in Brighton. Some years later a missile was fired at No 10. London's financial quarter was also targeted. There was no secret as to the identity of the organization that carried out the hits or its demands. And all this happened despite the various Prevention of Terrorism Acts passed by the Commons. The bombers who targeted London yesterday are anonymous. It is assumed that those who carried out these attacks are linked to al-Qaida. We simply do not know. Al-Qaida is not the only terrorist group in existence. It has rivals within the Muslim diaspora. But it is safe to assume that the cause of these bombs is the unstinting support given by New Labour and its prime minister to the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. One of the arguments deployed by Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, when he appealed to Tony Blair not to support the war in Iraq was prescient: "An assault on Iraq will inflame world opinion and jeopardise security and peace everywhere. London, as one of the major world cities, has a great deal to lose from war and a lot to gain from peace, international cooperation and global stability." Most Londoners (as the rest of the country) were opposed to the Iraq war. Tragically, they have suffered the blow and paid the price for the re-election of Blair and a continuation of the war. Ever since 9/11, I have been arguing that the "war against terror" is immoral and counterproductive. It sanctions the use of state terror - bombing raids, torture, countless civilian deaths in Afghanistan and iraq Against Islamo-anarchists whose numbers are small, but whose reach is deadly. The solution then, as now, is political, not military. The British ruling elite understood this perfectly well in the case of Ireland. Security measures, anti-terror laws rushed through parliament, identity cards, a curtailment of civil liberties, will not solve the problem. If anything, they will push young Muslims in the direction of mindless violence. The real solution lies in immediately ending the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Just because these three wars are reported sporadically and mean little to the everyday lives of most Europeans does not mean the anger and bitterness they arouse in the Muslim world and its Diaspora is insignificant. As long as western politicians wage their wars and their colleagues in the Muslim world watch in silence, young people will be attracted to the groups who carry out random acts of revenge. At the beginning of the G8, Blair suggested that "poverty was the cause of terrorism". It is not so. The principal cause of this violence is the violence being inflicted on the people of the Muslim world. And unless this is recognized, the horrors will continue. Source: The Guardian --------------------------------- Sell on Yahoo! Auctions - No fees. Bid on great items. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050709/bf310eb8/attachment.html From urmilabhirdikar at gmail.com Tue Jul 12 19:43:27 2005 From: urmilabhirdikar at gmail.com (urmila bhirdikar) Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:43:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Late Posyting: Blagandharva -music Message-ID: I have mainly engaged with music again during this extended period. I note two observations on the same. 1 It is a learning experience to see how singers divided the three minutes (variable by a few seconds) into 'packaging' a complete performance of an item often "imitating" each other. This is the other side of the coin of the newly emerging discourse of forging a differential identity-gharana. More importantly, the strict stylistic features of gharana, in terms of the musical embellishments as well as choice of genres are at once solidified and collapsed if we look at the co-existence of the gramophone market and the concerts. (There are of course instances where a popular item from a gramophone record is demanded by concert audience, as in the case of Gauhar Jan, but there is also an awareness of the lack of taste in such a demand). By the 40s, it seems that many singers negotiate a dual identity: singing popular numbers regardless of the gharana's stylistic and generic choices, and in concerts emulating and showcasing the gharana ideals. 2 On the other hand, looking at Balgandharva and Goharbai (not Gauhar Jan), with their music at hand, there is another understanding of individuality and imitation. Balgandharva's training and a lot of compositions of his songs fall in the area of imitation: music composition, until the arrival of Master Krishnarao was a case of 'tune selection'. Balgandharva's training depended much on repeating the base tune/ bandish. Goharbai's records suggest how she imitated Balgandharva's singing, through repetition. This does not deny individual agency to their singing. My focus is on the perception of this relation between imitation and individuality: how the public sees an instance of self created music in Balgandharva's singing, and considers Goharbai as at best derivative (only imitating). Further, how this same 'imitation' was unacceptable in place of the "original', even in the heat of arguments favouring the 'real' woman enacting female roles for the sake of improved realism in theatre. The clue comes from the musicians themselves, where the performance in this (mass/market) public space is seen as losing the sight of the music per se! Regards Urmila -- I/5 Teachers' Quarters University of Pune Pune 411 007 India Ph 91 20 25697430 From urmilabhirdikar at gmail.com Tue Jul 12 19:44:30 2005 From: urmilabhirdikar at gmail.com (urmila bhirdikar) Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:44:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Late Posting: Balgandharva-music Message-ID: I have mainly engaged with music again during this extended period. I note two observations on the same. 1 It is a learning experience to see how singers divided the three minutes (variable by a few seconds) into 'packaging' a complete performance of an item often "imitating" each other. This is the other side of the coin of the newly emerging discourse of forging a differential identity-gharana. More importantly, the strict stylistic features of gharana, in terms of the musical embellishments as well as choice of genres are at once solidified and collapsed if we look at the co-existence of the gramophone market and the concerts. (There are of course instances where a popular item from a gramophone record is demanded by concert audience, as in the case of Gauhar Jan, but there is also an awareness of the lack of taste in such a demand). By the 40s, it seems that many singers negotiate a dual identity: singing popular numbers regardless of the gharana's stylistic and generic choices, and in concerts emulating and showcasing the gharana ideals. 2 On the other hand, looking at Balgandharva and Goharbai (not Gauhar Jan), with their music at hand, there is another understanding of individuality and imitation. Balgandharva's training and a lot of compositions of his songs fall in the area of imitation: music composition, until the arrival of Master Krishnarao was a case of 'tune selection'. Balgandharva's training depended much on repeating the base tune/ bandish. Goharbai's records suggest how she imitated Balgandharva's singing, through repetition. This does not deny individual agency to their singing. My focus is on the perception of this relation between imitation and individuality: how the public sees an instance of self created music in Balgandharva's singing, and considers Goharbai as at best derivative (only imitating). Further, how this same 'imitation' was unacceptable in place of the "original', even in the heat of arguments favouring the 'real' woman enacting female roles for the sake of improved realism in theatre. The clue comes from the musicians themselves, where the performance in this (mass/market) public space is seen as losing the sight of the music per se! Regards Urmila -- I/5 Teachers' Quarters University of Pune Pune 411 007 India Ph 91 20 25697430 From sastry at cs.wisc.edu Tue Jul 12 19:48:28 2005 From: sastry at cs.wisc.edu (Subramanya Sastry) Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:48:28 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] NewsRack report for June Message-ID: Here is my report for the month of June. -Subbu. NewsRack: Report for the month of June -------------------------------------- Existing implementation: http://floss.sarai.net/newsrack Browse News : http://floss.sarai.net/newsrack/Browse.do Bug fixes --------- Continuing to fix bugs and identified new ones. Fixed some relatively serious bugs with the implementation of the back end news archive. New features ------------ It is now possible to classify news from the archive. Thus far, the only way news would get added to issues and categories was during scheduled news download. But, if I added a new category or a new issue, news would get added to it only from the day it was added. I have now added a 'Reclassify News' feature by which it is possible to fetch news from the archive (selectively, or the entire archive) and use that to populate an issue or a category. I had to fix some bugs in the back-end implementation as well as do some minor redesign to enable greater modularity. The existing technique of classification is somewhat inefficient which shows up in the long time it takes to reclassify news if the entire archive is selected. This is because a lot of file I/O based communication is being done between different parts of the system. I will work to reduce some of this file I/O and make this more efficient. Student project: improving HTML-to-text filtering ------------------------------------------------- I had mentioned in my previous posting that an undergrad student was interested in working on NewsRack. Jaikishan Jalan from Dhanbad School of Mines spent about a month's time on a summer project. I asked him to work on a standalone project of improving the current HTML-to-text extractor to eliminate spurious Javascript and other content that was not geting filtered out. The way NewsRack works, a news HTML file is first processed to extract the text content -- this step is quite crucial to improving the accuracy of classification because most news HTML files have links to several related articles -- the text from these news titles will signal "false" hits for several categories. Jaikishan was unfamiliar with Java and parsing. So, I spent time with him over email, yahoo chat (and couple days in-person meeting at Bangalore) helping him with this as well as some internals of NewsRack. The HTML-to-text filter in NewsRack is based on the Swing HTML parser. Jaikishan identified why the existing HTML-to-text was allowing pieces of Javascript -- this was due to faulty parsing of Swing. He also identified a new HTML parser (htmlparser.sourceforge.net) and worked on porting the filter to use this new parser. I have since used his background work to fix the problems in the current filtering. I have decided to use the Swing HTML parser implementation because (i) it is over 3 times faster than htmlparser -- I did some benchmarking runs to determine this (ii) there is no need to distribute an additional jar file since Swing already comes with JDK. While I could have spent far less time and energy doing the detective work and re-implementing this myself, I feel it has been an useful investment since Jaikishan said he wanted to continue working on NewsRack over the semester at his University. Porting backend to MySQL ------------------------ Jaikishan and I identified a project for him -- that of developing a backend MySQL schema for NewsRack and developing a Java class to work with this. We have had some preliminary discussions about the schema design. This requires more work and we hope to have this work completed in the next couple months. The current backend uses XML files and the flat file system of the OS for (1) recording user information - id, password, concepts, categories, profiles (2) archiving downloaded news and maintaining relevant index files for future access, and (3) for storing information about classified news in various categories. Some of this is better stored in a database which will also improve the efficiency as well as reduce the in-memory resource consumption of NewsRack at the server side. Comparison with other classification techniques ----------------------------------------------- I received a suggestion that perhaps it is better to use machine learning and automatic clustering/classification techniques (Bayesian learning, latent semantic indexing, etc.) rather than use the current technique of user-specified rules. I had meant to respond to this much earlier, but, I lost track of this in between other work. I am going to respond to this shortly in a separate mail. But, briefly, while the observations are relevant and the suggestions useful, I think there is still a lot of merit to user-input in this process -- the whole idea is to identify a subset of the news world that I am interested in and re-organize that subset in a fashion that makes sense to me. Some kind of user input is inevitable in this process -- this has been one of the starting premises of this project. But, it should nevertheless be possible to synthesize this with automated learning processes -- the precise details of this synthesis requires further work -- thoughts and suggestions are welcome. From anupam_iase at yahoo.co.in Wed Jul 13 11:03:05 2005 From: anupam_iase at yahoo.co.in (anupam pachauri) Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 06:33:05 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Jinnah at IIC: What happened to Delhi Police? Message-ID: <20050713053305.87595.qmail@web8403.mail.in.yahoo.com> Kamal hei! Where is Delhi Police? I thought that DP thinks that its not OK to talk about Jinnah. Mr. Jinnah- The Making of Pakistan Documentary made by Chris Mitchell Screened at India International Centre 6.30 pm Ref: Hindustan Times, July 13, 2005 Anupam Pachauri _______________________________________________________ Too much spam in your inbox? Yahoo! Mail gives you the best spam protection for FREE! http://in.mail.yahoo.com From subasrik at gmail.com Tue Jul 12 15:36:21 2005 From: subasrik at gmail.com (Subasri Krishnan) Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 15:36:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] (no subject) Message-ID: <5ac9ecd30507120306522cd5df@mail.gmail.com> Dear Friends, I have just read and signed the online petition: "Livelihood Freedom Campaign Petition" hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/lfcp/ Please have a look and sign the petition. Subasri -- From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Wed Jul 13 16:00:35 2005 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:00:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd:Coca-Cola Threatens Top Indian Photographer with Lawsuit In-Reply-To: <6.0.2.0.0.20050712064757.01d02ec0@pop.mindspring.com> References: <6.0.2.0.0.20050712064757.01d02ec0@pop.mindspring.com> Message-ID: <35f96d4705071303303fbc1072@mail.gmail.com> An interesting Lawsuit on trade Mark --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Amit Srivastava Date: 12-Jul-2005 19:18 Coca-Cola Threatens Top Indian Photographer with Lawsuit London (July 12, 2005): The Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola company, has threatened Mr. Sharad Haksar, one of India's celebrated photographers, with a lawsuit. Mr. Haksar, a leading international photographer and winner of the 2005 Cannes Silver Lion, has placed a large billboard in one of Chennai's busiest areas - one of India's largest cities - with his own "work (which) is solely an expression of creativity." The billboard features the ubiquitous red Coca-Cola wall painting, commonly found across India. Directly preceding the Coca-Cola ad, and part of the billboard, is a dry water hand-pump, with empty vessels waiting to be filled up with water - a common scene in India, particularly in Chennai. The image can be viewed at http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2005/1077.html On July 11, 2005, the law firm of Daniel & Gladys, who represent Coca-Cola's Indian subsidiary, sent a letter to Mr. Haksar threatening him with serious legal actions unless the billboard was replaced 'unconditionally and immediately'. Coca-Cola would seek Indian Rupees 2 million (US$ 45,000) for "incalculable damage to the goodwill and reputation" of Coca-Cola, and also sought an 'unconditional apology in writing'. Mr. Haksar said, "I have no intentions of issuing any apology. Because I have not committed anything wrong. If Coke pursues this legal course, my lawyers shall take appropriate counter action." Mr. Haksar's billboard highlights the severe water shortages being experienced by communities that live around Coca-Cola's bottling plants across India. A community close to Chennai, in Gangaikondan, has already held large protests - protesting against an upcoming Coca-Cola plant. In the neighboring state of Kerala, in the village of Plachimada, Coca-Cola has been unable to open its bottling facility for the last 16 months - because the community will not allow it to. Coca-Cola is in serious trouble in India. A massive rural movement has emerged to hold the company accountable for creating water shortages and polluting the remaining water and soil. "We appreciate Mr. Haksar's efforts and we condemn Coca-Cola's attempts to silence a public discourse on the issues," said Amit Srivastava of the international campaigning organization, India Resource Center. The campaign continues to receive tremendous public support internationally and has put the Coca-Cola company on the defensive. The recently held Live - 8 concerts pulled out with negotiations with Coca-Cola over sponsorships because of public opposition, spearheaded by the India Resource Center. Coca-Cola was also banned from the Make Poverty History March as a result, on July 2, 2005, a march of close to 300,000 people in Edinburgh in Scotland. Mr. Haksar's work can be viewed at www.sharadhaksar.com For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org - ---ends--- From pz at vsnl.net Thu Jul 14 02:41:47 2005 From: pz at vsnl.net (Punam Zutshi) Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 02:41:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: dastans, indian media References: <20050711075057.46944.qmail@web80905.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <008801c587ef$7c237840$acee41db@punamzutshi> Dear Mahmood , I seem not to have received the Reader List version of your mail, but I hope it reached everyone else. Thanks for not only the details but the 'feel' of the dastans and what guided your performance. I think I feel you're quite right in deepening your understanding of the dastans before you frame it with apparent competence in the templates provided by theorists.Certainly the latter should be engaged with, but not without drawing out the structure/s of the dastans and the capacity to play with these by the dastangos themselves, and the theoretical insights they provide. The passage you reproduce from Faruqi is interesting for highlighting British preferences.Why do you think the British patronised the ones they did? I do not know more about Prof Faruqi's work but would like the ultimate triumph of virtue and justice not to iron out the earthiness , the non ethereal aspects of human behaviour ( Also the fact that these were regarded as subversive a point I will touch on later) ...Your performance gave us a view that was quite different.I am more challenged by the fickleness, the duplicity.. I feel however that what is equally important is the assumptions the authors of these texts make about the human condition -- human beings, their lives and motivations, their destiny -- The nature of illusion, the nature of truth... While the dastans speak of romantic love ( "on the surface") you also speak of 'randibaazi'......This could be a theme for study...and could you elaborate why Shibli and Thanvi felt women should be forbidden from reading these texts which you describe as subversive, it also occurs to me to ask were women present at the dastangoi. You have clubbed your responses to two different mails in one but thanks anyway.Shall respond to the latter portion later. Punam ----- Original Message ----- From: "mahmood farooqui" To: "Punam Zutshi" ; Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 1:20 PM Subject: dastans, indian media > Dear Punam, > > YOu have got me where it matters...most certainly time > for me to make amends.. > > ((Some preliminary questions for Mahmood : > What is the tone/style of the bazm and war stories > > ( razm?)? Would the > > style adopted by Mahmood and Himanshu be appropriate > > to the narration of > > these other streams?)) > > The bazm sections in the Dastans follow a set pattern, > but the pattern itself has many streams. ANy single > magician from any one side can wreak havoc on the > other side...one day it might be Bahar Jadu, who has > defected from Afrasiyab's side to Hamza'--and they are > forever defecting to the good side without it > affecting the overall strength of the sorcerers-whose > magic consists of making everyone see Bahar/spring all > around them, the smells, the breeze, the sights and > they all fall in love with her and follow her around, > enchanted. > > The pace of the bazm sections accordingly varies with > the kind of action being described...very often the > Islamic armies may attack at night, although Hamza > usually desists from surprise attacks or from pursuing > his enemies and always pardons those seeking > redemption..and then the sorcerers, unable to > distinguish friend from foe, fall upon each other, > decimating large sections of their own side... > > Then there are set piece accouts of the opening of > battles-people come forward, challenge the other side, > the bards sing accounts of their genealogy and their > valour, the naqib shouts to all to be prepared for > battle and to be willing to sacrifice their all, the > battle begins and their might be hand to hand combat > or again any particular magician may carry the > day...there is no previously set logic as to how the > battle would unfold and what would be its outcome. > > The descriptions of these battles changes therefore > with what is being described...there might be fast and > furious accounts of the swords, the battlegear, the > armoury, the weapons with a lot of room, obviously, > for alliteration and punning and rhymes... > > There might be irony, humour and scatology when the > sorcerers are in utter confusion and are falling upon > each other.. > > Accordingly, it requires a greater mastery over the > Art of narration to describe battle scenes without > succumbing to declamatory peroration...further, in > bazm scenes it is not the content(the nature of > action) that is as important as the style...for > audiences generally unattuned to the Dastanic world it > might not be as easily comprehensible or enjoyable... > > ((The magical universe is also parodied in some ways > > in some ways isn't it? > > Have you thought of Bettelheim's 'uses of > > enchantment' in this context?)) > > Certainly parody is always present around the corner > when the magical universe is being described...but on > the other hand, as in the passage we narrated about > Amar Ayyar getting trapped in a tilism where all food > turns to dust, the world of tilism can also be > presented as an object lesson, for its creators as > well as its opponents...in this particular case Amar > is reminded of his own unworthiness and smallness > because for all his cunning, for all the wealth of the > zambil(bag/pandora's box)full of goodies from Prophets > and other notables he is unable to feed himself... > > Really, eventually it depends on the Dastango and what > he wants to make of the action...the same passage or > event may be treated with sarcasm by one teller and be > filled with terror by another. > > Of course uses of enchantment would be highly useful > in apprehending the world of Dastans as would > Todorov's study of the Fantastic and Jackson's > explication of the fantasy as the literature of > subversion...I am yet to get to them for I am still > fascinated by this freewheeling run of the > imagination, the construction of an imaginary run > where the world is rearranged as the writer sees fit > which has an autonomous moral economy of its own...but > this would al be more useful once I have dwelt longer > and better at the Dastans themselves... > > it is a wondrous creation after all, as ABru says- > > Daaman-e Dasht kiya naqsh-e Qadam soon pur gul > Kis bahaaran ka yeh deewaana tamashaai hai > > > ((There is blood and violence and 'aaiyari' in these > > stories...what is the > > world view of the dastans? What do the dastans say > > about love and war and > > magic? What of the relationship between Khuda and > > Shaitan, and between their > > powers and tilism?)) > > It is difficult for me to sum up the Dastani world > view...I will reproduce a para from Faruqi's > marvellous book on it- > > ""Here virtue always prevails over vice and so does > justice over tyranny. War and peace, love and > duplicity, valour and bravery, friendship and enmity, > human prowess versus the supernatural, human knowledge > and gnosis, fate and inspiration are all themes which > meet a very sophisticated and consistent treatment, > and all daastaans contain a developed world view, > which was in every sense contrary to the one then > being imposed by the colonial order. Unlike > Daastaan-e-Amir Hamza, Fasana-e-Ajaib and Bagh-e-Bahar > (the ones patronized by the British) lack this > metaphysical, moral dimension." > > The Dastans, on the surface, are all for romantic love > as is obvious from the number of Muslims who fall for > women from the sorcerers side and vice versa...this > 'randibazi' sometimes gets Amar's goat for oftentimes > it gets in the way...but most of the action in the > Dastan is led by people falling in love then being > attacked, or in turn attacking their opponents...or > magician women betraying afrasiyab and releasing > captive Muslims...perhaps that is why both THanvi and > Shibli had forbidden women from reading this > subversive text... > > ((What is the relationship of these stories to speech > > , literature and poetry? > > Could you elaborate a little on Ghalib's view of > > these dastans? Have other > > major writers commented on these texts?)) > > The Dastans are obviously embedded in the same > literary culture where poetry was always meant to be > recited aloud...the poetry encountered in the dastans > may be of several kinds...the compositions of the > dastango himself, of his ustad or patrons, of rival > poets who may be ridiculed, there may be dohas, kabits > or quatrains from braj and awadhi, there might be > masnavis, long poems, ghazals, qasidas and even > hujus...that is satricial poems...basically poetical > interruptions, I surmise, would have servedthe same > purpose as present day song breaks...a time to refill > the huqqa to replenish the opium and to refill the > glass.. > > as far as speech is concerned, obviously the template > for many scenes was the actual spoken language..so > ofeten in scenes depicting common people or the bazar > or particular classes like dhobis, kalwars, mochis or > kumhars you find a rustic awadhi being used...but > eventually the Dastango was creating not only his own > world, but also his own language..his virtuosity lay > not in imitating the speech patterns outside but in > creating a speech that was in consonance with the > progress and pattern of his Dastan... > > We do know for sure that GHalib loved these Dastans > for he has commented in a letter how he was thrilled > because he had six cases of wine, six volumes of a > Dastan and it was raining...and he wrotea few poems > using the chief characters of Dastans...but he did not > write or elaborate much more than that about > Dastans...we can also surmise that Mir loved Dastans > but again, he has not directly commented upon it...it > is the same with other major writers...we know there > were Dastangos attached to courts but it was such a > self-evident part of the cultural life that not too > many people commented upon it formally. > > ((but have there been Dastans/ narratives > about > 'historical' events.)) > > As far as I know there haven't been any...you might > find the occasional reference to actual historical > events as such, like firangi aiyyar, but no actual > historical Dastans...they were a means purely for > secular entertainment but a mode of story telling in > which the story mattered as much as its telling. > > ((In deciding to adopt or create a certain > style...what forms of > conversation/speech went into the making of this > performance?)) > > It took us some time selecting the text...what I > wanted was to select portions that were humorous and > bawdy...but no clear narrative pattern would emerge if > I only chose those scenes...most people I read them > out, Urdudaan people, were quite pessimistic about how > much of it would appeal to the wider public...then > there were the highly Persianised introductory > remarks...traditionally there was only one Dastango > but I was apprehensive that it would get monotonous > with only one person and with two people we could > weave in a lot of simple dramatic devices...speaking > together, one person taking over from another, both > coming together, breaking the poetry into two > portions...I thought it would keep the audience > busy... > > INitially we were wondering how much imitation and > mimicry we should employ..whether we should try and > create voices of women, Kings...whether we should > overplay the seduction and underplay the terror... > > Eventually, though our rehearsals boiled down to > earmarking the portions each of us would recite...I > preferred to take the more Persianised passaged and > let Himanshu tackle the more demotic and commonspeak > portions... > > I retained the declamatory style that I am familiar > with and HImanshu brought in more subtlety and > easygoing recitation...mostly it was a foray in the > dark for while we realised the fluency of the language > on repeated readings we were unsure how it would > communicate with the audience...and we were also very > unsure about what people would understand of the story > for the narrative is vast and the number of characters > massive..there was no way we could fill the audience > up on the whole story especially since we outselves > were not fully up on it.. > > It is easier any way to identify with the ruthless > aiyyar and his shenanigans and those were the portions > we restricted ourselves up to...but the Dastans > actually come into their own when the Tilisms are at > play...and there are as many kinds of tilisms as there > are volumes...that is where the Dastans desciptive art > reaches its apogee and in future tellings we hope to > include some flavour of those as well.. > > > DER AAYAD DURUST AAYAD... > > about Rana's mails...obviously that bit about > ethnography was a bit of a joke but the point I did > want to share was where this 'thriving intellectual > culture' lay and a point that rana hasn't answered is > why it can lie all around us, in drawing rooms and in > Sarai, and not appear in the media or public > culture...is it because the media/public culture is > formed of personnel who are outside this vibrant zone > or is it that the same people may be exciting in the > drawring room but deadened in their public roles? > > In that case how do any 'crossings' happen>? ANd when > they do happen what kind of mediation is required? > Does it take 'necessary balls' to plunge into them as > is shown by the fact that Rana's piece critiquing that > public culture/media was carried in one of its leading > constituents? > > And if there is such vibrancy around us then why do > not more crossings happen? > > galiyon ko chup lagi hai > nagar bolte nahin > awwal to bolte nahin > is shahar ke log > jo bolte hain baar-e > digar bolte nahin... > > Many apologies and thanks, > for drawing me out... > MF. > > > --- Punam Zutshi wrote: > > > Mahmood, Himanshu and Sarai, Congratulations on a > > perfectly riveting > > performance at IIC! > > > > Mahmood and Himanshu seem to have pulled off a > > masterly recreation of the > > dastangoi in tandem.The feat surely lies in > > presenting a dastangoi style > > which has both originality and integrity.One finds > > it difficult to imagine > > anything but the wry and not so wry humour and > > sophistication with which the > > " tilism " stories were told. > > > > Wish though, that there was more on dastans and > > dastangoi in the limited > > time available by Prof Farooqui and Mahmood. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Punam > > > > Prof S.R. Faruqui mentioned tales in Bosnia ( was > it?) that seemed to > recount histories of wars.The Dastans you drew upon > were both very > oral and > very writerly, and fantastical.Of course there are the > 46 volumes found > in > no one library to reckon with > > Some day, you may consider contacting Dr.Roma > Chatterjee of the Dept of > Sociology, DSE who has extensively read and written > on the analysis of > narratives. Her thesis on Purulia and its oral > traditions may be of > interest.(Purulia is also home to one type of the > Chhau dance) > > (A propos the 'historical' I specifically recall from > Dr.Chatterjee's > fieldwork a song that was composed about the Damodar > Valley > Corporation's > entry into the scene...But all this is not meant to > take you too far > afield) > > You may certainly believe that what you did was > effortless but perhaps > all > your life you have prepared for this,absorbing the > language and the > world > that the dastan belongs to... that's a lot, isn't it ? > > > Some of the Farsi/Urdu usage certainly did elude me, > but when I think > of it, > I would rather that a small preface/ longish sub title > as in pre 20th > century style of titles for the uninititated be > added.( Example " In > which > the hero ....undergoes..../journeys ... et al ) > Recently, I watched an > Opera performance in Delhi which had the English > translation of the > Italian > scrolling down on large screens on either side of the > huge stage. I > think it > a huge achievement that what you accomplished was to > include the > audience in > its variety without any such intervention. > > The text certainly provides the base for the > performance but it was the > act > of storytelling that Himanshu and you undertook that > conveyed a > 'nafasat' > combined with directness, the horrific/fantastical > juxtaposed with the > scatological, a vitality that was palpable... The > bareness of the stage > was > wonderful, a wonderful foil to the emroideries and > ornaments of speech, > never taking away from the hold of the storytelling. > > Punam > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > From pukar at pukar.org.in Wed Jul 13 15:51:50 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 15:51:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] PUKAR Youth Fellowship Programme Message-ID: <000b01c58794$b1174910$3ad0c0cb@freeda> Dear Friends, PUKAR, Mumbai is happy to announce the launch of the PUKAR Youth Fellowship Programme, 2005-08. This programme seeks to encourage youth based in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to explore specific social, political, economic or cultural aspects of their neighbourhoods, and develop research skills. This programme, we believe, will build confidence in the participants, generate new knowledge, and help transform the youth's experience of the city. This Fellowship programme will create a network of 30 Senior Fellows, each of whom will work with at least 10 youth (from colleges as well as from the unorganised, even unlettered world) on a Research-Action project. At the end of the year, the Fellow will collate, and edit/ curate a text (for instance, an essay, photo-documentation or audio-recording) linked to the theme of the particular project. If you are interested in applying for the Senior Fellowship, please write to pukar at pukar.org.in, or telephone us on 5574 8152 no later than July 21, 2005. This programme is supported by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), Mumbai. Regards The PUKAR team, Mumbai 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/20050713/94566b2b/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Sun Jul 17 22:53:51 2005 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 22:53:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Don't Buy Harry Potter Books Message-ID: <35f96d470507171023538fad31@mail.gmail.com> Don't Buy Harry Potter Books Richard Stallman ============= http://stallman.org/harry-potter.html Canadians have been ordered not to read books that were sold to them "by mistake" . Read that article, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1691805,00.html then don't buy any Harry Potter books. Everyone who participated in requesting, issuing, enforcing, or trying to excuse this injunction is the enemy of human rights in Canada, and they all deserve to pay for their part in it. Not buying these books will at least make the publisher pay. Unlike the publisher, who demands that people not read these books, I simply call on people not to buy them. If you wish to read them, wait, and you will meet someone who did get a copy. Borrow that copy--don't buy one. Even better, read something else--there are plenty of other books just as good, or (dare one suggest) even better. Making Canada respect human rights will be hard, but a good first step is to identify the officials and legislators who do not support them. The article quotes a lawyer as saying, "There is no human right to read." Any official, judge, or legislator who is not outraged by this position does not deserve to be in office. On what conditions should we end this boycott? Forgiveness is called for when someone recognizes what he did wrong and acts accordingly. I think we should forgive the publisher when it 1. Recognizes that this injunction was wrong. 2. Promises not to do anything like it again. 3. Calls for changes in the law so that nobody can get such an injunction again. When I say "the publisher" I mean the principal publisher, the one that licenses out the rights for other countries such a Canada. It clearly is in a position to control what the others do, so the responsibility falls there. __ Anivar Aravind GAIA From pukar at pukar.org.in Fri Jul 15 13:23:57 2005 From: pukar at pukar.org.in (PUKAR) Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 13:23:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [announcements] PUKAR- Gender & Space: Help us improve railway lighting Message-ID: <001601c58912$614b7940$3ad0c0cb@freeda> Are you worried about the levels of lighting at your suburban Central Railway station??? Help us increase illumination at Central Railway Stations!!! Write to us at railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will convey your concerns to the CR authorities. The Gender & Space project at PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action & Research), Mumbai in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) is trying to increase the lighting levels at Mumbai suburban railway stations on the Main and Harbour lines of the CR. An article about this initiative has appeared in the Times of India, July 15th, 2005. In a study the Gender & Space Project conducted through a questionnaire among 116 women train commuters on the three lines, Western, Central Main and Central Harbour in regard to women's perception of safety, we found that lighting was among the two factors that most contribute to women's sense of safety at railway stations. The other factor was familiarity with the railway station. Further to this study, between August 2004 and January 2005, the Gender & Space project in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) conducted a comprehensive study of illumination at suburban railway stations from CST to Thane on the Main line and CST to Mankhurd on the Harbour line. Across the world women particularly have pointed to lighting as an important factor promoting a sense of increased safety and therefore access. Stations were assessed for adequacy of lighting in five areas: (1) entrances & exits, (2) ticket counter areas, (3) foot-over-bridges & staircases, (4) platforms, and (5) toilets. A report was submitted to the CR and they have been improving lighting based on our suggestions. However, we would welcome more suggestions from commuters who use these stations and have specific concerns about areas that are badly lit and constitute spaces which appear unsafe. So far, only stations upto Kurla on the Main line have been attended to but other work is in progress and we have noticed enhanced lighting at the Chembur and Govandi stations on the Harbour line. The concerned railway authorities, particularly Mr. Rajesh Patil, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, have been most helpful. For instance, the lighting on the foot-over-bridge at CST station has increased from 8 lights to 14. We are aware that lighting can be only one part of an effort towards making Mumbai city safer for its citizens. We are also aware that some citizens may actively seek the anonymity the city offers, the pleasure of being less visible and increased lighting may work against their interests. We do not advocate increased lighting in all spaces. We do however feel that functional spaces such as a railway station, which people have to use out of necessity, need to be better illuminated so that people using them feel comfortable. Please e-mail your concerns in regard to lighting at ANY CENTRAL SUBURBAN RAILWAY STATION to us at : railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will forward them to the CR authorities. 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/20050715/1ff14724/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From raviv at sarai.net Fri Jul 15 05:15:05 2005 From: raviv at sarai.net (Ravi S. Vasudevan) Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:45:05 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] CSDS seminar Bandung Revisited: Migration and International Relations in Early Postcolonial Asia by Itty Abraham Message-ID: <42D6F901.1080101@sarai.net> Centre for the Study of Developing Societies* Seminar announcement "Bandung Revisited: Migration And International Relations in Early Postcolonial Asia." Itty Abraham Itty Abraham is a fellow at the East West Center, Washington, D.C. He was formerly program director at the Social Science Research Council. He is the author of _The Making of the Indian Atomic Bomb_ and edited the forthcoming _Illicit Flows and Criminal Things: States, Borders and the Other Side of Globalization_. His current research is on the history of inter-state relations in post-colonial Asia. Date: 4 August 2005 Time: 330pm Venue: Seminar room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies Annexe building _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shireen.mirza at gmail.com Mon Jul 18 13:59:41 2005 From: shireen.mirza at gmail.com (shireen mirza) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 13:59:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ashish Nandy requires a research assistant Message-ID: <19a7e890050718012918b93e9e@mail.gmail.com> Ashish Nandy requires a research assistant for a project on Partition. The person should be based in Delhi and more importantly, should be able to read either/both Punjabi/Urdu. The project duration is for two months. Please e-mail your c.v. at— ashishnandy at gmail.com or shail at csdsdelhi.org From paul at waag.org Mon Jul 18 15:34:25 2005 From: paul at waag.org (paul keller) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:04:25 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Mike Davis on Dubai Message-ID: <250D30DE-886B-4D6D-B22A-F4CF51FD63CA@waag.org> hi all, tom dispatch has posted a short essay by mike davis on the city of dubai. should be interesting to a couple of people on this list: http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=5807 best, paul -- waag society / for old and new media | nieuwmarkt 4 | NL-1012 CR Amsterdam e: paul at waag.org | t: +31 20 557 9898 | f: +31 20 557 9880 From anjalisaga at blueyonder.co.uk Tue Jul 19 08:59:52 2005 From: anjalisaga at blueyonder.co.uk (Anjalika Sagar) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 08:59:52 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] New Course at Goldsmiths Message-ID: Exciting new course at Goldsmiths University of London Please distribute widely to interested parties. AURAL AND VISUAL CULTURES AT GOLDSMITHS NEW MASTERS DEGREE (MA) 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time This challenging new programme offers a unique opportunity to explore the ways in which different types of attention to music, phonography, broadcasting, the voice, telephony and noise have radically changed our understandings of visual and spatial cultures.The programme is set within the broader context of Visual Culture, and provides preparation for higher research in this area. This inspiring new degree course is led by Kodwo Eshun, cultural critic and author of the acclaimed More Brilliant Than The Sun : Adventures in Sonic Fiction. Teaching involves seminars, lectures, debates, workshops and group projects. Guest lecturers for 2005-6 include Kaffe Matthews, Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky, Christian Marclay and Jem Finer. The Department of Visual Cultures also offers: Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Art History, MA in Contemporary Art Theory, MRes in History of Art, and MPhil and PhD. CONTACT email admissions at gold.ac.uk email k.eshun at gold.ac.uk email kodwoeshun at blueyonder.co.uk Admissions Office Goldsmiths College University Of London New Cross, London SE14 6NW Tel 020 7919 7060 www.goldsmiths.ac.uk _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From tasneemdhinojwala at rediffmail.com Mon Jul 18 18:12:32 2005 From: tasneemdhinojwala at rediffmail.com (tasneem dhinojwala) Date: 18 Jul 2005 12:42:32 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Reunion with the dead! Message-ID: <20050718124232.10291.qmail@webmail17.rediffmail.com>  Dear All, Sorry for the delay in our posting. But happy reading anyways. For some it must be a sight men in scuffle .a man screaming at another. The Caretaker of the graveyard felt embarrassed. He had been there for a very long time but was certainly not there when Md Ejaz’s mother was buried at the graveyard 10 years back. So, he was not to be blamed. Md. Ejaz works in Jeddah as a caretaker of a factory. He couldn’t “see his mother’s face at the time of her death because of some visa problem.” His mother was buried at the Nizamuddin Kabristan. Now he was there with his brother who had visited the mother two years back but had not got the grave concretized. Now there lay somebody else and the epitaph read another name. A marble structure had come up in the period of two years. Md. Ejaz couldn’t even offer “fatiha” at his mother’s grave. Cursing his brother and himself they leave. Md. Rasool, the caretaker takes a form and defends his act “had they loved their mother they would have got it made“pacca” nobody even came to look at the grave. The number of deaths has increased and there is so little space what are we suppose to do.” *********************************************************************** The entire space has graves in a very haphazard fashion. There is no organization in the space of dead. When we as visitors of the space felt somewhat overpowered. Will it not be repulsive for the residents of the space? Five brothers in white starched kurta offering prayers at the graveyard. Death is a unifying force for this family. “Barsi” a remembrance day celebrated annually. All the sons and daughters of the dead meet. Nasim khan and his brothers and sisters meet every year to celebrate their father’s Barsi. His father had always wanted his family to stay united. The dead’s wishes are their command and a ritual to be followed every year. Qurankhani, is followed by a gala food distribution ceremony. The evening is for the family. No longer a family affair, barsi is a gathering where the family displays its unification. Everything is on display; the healthiest maulana of the town is called to conduct the ceremony. Members of the extended samaj meet and discuss everything from politics to economics but the principles of the dead. *********************************************************************** So what kind of remembrance? An obituary written in the paper “I have all your things at the place you had left .I will join you soon my daughter ..she left us when she was 18” ####################################################################### The other side....... Crows circle the hot afternoon sky,amidst black clouds of smoke. Beads of perspiration flow down waiting faces of relatives.The wait is for the body to burn down completely.Etiquette requires them to stay for atleast some more time.But the blistering summer heat desires the cool confines of their air-conditioned drawing rooms. But they have to wait. Their impatience is evident.And Panditji is not too happy with this behaviour of the present generation towards their dead. "This is what makes my blood boil',says he.Gone are the days when the kith and kin of the dead would wait the whole day for all the rituals to get over.But now,no more.These people want everything to be done instantly,as if its maggi noodles! We muse.Isnt the world today of'sick hurry and divided aims'? This conflict between generations will never end.Even if it concerns their dead. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/1bd6a7ed/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:02:50 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:32:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Primrose Path to Paradise:Cowasjee Message-ID: <20050718093250.44609.qmail@web30705.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The primrose path to paradise By Ardeshir Cowasjee THIS world now has more than its fair share of trials and tribulations, of “blood, blood, destruction, destruction” (to use Osama bin Laden’s famous phrase), and it is undeniable that for the past decade or so Pakistan has made its due contribution. Our governments and army have valiantly supported groups such as the Taliban, ostracized by the rest of the world, Ziaul Haq’s expedient brand of Islamization has rotted the core of the nation and in no mean way furthered the breakdown of law and order. We should have been able to learn much about the benefits of law and order from the rule of the British Raj, but as with all that was good and valid bequeathed to us, we chose to discard the valuable law and order legacy. In post-Raj Britain, had law and order not prevailed, the IRA would have caused far more havoc than they managed to do, and thousands more would have been murdered by the discriminate bombings scattered around the entire country. The happenings of 7/7 were not the first disruptive acts of British Muslims of Pakistani descent. Britain’s first Muslim suicide bomber was Mohammed Bilal of the Jaish-i-Mohammed who on Christmas Day 2000 rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into an Indian military post in Kashmir. In April 2003, Asif Hanif and Omar Sharif walked into a jazz club in the high security vicinity of the US embassy in Tel Aviv, detonated their bombs, and killed three clubbers. Hanif was blown up, the other managed to flee but was found dead in the sea a week later. Three young British Muslims, born of Pakistani parents, achieved far more in London the week before last with blood and gore aplenty, and gained their primrose path to paradise (so they assumed was the case). Intelligence reports in Britain last year had informed the government that an estimated 10,000 youngsters were supporters of groups adhering to the policies of al Qaeda. The majority were so branded because of their attendance at a conference hosted by Hizb-ul-Tahrir, a “structured extremist organization,” as the British Home Office describes it. In addition, some 500 British citizens of mixed race have reportedly been trained in the Taliban camps in Afghanistan and the madressahs in Pakistan. The worst fallout of 7/7 will, of course, be on the unfortunate Pakistani immigrants and their descendants, the larger majority of them being law-abiding citizens, getting on with their lives, earning, educating their children, and contributing substantially to the British economy. They will suffer on account of the totally irrational and wicked beliefs of a handful of young Muslims, brainwashed and deranged. Pakistan will also suffer badly — yet again. Image-building is not an easy task, and as a result of such acts and connections, to amend the image now universally floated may be almost impossible within the foreseeable future. And the international press does not help — it reports what it sees and hears, it is not concerned with public relations. One highly damaging column written by an Iranian commentator, amir Taheri, a Muslim himself (presumably) was printed in The Times (London) on July 8. Taheri is a regular contributor on Middle Eastern Affairs. His views are open to debate, and the newspaper has invited its readers to send in e-mails via www.timesonline.co.uk/debate. According to him, “The ideological soil in which al Qaeda and the many groups using its brand name grow was described by one of its original masterminds, the Pakistani Abul-Ala al-Maudoodi more than 40 years ago. It goes something like this: When God created mankind He made all their bodily needs and movements subject to inescapable biological rules but decided to leave their spiritual, social and political needs and movements largely subject to their will. “Soon, however, it became clear that man cannot run his affairs in the way God wants. So God started sending prophets to warn man and try to goad him on to the right path. A total of 128,000 prophets were sent, including Moses and Jesus. They all failed. Finally, God sent Muhammad as the last of His prophets and the bearer of His ultimate message, Islam. With the advent of Islam all previous religions were ‘abrogated’ (mansukh), and their followers regarded as ‘infidel’ (kuffar). The aim of all good Muslims, therefore, is to convert humanity to Islam, which regulates man’s spiritual, economic, political and social moves to the last detail. “I would only add — and so would al-Maudoodi — that conversion is not the only option. Subjugation as ‘dhimmis’ under the rule of the Islamic state is the other. “But what if non-Muslims refuse to take the right path? Here answers diverge. Some believe that the answer is dialogue and argument until followers of the ‘abrogated faiths’ recognize their error and agree to be saved by converting to Islam. This is the view of most of the imams preaching in the mosques in the West. But others, including Osama bin Laden, a disciple of al-Maudoodi, believe that the western-dominated world is too mired in corruption to hear any argument, and must be shocked into conversion through spectacular ghazavat (raids) of the kind we saw in New York and Washington in 2001, in Madrid last year, and now in London. “That yesterday’s attack was intended as a ghazava was confirmed in a statement by the Secret Organization Group of al Qaeda of Jihad Organization in Europe, an Islamist group that claimed responsibility for yesterday’s atrocity. It said “We have fulfilled our promise and carried out our blessed military raid (ghazava) in Britain after our mujahideen exerted strenuous efforts over a long period of time to ensure the success of the raid.” Those who carry out these missions are the ghazis, the highest of all Islamic distinctions just below that of the shahid or martyr. A ghazi who also becomes a shahid will be doubly meritorious.” This is all very frightening. Maudoodi was founder and first amir of the Jamaat, and there must be with us now in Pakistan millions of adherents to his cause, including his descendants, the gentlemen of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, who are on their march in the NWFP. That OBL was a disciple is even more unsettling in the light of his heroic stature with many of our youths here in Pakistan and all over what is known as the Muslim world. After he came to Pakistan in August 1947, Maudoodi concentrated on the establishment of a hard-core Islamic state and Islamized society, and he wrote profusely to explain the different aspects of the Islamic way of life and its socio-political aspects. He vociferously and violently criticized the various governments of Pakistan and their failure to transform the state. A great firebrand, he was arrested and jailed on several occasions, the last being in 1953 when he was sentenced to death by the martial law authorities on the charge of writing a seditious pamphlet on the Qadiani problem. He cheerfully expressed his preference for death to seeking clemency. “If the time of my death has come, no one can keep me from it; and if it has not come, they cannot send me to the gallows even if they hang themselves upside down in trying to do so,” he informed his adherents. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment and in 1956 he was released. Thereafter, he stomped the world preaching his ungentle and radical brand of Islam. He died in the land of the Great White Satan (surely much to his chagrin), in Buffalo, New York, in 1979 at the age of 76 — he was born a British subject. Says Taheri, disciple bin Laden believes that the West must be attacked and terrorized. Being too cowardly to retaliate, it will eventually “do what it must do”, which is to give in. The man who now calls the shots, Ayman al-Zawahiri, does not agree. His theory is that the Islamists should first win the war inside several vulnerable Muslim countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It seems we may be in for an even rougher ride than we have so far had. President General Pervez Musharraf has asked us all to follow a course of ‘enlightened moderation’. To many a mind, an enlightened mind is per se moderate, and a moderate mind per se enlightened. Be that as it may, the men he has selected to run his North-West Frontier Province government have just democratically passed the Hasba Bill. All that the general’s federal government can do is to make a reference to the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for an opinion. We must hope that the gentlemen who sit on the Bench are both truly moderate and enlightened. Source: Dawn, Karachi --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/a19f5021/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:09:14 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:39:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Suicide Bombs Potent Tools of Terrorists Message-ID: <20050718093914.45364.qmail@web30705.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Suicide Bombs Potent Tools of Terrorists Dan Eggen and Scott Wilson Washington Post Staff Writers Unheard of only a few decades ago, suicide bombings have rapidly evolved into perhaps the most common method of terrorism in the world, moving west from the civil war in Sri Lanka in the 1980s to the Palestinian intifada of recent years to Iraq today. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide attacks in the United States, suicide bombers have struck from Indonesia to India, from Russia to Morocco. Now governments throughout the West -- including the United States -- are bracing to cope with similar challenges in the wake of the deadly July 7 subway bombings in London, which marked the first time that suicide bombers had successfully mounted an attack in Western Europe. The pace of such attacks is quickening. According to data compiled by the Rand Corp., about three-quarters of all suicide bombings have occurred since the Sept. 11 attacks. The numbers in Iraq alone are breathtaking: About 400 suicide bombings have shaken Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003, and suicide now plays a role in two out of every three insurgent bombings. In May, an estimated 90 suicide bombings were carried out in the war-torn country -- nearly as many as the Israeli government has documented in the conflict with Palestinians since 1993. Yesterday, a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body inside a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad, triggering a huge fuel-tanker explosion that killed at least 54 people, according to police. The bombings in London, which killed 55 people, illustrate the profound difficulty of preventing such attacks, experts say. Intelligence officials believe the bombers, in a common pattern, were foot soldiers recruited for the occasion, young men of Pakistani and Jamaican backgrounds reared in Britain who had recently converted to radical Islam. The four bombings required no exit strategy and were pulled off with devices that apparently were made in a bathtub and were small enough to fit in backpacks. "With the exception of weapons of mass destruction, there is no other type of attack that is more effective than suicide terrorism," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert who heads the Washington office of Rand, a California think tank. "The perception is that it's impossible to guard against." The motives behind suicide bombings are often mixed. Terrorism experts and intelligence officials disagree on the extent to which political strategy and religious fervor have led to the rising frequency of such attacks. But in addition to the death toll, a key objective of such bombings is clearly to sow terror by violating deeply held cultural and religious taboos against suicide, experts say. Daniel Benjamin, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Clinton administration counterterrorism official, points to the frequent glorification of death and martyrdom by the leaders of al Qaeda and other extremist groups. In his famous fatwa , or declaration of war, against the United States in 1996, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden told U.S. officials: "These youth love death as you love life." "This is their way of saying they are much more determined than we are," said Benjamin, who co-wrote the 2002 book "The Age of Sacred Terror." "They realize we are very unnerved by this. . . . I see the spread of it as a tactic as an indication of the strength of the ideology for Muslim radicals," Benjamin said. History of Suicide Attacks The use of suicide attacks is not new. Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II tried to cause maximum damage by crashing their fighter planes into U.S. ships. Walter Laqueur, an expert in the history of terrorism, also says that, for centuries, any attack on military or political leaders was a form of suicide because the act usually occurred at close quarters and brought swift and certain death for the killer. One watershed came in 1983, when a Hezbollah operative drove his truck into the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. service members in an attack that remains the deadliest terrorist strike on Americans overseas. Hezbollah would later carry out several dozen more suicide attacks. Most experts agree that the modern style of suicide bombings first gained its greatest prominence outside the Middle East, in the island nation of Sri Lanka. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, popularly known as the Tamil Tigers, is an avowedly secular rebel movement of the country's Tamil ethnic minority. It carried out scores of suicide bombings from the late 1980s until a cease-fire in 2002. The conflict between the Tigers and the government, which is dominated by members of the Sinhalese majority, began in 1983 and claimed an estimated 65,000 lives. Though dominated by Hindus, the Tigers are predominantly ethnic and nationalist in outlook, with religion not playing a significant role in their actions. The Tigers' early and aggressive use of suicide attacks, analysts say, reflected a pragmatic calculation of the need to level the military playing field against a larger and better-equipped foe. The group created an elite force to carry out such attacks, the Black Tigers, whose members underwent rigorous training and were reportedly treated to dinner with rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran before being sent on their missions. The rebels carried out their first suicide bombing in 1987, when a captain blew himself up along with 40 government troops at an army camp in the northern part of the country. Tamil Tiger spokesmen emphasize the use of suicide attackers against military targets, but the group has also used them against political and economic targets in strikes that have cost hundreds of civilian lives. In 1991, a suspected Tamil Tiger assassinated former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Two years later, a suicide bomber killed Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa and 23 others in Colombo. Tamil Tiger suicide attackers also staged devastating strikes on the country's central bank, its holiest Buddhist shrine and its international airport. Robert A. Pape, an associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, calls the group the world's "leading instigator" of suicide attacks. In his recent book "Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism," Pape says that the group accounted for 76 of 315 suicide attacks carried out around the world from 1980 through 2003, compared with 54 for the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, and 27 for Islamic Jihad. Some analysts say the group's strategy, though reprehensible, was effective in pushing the government toward a negotiated settlement. "The suicide bombings in civilian areas, especially outside the conflict zones of the northeast, brought to the people outside the horror of the war and the vulnerability of society, " Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council, an advocacy group in Colombo, said in a telephone interview. Laqueur, the author of "A History of Terrorism" and other books, disagrees, noting that the Tigers' primary goal -- to gain power -- has not been achieved after more than two decades of bloodshed. But he said Sri Lanka does illustrate how religious extremism has not always been central to the tactic. "It's not purely a religious thing; it's fanaticism," Laqueur said in an interview from London. "It just happens that, now, we are seeing the fanaticism primarily with Islam." Iraq Is Now the Focus Even as the Tigers have abandoned suicide attacks, others have adopted the tactic as their own. In Russia, Chechen Muslim radicals have mounted at least 19 suicide operations, according to Pape's statistics, including those in one terribly deadly week last year when hundreds died in a fiery siege at a school, a bombing at a Moscow train station and the downing of two airliners. Al Qaeda has also favored suicide plots on more than 20 occasions since 1996 against the United States and its allies, including the unprecedented Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people. But for sheer volume, Iraq is now the global center of suicide terrorism. In the days before yesterday's bombing, 27 people, mostly children, died in a suicide attack staged as soldiers handed out treats, and at least 25 others were killed when 10 suicide bombers targeted vehicles in coordinated attacks in Baghdad. Though sporadic ambushes and roadside bombings began to plague U.S.-led occupation troops almost immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in April 2003, the beginning of a full-fledged insurgency is generally traced to the suicide car bombing of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad on Aug. 7 of that year. The attack, which killed 14, was followed two weeks later by a suicide truck-bomb attack that destroyed the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad and killed at least 20 people. Delivered primarily in vehicles but also by individuals wearing rigged belts or vests, suicide bombs have killed and injured thousands. Vehicular suicide bombs, in particular, are "very lethal precision weapons that . . . have significant effect wherever they're employed," said the U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq, Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston. "If we look at what it takes to drive a bomb-laden vehicle into a crowd of people, it is not that challenging to perform that function -- especially if you're willing to give your life," Alston said. Who the suicide bombers are, and what motivates them, remains much less clear in Iraq than in Israel and the occupied territories, where the attackers' identities are quickly and widely disseminated by Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities. Neither side in the Iraqi conflict has been willing or able to release detailed information on suicide bombers. U.S. and Iraqi authorities say they are certain that the vast majority of suicide bombers come from outside Iraq. But gathering forensic evidence is often impossible because of the continuing danger at bombing sites. Pape says that attacks in Iraq and elsewhere show that "the connection between Islamic fundamentalism and suicide bombing is misleading." "The logic driving these attacks is mainly a strategic goal: to compel the U.S. and other countries to remove their forces from the Arabian peninsula," Pape said. "The London attacks are simply the next step in al Qaeda executing its strategic logic." Others disagree, arguing that even if terrorist leaders have strategic reasons for choosing suicide attacks, the bombers and their families are often motivated by religious belief. Hoffman calculates that 31 of 35 groups that have used suicide bombings are Islamic. "To try to reduce it to an agenda that is purely political is to misunderstand religion," Benjamin said. "The reason that bin Laden and his followers want the U.S. out of the Middle East has religious roots." The Cult of Glorification The boys all know the way to Ahmed Abu Khalil's house, tucked along an alley in a neighborhood of the West Bank town of Atil known as Two Martyrs. Abu Khalil, 18, became its third after he blew himself up Tuesday near a shopping mall in the Israeli city of Netanya. It is safe to say Abu Khalil knew how he would be remembered here for his twilight attack outside the HaSharon Mall, which killed five Israelis, including two 16-year-old girls who were lifelong best friends. Scores more were injured in Israel's third suicide bombing this year. The neighborhood is named for two local members of Islamic Jihad, the radical Palestinian group, who died fighting in the West Bank city of Jenin in 2003. The stylized posters of young men, posing with assault rifles and draped with ammunition belts, wallpaper the city. Graffiti urges uprising. "This has given us a lot of pride, what he has done in Netanya," said Ibrahim Shoukri, 14, who used to follow Abu Khalil to prayer at the mosque. "We hope all of us will be like him." The cult of glorification -- a mix of nationalist, personal and religious fervor -- that surrounds suicide bombers has long been one of the most difficult challenges facing Israeli security officials. Religious justification taught in the more radical West Bank mosques and intense familial pride -- at least in the days immediately after the attacks -- often outweigh the Israeli deterrent measures designed to make would-be suicide bombers think twice. Judging by statistics, Israeli officials have made significant progress against suicide attacks since the start of the intifada in September 2000. At the height of the uprising in 2002, 42 suicide bombings killed 228 people. Two years later, the number had dropped to 12 bombings and 55 deaths. Israeli officials say the construction of a concrete barrier that rises 24 feet high in some places and the intensive military operations in the West Bank have helped keep suicide bombers out of Israel. In addition, the Israeli military destroys the family homes of suicide bombers, a practice human rights groups have condemned as an illegal exercise of collective punishment. Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the tactic is designed in part to counter the financial incentives offered by enemy governments -- and some nongovernmental groups in Arab countries -- which encourage the bombings. Hussein's Baath Party, for example, sent $15,000 checks to bombers' families, a lot of money in poor West Bank towns. "If you know your family will be impoverished as a result of your act, then that may affect the calculus," Gold said. In Atil on Tuesday morning, Abu Khalil left his house at 7 a.m., telling his family he was on his way to check his test scores. He never returned. The family found out about his attack from the television news. Within hours, Israeli soldiers arrived at the family home. They arrested Khalil's father, who is now in an Israeli military prison outside the northern West Bank. Why and how Abu Khalil carried out the bombing remains a mystery. "God knows how he got through the wall," said an uncle, Burhan Abu Khalil. "The Islamic Jihad organizes those things." One recent morning, Palestinian television crews filled the family courtyard. As more than a dozen teenage boys looked on, the reporters posed 14-year-old Mahmoud and 4-year-old Othman with their brother's picture, seeking their impressions. They put a black Islamic Jihad cap on Mahmoud's head. "Put the picture here on your chest," the leader of a crew instructed Othman, the videotape rolling. "What did he tell you, what did he tell you?" The boys looked nervous, confused. Finally, Mahmoud said, "He told me to pray." Wilson reported from Atil on the West Bank. Correspondents John Lancaster in New Delhi and Andy Mosher in Baghdad and researcher Robert Thomason in Washington contributed to this report. © 2005 The Washington Post Company --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/2088f92d/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:10:56 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:40:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] EUROPE: Integrating Islam Message-ID: <20050718094056.22552.qmail@web30712.mail.mud.yahoo.com> EUROPE: Integrating Islam How are western European countries reacting to their growing Muslim populations? The growth of the Muslim population in Europe--currently some 20 million of the continent's 450 million citizens and increasing fast--has highlighted the differences between conservative Islamic values and Europe's traditionally secular liberalism. The demographic shift, assimilation difficulties, and debates over issues such as head scarves and the role of women in society have occasionally sparked violent clashes. Concerns about terrorism--the July bombings in London and the March 2004 bombings in Madrid--and incidents like the November 2004 murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who criticized Islam, have forced countries to reconsider how to handle their rapidly growing Muslim communities. Thus far, experts say, no country in Europe has come up with the ideal solution. How have Muslims reacted to life in Europe? Experts say there has been a range of responses among European-born Muslims. These include: Assimilation. Some Muslims born in Europe become secularized and adjust well enough to succeed academically and financially in their countries, says Mark LeVine, associate professor of history at the University of California, Irvine, and a Middle Eastern history specialist. Some, he says, become "Muslim yuppies," join the native-born elite, and are held up as success stories for their communities. However, this group makes up only a small percentage of Muslims in Europe. Integration. Large numbers of young people live peacefully in their host countries while retaining the cultural and religious traditions of their ancestral homelands. Their parents and families--often first-generation immigrants--still have a strong influence on them. LeVine says this quiet, relatively anonymous group, while likely the biggest percentage of European-born Muslims, attracts little public or media attention. Rebellion. Some Muslims keep western society at arm's length, refusing to intermarry or mix with Europeans. Living in segregated neighborhoods with the food, culture, music, and television of their home countries, "they're there [in Europe] but not there," says Shireen Hunter,director of the Islam Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS]. Most of these Muslims are poor and live in crime-prone neighborhoods like the British council estates or the French banlieues. Experts say that some young Muslims grow alienated from both their parents' culture and the culture of Europe and seek a sense of community and identity in conservative Islam. A small percentage of these--including, perhaps, the four suspects in the London attacks--eventually embrace terrorism. Which factors are exacerbating Euro-Muslim tensions? Terrorism. The London attacks, which killed at least 52 and wounded about 700, again put a spotlight on the threat of terror in Europe. After the Madrid bombings, which killed 191 people, Spanish authorities arrested more than 100 people suspected of links to Islamic terrorism. Several of the September 11 hijackers, including Mohammad Atta, were part of the "Hamburg cell" of radicals in Germany. In recent months, members of the Iraq-based terror group Ansar al-Islam were arrested by German and Swedish authorities and accused of recruiting Muslims in Europe. Demographics. The Muslim birth rate in Europe is three times higher than that of non-Muslim Europeans, which is declining, writes Omer Taspinar, the co-director of The Brookings Institution's project on Turkey. The Muslim population has doubled in the last 10 years to 4 percent of the European Union's population. About 1 million new Islamic immigrants arrive in Western Europe every year, and by 2050, one in five Europeans will likely be Muslim. Turkey. Turkey is currently discussing entry procedures with the European Union [EU] that could allow it to join the EU in 10 to 15 years. This would increase the Muslim population in Europe by some 70 million. Some experts hope traditionally secular Turks, who have strictly enforced the separation of mosque and state in their own country, will temper Islamic radicalism on the European continent. Others say the addition of so many more Muslims will push Europe toward increasing religious radicalization. Cultural polarization. Many Christian and secular Europeans have grown increasingly wary of Muslim immigration. Meanwhile, some European Muslims respond to the perceived moral permissiveness of Western culture by trying "to assert Muslim culture aggressively and maintain the boundaries around Islam," says Akbar Ahmed, [http://academic3.american.edu/~akbar/INDEX.HTM] chairman of Islamic Studies at the American University in Washington, DC. How have European states dealt with their Muslim citizens? Generally by promoting assimilation, which has a long history in Europe. Many Europeans, who are aware of the historical repression of the Catholic Church and the divisive wars over faith that raged across Europe for centuries, see religion as a fundamentally unreasonable force, some experts say. Therefore, many Europeans don't understand why anyone would be religious and argue that governments should urge immigrants to accept the tradition of secular humanism that has held sway in most of the continent since the Enlightenment. Europeans ask, "Why do you need religion? Why can't you live like us?" says Jocelyne Cesari, a French expert on Islam who is a visiting professor at Harvard University and author of When Islam and Democracy Meet. French leaders, who enacted a ban on religious clothing in French schools in 2004, acted according to a national tradition that promotes a secular identity for all citizens, says Gilles Kepel, a French scholar of Islam and a member of the commission that supported the ban. How have European countries dealt with the practice of Islam? European countries have historically "outsourced" the funding, management, and teaching of Islam to imams and organizations from their immigrants' countries of origin, says Jonathan Laurence, visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution and co-author, with Justin Vaisse, of Islam in France: The Challenge of Integration. "Morocco, Algeria, and Turkey all have government ministries that send imams to educate their populations abroad," he says. Now, however, many European countries are trying to combat this influence and promote a more Europe-based Islamic practice. Recent efforts include the creation of Islamic Councils in France and the Netherlands to educate arriving foreign imams in European culture, the establishment of the Dublin-based European Council on Fatwa and Research, which issues opinions on modern Muslim life in Europe, and French politician Nicholas Sarkozy's proposal to use state funds to build mosques and train French imams. Do Muslims in Europe practice the same kind of faith as Muslims in their home countries? Home-grown imams, shipped to Europe, have tried to guarantee that they do, experts say. But leading thinkers like Bassam Tibi of Germany's University of Gottingen, and Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss-born intellectual and grandson of the founder of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, argue that Muslims in Europe must create a specific form of Islam that can coexist with European values. Tibi coined the term "Euro-Islam" to describe a type of Islam that embraces Western political values, such as pluralism, tolerance, and the separation of church and state. Ramadan, who is considered controversial in Muslim circles, has written that while European societies need to respect the Islamic faith, Muslims also need to engage in interfaith dialogue with their European neighbors. "The challenge today is to make Muslims understand you don't have to be less Muslim to be more European. You can be both," Ramadan said in a 2004 interview in Foreign Policy magazine. Integration, however, has to be thought of as a two-way street, says Hunter of CSIS. "Muslims need to make basic concessions to the social mores of [European] society, and society has to make room for them," she says. Do most European Muslims want the state to play more of a role in their faith? Many experts say no. "The majority of Muslims in Europe are very happy to live in secular regimes, and recognize that as a freedom they did not have in their home countries," Cesari says. "There already is a European Islam," Laurence says. "It means Muslims going about their business like everyone else." Has there been a backlash against Islam in Europe? Yes. "Almost all Western European countries have an increasingly popular anti-Muslim platform in their societies," LeVine says. Germany, France, Holland, Britain, and Italy have all seen a rise in anti-Muslim feeling and incidents in society, as well as in strongly anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant statements by politicians. Cesari says much of this is caused by Europeans erroneously linking Islam to crime. "For lots of Europeans, who associate Muslims with poor, violent ethnic neighborhoods, Islam is the cause of the problem," she says. They blame the religion and its adherents not only for social problems at home, but global trends like terrorism. Especially after 9/11 and the attacks in Madrid and London, experts say, Europe is experiencing what Cesari calls "a hardening of the discourse on Islam" on all sides of the political spectrum. When did the recent trend of Muslim immigration begin in Western Europe? A first generation of Muslims, mostly working-class laborers, came to rebuild Europe after World War II. Many immigrants arrived from former European colonies that were achieving independence. Cesari calls these immigrants "post-colonial minorities"--Pakistanis and Indians in Britain, North Africans in France, Indonesians and Surinamese in the Netherlands--who lived "on the margins of European society in territorial, cultural, and symbolic ghettos" and stayed poor. They didn't make it in the new society, and kept a "myth of return to the home country," Laurence says. What have their children done? The European-born children of the first generation immigrants have been educated in European schools, are more assertive than their parents, and speak Western languages fluently. At the same time, however, this second generation has experienced barriers to acceptance by European society, including widespread discrimination. Cesari says the discrimination occurs at every level of society, from housing to education to cultural practices. Hunter agrees. "Germans still call Turks [living] in Germany guest workers," she says. "They'll say, 'You can't be German because you don't celebrate Oktoberfest.'" Are some younger European Muslims becoming radicalized? Yes. "They feel there's no way for them to fully integrate into society, so they want to carve out their own identity," Ahmed says. Part of this process for some young Muslims is choosing a fundamentalist form of Islam over the traditional Islam of their ancestors, says Olivier Roy, a French scholar and author of Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah. "It's a reinvention of the religion, a typically born-again phenomenon. It gives a value to their uprootedness; they can say it was a benefit to lose the Islam of their grandfathers because the new form is more pure," Roy says. This process is aided by Islamist groups, some of which are funded or ideologically influenced by adherents of fundamentalist, Saudi-based Wahhabi Islam. In this manner, the frustration of poor young men is channeled into religion. How many of Europe's young Muslims are radicals? Roy estimates fewer than 10 percent of Europe's Muslims actively support radical Islamist causes, but says the result is tainting their neighborhoods. "When groups of young men in white skullcaps [i.e., traditional dress] go door to door criticizing people for not being faithful enough, it affects others," he says. In addition, Roy says, Islam is becoming a "protest identity," so even non-devout Muslims in some European countries are now demanding halal [religiously sanctioned] food in public venues to show their separation from Western societies. "Suddenly, wearing the hijab [the head covering devout women wear] became a way to resist," Cesari says. How much of the recent radicalization of young European Muslims is related to economics? Quite a lot, some experts say. "It's largely linked to the destitute neighborhoods," Roy says. Some of the suburbs, or banlieues, outside Paris that have sizable Muslim populations have a 17 percent unemployment rate, compared to a 9.4 percent national rate. These are the neighborhoods, experts say, where young Muslims are increasingly becoming radicalized. Once Muslims move out of their working-class neighborhoods and into the ranks of the middle-class, however, they tend to favor assimilation. "They aren't perceived as Muslim any more, and the vast majority isn't interested in using their religion as a social and political marker," Kepel told the New York Times in December 2004. What efforts have European countries made to reach out to their Muslim populations? The continent has been deluged with hundreds of documentaries, news stories, films, and editorials about Islam in the last few years, part of a lively debate about the religion's influence. Some British banks now advertise their compliance with rules governing Islamic banking. The German province of Saxony-Anhalt became the first in Europe to issue a sukuk, or Islamic bond, which complies with Quranic rules barring the payment or collection of interest. In Denmark, one of the most secular countries in Europe, the Quran is required reading for high-school students; the Bible is not. But experts say the new efforts do not necessarily change countries' generally assimilationist policies, or the attitudes of many of their people. --by Esther Pan --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/ff045096/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:12:50 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:42:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Al Qaida - A Fact Sheet Message-ID: <20050718094250.74820.qmail@web30710.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Al-Qaeda What is al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda is an international terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden. It seeks to rid Muslim countries of what it sees as the profane influence of the West and replace their governments with fundamentalist Islamic regimes. After al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks on America, the United States launched a war in Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaeda’s bases there and overthrow the Taliban, the country’s Muslim fundamentalist rulers who harbored bin Laden and his followers. “Al-Qaeda” is Arabic for “the base.” What are al-Qaeda’s origins? Al-Qaeda grew out of the Services Office, a clearinghouse for the international Muslim brigade opposed to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In the 1980s, the Services Office—run by bin Laden and the Palestinian religious scholar Abdullah Azzam—recruited, trained, and financed thousands of foreign mujahedeen, or holy warriors, from more than 50 countries. Bin Laden wanted these fighters to continue the “holy war” beyond Afghanistan. He formed al-Qaeda around 1988. Who are al-Qaeda’s leaders? According to a 1998 federal indictment, al-Qaeda is administered by a council that “discussed and approved major undertakings, including terrorist operations.” At the top is bin Laden. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, is thought to be bin Laden’s top lieutenant and al-Qaeda’s ideological adviser. At least one senior al-Qaeda commander, Muhammad Atef, died in the U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan, and another top lieutenant, Abu Zubaydah, was captured in Pakistan in March 2002. In March 2003, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, and al-Qaeda’s treasurer, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, were also captured in Pakistan. Where does al-Qaeda operate? We don’t know if it has a headquarters anymore. From 1991 to 1996, al-Qaeda worked out of Sudan. From 1996 until the collapse of the Taliban in 2001, al-Qaeda operated out of Afghanistan and maintained its training camps there. U.S. intelligence officials now think al-Qaeda’s senior leadership is trying to regroup in lawless tribal regions just inside Pakistan, near the Afghan border, or inside Pakistani cities. Al-Qaeda has autonomous underground cells in some 100 countries, including the United States, officials say. Law enforcement has broken up al-Qaeda cells in the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Albania, Uganda, and elsewhere. How big is al-Qaeda? It’s impossible to say precisely, because al-Qaeda is decentralized. Estimates range from several hundred to several thousand members. Is al-Qaeda connected to other terrorist organizations? Yes. Among them: Egyptian Islamic Jihad Jamaat Islamiyya [Egypt] The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Islamic Army of Aden [Yemen] Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad [Kashmir] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Salafist Group for Call and Combat and the Armed Islamic Group [Algeria] Abu Sayyaf Group [Malaysia, Philippines] These groups share al-Qaeda’s Sunni Muslim fundamentalist views. Some terror experts theorize that Al-Qaeda, after the loss of it Afghanistan base, may be increasingly reliant on sympathetic affiliates to carry out it agenda. Intelligence officials and terrorism experts also say that al-Qaeda has stepped up its cooperation on logistics and training with Hezbollah, a radical, Iran-backed Lebanese militia drawn from the minority Shiite strain of Islam. What major attacks has al-Qaeda been responsible for? The group has targeted American and other Western interests as well as Jewish targets and Muslim governments it saw as corrupt or impious — above all, the Saudi monarchy. Al-Qaeda linked attacks include: The May 2003 car bomb attacks on three residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The November 2002 car bomb attack and a failed attempt to shoot down an Israeli jetliner with shoulder-fired missiles, both in Mombasa, Kenya The October 2002 attack on a French tanker off the coast of Yemen Several spring 2002 bombings in Pakistan The April 2002 explosion of a fuel tanker outside a synagogue in Tunisia The September 11, 2001, hijacking attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon The October 2000 U.S.S. Cole bombing The August 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Al-Qaeda is suspected of carrying out or directing sympathetic groups to carry out the May 2003 suicide attacks on Western interests in Casablanca, Morocco; the October 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia; and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Plots linked to al-Qaeda that were disrupted or prevented include: a 2001 attempt by Richard Reid to explode a shoe bomb on a transatlantic flight; a 1999 plot to set off a bomb at Los Angeles International Airport; a 1995 plan to blow up 12 transpacific flights of U.S. commercial airliners; a 1995 plan to kill President Bill Clinton on a visit to the Philippines; and a 1994 plot to kill Pope John Paul II during a visit to Manila. How is al-Qaeda connected to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing? There are strong links. Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the militant cleric convicted in the 1993 plot, once led an Egyptian group now affiliated with al-Qaeda; two of his sons are senior al-Qaeda officials. And Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, who was convicted of masterminding the 1993 attack, planned al-Qaeda’s foiled attack on American airliners over the Pacific Ocean. He is also the nephew of the former senior al-Qaeda terrorist Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, who is now in U.S. custody. How is al-Qaeda funded? In several ways. Bin Laden, whose family runs a large construction company in Saudi Arabia, has provided funds from his vast inheritance, and he established companies to provide income and charities that act as fronts. Protection schemes, credit-card fraud, and diamond and drug smuggling are other possible sources of money. Donors sympathetic to al-Qaeda’s mission—many from the Persian Gulf region and reportedly including disaffected members of the Saudi royal family—channel funds to the group. How does al-Qaeda operate in the United States? Secretly. What we know about al-Qaeda’s U.S. operations comes largely from investigations into the September 11 attacks and a foiled millennial attack on the Los Angeles airport. In the federal indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui, who was apprehended before September 11, prosecutors describe how the hijackers lived in the United States for months before the attacks—renting apartments, taking flight classes, joining health clubs, and living off funds wired from overseas. Are there still al-Qaeda operatives at large in the United States? Experts suspect there are, although they don’t know how many. In February 2003, FBI Director Robert Mueller III warned that several hundred Islamist radicals with links to al-Qaeda are living in America, some of them organized into cells that are plotting future attacks. Before September 11, had al-Qaeda attacked U.S. interests? Yes, repeatedly. In 1995, a car bomb outside the Saudi National Guard building in Riyadh killed seven people, five of them Americans. In 1998, simultaneous bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. In Yemen in 2000, a small boat laden with explosives hit the destroyer U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 U.S. sailors. Other al-Qaeda plots—such as 1995 plans to simultaneously blow up a dozen American airliners over the Pacific and to reportedly crash a plane into CIA headquarters—were uncovered before they could be carried out. Is al-Qaeda the same as the Taliban? No. Al-Qaeda is an international terrorist organization; the Taliban are Afghan fundamentalists who established an Islamic republic. However, the two were closely linked. The Taliban provided refuge for bin Laden and al-Qaeda; bin Laden and al-Qaeda offered ideological guidance and financial assistance to the Taliban. Does al-Qaeda engage in forms of violence other than terrorism? Yes. Al-Qaeda has supported, trained, and fought alongside Muslim guerrillas in armed conflicts in Chechnya, the former Yugoslavia, and Uzbekistan. Does al-Qaeda have a charter or manifesto? In an al-Qaeda house in Afghanistan, New York Times reporters found a brief statement of the “Goals and Objectives of Jihad”: Establishing the rule of God on earth Attaining martyrdom in the cause of God Purification of the ranks of Islam from the elements of depravity In 1998, several al-Qaeda leaders issued a declaration calling on Muslims to kill Americans—including civilians—as well as “those who are allied with them from among the helpers of Satan.” Does al-Qaeda have an operations manual? Yes. In the early 1990s, al-Qaeda produced the Encyclopedia of the Afghan Jihad, a detailed how-to guide for using handguns, explosives, and biological and chemical weapons, in print and on CD-ROM. Materials belonging to a captured al-Qaeda operative in England detail techniques for forgery, surveillance, and espionage. How does al-Qaeda find new members? It recruits Muslim men from around the world. Many recruits have come from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Yemen, but al-Qaeda has also succeeded in attracting Muslims living in the West. Other than Afghanistan, which countries have had ties with al-Qaeda? Sudan provided a base for al-Qaeda from 1991 to 1996. Iran, which supports the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, has reportedly cooperated with al-Qaeda, some of whose members may have trained in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon. U.S. and Arab intelligence officials say that al-Qaeda operatives, including several senior leaders, found shelter in eastern Iran after fleeing Afghanistan. In May 2003, administration officials claimed that senior al-Qaeda figures were in Iran and urged Tehran to apprehend them. Did Iraq have ties with al-Qaeda? The question of Iraqi links to al-Qaeda remains murky, although senior Bush administration officials insist such ties existed. Both al-Qaeda operatives and Iraqi intelligence officers reportedly backed Ansar al-Islam, an Islamist militia fighting U.S.-backed Kurds who opposed Saddam Hussein’s government. In the 2003 Iraq war, U.S. warplanes destroyed the Ansar camps in northeastern Iraq. In February 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.N. Security Council that Iraq was harboring a terrorist cell led by Abu Musab Zarqawi, a suspected al-Qaeda affiliate and chemical and biological weapons specialist. Powell said Zarqawi had both planned the October 2002 assassination of a U.S. diplomat in Jordan and set up a camp in Ansar al-Islam’s territory in northeastern Iraq to train terrorists in the use of chemical weapons. Powell added that senior Iraqi and al-Qaeda leaders had met at least eight times since the early 1990s. Beyond that, some Iraq-watchers suspect that al-Qaeda members attended Iraq’s Salman Pak terrorist training camp. Widely circulated reports said that Muhammad Atta, a mastermind of the September 11 attacks, met an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague. And fleeing al-Qaeda members reportedly took refuge in Iraq. But U.S. officials say they doubt that the Atta meeting took place, and many experts and State Department officials say that any al-Qaeda presence in Iraq probably was in northern regions of the country beyond Saddam’s control. Some analysts say there was scant evidence of ties between al-Qaeda and Saddam’s secular regime, a claim supported by the lack of such evidence found after Saddam’s downfall. The CIA in May 2003 began an internal review of prewar intelligence reports, including those related to suspected connections between Iraq and terrorism. Does al-Qaeda have biological or chemical weapons? We don’t know, but the terror network has certainly been interested in acquiring them. U.S. officials say they found a laboratory under construction near Kandahar that seems to have been intended for developing biological weapons such as anthrax, and evidence recovered elsewhere in Afghanistan—including a videotape of dogs succumbing to unknown vapors—suggests that al-Qaeda was conducting crude chemical warfare experiments. The United States has attacked several Afghan sites where it suspected chemical weapons were being developed. And, while in the United States, the September 11 hijacker Muhammad Atta reportedly looked into obtaining a crop duster, which could be used to spray biological or chemical agents. Does al-Qaeda have nuclear or radiological weapons? We don’t know. While experts say al-Qaeda would find it difficult to steal or build an atomic bomb, the network’s interest in atomic weaponry is clear. In January 2003, British officials said that documents found in the Afghan city of Herat had led them to conclude that al-Qaeda had successfully built a small “dirty bomb”—an ordinary explosive laced with radioactive material. That tracks with an April 2002 statement by Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaeda lieutenant captured in Pakistan, who told U.S. investigators that al-Qaeda had worked on building a dirty bomb. In November 2001, bin Laden told a Pakistani newspaper that al-Qaeda had nuclear weapons. Although little evidence has surfaced to back that claim, we do know that al-Qaeda has tried to acquire nuclear bombs, materials, and know-how. Several Pakistani nuclear scientists reportedly met with bin Laden in Afghanistan in August 2001 to discuss weapons of mass destruction. Can al-Qaeda outlive bin Laden? We don’t know. Bin Laden may have planned operations to be carried out after his own death, experts say. Historically, many terrorist groups have dissolved or succumbed to infighting after key figures died. However, al-Qaeda’s structure is less centralized than these groups, and some members could launch further attacks themselves. “The network is perfectly capable of functioning without this head,” Michelle Flournoy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told the Washington Post. But Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc., says that while bin Laden’s death alone would not necessarily cause al-Qaeda’s demise, “when you eliminate the leadership of that group and don’t have training camps, I think al-Qaeda is out of business in the long term.” Source: CFR --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/61b858e9/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:14:15 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:44:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?After_the_G8_and_7/7=3A_an_age_of_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=93democratic_warming=94_?= Message-ID: <20050718094415.46158.qmail@web30705.mail.mud.yahoo.com> After the G8 and 7/7: an age of “democratic warming” Tom Nairn The conjunction of the G8 and the London bombings carries a message of democracy to the global community, says Tom Nairn. Since the 7 July attacks, London and the world have rung with slogans of depleted Britishness: steadfast grit, business as usual, we can take it [especially Londoners]. Understandable in the immediate context, these reflexes won’t do for democrats. Now more than ever, the latter should be looking for new business, and for the sea-changes offering hope of a real end to “terrorism”. The explosions were aimed both at the United Kingdom government and the military occupation of Iraq. Their timing provided an extra bonus, by deflating G8 complacency. However, tunnel-vision seems to be inseparable from terrorism. For the bomb-makers were either ignoring or [more likely] despising another, broader alternative printed on the very fabric they were attacking: one might call it “democratic warming”. A democratic warming The Madrid bombings of 11 March 2004 preceded a general election, those in London have followed a British one – the dismal, faded rubber-stamp of 5 May, equivocal enough to re-ignite demands for democratic fair-play, even inside Blair’s own party. This was followed by an interminable rehearsal for the G8 conclave at Gleneagles, designed to rebuild Tony Blair’s standing and self-image without such tiresome quibbles. New Labour’s state remains a world power, he was claiming, albeit with dwindling support from Brits themselves. Thus an increasingly pretend-democracy propped itself up by PR management of the G8 spectacle. And with good reason: for the G8 is itself a theatrical pretence – a kind of stand-in committee for pseudo-global governance. It dates from the days of cold-war détente in 1975, when it was set up to restore stability after the upsets of the 1960s, and the big oil-price rises. This precursor of neo-liberal globalisation tried to promote all-round aid and trade, notably between east and west. In those circumstances, only minimal gestures towards democracy were allowed: while desirable, it was of course never indispensable that peoples vote for the policies agreed on. We find the same gestures and tone of voice deployed in today’s G8, aimed at the sole survivor of second-world autocracy, the People’s Republic of China. Happily, the globe itself has altered in the meantime. In between the Battle of Genoa [July 2001] and July 2005’s “Make Poverty History”, the largest mass demonstrations in human history have taken place. These were for more than peace. The millions who took part on 15 February 2003 sensed something else, baffling and unattainable on the day itself – a latency approximating to what had energised people in Prague, Paris and San Francisco in 1968 – but almost inconceivably larger. After 1989 an alternative, benign spectre had begun to haunt the world; and it wasn’t from Heaven or outer space. The hearing-aids of the cold-war politicos were turned down, or in some cases off, to this democratic warming. Professionals of the pulse could hardly help knowing better: “the heart” is a metaphor, but they happen to live by it. Live Aid appeared, followed by 2005’s Live 8 and the huge white-band procession of Make Poverty History around Edinburgh. Annie Lennox sang it better than Gordon Brown ever could. Music turned into another stand-in for democracy, bent upon turning up the hearing-aids of the G8. In a society of the spectacle, one show competes with another: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had to incorporate Bob Geldof and Bono, even as the latter were trying to take over their brain cells. Although no one was going to win or lose such a contest, 2005 has shown a balance of forces unimaginable in the previous history of the G8. After George W Bush and Iraq, neo-liberalism is badly in need of song-power. Given the opportunity, people are voting against it, as in the foundation-country of modern times, the Netherlands; or determinedly opting out, as in Great Britain [modernity’s number two]. The 1989 enchantment-meter is plunging, and the Gleneagles control-room could do little to conceal this: it was no longer enough to half-heartedly join in Live 8’s warm-up choruses. A new political arena Then came the London explosions: a lifeline to exploiters of all lands, who dread “peace” [i.e. democracy] far more than war. On 8 July they woke up feeling safer, not more scared. This was a world they can count on. “Terrorism” restores healing tensions, fosters recompositions of national willpower, causes first things to be put first [e.g. identity cards], and brings indefinite postponement of wimpish tunes about unmerited poverty, reforms and rights. “Cool it!” is the coded message: equal-temperature malcontents, get back in line while more policemen are recruited. This won’t last long. Nobody should be carried away by it. But the shock may also serve to focus the minds of democrats — along the lines so forcefully proposed by George Soros in his contribution to openDemocracy’s debate [“Santiago is the next step”, 17 March 2005]. Stand-ins, substitutes and soulful simulacra are no longer enough, whether in tune or tone-deaf. The Club de Madrid’s international summit on 8-11 March 2005 and the Community of Democracies’ Santiago conference on 28-30 April lead the way towards a direct association of democratic networks and governments, potentially far more important than either G8 or its pop-cultural pressure-groups. This is because they put politics first, and acknowledge that workable democratic practice is the sole genuine enabler of both aid and trade. This is also the “common approach” that will, in the long run, disable terrorist reactions: as Soros put it, the connection is that “the lack of democracy can be a tremendous security threat to all of us”. More than most, George Soros is in a position to understand that connection. His Open Society Institute’s original goal was to foster political democracy in post-communist east-central Europe; however, success there has driven him to recognise the miserable condition of political democracy elsewhere in the world, notably in the United States [see “America after 9/11: victims turned perpetrators”, May 2004] and the United Kingdom. A supreme irony of history whisked away the emperors’ robes, just as they went on parade. The saviours turned out to be in need, not just of crowns, but of vests and underpants. What had been tolerable under cold-war conditions proved insupportable under globalisation, as much of humankind found itself exposed to free trade without democratic-national protection. In other words, after Madrid and London democracy is no longer a fine-words principle, or a noble long-range goal. It is, disconcertingly, much more like the sole technology now available for societal survival and humane development. A subterranean reclassification has accompanied the earth-shifts of post-1989, and is still finding its way into different kinds of discourse. Let’s hope the underground bangs and the bloody remains of “7/7” will help it on its way. There’s a red thread out of them, and it doesn’t lead to Kingdom Come or Baghdad, but to [again in Soros’s words] “modest but constructive operations” around the world, linked to forming a “Democracy Caucus at the United Nations to strengthen the UN’s ability to promote greater respect for human rights and the principles of an open society”. Source: Open Democracy --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/a69ea69e/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:16:02 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:46:02 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Terrorism and world politics: conditions and prospects Message-ID: <20050718094602.16417.qmail@web30713.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Terrorism and world politics: conditions and prospects Fred Halliday Terrorism demands of democratic states a careful political strategy informed by cool, patient understanding of its character and aims, says Fred Halliday. The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security to be held in Madrid around the anniversary of the massacre of 11 March 2004 will also mark exactly three and a half years since the attack by al-Qaida forces on the United States, what came to be known as “9/11”. It is now more than ten years since the first wave of assaults on western targets – from the attempt to demolish the World Trade Center [1993], to attacks in Saudi Arabia [1995] and east Africa [1998]. It is necessary to understand both when and why this campaign began, and to ask two key questions about the future: how is the struggle with terrorism going, and what are its prospects? Who is winning? The first, essential step in defining the conflict is to assess the nature of the challenge. Much is made in western rhetoric about the irrational, fanatical, even barbaric character of al-Qaida and its associates – a moral judgment and expression shared by many in the Muslim world. But in trying to explain the actions of these groups, moral outrage – or generic denunciations of “Arab” or “Muslim” extremism – needs to be replaced by cool analysis. Here, the core need is to assess the political calculations in the minds of those organising, or at least inspiring, the attacks. These are of two kinds: the rejection of western policies in west Asia and of states there allied with the west, and the ambition to seize power in a range of states, from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. To adapt Karl von Clausewitz, terrorism is the continuation of politics by other means. The footsoldiers and suicide-bombers of the current campaign may well be fanatics, but the people who direct them have a political strategy. And their vision stretches over years if not decades. This political logic explains the object and timing of terrorist attacks. 9/11 was designed, not to destroy or even seriously weaken the US, but to mobilise support for al-Qaida and its allies within the Muslim world. “11-M”, by contrast, sought to influence the politics of the target country, Spain – to punish a government involved in the western occupation of Iraq and to affect an electoral outcome. Attacks in the non-western world – the US embassy bombings in east Africa, the massacre of tourists in Bali, the attacks on shipping in Yemeni waters and on economic and political targets in Saudi Arabia – are designed to highlight the vulnerability of American and western power. How does this emphasis on the political character of the terrorist challenge help to answer the first key question: how is the struggle with terrorism going? President Bush and others emphasise successes: the removal of the Taliban from power in Afghanistan and of the Ba’athist regime in Iraq; the killing of several top leaders of al-Qaida and its allies, and the arrest of others [some perhaps held by Iran]; the likely thwarting of major terrorist operations in western Europe; and the development of new forms of counter-terrorist cooperation in Nato and the European Union. Four other factors, however, counter this “optimistic” assessment. First, very little has been done to locate and punish those involved in 9/11. The nearly 600 suspects detained in Guantànamo, and the at least hundreds more in undisclosed locations around the world, have it seems yielded little significant information. No real progress has been made in controlling unauthorised transfers of money to suspected terrorists. Second, al-Qaida is not a traditional, hierarchic organisation that can be destroyed by cutting off its leaders or attacking its bases. It is a more diffuse, even postmodern movement, acting through inspiration and informal links as much as formal control. It benefits from state support where it can [as from the Taliban in Afghanistan] but this is not vital: its militants and sympathisers often act independently, and build informal links [as in Pakistan or western Europe] through kinship networks and recruitment in prisons, mosques and lodging places. Third, the evidence suggests that the core purpose of the 9/11 attacks, to mobilise support among young, mobile and often educated Muslim males [the prime source for jihadi militants] has been successful. Moreover, the general outrage throughout the Muslim world about western policies in Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq [to name only three] has been an invaluable aid to the jihadis’ cause. As the wars in Afghanistan in the 1980s and Chechnya and Bosnia in the 1990s stimulated the recruitment of fighters to the cause, so now the war in Iraq, and all that has accompanied it – Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, Fallujah – has led to many thousands of young people volunteering for training and military operations. Fourth, many people in the Muslim world experience the approach of the United States since 9/11 as an attack on them. This is why some American analysts talk not of a “war against terror”, implying an analogy with conventional warfare that has defined timescale and a clear conclusion, but rather of a “transnational insurgency” stretching far into the future. This could spread more to regions already not immune to serious incidents, such as central Asia or southeast Asia, but it would in any case receive a massive boost if Afghanistan or Iraq collapses into civil war – a prospect that inspires Islamists across the world. Wanted: a multilayered approach These four factors in turn suggest an answer to the second key question above: what are the prospects of the struggle with terrorism? Three kinds of judgment – one negative, one positive, and one political – are possible here. First, the conflict, at its present level of violence against western and regional targets, may be more protracted than many leading western politicians are willing to admit. We are, in short, probably still in the early stages of the conflict with Islamist terrorism. The lesson even of much more contained guerrilla and terrorist struggles, such as in Ireland and the Basque country, is that they can last for decades. The Islamist challenge is more widespread and in some ways deeper-rooted than either the IRA or ETA campaigns. Its organisational flexibility and reserve of potential recruits reinforce this judgment: and it means that more attacks are likely, not only in Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Indonesia, but more of the kind that hit New York and Madrid. Second, on present form and despite a series of spectacular attacks, such a campaign cannot destroy or even seriously weaken the west. There has, it is true, been a widespread diffusion of fear that affects everyday life [and to a limited degree, business confidence] in the west. 9/11 has had an enormous effect on the American people, and European political relations with the US have significantly worsened. But the terrorist campaign has in no major way disrupted the political or economic life of western countries, nor is it likely to do so. The west will survive – provided it keeps its nerve, does not overreact, and improves in a realistic, practical manner its security and intelligence-gathering capabilities. Third, political understanding has been woefully absent from the American response to 9/11 and even from other western leaders [a marked contrast with leaders of al-Qaida and its affiliates]. To allow terrorism, an armed means of waging a political and military campaign, to define the state response is a trap into which the current US president has too easily fallen. An effective response must be far more comprehensive, imaginative, as well as more protracted, than anything George W Bush offers. It must embrace a vision of change and justice in the middle east, involving greater knowledge of that region by western policymakers and publics. It must address decisively but with care each component of what I call in an earlier openDemocracy article “the greater west Asian crisis” – Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Kashmir. It must apply understandings and policies that respect and advance the interests of people living in these territories. The Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told the United Nations in September 2004 that the fight against terrorism had to have three levels – military, political, cultural: “It is legality, democracy and political means and ways that make us stronger and [terrorists] weaker We can and must rationally analyse how [terrorism] emerges, how it grows, so as to be able to fight it rationally.” He is right. Only such a multilayered approach, underpinned by a calm determination to resist the impact of terrorist attacks over a long period of time, will allow democratic politics, principles – and citizens – to prevail. Source: Open Democracy __________________________________________________ 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/20050718/d9cb70b0/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:17:41 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:47:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?Nepal=92s_Political_Rainy_Season_?= Message-ID: <20050718094741.58071.qmail@web30715.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Nepal’s Political Rainy Season Manjushree Thapa Nepal’s democratic forces appear quiescent but beneath the surface they are gathering strength and confidence, says novelist Manjushree Thapa. Nepal’s people in their great majority, around 80%, rely on agriculture as their main source of livelihood. The seasons dictate the rhythms of life in this country. There is a season for everything here, even for political movements. As the political analyst Hari Roka explains, the country’s small commercial farmers [who constitute its political base] are mostly occupied in the monsoon months planting and weeding the year’s main crops. “The political parties cannot ask people to come out on the streets right now”, he says. And after the rains, the crops must be harvested. Then come the autumn festivals of Dashain and Tihar, when the entire country shuts down. “That lasts till mid-October”, says Roka. He explains that it is only in the following months – from November to the next year’s monsoon, in mid-June – that people have any free time. Many poorer Nepalis cross the border and work as field hands in India during this lean season. But those who remain at home, idle, can be tapped for political activism. This is why the People’s Movement, which brought Nepal democracy in spring 1990, gathered pace in the winter. Since then, the most effective street demonstrations and rallies by opposition parties – and also the armed Maoist insurgents’ bloodiest attacks – have been waged in the winter as well. Roka knows how movements move in Nepal: he spent more than seven years in jail as part of the pre-1990 democracy struggle. He says that when effecting a coup in February 2005, King Gyanendra must have previously calculated that he would have to quell his opposition only till the start of the rains: “By the end of the monsoon and the festivals, the international community will assume that Nepalis have resigned themselves to the king’s rule. Military aid will resume. The king will steer things back to business as usual.” Indeed, with the start of monsoon showers in July, Nepal has seen the release of senior democratic activists detained since February. As trade-off, presumably, India’s first allotment of military aid to the king’s regime, suspended in February, also reached Nepal. The UK and US will likely follow India’s lead, releasing “non-lethal” aid to Nepal’s military, despite the democratic forces’ ardent pleas not to. But the international community and Nepalis observe different seasons. The former will mistake a seasonal lull in political activism for acquiescence. And it will ignore the fact that there has been open evidence that the military has been violating human rights, and extending its hold over what should be civilian branches of government: the administration, the ministries, the judiciary. [There has been no parliament or other elected branch of government since 2002.] Almost every day in Nepal now, the king’s cabinet passes some new ordinance [which carries the force of law for six months]. These ordinances are invariably aimed at controlling or co-opting what used to be autonomous commissions, non-government organisations, the media and civil society groups. To use an American turn of phrase, democratic institutions are being demolished “on a war footing”. By the end of the monsoon and the autumn festivals, the king’s control over all aspects of public life in Nepal will be total. Are Nepalis doomed, then, to wait until late October before the democracy movement can gain vibrancy? I have heard a “yes” vote here in New Delhi, at a recent meeting of Nepalis living across the border to evade government harassment back home. Rajendra Mahato is a former parliamentarian and the general-secretary of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party, one of the eight political groups that have jointly called for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. He explained to a largely unaffiliated audience that the political parties fully intend to press for the restoration of democracy. “Of course, during the monsoon”, he added, “it is hard to make people come out onto the streets. We will keep up the pressure now. But the movement will intensify only after the rains.” His colleague Hridesh Tripathi said much the same in passing when I met him by chance a few days later: “The movement looks slack because it’s the season for farm work. But it will gain momentum when the rains end.” The movement so far Yet the seasons alone may not explain the present lull in the democracy movement. The movement [the present one is the third so far in Nepal’s history – the first one developed in the 1940s and the second in the 1980s] began two months after King Gyanendra sacked the last elected prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, in October 2002. Citing Article 127 of the Nepali constitution, the king appointed a cabinet of his own handpicked loyalists. [The article does not, in fact, allow the king any such authority. But legalities did not get in his way]. Numerous individual lawyers, journalists and intellectuals immediately deemed the king’s takeover unconstitutional as a matter of principle. It took the parties three months to do so. Even then, it was only the parties’ student unions who came onto the streets. The students began to demand that Nepal become a republic state, echoing a demand that only the Maoist insurgents had made so far. The parties themselves joined the movement only in February 2003. Their leaders promptly silenced the call for republicanism. In March 2003, there was a ceasefire between the king’s regime and the Maoists. The parties announced then that their movement was going to be “decisive”. Yet their protest – variously called a “stir” or an “agitation” – did not inspire ordinary Nepalis to join in. When the ceasefire broke down in August 2003 [after the military massacred nineteen unarmed Maoists detainees, sabotaging peace talks] there was a real possibility for the democratic movement to become “decisive” at last. But at this point the Indian, British and American ambassadors to Nepal visited party leaders in their homes and offices, and lobbied them not to be too confrontational with the king, lest they unwittingly strengthen the Maoist insurgents’ hand. When the parties acquiesced, and ceased their stirs and agitations, their leadership became irrevocably tainted with an air of compromise. The parties were not adhering to the principle of democracy. This compromise was further reinforced in May 2004, when the Nepali Congress Party [Democratic], the Communist Party of Nepal [United Marxist Leninist] and other parties agreed to sit in a cabinet formed by the king under Article 127. Their stirs and agitations were discredited as mere power-grabs. The Nepali Congress Party alone refused to endorse this ‘reconciliation’ with the king. Thus, when King Gyanendra formalised his coup last February, arresting thousands of party activists across the country, only the Nepali Congress Party appeared steadfast in its principles. It has since taken leadership of the democracy movement. Eight parties have now pledged to restore “full democracy”. They have asked for a return to the October 2002 parliament, which will oversee the election of a constituent assembly, which will in turn draft a new constitution. They have ignored the American ambassador’s pleas to reconcile once again with the king. And they have met Maoist leaders in India, seeking their support for a non-violent means to a new constitution. Presumably, this means that they can now be trusted not to waver on their goals. But ordinary Nepalis are loath to extend themselves just yet. “Let them come up with new, younger leaders”, a Nepali man said to me recently in a casual chat. “If the parties had new leaders we could support them. But it’s the same old people saying the same old things. Do they really expect us to believe them?” Ordinary Nepalis throughout the country echo his view. Dry roots and green shoots The political parties are, of course, the life force of the democracy movement. But they are not its only sustainers. There is in Nepal an urban elite, professionals whose lives are not dictated by the seasons. Arguably, two independent professional groups – the lawyers and the journalists – have, since February, done more to move the movement forward. Sushil Pyakurel, till last May a fiery and high-profile member of the National Human Rights Commission, has temporarily settled in Delhi, taking a hard-earned reprieve from the risks of exposing atrocities committed by both the government and the Maoists. Immediately after the February coup, his house was surrounded by the military, and all his movements were tracked. Several times he was barred from visiting the sites of alleged human rights violations. In March a group of eight United States senators – including Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein and Edward Kennedy – invited Pyakurel to Washington. The night before he was to leave, the head of the military human-rights cell called on him at home, and reminded him that he must not jeopardise Nepal’s image. The next day airport officials, who said they were acting on order, detained him at the airport. He was allowed to leave only upon the intervention of a European diplomat. Pyakurel went on to lobby in the US, Britain and Geneva for the suspension of military aid to Nepal and the passing of an Article 19 resolution at the annual meeting of the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights. At the latter meeting, he was obliged to publicly air his differences with the head of Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission, who defended King Gyanendra’s coup. The meeting ended with the passing of the resolution and the establishment of an international monitoring unit in Nepal. The international lobbying of such human-rights defenders, supported by a small but very dedicated network in Nepal, has been of critical use in preserving some open space for dissent. Professional groups such as the Nepal Bar Association had, until February, sat on the fence vis-à-vis the king’s growing power. Since then it has expanded the space for opposition, its President Shambhu Thapa [no relation to the author] leading a series of street protests in between filing habeas corpus writs on behalf of those illegally detained and disappeared. The lawyers have doggedly exposed the unconstitutional nature of the king’s regime, and demanded the rule of law. The journalists have been just as dedicated. The Federation of Nepali Journalists responded swiftly and effectively to the military monitoring of the media houses and the censorship and gag rules enforced after February. Their task, too, has been twofold. Internationally, they have reached for support from the International Federation of Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and visiting correspondents. Within the country, they have staged emotive demonstrations, reading the news out on loudspeakers [as FM stations are banned from airing the news], blowing whistles in street protests, or pushing the censors’ limits by reporting news on the king. They have also continued to report, fearlessly, on the wrongdoings of the king’s regime. In June, a Kantipur exposure revealed that Tulsi Giri, the vice-chair of the cabinet is a bank defaulter: he has owed the government over 20 million rupees for more than two decades. [He says he did not know.] There is not a little risk in publishing such an exposé. Cheap-hire hooligans are easily available in the murky [and expanding] underworld, and the Maoists are conveniently blamed for all wrongdoings. Recently, the bank documents on willful defaulters have disappeared. And the owners and editors of Kantipur have received a slew of anonymous threats. Nevertheless, defiance is proliferating. United We Blog is a site opened by Kantipur journalists in February, after they were no longer allowed to report the news freely. Many of its bloggers have come of age in a democratic era. Before February, they had only heard hoary legends about such figures as the cabinet’s vice-chair. [Tulsi Giri had distinguished himself as a turncoat in 1960, abandoning the Nepali Congress Party to help the present king’s father end Nepal’s first experiment with democracy.] A recent entry by journalist-blogger Ghanashyam Ojha reflects the attitude gap between the king’s regime [what the Maoists have dubbed “the old power”] and the younger, modern generation of urbanites: “I was very much anxious to meet and talk to the person who forsook Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala, founding president of the largest democratic party, [the] Nepali Congress, and joined the autocratic Panchayat system in 1960”, Ojha writes. “While reading history books during my schooldays, I had a question; how come such [a] person who had sacrificed so many years in strengthening and consolidating democracy in Nepal could mortgage his ideology for [a] partiless autocratic system.” United We Blog’s bloggers, overwhelmingly young and male, tend to get goofy on matters related to women; but otherwise they are sharp, spirited, and up for a fight on matters of principle. Some of them are plain puzzled by the king’s regime, others are angry. The same independent spirit moves other Nepali bloggers around the world, who have opened internet sites such as Web Chautari, Free Nepal, the International Nepal Solidarity Network and Samudaya. The debates on these sites are bracing, sometimes aggressive and even nasty. But their ethos – of preserving the space for free expression – shines optimistically through. The king’s regime, naturally, is vexed with these sites. The latter two were blocked by the military in June [they can be viewed internationally, but not in Nepal]. Organisers had foreseen this, and had disseminated information on how to access blocked sites via proxy servers. Making a movement move What makes a movement move? People, of course: individual personalities taking a principled stand, and groups working intelligently together. Other independent groups – professors’ unions, teachers’ unions, associations of doctors and engineers – are following the lawyers and the journalists. These urban elites are keeping up the moral pressure for the restoration of democracy. What remains now is for the political parties to match the independent forces’ principled stand and intelligence. For though independents can lead the way for a while, their efforts alone cannot win back a democratic polity. Hari Roka puts it this way: “The forces with real heft are lacking clarity, and the forces that are clear have no real heft.” Sushil Pyakurel says: “The parties must adhere to their beliefs. They can no longer compromise. They must take a stand for democracy.” This is, he adds, a debate that is going on right now within each party. “They are all in ferment, addressing these issues.” The internal pressure for more visionary leadership is strong, he confirms. This is what all democracy-minded Nepalis are now waiting for. They will extend themselves to the parties as soon as the parties throw up new leaders and an uncompromised vision. It seems to me, from observing all the dynamics that are in play, that by the time the parties rise to the challenge before them, the rainy season may well have passed. It will be easy, then, to bring people out into the streets. And then this movement will truly move. Source: Open Democracy --------------------------------- 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/20050718/c17770ff/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Mon Jul 18 15:23:11 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:53:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Heart of Simone de Beauvoir Message-ID: <20050718095311.76364.qmail@web30710.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The heart of Simone de Beauvoir Lisa Appignanesi Lisa Appignanesi explores the enigmatic appeal of the great French feminist writer. “Who actually was Simone de Beauvoir?” is something I’ve been asked several times since the publication of my book. I’ve taken to responding that de Beauvoir and her partner Jean-Paul Sartre were the Bob Geldof and Bono of France in the post-second-world-war years. Like these rock singers and global ethical campaigners, de Beauvoir and Sartre acted as triggers of the public and political conscience. They spoke out. They ranted [though with impeccable logic]. They mounted platforms and television programmes. They had their pictures taken with Fidel Castro and many other heads of state. They drank and smoked and engaged in a variety of couplings, and all the while they were passionate about the need for freedom from moralising cant and pious humbug – whether of the state or church variety. They imagined shaping a useful life and a just society. They castigated Joseph Stalin and the French Communist Party as well as Joseph McCarthy, despite their leftward leanings. They championed Algerian independence from colonial rule and had to keep moving to escape right-wing “terrorist” attempts. They knew about what we now call globalisation and kept the developing world and its concerns in the public eye – hunger, dictatorial regimes, colonial exploitation, and independence. They protested against the Vietnam war, sold newspapers in the streets and sided with the student rebels in 1968. On top of all that, Simone even managed to set the agenda for a good half of humanity’s movement away from [a sometimes pampered] servitude. That done, she took on the plight of the old. Meanwhile, Sartre refused the Nobel prize for literature: he didn’t want to be an institution. Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre did all this, and they weren’t even rock stars. Instead they wrote books – thick philosophical tomes, novels, plays, autobiography, and penetrating analyses of their times. In those years it was possible to be “a public intellectual” and command a large audience and even the ear of politicians. 50,000 flocked the streets of Paris when Sartre died in 1980. When Simone followed, nearly six years to the day, the newspaper headlines blared: “Women, you owe her everything”. The voice of the “other” There is much I find fascinating about de Beauvoir. Above all else is perhaps the trenchant quality of her intelligence. It doesn’t allow her the feelgood comforts of a marshmallow morality. In The Second Sex, her monumental analysis of women’s condition – showing how women are made and not simply born – the gaze is Olympian. She is sharply attuned to the attractions of complicity, where the silk-lined servitude, the raptures of life on one’s knees before man or God may hold more appeal for women than the cold air and hard work of the free agent cast into shaping her own and society’s destiny. Yet, for Simone, being the “other” trapped in the male gaze and its attendant social institutions means accepting mutilation. It’s worth remembering that The Second Sex served as the source for those discourses of the “other” which shaped the identity and orientalist politics of the 1980s and 1990s. Then, too, her relationship with Sartre is riveting. It’s difficult now to reimagine the adventure. We’re in 1929, fifteen years before French women got the vote. The dutiful daughter of a puritanical and catholic bourgeois household engages on an experimental love pact with a young, ugly, exuberantly intelligent philosopher, who instead of love and marriage, a house and children, promises only honesty and the freedom to philander - which he does, again and again. So does she, with less alacrity and less frequently – though with recorded passion. When her letters to the American novelist Nelson Algren were published, they were something of a revelation – above and beyond the autobiographical inflections of her prize-winning novel, The Mandarins. The Simone in love who signs herself in English “your loving little frog” is the same woman as the one who contemporaneously writes The Second Sex and sees her television interview with Radio Canada banned by the Archbishop of Quebec because of her views on religion and marriage. Simone is a bluestocking who doesn’t mind taking hers off. The spirit of refusal After Simone’s death and the publication of her and Sartre’s correspondence, a scandal erupted. The letters contained details of lesbian affairs, machinations worthy of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Our own times seem to be as prone to moralising as the Pètainistes of collaborationist France against whom the whole rebellious tide of existentialism was launched. At the end of a full life recorded in one of the century’s greatest autobiographies, Simone states that the undoubted success of her life was her relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre. It is a comment that makes you pause. Probing what this remarkable woman might have meant by it was part of my impetus in writing her life. Yet whenever I take part in a panel – or campaign for the writer’s organisation PEN against the British government’s religious hatred bill – it is the public face of Simone I think of. That adamant refusal of half-truths and political expediency, and that embrace of social responsibility – just in case a difference can be made by the independent voice – give hope that, even in our soundbite world, it’s worth giving intelligence a chance. Simone and Sartre – in his centenary year – would undoubtedly have approved of G8 protests and “making poverty history”. They might also have wondered why the amount spent on security to keep out the wrong kind of protestor was enough to write off the debt of several African nations. They were already accustomed to bombs and terror. In the early 1960s in France, the perpetrators were most often the OAS, the militant defenders of Algérie Francaise. Simone de Beauvoir was adamant that no matter how frightened one was, succumbing to the silencing pressure of these particular terrorists was not a possibility. In that, as in so much else, she proved a courageous and remarkable woman. Source: Open Democracy --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/fff126bc/attachment.html From ravik_rk at hotmail.com Tue Jul 19 10:31:24 2005 From: ravik_rk at hotmail.com (Ravi Kumar) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:31:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Seminar On Relocation from Sanctuaries Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050719/ce9b2ba1/attachment.html From swamivandana at yahoo.com Tue Jul 19 16:06:13 2005 From: swamivandana at yahoo.com (vandana swami) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 03:36:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] railway posting Message-ID: <20050719103613.66040.qmail@web60312.mail.yahoo.com> MORE ON RAILWAYS AND TIMBER MARKETS IN 19TH CENTURY WESTERN INDIA In this final posting, I would like to pick upon my previous posting and discuss further documents on the theme of wood, timber and timber markets in the context of railway construction in mid to late 19th century western India. The following note is based on a letter written by John Blackwell, a railway engineer to Thomas R Wall, Esquire and Secretary to the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company on 6th February 1857 on the subject of the sale of timber as observed by Blackwell on his journeys. Blackwell notes “the result of his enquiries consequent on the sale of timber here, the market of which was held yesterday” and he observes that “300 cart loads of timber were brought into the mart of which the principal portion of 275 carts consisted of teak, the remaining 25 of khair ” (which, I felt was a HUGE amount of wood being cut for a SINGLE market day). However, not all of this wood that is brought in is useful for sleepers, since requirements for railway sleepers are of a very specific kind. As Blackwell says, “out of this, only 75 carts of teak contained timber of the dimensions that would cut into sleepers all the khair being of the size required for conversion into that article” (pg 595). Discussing the market value of the teak logs, Blackwell goes on, “ the rate of these 100 carts were Rs. 4 ea. And would average 4 sleepers a cartload, but owing to the length of the logs which were from 15 to 16 feet, a very great waste would result. This imperfection could be removed should it be necessary for the company (GIPR) to cut their own sleepers by giving Bheels the dimensions of the timber required.” In other words, the railway company is not fully satisfied by the kind of timber that is available in the market and would rather directly procure its own raw materials by negotiating directly with Bheel labor. However, questions of ownership rights and control over forests do come in and Blackwell seems wel aware of them. He writes, “ this timber is brought from the jungles of Gondwalee and Sagabaree, both of which I proceed to visit this day, and are under no conservancy restrictions, but belong to Bheel Rajas who merely levy a toll of 4 annas on each cartload.” Clearly, since the Bheels would know their own forests best, Blackwell and the railway company have found the best way to harvest these forests : by letting the Bheels do it directly, based upon instructions provided by the railway company. Providing further details of the timber market, Blackwell writes, “the night preceding the market day, merchants and buyers flocked in from all parts of Khandesh, so that it is very evident that this place is the source of supply whereby the demands of this province are satisfied and further, that parties when paying for their purchases generally did so in the old currency of the country and in copper, the Rupee and government copper coins being held by Bheels at a depreciation from their ignorance, whether real or assumed.” (pg 596) I found this paragraph quite fascinating because it symbolized and clearly suggested the fact that the colonial state has only a very tenuous existence at this point – not only does it not have any significant widespread legitimacy at this point, even the monetary systems that the colonial state is trying to put in place are far from being a mainstream phenomena. As revealed in the observation by Blackwell, “the terms used by these people (the natives) in asking a price are ‘lukkas’ ; a lukka consists of 1/8th of a paisa”. To conclude this posting for the moment then, what I was able to garner from the letter written by Blackwell was the following: (a) The existence of a highly active timber market. One is forced to think why such a timber market exists and how this timber is being consumed in local/regional situations? How does demand for timber as necessitated by railways in the British colonial economy affect this local economy? What kinds of changes does this bring about? Through the lenses of timber trade, one also gets the opportunity to think about and ask questions related to : (i) British capitalism as an agent of modernity in India. (ii) Existence of capitalism and capitalist structures in the pre-colonial economy. (iii) Nature of the pre-colonial economy. (iv) Nature of market in pre-colonial India. (b) Competing monetary and financial structures as in local currency (here lukka) versus Government of India currency. The presence of a situation where the colonial economy is still not well-entrenched and managed to intrude local space. (c) The situation seems to be that labor is plentiful but there is sheer lack of infrastructure eg : roads, means of transportation, carts, trucks and wheeled carriers slow down production. (d) Curious why only Bheel tribal labor gets a mention in colonial documents, not others. (e) Khandesh really seems to be the area where a lot is happening in terms of railway construction, timber market, labor situations, financialization of economy, forest surveys, teak forests etc. So it might be worthwhile to focus on this area for a study of railways from the vantage points I mention. (f) Forest conservation does not really seem widespread at this point. Many forests are open to ‘exploitation’ by both the ‘locals’ and the colonial state. Therefore, what does this really mean for environmental history at this point? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Wed Jul 20 11:53:04 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:23:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Pluralism, Secularism, and Tolerance Message-ID: <20050720062304.6632.qmail@web53606.mail.yahoo.com> http://muse.jhu.edu/demo/rhetoric_and_public_affairs/v003/3.4clark.html Introduction The intolerance of practitioners of various religious groups toward practitioners of other such groups has been well documented. Ancient antagonisms were exacerbated by zealousness for a culture's god. The early Hebrews routed villages devoted to competing gods, destroying women and children alike. Romans, with their cult of Caesar, sought to squash the early Christian church. The institutionalization of Christianity by the Roman Empire set an apparently pacifistic religion on a path of violence. The Crusades sought unsuccessfully but at great human expense to rid the Muslim infidels from the holy land. The atrocities and religious wars of the Reformation, committed by all sides, caused the river Seine to run red with blood. Native Americans have been exploited and destroyed under the banner of God. Christopher Columbus brought the gospel and germs to the new world, taking back slaves and gold. In our own day we have witnessed the excesses of religious fundamentalists around the world who kill in the name of god or in defense of fetuses. In light of considerations such as these, some might be led to conclude that intolerance has been the peculiar vice of the religious. On the other hand, one might assert that we are indebted to the Enlightenment triumph of reason over revealed religion for laying the foundation for an age of tolerance. One might be led to believe, therefore, that tolerance is the peculiar virtue of the secularist. We have just painted two pictures with broad strokes. According to the one, intolerance seems to be the peculiar vice of the religious. According to the other, tolerance [End Page 627] appears to be the peculiar virtue of the secularist. Both accounts, we believe, are mistaken. That religious people have inflicted some of the greatest atrocities in the history of human civilization cannot be denied. But intolerance and inflicting suffering are not limited to the religious. In our century alone, the atrocities inflicted by deeply committed atheists rival (numerically) all of the atrocities of the previous centuries combined. The Holocaust, 1 the killing fields, the Soviet pogrom, the rape of Nanking, the revolution in China, and the world wars betray any secular hope that religious people are especially inclined toward intolerance. Human beings as such, it would seem, are not inclined toward tolerance of competing religious, social, political, or moral beliefs and practices. As Anthony Appiah has astutely observed, "we [human beings] are naturally impatient for harmony." 2 The pressures toward intolerance are multiplied in our increasingly diverse society. Our country is not a melting pot where differences are extinguished, but an alphabet soup. It is not unusual to find in one small block--in neighborhoods all across our country--people of African American, Filipino, Jewish, homosexual, fundamentalist Christian, Hispanic, Irish Catholic, Dutch, and Moslem identities. The discrete letters of this soup bump against one another in ways unimagined even a generation ago. And here the rub's the rub. Different people with different beliefs and practices make us feel uncomfortable and threaten our security and sense of certainty. Ridding our neighborhoods, cities, and countries of unwelcome practices and unfamiliar beliefs would help us create a community where all that we do and believe would be enshrined and enforced. If we succeeded at such a task, we would have made our community in our own image, which, while not embracing the other, does foster an expansive affirmation of self and clan. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the notion of tolerance. We will argue, contrary to the stories with which we opened, that tolerance makes sense only against a backdrop of religious or moral conviction. Judgments of tolerance and intolerance require a conception of the good or the true. Secular relativists who believe that all religions are false and that detached neutrality is the preferred posture to assume on all matters religious and moral cannot coherently be tolerant. 3 Furthermore, tolerance requires a thick conception of the self, a conception of considerable religious or metaphysical substance. Next we shall argue that there are limits to tolerance--not just any kind of behavior or belief ought to be tolerated--and that those limits are set by a harm principle. Because of fundamental disagreements about human nature and fulfillment, however, there will be widespread disagreement about what exactly constitutes harm. We enumerate three approaches to arrive at consensus concerning the limits to tolerance and recommend one of them as the preferred approach in an environment characterized by diverse religious, moral, and political convictions. [End Page 628] Tolerance Analyzed The argument of this section is simple. Although people with deep and sincere moral or religious convictions are often intolerant, deep and sincere moral or religious convictions are necessary preconditions of tolerance. 4 One cannot be tolerant if one does not have religious or moral beliefs. Tolerance comes from the Latin tolerare, to bear or endure; it carries the connotation of putting up with a weight or a burden. So what is tolerance and what the weight it bears? Tolerance, as we understand it, is the disposition to endure or bear peoples' beliefs and practices that one finds either false or immoral. 5 Tolerance assumes that there are some beliefs and practices that are not burdensome, presumably one's own beliefs and practices. But there are clearly, for the tolerant person, some beliefs that are burdensome to see practiced or believed. In order for us to feel burdened by the beliefs and practices of others, we must first hold our own beliefs and practices against which others' beliefs and practices are judged. It is precisely because this person believes something that I believe is false or that person does something that I judge wrong, that I am in a position to tolerate such beliefs and practices. But it is not sufficient for the creation of a burden simply for someone to disagree with me. "You say potato, I say potahto." You prefer Ohio State, I prefer Michigan. I do not tolerate your preferences because I am not overly committed to Michigan. In order for me to tolerate your preference, I must also care deeply about this football rivalry. Tolerance requires, in addition to disagreement, an element of caring or deep commitment to the belief or practice in question. 6 I prefer blue jeans but I do not tolerate those who prefer Bugle Boys. I do not tolerate because I do not care much about slacks-wearing practices. So toleration requires both judgments about proper beliefs and practices and an element of caring for those beliefs and practices. And this sort of caring must be deep, which is why tolerance is usually discussed in connection with matters of fundamental human concern, where depth of care is measured by our emotional attachment to such matters. 7 This makes it easier to see why we human beings seem so inclined to intolerance. We invest ourselves in the things we care about. Those who disagree with us are claiming that what we care about is unworthy of care and, in so doing, they denigrate our investment (and we denigrate theirs, of course). Moral, religious, and political disagreement is a threat precisely because the other devalues our beliefs and practices. And we pose a threat to others when we believe or proclaim that they are woefully wrong or immoral. Our natural impulse is to secure our own beliefs and practices against the perceived threat of alien beliefs and practices. The easiest [End Page 629] way to do this is to dismiss those alien practices and beliefs by rejecting or otherwise distancing the person whose beliefs and practices they are. Tolerance is morally worthwhile precisely because, although the beliefs of the other are devalued, the tolerant person values the person who holds those beliefs. The tolerant person wills to treat the other as intrinsically valuable in spite of his rejection of her fundamental human concerns. Thus, tolerance for beliefs and practices contrary to our own is the fruit of a cultivated disposition to subdue our natural inclination to distance, reject, or hold at arm's length others whose beliefs and practices differ from our own. The tolerant person is, rather, disposed to recognize the other as an object of inestimable worth. The tolerant person says, in effect, our fundamental disagreement does not diminish my estimation of your worth as a human being and, therefore, though I disagree with your beliefs or practices, still I will endure them. Intolerance, on the other hand, encourages the tendency to attribute base or ignoble motives to those who differ from us. The intolerant person does not value the other. Rather, acceding to the natural inclination to reject the other, she does all that is within her power to put the other down. There is a natural human tendency to ascribe character flaws to the other while blaming circumstances for our own shortcomings. Suppose Stewart shows up late for a meeting. My natural inclination is to attribute his tardiness to a defect in his character--he is unconcerned about other people, he is irresponsible, he is self-absorbed, he is "a Jew." Now suppose that I show up late for a meeting. My natural inclination is to blame it on circumstances--one of my kids was sick, traffic was awful, I got stopped by a train, I got wrapped up in my grading of papers and lost track of time, etc. We are naturally inclined to attribute to others the worst of motives for even the most minor offenses. Consider how you judge others who cut you off in traffic and how you excuse yourself when you do exactly the same thing. It is easy, in this Nietzschean day and age, to attribute base motives to those with differing religious or moral beliefs and practices. One might denigrate those who are opposed to homosexuality, believing that they require a scapegoat against whom they can judge themselves to be holy, clean, or righteous. Judgments of the other's immorality can, of course, sustain self-righteousness. Or one might believe that people like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart castigate the practices of others simply because of their own hidden desires. But, even in these cases, tolerance resists this impulse toward suspicion. There is also a tendency, which tolerance often resists, to call into question the very rationality of those whose practices and beliefs are different from our own. One can scarcely read student editorials on political or social issues in campus newspapers, for example, without noticing how quickly argument gives way to personal attack. How could any right thinking person possibly vote for Clinton (the chubby, money-grubbing womanizer who is a closet liberal)? How could any reasonable person possibly listen to Rush Limbaugh (the tubby, money-grubbing [End Page 630] demonizer who is an out-of-the-closet conservative)? Can you really look into the face of someone who differs from you on matters of fundamental human concern and believe that they are equally sincere truth seekers? It is important to point out, before moving on, that we do not claim that valuing the other entails respecting the beliefs and practices we tolerate, although we might both tolerate and respect them. Suppose, for example, that try as you might you cannot work up respect for the beliefs and nonviolent practices of the Nazi sympathizer, racist, or homophobe. You judge their attitudes so odious that you simply cannot accord them respect or admiration. In such cases, the tolerant person, while not respecting the beliefs and nonviolent practices of the Nazi, racist, or homophobe, will nonetheless continue to value such individuals as persons. The tolerant person will not, in other words, allow the disrespect she accords those beliefs to effect in her a corresponding devaluing of the persons who hold them. Were she to devalue the persons involved, tolerance would give way to intolerance and she might be inclined to treat the holders of opposing beliefs as subhuman or mere animals; e.g., she might wish to extinguish their behavior by either incarcerating them or euthanizing them. On the other hand, the tolerant person might not only tolerate the belief that abortion is morally wrong, and endure some of the non-violent practices of those in the prolife movement, she might also respect the beliefs and practices as the plausible outcomes of honest and sincere truth seeking. We said earlier that the virtue of tolerance only makes sense against a backdrop of religious or moral conviction. This is so for two reasons. First, tolerance and intolerance require a conception of the true or the good. 8 It is only out of such a conception that our own beliefs and practices emerge and take form, and without these beliefs and practices we are incapable of judging the beliefs and practices of others. In other words, without disagreement there is no burden to bear, nothing to tolerate. It is the weight of disagreement that makes tolerance possible. The more the beliefs/practices touch fundamental human concerns, the more one is tempted towards dogmatism, arrogance, and intolerance. It is only when one is faced with belief/practice competitors that the virtue of tolerance can be exercised and developed. Second, it is the cultivated disposition to value others who disagree with us that lies at the root of principled tolerance. I tolerate the beliefs and practices of others because I recognize them as beliefs and practices of persons of intrinsic and inestimable worth. But it is only a thick conception of persons that can coherently ground that worth. It is a conception of persons as icons of God, divine image bearers, objects of divine love, or some other suitably thick conception of persons, that can account for the intrinsic and inestimable worth of human beings. Moreover, a religious conception of persons seems to lend itself to a recognition of the creatureliness of persons, the belief that we humans are finite, frail, and fallible. Thus I can endure or bear the beliefs and practices of others because they have been produced by frail and fallible image-bearers of the divine. [End Page 631] Theism adds a rich conception of freedom to this mix. Theists believe that God created humans with morally significant freedom and that God values the free development of character, as well as free contribution to society. The result of this freedom is both remarkable creativity and virtue--and unspeakable horror and vice. God, apparently, was willing to risk vice and horror in order to allow for freedom and creativity. It should not go unnoticed that the holy writ of the three great monotheistic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--disavows the notion that God is intolerant (at least ante-mortem) of the multifarious uses of human freedom. God willingly permits wickedness without immediate punishment and virtue without immediate reward. A thick conception of persons as finite creatures, endowed with intrinsic value, and free to carve out their own character, combines to provide a rich foundation for the valuing of persons. If tolerance is to be a virtue whose cultivation can be plausibly defended, persons must be endowed with recognizable worth. The secularist, for whom everything is OK except intolerance and religion, cannot be exercising tolerance when she embraces (say) homosexuals. She can affirm them, shake their hands, endorse their lifestyle, and labor to ensure their rights but she cannot tolerate their behavior. Only the person who believes homosex 9 to be immoral and cares deeply about sexual ethics can be tolerant of the practice. The secularist might (and no doubt should) will to cultivate tolerance with respect to those who disagree with her, those toward whom she is so often intolerant--religious believers and traditional moralists. The problem for the secularist, however, is that such people hold substantive beliefs, and secularists are often loath to tolerate such beliefs. Likewise a relativist about religion or morality cannot coherently exercise tolerance toward the moral or religious absolutist because she lacks a commitment to a conception of the good or the true in contrast to which moral or religious absolutist beliefs would be judged by her to be false or immoral. Moreover, if the secularist claims to recognize the intrinsic dignity and worth of her fellow human beings and, on this basis, endures or bears the beliefs and declarations of the moral or religious absolutist, then her tolerance will lack any substantive justification. She will be, with respect to tolerance, as the political liberal often is with respect to justice. Rawlsian justice as fairness, for example, rests on a conception of persons as free and equal. Yet Rawls refuses to ground this conception of persons in metaphysics and ontology; rather it is for him simply a matter of political expediency. 10 But absent metaphysical or ontological grounding, the Rawlsian seems to have no rational justification to offer on behalf of her theory of justice to those whose conception of persons differs radically from her own. Suppose, for example, I believe people are radically unequal and that any person with membership in a race other than the Aryan is not worthy to receive justice. What rational justification can the Rawlsian offer me on behalf of her theory of justice? It would seem, none. So it is with the secularist. The relevant questions for her are these: Why believe people are possessors of inestimable worth and value? [End Page 632] Instead, why not conceive of persons whose beliefs and practices differ from one's own as subhuman and, therefore, their beliefs and practices as unworthy candidates for tolerance? 11 What rational justification does the secularist have to offer for her tolerance? What story can she tell about why we should resist the tendency to denigrate the other? Without a thick conception of persons, it seems she has none. Tolerance, then, bears up the person who holds differing beliefs and practices of fundamental human concern and urges us to say, "I will resist the temptation to think of myself as better than you due to our differing beliefs and practices. I value you as a person, a divine image bearer." Of course, tolerance does not mean that we will not try to persuade the other of the error of his or her ways (after all, we believe them to be mistaken on matters of fundamental human concern). So we might add, "But, I disagree with you, and here is why." Intellectual and moral humility, born of a profound awareness of one's own finitude and creatureliness, may also add, "And I recognize that I might be mistaken, that I might be the one with blind spots; you tell me why you think I'm wrong." Tolerance is the precondition of genuine dialogue. Tolerance is morally worthwhile precisely because it disposes us to repair the human fabric torn by moral and religious disagreement. It affirms our common humanity, dignity, frailty, and situatedness. And genuinely valuing the other is the precondition of a flourishing pluralistic society. 12 The Limits of Tolerance There are and must be limits to tolerance. This in no way contradicts what has already been said. Something is tolerable within limits. Beyond these limits lies the intolerable and the impermissible. Although we can value (say) a Hitler as an object of inestimable worth, a fellow image-bearer of the divine, we cannot tolerate his practice of human extermination and world domination. Although we can, perhaps with effort, acknowledge that the Jeffrey Dahmers of the world are icons of God, we cannot permit them to cannibalize. Although slave owners are themselves created in the image of God, we cannot tolerate their mistreatment of slaves. How do we set the limits to tolerance? The answer, or so it seems, is that harm to others is the natural limit to tolerance. 13 We cannott tolerate Hitler's, Dahmer's, or the slave owner's intolerable behavior, because it harms other people. The beliefs and practices of the homosexual, however, who chooses his partners and does not harm children, might legitimately be tolerated by those whose beliefs commit them to the immorality of homosex. The beliefs and practices of racists, however, especially those that issue in physical harm to others, clearly fall outside the pale of the tolerable and permissible. You can believe whatever you like about "niggers," "wops," "dagos," "fags," "honkies," "kikes," or "spiks" but we will not let you lay a hand on the persons alluded to by those derogatory terms. [End Page 633] Dahmer's tastes can run toward human flesh, but we will not tolerate cannibalism. The religious fundamentalist can heap private scorn and derision on whomever he likes, but he cannot kill or torture infidels. When beliefs spill over into harmful actions toward others, tolerance has reached its limits. We might think, therefore, that harm to others is the natural limit to tolerance, but that simply will not do. There are clear cases when practices that bring about harm to another ought to be tolerated. Many of the practices of doctors and dentists harm their patients. Soldiers in wartime harm their enemies. Good economic policies in times of financial crisis can harm some classes of people. Police harm criminals. And so on. Surely it is right and proper to tolerate some practices that harm others. What mitigates against these sorts of harms is the good they produce. The doctor and dentist work for the health of their patient; the soldier and police for justice, the economist, for long-term financial stability. As long as the good produced is greater than the harm inflicted, these sorts of behaviors are, though harm-producing, within the limits of tolerance. 14 But there is a deeper problem lurking for limits to tolerance. We have already argued that tolerance is only sensible when practiced against a background of commitments about matters of fundamental human concern. These commitments specify and prescribe the importantly true and the significantly good. But the importantly true and the significantly good will likewise prescribe the limits of harm. We forbid the recreational use of heroin because it deprives its subjects of free will and disintegrates the human person. There are laws against animal sex and torture, not only because of the effect on the animal--the human being who participates in such practices is on a slide toward overvaluing the sensual and undervaluing all of life (there is an impressive correlation between young killers of their peers and their childhood torture and killing of animals--Jeffrey Dahmer, for instance). These are areas where we might all agree that people ought not be able to harm themselves. But, in this neighborhood, there are problematic cases. One might believe that the homosexual degrades herself, that the racist cultivates subhuman character traits, that the religious fundamentalist and all his ilk engage in self-injurious behavior. One might believe, therefore, that for their own sake, we ought to prevent their beliefs and practices. The Inquisitor believes that non-Roman Catholic beliefs will lead one to hell. Thus, it will seem to the Inquisitor that inflicting harm, to encourage repentance, is most legitimate. Torture may be specified precisely because it prevents a greater harm. Adherents of natural law (or of the Torah) can make a plausible case that the practice of homosex is harmful even if all of the participants are freely willing adults. And racist attitudes harm those who have them. Why shouldn't we, for the good of racists, be intolerant not only of their practices but also of the beliefs that produce the practices? Perhaps we should imprison all white supremacists, connect electrodes to the racist centers of their brains, force them to watch "Amistad" repeatedly, and poke them with a cattle prod every time their racist neurons are stimulated. [End Page 634] Surely we would be helping them to become better persons in the process (and would be making our own, small contribution to the new world order). Where do we draw the line, in a pluralist society with competing conceptions of human good and hence of human harm, between those sorts of harms that are permissible and those sorts of harms that are impermissible? Setting the Limits of Tolerance What sorts of harms should be permitted, according to the virtue of tolerance, and what sorts of harms should be forbidden? We took a first stab at answering this question in the preceding section--we should not permit harms to other people. But not just any harm to others will do. Some harms--like those of the dentist or surgeon--benefit others. We should be intolerant, we shall suggest, of those harms which inhibit human flourishing. Here we are likely to offend nearly everyone. Indeed, we are likely to come off as American liberals dressed in quasi-religious clothing. But, what the heck. We will not make any progress without first taking a step and, besides, our founding parents seemed right about some of these matters. How, in a pluralistic society, can we agree on what stimulates and what restrains human flourishing? Some lessons gleaned from past and present human affairs suggest that humans flourish best when they are Secure against violent assault and free to believe what they like, exercise their moral, religious, and political beliefs, associate with like-minded people, contribute to the common good as they see fit, and control their own destiny. 15 We ought, therefore, to tolerate differing beliefs, religious practices, civic groups, and social practices. Any actions which prevent human beings from flourishing ought not to be tolerated. Note that this list of necessary conditions specifies that we should be tolerant of different beliefs--be they religious, moral, social, or political. We should be tolerant of different religious practices--even if they include (say) the use of peyote. We should tolerate the free association of like-minded people--including (say) men's groups, Nazi organizations--or we should be tolerant of such beliefs and practices unless and until they harm others. But there are hard cases. We should tolerate the use of peyote but what about animal or human sacrifice (assuming that all of the participants to the latter are willing and believe their actions contribute to their flourishing)? Should we tolerate [End Page 635] female genital mutilation or the oppression of women? Should we tolerate abortions or the bombing of abortion clinics (when the latter does harm people)? Should we tolerate clubs with only white, male, non-Jewish members (suppose all of this club's members agree not to benefit financially from this club)? We have said nothing to suggest that the conditions for human flourishing set out on our list fix the limits of harm for all persons in all places and times. Surely some people will object that Nazism harms people in some manner or other--the children of Nazis, Jews, and blacks, or even the Nazis themselves. Many will find abhorrent what the Nazi sees as essential to human flourishing. What to do under such circumstances? Here we seem to have reached the limits of argument. Where there is fundamental disagreement about human nature and fulfillment there will also be divergent views about what constitutes harm. Under these circumstances one might simply hold up for veneration the kind of person most likely to endorse our minimalist list of necessary conditions for human flourishing. That is, one might believe that all that we permit and encourage as a society ought to contribute to the creation of people who are willing to permit diverse beliefs and practices. This person, herself, however, might not hold many beliefs of religious or moral significance. She might have few allegiances and willingly abstain from moral judgments. This kind of human, she might believe, is the kind of human that flourishes. So, seeking to create society in her own image, she will disparage religious and moral commitments and encourage detachment. She might, in the meantime, put up with religious and absolutist beliefs but only grudgingly and under a thin veneer of tolerance. But underneath the veneer lies intolerance--she simply cannot bear the beliefs and practices of people with strong and deep religious and moral convictions. She will work for the elimination of such beliefs and practices from the public, and eventually, private arena. This, so it seems to us, is the not-so-covert intention of some secular liberals. Consider Richard Rorty, for example. His thin view of persons fails him precisely at this point. He self-consciously defends his thin view of persons against a thick, theistic or metaphysical view. Historicists "have denied that there is such a thing as 'human nature' or the 'deepest level of the self.' Their strategy has been to insist that socialization, and thus historical circumstance, goes all the way down--that there is nothing 'beneath' socialization or prior to history which is definatory of human beings." We have been freed, Rorty contends, from theology and metaphysics. But to what end? Here's the problem for Rorty's thin conception of persons: he must accept that there is no answer to the question "Why not be cruel?" He can give no justification for the harm principle; he can only assert and attempt to non-rationally persuade. Despairing of rational persuasion, his goal is to make everyone thin--theistically and metaphysically bereft. Rorty's goal is to make "irony universal," i.e., to make everyone in his own gaunt and ghostly image. 16 A second alternative is simply to admit that ideas of the good are prior to, in this context, notions of the tolerable and therefore of harm. 17 The issue of priority arises [End Page 636] in connection with the question, "Ought the limits to harm and of tolerance emerge from principles whose justification is impartial with respect to those of diverse and competing religious, moral, philosophical, and political convictions?" Those who believe the answer to this question is "no" believe that conceptions of the good are prior to considerations of permissible harms and of tolerance. But if this question is answered in the affirmative, the specter of incommensurability raises its ugly head; it might seem to us that nothing can be done to reach consensus about the limits to permissible harms, and therefore the limits to tolerance. We think, however, that there are three alternative courses of action open to one seeking consensus under pluralist conditions, given the priority of the good. First, we could aim for consensus by the wholesale persuasion and conversion of all of those whose conception of the good differs from our own. Second, we could bypass persuasion and aim for consensus by force of power. People who disagree with us can be tortured, repressed, or otherwise coerced to see the light. Finally, at least with those whose conception of the good is sufficiently robust, we could seek not for wholesale conversion but rather for an intersection of relevant beliefs. Here the task is to engage in the hard work of delving into the richly textured belief systems of our fellow human beings and searching within those systems for elements that underwrite mutually justifiable limits. But if there is radical incommensurability between these systems, the unfortunate consequence is that the likelihood of our arriving at consensus by this route will be vanishingly small. Even so, this is the alternative we favor. Why? We favor the last alternative not because conversion and persuasion are inconsistent with tolerance. They are not. As we have already seen, tolerance is exercised when we believe others to be in error about matters of fundamental human concern. When we believe someone to be in error, persuasion is one eminently plausible response. The second view secures consensus, but only at the costly expense of violating the conditions for human flourishing previously established. We favor the third alternative for two reasons. First, it strikes us that attempts at wholesale conversion are likely to fan the flames of intolerance and dogmatism, effecting the exact reverse of what our attempts at conversion are trying to secure. We believe that on a playing field teeming with diverse and deeply held moral, political, and religious systems of belief and practice, looking within competing systems for elements that can underwrite mutually justifiable limits to harm is less likely to inflame old wounds and incite new rivalries. Second, we believe that significant human freedom to carve out one's own identity ought to be recognized and nourished and that the third alternative is less likely than attempts at conversion to be viewed as interfering with that freedom. That alternative is, therefore, more likely to achieve consensus among persons of competing religious, moral, and political convictions. And when we cannot reach an overlapping consensus, what do we do then? We keep searching and engaging in humble dialogue. That there are and will be times when a consensus cannot be reached is simply a reality we must live with even if, [End Page 637] from the perspective of conviction, we must also lament it. Tolerance, and gentle persuasion tempered by humility, should guide us as we seek to navigate a societal landscape marked by a plurality of differing identities. Conclusion That toleration is morally worthwhile seems clear. That we can, to everyone's satisfaction, set the limits to tolerance once and for all seems highly unlikely, short of violating the very conditions necessary for human flourishing. We have argued in this essay that tolerance is a virtue that requires deep religious or moral conviction. Moreover, it is rooted in a thick theistic or metaphysical conception of the self. We have also argued that there are limits to tolerance and that these limits are set by a harm principle. When it comes to delimiting the extent to which harms are permissible, however, our task is complicated by the diverse conceptions of the good that dot the landscape of contemporary societal life. We believe that in a pluralistic context such as ours the best we can do to reach consensus, without ourselves violating the conditions necessary for human flourishing, is to seek within competing systems of belief and practice an intersection of beliefs relevant to establishing meaningful boundaries to harm. It is this alternative that seems to us the most promising in a context teeming with diversity. Kelly James Clark is associate professor of philosophy and Kevin Corcoran is assistant professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Notes 1. We do not mean to imply that there were not religious influences on the Holocaust. 2. K. Anthony Appiah, "The Multiculturalist Misunderstanding," The New York Review of Books, October 9, 1997, 36. 3. The relativist, we shall argue, may be tolerant of, say, religious believers and of moral absolutists, but, as we shall see, there is an obvious lack of logical fit between her tolerance and her relativism. 4. A similar view of tolerance has been offered by Peter Nicholson: "Toleration is the virtue of refraining from exercising one's power to interfere with others' opinion or action although that deviates from one's own over something important, and although one morally disapproves of it." From "Toleration as a Moral Ideal" in Aspects of Toleration, ed. John Horton and Susan Mendus (London: Methuen, 1985), 166. Mary Warnock objects that restricting tolerance to moral matters is too narrow. See "The Limits of Toleration," in On Toleration, ed. Susan Mendus and David Edwards (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), 125f. Our own view is more in line with Warnock's but develops more deeply the notion of tolerance. This is also one important respect in which our view of tolerance differs from Ed Langerak's. Langerak's account of tolerance does not depend conceptually on moral or religious convictions. See his "Toleration, Cooperation and Respect," in Hessel Bouma, et al., Christian Faith, Healthcare and Medical Practice (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, forthcoming). 5. For purposes of this paper, we will restrict tolerance to matters of belief and practice. What we say about tolerance of beliefs and practices, however, also applies to disagreements of attitude, which one may not regard as false or immoral. 6. Even in the case of disagreement of attitudes there will be an element of care or deep commitment present. See, for example, the discussion of disagreement in C. L. Stevenson's "Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms," in Ethical Theory: Classical and Contemporary, ed. Louis Pojman (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1989), 370-79. 7. Thus, "what matters" falls on a continuum and is person-relative. For some people how one squeezes a tube of toothpaste is a matter of fundamental concern and may call for tolerance of those of opposing practice! 8. Or perhaps the beautiful too, if one wishes to extend tolerance to matters aesthetic. 9. We distinguish homosex--the practice of same-sex sexual relations--from homosexuality--the fundamental sexual orientation toward members of the same sex. For it seems perfectly consistent for one to believe the former to be immoral but the latter amoral. 10. See Rawls's discussion of these issues in "Justice as Fairness: Political Not Metaphysical," in Communitarianism and Individualism, ed. Shlomo Avineri and Avner de-Shalit (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992). 11. This seems to be just what underlies Daniel Dennett's intolerance with respect to religious believers who deny that human beings are the product of evolution: "To watch, to have to participate in, the contraction or evaporation of beloved features of one's heritage is a pain only our species can experience, and surely few pains could be more terrible. But we have no reasonable alternative, and those whose visions dictate that they cannot peacefully coexist with the rest of ours we will have to quarantine as best we can, minimizing the pain and damage, trying always to leave open a path or two that may come to seem acceptable." From Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (New York: Penguin Books, 1995), 519. 12. Here too the secular relativist runs into trouble. The person of religious conviction has (but the secular relativist lacks) grounds for even thinking pluralism and diversity are "goods" to be celebrated. When pressed, the person of religious conviction can appeal to the fecundity of a creator God who pronounced a blessing upon and takes great delight in a world of immense variety, a creator-God who has given to us human beings the task of cultivating creation along lines that preserve and extend this rich texture of multifarious diversity. The secular relativist, by contrast, has no way to ground pluralism and diversity as "goods." 13. This seems to be the criterion offered by John Locke in his seminal essay on tolerance, "A Letter Concerning Toleration," when he claims practices ought to be permitted as long as there is no injury done to anyone, no prejudice to any person's goods. Interestingly, Locke contends that toleration does not extend to atheism because atheists, he believes, have no reason to keep the promises, covenants, and oaths which are essential to the proper functioning of society. "The taking away of God, though but even in thought, dissolves all." John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689), ed. J. H. Tulley (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985). 14. Even here there are limits to tolerance, as in the case of a doctor who experiments on her patients without their consent (some of these experiments work and some do not). In the case of economic policies, one class of society may be made by those in power to suffer inordinately for the long-term greater good of society as a whole. And justice and tranquility may be secured, either in war or peace, by harming the innocent. We declawed a hostile aggressor in the Middle East but with, to our minds, an intolerable number of civilian casualties. Perhaps a greater good resulted--the new world order--but some of the costs were impermissible. 15. We assume, in good Maslowian fashion, that lower-level needs for food, shelter, clothing are taken care of. 16. Richard Rorty, Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), xiii. 17. This notion bears a family resemblance to Rawls's discussion of the right and the good. See John Rawls, "The Priority of Right and Ideas of the Good," Philosophy and Public Affairs 17 (1988): 251-76. ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From raviv at sarai.net Mon Jul 18 23:33:25 2005 From: raviv at sarai.net (Ravi S. Vasudevan) Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 11:03:25 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] [Fwd: Exciting new course at Goldsmiths University of London] Message-ID: <42DBEEED.80309@sarai.net> -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Anjalika Sagar Subject: Exciting new course at Goldsmiths University of London Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 16:53:31 +0100 Size: 6017 Url: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050718/5786b8ee/attachment.mht -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Tue Jul 19 14:46:20 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 02:16:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?China_and_Africa=3A_a_new_era_of_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=93south-south_cooperation=94?= Message-ID: <20050719091620.60265.qmail@web30713.mail.mud.yahoo.com> China and Africa: a new era of “south-south cooperation” Chris Melville & Olly Owen China’s energy-hungry economy is driving the country’s ambitious Africa strategy. But is such bold developing-world investment any less self-interested than that from western, ex-colonial states? Chris Melville & Olly Owen map the dynamics of a new age of “south-south cooperation”. The world economy is being reshaped by new technologies, services, and trading relationships. Much of this dynamism is fuelled by ambitious developing-world nation-states like Brazil, India and South Africa. As governments, businesses and regional blocs in the global south expand their horizons, they increasingly bypass rich northern states. But is this “south-south cooperation” any more progressive or less selfish than the more familiar – and hegemonic – “north-south relationship”? The idea of “south-south cooperation” started to influence the field of development studies in the late 1990s. It was fuelled by a growing realisation that poor nations might find appropriate, low-cost and sustainable solutions to their problems in other developing countries rather than in the rich north. It drew on clear examples of existing waste and alternative opportunity; for example, if African farmers need boreholes to access water, it surely makes more sense to access India’s huge pool of expertise than to send expensive European water engineers. The concept quickly spread from the seminar room to the policy chamber. By 1997, Britain’s new department for international development [DfID] explicitly aimed – under its first minister, Clare Short – to withdraw from its aid programmes any requirement to use British service providers. The intention was to encourage recipient governments to spend the aid more effectively – especially on solutions sourced from other developing nations. By the early 2000s, some forward-thinking developing nations themselves were incorporating this altruistic principle into their foreign policies. Luís Ignácio Lula da Silva’s Brazil is just beginning to make Africa part of its wider effort to build the country’s global profile; recently it granted fellow-Lusophone Mozambique a project to install and staff its own factory producing anti-retroviral HIV drugs, thus reducing its reliance on expensive imports. China and Africa An even more potent example of “south-south” cooperation is the People’s Republic of China. China’s presence in Africa goes back centuries: archaeologists digging in the ruins of Africa’s great medieval trading states at Timbuktu and Great Zimbabwe have found fine porcelain and other evidence of a trading network that spanned half the world. After the PRC was founded in 1949, the new state based its relations with the developing world on a defined doctrine, the “five principles of peaceful coexistence”; it also used its own legacy of colonial aggression and experience of liberation to forge links with the African nation-states emerging from colonial rule. China in the 1960s lacked the resources of the cold-war superpowers, but still invested significant energies in support of independent Africa. The PRC, driven by perceived ideological, anti-imperialist affinities, dispatched Chinese technicians to nominally leftist states to provide military training, modest economic aid and infrastructural monuments to socialist solidarity. The era of “liberation wars” in the 1970s saw China choose sides and patronise its favoured forces, as in Angola. This interest receded in the 1980s as Chinese development efforts were diverted inwards. But the post-Tiananmen period gave earlier ideological bonds a fresh twist: the hostility of many African leaders to democratic pressures and [especially] western, “hegemonic” conceptions of human rights chimed with China’s own preconceptions. Throughout the 1990s, China increased its aid to African governments and resumed its earlier rhetoric of “mutual respect” and “concern for diversity” – a discourse that resounded strongly in a continent highly attuned to the perceived neo-colonial reflexes of the former ruling powers. In return, Beijing received recognition of its sovereignty over Taiwan, indifference to its human-rights abuses, and support in international organisations. In 2000, a new China-Africa cooperation forum agreed a joint economic and social programme, one that lent a developmental and commercial slant to the “five principles”. China has subsequently been well in advance of the G8 by cancelling $10 billion of the debt it is owed by African states; at the second Sino-Africa business conference in December 2003, China offered further debt relief to thirty-one African countries, as well as opening the prospect of zero-tariff trade. The tensions in what might be called China’s “developmental evangelism” in Africa are evident. The ideological underpinnings retain some potency and the principle of “non-interference” in domestic politics persists. But as Chinese commercial interests dominate the relationship, the strain of avoiding entanglement in ethically and politically complex questions increases. For China, insensitivity to human-rights abuses can be finessed as respecting “cultural diversity”, but this gets harder in a more open, regulated trading environment. Rapid economic growth in China in the last decade, coupled with oil exploration and economic diversification in west-central Africa, has created new links. More than 60% of African timber exports are now destined for east Asia; 25% of China’s oil supplies are now sourced in the gulf of Guinea region. China-Zimbabwe: a special relationship But China is moving beyond merely securing essential inputs to acquiring stakes in potentially productive African enterprises. Zimbabwe is a prime example of the kind of place where China likes to do business. In return for bailing out Robert Mugabe’s regime with injections of cash, machinery, equipment and military supplies, Chinese state-owned enterprises have assembled a portfolio of shares in some of Zimbabwe’s prize assets. In buying a 70% stake in the Zimbabwe’s only electricity generation facilities at Hwange and Kariba, and stakes in the national railway, the Chinese have stepped in where other developing nations [even Libya] have feared to tread. And on a micro-level, Chinese entrepreneurs are quickly supplanting small-scale retailers and local manufactures on Harare’s streets. Zimbabwe’s deteriorating political situation and asset-hungry officials may deter most private investors, but the Chinese government can instruct managers of state enterprises to take the risk, rely on good intergovernmental relations to guarantee investment flow, and depend on state coffers to absorb any loss in the last resort. China’s lack of domestic political criticism, meanwhile, frees its government and companies from “reputational risks” and pressures that can leave western-based companies exposed. Informed, responsible shareholders might be cautious about backing state-led projects in Sudan or Mauritania which rely on a brutally-enforced stability; such issues have little visibility to the Chinese public. China’s new hard-nosed Africa policy gives it a strong incentive to circumvent the kind of multilateral aid and investment agendas promoted by Britain’s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at the G8 summit, with their inconvenient governance concerns and transparency provisions. As China moves towards becoming the third-largest investor in Africa, its unilateralism will impact on the internal continental map. The South African alternative Amidst the dynamism of the east Asian economies, it is tempting to forget that the continent itself is generating an economic powerhouse. South Africa, freed of its apartheid-era isolationist shackles, has become an interested and aggressive explorer of the rest of the continent. The South African model is mixed: private companies led the charge into the new mobile telecommunications sphere, household names like Shoprite followed across the continent, while “para-statals” [state-owned enterprises] are also active. Thabo Mbeki’s economically liberal instincts have been contained by the job-loss fears of his leftist coalition partners, and he has commercialised rather than fully privatised key state enterprises such as the power utility Eskom. This entity has reinforced Mbeki’s peace plan for the Democratic Republic of Congo by committing its own $500-million investment to the Inga dam, the 3,500-megawatt hydroelectric facility on the Congo river. This project would undoubtedly light up the DRC’s cities – but Eskom’s greatest benefit is probably tying the potentially huge electricity resource into a regional grid which would feed much-needed power supplies to South Africa’s industrial zones. This project aptly sums up the dual nature of developing-world investment in Africa. Is such investment, as Mbeki would have it, good for all involved – or is it simply a new wave of economic colonisation which will leave most of Africa with as few benefits as in the past? As the developing nations themselves come to rival the investment presence of the G8 and former colonial powers in Africa, it is salutary to recall that “south-south cooperation” may be more efficient and less wasteful than the west’s grand gestures – but it is no less self-interested. Source: Open Democracy __________________________________________________ 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/20050719/cce80251/attachment.html From zulfisindh at yahoo.com Tue Jul 19 14:48:07 2005 From: zulfisindh at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 02:18:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Recognise us! The Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organisation Message-ID: <20050719091807.7619.qmail@web30704.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Recognise us! The Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organisation Andrew Mueller The world’s stateless nations are fighting against local oppressors and global invisibility by sharing experiences, problems – and soccer skills. Andrew Mueller reports from the conference of the Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organisation. They sound more like Monty Python sketches than sporting fixtures: football matches pitting the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against Southern Cameroons,and West Papua versus South Moluccas. Yet these games occurred, in June 2005, in the yet more unlikely setting of The Hague, and they may – eventually – add up to the precursor of a small revolution in the geopolitical consciousness. This four-team tournament [won, incidentally, by South Moluccas in a spirited 3-2 final against Ichkeria] was a curtain-raiser to the seventh general assembly of the Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organisation [Unpo], a sort of un-UN for countries which, if the United Nations were a nightclub, would be rebuffed by the bouncers with a firm “your name’s not down, you’re not coming in”. Despite the notable absence of solidarity and goodwill from the final – which might, by all accounts, have necessitated the deployment of some sort of international peacekeeping force had it gone to extra-time – the first Unpo Cup was judged a success. One of the resolutions agreed by the general assembly was the establishment of a full-scale World Cup for non-nations, an event which could result in some truly fantastical contests: Tatarstan vs Buryatia, Cabinda vs Nagaland, Kurdistan vs Somaliland, East Turkestan vs Circassia, Zanzibar vs Scania, Assyria vs Mapuche. The Unpo general assembly on 24-26 June looked like any international summit: there was a circular arrangement of sombre delegates, most in suits, some in more exotic national dress, their flags arranged along the wall behind the conference chair. It also sounded like any international summit, which is to say that a great deal of the deliberations was devoted to eye-watering procedural detail and speeches which could have benefited from rigorous, if not actually brutal, editing. The only immediately noticeable difference was that the flags were not the ones usually flying at such wingdings. These, instead, were the banners of those nationalities who, due to varying combinations of bad luck, betrayal, occupation, injustice, invasion, indifference and the whims of history, have missed out on the security and standing of statehood. The anguish of the invisible Some of the entities represented by these flags of the Unpo delegations were entrancingly obscure: aside from the above-mentioned, there were representatives from Chuvash, Abkhazia, Aceh, Khmer Krom, and the Buffalo River Dene Nation, an Indian community in Canada. A couple are reasonably well-known: Kosova [Kosovo], which was bombed into a limbo of semi-independence from Serbia by Nato in 1999; Tibet, which has become a popular cause among actors, rock groups and others whose likelihood of being able to point to Tibet on a map would seem a poor bet. Another is a full-fledged first-world powerhouse: Taiwan, owner of the world’s 17th-largest economy and a formidable modern military. There were also a couple of delegations clamouring for entry to this club for peoples with nowhere else to go: Baluchistan and Talish, both of whom reacted to their formal admissions to the Unpo with a delight which was genuinely moving. The existence of the Unpo and, more to the point, the sixty organisations and parties which constitute its membership, seems an anomaly. We are, allegedly, and especially in Europe, living in an increasingly post-state world, where national identity counts for less and less, and borders for even less than that. This is, of course, a wholly logical approach: given that we do absolutely nothing to earn or deserve a national identity beyond being born or raised on one or other side of a line on a map, it is absurd that people regard their nationality as important. We all do, though: go anywhere in the world, stop anyone in the street, and ask them to describe themselves. In no particular order, they’ll tell you their name, their job, and where they’re from. That being the case, it is possible to imagine the anguish of people for whom where they’re from isn’t an instantly recognisable brand but the beginning of a sequence of bewildered questions. The ladder of recognition I can go anywhere in the world and tell people I’m Australian. While many people will have only a cartoonish image of what that means, the not displeasing idea often arises that, despite appearances, I’m a rugged son of the bush, capable of killing a crocodile with my bare hands. At least no one asks: “where the hell’s Australia?” or “is that even a place?” Statehood, and the right to think of oneself as the citizen of a state, are precious prizes which history and geography distribute with terrifying caprice, something illustrated perfectly by the situation of the Unpo’s office in The Hague. The Netherlands is a small country with no obvious natural borders which has been invaded, occupied, liberated, united and separated many times, and which could have ceased to exist on several occasions; it was once, indeed, rent apart by a secessionist movement similar to those attending the general assembly, when the southern Netherlands seceded in 1830 and established itself as Belgium. There is no especially good reason why the Netherlands should have a seat in the United Nations, ambassadors in every capital, a monarchy, its own military and a place in the World Cup draw and why Kurdistan [to pick but one example] should not. The Unpo is regarded by the members I met at the general assembly as an important and necessary halfway house, especially in facilitating contact with international bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, whose attentions are often all too necessary in places where questions of nationality and sovereignty are in dispute. The Unpo is, however, struggling for funds. In its fourteen-year history, six of its former members have been promoted up a division to full-fledged statehood: Estonia, Latvia, Armenia, Georgia, Palau and East Timor. It would be a splendid gesture on the part of all six if they spared a thought, and a few dollars, for those still struggling in the lower leagues who aspire to join them. Source: Open Democracy __________________________________________________ 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/20050719/e445e840/attachment.html From abshi at vsnl.com Wed Jul 20 12:59:10 2005 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 09:29:10 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: reader-list Digest, Vol 24, Issue 31 Message-ID: Are you worried about the levels of lighting at your suburban Central Railway station??? Help us increase illumination at Central Railway Stations!!! Write to us at railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will convey your concerns to the CR authorities. The Gender & Space project at PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action & Research), Mumbai in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) is trying to increase the lighting levels at Mumbai suburban railway stations on the Main and Harbour lines of the CR. An article about this initiative has appeared in the Times of India, July 15th, 2005. In a study the Gender & Space Project conducted through a questionnaire among 116 women train commuters on the three lines, Western, Central Main and Central Harbour in regard to women?s perception of safety, we found that lighting was among the two factors that most contribute to women?s sense of safety at railway stations. The other factor was familiarity with the railway station. Further to this study, between August 2004 and January 2005, the Gender & Space project in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) conducted a comprehensive study of illumination at suburban railway stations from CST to Thane on the Main line and CST to Mankhurd on the Harbour line. Across the world women particularly have pointed to lighting as an important factor promoting a sense of increased safety and therefore access. Stations were assessed for adequacy of lighting in five areas: (1) entrances & exits, (2) ticket counter areas, (3) foot-over-bridges & staircases, (4) platforms, and (5) toilets. A report was submitted to the CR and they have been improving lighting based on our suggestions. However, we would welcome more suggestions from commuters who use these stations and have specific concerns about areas that are badly lit and constitute spaces which appear unsafe. So far, only stations upto Kurla on the Main line have been attended to but other work is in progress and we have noticed enhanced lighting at the Chembur and Govandi stations on the Harbour line. The concerned railway authorities, particularly Mr. Rajesh Patil, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, have been most helpful. For instance, the lighting on the foot-over-bridge at CST station has increased from 8 lights to 14. We are aware that lighting can be only one part of an effort towards making Mumbai city safer for its citizens. We are also aware that some citizens may actively seek the anonymity the city offers, the pleasure of being less visible and increased lighting may work against their interests. We do not advocate increased lighting in all spaces. We do however feel that functional spaces such as a railway station, which people have to use out of necessity, need to be better illuminated so that people using them feel comfortable. Please e-mail your concerns in regard to lighting at ANY CENTRAL SUBURBAN RAILWAY STATION to us at : railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will forward them to the CR authorities. PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research) Mumbai From abshi at vsnl.com Wed Jul 20 13:00:10 2005 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 09:30:10 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] PUKAR: lighting at central railway stations in mumbai Message-ID: Are you worried about the levels of lighting at your suburban Central Railway station??? Help us increase illumination at Central Railway Stations!!! Write to us at railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will convey your concerns to the CR authorities. The Gender & Space project at PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action & Research), Mumbai in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) is trying to increase the lighting levels at Mumbai suburban railway stations on the Main and Harbour lines of the CR. An article about this initiative has appeared in the Times of India, July 15th, 2005. In a study the Gender & Space Project conducted through a questionnaire among 116 women train commuters on the three lines, Western, Central Main and Central Harbour in regard to women?s perception of safety, we found that lighting was among the two factors that most contribute to women?s sense of safety at railway stations. The other factor was familiarity with the railway station. Further to this study, between August 2004 and January 2005, the Gender & Space project in dialogue with Central Railway (CR) conducted a comprehensive study of illumination at suburban railway stations from CST to Thane on the Main line and CST to Mankhurd on the Harbour line. Across the world women particularly have pointed to lighting as an important factor promoting a sense of increased safety and therefore access. Stations were assessed for adequacy of lighting in five areas: (1) entrances & exits, (2) ticket counter areas, (3) foot-over-bridges & staircases, (4) platforms, and (5) toilets. A report was submitted to the CR and they have been improving lighting based on our suggestions. However, we would welcome more suggestions from commuters who use these stations and have specific concerns about areas that are badly lit and constitute spaces which appear unsafe. So far, only stations upto Kurla on the Main line have been attended to but other work is in progress and we have noticed enhanced lighting at the Chembur and Govandi stations on the Harbour line. The concerned railway authorities, particularly Mr. Rajesh Patil, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, have been most helpful. For instance, the lighting on the foot-over-bridge at CST station has increased from 8 lights to 14. We are aware that lighting can be only one part of an effort towards making Mumbai city safer for its citizens. We are also aware that some citizens may actively seek the anonymity the city offers, the pleasure of being less visible and increased lighting may work against their interests. We do not advocate increased lighting in all spaces. We do however feel that functional spaces such as a railway station, which people have to use out of necessity, need to be better illuminated so that people using them feel comfortable. Please e-mail your concerns in regard to lighting at ANY CENTRAL SUBURBAN RAILWAY STATION to us at : railwaylighting at yahoo.com and we will forward them to the CR authorities. PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research) Mumbai From aarti at sarai.net Thu Jul 21 13:54:26 2005 From: aarti at sarai.net (Aarti) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 13:54:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] breast cancer help Message-ID: <42DF5BBA.4010404@sarai.net> Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com From abshi at vsnl.com Thu Jul 21 20:52:08 2005 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? Message-ID: INVITATION July 21, 2005 INVITATION July 21, 2005 ?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule of law. We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim women. The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. Thanking you Yours sincerely, Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group For further information, contact: * Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) * Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) * Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) * India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) * PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule of law. We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim women. The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. Thanking you Yours sincerely, Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group For further information, contact: * Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) * Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) * Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) * India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) * PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) From vrjogi at hotmail.com Fri Jul 22 09:57:41 2005 From: vrjogi at hotmail.com (Vedavati Jogi) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 04:27:41 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any arab country. >From: abshi at vsnl.com >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > >INVITATION > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the >rule of law. > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > >Thanking you > >Yours sincerely, > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group > > > >For further information, contact: > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the >rule of law. > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > >Thanking you > >Yours sincerely, > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group > > > >For further information, contact: > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > >_________________________________________ >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: _________________________________________________________________ Check out freebies in the racing zone http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns by Narain From ysaeed7 at yahoo.com Fri Jul 22 23:26:17 2005 From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com (Yousuf) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 10:56:17 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050722175617.82450.qmail@web51404.mail.yahoo.com> My my, are we on Sarai list or on the pack-them-off-to-Pakistan at yahoogroups.com ? --- Vedavati Jogi wrote: > demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims > are not accepting common > civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, > pluralism' etc.etc. first ask > them to accept the law of the land or else pack them > off to pakistan or any > arab country. > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS > OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > WOMEN?? > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and > attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to > express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of > extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent > Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the > number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled > religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests > and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a > total disregard for the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting > women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems > running in this country. We > >demand that the State play a more active role in > protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > 2005. It will start at 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada > police station) and go via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera > Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and > attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to > express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of > extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent > Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the > number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled > religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests > and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a > total disregard for the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting > women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems > running in this country. We > >demand that the State play a more active role in > protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > 2005. It will start at 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada > police station) and go via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera > Khan) > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From sdatta at MIT.EDU Fri Jul 22 23:34:16 2005 From: sdatta at MIT.EDU (S Datta) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:04:16 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: <20050722175617.82450.qmail@web51404.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050722175617.82450.qmail@web51404.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: the original message from vedavati jogi (waise, kya hardcore naam hai!) doesn't seem worth responding to, but sometimes it's fun to (not) let sleeping dogs lie. maybe ( i speak, before everyone decides to pounce on me, with jihva (since we're being all hindu here) firmly planted in cheek (for which the sanskrit word eludes me), but only just) we could pack her off to a mythical hindu paradise where she could commit sati, or live an abstemitious life draped in white, or be regarded as unclean during her period? just a few options. she certainly would not be able to access email (or perhaps even be able to read/write) in said place, so we'd be spared her moronic emails. hopefully she'll send another one out after this, fuming and all. amusement is always good. On Fri, 22 Jul 2005, Yousuf wrote: > > My my, are we on Sarai list or on the > pack-them-off-to-Pakistan at yahoogroups.com ? > > > > --- Vedavati Jogi wrote: > > > demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims > > are not accepting common > > civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, > > pluralism' etc.etc. first ask > > them to accept the law of the land or else pack them > > off to pakistan or any > > arab country. > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS > > OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > > WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > > For Human Rights, PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > > and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and > > attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to > > express our discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of > > extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent > > Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the > > number of anti-women fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled > > religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a > > total disregard for the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems > > running in this country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada > > police station) and go via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > > For Human Rights, PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > > and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera > > Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > > For Human Rights, PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > > and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and > > attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to > > express our discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of > > extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent > > Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the > > number of anti-women fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled > > religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a > > total disregard for the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems > > running in this country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada > > police station) and go via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre > > For Human Rights, PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women > > and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera > > Khan) > > > === message truncated === > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.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: > From ektenel at hotmail.com Sat Jul 23 05:24:43 2005 From: ektenel at hotmail.com (Ah_Ek Ferrera_Balanquet) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 23:54:43 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Arte Nuevo InteractivA'05 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05 lanza portal web. (English below) Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05, bienal de arte actual y laboratorio interdisciplinario lanza su portal de Internet en www.cartodigital.org/interactiva La bienal cuenta con la participaci�e artistas de India, Brasil, Italia, Espa�Uruguay, Australia, Argentina, Cuba, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Israel, M�co, Turqu� Republica Dominicana, Colombia, Australia, Estados Unidos, Canad�Chile, B�ica, Ir� Alemania y Singapur. El evento se lleva a cabo hasta el 31 de julio en el Centro Cultural Olimpo de M�da en Yucat� M�co. El sitio cuenta con hipertextos a curadores, artistas y proyectos, adem�de archivos con ensayos, obras y fotograf�. Visite Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05 (www.cartodigital.org/interactiva) Para m�informaci�rfbalanquet at cartodigital.org Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05 launches web portal Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05, art biennale and interdisciplinary lab launches its Internet site at www.cartodigital.org/interactiva The biennale includes artists from India, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Cuba, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Israel, Mexico, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Australia, United States, Canada, Chile, Belgium, Iran, Germany and Singapore. The event will take place until July 31 at the Centro Cultural de Merida Olimpo in Yucatan, Mexico. The site presents links to artists, curators, proyects and scholars participating in the biennale, plus information, essays, details of works and photographs. Visit Arte Nuevo InteractivA�05 (www.cartodigital.org/interactiva) For more information: rfbalanquet at cartodigital.org Raul Moarquech Ferrera-Balanquet,MFA Artist/Writer/Scholar/Curator rfbalanquet at cartodigital.org ektenel at hotmail.com http://www.cartodigital.org/krosrods From deb99kamal at yahoo.com Fri Jul 22 23:50:38 2005 From: deb99kamal at yahoo.com (Debkamal Ganguly) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 11:20:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Crime pulp fiction in Bangla: Villains of Swapankumar Message-ID: <20050722182038.49555.qmail@web52812.mail.yahoo.com> Hello, In the last posting I have introduced Swapankumar, possibly the most successful writer (if number of published books are concerned) of Bangla pulp pocket books of crime fictions. I have collected almost hundred pocket books written by him starting from 1953 to early eighties. From the back-covers of those books, information about other books written in the same series can be seen, but it is quite difficult to know exactly how many books were written over the years in different series. It seems quite a few publishers got engaged in publishing his works. After the exhaustion of an edition, new edition of the same series got published by a new publisher, where the reference of its earlier publication is not mentioned. So, at times, to estimate about the publication time of a series from a pocketbook might be erroneous, because the same series might have been published earlier by some other publisher. I am yet to fathom, whether this confusion regadring the chronology of the publishing date was an 'error' of the disorganised small scale publishing units, or a 'marketing strategy' adopted by the publisher with or without the knowledge of the writer. That non-mention of prior publishing dates would make the newer edition look like a fresh published product, at times with changed front cover illustration. Actually one can remember that a story (Baah! Granthakar, lit. naming the writer with satire) on 'real event' was published way back in 1894 in the series 'Darogar Daptar', written by retired police official, Priyonath Mukhopadhyay, where the illegal means were shown, how a 'writer' was using different illustrations and name in the title cover of an already published book, to make it look like a new book. In case of the books written by Swapankumar, these pocket books are hardly monitored or stored in libraries, so the simple tool of deception with publication dates really provide chance for a 'rebirth' of those books as new products. On a broader conceptual scale, this mistake/deception with dates can hint to a greater rupture from the mainstream notion of linear, arithmatic progression of years; and that might have something to do with the narrative strategies of Swapankumar and his predecessors from the era of Bat-tala publishing, about which I intend to deal in future postings. His primary works are independent stories of crime, where villains from one story is completely different from that of the next story. Gradually seeing the increasing publicity, the strategy of writing 'series' of tales were masterminded by the author and the publisher. In those ventures, a number of stories were named under a series, while the first story was published, the book also provided names for forthcoming stories in the same series. Right now in my possession I have series like: Crime and Mysetry Series, Kaalrudra Series, Biswachakra Series, Rocket Series, Dragon Series, Kaalnagini Series, Baajpakhi Series, Kaalonekde Series etc. More and more series was made identifiable with the name of the villains like 'Kaalrudra, Dragon, Kaalnagini, Kalonekde, Baajpakhi' etc, while the central detective characters 'Deepak Chatterjee' with his friend and assistant 'Ratanlal' were always same, at times with some more characters like Deepak's female assistant 'Tandra' or Deepak's student 'Rajat Sen'. All the villains of these villain-centred series are termed 'Dasyu' (robber, dacoit), like Dasyu Dragon, Dasyu Kaalrudra etc. One can remember in this context, the writer of Ramayana, sage Valmiki was also a 'Dasyu' (Dasyu Ratnakar) before he became the famous sage. Moreover while scrutinising the names of these Dasyus of Swapankumar one can identify a broad division in naming. In one segment there are names like Dasyu Kaalrudra (referring to the 'destructor' image of Shiva), Dasyu Bajrabhairav (referring to Tantric Shaivism), Dasyu Chakrapani (referring to the name of Vishnu holding the Chakra), Dasyu Niyati (Niyati means destiny), Dasyu Mayabini (Mayabini means cunning conjurer-female). In the other segments there are names like Dasyu Dragon (the famous omnipotent utopian reptile), Dasyu-netri Kaalnagini (a female serpent which is believed to be powered by deadly poison), Dasyu Baajpakhi (the Eagle), Dasyu Kaalonekde (The black Wolf). Where the first segment of names have resonance of ancient mysterious, forbidden cults (Tantra etc), secret societies having a nucleus of different moral and spiritual order than the 'present' time having emphasis on fate and destiny, the second category of nomenclature of Dasyu-s provide remnants of 'totemic clans', where the totemic principle is a real or utopian animal with magical power. One might argue that it is too much of far fetched 'reading' and 'meaning generation', but when those names are repeated again and again over the decades, then it can be studied with all the available interpretative gears. Actually, one can find a direct connection between these usage of 'mythical' names for the villains and a different sympathetic calibration of 'morality' on behalf of the villains. The most characteristic feature of these multiple series is, the Dasyu-s like Dragon, Kaalrudra etc are not traced till the end. In the primary titles, each time detective Deepak is enable to trace the eventuality of the crime but not the criminal --- like the central character like Dragon etc. Each time they escape at the penultimate moment, and often the story ends with a common sigh of detective Deepak and police inspector Mr. Gupta ---- they lament that again the Dasyu has escaped. The logic of marketability (that the criminal might escape in this volume, but finally he/she would be arrested at the end of the series) also doesn't hold good here. At the end also the villain goes away free and at times there lie some letters written by the Dasyu to Deepak, that it is not easy to catch him/her. Soon there would be a terrifying encounter with Deepak. Dragon and Kaalnagini were arrested once and after trial they were put for capital punishment. They escape from the gallows with the help of some mysterious hidden doors or criminals dressed as police near the gallows. Some of the noteworthy characteristics of these villains are as follows: 1. Always they are in disgiuse, so nobody knows how they look. 2. Even in meetings with sub-ordinate criminals, the Dasyus come with mask covering the face, or instruct via radio signals. 3. Often after the crime, like robbery, theft, murder etc. they themselves give intimation that, their group have done the business, either over phone or by letter, at times they give intimation of their crime even to the Police HQ. 4. They respect private detective Deepak Chatterjee for his sharpness and agility, though they challenge over phone or letters that Deepak woudn't be able to catch them. 5. Some of them, like Kaalrudra or Kaalnagini, they are versions of Robin Hood. They rob from rich and powerful and help the helpless. In one of the stories in Kaalrudra series, news got spread that Dasyu Kaalrudra got killed by an unknown mercenary. Even the morning dailies crave for such 'tragic' death of a 'benevolent' Dasyu and criticise the role of police. Finally it is seen that Kaalrudra was alive very much to carry on the series. 6. When some new criminals arrive with their ruthlessness and cruelty, when they don't even spare the poor (the ultimate 'negativity' according to the moral standards bestowed upon the benevolent Dasyus by Swapankumar), some of these benevolent Dasyus send secret message to Deepak and help him to arrest those new criminals. In those instances both the Dasyus and Deepak become allies and at times Deepak chooses to fight these new 'amoral' criminals, drifting away from his long fight and chase with the 'benevolent' Dasyus. 7. At times by just seeing the financial condition of the victim of crime, or the degree of cruelty associated with crime Deepak comments that the crime is not done by the famous Dasyus. It suggests that Deepak is well aware of the moral standards of the Dasyus. 8. In some of the cover illustrations (like Ajana Dwip-e Dragon lit. Dragon in an unknown island, Akashpathe Dragon lit. Dragon in the sky) it is surprisingly the good-man image that is ascribed to Dragon, which one can understand only after reading the story. 9.Till date I have found one science-fiction story written in crime format by Swapankumar (Prithibi Theke Durey, lit. Away from the Earth), where the criminal Bajrabhairav joined a scientist during the second world war in a remote area in Burma. The scientist invented some automatic tri-feeted instrument, which cannot be affected by bullets, granades or bombs. When Deepak as requested by the Governor General got into the investigation, he was prisoned by Bajrabhairav. The criminal said by generating those invincible instruments, his intention is to claim the 'peace' in the world from the powerful nations fighting with each other. There is a clear demarcation of 'this world' and the 'other utopian world'. 10. In cases where the criminal is not of a series, there also generally it is unfolded that the present crimes are associated to some events of injustice, betrayal in the past. If this aspect of morality associated with crime is one of the central features of Swapankumar stories, then one can trace a long tradition of 'moral criminals' starting from the early colonial period. In 1830s a memoir of a Thug (Amir Ali, convicted for 719 murders) was written by Colonel Meadows Taylor in a book named 'Confessions of a Thug'. I have managed to get a Bangla book 'Thagi Kahini' based on the prior mentioned book, written by a police officer, Priyanath Mukhopadhyay (who was also the writer of series of crime detection memoirs 'Drarogar Daptar' published since 1893). The life of that thug, Amir Ali was spared because he gave information to arrest lot of other thugs during the action of suppression of thugs under the supervision of Colonel Sleeman and under the instruction of Lord William Bentinck. Interestingly, as the memoir of Amir Ali unfolds, one can see that all the thugs used to consider themselves followers of a different 'Dharma' (religion), i.e. 'Thagi-dharma' and they were earnest devotees of Devi Bhavani or Kali. Even Amir Ali being a muslim used to be a sincere devotee of mother goddess. Even there was a concrete philosophy beneath their action of killing and robbing people, it goes like this: In the beginning Brahma created the universe and all living beings and Vishnu took the responsibility of nurturing them. But there was no mechanism for destruction while the continous creation and nurturing created the imbalance in the universe. Finally Shiva was assigned to carry out the job of destruction. While doing the job Shiva has to abide by the order and wish of his consort, goddess Bhavani. So the thagis, being the devotee of Bhavani are also assigned for taking away the life of human beings, who are 'sinners'. That way the souls of those perished persons are freed and no sin would touch the thagis, if they commit the killing without being involved in worldly passions. There was elaborate rituals when a new entrant used to take up Thagi-dharma. Even they had elaborate taboos, according to which they are not supposed to kill a range of lower-caste people (like washerman, iron-smith, oil producer etc), performers (like singer, dancer, roadside trickster), alternative religions of Bhakti-Sufi source (like people following Sikh-ism and Nanak-sahi, Fakir), patients of incurable diseases (like leprosy) and finally women. According the account of Amir Ali, the Thagi-dharma was well organised along with codifications done in a different language, which only a Thagi could understand, and everybody under that religion were considered equal. The belief was so strong in Thagi-dharma that a Muslim thagi didn't hesitate to take a false oath touching Koran. Every year they used to assemble during the Dussera festival and after the end of that Puja, they used to go out for months in search of hunts. Till the time they were unable to make the first hunt, they were not allowed to shave and have beatle leaves (Paan). And their means of sustainance had to be chiefly the money robbed from the 'sinners'. At the end of the oral description of his life, Amir Ali said in a despising tone to the English official, who was noting down Amir Ali's narration that: you English people are truly extra ordinary, you can make impossible possible, you can change the brave, powerful Amir Ali into a traitor. Amir Ali, once who was a victorious leader of thagis, on whom thousands of thagis bestowed their faith of life and death is now betraying them, listening to the ill advices and treacherous planning monitored by English officials. At the fag end of life, not the hundreds of killing those Amir Ali did is unbearble, the act of the single betryal at the end of life is paralysing his mind completely. This final comment of Amir Ali gives an important clue regarding the conflict 'alternative morality' of 'criminals' and the new 'morality' of British rule. In the several oral tales about the robbers of Bengal compiled later in a book Banglar Dakaat, the propagation of similar nature of pre-colonial moralities can be found, which suggests a popular imagination and fascination for those aspects of alternative morality. Coming back to Swapankumar, in one story, Dragon is shown as a benevolent despot (in Ajana Dwip-e Dragon lit. Dragon in an unknown island), where he takes his suborditanes in a virgin, un-manned island, in Bay of Bengal, while chased by police and Deepak. There he implements rules of a 'utopian free society' under the keen eye of Dragon, where everybody would work and get their share according to their needs and they have to abandone all enmity, all difference among themselves. Does those pre-colonial moralities and moralities beyond the reach of present nation state someway got inscribed in the protrayals of Dasyus of Swapankumar? Till next posting Debkamal ------------------------------------------- 404 Vimla Vihar 8-49 Gautamnagar St no. 1 Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad - 500060 India Phone - 9246363517 __________________________________________________ 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/20050722/e9c05092/attachment.html From mtewani at gmail.com Fri Jul 22 12:22:42 2005 From: mtewani at gmail.com (Manish Tewani) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 12:22:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <791438d405072123522d4d038e@mail.gmail.com> HI, all Without reading the entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu State). With regards, Manish On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: > > demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting > common > civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask > them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or > any > arab country. > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > WOMEN?? > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for > the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. > We > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at > 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go > via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for > the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. > We > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at > 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go > via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: > > _________________________________________________________________ > Check out freebies in the racing zone > http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns by > Narain > > _________________________________________ > 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/20050722/7c807e35/attachment.html From manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com Fri Jul 22 11:39:03 2005 From: manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com (Manosh Chowdhury) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 23:09:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050722060903.23283.qmail@web53309.mail.yahoo.com> Dear Group members, The note is just too arrogant and violent to go through. As far as I can remember, I never was a Muslim, still I just feel degraded reading it. Look at the language.!! However this is not very uncommon in the everyday lexicals of the Western commoners who, pathetically, are the products of state-sponsored ignorance, stupidity and arrogance - mostly in the US, but significantly in the European nations too. And yes, we can remember that India is being more more credible South Asian counterpart of the West. What a demonstration! I understand that SARAI is a moderated group. How can this note by Vedavati Jogi (hopefully with a number of supporters all around in India) be transmitted in the forum without any CRITIC [I repeat it] from the moderator-desk? Sincerely manosh chowdhury Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any arab country. __________________________________________________ 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/20050721/a8b6d0c2/attachment.html From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Fri Jul 22 14:05:12 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 22 Jul 2005 08:35:12 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Murtaza Mustafa...The Rising... Prashant Pandey Message-ID: <20050722083512.22596.qmail@webmail8.rediffmail.com> Murtaza Mustafa is a classical vocalist who has sung a number of film songs along with his brother Kadir. I had an intoductory posting about him and this is a detailed interview that happened at his Perry Road Residence in Bombay. I also wish to thank everybody who has followed my posts with keen interest. Conversations with Murtaza Mustafa Sir you belong to a tradition of a much rarified gharana style of singing yet you do a lot of fusion and stage shows and film scores is there ever a contradiction or any self-doubts? No our musical grooming is different. Entire approach is different. We never see classical as a holier- than –thou genre. The whole industry has trained from papa ( Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan). We (Murtaza and Kadir) do everything that comes our way; however we would never let our training and traditions down. How was your training like? It was see in our families a kid is taught music from a very tender age I think I was 6-7 years old when I started to learn. Our grandfather taught us. We had to get up at 5 am in the morning for our riyaz. As kids we found it very distasteful but as time progressed we got used to it. We were bound to a very strict discipline. I have learnt from my grandfather, my uncle and my father. There would always be people to teach us. Those days there was no cable no other entertainment. There was a Sunday film and cartoon on Doordarshan. We would be told that we wont be allowed to see them if we did not do our riyaaz. But our grandfather had his own style. He would give us extra makkhan (butter) in our breakfast and allow us a good time to monkey around. He would say “Today your brother was better” So I would practice more. Next day he would put the same thing diplomatically to my brother Kadir. How your film music career started? We used to do classical performances.. We still do infact. Rehman bhai(A.R Rehman) came to Bombay to meet my father. Rehman bhai wanted to learn and my father was happy to take him as a student. I think it was then only when we too sang some raag I think we sang Malkauns. Much later Rehman Bhai told Hari bhai( Hariharan) that he had heard us and wanted to use our voices. So that’s how it started. So you sang Pia Haji ali ( Fiza,2000) and Chupke se ( Sathiya,2002) No. we did a lot of alaaps in tamil films before it. These songs happened later. Actually we have a lot of work in south now we are getting a lot of offers from south Indian producers yet it is a problem as not everybody can pay for our air fare and accommodation charges. With Rehman there is no problem as he works with big budgets. A lot of times we go to Chennai to do a very small alaap or to do backing vocals. Is it because of your Hindustani classical identity? Yes in a way. Rehman started this trend. Mixing carnatic with very pure Hindustani classical alaap. (He gives me a demo) There is a Tamil song that I heard there is an alaap ( I try to do the alaap but I don’t get the pitch right.) (Murtaza smiles. ) (We talk about several things including my interest in music and so on. Something strikes me and I sing that alaap again I tell him its a song from a huge hit calls “Boys” (Tamil, 2003) and the song is Anarkali . He remembers it too and sings the alaap). Oh where did you hear it? I heard it in Delhi. I have done this alaap! (I tell him that it’s a great song and Rehman should do more of his Tamil compositions in Bombay. He asks me if I can get a copy of the song I tell him to ask any south Indian who he knows. ) I can try Hari bhai but Hari bhai (Hariharan) won’t have this (Smiles) You have a song in Rising ( Aamir Khan Productions) Yes its called Maula.( He gets up and plays a scratch version of the song. It’s a very tough song and both Kadir and Murtaza Mustafa have sung it with ease and power. Rehman and Kailash Kher have done background vocals.) I am quite certain that people will like this song. Let’s hope for the best. How is Rahman to work with ? Oh he is great. He is a very energetic and spiritual person. He can work non-stop for days. As you know he works in the night. Whenever we enter his studio it is evening but when we get out We get to see a bright day. Rahman has a very unique improvisational style. A lot of times we stand in the studio with the mics and he plays something on the keyboard And asks us to sing. There is no practice. We sing it as we get newer ideas from Rahman. He says, “Sing this or later he would say sing like that”. You never know what is going to happen. It’s great fun. I hear that producer directors sit in waiting for him? Yes Infact now Rahman bhai has got a very big studio very beautiful. Simultaneously he can do more than one project. He has a very efficient staff (recordists,arrangers,managers, telephone operaters,Secretaries,helpers) and a pure south Indian canteen also. This helps him to finish the work efficiently yet always there are producers/directors waiting. He says “Now you come . Now you come” It’s like a doctors’ clinic? (Laughs) Please when you go for your next Rehman recording please Bring some song sheets from there. It will help me a lot In my research. What will you do with song sheets? Well I will scan it and put it on our website. People can see what a Rehman song sheet looks like. What are you doing these days? Giving interviews. (We laugh) We are making an album. It will be a mix of melody Pop and classical. Then we are making a couple Of television appearances to promote the music of Rising. Best of luck You too ............................................................................................................................................ end of post Prashant Pandey for Sarai   -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050722/82101958/attachment.html From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Fri Jul 22 14:44:34 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 22 Jul 2005 09:14:34 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati Message-ID: <20050722091434.22638.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com> Vedavati... please answer these questions 1. If muslims leave India, will you win cricket& tennis matches for us ?   2. Do you want to open a small business or grab your muslims neighbours property ? 3. Will you pay for my air fare(economy class only) to pakistan or any arab country as then I will have to go there to take my Music classes twice every week ? 4. Can you make good kebabs ?( I am veggi... but i am just asking) 5. Are you planning to replace the 3 khans single handedly at the box office ? you are not a frustated bollywood struggler are you ? 6. Do you think Gujrati Hindus only play dandiya and are as peaceful as the taliban ? please live a simple life... cheer up and dont worry about maintaining discipline in our country. Prashant guys i am back on the reader list after a month long illness and bad health...I didnt feel like replying but Mr. Jogi's mail was too forceful. I almost forgot to chill. Now my breath is coming back... On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 Vedavati Jogi wrote : >demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any arab country. > >> From: abshi at vsnl.com >>To: reader-list at sarai.net >>Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? >>Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 >> >>INVITATION >> >> >> >>July 21, 2005 >> >> >> >> >> >>INVITATION >> >> >> >>July 21, 2005 >> >> >> >> >> >>?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? >> >> >> >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. >> >> >> >>In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule of law. >> >> >> >>We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim women. >> >> >> >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. >> >> >> >>Thanking you >> >>Yours sincerely, >> >> >> >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group >> >> >> >>For further information, contact: >> >>* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) >> >>* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) >> >>* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) >> >>* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) >> >>* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) >> >> >> >> >> >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. >> >> >> >>In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule of law. >> >> >> >>We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim women. >> >> >> >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. >> >> >> >>Thanking you >> >>Yours sincerely, >> >> >> >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s Research and Action Group >> >> >> >>For further information, contact: >> >>* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) >> >>* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) >> >>* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) >> >>* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) >> >>* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) >> >> >> >>_________________________________________ >>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: > >_________________________________________________________________ >Check out freebies in the racing zone http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns by Narain > >_________________________________________ >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/20050722/1dceab16/attachment.html From sayyadain2000 at yahoo.co.in Thu Jul 21 15:53:22 2005 From: sayyadain2000 at yahoo.co.in (faizan ahmed) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 11:23:22 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] No madrasa link to London attacks - William Dalrymple Message-ID: <20050721102323.6602.qmail@web8502.mail.in.yahoo.com> Dear all Following is an interesting article... and we need to think over the issue without any bias. Faizan. http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/21/stories/2005072107431100.htm No madrasa link to London attacks William Dalrymple COLIN POWELL and Donald Rumsfeld were not known for their close agreement on matters of foreign policy, but one thing that they were united upon was the threat posed by Pakistan's madrasas. In 2002, Mr. Rumsfeld posed the question: "Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorists every day than the madrasas ... are recruiting, training and deploying against us?" A year later, Mr. Powell described madrasas as a breeding ground "for fundamentalists and terrorists." Since the revelation this week that no less than three of the suicide bombers suspected to be behind the London blasts visited Pakistan in the year preceding the attack, the British press has been quick to follow the United States line: last weekend the Sunday Telegraph was helpfully translating the Arabic word madrasa as terrorist "training school" (it actually means "place of education") while Tuesday's Daily Mirror confidently asserted over a double-page spread that three of the bombers had all enrolled at Pakistani "terror schools." In fact, it is still uncertain whether the three visited any madrasa in Pakistan — intelligence sources have yet to confirm this. More important, the link between madrasas and international terrorism is far from clear-cut, and new research has poured cold water on the much-repeated theory of madrasas being little more than Al-Qaeda training schools. It is true that there were good reasons for people jumping to the assumption of the madrasas' culpability. The terrifyingly ultra-conservative Taliban regime was unquestionably the product of Pakistan's madrasas. Many madrasas are indeed fundamentalist in their approach to the scriptures and many subscribe to the most hardline strains of Islamic thought. It is also true that some madrasas can be directly linked to Islamist radicalism and occasionally to outright civil violence. It is estimated that as many as 15% of Pakistan's madrasas preach violent jihad, while a few have even been known to provide covert military training. `Technically literate terrorists' But it is now becoming very clear 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 World Trade Center. Indeed, there is an important and fundamental distinction to be made between most madrasa graduates — who tend to be pious villagers from impoverished economic backgrounds, possessing 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 were confused, but highly educated, middle-class professionals. Mohammed Atta was a town planning expert; Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's chief of staff, is a paediatric surgeon; Omar Sheikh, the kidnapper of Daniel Pearl, is the product of the same British public school that produced film-maker Peter Greenaway. Peter Bergen of Johns Hopkins University recently published the conclusions of his in-depth study of 75 Islamist terrorists who had carried out four major anti-Western attacks. According to Mr. Bergen, "53 per cent of the terrorists had either attended college or had received a college degree. As a point of reference, only 52 per cent of Americans have been to college." Against this background, the backgrounds of the British bombers should not come as a surprise. The French authority on Islamists, Gilles Kepel, has arrived at a similar conclusion. The new breed of global jihadis, he writes, are not the urban poor of the third world — as Tony Blair still claims — so much as "the privileged children of an unlikely marriage between Wahhabism and Silicon Valley." Islamic terrorism, like its Christian predecessor, remains a largely bourgeois endeavour. It is true that there are exceptions to this thesis. There are several examples of radical madrasa graduates who have become involved with Al-Qaeda. Maulana Masood Azhar, for example, leader of the banned Islamist group Jaish-e-Muhammad, originally studied in the ultra-militant Binori Town madrasa in Karachi. 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. Their focus, in other words, is not on opposing the West — the central concern of the Salafi jihadis — so much as fostering what they see as proper Islamic behaviour at home. All this highlights how depressingly unsophisticated the debate about the British bombers is in this country. Again and again we are told that terrorism is associated with poverty and the basic, Quranic education provided by madrasas. We are told that the men who carry out this work are evil madmen with whom no debate is possible and who, according to Frank Field on last week's Question Time, "aim to wipe us out." All links with Iraq and Afghanistan are vehemently denied. In actual fact, Al-Qaeda operatives tend to be highly educated and their aims clearly and explicitly political. Osama bin Laden, in his numerous communiqués, has always been completely clear about this. In his first public statement, "A declaration of war against the Americans," issued in 1996, he announced he was fighting U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and, in particular, American support for the House of Saud and the state of Israel. His aim, he stated, was to unleash a clash of civilisations between Islam and the "Zionist crusaders" of the West, and so provoke an American backlash strong enough to radicalise the Muslim world and topple pro-Western governments. George W. Bush has fulfilled Osama bin Laden's every hope. Through the invasion of secular Ba'athist Iraq, the abuses in Abu Ghraib, the mass murders in Fallujah, America — with Britain's obedient assistance — has turned Iraq into a jihadist playground while alienating all moderate Muslim opinion in the Islamic heartlands and, crucially, in the West. Of course, we must condemn the horrific atrocities these men cause; but condemnation is not enough. Unless we attempt to understand the jihadis, read their statements and honestly analyse what has led these men to blow themselves up, we can never defeat them or even begin to drain the swamp of the grievances in which they continue to flourish. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004 (William Dalrymple is the author of White Mughals.) --------------------------------- How much free photo storage do you get? Store your friends n family photos for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. http://in.photos.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050721/4c238d15/attachment.html From shai at filterindia.com Thu Jul 21 13:05:50 2005 From: shai at filterindia.com (Shai Heredia) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 13:05:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Excavating Indian Experimental Film Message-ID: <008801c58dc6$d539c060$eb00a8c0@abcg9pijiifj6r> In 1975 Nina Shivdasani Rovshen (aka Nina Sugati SR), made 'Chhatrabhang' - the first Indian film to win the International Fipresci critics award. This 80 min 35mm colour film was shot by AK Bir over a period of 2 weeks, and edited over 1 year by the filmmaker herself. The film was made within Rs 2 lakhs and has rarely been screened in India. Based on a true story, 'Chhatrabhang' explores caste dynamics in a drought stricken village in rural India. This complex film transforms a 3 line news report into a lyrical feature film about the trauma of dilemma, and the processes involved in resolve, change and reform. From a purely metaphysical explanation of human affliction, to an analysis of socio economic conditions in India, 'Chhatrabhang' is an extraordinary experiment with film. Filmed on location in Jogiya village and enacted by local villagers, the film created a visual language unique to its photographic shooting style. Termed 'Imageography' this form was created by the filmmaker herself wherein she treats each shot as a moving photograph, thus creating a conceptual photo essay. This uniquely personal syntax transcends the genres of fiction and non fiction to create a truly poetic new film form. The following are excerpts of an interview with the filmmaker Nina Shivdasani Rovshen (aka Nina Sugati SR). S: How did the idea for Chhatrabhang originate? N: I wanted to make a film on the essence of India. I read 3 lines in the newspaper about a well that had run dry in northern India, and the caste tension that occurred after that. I immediately realised that I could make that the seed of a film - a true-life incident combined with as much of the reality of that incident along with a certain amount of fiction to supplement where it needed it. So this complex play of real and fiction is what turned it into a really strong work. I went on a research trip, took photographs, did a lot of taping and then wrote a script outline with minimal dialogue and narration - all the rest is free formed, dehati language which the villagers spoke themselves. S: Who were you making this film for essentially? Did you have a specific audience in mind? N: Well I looked at my notes recently and surprisingly found that there's a lot about the audience. I thought I just wanted to create. But at the time I had clearly written there that I want an audience, I want to cut across all cultures, all age groups, and create a visual language for anyone to understand - a kind of universal language. I wanted to be able to speak to a rural audience essentially, so therefore it had to be pictorial, so they had to understand how it evolved, and the story is so simple you can understand even without listening to the words. S: So how did you work with or direct the villagers? What were the power dynamics of that relationship actually? How did you communicate what you were trying to do? N: When I went to the rural areas I didn't really know how I was going to direct them. I would tell them I'm making a 'gaon ki kahani'. That it's a story on a village. I would just explain particular scenes. For instance when Seela went to beg for water from the Brahmin woman I just told her that you are going to go to her, and you must put down the vessel (the lota) and she will fill it with water. Seela had never entered the courtyard area of the Brahmin household. This was the first time she was going there. So to me that was amazing because these people never entered each other's areas. I feel the actual making of the film brought the village communities together within a different context. Also, for instance in the scene where they collect at the corner & discuss whether they should ask for water or not - I just told tell them to talk about it among themselves and then I filmed them from different angles. In a way, the village was my landscape & I used spots in the area that were visually interesting & would position the characters in those areas & thus compose the frame.... I painted over the landscape with my characters. S: So were the villagers drawing from their own real experiences in a way? N: Yes. They knew their own truth. Most of what they were saying was in their minds already. I would just give them a gist or a line or the idea or.and then their own improvisation and spontaneity would take over. This was very interesting. S: So considering your shooting style, what was the editing process like? Did u edit it yourself? N: Yes I edited every frame myself. That's where the film was made. This kind of film is really made on the editing table. I used the movieola & an Italian steinbeck and for a short time I used the Films Division steinbeck. S: How long did it take you to edit the film? N: It took one year because I used the imageography approach, in that I let the images speak to me. So I had to run it atleast 3-4 times to understand what the images were telling me as opposed to what I intended them to be, because I feel in this kind of film making, no matter how you go into the process or whatever you put in the film, the images are not exactly what you put into it. This might sound strange to a person who is in Hollywood or bollywood or script writing. Alfred Hitchcock used to say that after I've written the script ..every shot is done exactly like the script to mathematical precision. But in my kind of film making I may go in with something but if the image is telling me something else I have to follow that & I have to put aside what I am thinking because it is ultimately the image we see. S: You said your film shoot took 2 weeks.then your editing process you said was a year long process.did you get people to see it, get input from people, when did you feel like the film was done, at what point did you feel that its complete to you? N: The editing process is the most fascinating process, it reveals things that you didnt know about when you went in to film & it gives you little hints on how to put it together. A film can be structured in 10 different ways and come out with 10 different meanings. And you have to really be careful that you do it in a way that the meaning that is the most poignant emerges. I let the images bring out the concept and then edit it according to that. I think my editing process has come from my painting process, in that I study the images & let the images tell me what they are about. There are so many subtleties in each shot - in maybe one corner of the image there maybe something that is important. So even when I made the rough cut I put a lot of shots in that were not immediately relating to the story because of the emotional content or because of the pacing. If I wanted something to be a bit longer, I would put in some footage so that that scene would take a bit longer to unravel, so to slow the pacing . then finally I fine tuned and got to cutting beginning & ends of shots. The exact rhythm of the film took maybe 3 months to create and at the time I was working on the movieola so I could only work with one track, but on the steinbeck I could work with 2 sound tracks. So I had the sound effects track and I had the voice but the music, there's some singing part, I did that later in the final rerecording. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050721/4007b09d/attachment.html From vishnu at cscsban.org Fri Jul 22 14:54:07 2005 From: vishnu at cscsban.org (T. Vishnu Vardhan) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:54:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Why did mythologicals die? Message-ID: <6.0.1.1.1.20050722141140.023c1748@localhost> Hi this is my (delayed) sixth and final posting from the project 'Documenting the Death of a Genre: Mythologicals in Telugu cinema'. In the last five postings I took you through various aspects of Telugu mythologicals which surfaced in my research. I posted about the importance of language in mythologicals, viewers' expectation from mythologicals (in terms of language), the aspect of nativity in Telugu cinema, mythologicals and genre, changing role of mythologicals from 1930s to 1980s. In this posting I will reflect on the question Why did mythologicals die in Telugu cinema? This is the same question which, I asked few people from the industry and also Telugu cinema viewers. Nobody has an exact answer for the question. But these are the few popular responses. 1) A certain package of film makers and actors (like K.V. Reddy, Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao, N.T. Rama Rao, Savithri, S.V. Ranga Rao, Gummadi, etc) who were known for their mythologicals, passed away/came of age/stopped acting. And nobody can replace these people either on the screen or off the screen. 2) The production of mythologicals is very expensive and the industry was not in a position to spend such a huge amount on these films and thus by 1980s they die. 3) The plots of mythologicals were exhausted and there is nothing new to show to the spectators. 4) The tastes of the viewers have changed. They cant take-in anymore the same plots culled out from Ramayana and Mahabaratha. Also the language of the mythologicals is too high for the audience and they do not any more enjoy the long padhyalu (kind of poems). Either stating one or more of the above reasons most of them become nostalgic about the age of mythologicals, especially those made between 50s and 80s. And this period is also considered as the golden age of Telugu cinema both by the industry and the 'cinema going public'. Further, this is the period during which a kind of star system emerges (which is different from an ordinary film star). A star system which can mobilize people beyond the film theatre and can determine capital in the industry. NTRama Rao, who is the first star to enjoy such star system in Telugu, apparently became the first non-congress Chief Ministrer of Andhra Pradesh. Coming back to the question of WHY DID MYTHOLOGICALS DIE, what I am going to say is a bit controversial and is unsaid till now. Mythological died because of NT Rama Rao or in other words because of the new star system. How this is so is what I will be talking at the conference in SARAI. Hope you will be ready to shoot many questions and let me see how I am going to defend my hypothesis. see you soon. Vishnu T. Vishnu Vardhan Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, 466, 9th Cross, 1st Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560011. e-mail: vishnu at cscsban.org thvishnu_viva at yahoo.com Tel. no. 080-26562986 mobile no. +919845207308 fax no. 080-26562991 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050722/0d6329e8/attachment.html From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Sat Jul 23 18:39:23 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 06:09:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] U-turn at JNU over madrassa admissions Message-ID: <20050723130923.8761.qmail@web53604.mail.yahoo.com> What is the legal veracity of this step of JNU? U-turn at JNU over madrassa admissions Lakshmi B. Ghosh Resentment brewing as Alimiyat Fazeelat certificates are no longer considered equivalent to Class XII NEW DELHI: Coming from a different educational "experience", students from madrassa background are for the first time feeling "unwelcome" on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus here. With the University taking the drastic step of not just introducing an Equivalence Committee this year to assess the Alimiyat Fazeelat certificates of students but also refusing admission on the plea that these certificates were not equivalent to Class XII, strong resentment and dissent is brewing on the campus. Describing the move as unacceptable, the JNU Students' Union has already written to the Vice-Chancellor demanding that the new system be withdrawn as it was in complete contradiction to the policy followed by the University in the past. Though the problem is not new for madrassa students, JNU has always had a far more friendly admission process for them, with the University enrolling at least 100 such students every year in Arabic, Persian and other languages. What has irked the students here is the University's refusal to admit even migration students in the second year. "For a long time madrassa students have registered and taken admission in the second year after completing their first year in universities like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. What is even more shocking is that no one knew about the new committee including the concerned faculties of Arabic or Persian who were never consulted,'' says JNU Students' Union vice-president Ena Panda. Students say the move is uncalled for as until last year students never faced this problem. According to many students, it was normal for most madrassa students to take admission in universities like Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Hamdard and AMU where the educational qualifications are recognised and can be assessed. They would then apply for migration in the second year to JNU as it is considered one of the best in the country. The certificates of a number of small madrassas are apparently not recognised as equivalent to Class XII by the Association of Indian Universities. "When a university like Jamia Millia gives admission to a madrassa student, it is after checking his certificates. Till last year this was acceptable, but not now. In fact, some of the students have made it to the merit list after an entrance, so why should there be a problem?'' asks Hafeez-ur-Rehman of Students' Voice, a voluntary group here. Iqubal Ahmed, a student of the Al-Jamia Al-Salafia Madrassa in Varanasi, is just one of those facing a problem. This French enthusiast joined Jamia Millia's undergraduate course in Arabic last year and also took a part-time course in French at Alliance Francaise de Delhi. With his proficiency in French improving, Iqubal decided to apply for JNU's undergraduate degree programme in French. But despite making it to the top of the merit list, Iqubal says he was rejected by JNU. "University officials said they would not be able to give me admission till I could prove that my madrassa education was equivalent to Class XII. I told them that my admission to Jamia Millia was based on that but they did not agree. After clearing the entrance exam I was really looking forward to joining JNU, but I am very disappointed now,'' says Iqubal. University authorities say a final decision will be taken on the matter early next week after due deliberations ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Sat Jul 23 21:56:56 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 09:26:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati In-Reply-To: <20050722091434.22638.qmail@webmail7.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <20050723162656.26483.qmail@web53601.mail.yahoo.com> Questions on a better line would be 1)Why is it not the whole country's responsibility that Muslims have come to be represented by organizations like AIMPLB? Historically it was congress who sought the alliance of hardline muslim parties at the time of partition. 2)Now since the issue of UCC has been hijacked by the likes of RSS and BJP(because of the communal politics of Congress,in my opinion) who talk of Hindu Nationalism, are the muslims to be blamed for feeling like playing into their hands if they concede to this demand? 3)Are the muslims a monolithic entity so that they can be collectively blamed for Muslim personal law? Can the same criteria be applied on every other citizen for every other law? Finally, this is notwithstanding the importance of the debate that should take place on how and why all the muslims can be represented by archaic and undemocratic organizations like the MPLB.Even going ahead with the existing laws but having their interpretation done in regular courts by scholars of Islamic law, would be a great step ahead. --- Prashant Pandey wrote: > Vedavati... please answer these questions > > 1. If muslims leave India, will you win cricket& > tennis matches for us ? >   > 2. Do you want to open a small business or grab your > muslims neighbours property ? > > 3. Will you pay for my air fare(economy class only) > to pakistan or any arab country as then I will have > to go there to take my Music classes twice every > week ? > > 4. Can you make good kebabs ?( I am veggi... but i > am just asking) > > 5. Are you planning to replace the 3 khans single > handedly at the box office ? you are not a frustated > bollywood struggler are you ? > > 6. Do you think Gujrati Hindus only play dandiya > and are as peaceful as the taliban ? > > please live a simple life... cheer up and dont worry > about maintaining discipline in our country. > > Prashant > > guys i am back on the reader list after a month long > illness and bad health...I didnt feel like replying > but Mr. Jogi's mail was too forceful. I almost > forgot to chill. > Now my breath is coming back... > > > > On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 Vedavati Jogi wrote : > >demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims > are not accepting common civil code under the > pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first > ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack > them off to pakistan or any arab country. > > > >> From: abshi at vsnl.com > >>To: reader-list at sarai.net > >>Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS > OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > >>Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > >> > >>INVITATION > >> > >> > >> > >>July 21, 2005 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>INVITATION > >> > >> > >> > >>July 21, 2005 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > WOMEN?? > >> > >> > >> > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > leaders. > >> > >> > >> > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > of law. > >> > >> > >> > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > We demand that the State play a more active role in > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > women. > >> > >> > >> > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > end at Azad Maidan. > >> > >> > >> > >>Thanking you > >> > >>Yours sincerely, > >> > >> > >> > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > Women?s Research and Action Group > >> > >> > >> > >>For further information, contact: > >> > >>* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > >> > >>* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > >> > >>* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > (Sandhya Gokhale) > >> > >>* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > >> > >>* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 > (Sameera Khan) > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > leaders. > >> > >> > >> > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > of law. > >> > >> > >> > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > We demand that the State play a more active role in > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > women. > >> > >> > >> > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > end at Azad Maidan. > >> > >> > >> > >>Thanking you > >> > >>Yours sincerely, > >> > >> > >> > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > Women?s Research and Action Group > >> > >> > === message truncated ===> _________________________________________ > 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!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com Sun Jul 24 00:41:02 2005 From: khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com (khadeeja arif) Date: 23 Jul 2005 19:11:02 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati Message-ID: <20050723191102.18376.qmail@webmail26.rediffmail.com> Yeh jogi jogi kaun hai:) Bhai kuch bolo..itne log react kar rahe hain.... Anyways, I dont have a problem with whatever Ms jogi has written on the list. We all have freedom to express our views without being 'politically correct' always... Unfortunately, the statement has gained many responses without it actually making a subtantial argument in itself . I was not shocked to read Ms Jogi's statement because it does not say anything novel... I am sure all of us faces such biases all the time .. My only suggestion to Ms Jogi is that 'Packing THEM off to Pakistan" is not an interesting idea.. think of something interesting...:) After all, Pakistan is not that far from India.... And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player ... So guys chill and dont give so much bhav to Ms Jogi's statement... Must be feeling on top of the world... Cheers K On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 Rahul Asthana wrote : >Questions on a better line would be >1)Why is it not the whole country's responsibility >that Muslims have come to be represented by >organizations like AIMPLB? Historically it was >congress who sought the alliance of hardline muslim >parties at the time of partition. >2)Now since the issue of UCC has been hijacked by the >likes of RSS and BJP(because of the communal politics >of Congress,in my opinion) who talk of Hindu >Nationalism, are the muslims to be blamed for feeling >like playing into their hands if they concede to this >demand? >3)Are the muslims a monolithic entity so that they can >be collectively blamed for Muslim personal law? Can >the same criteria be applied on every other citizen >for every other law? > >Finally, this is notwithstanding the importance of the >debate that should take place on how and why all the >muslims can be represented by archaic and undemocratic >organizations like the MPLB.Even going ahead with the >existing laws but having their interpretation done in >regular courts by scholars of Islamic law, would be a >great step ahead. > >--- Prashant Pandey >wrote: > > > Vedavati... please answer these questions > > > > 1. If muslims leave India, will you win cricket& > > tennis matches for us ? > > > > 2. Do you want to open a small business or grab your > > muslims neighbours property ? > > > > 3. Will you pay for my air fare(economy class only) > > to pakistan or any arab country as then I will have > > to go there to take my Music classes twice every > > week ? > > > > 4. Can you make good kebabs ?( I am veggi... but i > > am just asking) > > > > 5. Are you planning to replace the 3 khans single > > handedly at the box office ? you are not a frustated > > bollywood struggler are you ? > > > > 6. Do you think Gujrati Hindus only play dandiya > > and are as peaceful as the taliban ? > > > > please live a simple life... cheer up and dont worry > > about maintaining discipline in our country. > > > > Prashant > > > > guys i am back on the reader list after a month long > > illness and bad health...I didnt feel like replying > > but Mr. Jogi's mail was too forceful. I almost > > forgot to chill. > > Now my breath is coming back... > > > > > > > > On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 Vedavati Jogi wrote : > > >demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims > > are not accepting common civil code under the > > pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first > > ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack > > them off to pakistan or any arab country. > > > > > >> From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >>To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >>Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS > > OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > >>Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > >> > > >>INVITATION > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>July 21, 2005 > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>INVITATION > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>July 21, 2005 > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > > WOMEN?? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > > leaders. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > > of law. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > > We demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > > women. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Thanking you > > >> > > >>Yours sincerely, > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>For further information, contact: > > >> > > >>* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > >> > > >>* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > >> > > >>* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > >> > > >>* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > >> > > >>* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 > > (Sameera Khan) > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > > leaders. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > > of law. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > > We demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > > women. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Thanking you > > >> > > >>Yours sincerely, > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group > > >> > > >> > > >=== message truncated ===> >_________________________________________ > > 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!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.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: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050723/351e3d40/attachment.html From aghosh at drew.edu Sun Jul 24 01:07:21 2005 From: aghosh at drew.edu (Amrita Ghosh) Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:37:21 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Submissions Message-ID: <1122147441.42f39cbcaghosh@drew.edu> Cerebration, a quarterly e-journal is calling for submissions in all categories (but with a special focus on essays and columns) for its forthcoming issues. Cerebration is sponsored by Drew University, NJ and strives to create a space of critical and creative expression for academic and non-academic circles. The editorial advisory board consists of emiment academics, journalists and filmakers from India and US. Visit Cerebration at www.cerebration.org and all submissions may be sent to submissions at cerebration.org Thanks, A. Ghosh From prayas.abhinav at gmail.com Mon Jul 25 01:19:45 2005 From: prayas.abhinav at gmail.com (Prayas Abhinav) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 01:19:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The text of the matter. The poems. [posting # 7, publicity-promises...] Message-ID: <825bb7b0050724124941a628b5@mail.gmail.com> Hi all, What did the photographs, in isolation of any commentry, any words to accompany, say to you? did they say anything at all. I have been working on the poems, which are phrased a conversations between a resident and the city. In these conversations, flights take place into the lives of the narrator and the histories of the city, a relationship develops between them. As it happens on any other day, out on the roads - the backdrop of everything is the advertisements, the hoardings. These conversations dwell extensively on them, but knit other peripheral stories, issues, details in too. What emerges is a body of text - poetry, which goes round and ound and round, takes you around the city and reveals the obsessions of these two new friends. I am including all the poems here, for you to read. If you would like to read them with the accompnying photographs (recommended) please visit this link: http://www.prayasabhinav.net/section40.html. Access a pdf of the poems here: http://www.prayasabhinav.net/IMG/pdf/all3.pdf . In this presentation, I pose the compositions I had posted last time, the photographs and the poems together. It gives a fuller taste of the experience, of wandering aimlessly on a street in Ahmedabad - gaping at a hoarding, freshly clothed & awaiting your eye. How does this read? At the workshop, I will talk about my approach to these hoardings - the "monuments to the market" and the process of writing these poems, doing these compositions and shooting these photographs. Will look forward to a good discussion. Do write! Best wishes, Prayas ------------------------------->> They let me know in time for me to buy. I would do anything for Amitabh, even buy that! Showing me this AD is business. I can't ever have a car, more than one mobile phone, Barista would be nice and cool, traffic junctions are a conspiracy. * He wants me to stay, I drive around, I dislike his voice - present everywhere. His arms stretched to relieve me of all claims to loneliness, he wants to invite me to a life of bent spoons, bent spoons, telepathy, black magic. I run away, I keep running away. On the fourth floor, I can ring a bell, sit on a sofa wait for the day to be over. * He shows me how his car outshines my old scooter. He shows me how her armpits do the selling, he says - "lose yourself in me, hide your logic." I merely sling on irony. * His camel cart does the talking today. He says people are enjoying his new campaigns. No one minds, he says no one minds. He says this city is a participating market. I dance for him, I listen to him, I love this city, its abandon. I ask him for some time to drive out to Sarkhej. He says he has to hardsell telecom. He says, he wants to buy a sofa-set. * I go for a walk he says, "look at the sky, I have emptied it for you." I wear pink he offers me blues, and greens. Somewhere in our courtship a bouquet will appear. * He says this wall cannot speak, he says temples don't understand market-speak. He says, temples hide from the city. He says, temples should have computer games. I say, I like the sun in his hair. He says, computer games have divinity anyone can win. * Manav Mandir is neither prudish nor conservative, he says. The temple prays for Amaron batteries Time's coaching classes for CAT and some property -dealer. Prayers don't cost money. He says Manav Mandir unfurls saffron flags on each festival day, bhajans ring out as a chorus, the priests invite him, especially. I feel safe with him, his faith in the right place. Any temple which'll pray in the open market, will always remain. * He said the road to heaven is paved with good hospitals, transparent as glass pricey and as such for tourists only. He never wanted glow-signs, blow-ups, hoardings to have back-sides, he wanted the whole city electrified with the gold dust of advertisements. But, he says, he has to share power, he doesn't like to share me, he comes home to pick me up, he gets me a free BSNL; a private number, to reach me. * Somewhere else the sun shines, here the sun searches for customers. He says the sky searches for eye-balls, the streets search for lost souls. He says if we go straight on this road reach the highway, we can strip ourselves of the pressures of urbanity. He says, cities are made to be driven out of. * He doesn't say it but it is obvious; disease spreads in the spaces around the hospitals. And the hospitals act as a net letting no one fall. He says, hawkers and small-time cooks have failed to capture the culinary imagination, of our bellies. He says, Tirupati oil is as bad as any, but they have good models, good money - they can buy hospitals. * All at once everyone speaks, nothing is clear, most things are smudged. Standing at the crossroads, a little song could sound like a siren, a fire engine, cycle bells. He says, at crossroads everyone is in a hurry to reach the next crossroad, if there were no red-lights there would be no money in eye-balls would be no breath in cities, hope would be a forgotten concept. * How can they be sure, that we look only at 45º upwards? We can look at the sky, we can look below. A mass of tangled wire, men stumbling over each other, the back-side of nothing is pretty? I don't know if I can generalize may I? He says, this city is made for moving in one direction at a time. Dodos, atom-bombs and algorithms have so space here. * Neem trees, chrome green leaves, yellow and black of auto-rickshaws seems pale compared to the brick red and flowerpot of IIM. He says, IIM didn't offer its walls to stick Ads, it is an encroachment. But it gets in the customers and gets in the money. So, its OK. MBA's would not go pulling banners down anyway. They would understand, their eyeballs are valuable. * I was walking home camera in hand, brown-skin, orange-shirt; he waves at me, calls out - "click me!" Our eyes did not meet, how did we communicate? With our hands and legs - I clicked I walked away. He says, this hoarding needs fixing. It needs halogens, it needs to fetch more money. He says, these hoardings have to be well-lighted iron-walls capture mind-space, even in the dead of night. When no one's there, one still has to sell tea. * Three headed an ill-balanced trinity of tin, colour wheel, blue, brown, white. Today, these hoardings innocently reflect the sky, as I cycle by, I glance the texture the waves on its surface. He says, before a child is named, she can be called anything. So, I dream of words floating in photographs of exile, present a possibility for further imagining. * Cattle-rearing, this city is an encroachment. Tar all over fertile-land party-plots and sand. The blind-school puts up calls to worthwhile charity, Tata Indicom pretends to play pool. He says, this city is growing, this city is growing. All consumption, all projections, are optimistic estimations, this circle used to be good for traffic jams, now no more. He says, this city is learning new tricks everyday. Faster than the traffic lights faster than the monsoon clouds, flying away. * Golden sleeve of this urban jacket, rarely anything sunny looks beautiful, not hot. Sardar complex has rented each board on the plaza to Tata Indicom, does it look like it from a distance? >From a distance, all flats look empty. He says he feels nice the way Vastrapur has developed, land is more pricey than food grains, he likes the way it has become a public private sweepstake, violating empty town-plans burning up green-belts, implanting hoardings. * Crossing a street with national brands burning in the background. People say Ahmedabadis are rowdy, uncultured, numb-fingered cash counters. Why wouldn't they be? They have flown from a city of vision to a urban town-planners misspelled fantasy. >From history to disconnection, from farming to STD booths and NGOs. Ahmedabad has lost her villages... He says a megacity is a megacity is a megacity. * Scooters parked communicate for their masters, a shadow, jet-black on-the-pavement the garden green and re-built, Vastrapur lake has been a swamp now it is swank and there're no traces of the past. Scooter-ads cost only Rs. 8./ad and can be put up surreptitiously. He says, he knows all the traders in the city, what they sell, for how much - thanks to getting stuck in traffic-jams. He says, everything serves a purpose, advertisements are the newspapers of a consuming city. * Shree Asharam Ashram, in Ahmedabad puts up posters, all over town when Asharam comes to Ahmedabad. Asharamji looks at you with peace, joy, contemplation. I know every time he is here. He says, gurus are important for a city's economy. Important to maintain some colours of religion, belief, tradition. Else everything will become Vastrapur - be turned around in 5 years. Become cosmopolitan, hungry, speak funny blends of Hindi and Gujarati. He says, Ahmedabad is big enough to have more ashrams. * Strands of pan-masala, gutkha posters of bac-free, packaged drinking water. Bottles with red lids, cream-rolls, biscuits, ruppee-chocolates next to a petrol-pump. The petrol pump provides free air the panwalla offers a free dust-bin. He says, it doesn't matter that the city provides no drinking water - there is enough bac-free. Everyone is willing to pay! he says, its time everything free became cheap (instead), its fun to collect bills, and its fun to collect bills. * Fist in the air stone wall of silence a tree by the lake. AUDA has been widely praised for the way it has taken hold of the city, of Vastrapur, each flower has a name. Each time I turn my head, I have a different preposition to accommodate. He says, traders need to breathe, its an environmental issue. He says - by the temple, by the lake credos don't change, occupations don't change they appear to. * When I went searching for hoardings I thought buses are the perfect bait, they move, they sell, they come late. Buses move slowly because they are old, there is too much traffic, and its not safe. They move slow, so ads on the back are thrust in your face optimally. He says, originally it was a side-income. But now it earns them more than selling tickets, day after day, It helps keep things cheap... enough, to seem democratic. its the price we have to pay. * Fun Republic corner, you'd think they dance there they show movies. Head-lights like tail-spins they sell oil, they sell phones, they sell directions. People walk into view, you appear to study them bedsheets sell as cover-ups dominoes used to be a game. He says, Fun Republic has been economic plaster for the city's broken bones, there can be no questions, they need their way they need to show us a good time. Show us, what we are afraid of. * Motorcycles were never see-through but if things barge into you constantly, you constantly have accidents with apparitions your attention is being sold... things happen. He must be a 20 something passing by fun-republic coming back from work had to steal a glance. He says, cloth banners dress our poor punctured streets. * Stranding frozen on the street or photographed. These cars go about the city swallowing baits, raising no objections. I had 20 post-its on my wall each spoke of a new idea, I was perpetually stuck on far-strung hanging shops in the sky, what does it mean? It means our cities are poor they can't afford policies it means there is nothing worth preserving here. He says, the municipality needs money to spend on shoddy makeshift roads, on pretty brochures, can't we spare a glance for out city. * Kishore Kumar has passed away into the generation gap a testament to cheaper prices. McDonald's now invites everyone, why would I wait in queue to get a handful of fried potatoes? McDonald's feels charitable in this country of dying sentiments. At dusk the violet sky; He says, he likes McDonald's low prices he doesn't like the rush the noise, the craze, the addictive taste. He says, Americans will always misrepresent India aim below the belt, try to squeeze us out. He says, no McDonald's is ever pretty. * Discussing simple matters under gateways of great offer. A closed-shop leaves a sales-pitch out to get wet. Yellow stairs, palm leaves, remnant motorcycles. Baskin-Robins is too expensive to sit and start forgetting everything they have small tables, stupid chairs. Bordering with havmour, there's enough competition. He says, there should be a civic hygiene policy, a civic advertising policy. He says, this city doesn't remind one of anything it is a barrage of steel and stone brick and mortar bridges, which fall in the rain. * Hawkers and salesmen are possessive of their territories. Here, Tata Indicom captures a colony by offering a free signboard. "No hawkers and salesmen allowed" What if, it is a Tata salesman? A signboard cannot stop an army of paid-by percentage operators. Guards sit idle. Everyone wearing a tie might not be selling aquaguard. Bare brick structures are a part of Ahmedabad, decidedly. Spare stone, would-be pavements are a part of Ahmedabad. He says, 'door-to-door' sales is not a bad idea. But you always catch everyone in a bad mood. No one sells anything. * Hutch takes over a building and a street full of lampposts. Hutch takes over the market at Premchand Nagar crossroads. No one minds Hutch, Hutch makes amusing ADs Hutch sends beautiful bills no on minds paying Hutch. In this building on the 9th floor, VSNL has a billing office for broadband customers. He says hutch has connected all of Gujarat. He says, the stark white sky is also Hutch's doing; suspended in a remarkable symphony, Hutch has a sweet face. expensive lace lines the roads. * Autorickshaws pass by now nights-street is empty focus didn't help a devaluation of surroundings didn't help. Ajay Devgan opened here silhouettes in the sun. In 2000 Fun Republic drove Roopali out of business. Roopali sits still by Nehru bridge nothing more to show. This is an empty frame. He walks with me in the rain, he takes me to a movie we glide up escalators get bored at intervals 200-full feels like house-full the applause is numb. He says, Saturdays are lively again, in Ahmedabad. Ghosts have more space to run a place they call home. He says, Roopalee has the distinction of being a silent observer to the world changing a city into an old grey metro, being aware of histories having turned to white dust. He says, this city has too many gates taking nowhere to nowhere, doors standing free of walls. * Looking out why would anyone cross the street, which goes nowhere. Bright hoardings look on at a dry river. A walled city with no walls. They said the city needs to grow, this city needs to grow. Where will the clothes hang to dry when it rains everywhere, everywhere. He says, this city has a hungry heart plugging away at the seams, the plan is all wrong. The old walls still remain steel sheets dance in the mind. * On what's left of the old threads of Ahmed Shah's City, we dry clothes on them. Mostly white, some black scarves, some black scarves. Everything is displaced in June, the dry Sabarmati fills over hoardings still search for ADs grass and neem trees, limping back to life in the 90s ambition got the better of us. He says, this bridge will go down straight into the centre. We will beat around the bush. * The renovated darwajo Dilli Darwaja, down the road from Mirzapur framing an empty equation. It feels abstract, walking through a door when the walls have been blown apart by a city growing faster than a child's sterile question bank. He says, the renovation did not work portions were left incomplete. The wooden door remains, appears to be 300 years old. Imagine a bigger procession passing through, imagine the city walls still being there time standing still at the city's edge. * Selling milk under the gate Kitchen Express offers pickle stone claps, red name plate. This is a catalogue yellow banners which mean nothing from a distance... "sticking posters on this monument is prohibited" but posters have been stuck; in every photograph posters share monumental space. He says, we cannot think about these things too much. History stands in the middle of the road, can the world change for a gate with no purpose? A gate with only polluted processions to speak of. * Some stay some move. Tirupati at it again, Siddi Sayed mosque inspiration behind IIM-A's logo Neem trees, dream schemes. No ADs for CAT exams here, Pareks - the original mall, still stands. These roads are tired, everyone is moving away. He says, Ahmedabad started somewhere here and then the story slipped out. Now, Muslims search for space, mosques are historical. No Taj here, calculations here, buildings which look appropriate in the heat. * A historic sales-pitch frozen in stone. This one-way road takes you to Dilli Darwaja. Its impossible to know where you are in which time, centuries alternate, dynasties alternate love and hate. In that sense nothing can disappear everything leaves a trace traces accumulate and make cities municipalities. He says, in summer this city's wind tunnels behave like sympathetic friends. Kota stone, wooden roof balconies which won't take no weight. * A special oil for rickshaws, a street which encircles the bus-route... he won't stop you mid-way and ask you a question. People here are amazingly silent. This place has structure, pavements, Castrol. He says, Mirzapur was once an address. Now it is on the way. My old school is around the corner this is the small patch of land, where I often stood with my friends, after school. * Barely in the frame, they live neither in Khadia nor on the relief road. Kavi Dalpatram Chowk is a renovated heritage monument. I presume, they live there. At Dalpatram Chowk, every window faces the other. It is a neighbourhood. a friend from Mumbai, took me there. I fought with her, she said, everybody hates strangers, but some strangers know their way. * Pigeons scampering after grain. The wall sprouting again, Ahmedabad has gone from walls to malls in five years. >From Marutis and Premiere Padminis to Honda two-wheelers rushing past, from bad connections to wireless networks. The sun is selective, this street wears many shades of grey, to close the door and get away is nearly impossible. Wind can knock your door you can step out to pigeon shit. This city can turn your mind to funny directions. * Some walls aren't flat they have footholds, they have levels, they have tunnels. TVS hasn't counted past 10 lakhs in three months, horseride, camelride, bikeride a huge curve, a submarine. he says, West-Ahmedabad has enough space, it needs no walls. But money needs iron bars. The bridge, being a traffic sign. * The same bird flapping wings across the frame. This view is a compilation. "Don't start what you can't finish", is it? He says, he signs his name with a ball-point pen. He says, he understands the joy of flying, of living again. * >From the cricket ground to driving a motorcycle, flowers across the divider cricketers wear caps and fielders pick on grass waiting for a hit in their direction. Scaffolding standing tall a lamppost waiting for the night. Looking at this picture, could one say when Ahmedabad takes a break? No. He says. Businessmen take a break when there is no money left to count. * Magnetic eyes school boys Amir Khan quiz-with-no-prize at-the-end. The wall wears tatters, Ahmedabad doesn't treat its walls well. She will come back home at night and say, she is tired of living behind closed doors. She will sing a song of reality. I will stare at her, guiltless. * Don't want to waste your time watching TV? Go snuggle among trees and sell biscuits. Everyone is troubled, from imbalanced sex ratios to talks of gender. First paint a wall white, then make sure at least 25 people look at it. You are ready to earn some money. Somebody will want to paint Nescafe, Coke here leave the wall peeping, spying on you; day after day. Don't want to waste your time watching TV? Clean the shrubs brush away the dust prepare to look away. * A space ship in spotlight bunches of leaves in sharp clarity. Innocent sky wires walking over; an effect of brilliant altitude. She has disappeared from the landscape, she has punctured all expectations all balloons. He says, tax payers protect tax payers protect tax payers. Everyone else merely interprets meanings of welfare. * This temple, off CG Road is pretty popular, how street corners experience spiritual awakening is amazing... Neem trees again summer pillion riding, saffron street receding into the distance. He says, the bark of young trees has nothing to say. * BSNL. Blue, open and high a national connection, bookings open long welcoming waiting lines. Searching for a way to combine budget with ambition? You are at the right place. Reliance is a choice conditions apply, beware - companies multiply... New malls open every minute. Who-all will shop till they drop? How will new fools sign up, spontaneously for loyalty programmes? Be one among 20 million customers, unknown if not anonymous. * Advertising has no shelf life no historian no collector, no champion. Remembering, what made us buy is not very pleasant. Forgetting broken promises of a better weekend, a happier Monday, savings of 0.25 Paise - could never be pleasant. ------------------------------->> From lawrence at altlawforum.org Mon Jul 25 10:25:18 2005 From: lawrence at altlawforum.org (Lawrence Liang) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:25:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Papers- IP and Ethics In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Call for papers POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION ISSN 1478-2103 Published by Symposium Special issue on Intellectual Property: Issues and Ethics Cushla Kapitzke & Michael A. Peters Policy Futures in Education is an international, peer-reviewed online-only journal that is committed to promoting debate on education among policy analysts, researchers, and practitioners from national and international forums, including members of policy think-tanks and world policy agencies such as the WTO, OECD, and the European Union. We are proposing a themed issue of PFIE to address developments in the burgeoning field of intellectual property (IP). The aim of the issue, ³Intellectual Property: Issues and Ethics,² is to open a space for dialogue on global intellectual property agreements and laws that are framing standards of cultural and textual practice for the knowledge economy. Positively valenced discourses of innovation and creativity are used by government, business, and educational sectors alike to justify increasingly powerful regimes for the commodification of cultural activity. This issue of PFIE seeks to appraise and trouble some of this upbeat, one-dimensional rhetoric. For example, the concept of universal ³moral rights² and rules‹a product of western epistemology‹has significant social and economic implications for indigenous knowledges and cultures of majority world nations, some of whom have different understandings of intellectual and community capital than those assumed and promoted by IP regimes. Adequate access to cultural resources‹their own and others‹is crucial for the developing world¹s entry and participation in the global economy. The proposed issue seeks to enhance understanding of tensions, contradictions, and disparities associated with developments in IP theory and practice across a range of social and cultural domains. Contributions are invited for academic articles (6000 words), policy reports, reviews (1000 words maximum), and interviews from those seeking to participate in these debates. Critical theoretical and empirical accounts of opportunities and challenges that have practical local and/or global application are encouraged. Articles published will cover a wide range of topics highlighting the implications of IP for educational practice. We anticipate that papers will draw from any combination of the following IP-related areas: * Global agencies and agreements (e.g., TRIPS, WIPO) * Copyright law * Rethinking the autonomy and authority of authorship * Property and/or Privacy * Indigenous cultures and IP * Culture after capital * The state, public policy and governmentality * Neoliberalism and the public domain * Free trade agreements * The Creative Commons * Piracy through and on the digital waves * Dispossession and symbolic cultural violence * Cultural oligarchy, anarchy and democracy * Open source and hacker culture Abstracts are due 30 June and manuscripts by 30 November. Manuscripts should be submitted as email attachments in RTF (Rich Text Format), but any major word-processor is acceptable. Further contributor information can be found on the journal¹s website at http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/index.html. Please forward your abstracts or queries to Cushla Kapitzke - School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia (c.kapitzke at uq.edu.au) Editor - Professor Michael A. Peters, Universities of Glasgow, Scotland and Auckland, New Zealand (m.peters at educ.gla.ac.uk or ma.peters at auckland.ac.nz) _______________________________________________ commons-law mailing list commons-law at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/commons-law ------ End of Forwarded Message From manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com Mon Jul 25 09:20:28 2005 From: manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com (Manosh Chowdhury) Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 20:50:28 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati In-Reply-To: <20050723191102.18376.qmail@webmail26.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <20050725035028.37252.qmail@web53310.mail.yahoo.com> Thanks Khadeeja, "And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player". The statement is self evident about how liberalism could reduce its subjects. I almost started forgetting Ms. Jogi after reading six questions. However, by liberalism, roughly I indend to conceive a comprehensive package of what is propagated as secularism , democracy [that is, electoral authentication of opression in many regions including Northeastern ones, with significant rotation - when and where it was found to be necessary - including Punjab], womens' right [as it was discovered all over the world since Laura Bush had emancipated Afghan women] and the relish of Bollywood cult along with the hype of consumerism. I am not much kind of a good subscriber of "freedom of _expression" as such. And I feel this is being ridiculous. I hope that sometimes our privileged friends would really understand that the responsibility is far beyond that of just criticizing BJP and remain apart. Best manosh khadeeja arif wrote: Yeh jogi jogi kaun hai:) Bhai kuch bolo..itne log react kar rahe hain.... Anyways, I dont have a problem with whatever Ms jogi has written on the list. We all have freedom to express our views without being 'politically correct' always... Unfortunately, the statement has gained many responses without it actually making a subtantial argument in itself . I was not shocked to read Ms Jogi's statement because it does not say anything novel... I am sure all of us faces such biases all the time .. My only suggestion to Ms Jogi is that 'Packing THEM off to Pakistan" is not an interesting idea.. think of something interesting...:) After all, Pakistan is not that far from India.... And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player ... So guys chill and dont give so much bhav to Ms Jogi's statement... Must be feeling on top of the world... Cheers K On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 Rahul Asthana wrote : >Questions on a better line would be >1)Why is it not the whole country's responsibility >that Muslims have come to be represented by >organizations like AIMPLB? Historically it was >congress who sought the alliance of hardline muslim >parties at the time of partition. >2)Now since the issue of UCC has been hijacked by the >likes of RSS and BJP(because of the communal politics >of Congress,in my opinion) who talk of Hindu >Nationalism, are the muslims to be blamed for feeling >like playing into their hands if they concede to this >demand? >3)Are the muslims a monolithic entity so that they can >be collectively blamed for Muslim personal law? Can >the same criteria be applied on every other citizen >for every other law? > >Finally, this is notwithstanding the importance of the >debate that should take place on how and why all the >muslims can be represented by archaic and undemocratic >organizations like the MPLB.Even going ahead with the >existing laws but having their interpretation done in >regular courts by scholars of Islamic law, would be a >great step ahead. > >--- Prashant Pandey >wrote: > > > Vedavati... please answer these questions > > > > 1. If muslims leave India, will you win cricket& > > tennis matches for us ? > > > > 2. Do you want to open a small business or grab your > > muslims neighbours property ? > > > > 3. Will you pay for my air fare(economy class only) > > to pakistan or any arab country as then I will have > > to go there to take my Music classes twice every > > week ? > > > > 4. Can you make good kebabs ?( I am veggi... but i > > am just asking) > > > > 5. Are you planning to replace the 3 khans single > > handedly at the box office ? you are not a frustated > > bollywood struggler are you ? > > > > 6. Do you think Gujrati Hindus only play dandiya > > and are as peaceful as the taliban ? > > > > please live a simple life... cheer up and dont worry > > about maintaining discipline in our country. > > > > Prashant > > > > guys i am back on the reader list after a month long > > illness and bad health...I didnt feel like replying > > but Mr. Jogi's mail was too forceful. I almost > > forgot to chill. > > Now my breath is coming back... > > > > > > > > On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 Vedavati Jogi wrote : > > >demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims > > are not accepting common civil code under the > > pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first > > ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack > > them off to pakistan or any arab country. > > > > > >> From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >>To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >>Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS > > OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > >>Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > >> > > >>INVITATION > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>July 21, 2005 > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>INVITATION > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>July 21, 2005 > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > > WOMEN?? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > > leaders. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > > of law. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > > We demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > > women. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Thanking you > > >> > > >>Yours sincerely, > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>For further information, contact: > > >> > > >>* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > >> > > >>* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 > > (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > >> > > >>* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 > > (Sandhya Gokhale) > > >> > > >>* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: > > 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > >> > > >>* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 > > (Sameera Khan) > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group invite you support > > and attend a mass demonstration being organized by > > women?s groups to express our discontent and anger > > with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces > > like the shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > > recent Imrana case in Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the > > increase in the number of anti-women fatwas being > > issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious > > leaders. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>In most of these cases not only are the interests > > and rights of Indian Muslim women being trampled > > upon but there?s also a total disregard for the rule > > of law. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>We, a collective of organizations supporting > > women?s rights, believe that we simply cannot have > > parallel judicial systems running in this country. > > We demand that the State play a more active role in > > protecting and advancing the rights of Indian Muslim > > women. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > > 2005. It will start at 2.30 pm at Nagpada junction > > (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > > the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and > > end at Azad Maidan. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Thanking you > > >> > > >>Yours sincerely, > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression > > of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > > Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space > > project), Special Cell for Women and Children, > > Women?s Research and Action Group > > >> > > >> > > >=== message truncated ===> >_________________________________________ > > 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!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.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: _________________________________________ 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!? 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/20050724/127b8ec8/attachment.html From shivamvij at gmail.com Mon Jul 25 13:49:17 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 13:49:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati In-Reply-To: <20050725035028.37252.qmail@web53310.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050723191102.18376.qmail@webmail26.rediffmail.com> <20050725035028.37252.qmail@web53310.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: To add to what Khadeeja is saying, a major problem with us when we talk about The Muslims is that we see them as a monolith. There is so much fragmentation within India's "Muslims" - on regional, caste and class basis. The kebabs, Khans and the tennis player belong to India, to all of us, and are not an exclusive product of The Muslims. On 7/25/05, Manosh Chowdhury wrote: > Thanks Khadeeja, "And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond > 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player". The statement is self > evident about how liberalism could reduce its subjects. I almost started > forgetting Ms. Jogi after reading six questions. However, by liberalism, > roughly I indend to conceive a comprehensive package of what is propagated > as secularism , democracy [that is, electoral authentication of opression in > many regions including Northeastern ones, with significant rotation - when > and where it was found to be necessary - including Punjab], womens' right > [as it was discovered all over the world since Laura Bush had emancipated > Afghan women] and the relish of Bollywood cult along with the hype of > consumerism. I am not much kind of a good subscriber of "freedom of > _expression" as such. And I feel this is being ridiculous. I hope that > sometimes our privileged friends would really understand that the > responsibility is far beyond that of just criticizing BJP and remain apart. > Best manosh > > From subasrik at yahoo.com Tue Jul 26 11:07:39 2005 From: subasrik at yahoo.com (Subasri Krishnan) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:37:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Attack on workers... Message-ID: <20050726053739.71040.qmail@web52103.mail.yahoo.com> There's a meeting today (Tuesday) at Constitution Club, V P House Lawns, at 5 pm to discuss how we can respond re the attack on Honda workers in Gurgaon. As most of you know, protesting workers were brutally attacked by the police. According to TV reports, 500-700 have been injured, many seriously. A team is leaving for Gurgaon this morning. This will be reported at the meeting. We need to generate support for the workers from Delhi as well as immediately organize a protest against this barbaric violence. Please pass on info about today's 5 pm meeting. In solidarity, Ranjana 'You can only understand your life backwards. But you have to live it forwards' __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From himanshusamvad at yahoo.co.in Mon Jul 25 20:09:48 2005 From: himanshusamvad at yahoo.co.in (himanshu ranjan) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 15:39:48 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] A short abstract of the presentation at the workshop Message-ID: <20050725143948.5382.qmail@web8501.mail.in.yahoo.com> Allahabad: A Cultural Centre of the Hindi-Urdu Belt (A short abstract of the presentation at the workshop) The centrality that Allahabad possessed in any sphere of the national perspective is an established fact, politics and culture being specifically the two. Renaissana and Nationalism in the husk culture of the United Provinces (i.e. Hindi-Urdu belt) were delayed ones and the same can be attributed to the emergence of Allahabad as a cultural centre which projected itself as the most burning platform for nationalism as well, comparatively late in the twentieth century. Due to historical reasons and compulsions together with the orientalist-colonial manoeuvres the elite politics of India in the mid-nineteenth century took a communal turn first of all in this very belt that polarised the entire plurality of the country into two religious communities of the Hindus and the Muslims. Consequently, the communal divide expressed itself in the congruence of the religious and linguistic primary fervours of nationalism. Muslim separatism manifested itself through the Aligarh Movement which fought for the Muslim cause and, to begin with, that of the Urdu language also. Benaras and Allahabad happened to be two of the most ancient centres of Hinduism which, as priviledged constituencies, organised and promoted the Nagari and Cow-protection movements to the end of the nineteenth Century. Being the safer and exclusive constituency for Hindu religious activities patronised by the Raja of Benaras, excluded from the administrative engagements of both the Mugal period and the colonial one and having less impact of the composite culture of the two religious communities, Benaras superceded, in the first instance, in carrying out the aforesaid movements. Literary magazines and vernacular newspapers supporting the movements were being published from both the centres and also from smaller centres and towns like Kanpur, Mirzapur, Lucknow (the biggest centre of Muslim culture and Urdu after Aligarh movement-wise) etc. But a good number of litterateurs, journalists and literary institutions were there in Benaras only. Madan Mohan Malviya, one of the giant personalities of the movements belonged to Allahabad, and being the most efficient activist and organiser played leading role in both the centres and made a link between the two. Malviya won the Nagari battle and in the very dawn of the twentieth century he managed to shift the business partly to Allahabad, his own home city, in an elaborated form, keeping in reserve a greater cause for Benaras of establishing the Hindu University there in the second decade. With the rapid growth of literacy, education and press, Allahabad developed a variety of means and ways to promote the causes of national language, national culture and national movement. Newspapers, in Hindi and English both, journals and literary magazines were launched. The Indian Press started the publication of the most reputed Hindi literary magazine the 'Saraswati' in 1900 which proved to be a launching pad for the new generation of Hindi litterateurs under the editorship of Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi who took charge in 1903 and served on the post upto 1921. Dwivedi is said to be the maker of modern Hindi. He standardised the language and through the writings of his own on various subjects and encouraging the new writers for the same, he contributed to the cause of national awakening. Besides, with publications on different subjects and disciplines in Hindi, English and Bengali, the Indian Press made its contribution in expansion of education and learning. It was the first publisher of Tagore's books, and returned its copyrights to him without taking any money when he was arranging the same on a larger scale for a greater cause of establishing Shantiniketan. But the HIndi movement of Malviya, in its true sense, was advanced through Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, established by Malviya himself in 1910. It was the further extention of the work done through Nagari Pracharini Sabha of Benaras. Purushottam Das Tondon, another pioneer of the Hindi movement, assisted Malviya in establishing and running the institution. Annual conventions for the promotion of Rastrabhasa Hindi and publications of further researches in Hindi were its main business. The difference between the approaches of the Sammelan and the Indian Press is noteworthy. The former worked strictly on the Hindu-Hindi plank of Malviya and the Benaras school, while the latter was a bit liberal Dwivedi himself was a straunch Rastrabhasa promoter but had a tolerent attitude towards Urdu. In principle he advocated for the promotion of all the provincial languages and worked partly on the same line which was further explored and advanced by Gandhi just after his exit. Gandhi was a different man. He had nothing to do with the Hindi-movement, and not the least with the Hindu-Hindi agenda. Rastrabhasa was not his sole concern.He was the architect of Indian nationalism in its true sense and appeared on the scene when diverse undercurrents were conglomerating but not finding the way out. He did nothing but led them all towards mass-movement. Congress gained the real ground and under his leadership it became the umbrella encompassing the various nationalist ideologies and men of different orientations. But Gandhi himself was a make of his own. With his peculiar moral vision he had a 'national-popular' appeal. Rastrabhasa Hindi (later Hindustani) became the vehicle of nationalism, which beyond its local and regional roots and stem, acquired an All India character and role as a link language for the entire population of different languages and cultures of the country. In Gandhi's vision, this Rastrabhasa never thought of ruling the people, but represented the people's revolt against the ruling imperial language English. He tried his best to control the sectarian and communal tendencies of the Sammelan but ultimately failed. The spatial expansion of Hindi on national scale inflicted a feeling of intense ambition not only in the Sammelan men like Tondon and co., but also in academic scholars. The oriental-revivalist trends had already helped in creating a grand myth of the Hindu civilization. The two scholars - Dhirendra Verma and Rahul Sankrityayan - represented the spatial and temporal dimentions of the restructured 'Akshayavat' of Hindi. Verma's book 'Madhyadesh' still stands and provides the ground for advocating 'Hindi Pradesh'. Ram Bilas Sharma, a straunch marxist, picked it up and submerged it in his nationality-discourse. Rahul was also a marxist and a man of mass movement, but his orientalist scholarly investigations left little room for realistic accommodation with the present state of affairs. He had great many right deviations in his thought and action, walking on the foot-steps of his party CPI which, through its crude and mechanical nationality-discourse, endorsed the two-nation theory of the Muslim League and paved the way for the partition of the country. But the historic contribution of Rahul lies on a different plane. It was he who first of all and possibly the last one, till today, advocated the case of the so-called regional dialects of Hindi and their right to grow freely on nationality-line. Hindi has been claiming for the entire territorial space of the Hindi-Urdu belt and its historicity as well, for itself. About two dozen languages, many of them having great literary traditions, are doomed to be treated as mere dialects of Hindi and to submerge their identities in the so-called 'national' interest. Gandhi also advised for the same kind of sacrifice. Rahul developed his thesis on Russian line of nationality - discourse for languages which could not be mechanically applied in the Indian context, particularly on that very historic stage. Afterall the centrality of the emerging nation-state was also a hard historic reality. Being the headquarter of the Congress and the centre of nationalist movement for decades, Allahabad witnessed all such developments in the arena of culture also. Besides, Allahabad has also in its credit the growth of Hindi literature from Dwivedi-yug to Nai Kavita, through different literary movements. This growth was not beyond the aforesaid development line of Hindi language. The composite impact of modernity, secularism and that of socialism also, was an intrinsic undercurrent which did litle on its own, but controlled the entire phenomenon and checked the deviations and deformations to be worse. Himanshu Ranjan An Indepdent CSDS fellow --------------------------------- Free antispam, antivirus and 1GB to save all your messages Only in Yahoo! Mail: http://in.mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050725/30fbedc4/attachment.html From jassim.ali at gmail.com Mon Jul 25 14:15:16 2005 From: jassim.ali at gmail.com (Jassim Ali) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:15:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati In-Reply-To: References: <20050723191102.18376.qmail@webmail26.rediffmail.com> <20050725035028.37252.qmail@web53310.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <271ece9c050725014577c5c89f@mail.gmail.com> Hi , Jus couldnt resist adding my two cents here :-) the notion that the communalist and racial bigot is one of those topi and dadiwallah muslims and a saffron clad or a khaki shorts danda toting hindu has once again been quashed.... even a so called liberalist or a SEC- A person could be 'the real thing' as most of us see in our daily lives........ maybe the media had blown out the stereotype so much that we have conditioned to it .......... and jus before this turns into a mud slinging match ....lemme jus clarify that this is jus not personal or directed at any individual ..... cheers j On 7/25/05, shivam wrote: > > To add to what Khadeeja is saying, a major problem with us when we > talk about The Muslims is that we see them as a monolith. There is so > much fragmentation within India's "Muslims" - on regional, caste and > class basis. The kebabs, Khans and the tennis player belong to India, > to all of us, and are not an exclusive product of The Muslims. > > On 7/25/05, Manosh Chowdhury wrote: > > Thanks Khadeeja, "And friends, Muslims in India can be represented > beyond > > 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player". The statement is self > > evident about how liberalism could reduce its subjects. I almost started > > forgetting Ms. Jogi after reading six questions. However, by liberalism, > > roughly I indend to conceive a comprehensive package of what is > propagated > > as secularism , democracy [that is, electoral authentication of > opression in > > many regions including Northeastern ones, with significant rotation - > when > > and where it was found to be necessary - including Punjab], womens' > right > > [as it was discovered all over the world since Laura Bush had > emancipated > > Afghan women] and the relish of Bollywood cult along with the hype of > > consumerism. I am not much kind of a good subscriber of "freedom of > > _expression" as such. And I feel this is being ridiculous. I hope that > > sometimes our privileged friends would really understand that the > > responsibility is far beyond that of just criticizing BJP and remain > apart. > > Best manosh > > > > > _________________________________________ > 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: > -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jassim Ali Client Partner Strategic Planning & Business Development Webchutney 604-B,Dheeraj Sneh Off 30th Road,Pali Hill, Bandra,Mumbai, India - 400050 Work: +912226462276 Mobile: +919821976277 Website : www.webchutney.com Blog: www.tefloncoatedyuppie.blogspot.com "Those that danced were thought mad by those who could not hear the music" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050725/d0d9864d/attachment.html From lindavie at yahoo.fr Mon Jul 25 15:03:10 2005 From: lindavie at yahoo.fr (linda bouifrou) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 11:33:10 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? In-Reply-To: <791438d405072123522d4d038e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <20050725093311.45597.qmail@web26604.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> How life is funny, I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country can still be united ! How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails but still not disappointed by India. Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, all Without reading the entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu State). With regards, Manish On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any arab country. >From: abshi at vsnl.com >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > >INVITATION > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the >rule of law. > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > >Thanking you > >Yours sincerely, > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group > > > >For further information, contact: > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the >rule of law. > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > >Thanking you > >Yours sincerely, > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >Research and Action Group > > > >For further information, contact: > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > >_________________________________________ >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: _________________________________________________________________ Check out freebies in the racing zone http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns by Narain _________________________________________ 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: BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en géographie urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Université Paris 7 – Denis Diderot 2, place Jussieu – 75251 Paris Cedex 05. INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. Pondicherry – 605 001 - India. CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 - India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 --------------------------------- Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! Messenger Téléchargez le ici ! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050725/cbfd12c2/attachment.html From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Mon Jul 25 14:40:53 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 25 Jul 2005 09:10:53 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati Message-ID: <20050725091053.14231.qmail@webmail8.rediffmail.com> hi guys decide for urself what does "us" means for u ? does it mean... "us" as in "us and them " or "us" as in meaning what belongs to everybody (hamara...hum sabka and so on ) its sad that for a lot of people here "us" means an exclusive group big or small pitted against another group big or small ...eliciting a well intended but very stock response.   On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 shivam wrote : >To add to what Khadeeja is saying, a major problem with us when we >talk about The Muslims is that we see them as a monolith. There is so >much fragmentation within India's "Muslims" - on regional, caste and >class basis. The kebabs, Khans and the tennis player belong to India, >to all of us, and are not an exclusive product of The Muslims. > >On 7/25/05, Manosh Chowdhury wrote: > > Thanks Khadeeja, "And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond > > 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player". The statement is self > > evident about how liberalism could reduce its subjects. I almost started > > forgetting Ms. Jogi after reading six questions. However, by liberalism, > > roughly I indend to conceive a comprehensive package of what is propagated > > as secularism , democracy [that is, electoral authentication of opression in > > many regions including Northeastern ones, with significant rotation - when > > and where it was found to be necessary - including Punjab], womens' right > > [as it was discovered all over the world since Laura Bush had emancipated > > Afghan women] and the relish of Bollywood cult along with the hype of > > consumerism. I am not much kind of a good subscriber of "freedom of > > _expression" as such. And I feel this is being ridiculous. I hope that > > sometimes our privileged friends would really understand that the > > responsibility is far beyond that of just criticizing BJP and remain apart. > > Best manosh > > > > >_________________________________________ >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/20050725/a9c3bad8/attachment.html From s_bismillah at yahoo.com Mon Jul 25 14:49:21 2005 From: s_bismillah at yahoo.com (syed bismillah) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 02:19:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Kasmiri Encounter -Abstract Message-ID: <20050725091921.12090.qmail@web31005.mail.mud.yahoo.com> The Kashmiri Encounter. In the last few months that I have been doing research into the lives of Kashmiris in Delhi I am struck with the way that fear and suspicion have got inextricably linked with people's perception of Kashmiris.There has not been a single time when I have not encountered this deep fear when talking to Kashmiris or about Kashmiris.It would seem that the threat perception of the entire city is based on the Bollywood flicks such as Roja,Mission Kashmir,The Hero or Maa Tujhe Salaam. And now the Zee channel has a new serial in which Osama bin Laden has just reached Srinagar. If the T.V channels were to broadcast Jab Jab Phool Khile, a bollywood film made almost three decades ago,I wonder what wouuld be the reaction of the Delhi public? In that movie a Mumbai girl falls in love with a simple Shikarawala and brings him to the city.That encounter leads the Kashmiri to very quickly return back to his home.In fact the image of a Kashmiri being rather simple minded and foolish lasted till the Dogra Raj.And then after 1947 to 1970s there was the image of the Kashmiri as a peace-loving person but not worthy of trust.All these images did not enter into the public domain, except marginally. But the so-called war against terror has ensured that even the memory of the simple-minded Kashmiri peasant is wiped out and replaced by the image of Kashmiri,the terrorist. When i decided to study the Kashmiri encounter i had not anticipated the extent to which the Kashmiris themselves have become victims of this image .i had naively thought i would be able to interview Kashmiris living in Delhi,at least the Kashmiri Muslims would be happy to share their experiences with a fellow Kashmiri.But wherever i went i encountered an intense fear and suspicion . For the Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri alike i was the brother of a terrorist.The fact that my brother had been acquitted made no difference at all to their threat perception. Going through the media reports on the arrest of my brother and later on the attack on him I can see clearly a politics of fear.The fear is constructed to reinforce the divisions in society and used for controlling the population . On the one hand the fear of the Kashmiri terrorist is promoted by the media forcing Kashmiris into ghettos in the city while on the other hand the very real fear of the Kashmiris of state violence is never a part of the public discourse on political violence. I have had to abandon my idea of ding an objective reasearch into the lives of Kashmiris living in delhi.However, I will use the interviews and discussions i have had with some of the kashmiris to relate it to my own experience of living in delhi from 1996. First as a student , then as brother of a terrorist . After there was an attempt to assassinate my brother on February 8 ,2005, I thought things may take a different turn but I discovered we became the objects of suspicion and fear. Those who critique the Kashmiri movement for self-determination because of their critique of identity politics need to understand the reality of the Kashmiri and how both the state and civil society nforces him into the mould of ethnic-religious indentity.My account of the Kashmiri encounter in delhi has exposed how the conflict in Kashmir impacts on the everyday lives of Kashmiris living in Delhi and the role of media of creating images which construct the image of the Kashmiri as a terrorist.And both the Kashmiri and the Delhiwalas are entrapped by this construct. This,I believe, has long term implications for the future of Indian democracy . __________________________________________________ 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/20050725/704e0688/attachment.html From khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com Tue Jul 26 16:12:42 2005 From: khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com (khadeeja arif) Date: 26 Jul 2005 10:42:42 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] 6 Questions for Vedavati Message-ID: <20050726104242.19756.qmail@webmail45.rediffmail.com> Dear Prashant, Please elaborate!! Cheers K On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 Prashant Pandey wrote : >hi >guys decide for urself what does "us" means for u ? >does it mean... "us" as in "us and them " or "us" as in meaning what belongs to everybody (hamara...hum sabka and so on ) >its sad that for a lot of people here "us" means an exclusive group big or small pitted against another group big or small ...eliciting a well intended but very stock response. > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 shivam wrote : > >To add to what Khadeeja is saying, a major problem with us when we > >talk about The Muslims is that we see them as a monolith. There is so > >much fragmentation within India's "Muslims" - on regional, caste and > >class basis. The kebabs, Khans and the tennis player belong to India, > >to all of us, and are not an exclusive product of The Muslims. > > > >On 7/25/05, Manosh Chowdhury wrote: > > > Thanks Khadeeja, "And friends, Muslims in India can be represented beyond > > > 'Kababs', 'three Khans' and one Tennis player". The statement is self > > > evident about how liberalism could reduce its subjects. I almost started > > > forgetting Ms. Jogi after reading six questions. However, by liberalism, > > > roughly I indend to conceive a comprehensive package of what is propagated > > > as secularism , democracy [that is, electoral authentication of opression in > > > many regions including Northeastern ones, with significant rotation - when > > > and where it was found to be necessary - including Punjab], womens' right > > > [as it was discovered all over the world since Laura Bush had emancipated > > > Afghan women] and the relish of Bollywood cult along with the hype of > > > consumerism. I am not much kind of a good subscriber of "freedom of > > > _expression" as such. And I feel this is being ridiculous. I hope that > > > sometimes our privileged friends would really understand that the > > > responsibility is far beyond that of just criticizing BJP and remain apart. > > > Best manosh > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050726/ee6560c6/attachment.html From mediachef at gmail.com Tue Jul 26 22:06:35 2005 From: mediachef at gmail.com (Steve Dietz) Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:36:35 -0500 Subject: [Reader-list] last calls: ISEA2006 community domain + pacific rim Message-ID: <85d7931b050726093629e61398@mail.gmail.com> The current calls for ISEA2006 (August 5-13, 2006, San Jose, CA) for Community Domain commissions and Pacific Rim projects close August 1, 2005. See below. For information about upcoming calls to submit work for the ISEA2006: http://isea2006.sjsu.edu./calls.html To join the ISEA2006 mailing list: http://cadre.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/isea2006 Please note there is currently no "general" call for works for ISEA2006. PACIFIC RIM http://isea2006.sjsu.edu/prnmscall/ This is an invitation by the ISEA2006 Symposium and ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge to groups and individuals to submit proposals for exhibition of interactive artworks and projects reflecting on the thematic of the Pacific Rim. We are seeking proposals that address, but are not limited to, art works that emphasize radical and alternative responses to contemporary cultural conditions throughout the Pacific Rim. Of particular interest are projects that focus on engagements and interaction strategies with Diaspora communities as well as work that enable new discourses, platforms and explorations. http://isea2006.sjsu.edu/prnmscall/ COMMUNITY DOMAIN COMMISSIONS http://isea2006.sjsu.edu/communitydomain1/ This is an invitation by the ISEA2006 Symposium and ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge to groups and individuals to submit proposals for exhibition of interactive artworks and projects reflecting on the thematic of Community Domain. Up to three commissions will be awarded, and the results will be shown at the ISEA2006 Symposium and ZeroOne San Jose Festival. http://isea2006.sjsu.edu/communitydomain1/ -- 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 khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com Wed Jul 27 13:05:09 2005 From: khadeejaarif1 at rediffmail.com (khadeeja arif) Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? Message-ID: <20050727073509.6012.qmail@mailweb33.rediffmail.com> Ms Inda "Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious to know!! cheers K On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > >How life is funny, > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country can still be united ! > >How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails but still not disappointed by India. > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > >Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, all Without reading the entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu State). With regards, Manish > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any >arab country. > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our discontent > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women fatwas > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for the > >rule of law. > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe that > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this country. We > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and advancing > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at 2.30 > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go via > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna Birje) > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: > >_________________________________________________________________ >Check out freebies in the racing zone >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns by >Narain > >_________________________________________ >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: > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en géographie urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Université Paris 7 – Denis Diderot 2, place Jussieu – 75251 Paris Cedex 05. > > >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. Pondicherry – 605 001 - India. >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 - India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! Messenger > Téléchargez le ici ! >_________________________________________ >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/20050727/b12e360c/attachment.html From sovantarafder at yahoo.co.in Tue Jul 26 21:13:05 2005 From: sovantarafder at yahoo.co.in (sovan tarafder) Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:43:05 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] 6th posting: urban entertainment in kolkata Message-ID: <20050726154305.29396.qmail@web8508.mail.in.yahoo.com> Dear All, This is my 6th posting and hope you will enjoy it. Regards Sovan ‘A philosopher in a doorway insists That there are no images He whispers in stead: Possible worlds ’ — Michael Palmer (Autobiography 2) I would like to draw your attention to an essay by Toni Negri where he writes: ‘Metropolis expresses and individualizes the consolidation of global hierarchies, in its most articulated points, in a complex of forms and exercise of command. Class differences and the general planning of the division of labour are no longer made between nations, but rather between center and periphery in the metropolis. Sassen observes skyscrapers in order to draw implacable lessons. Who commands is at the top, who obeys is below; in the isolation of those who are highest lies the link with the world, whilst in the communication of those who are lowest one finds mobile points, life styles and renewed functions of metropolitan recomposition. Therefore, we must traverse the possible spaces of the metropolis if we want to knot together the threads of struggle, to discover the channels and forms of connection and the ways in which subjects live together. Sassen suggests looking at skyscrapers as the structure of imperial unification. At the same time she hints to the subtle provocative proposal of imagining the skyscraper as an above and below rather than as a whole. Between the above and below runs the relation of command, of exploitation and therefore the possibility of revolt.’ Interestingly Negri and Sassen deal with the issue of vertical living, which in present day Kolkata has surfaced as a seemingly irreversible aspect of developmentality. Vertical structures are presently believed to have the answer for the two main problems associated with the menace of growing population in the urban space, namely housing problem and the traffic riddle. In short, the latest surge of developmental activity in the city has zeroed in on verticality as the only possible and plausible solution of the perils ranging from, as stated above, urban housing to urban transport. The pundits in administration have, since last few years, been humming the tune of vertical development in the urban space. As a result, the recent boom in the real estate sector in and around Kolkata has seen a steady growth of tallish apartments with 5 or even more floors, the tallest one claiming to be a whooping 32-stroreyed building. This upward movement in living, significantly co-insides with the current fly-over culture in the city. The recently enthroned Left front board in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has pledged to build the hitherto longest and costliest fly-over, thereby adding another one to the list of vertical fly-path in the city. Along with this, the transport minister in the State Mr. Subhas Chakraborty has floated the idea of a monorail, scheduled to cover the length and breadth of the city, however, a few feet above the ground. Now, as I’d like to point out, verticality has begun to be seen as emblematic of urban space. And, on the other hand, horizontality is taken, now more than ever, as something that signifies the rural space. As everyone knows, verticality in urban area is a human construct (thing of culture), while the horizontal topography of the rural space is quintessentially a thing of nature. The new urban space, however, seeks to subsume the rural only to flaunt it as its unique selling point. That the rural i.e. thing of nature is simulated in the urban entertainment sector has already been noted in my previous postings. Be it the sprawling lake NALBAN, or farm houses with rural flavor, or the artificial sea-waves and sea coast at the water park AQUATICA, the promise is one of transporting the fatigued city dweller to the unblemished wealth of nature, far from the polluted environ of the city. The urban housing sector, too, seems to have lapped up this idea of subsuming the rural. Both ‘South City’, the south Kolkata housing earmarked for the HIG customer and ‘Fortune City’, a huge LIG and MIG housing project a few kilometers away from the city proper have at least one thing in common. An explicit accent on the things of nature. I other words, an accent on the horizontality. Thus, having subsumed the rural, the urban goes on to hegemonize the space of development with its typical vertical image and imagination. However, as far as the intended city in the space of Kolkata is concerned, the horizontality lurks in several underdeveloped pockets right at the sites of the developmental activities. Under the fly-over, under the approach pathways to the second Hooghly bridge (or Vidyasagar Setu, as it’s called officially), in the teeming slum area around the huge housing projects or posh locality in the south and east Kolkata, there are spaces wherein, notwithstanding the spell of urbanity, lies the unmistakable marks of horizontal living. Sassen’s observation of multi-tier living is significant here, albeit in another context, since, as of now, the singular emphasis on skyscrapers is not pertinent as far as Kolkata is concerned. But, yes, the city is fast moving into the multi-tier living. So, in a sense what Sassen tells is true about Kolkata also: (w)ho commands is at the top, who obeys is below; in the isolation of those who are highest lies the link with the world, whilst in the communication of those who are lowest one finds mobile points, life styles and renewed functions of metropolitan recomposition. So, the city is best envisaged, again as Sassen suggests, as an above and below rather than as a whole. The lower depths, mostly spread horizontally, give birth to metropolitan recomposition in the sense that they continually try to build up the rural, which for most of them, turn out to be spaces of nostalgia, while in the city-space these pockets bring back the specter of the rural. The urban, however, celebrates this ruralness by having several marks, which it loves to call ethnic, and especially by re-creating the rural, with all the verisimilitudes as much as possible, during the famous Durga puja festival in the city. But, as Sassen suggests, is there any possibility of revolt in the relation between the high and the low? The question seems more pertinent since the ruling leftist coalition in West Bengal, at least in paper, is supposed to be a strong believer in people’s power to revolutionize the present situation, thereby bringing a paradigmatic shift in the world. Still, in this case, the left front government would loathe to have a revolution in the state. Constitutionally what they are supposed to do (i.e. to protect the law and order) seems to have undermined ideologically what they are supposed to believe (i.e. to change the world as it exists). So, the pundits in the left camp in the state are busy chalking out the pattern of development that, quite significantly, reminds one of the famous Infiltration theory as far as the education policy of the British government in India is concerned. Here, the main thrust of the development are dedicated basically to the upper tier of the population, residing in the urban space (even more than that, to the benefit of the affluent section of the urban space), while the rural is mostly left to stink in abject poverty. Still, the fear looms large. Along with the processes of urbanizing more and more spaces, of spreading the fruits of developments thereby, there has been a parallel growth of what Sharon Zukin says ‘a democratic discourse of aestheticizing both cities and fear’. The upcoming housing projects in Kolkata are virtually fortresses, enabled to keep all kinds of trespassing at bay. At best, each of them is a microcosm of the city. At worst, each is an island cut off from the world outside, the only link being things of technology, which too basically serve to individualize, even to atomize people. This terrible isolation has a fear of being invaded, and people, up above the world so high, keep on having troubled sleep. To combat the fear, they try to aestheticize it, by having terrifying computer games, horror movies, or realistic footages of natural disaster right at their drawing rooms. The thumb rule is clear. Darna Mana Hai! --------------------------------- How much free photo storage do you get? Store your friends n family photos for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. http://in.photos.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050726/6e76dc7b/attachment.html From anupamajayaraman at gmail.com Wed Jul 27 12:54:19 2005 From: anupamajayaraman at gmail.com (Anu pama) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 12:54:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Invite: Meeting on Water Campaign, Bangalore Message-ID: <3d572e50050727002430a7a5ae@mail.gmail.com> Campaign Against the Privatisation of Water Meeting: August 4, Thursday Venue: SCM House, Bangalore Time: 5:30 pm With the coming of large organisations that have begun privatising natural resources in the country, the human right to life is being grossly violated. Rivers, lakes, tanks, wells, ground water and numerous other water resources are being destroyed, dying a slow death under the garb of a thriving market economy. Communities have been forcibly denied the right to potable water, where women, children, slum dwellers, farmers and Dalits are being pushed further to the margins to existence due to a large deficit of water. This year the UN launched the 'Water for Life' decade. The water for life struggle has heightened with the coming of forces of globalisation that are hand in glove with the government in selling water resources for bottled water and soft drinks. They perform this callous trade in the name of development. By 2050, India will face a severe shortage of water, which will be catastrophic. ------------------- Dear All, We will be having a preliminary meeting to talk about strategies, agendas and issues with regards to water and its privatisation. Please do come for the meeting and help direct the Campaign towards decisive action. In solidarity, Regards, Anu, Sasi, Samuel, Mathews, David and Ravi _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From vivek at sarai.net Tue Jul 26 17:10:18 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 17:10:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] New IFA Grant Programme: Extending Arts Practice Message-ID: <42E62122.4060408@sarai.net> INDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS Extending Arts Practice Are you an artist or arts group interested in extending the possibilities of your own practice or those of your field? Are you seeking a fresh direction or vision for your work? If so, this programme is addressed to you. Please read on. Scope This programme supports artists and arts group to undertake projects that help them to extend their own practice or challenge prevalent practices within their fields. For instance, you may want to work with new materials or explore alternative methods for producing art. You may want to experiment with an untried form, a fresh style or a new idiom within your discipline. You may be interested in expanding your practice through engaging with other art forms/practices or working with other artists. You may wish to acquire new techniques, skills or knowledge to develop your practice. Or you may wish to challenge ways of thinking, imagining and creating within your field. Further, you may want to work in unusual environments or in response to challenging new social and political developments. Application Applications under this programme can be submitted for consideration at any time. You may write your proposal in any Indian language including English. You can expect to receive a reply from us within one month, indicating whether your proposal falls within the programme's scope and budgetary limits. We will help you to develop a budget for your proposal if it is accepted for funding. To apply, please send us a proposal describing a) Your existing arts practice, and your concerns and interests as a practitioner. b) The nature of the project for which you are seeking funding. c) How this project extends, builds on, sharpens or critiques your existing work and/or how it stimulates new developments within your field. d) The proposed outcomes of the project. Please remember to include the following with your proposal: a) Samples of your work, and those of your collaborators, if yours is a collaborative project. b) Your bio-data and those of your collaborators, if any. c) Your address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address. d) A work plan, specifying the duration of the project. If you wish, you may also include two references from senior artists in your field. You are welcome to develop your proposal through dialogue and interaction with IFA staff. You may write to us or post an online letter of inquiry describing your project idea briefly. You may also use the online letter of inquiry to communicate with us on any matter pertaining to this programme. Eligibility You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organization, or have been resident in India for at least five years. Your collaborators, if any, should also fall into one of the above categories. Send your queries and proposals to: contactus at indiaifa.org or write to: The Executive Director India Foundation for the Arts Tharangini, 12th Cross, Raj Mahal Vilas Extension Bangalore - 560 080 Tel/fax: 080 - 2361-0584 / 2361-0583 www.indiaifa.org Translations of this circular are available in some other Indian languages on request and can also be downloaded from www.indiaifa.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From vivek at sarai.net Wed Jul 27 15:31:42 2005 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 15:31:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] IFA: New Performance Grant Programme Message-ID: <42E75B86.1090608@sarai.net> INDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS New Performance Are you a performing artist or group? Are you seeking funds to develop an innovative new production in theatre, music, dance or other forms of performance art? If so, this programme is addressed to you. Please read on. Scope This programme supports exciting new productions in the performing arts. These productions could straddle different genres in the performing arts, explore multilingualism in performance, use new media innovatively, or address subjects that have not been widely explored in performance. These are only examples, however, and do not exhaust the possibilities offered by this programme. Application Applications under this programme can be submitted for consideration at any time. You may write your proposal in any Indian language including English. You can expect to receive a reply from us within one month, indicating whether your proposal falls within the programme's scope and budgetary limits. To apply, please send us a short note describing a) Your existing practice, and your concerns and interests as a practitioner. b) The nature of the production for which you are seeking funding and how it addresses our programme. Please also remember to include the following with your proposal: a) Reviews and recordings (if available) of your work. b) Your bio-data or background information about your institution. c) Your address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address. d) A work plan, specifying the duration of the project. e) A budget. You may also wish to include two references from senior artists in your field. You may seek support to cover costs relating to the mounting of your production. These could go beyond technical production costs to include pre-production research and other costs. You can also include costs for the first performance of the production in your budget. You are welcome to develop your proposal through dialogue and interaction with IFA staff. You may write to us or post an online letter of inquiry describing your project idea briefly. You may also use the online letter of inquiry to communicate with us on any matter pertaining to this programme. Eligibility You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organization, or have been resident in India for at least five years. Your collaborators, if any, should also fall into one of the above categories. Send your queries and proposals to: contactus at indiaifa.org or write to: The Executive Director India Foundation for the Arts Tharangini, 12th Cross, Raj Mahal Vilas Extension Bangalore - 560 080 Tel/fax: 080 - 2361-0584 / 2361-0583 www.indiaifa.org Translations of this circular are available in some other Indian languages on request and can also be downloaded from www.indiaifa.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From jace at pobox.com Wed Jul 27 18:22:35 2005 From: jace at pobox.com (Kiran Jonnalagadda) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 18:22:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] User interface on LiveJournal In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <5E5EF4E6-BA34-4F56-80CC-2F49588A84DB@pobox.com> On 01-May-05, at 9:51 PM, Kiran Jonnalagadda wrote: > 4. The tag breaks a post with a link to where the > remaining text can be read. The LJ Friends page -- which is the > primary way to track other LJ users -- honours this tag. Since long > uncut posts will require uninterested readers to scroll too much to > get past it to the next post, there is a culture of pulling up > people who don't cut their posts, and a counterculture of people > refusing to cut their posts just because some readers are fussy. The official explanation: http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=75 A humorous take: http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/LJ-cut Examples from the Bangalore community. Notice the comments demanding the post be cut: http://www.livejournal.com/community/bangalore/213138.html http://www.livejournal.com/community/bangalore/198975.html And from an avowed anti-cut user. Notice how it develops: http://www.livejournal.com/users/beatzo/75599.html?thread=892239#t892239 http://www.livejournal.com/users/beatzo/76180.html (post and commentary) http://www.livejournal.com/users/beatzo/76602.html (last-but-for-one paragraph) http://www.livejournal.com/users/beatzo/84942.html? thread=1088974#t1088974 -- Kiran Jonnalagadda http://www.pobox.com/~jace From vrjogi at hotmail.com Wed Jul 27 21:46:51 2005 From: vrjogi at hotmail.com (Vedavati Jogi) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 16:16:51 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: <20050727073509.6012.qmail@mailweb33.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims who don't accept rule of the land. >From: "khadeeja arif" >Reply-To: khadeeja arif >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >MUSLIMWOMEN?? >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > Ms Inda > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious >to know!! >cheers >K > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country >was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country >can still be united ! > > > >How chocked I�ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails� but still not >disappointed by India. > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a �it : HI, all Without reading the >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount >of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in >changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu >State). With regards, Manish > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first >ask > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or >any > >arab country. > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM >WOMEN?? > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > >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: > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >Check out freebies in the racing zone > >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns >by > >Narain > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: > > > > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en g�raphie >urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. > >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Universit�aris 7 � Denis Diderot 2, place >Jussieu � 75251 Paris Cedex 05. > > > > > >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. >Pondicherry � 605 001 - India. > >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 >- India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > > Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! >Messenger > > T�chargez le ici ! > >_________________________________________ > >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: _________________________________________________________________ 7000 classifieds http://www.sulekha.com/classifieds/cllist.aspx?nma=IN&ref=msn -Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad Bangalore. From m_vali at yahoo.com Wed Jul 27 22:52:30 2005 From: m_vali at yahoo.com (Murtaza Vali) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:22:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050727172230.99203.qmail@web54503.mail.yahoo.com> Does that mean that any hindus, christians, sikhs or buddhists who don't accept the 'rule of the land' should also be thrown out? And if so where should they be sent . --- Vedavati Jogi wrote: > i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to > throw out those muslims > who don't accept rule of the land. > > >From: "khadeeja arif" > > >Reply-To: khadeeja arif > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE > RIGHTS OF INDIAN > >MUSLIMWOMEN?? > >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > > > Ms Inda > > > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we > can put all the Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, > neither, in Pakistan!" > > > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's > statement?? I am curious > >to know!! > >cheers > >K > > > > > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back > from lunch. During this > >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends > (Indians & French) about > >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as > much as about Tagore or > >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my > admiration about your country > >was to demonstrate that such a > multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country > >can still be united ! > > > > > >How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of > e-mails but still not > >disappointed by India. > > > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we > can put all the Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, > neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, > all Without reading the > >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an > answer. It is calling > >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and > actions against Indian > >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be > aware of what an amount > >of positive impact, organisations like > Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in > >changing the society, at the grassroots level. > After this, one has every > >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in > a lecturer or > >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an > un-clear, demeaning and > >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to > Islamic countries. > >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should > move to Nepal (A Hindu > >State). With regards, Manish > > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi > wrote: demonstrations > >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not > accepting common > > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, > pluralism' etc.etc. first > >ask > > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack > them off to pakistan or > >any > > >arab country. > > > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE > RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > >WOMEN?? > > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against > Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for > Women and Children, Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group invite you support > and attend a mass > > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups > to express our > >discontent > > > >and anger with the rise in strength of > extra-judicial forces like the > > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the > recent Imrana case in > > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the > number of anti-women > >fatwas > > > >being issued by local panchayats and > self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the > interests and rights of Indian > > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s > also a total disregard for > >the > > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting > women?s rights, believe > >that > > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems > running in this > >country. We > > > >demand that the State play a more active role > in protecting and > >advancing > > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, > 2005. It will start at > >2.30 > > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar > Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go > >via > > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road > and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against > Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for > Women and Children, Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > === message truncated === From fmadre at free.fr Wed Jul 27 21:56:51 2005 From: fmadre at free.fr (fmadre at free.fr) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 18:26:51 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1122481611.42e7b5cb3a514@imp2-q.free.fr> Selon Vedavati Jogi : > i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims > who don't accept rule of the land. some americans have bumper stickers for that, "love it or leave it" you know, it's pretty stupid. what do you mean by "rule of the land" ? why would this apply only to muslims ? why not to other people who "don't accept rule of the land" ? f. http://pleine-peau.com From sdatta at MIT.EDU Wed Jul 27 23:15:41 2005 From: sdatta at MIT.EDU (S Datta) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 13:45:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: <1122481611.42e7b5cb3a514@imp2-q.free.fr> References: <1122481611.42e7b5cb3a514@imp2-q.free.fr> Message-ID: People: Why are we engaging/debating with this V. Jogi person? It is clear that her badly-thought-out, kneejerk, and ill-formulated (not to mention, inherently stupid) views have little or no support on this list. Perhaps we'd all be better off, and would have slightly less clogged inboxes, if we ignored these messages and let her rant to her heart's content? I'm saying this because I think there should be a minimum level of coherence in a statement before it merits extensive dissection/discussion/rebuttal. It doesn't seem to me that Ms Jogi's repeated salvos meet this criterion; we have, I believe, satisfied ourselves that most members of this list are not in agreement with the views expressed, howsoever badly put, in her mails; so why not just end this now and move on to matters that actually deserve our time and energy? I say this with full awareness that I'm as guilty as anyone of keeping this discussion going, but really, it's way past it's sell-by-date now. Cheers! On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 fmadre at free.fr wrote: > Selon Vedavati Jogi : > > i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims > > who don't accept rule of the land. > > some americans have bumper stickers for that, "love it or leave it" you know, > it's pretty stupid. what do you mean by "rule of the land" ? why would this > apply only to muslims ? why not to other people who "don't accept rule of the > land" ? > > f. > http://pleine-peau.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: > From shivamvij at gmail.com Wed Jul 27 23:46:41 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 23:46:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: References: <1122481611.42e7b5cb3a514@imp2-q.free.fr> Message-ID: > Why are we engaging/debating with this V. Jogi person? It is clear that > her badly-thought-out, kneejerk, and ill-formulated (not to mention, > inherently stupid) views have little or no support on this list. I don't know about this list, but on or off the list, we need no engage with these views, no matter how stupid they are, because these views are widespread enough to cause spurts of fascism (Ayodhya, Gujarat) every now and then. These views are, in all their stupidity, powerful enough to destabilise the polity and affect our daily lives - socially, politically perhaps even intelectually. SV On 7/27/05, S Datta wrote: > > People: > > Why are we engaging/debating with this V. Jogi person? It is clear that > her badly-thought-out, kneejerk, and ill-formulated (not to mention, > inherently stupid) views have little or no support on this list. Perhaps > we'd all be better off, and would have slightly less clogged inboxes, if > we ignored these messages and let her rant to her heart's content? I'm > saying this because I think there should be a minimum level of coherence > in a statement before it merits extensive dissection/discussion/rebuttal. > It doesn't seem to me that Ms Jogi's repeated salvos meet this criterion; > we have, I believe, satisfied ourselves that most members of this list are > not in agreement with the views expressed, howsoever badly put, in her > mails; so why not just end this now and move on to matters that actually > deserve our time and energy? I say this with full awareness that I'm as > guilty as anyone of keeping this discussion going, but really, it's way > past it's sell-by-date now. > > Cheers! > > On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 fmadre at free.fr wrote: > > > Selon Vedavati Jogi : > > > i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims > > > who don't accept rule of the land. > > From fmadre at free.fr Wed Jul 27 23:57:19 2005 From: fmadre at free.fr (Frederic Madre) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:27:19 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIANMUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050727182725.A6953319C99@postfix4-1.free.fr> > I don't know about this list, but on or off the list, we need no > engage with these views, this is what I think also, the power of free speech is also on the receiving end. I like to hear what people who do not think like me have to say, I would say that it is even more interesting to me than what people who think like me say f. From sdatta at MIT.EDU Thu Jul 28 01:06:26 2005 From: sdatta at MIT.EDU (S Datta) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 15:36:26 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: References: <1122481611.42e7b5cb3a514@imp2-q.free.fr> Message-ID: oh, completely; but my point is that there must be a rationale to such engagement besides reiterating our oft-reiterated options, which as far as i can see, is all that we are doing. another way to put it might be that a serious discussion on the issues skirted here (which, as you point out, are serious in their impact on our lives) is well worth it; i'm just not sure that sending out many mails saying 'oh, we don't agree with you' or words to that effect serves any particular purpose, since this is clearly not going to change anyone's mind/ get them to reconsider their position. so unless the discussion can be moved to a somewhat more subtle plane, it seems redundant. also, i am not suggesting that v jogi or anyone else with their view shuts up, but forgive me for not needing sarai list emails to remind me that people with severely bigoted views exist, both in the world and on the sarai list. if the proponent of these views did more than merely repeat them endlessly, i might be interested, but as things stand, all that these exchanges tell me is that there are people who have views i find both objectionable and badly-thought-out, which i already knew. all i'm saying is: it is pointless to give these views, at least as thus far expressed/argued, more than very little weight. if v jogi or anyone else cares to 'engage' more seriously, with some thought and maybe some arguments, i'm more than happy to engage with them, as, i'm sure, are other people. > > I don't know about this list, but on or off the list, we need no > engage with these views, no matter how stupid they are, because these > views are widespread enough to cause spurts of fascism (Ayodhya, > Gujarat) every now and then. These views are, in all their stupidity, > powerful enough to destabilise the polity and affect our daily lives - > socially, politically perhaps even intelectually. > > SV > > > On 7/27/05, S Datta wrote: > > > > People: > > > > Why are we engaging/debating with this V. Jogi person? It is clear that > > her badly-thought-out, kneejerk, and ill-formulated (not to mention, > > inherently stupid) views have little or no support on this list. Perhaps > > we'd all be better off, and would have slightly less clogged inboxes, if > > we ignored these messages and let her rant to her heart's content? I'm > > saying this because I think there should be a minimum level of coherence > > in a statement before it merits extensive dissection/discussion/rebuttal. > > It doesn't seem to me that Ms Jogi's repeated salvos meet this criterion; > > we have, I believe, satisfied ourselves that most members of this list are > > not in agreement with the views expressed, howsoever badly put, in her > > mails; so why not just end this now and move on to matters that actually > > deserve our time and energy? I say this with full awareness that I'm as > > guilty as anyone of keeping this discussion going, but really, it's way > > past it's sell-by-date now. > > > > Cheers! > > > > On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 fmadre at free.fr wrote: > > > > > Selon Vedavati Jogi : > > > > i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims > > > > who don't accept rule of the land. > > > > _________________________________________ > 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 turbulence at turbulence.org Thu Jul 28 02:09:56 2005 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 16:39:56 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Celebrating Turbulence's Networked_Performance Blog Message-ID: <42E7F11C.90603@turbulence.org> July 27, 2005 Celebrating Turbulence's Networked_Performance Blog http://turbulence.org/blog The networked_performance blog is now one year old. With 1,100 entries, and 1,200 visits per day (and climbing), networked_performance has become an important resource for practitioners, scholars and the general blogosphere. Our Guest Bloggers have included Nathaniel Stern (South Africa), Michelle Kasprzak (Canada), Régine Debatty (Belgium), Yukihiko Yoshida (Japan), and Adriana de Souza e Silva (US); Luís Silva (Portugal) will begin in September. Renowned author, Howard Rheingold ("The Virtual Community" and "Smart Mobs"), said "Networked Performance (is) one of my favorite blogs about location-based experiments beyond the usual boring stuff." Helen Thorington and Michelle Riel have been guests on "empyre" this month (http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001078.html), presenting their analysis of the blog contents, and they'll be moderating the "Networked Performance: How Does Art Affect Technology and Vice Versa?" panel at SIGGRAPH 2005 on Monday, August 1 from 3:45-5:30 p.m. Here's a sampling of posts from our current index page (http://turbulence/org/blog): INDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: GRANTS FOR INDIAN NEW PERFORMANCE ARTISTS http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001166.html SOCIAL MACHINES: CONTINUOUS COMPUTING http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001164.html AUDIO SIGNAL PROCESSING/DIGITAL SOUND WORKSHOP http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001163.html BODILY (TRANS)FORMATIONS http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001161.html LAURIE ANDERSON: THE RECORD OF THE TIME http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001159.html THE REENTRY SERIES; SYNTHETIC METEOR SHOWERS http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001158.html CRACKS IN THE PAVEMENT: GIFTS IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001162.html HTML WRESTLING http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001157.html 3 X 3 http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001152.html HAPTIC SPACES: THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RELATION BETWEEN TOUCH AND SPACE http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001145.html ART & THE NETWORK SPACE OVER ACCESS GRID http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001154.html SMS SATYAGRAHA http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001139.html KODAMA:WHISPERING TREES http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001137.html LIVE ACTION SCOTLAND YARD http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001135.html AUTONOMOUS EXPRESSIONISM AND NETWORK ARTS: NEW PARADIGMS IN ART, EMOTIONAL INTERACTION, AND INFORMATION RETRIEVAL http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001133.html MOLLYCODDLE http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/001138.html To include your news, events, articles and projects on the networked_performance blog, please send an email to turbulence at turbulence.org Thanks for your interest and support. Best, Jo -- Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856 Turbulence: http://turbulence.org New American Radio: http://somewhere.org Networked_Performance Blog and Conference: http://turbulence.org/blog -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050727/f135d0e7/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Thu Jul 28 17:41:41 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 05:11:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] gurgaon workers Message-ID: <20050728121141.30223.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> A column I wrote for Mid-Day Bombay... __________________ Labouring in an Illiberal Culture In the first volume of Das Capital, Karl Marx writes that ‘A cannot be “your majesty” to B unless at the same time majesty in B’s eyes assumes the bodily form of A.’ That is to say that ‘one man is King only because other men stand in the relation of subjects to him. They, on the contrary imagine that they are subjects because he is a King.’ This could be extended to the coercive authority enjoyed by the police. As long as they retain the aura of being a disciplinary and coercive force which is sanctioned by the state their authority might be regarded as legitimate. But when the people they seek to control come to regard their use of force as illegitimate they become little more than lathi-wielding hooligans. This is exactly what happened in Gurgaon on 25-7 and on the following days. Irrespective of the role played by ‘outside agent provocateurs and vested interests’ in precipitating the violent clash between the police and the workers of the Honda factory on 25-7, the next day the anti-police sentiment had extended to at least half the city. People who had nothing to do with the Honda factory or with the workers turned up at the Civil Hospital the next day, relishing the chance to teach the police a lesson. When Mahatma Gandhi had attempted to de-legitimise colonial institutions- its police, its courts, its armed forces- he had been severely criticized even by many nationalist leaders for ‘this open invitation to anarchy.’ As it turned out, Gandhi too was left wringing his hands in disappointment for ‘Indians,’ he said in 1947, ‘had all along only wanted English rule without the Englishmen.’ If I were the editor of one of the leading newspapers of the country, my most natural reaction on Monday afternoon, as the workers of the Honda factory ‘clashed’ with the police, would have been to ring up someone higher up at Honda to find out what is going on. It would be natural because I might know them personally, would admire them for their entrepreneurial successes and because foreign investment and investor confidence is of the supremest importance. But above all I would do so because the word Union today only implies obstructive opportunism where the leaders, like so many villains of Hindi cinema, always betray the poor, simple workers. Twenty years after unionism and working class militancy have been buried under the discotheques and bowling alleys of Girgaum, what legitimate concern could any worker have? As the Indian Express editorial pontificates on Thursday, let them work or let other workers do an honest day’s work. Naturally then, my paper’s coverage of the event would begin with the description of the event as a ‘clash’ between workers and policemen. Notwithstanding the facts that in this clash over a thousand workers were injured, that they had nothing to match the Police lathis, that they were inveigled into a close compound to present a memorandum, that they were then beaten up in an enclosed space until they lay prostrate on the ground and then some more, were made to crawl while holding their ears and beaten on their backsides, that the Deputy Commissioner of the city joined in with a baton and that the police had made advance preparations for teaching them this ‘lesson’ by requisitioning troops from Rewari, Rohtak and Faridabad. Of course I would mention the losses to the Honda factory in an agitation that has now gone on for many months and which has made them halve their production. But I would not carry any reaction, not a single bite or interview with the workers about what they wanted. I would even shy away from locating the families of the injured and eliciting their reaction until Wednesday. The dashing, hands on DC a very ‘one of us’ fellow who bravely fought alongside his men to take control of the situation wanted to know why should workers who are unhappy with their management turn against the State. He should know, the negotiations have been on for almost a month and the administration has taken a leading and proactive part in them, so why are the workers upset with the police? For the simple reason that, right through colonial times, for the agitating and striking workers the police always appears on the behalf of the management and always to quell ‘riotous’ or ‘violent’ workers. Indeed the colonial police’ disruption of Nationalist rallies and their assault against workers sprang from the same impulses and was carried out in similar fashions. In spite of their seemingly intractable differences the two leading historians of the Indian Working Class Rajnarayan Chandavarkar and Dipesh Chakrabarty have both pointed to the importance of workers socialization, the civic-material culture in which they live, in determining their attitude towards Capital and the State. Chandavarkar shows us how the working classes of Bombay derived their identity from their neighbourhood activities, and that to them the State, especially the police, often appeared indistinguishable from the management. While Chakrbarty wonders how the worker’s struggle for an equal and fair treatment might fare in a society that is otherwise very hierarchical, unequal and illiberal. In Gurgaon, these past few days we have seen both these aspects of labour. The workers, though beaten and bruised remain defiant. The media and the commentariat, on the other hand, wants a free and fair treatment for Capital but an illiberal one for labour. Let them then think of India and get on with production, the insurrection can await their children. ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From shivamvij at gmail.com Thu Jul 28 21:10:01 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 21:10:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Re: gurgaon workers In-Reply-To: <20050728121141.30223.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> References: <20050728121141.30223.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Message-ID: > This is exactly > what happened in Gurgaon on 25-7 and on the following > days. 25-7? It's interesting how "9/11" has been changing our language. On 7/28/05, mahmood farooqui wrote: > A column I wrote for Mid-Day Bombay... > > __________________ > > > Labouring in an Illiberal Culture > > In the first volume of Das Capital, Karl Marx writes > that 'A cannot be "your majesty" to B unless at the > same time majesty in B's eyes assumes the bodily form > of A.' That is to say that 'one man is King only > because other men stand in the relation of subjects to > him. They, on the contrary imagine that they are > subjects because he is a King.' This could be extended > to the coercive authority enjoyed by the police. As > long as they retain the aura of being a disciplinary > and coercive force which is sanctioned by the state > their authority might be regarded as legitimate. But > when the people they seek to control come to regard > their use of force as illegitimate they become little > more than lathi-wielding hooligans. This is exactly > what happened in Gurgaon on 25-7 and on the following > days. > > Irrespective of the role played by 'outside agent > provocateurs and vested interests' in precipitating > the violent clash between the police and the workers > of the Honda factory on 25-7, the next day the > anti-police sentiment had extended to at least half > the city. People who had nothing to do with the Honda > factory or with the workers turned up at the Civil > Hospital the next day, relishing the chance to teach > the police a lesson. When Mahatma Gandhi had attempted > to de-legitimise colonial institutions- its police, > its courts, its armed forces- he had been severely > criticized even by many nationalist leaders for 'this > open invitation to anarchy.' As it turned out, Gandhi > too was left wringing his hands in disappointment for > 'Indians,' he said in 1947, 'had all along only wanted > English rule without the Englishmen.' > > If I were the editor of one of the leading newspapers > of the country, my most natural reaction on Monday > afternoon, as the workers of the Honda factory > 'clashed' with the police, would have been to ring up > someone higher up at Honda to find out what is going > on. It would be natural because I might know them > personally, would admire them for their > entrepreneurial successes and because foreign > investment and investor confidence is of the supremest > importance. > > But above all I would do so because the word Union > today only implies obstructive opportunism where the > leaders, like so many villains of Hindi cinema, always > betray the poor, simple workers. Twenty years after > unionism and working class militancy have been buried > under the discotheques and bowling alleys of Girgaum, > what legitimate concern could any worker have? As the > Indian Express editorial pontificates on Thursday, let > them work or let other workers do an honest day's > work. > > Naturally then, my paper's coverage of the event would > begin with the description of the event as a 'clash' > between workers and policemen. Notwithstanding the > facts that in this clash over a thousand workers were > injured, that they had nothing to match the Police > lathis, that they were inveigled into a close compound > to present a memorandum, that they were then beaten up > in an enclosed space until they lay prostrate on the > ground and then some more, were made to crawl while > holding their ears and beaten on their backsides, that > the Deputy Commissioner of the city joined in with a > baton and that the police had made advance > preparations for teaching them this 'lesson' by > requisitioning troops from Rewari, Rohtak and > Faridabad. > > Of course I would mention the losses to the Honda > factory in an agitation that has now gone on for many > months and which has made them halve their production. > But I would not carry any reaction, not a single bite > or interview with the workers about what they wanted. > I would even shy away from locating the families of > the injured and eliciting their reaction until > Wednesday. > > The dashing, hands on DC a very 'one of us' fellow who > bravely fought alongside his men to take control of > the situation wanted to know why should workers who > are unhappy with their management turn against the > State. He should know, the negotiations have been on > for almost a month and the administration has taken a > leading and proactive part in them, so why are the > workers upset with the police? For the simple reason > that, right through colonial times, for the agitating > and striking workers the police always appears on the > behalf of the management and always to quell 'riotous' > or 'violent' workers. Indeed the colonial police' > disruption of Nationalist rallies and their assault > against workers sprang from the same impulses and was > carried out in similar fashions. > > In spite of their seemingly intractable differences > the two leading historians of the Indian Working Class > Rajnarayan Chandavarkar and Dipesh Chakrabarty have > both pointed to the importance of workers > socialization, the civic-material culture in which > they live, in determining their attitude towards > Capital and the State. Chandavarkar shows us how the > working classes of Bombay derived their identity from > their neighbourhood activities, and that to them the > State, especially the police, often appeared > indistinguishable from the management. While > Chakrbarty wonders how the worker's struggle for an > equal and fair treatment might fare in a society that > is otherwise very hierarchical, unequal and illiberal. > > > In Gurgaon, these past few days we have seen both > these aspects of labour. The workers, though beaten > and bruised remain defiant. The media and the > commentariat, on the other hand, wants a free and fair > treatment for Capital but an illiberal one for labour. > Let them then think of India and get on with > production, the insurrection can await their children. > > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________ > Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > > _________________________________________ > 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 poured reason in two wine glasses Raised one above my head And poured in into my life (-JD) www.shivamvij.com From kranenbu at xs4all.nl Fri Jul 29 03:33:11 2005 From: kranenbu at xs4all.nl (Rob van Kranenburg) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:03:11 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] NYC chapter of Critical Resistance Message-ID: From: rj at riseup.net Thought people might be interested in seeing this--a letter from members of the NYC chapter of Critical Resistance (www.criticalresistance.org) in response to the new initiative coming out of the Zapatistas 6th Declaration... --------------------------------------------- Dear Zapatista Sisters and Brothers, Thank you for sharing with us your story of struggle and resistance in the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle. We send you greetings and are writing to express our solidarity, and would like to share with you a little bit of our story—some of which we are sure you already know. Critical Resistance, our organization, is currently a national network with ten chapters throughout the country. We are a young organization, less than five years old,. We are all inspired by the dignified struggle of the Zapatistas and many of us have worked to inform others in the U.S.A. of your word. We live in a settler country where the "Indian Wars" are still being fought--on the reservation, in the cities and in the prisons. We live in a country built by enslaved African and indentured migrant labor. And it is still this way, although sometimes with a different face. And this is not disconnected from the pain and suffering that the bad government of the U.S.A. gives throughout the world as part of a global Military Industrial Complex almost half of which is fueled with the taxes from our labor. Many in the United States rose up in rebellion, mass movements, and national liberation struggles of people of color in the 1960s and 1970s. These were met with increased funding and power for police organizations Our prison population has grown from 200,000 in the 1980’s to over 2.1 million today, which means that one quarter of the prisoners of the world are held in the U.S.A. These prisons are a way to control "unwanted populations": people of Indigenous, African, Latino, Asian cultures, queer folks, and poor/working class people of all races. Black and Latina women are the fastest growing population of prisoners in the U.S.A. This system is a system of profit and we call this the Prison Industrial Complex – the relation of large multinational businesses and government that profit off the construction, maintenance, and labor of jails and prisons. Prisons are places where a form of slavery is still practiced, and protected by the courts, the lawmakers, and the businesses. To end this system, we continue the proud tradition of struggle in the U.S.A., as "new abolitionists" who continue to seek liberation, self-determination, and the kinds of safety that do not rely on caging, controlling, and killing. Knowing that our actions and labor within the U.S.A. have global consequences, we continue to stand in solidarity with the EZLN as you move into your new national and “intergalactic” initiatives. We hope we will be able to participate and share struggle in this new initiative. Many of us have visited you already thanks to the hard work of Estacion Libre and other organizations. We hope that in this new initiative, we will find a way together to create a dialogue about how we all can resist policing and imprisonment. As only a few of us from the New York City chapter of Critical Resistance are able to work on this letter, we have included our mission statement here so you can see some words that we have all written together: Critical Resistance seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe. We believe that basic necessities such as food, shelter, and freedom are what really make our communities secure. As such, our work is part of global struggles against inequality and powerlessness. The success of the movement requires that it reflect communities most affected by the PIC. Con Cariño y Solidaridad, Members of Critical Resistance - NYC -- http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/listpublish.php?q_mm=rob From sudeshna.kca at gmail.com Fri Jul 29 08:48:26 2005 From: sudeshna.kca at gmail.com (Sudeshna Chatterjee) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:48:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Post 6: What is the official settlement status of Basti Nizamuddin? Message-ID: <3ef603b705072820183661b1ca@mail.gmail.com> What is the official settlement status of Basti Nizamuddin??? When I had started my fieldwork in Nizamuddin, I was convinced that it was an urban village with Lal Dora status. However, clouds of doubt soon gathered over whether this historic village is considered Lal Dora in the city Master Plan. Residents of Nizamuddin as I found out through my research did not pay property tax, and nor did they follow any building bye-laws to construct their modest homes. In fact, building related activities were a constant feature in the basti. Construction, repairs, and demolition of squatters were a cyclic happening in this place where the outside world seems far off and distant, almost forgotten in the bustling immediacies of everyday activities everywhere. In order to find out who controls land in Nizamuddin, whether it was still considered Lal Dora etc. I made several inquiries, and found out that even if residents wanted to pay taxes, they like the city offices I telephoned, had no information as to which was the correct agency to pay to. In one afternoon I called DDA, MCD, the Mayor's office, and the chief townplanner's office to find out the status of Nizamuddin. At the end of the conversation with the townplanner, there was a nebulous concensus that Nizamuddin did not have Lal Dora status. Nebulous because he did not specifically say that it was not but, at least clarified that as soon as an urban status is bestowed on a village, it stopped enjoying exemptions granted to Lal Dora. It then is governed by the plans drawn up for the zone in which it falls. In reference to Nizamuddin and my continued prodding he said, "Because it is an old settlement it is not possible to ascertain original owners. You will find it difficult to get any information from the revenue department about the jurisdiction of the city agencies in the basti. But the fact remains that whosoever is occupying a building or structure in the basti is liable to pay taxes because the status of the village is urban and not rural." After the notional trappings of Lal Dora had been removed from my conception of Nizamuddin basti, I followed up on property taxation rules for the basti, and also sought a firmer confirmation of the legal status. I present the following excerpt from my fieldnotes. I had let the matter rest for a few days. But I didn't rest in peace till I had found a satisfactory explanation. This afternoon, I started googling Lal Dora with a vengeance. I found several newspaper articles referring to the BJP's government's efforts to exempt not only residential property taxes, but also industrial property taxes in Lal Dora areas. There was also mention of extending the Lal Dora areas to many other places, and doing away with Act xxx. None of these news pieces answered my question of 'what is considered under Lal Dora', other than a very tokenist definition of 'most urban villages fall in Lal Dora areas.' I realized that I needed to search for listings of Lal Dora areas. However my google sessions didn't reveal any such list. I then decided to jump into the MCD website and maybe send an email to some listed contact. As I was searching for such a contact, a small dialogue box with changing messages caught my attention. It had telephone nos. for reporting dengue cases; news about digitizing birth and death records from 1998, 278 Delhi hospitals being mobilized to register deaths and births online, where to get information on unit area method—dial 52895552 for MCD to view draft bye-laws on property tax. Seeing a phone number, promising information about property tax flashing in front of my eyes, I decided to call the number and try my luck. A youngish male voice answered the phone. I asked him, "I need some information on Lal Dora areas, is there any listing of all such areas available with MCD?" the voice faltered a little, then asked me back, "Lal Dora meaning rural areas? Which exact area do you have in mind?" I replied, "Nizamuddin basti. I want to know whether this urban village is still a part of Lal Dora." The man said, "do you mind holding the line for a second? I'll be right back." I was put on hold, but thankfully without any background music. He came back soon, and said, "ma'm, which side of Nizamuddin, east or west? There are only two villages in Nizamuddin. They are Bangarpur and Naharpur, I think. Nizamuddin basti is not an urban village." I asked him, "is there a listing of this that I access and see for myself?" He gave me MCD's official website, and asked me to follow the link to property tax, and then download the different lists for rural and urban villages. I thanked him for this information, barely containing my anxiety as this last piece of information completely shatters the established and firmly believed juridico-political conceptions of the basti. I followed the links in the already open MCD webpage in my computer. I could very easily get to the list of urban villages and rural villages. I scanned rural villages first. No mention of Nizamuddin either under village or ward. The urban village listing had Behlolpur-Bangar and Sarai Kale Khan listed as urban villages in ward Nizamuddin. There was no mention of the basti whatsoever. I decided to look up the list for colonies. Sure enough Nizamuddin East and West were listed in high tax categories, B and C respectively. Looking through all these latest property tax documents for the city, one was forced to conclude that Nizamuddin Basti is not an urban village, certainly not Lal Dora. In fact the basti as we know it does not exist by itself but as a part of Nizamuddin West, carrying an unit area tax assessment for category C which amounts to Rs. 400/unit value of area. This cannot be true. There has to be a missing link. I just cannot believe that the city is so foolish that it taxes high-income residents of west and low-income settlers of the basti at the same level. I decided to talk to someone more knowledgeable than the MCD officers. My first port of call was Lalit Batra in Sanjha Manch. I narrated to Lalit what I had just found out and the implications that I had drawn. Lalit first offered that perhaps Behlolpur-Bangar is a misprint for Basti Nizamuddin. We laughed over it. But on a more serious note, I asked him who I should talk to. Lalit suggested Manjeet Singh, the ex-Addl. Commissioner of the slum and jj cluster dept. he gave me Mr. Singh's number. I called Mr. Singh as soon as I finished talking to Lalit. Manjeet Singh answered the phone himself. I introduced myself as a PhD student who is conducting a study in Nizamuddin basti. I said, "Sir, I want to understand the status of the basti. Is it an urban village, is it under Lal Dora?" Silence on the other end prompted me to continue. "I have talked to six city departments this past week, but no one had been able to tell me conclusively what status Nizamuddin basti has. In fact just a while ago, I found out from property tax department of MCD that the basti does not exist as a tax zone, but the basti as we know it is part of Nizamuddin west, which is in a high tax category." Mr. Manjeet Singh then replied, "First and foremost the basti is a human settlement, and it is ruled by taxation laws just as any human settlement in Delhi." "But sir, the tax category that it is a part of now, makes no sense looking at the ground reality. In fact, as far as I know no one pays residential property taxes in the basti simply because they do not know which city agency governs them or what the tax protocols for them are like." "You should talk to the tax inspector and find out from him who is paying taxes and at what rate. Ask to see his revenue map, and ask him if people are not paying taxes, why is that happening and if he has done any survey to find out the reasons. Also the basti as it is an old settlement will be looked after by….(he tried to remember the name)…….check with the city zone office in Asaf Ali Road to see if they have any document on Nizamuddin." Sensing that the conversation was deviating from the central question, I asked, "But sir, I need to know more than anything else if Nizamuddin basti is no longer considered an urban village, when did this recategorization occur?" "I think in the mid 80s when a lot of slum areas were denotified. At that time some slums and urban villages became colonies." "Where can I find this information." "call the slum dept. and ask for a list of denotification of slum areas." "Is there someone I can talk to in the slum dept.?" "Well the best person would have been Mr. Journal Singh. But he just retired. Ask for a Mr. Ramesh, who was my assistant. Tell him that you have talked to me and need this denotification document. If he is not able to give it, he will surely give you some lead." I thanked Mr. Manjeet singh for giving me his valuable time. (Filednotes, July 4, 2005) After this conversation I made a few futile phone calls to the slum department. No one could direct me to the denotification documents. But I still am not convinced as to how the city could blatantly take away the status of urban village from Nizamuddin Basti and club it with any other planned, high tax paying settlement of the city. Nizamuddin Basti not only has historical and tourism potential of international significance, both high priorities in the Delhi master plan for the city to focus on an urban village, but it also embodies all the characteristics such as strong identity, economic activities related to place, compact built-form with mixed uses, to qualify as a special area worth special attention. Moreover, looking at the failures of the subsequent governments to provide adequate housing for the poor, the residents of Nizamuddin deserve the highest achievement awards for looking after thousands of people, mostly poor Muslims, who will find it very difficult to sustain themselves and their families anywhere else in Delhi, while preserving their own unique cultural and religious identities. Request to readers: If any one of you is aware of the legal status of Nizamuddin as a human settlement, please drop me a line. Your insights will be deeply appreciated. Sudeshna -- Sudeshna Chatterjee PhD Candidate Community and Environmental Design North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC From nisha2004 at gmail.com Thu Jul 28 17:42:54 2005 From: nisha2004 at gmail.com (Nisha .) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 15:12:54 +0300 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Women in Maharashtra State Assembly's Debate In-Reply-To: <299c778405072805107b30e284@mail.gmail.com> References: <001801c591b8$ac2a7200$e216fea9@netserver> <20050727085333.69626.qmail@web32113.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <299c778405072805107b30e284@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <299c778405072805127577dde@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sultan Ibrahim Date: 27-Jul-2005 11:53 Subject: Women in the Assembly *Women in Maharashtra State Assembly's Debate* When the dance bar bill got debated in the house some of us had been present to listen to the debate. This is what we witnessed!!!!!!!! "Isha Koppikar. she is an atom bomb, attttom bomb." "chutiyas . bhadwas.." [filthy abuses] "..these women who dance naked, they don't deserve any sympathy" "...these women loot men and destroy their houses .. " " these women who are opposing the ban, we will make their mothers dance.." These seem like statements from some sleazy dialogue that the roadside taporis indulge in. Very sadly, these are statements made by our people's representatives on the floor of the house in the Vidhan Sabha. This was the third last day of the monsoon session. The contempt that was shown to all women in this session was appalling. The last comment is on all women's groups who had opposed the ban. What we have produced here is only a sample. Throughout the discussion, across party lines, the elected members made such comments while ostensibly passing a bill to protect women's dignity! One representative narrated an incident of his friend's daughter who had committed suicide because she did not get a job. He said it was more dignified to commit suicide than dance in bars. The house applauded. How the representatives of people can applaud when a young girl commits suicide when it is their anti-people, anti-women and anti-job growth policies that make them lose their means of livelihood in the first place, is a matter of grave concern. As women's organisations of Maharashtra, we are extremely angered by the insensitivity and anti-women statements and atmosphere in the house. The undercurrent of the comments and discussions was pornographic and obscene and was greeted with laughter and sniggering by the predominantly male House. So much for protecting the Constitutional mandate of protecting the dignity of women. Women are more than 50% of the voters of this state. The utter disregard to the feelings and dignity of women exhibited by our so-called representatives is disgusting and needs total condemnation. Signed by: Forum Against Oppression of Women Majlis Awaaz-E-Niswan Akshara India Centre for Human Rights and Law Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes LABIA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050728/15513df2/attachment.html From shai at filterindia.com Thu Jul 28 22:44:37 2005 From: shai at filterindia.com (Shai Heredia) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 22:44:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Excavating Indian Experimental Film Message-ID: <014a01c59397$d72db990$eb00a8c0@abcg9pijiifj6r> 4th POSTING Abid Surty - the artist in Pramod Pati's experimental masterpiece 'Abid' (1969) discusses Pramod Pati and the creative freedom of Films Division at the time. Excerpts from an interview with him below: S: When did you first meet Pramod Pati? A At that time Pramod Pati actually wanted to make a film on Hussain, but Hussain was too busy and I think he ditched Pati 3 or 4 times. I remember I had an exhibition on at Taj Art Gallery & Pati dropped in one day. This was the first exhibition I had done on mirror collage, and seeing all the broken pieces of mirror he got baffled and confused. After few minutes he approached me & said "Abid I want to make a film on you with your work". So that was the first time we met. S: What kind of work were you involved with at that time? A: I was a painter.I am a painter. At that time I had experimented by painting my whole house and this had become a very popular art work and it was well publicized in newspapers and magazines. It was an experiment of living within a painting. When people live with a painting - you have a painting on the wall or you have a painting displayed somewhere, so you are living with a painting. So I thought, why not live within a painting instead. I was living in a single room at that time, so I started painting the walls & whatever came in the way like fan, furniture, floor, ceiling, cupboard, even small utensils, chairs, everything in my room became a part of this one painting. It took me about one month, & there was no compulsion, it wasn't for anybody. This was done in those days - late 60's, early 70's. At that time I was freelancing for Times of India, but there was a continuous labour strike for 3 months, so a major source of my income had stopped. I had ample time & ample colours at home, but I didn't have money to buy canvas, so this was the basic thought that led me to this experiment. So the house became my canvas. Like if a figure is sitting on the floor.so half the body is on the wall where somebody is resting and the legs are on the floor. So like that the figures were merging with the floor, merging with the ceiling, & going from wall to ceiling. Like that everything became part of one painting. S: So how did you work out the concept for the film eventually?. A: So Pati had seen the publicity for this work, he was highly impressed. And then he came up with the concept that I should recreate the whole thing in the Films Division studio. Pati showed me one of his earlier films where he had tried pixilation for the first time. But he was not satisfied with that film, so he wanted to use that technique plus the concept of the painted house. He also wanted it to be a biographical film on me. So he told me to come up with a concept. I came up with a simple thought, an artist is born, he creates work & passes away, but the work remains. Now how to show that on the screen. So finally we came upon the concept of the artist coming from the floor, from the earth, so the door is on the floor. So the door opens & the artist comes out & in the end the artist goes back, to the earth. Thus the traditional concept of the room was broken - if the door is on the floor then the window is in the ceiling, the fan is somewhere else.. It became a surreal space. S: How long did the actual painting and shooting process take? Would you paint something first & then he would shoot you painting that.? A: The shooting process was determined by pixilation that is an animation process. It was frame by frame shooting, so the actual shooting went to about 18 days so the total coverage of footage was of a feature film. So that was trimmed down and then used. Many people came to the set to see what was happening. It was a fabulous set! Even Satyajit Ray came to see it. It was shot for 20 days. It was the talk of the town you can say, all these film industry people, B.R.Chopra and others used to come and peep in 'kya ho raha hai dekhne ke liye'. S: The pixilation technique is enhanced by the abstract soundtrack which really makes the film quite an eccentric work of art. How did Pati decide on the sound? A: The sound was done by Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao. He was the king of music at that time at Films Division. He was the most creative sound artist at the time so with whoever he worked he gave what the requirement was and more. S: How did people finally respond when the film was finally finished and shows in public? A: There was a tremendous response. It went all over the world to many film festivals. It became a landmark film for Pramod Pati. S: What was it like working with Pramod Pati? A: He was a giant of a worker, very cooperative, very understanding, and very loving. He used to work, about 19-20 hrs a day. He would take just 3-4hours to get fresh. He was completely committed. It was real fun working with him at films division at that time. S: So what do you think of that time at FD? A: It was the most creatively free period at films division. That time so many experimental films were made, so many experiments were done by different filmmakers. The main thing was that the chief producer's were visionaries and it was not a bureaucracy at, otherwise this kind of freedom would never have been there. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050728/edff34f1/attachment.html From vrjogi at hotmail.com Fri Jul 29 17:29:29 2005 From: vrjogi at hotmail.com (Vedavati Jogi) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:59:29 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: <20050728080336.26386.qmail@web42402.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: thank you very much for this compliment though i am not a rss volunteer! i find reflection of a typical muslim mind in your letter. very first thing, lets adopt shariah, now tell me will you & your secular brothers & sisters accept punishments like amputing hands & legs? only because you are in india you are allowed to talk any stupid thing against hindus & hindustan, will pakistan give this freedom to any non-muslim? secondly, gujrat happened because godhra happened.because muslims can understand only this language used by gujrati brothers. third thing, non of the countries on this earth has ever taken pride for invader's deeds, hindus did the best thing that they dismantled babri masjid. now they should take law in their hands & complete the remaining task of dismantling remaining masjids which were erected by dismantling hindu temples. fourth point, indian army is facing lot of pressure in kashmir, they don't have time for looting or raping the kashimiris, people like you are traitors i must say, who are trying to demoralise our military.if you get some time please go to kashmir & see for yourself how many mandirs have been burnt, how many houses vacated by pandits have been looted,captured or even burnt....for your kind information i am a maharashtrian married to a kashmiri pandit who has become refugee in his own country because of muslims like you. now tell me why shouldn't we throw you out of this country? vedavati ravindra jogi >From: roger das >To: Vedavati Jogi >CC: reader-list at sarai.net, readers-list at sarai.net, reader-lists at sarai.net >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >MUSLIMWOMEN?? >Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:03:36 -0700 (PDT) > >I must say to this RSS volunteer that though he/she is hindu but know >nothing about their own religion and thus goes on maligning Islam bcoz they >afraid the way People from all over the world embracing Islam on their own >will. it is the fastest spreading religion even in land of zionist-USA, UK, >Europe....south asia etc. If you are talking about uniform civil code then >do a debate to adopt the best rule for all Indian and am damn sure that >after reading world class book only shariah will emerge as the supreme law >coz it is the law of GOD- the best for all human kind. >The so called 'rule of the land' in India is most widely violated by these >so called 'Indians hindus' e.g. Babri Masjid demolition, Gujarat massacre, >raping and looting by Indian Army in kashmir, North eastern states, Mumbai >riot, fake encounter of muslims brothers, alineated them from mainstream by >not giving them jobs on ythe basis of religion, curbing their talent, >making false allegation all the time to establish a notion that they are >not patriotic, deleting history of their efforts in freedom fighting and >nation building....etc etc....so many instances I can give to these so >called patriotic Indian hindus. >I hope this message will find palce in the posting list.....coz my last >nessages didnt put on the saem just bcoz it didnt suits sarai coordinator. > >accept the truth > >Vedavati Jogi wrote: >i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims >who don't accept rule of the land. > > >From: "khadeeja arif" > >Reply-To: khadeeja arif > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN > >MUSLIMWOMEN?? > >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > > > Ms Inda > > > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" > > > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious > >to know!! > >cheers > >K > > > > > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this > >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about > >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore >or > >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country > >was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country > >can still be united ! > > > > > >How chocked I�ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails� but still not > >disappointed by India. > > > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the >Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a �it : HI, all Without reading the > >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling > >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian > >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount > >of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having >in > >changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every > >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or > >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and > >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. > >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu > >State). With regards, Manish > > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations > >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common > > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first > >ask > > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or > >any > > >arab country. > > > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > >WOMEN?? > > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our > >discontent > > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women > >fatwas > > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of >Indian > > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard >for > >the > > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe > >that > > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this > >country. We > > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and > >advancing > > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start >at > >2.30 > > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and >go > >via > > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad >Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna > >Birje) > > > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our > >discontent > > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women > >fatwas > > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of >Indian > > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard >for > >the > > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe > >that > > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this > >country. We > > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and > >advancing > > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start >at > >2.30 > > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and >go > >via > > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad >Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna > >Birje) > > > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > > >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: > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > > >Check out freebies in the racing zone > > >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns > >by > > >Narain > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > >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: > > > > > > > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en g�raphie > >urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. > > >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Universit�aris 7 � Denis Diderot 2, place > >Jussieu � 75251 Paris Cedex 05. > > > > > > > > >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. > >Pondicherry � 605 001 - India. > > >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 >011 > >- India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. 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From monica at sarai.net Fri Jul 29 21:57:43 2005 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:57:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all, A couple of points of clarification are in order. Firstly, please note that the Sarai reader list is an unmoderated list. This means that no messages are approved or not approved by a human judge. If a message it is rejected, it will only have been rejected for purely technical reasons - for instance, if it contained an attachment, or if it was not in plain text. We believe in keeping the list as an un-moderated list in the interests of free speech. And because one of our fundamental beliefs is that freedom of expression should be guaranteed to all, we do not censor messages, even if they betray a belief system that seems to be fundamentally at odds with ours. However, from time to time, it may become necessary to make some exceptions. The Sarai list is intended as a place for sustained and nuanced discussion of issues relating to media and the urban. It is not meant to be a forum for unfocused anger, insults, or flame wars. If a certain thread escalates in any of these directions, then our central purpose will be lost. Therefore we would like to request all the participants to refrain from continuing this thread any further. We feel that a continuation of this discussion will not produce any new insights, and may become harmful to the fostering of real debate and exchange of ideas. best Monica Narula List Administrator At 11:59 +0000 29/7/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: >thank you very much for this compliment though i am not a rss volunteer! > >i find reflection of a typical muslim mind in >your letter. very first thing, lets adopt >shariah, now tell me will you & your secular >brothers & sisters accept punishments like >amputing hands & legs? only because you are in >india you are allowed to talk any stupid thing >against hindus & hindustan, will pakistan give >this freedom to any non-muslim? > >secondly, gujrat happened because godhra >happened.because muslims can understand only >this language used by gujrati brothers. > >third thing, non of the countries on this earth >has ever taken pride for invader's deeds, hindus >did the best thing that they dismantled babri >masjid. now they should take law in their hands >& complete the remaining task of dismantling >remaining masjids which were erected by >dismantling hindu temples. > >fourth point, indian army is facing lot of >pressure in kashmir, they don't have time for >looting or raping the kashimiris, people like >you are traitors i must say, who are trying to >demoralise our military.if you get some time >please go to kashmir & see for yourself how many >mandirs have been burnt, how many houses vacated >by pandits have been looted,captured or even >burnt....for your kind information i am a >maharashtrian married to a kashmiri pandit who >has become refugee in his own country because of >muslims like you. > >now tell me why shouldn't we throw you out of this country? >vedavati ravindra jogi > > > >>From: roger das >>To: Vedavati Jogi >>CC: reader-list at sarai.net, readers-list at sarai.net, reader-lists at sarai.net >>Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT >>THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? >>Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:03:36 -0700 (PDT) >> >>I must say to this RSS volunteer that though >>he/she is hindu but know nothing about their >>own religion and thus goes on maligning Islam >>bcoz they afraid the way People from all over >>the world embracing Islam on their own will. it >>is the fastest spreading religion even in land >>of zionist-USA, UK, Europe....south asia etc. >>If you are talking about uniform civil code >>then do a debate to adopt the best rule for all >>Indian and am damn sure that after reading >>world class book only shariah will emerge as >>the supreme law coz it is the law of GOD- the >>best for all human kind. >>The so called 'rule of the land' in India is >>most widely violated by these so called >>'Indians hindus' e.g. Babri Masjid demolition, >>Gujarat massacre, raping and looting by Indian >>Army in kashmir, North eastern states, Mumbai >>riot, fake encounter of muslims brothers, >>alineated them from mainstream by not giving >>them jobs on ythe basis of religion, curbing >>their talent, making false allegation all the >>time to establish a notion that they are not >>patriotic, deleting history of their efforts in >>freedom fighting and nation building....etc >>etc....so many instances I can give to these so >>called patriotic Indian hindus. >>I hope this message will find palce in the >>posting list.....coz my last nessages didnt put >>on the saem just bcoz it didnt suits sarai >>coordinator. >> >>accept the truth >> >>Vedavati Jogi wrote: >>i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims >>who don't accept rule of the land. >> >>>From: "khadeeja arif" >>>Reply-To: khadeeja arif >>>To: reader-list at sarai.net >>>Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >>>MUSLIMWOMEN?? >>>Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 >>> >>> Ms Inda >>> >>>"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >>>Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" >>> >>>Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious >>>to know!! >>>cheers >>>K >>> >>> >>> >>>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> >How life is funny, >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this >>>time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about >>>our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or >>>Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country >>>was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country >>>can still be united ! >>> > >>> >How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails but still not >>>disappointed by India. >>> > >>> >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >>>Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> >Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, all Without reading the >>>entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling >>>for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian >>>Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount >>>of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in >>>changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every >>>right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or >>>preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and >>>rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. >>>According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu >>>State). With regards, Manish >>> > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations >>>will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common >>> >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first >>>ask >>> >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or >>>any >>> >arab country. >>> > >>> > >From: abshi at vsnl.com >>> > >To: reader-list at sarai.net >>> > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM >>>WOMEN?? >>> > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 >>> > > >>> > >INVITATION >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >July 21, 2005 >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >INVITATION >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >July 21, 2005 >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >>> > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >>>PUKAR >>> > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >>> > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >>> > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >>>discontent >>> > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >>> > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >>> > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >>>fatwas >>> > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >>> > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >>>the >>> > >rule of law. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >>>that >>> > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >>>country. We >>> > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >> >advancing >>> > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >>>2.30 >>> > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >>>via >>> > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Thanking you >>> > > >>> > >Yours sincerely, >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >>> > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >>>PUKAR >>> > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >>> > >Research and Action Group >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >For further information, contact: >>> > > >>> > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) >>> > > >>> > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) >>> > > >>> > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) >>> > > >>> > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >>>Birje) >>> > > >>> > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >>> > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >>>PUKAR >>> > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >>> > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass >>> > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >>>discontent >>> > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the >>> > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in >>> > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >>>fatwas >>> > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian >>> > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >>>the >>> > >rule of law. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >>>that >>> > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >>>country. We >>> > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >>>advancing >>> > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >>>2.30 >>> > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >>>via >>> > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Thanking you >>> > > >>> > >Yours sincerely, >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, >>> > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >>>PUKAR >>> > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s >>> > >Research and Action Group >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >For further information, contact: >>> > > >>> > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) >>> > > >>> > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) >>> > > >>> > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) >>> > > >>> > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >>>Birje) >>> > > >>> > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > >_________________________________________ >>> > >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: >>> > >>> >_________________________________________________________________ >>> >Check out freebies in the racing zone >>> >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns >>>by >>> >Narain >>> > >>> >_________________________________________ >>> >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: >>> > >>> > >>> >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en géographie >>>urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. >>> >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Université Paris 7 – Denis Diderot 2, place >>>Jussieu – 75251 Paris Cedex 05. >>> > >>> > >>> >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. >>>Pondicherry – 605 001 - India. >>> >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 >>>- India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> >--------------------------------- >>> > Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! >>>Messenger >>> > Téléchargez le ici ! >>> >_________________________________________ >>> >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: >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>7000 classifieds >>http://www.sulekha.com/classifieds/cllist.aspx?nma=IN&ref=msn -Chennai, >>Mumbai, Hyderabad Bangalore. >> >>_________________________________________ >>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: >> >> >>--------------------------------- >> Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page > >_________________________________________________________________ >Top-of-the-line jobs!. >http://creative.mediaturf.net/creatives/timesjobs/hotmail_TOL.htm >Log on to www.timesjobs.com and apply TODAY! > >_________________________________________ >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: -- Monica Narula [Raqs Media Collective] Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Sat Jul 30 09:19:38 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:49:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Indo-US pact Message-ID: <20050730034938.79313.qmail@web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> If anybody has been following the issue, can I please learn something about the pact's significance and its possible impact in the long run? ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com Fri Jul 29 17:43:16 2005 From: manoshchowdhury at yahoo.com (Manosh Chowdhury) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 05:13:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050729121316.78763.qmail@web53315.mail.yahoo.com> THE INVISIBLE MODERATOR! Can anybody tell me please the role of SARAI-moderator? I cannot find the desk, truly. And not incidentally, I am not an Indian [But I know the slogan "Mera Bharat Mahan", and I can see the the greatness through the group members]. Or Ms. Vedavati Jogi is considered to be the justification of the great democracy and plurality? Pathetic! manosh chowdhury Vedavati Jogi wrote: thank you very much for this compliment though i am not a rss volunteer! i find reflection of a typical muslim mind in your letter. very first thing, lets adopt shariah, now tell me will you & your secular brothers & sisters accept punishments like amputing hands & legs? only because you are in india you are allowed to talk any stupid thing against hindus & hindustan, will pakistan give this freedom to any non-muslim? secondly, gujrat happened because godhra happened.because muslims can understand only this language used by gujrati brothers. third thing, non of the countries on this earth has ever taken pride for invader's deeds, hindus did the best thing that they dismantled babri masjid. now they should take law in their hands & complete the remaining task of dismantling remaining masjids which were erected by dismantling hindu temples. fourth point, indian army is facing lot of pressure in kashmir, they don't have time for looting or raping the kashimiris, people like you are traitors i must say, who are trying to demoralise our military.if you get some time please go to kashmir & see for yourself how many mandirs have been burnt, how many houses vacated by pandits have been looted,captured or even burnt....for your kind information i am a maharashtrian married to a kashmiri pandit who has become refugee in his own country because of muslims like you. now tell me why shouldn't we throw you out of this country? vedavati ravindra jogi __________________________________________________ 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/20050729/231bb3cb/attachment.html From prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com Fri Jul 29 22:33:45 2005 From: prashantpandey10 at rediffmail.com (Prashant Pandey) Date: 29 Jul 2005 17:03:45 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Bombay Floods, Prashant Pandey Message-ID: <20050729170345.22897.qmail@webmail53.rediffmail.com> Hi all I hope you all are doing well. Well I want to share my experience of the Bombay flood. This is quite long but i am sure you will like it. Before I do so I hope everybody from Sarai community esp. our people in Bombay Deboshree, Ankur, Kaiwan, Madhavi,Pankaj, Shai,Lakshmi everybody is fine. It starts with a simple miscalculation. Its 2.30 pm. 25 th july. I have a research appointment at Bandra. Outside, its raining. I think it’s just like any other routine rain. So I come out with my umbrella and a small polythene bag containing a notebook and other stuff. Its raining very hard. There is a mountain just behind our society and muddy water is flowing high and wild. I “think” that the rain will subside so I take a short cut to the main Road i.e L.B.S marg ( lal bahadur shashtri road), a very prominent road which runs parallel to the central line in Bombay. 2.45 pm Shreyas cinema Ghatkopar west I manage to get an auto for Bandra the auto wallah ignores the commuters who are trying to hitch a ride. We have come to the Thane-VT highway. Now I see rains all over. I am inside the auto and I am all wet. Near VidyaVihar flyover the auto comes to a standstill. I complain “ I should have taken the train”. Auto-driver replies, “Trains are not running since morning” For the first time realize what mess I have gotten into. I lose patience pay up whatever fare and stand on the flyover looking at speeding cars and trucks. 3.30 pm VidyaVihar Flyover I triple on a bike with two funny guys who are going to Dharavi. They tell me that Bandra is 5 minutes walk from Dharavi. I still “think” that the rains will stop in some time. I get down at Dharavi after having witnessed some great biking ( avoiding skidding and traffic policemen). 5.30 pm Dharavi There is traffic jam that slowly unravels. Its huge and extends all over. Road to dadar full. Road to sion full .road to bandra full. I leave my second auto. Now I am walking with thousands of women, men, girls and boys. I am stuck and there is no going back. I decide to go for my appointment at Carter Road. So from Dharavi I walk to Carter Road. Trees have fallen down. I see cars going down. There is lot of sound that I hear. Shouts cat calls hooting. 7.30 pm Carter Road I am three hours late but this looks like a calamity. Isn’t it? I take out my phone to call up the person who I went to see. Guess my phone looks like a water game (the kinds that they sell in trains). So I cancel my plans 9 pm Bandra Station (West ) I decide to stay at Bandra Station like everybody. But once I see it. I can’t. Bandra station is badly flooded and is swelling with people. I meet a lady and a young man. All of us want to go to areas that are on the central line- Sion( lady), Ghatkopar(myself) and Thane(young man). We persuade an auto driver who chooses to listen to us only amidst 20 other commuters yelling at him the places they want to go. Barely 10 meters has the auto moved towards Bandra east flyover, we find ourselves in the most bizarre traffic jam in the universe. Its amorphous, purposeless, dark and unending. part of this jam is constituted by people who are watching theirs cars and motorcycles go down in water some 15 meters way. It’s like star gazing when they tell each other “that’s my car” 11 pm Between Bandra West & East Back in auto the lady who is a school teacher has lost it. She is breathing heavily. I get a man to call her relatives who stay nearby. ( everybody shared drinking water and smiles but no mobile phones so this was a great gesture on that mans part) A miracle happens- the call consummates with out any pee-pee or getting cut. However the lady is troubled because she hasn’t met these relatives for 8-9 years. She tells me, “ kabhi jaroorat nahi padi” . her husband had called up her school and left this phone number. I propose a grand plan of walking to Sion. She rejects it while the young man is thinking about it. I come up with another plan,” We will walk to Bandra Kurla Complex ( home for state-of-the art but now flooded offices) and stay in ICICI like others. We cannot, later I learn, as there is almost 5 ft of water to be crossed. I believe it this piece of information. Before anything happens the lady is out of the auto and has left without paying(?) the autowalla. This auto-walla has the most quixotic plan. He wants to take an unimaginable U-turn and come back to Bandra Station and take S.V road ( Swami Vivekanand Road). He would take us to Andheri (east) and then to Ghatkopar through Marol Naka. This auto wallah is a sadist. (I had heard two hours back that 12 kids died in Marol and Andheri was hell with its gutters.) Though he plays us some remixes blaring with a ghoom ghoom sound from the damp speakers and I give him my cellphone to warm it in some heated quarter of his auto. He opens a box and keeps it there. Now this young man and I both are trying out life in this wet auto. We try to sleep (a fake put-on form of sleep), discuss cricket and two hours later come to a conclusion that this auto wallah is cheating us. “Ye Behen**** humko shendi laga raha hai” The auto wallah is merrymaking with other taxi drivers. So we decide to leave the auto and find way on our own. We pay up after the customary mutual allegations. We tell him that we cannot pay 100 rupees for nothing. He is a marathi yet to defeat him I ask him, “are you from Delhi “The auto driver is wondering at our unity. I give him 70 rupees for taking us 10 meters away from the point where we actually boarded the auto. 2 am Bandra east We have decided we will walk to Sion. There are lots of people who strongly dissuade us. There are jokes, discussions and kissagoi (storytelling) – in 3 feet water climbing upto our thighs. I want to get out of this gorgonic jam. I tell him” all these are middle class losers who are stuck with their cars with their fat wives and we don’t have any (cars and wives) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050729/575e2d60/attachment.html From rgdj12 at yahoo.com Thu Jul 28 13:33:36 2005 From: rgdj12 at yahoo.com (roger das) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:03:36 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050728080336.26386.qmail@web42402.mail.yahoo.com> I must say to this RSS volunteer that though he/she is hindu but know nothing about their own religion and thus goes on maligning Islam bcoz they afraid the way People from all over the world embracing Islam on their own will. it is the fastest spreading religion even in land of zionist-USA, UK, Europe....south asia etc. If you are talking about uniform civil code then do a debate to adopt the best rule for all Indian and am damn sure that after reading world class book only shariah will emerge as the supreme law coz it is the law of GOD- the best for all human kind. The so called 'rule of the land' in India is most widely violated by these so called 'Indians hindus' e.g. Babri Masjid demolition, Gujarat massacre, raping and looting by Indian Army in kashmir, North eastern states, Mumbai riot, fake encounter of muslims brothers, alineated them from mainstream by not giving them jobs on ythe basis of religion, curbing their talent, making false allegation all the time to establish a notion that they are not patriotic, deleting history of their efforts in freedom fighting and nation building....etc etc....so many instances I can give to these so called patriotic Indian hindus. I hope this message will find palce in the posting list.....coz my last nessages didnt put on the saem just bcoz it didnt suits sarai coordinator. accept the truth Vedavati Jogi wrote: i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims who don't accept rule of the land. >From: "khadeeja arif" >Reply-To: khadeeja arif >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >MUSLIMWOMEN?? >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > Ms Inda > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious >to know!! >cheers >K > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country >was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country >can still be united ! > > > >How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails but still not >disappointed by India. > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, all Without reading the >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount >of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in >changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu >State). With regards, Manish > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first >ask > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or >any > >arab country. > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM >WOMEN?? > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > >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: > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >Check out freebies in the racing zone > >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns >by > >Narain > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: > > > > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en géographie >urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. > >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Université Paris 7 – Denis Diderot 2, place >Jussieu – 75251 Paris Cedex 05. > > > > > >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. >Pondicherry – 605 001 - India. > >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 >- India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > > Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! >Messenger > > Téléchargez le ici ! > >_________________________________________ > >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: _________________________________________________________________ 7000 classifieds http://www.sulekha.com/classifieds/cllist.aspx?nma=IN&ref=msn -Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad Bangalore. _________________________________________ 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: --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050728/b8143a10/attachment.html From ayonadatta at hotmail.com Sat Jul 30 14:58:38 2005 From: ayonadatta at hotmail.com (Ayona Datta) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 09:28:38 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] RE: reader-list Digest, Vol 24, Issue 60 In-Reply-To: <20050730084934.2CD2828E342@mail.sarai.net> Message-ID: Shame on the Sarai moderator and shame on all those who are promoting such sectarian language in what is supposed to be forum for intellectual and 'civilised' discussion. Ms Yogi and Mr Roger Das, please take your views to other fanatical websites where they will welcome your proposals with open arms. Today I find it embarassing to associate my own history with India knowing that it is home to such extremist views among the intelligensia. ----Original Message Follows---- From: reader-list-request at sarai.net Reply-To: reader-list at sarai.net To: reader-list at sarai.net Subject: reader-list Digest, Vol 24, Issue 60 Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:49:34 +0200 (CEST) Send reader-list mailing list submissions to reader-list at sarai.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to reader-list-request at sarai.net You can reach the person managing the list at reader-list-owner at sarai.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of reader-list digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Indo-US pact (mahmood farooqui) 2. Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? (Manosh Chowdhury) 3. Bombay Floods, Prashant Pandey (Prashant Pandey) 4. Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? (roger das) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:49:38 -0700 (PDT) From: mahmood farooqui Subject: [Reader-list] Indo-US pact To: vivek at sarai.net, reader-list at sarai.net Message-ID: <20050730034938.79313.qmail at web80908.mail.scd.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" If anybody has been following the issue, can I please learn something about the pact's significance and its possible impact in the long run? ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 05:13:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Manosh Chowdhury Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? To: Vedavati Jogi , rgdj12 at yahoo.com Cc: reader-list at sarai.net, readers-list at sarai.net, reader-lists at sarai.net Message-ID: <20050729121316.78763.qmail at web53315.mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" THE INVISIBLE MODERATOR! Can anybody tell me please the role of SARAI-moderator? I cannot find the desk, truly. And not incidentally, I am not an Indian [But I know the slogan "Mera Bharat Mahan", and I can see the the greatness through the group members]. Or Ms. Vedavati Jogi is considered to be the justification of the great democracy and plurality? Pathetic! manosh chowdhury Vedavati Jogi wrote: thank you very much for this compliment though i am not a rss volunteer! i find reflection of a typical muslim mind in your letter. very first thing, lets adopt shariah, now tell me will you & your secular brothers & sisters accept punishments like amputing hands & legs? only because you are in india you are allowed to talk any stupid thing against hindus & hindustan, will pakistan give this freedom to any non-muslim? secondly, gujrat happened because godhra happened.because muslims can understand only this language used by gujrati brothers. third thing, non of the countries on this earth has ever taken pride for invader's deeds, hindus did the best thing that they dismantled babri masjid. now they should take law in their hands & complete the remaining task of dismantling remaining masjids which were erected by dismantling hindu temples. fourth point, indian army is facing lot of pressure in kashmir, they don't have time for looting or raping the kashimiris, people like you are traitors i must say, who are trying to demoralise our military.if you get some time please go to kashmir & see for yourself how many mandirs have been burnt, how many houses vacated by pandits have been looted,captured or even burnt....for your kind information i am a maharashtrian married to a kashmiri pandit who has become refugee in his own country because of muslims like you. now tell me why shouldn't we throw you out of this country? vedavati ravindra jogi __________________________________________________ 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/20050729/231bb3cb/attachment-0001.htm ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: 29 Jul 2005 17:03:45 -0000 From: "Prashant Pandey" Subject: [Reader-list] Bombay Floods, Prashant Pandey To: reader-list at sarai.net Message-ID: <20050729170345.22897.qmail at webmail53.rediffmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi all I hope you all are doing well. Well I want to share my experience of the Bombay flood. This is quite long but i am sure you will like it. Before I do so I hope everybody from Sarai community esp. our people in Bombay�Deboshree, Ankur, Kaiwan, Madhavi,Pankaj, Shai,Lakshmi� everybody is fine. It starts with a simple miscalculation. Its 2.30 pm. 25 th july. I have a research appointment at Bandra. Outside, its raining. I think it�s just like any other routine rain. So I come out with my umbrella and a small polythene bag containing a notebook and other stuff. Its raining very hard. There is a mountain just behind our society and muddy water is flowing high and wild. I �think� that the rain will subside so I take a short cut to the main Road i.e L.B.S marg ( lal bahadur shashtri road), a very prominent road which runs parallel to the central line in Bombay. 2.45 pm Shreyas cinema Ghatkopar west I manage to get an auto for Bandra�the auto wallah ignores the commuters who are trying to hitch a ride. We have come to the Thane-VT highway. Now I see rains all over. I am inside the auto and I am all wet. Near VidyaVihar flyover the auto comes to a standstill. I complain � I should have taken the train�. Auto-driver replies, �Trains are not running since morning� For the first time realize what mess I have gotten into. I lose patience�pay up whatever fare and stand on the flyover looking at speeding cars and trucks. 3.30 pm VidyaVihar Flyover I triple on a bike with two funny guys who are going to Dharavi. They tell me that Bandra is 5 minutes walk from Dharavi. I still �think� that the rains will stop in some time. I get down at Dharavi after having witnessed some great biking ( avoiding skidding and traffic policemen). 5.30 pm Dharavi There is traffic jam that slowly unravels. Its huge and extends all over. Road to dadar�full. Road to sion�full�.road to bandra�full. I leave my second auto. Now I am walking with thousands of women, men, girls and boys. I am stuck and there is no going back. I decide to go for my appointment at Carter Road. So from Dharavi I walk to Carter Road. Trees have fallen down. I see cars going down. There is lot of sound that I hear. Shouts�cat calls�hooting. 7.30 pm Carter Road I am three hours late�but this looks like a calamity. Isn�t it? I take out my phone to call up the person who I went to see. Guess� my phone looks like a water game (the kinds that they sell in trains). So I cancel my plans� 9 pm�Bandra Station (West ) I decide to stay at Bandra Station like everybody. But once I see it. I can�t. Bandra station is badly flooded and is swelling with people. I meet a lady and a young man. All of us want to go to areas that are on the central line- Sion( lady), Ghatkopar(myself) and Thane(young man). We persuade an auto driver who chooses to listen to us only amidst 20 other commuters yelling at him the places they want to go. Barely 10 meters has the auto moved towards Bandra east flyover, we find ourselves in the most bizarre traffic jam in the universe. Its amorphous, purposeless, dark and unending. part of this jam is constituted by people who are watching theirs cars and motorcycles go down in water some 15 meters way. It�s like star gazing when they tell each other �that�s my car� 11 pm Between Bandra West & East Back in auto�the lady who is a school teacher has lost it. She is breathing heavily. I get a man to call her relatives who stay nearby. ( everybody shared drinking water and smiles but no mobile phones so this was a great gesture on that mans part) A miracle happens- the call consummates with out any pee-pee or getting cut. However the lady is troubled because she hasn�t met these relatives for 8-9 years. She tells me, � kabhi jaroorat nahi padi� . her husband had called up her school and left this phone number. I propose a grand plan of walking to Sion. She rejects it while the young man is thinking about it. I come up with another plan,� We will walk to Bandra Kurla Complex ( home for state-of-the art but now flooded offices) and stay in ICICI like others. We cannot, later I learn, as there is almost 5 ft of water to be crossed. I believe it this piece of information. Before anything happens the lady is out of the auto and has left without paying(?) the autowalla. This auto-walla has the most quixotic plan. He wants to take an unimaginable U-turn and come back to Bandra Station and take S.V road ( Swami Vivekanand Road). He would take us to Andheri (east) and then to Ghatkopar through Marol Naka. This auto wallah is a sadist. (I had heard two hours back that 12 kids died in Marol and Andheri was hell with its gutters.) Though he plays us some remixes blaring with a ghoom ghoom sound from the damp speakers and I give him my cellphone to warm it in some heated quarter of his auto. He opens a box and keeps it there. Now this young man and I�both are trying out life in this wet auto. We try to sleep (a fake put-on form of sleep), discuss cricket and two hours later come to a conclusion that this auto wallah is cheating us. �Ye Behen**** humko shendi laga raha hai� The auto wallah is merrymaking with other taxi drivers. So we decide to leave the auto and find way on our own. We pay up after the customary mutual allegations. We tell him that we cannot pay 100 rupees for nothing. He is a marathi yet to defeat him I ask him, �are you from Delhi �The auto driver is wondering at our unity. I give him 70 rupees for taking us 10 meters away from the point where we actually boarded the auto. 2 am Bandra east We have decided we will walk to Sion. There are lots of people who strongly dissuade us. There are jokes, discussions and kissagoi (storytelling) � in 3 feet water climbing upto our thighs. I want to get out of this gorgonic jam. I tell him� all these are middle class losers who are stuck with their cars with their fat wives and we don�t have any (cars and wives) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050729/575e2d60/attachment-0001.htm ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:03:36 -0700 (PDT) From: roger das Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? To: Vedavati Jogi Cc: reader-list at sarai.net, readers-list at sarai.net, reader-lists at sarai.net Message-ID: <20050728080336.26386.qmail at web42402.mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" I must say to this RSS volunteer that though he/she is hindu but know nothing about their own religion and thus goes on maligning Islam bcoz they afraid the way People from all over the world embracing Islam on their own will. it is the fastest spreading religion even in land of zionist-USA, UK, Europe....south asia etc. If you are talking about uniform civil code then do a debate to adopt the best rule for all Indian and am damn sure that after reading world class book only shariah will emerge as the supreme law coz it is the law of GOD- the best for all human kind. The so called 'rule of the land' in India is most widely violated by these so called 'Indians hindus' e.g. Babri Masjid demolition, Gujarat massacre, raping and looting by Indian Army in kashmir, North eastern states, Mumbai riot, fake encounter of muslims brothers, alineated them from mainstream by not giving them jobs on ythe basis of religion, curbing their talent, making false allegation all the time to establish a notion that they are not patriotic, deleting history of their efforts in freedom fighting and nation building....etc etc....so many instances I can give to these so called patriotic Indian hindus. I hope this message will find palce in the posting list.....coz my last nessages didnt put on the saem just bcoz it didnt suits sarai coordinator. accept the truth Vedavati Jogi wrote: i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims who don't accept rule of the land. >From: "khadeeja arif" >Reply-To: khadeeja arif >To: reader-list at sarai.net >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >MUSLIMWOMEN?? >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > Ms Inda > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious >to know!! >cheers >K > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore or >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country >was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country >can still be united ! > > > >How chocked I�ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails� but still not >disappointed by India. > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a �it : HI, all Without reading the >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount >of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having in >changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu >State). With regards, Manish > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first >ask > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or >any > >arab country. > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM >WOMEN?? > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our >discontent > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women >fatwas > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of Indian > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard for >the > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe >that > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this >country. We > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and >advancing > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start at >2.30 > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and go >via > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, >PUKAR > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women?s > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna >Birje) > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > >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: > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >Check out freebies in the racing zone > >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns >by > >Narain > > > >_________________________________________ > >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: > > > > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en g�raphie >urbaine. Phd Student in Urban Geography. > >LABORATOIRE SEDET / CNRS - Universit�aris 7 � Denis Diderot 2, place >Jussieu � 75251 Paris Cedex 05. > > > > > >INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE PONDICHERRY - IFP -11, Saint Louis Street. >Pondicherry � 605 001 - India. > >CENTRE DES SCIENCES HUMAINES - CSH - 2 Aurangzeb Road. New Delhi 110 011 >- India. Ph. (91) 11 2 301 6259 Fax. (91) 11 2 301 8480 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > > Appel audio GRATUIT partout dans le monde avec le nouveau Yahoo! >Messenger > > T�chargez le ici ! > >_________________________________________ > >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: _________________________________________________________________ 7000 classifieds http://www.sulekha.com/classifieds/cllist.aspx?nma=IN&ref=msn -Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad Bangalore. _________________________________________ 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: --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050728/b8143a10/attachment.htm ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ reader-list mailing list reader-list at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list End of reader-list Digest, Vol 24, Issue 60 ******************************************* From sunil at mahiti.org Sat Jul 30 18:07:09 2005 From: sunil at mahiti.org (Sunil Abraham) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 18:07:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Request for Feedback: India FOSS Report Message-ID: <20050730123709.DE15C16C129@server.mahiti.org> Dear Colleagues, The IOSN/APDIP/UNDP has commissioned ICT expert and FOSS advocate Fredrick Noronha to produce 6 FOSS country reports. The India report is now publicly available for comments and feedback. Please view it from here: http://www.iosn.net/country-reports/india/ India, with its population of one-billion plus, has a rich tech talent, considerable interest in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), and a network of some 80-plus user groups across its landmass (some active, some less). This offers wide potential. But officialdom -- apart from a few high-profile statements -- have been slow to wake up to the world of FOSS. Not enough is being done to promote FOSS in higher education, though the official syllabus. There are impressively-large user groups in places like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. There are also nationwide networks like the Linux India network and the Free Software Foundation-India (headquartered in Kerala in South India). In addition, a ring of medium-sized user-groups have also proliferated in smaller cities and towns, taking the technology right into the hands of the user-practitioner. But much remains to be done in terms of providing official support for FOSS growth in a region which could surely benefit hugely from it. We would be very grateful if you could send in your comments and feedback by 10 August 2005. Thanks, Sunil -- Sunil Abraham Manager sunil at apdip.net www.iosn.net International Open Source Network - Software Freedom for All Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme www.apdip.net Thailand:UNDP Regional Centre, United Nations Service Building 3rd Floor, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand Tel: (66-2) 288-1234 Fax: (66-2) 280 0556 India :3rd Floor, 314/1, 7th Cross, Domlur Bangalore - 560 071 Karnataka, India. Mob: (91) 9342201521 Tel: (91-80) 51150580 Fax: (91-80) 51150583. From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Jul 30 19:03:51 2005 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 19:03:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On Free and Fearless Speech and Listening Message-ID: <42EB81BF.3090808@sarai.net> Dear All, I have been following with some interest the exchange occasioned by a posting (an announcement/invitation , actually) that called for people to join a demonstration against the oppression of Muslim women by extra judicial bodies like 'Shariah Jamaat's' through instruments such as Fatwas. The invitation was issued by several organizations and groups based in Mumbai (Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, Women's Research and Action Group). The posting was made on the 21st of of July, and by the next morning, had received a rejoinder from a Ms. Vedavati Ravindra Jogi that responded to the posting by stating that as "demonstrations are of no use...muslims are not accepting common civil code under the pretext of "secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or any arab country." Vedavati Jogi's posting received several critical responses. And she retaliated by pitching the debate a notch higher, saying that she wanted 'those muslims who did not obey the rule of the land' to be thrown out. and further, that the letters criticizing her, betrayed a 'typical muslim mind' and suggested that such people really wanted everyone to adopt 'shariah', and went on to state that a comment critical of the Indian Army's record (particularly its record of rape and violence in Kashmir) showed that the person who had made that comment should also be 'thrown out of India'. Finally, she ended by offering us the personal revelation that she is a Maharashtrian married to a Kasmiri Pandit who has had to leave Kashmir, and finally demanded 'why shouldn't we throw you (the person who had made this particular comment) out of this country' The response to Vedavati's rants has been equally interesting. There are three strands, one that chooses to engage with Vedavati, one that asks in horror 'Why doe . and a third that asks for people to ignore Vedavati and continue with other topics that might be more interesting and more relevant to the main purposes of this list. But in the middle of all this, the orginal posting and it's intent is totally forgotten. Let us remember that the original posting was an invitation to demonstrate and take action against Islamic fundamentalists, and Muslim patriarchs and their oppression of Muslim women, as seen, specifically in the 'Imarana' episode. Secandly, let us also remember that the signatories of the invitation are a number of individiuals who can be identified as Muslim by their names, (they actually outnumber the non-Muslim signatories), and that at least two organizations identified as people giving this call are Awaaz e Niswan, and Hukook e Niswan has a special interest in the question of the rights of Muslim women. So you have several Muslim individuals, two organizations especially focused on the realities that Muslim women live with calling for an action critical of the patriachal tendencies represented by Islamic obscurantist clergy. In effect you have, Muslims, calling for criticism and change and transformation of the everyday realities that Muslims in India live with (which in fact include the Shariah (and its varied interpretations) and its application in legal and extra legal contexts in India) In response to this, you have a person, who says that all that the 'typical Muslim mind wants' is the application of the Shariah. And to amputate arms and legs. There is a patent, and farcical absurdity in this. If Muslim individuals, or organizations identified with the interests of Muslims (after all Muslim women are also Muslim) demand a critical attitude to the questions of the way in which Islamic tenets are interpreted or practiced. then they can by no stretch of imagination be accused of desiring the application of that which they explicitly oppose to the general population. I am saying this at some length because I think the attitude that Vedavati Jogi's postings represents presents us with an interesting problem that I have encountered not only amongst people who share her 'Hindutva' leanings. And the attitude, if we can break it down analytically amounts to this - first identify the speakers of a speech act and the issue that the speech act addresses, then attack the speakers, and not the speech act, third create a web of associations around the issue that can actually obscure the content of the speech act. Thus, Vedavati, identifies the speakers as Muslims or 'of a muslim mindset', second, she identifies the issue, shariah, third she creates a neat identification between the speakers and the issue, (Muslims and Shariah) ignoring the fact that the speakers in effect are calling for an action to interrogate if not criticize the issue. Some Hindus do this when they imply that every 'Muslim' must answer for Godhra. Some Muslims do this when they blow up Londoners (including Muslims) in 'response' to what happens in Iraq (regardless of the fact that some of those blown up may have been amongst the millions who marched against the war in Iraq in London). Some Liberal or Leftist Nationalist Secular ideologues do this when they igonre the fact that the Indian military kills three children taking part in a wedding procession in South Kashmir, (no mention of this recent incident in Parliament till date) even as they call the (lamentable) Lathi Charge in Gurgaon (in which no one has died, thankfully) a 'Jalianwala Bagh'. I have at least heard Yasin Malik, a leader of the JKLF, offer a public apology to the Kashmiri Pandit community for the conditions that led to their exile. But I am yet to hear of any high ranking officer of the Indian Army offering a public apology for the atrocities that it has committed in Kashmir, the Punjab and the North Eastern states of India. I have not even heard a single politician, or public figure committed to Indian nationalism offer that apology, or even a simple statement of regret for the death and disappearance of tens of thousands in these places. Yet, those who suffer violence, must always be asked upon to apologize when some amongst their community do violence unto others. Of course I wish that Muslim intellectuals and public figures (and non Muslim intellectuals and public figures) had the decency to speak out more often against the fact that for a long time now, the Muslim community is held at ransom by thugs in the garb of maulanas, imams and 'community leaders'. But this is as relevent as demanding that any intellectual, or public figure, or decent human being who is neither an intellectual or a public figure, also condemn any instance of the violation of human dignity, no matter where it occurs, no matter who commits it, and no matter who is the victim. It would be intertesting to hear leaders of the Hindu community express their regret at the violence that no doubt was partially responsible for the virtual elimination of any traces of Buddhism in South Asia. It would be interesting to hear Communist intellectuals and public figures offer a trace of regret or apology for the several millions who were killed in the Soviet Union and in the Peoples Republic of China, and not try and spin a web of the 'historic necessities and exigencies that lay behind state terror'. The least that we can demand is that the burden of regret and apology fall equally regardless of the power of those from whome such statements are sought. In each of these speech acts, or acts of silent complicity, lies a willingess to erase the particularity of suffering in different contexts. The pain of the lathic charged worker is actually cheapened when it is compared to 'Jalianwala Bagh', because the statement that makes the comparison actually refuses to pay attention to the specific condition of the lathi charged Gurgaon Worker. The death of the children in South Kashmir is cheapened when it goes un-remarked upon on the same day when tribunes make dramatic statements about a lathi charge in an industrial dispute. And, a particular person saying that 'all muslims want is the imposition of the shariah' effectively denies and cheapens the validity of those Muslims who happen to be critical of what passes for 'Islamic Law'. In each of these instances, the force and velocity of the speech of the accuser derives its energy from an actual 'silence' about the realities either,of the accused, or of those who have to suffer a set of conditions that prompt the chain of speech acts. I have written this at some length, because I take everything that Vedavati Ravindra Jogi and everyone else has said in this exchange with a great deal of seriousness. I hope that we can all remember to keep paying attention to the conditions that produce acts of speech and silence on this list, and in society, of which this list is only a reflection. As participants in an unmoderated list, I find the demand that some people 'not speak' or be 'thrown out' (remember, both Vedavati and some of her critics have demanded that someone - not them- be silenced, or 'thrown out' in different ways) unacceptable. I would like to continue to listen to a rich and varied conversation, and I hope that we can all undertake a measure of 'fearless listening' even as we indulge our (just and valid) right to 'fearless speech'. I hope that people on this list can push and extend this debate further in conceptual terms, in the terms of ideas, and refrain from attacks on people, their convictions or speculations about their motivations. regards Shuddha 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 shivamvij at gmail.com Sat Jul 30 22:20:57 2005 From: shivamvij at gmail.com (shivam) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 22:20:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On Free and Fearless Speech and Listening In-Reply-To: <42EB81BF.3090808@sarai.net> References: <42EB81BF.3090808@sarai.net> Message-ID: >And the attitude, if we can break it down >analytically amounts to this - first identify the speakers of a >speech >act and the issue that the speech act addresses, then attack the >speakers, and not the speech act, This is called argumentum ad hominem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem -- www.shivamvij.com From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Sat Jul 30 23:35:19 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 11:05:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] On Free and Fearless Speech and Listening In-Reply-To: <42EB81BF.3090808@sarai.net> Message-ID: <20050730180519.54128.qmail@web53602.mail.yahoo.com> Shuddha, Thanks for continuing this debate. I would like to quickly mention a few things. People like Vedavati are no longer an inconsequential fringe group.They have to be engaged, for the same reason that they try to engage us.I have found Islamophobic elements in all stratas of society. So, before trying to figure out why Ms. Jogi thinks the way she does,lets give her enough respect and figure out why I think the way I do.Ashutosh Varshneya's thesis seems an important starting point. This is the url: http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr101.html And these are the conclusions for people in a hurry: ----------------------------------------------- Quote ----------------------------------------------------- Conclusions and Recommendations Deadly ethnic riots are not random, unpredictable events. They are responses to certain conditions that can be understood, analyzed, and prevented. Governments can reduce the likelihood that ethnic riots will break out by increasing the perception by potential rioters that participating in riots is risky. While events at the national or regional level may spark ethnic violence in India, the response to those sparks—ranging from increased ethnic tension to deadly ethnic riots—occurs at the local level. Therefore, explanations of why some Indian communities respond violently to ethnic provocations expressed at the national level while others do not must be found in factors operating primarily at the local level. Inter-ethnic civic associations in India are very effective in the effort to prevent or reduce violence. They help dispel inflammatory rumors, identify and isolate rabble-rousers, hide and protect potential victims, and assist the police in crowd control and in their investigations. Inter-ethnic civic associations also provide pre-established networks of communication across ethnic lines that can prove invaluable during the chaotic circumstances that lead to ethnic riots. Civic associations in India are effective in stemming violence only if they promote the mutual interests of two ethnic groups in concrete ways. Although further research is needed, it appears that trade unions, professional groups, opposition political parties, and other civic associations that represent mutual political, economic, and social interests across ethnic lines are more effective in preventing violence than civil society groups whose primary focus is the promotion of inter-ethnic dialogue. The most common response by citizens seeking to prevent ethnic violence is to criticize and pressure the state in an effort to make it accountable for its failure to take appropriate measures to prevent violence. While this strategy is important, a different strategy that focuses on building strong inter-ethnic civic associations at the community level may ultimately prove more effective in reducing the outbreak of violence in India. ------------------------------------------------------- Unquote ------------------------------------------------------- This article actually concerns itself with riots, but I think it can be equally applied to bigotry or religious fascism. Coming back to figuring out myself, I come from an area of a city which was muslim majority,still is.I have difficulty thinking of Muslims as the other group.Even if I do, I dont have to borrow muslim stereotypes from Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. I can find them closer home, I just have to knock. Problem is, then they cease to be a stereotype, but whatever.I think I can sacrifice the luxury of painting the world in broad strokes.But have I always been not guilty?What about the time when I visited USA and held my bag closer to me when I saw an African American coming from the other end of a dark alley? What was I thinking ? All nig*** are criminals? The assumption that people cannot be behaviourally classified in a matrix of race,religion is far from intuitive, in my humble opinion. In fact, the opposite is true.We tend to make broad generalizations about groups of people we dont know.Important thing is to realize that they are just that, broad generalizations. This is where Ashutosh Varshneya's point of civic interaction gains importance. regards Rahul --- Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear All, > > I have been following with some interest the > exchange occasioned by a > posting (an announcement/invitation , actually) that > called for people > to join a demonstration against the oppression of > Muslim women by extra > judicial bodies like 'Shariah Jamaat's' through > instruments such as > Fatwas. The invitation was issued by several > organizations and groups > based in Mumbai (Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum > Against Oppression of > Women, Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India > Centre For Human > Rights, PUKAR (Gender & Space project), Special Cell > for Women and > Children, Women's Research and Action Group). The > posting was made on > the 21st of of July, and by the next morning, had > received a rejoinder > from a Ms. Vedavati Ravindra Jogi that responded to > the posting by > stating that as "demonstrations are of no > use...muslims are not > accepting common civil code under the pretext of > "secularism, pluralism' > etc.etc. first ask them to accept the law of the > land or else pack them > off to pakistan or any arab country." > > Vedavati Jogi's posting received several critical > responses. And she > retaliated by pitching the debate a notch higher, > saying that she wanted > 'those muslims who did not obey the rule of the > land' to be thrown out. > and further, that the letters criticizing her, > betrayed a 'typical > muslim mind' and suggested that such people really > wanted everyone to > adopt 'shariah', and went on to state that a comment > critical of the > Indian Army's record (particularly its record of > rape and violence in > Kashmir) showed that the person who had made that > comment should also be > 'thrown out of India'. Finally, she ended by > offering us the personal > revelation that she is a Maharashtrian married to a > Kasmiri Pandit who > has had to leave Kashmir, and finally demanded 'why > shouldn't we throw > you (the person who had made this particular > comment) out of this country' > > The response to Vedavati's rants has been equally > interesting. There are > three strands, one that chooses to engage with > Vedavati, one that asks > in horror 'Why doe . and a third that asks for > people to ignore Vedavati > and continue with other topics that might be more > interesting and more > relevant to the main purposes of this list. > > But in the middle of all this, the orginal posting > and it's intent is > totally forgotten. Let us remember that the original > posting was an > invitation to demonstrate and take action against > Islamic > fundamentalists, and Muslim patriarchs and their > oppression of Muslim > women, as seen, specifically in the 'Imarana' > episode. Secandly, let us > also remember that the signatories of the invitation > are a number of > individiuals who can be identified as Muslim by > their names, (they > actually outnumber the non-Muslim signatories), and > that at least two > organizations identified as people giving this call > are Awaaz e Niswan, > and Hukook e Niswan has a special interest in the > question of the rights > of Muslim women. So you have several Muslim > individuals, two > organizations especially focused on the realities > that Muslim women live > with calling for an action critical of the > patriachal tendencies > represented by Islamic obscurantist clergy. In > effect you have, Muslims, > calling for criticism and change and transformation > of the everyday > realities that Muslims in India live with (which in > fact include the > Shariah (and its varied interpretations) and its > application in legal > and extra legal contexts in India) > > In response to this, you have a person, who says > that all that the > 'typical Muslim mind wants' is the application of > the Shariah. And to > amputate arms and legs. There is a patent, and > farcical absurdity in > this. If Muslim individuals, or organizations > identified with the > interests of Muslims (after all Muslim women are > also Muslim) demand a > critical attitude to the questions of the way in > which Islamic tenets > are interpreted or practiced. then they can by no > stretch of imagination > be accused of desiring the application of that which > they explicitly > oppose to the general population. > > I am saying this at some length because I think the > attitude that > Vedavati Jogi's postings represents presents us with > an interesting > problem that I have encountered not only amongst > people who share her > 'Hindutva' leanings. And the attitude, if we can > break it down > analytically amounts to this - first identify the > speakers of a speech > act and the issue that the speech act addresses, > then attack the > speakers, and not the speech act, third create a web > of associations > around the issue that can actually obscure the > content of the speech > act. Thus, Vedavati, identifies the speakers as > Muslims or 'of a muslim > mindset', second, she identifies the issue, shariah, > third she creates a > neat identification between the speakers and the > issue, (Muslims and > Shariah) ignoring the fact that the speakers in > effect are calling for > an action to interrogate if not criticize the issue. > > Some Hindus do this when they imply that every > 'Muslim' must answer for > Godhra. Some Muslims do this when they blow up > Londoners (including > Muslims) in 'response' to what happens in Iraq > (regardless of the fact > that some of those blown up may have been amongst > the millions who > marched against the war in Iraq in London). Some > Liberal or Leftist > Nationalist Secular ideologues do this when they > igonre the fact that > the Indian military kills three children taking part > in a wedding > procession in South Kashmir, (no mention of this > recent incident in > Parliament till date) even as they call the > (lamentable) Lathi Charge in > Gurgaon (in which no one has died, thankfully) a > 'Jalianwala Bagh'. I > have at least heard Yasin Malik, a leader of the > JKLF, offer a public > apology to the Kashmiri Pandit community for the > conditions that led to > their exile. But I am yet to hear of any high > ranking officer of the > Indian Army offering a public apology for the > atrocities that it has > committed in Kashmir, the Punjab and the North > Eastern states of India. > I have not even heard a single politician, or public > figure committed to > Indian nationalism offer that apology, or even a > simple statement of > regret for the death and disappearance of tens of > thousands in these > places. > > Yet, those who suffer violence, must always be asked > upon to apologize > when some amongst their community do violence unto > others. Of course I > wish that Muslim intellectuals and public figures > (and non Muslim > intellectuals and public figures) had the decency to > speak out more > often against the fact that for a long time now, the > Muslim community is > held at ransom by thugs in the garb of maulanas, > imams and 'community > leaders'. But this is as relevent as demanding that > any intellectual, or > public figure, or decent human being who is neither > an intellectual or a > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Sun Jul 31 03:05:35 2005 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:35:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bombay Floods, Prashant Pandey In-Reply-To: <20050729170345.22897.qmail@webmail53.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <20050730213536.90119.qmail@web53601.mail.yahoo.com> This was a nice write up. Here's another. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4724245.stm And finally here is an article in marathi. http://maharashtratimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1185064.cms Somebody paraphrased it for me- "This article is talking about Tuesday's heavy rain & effect in Mumbai.In short, trying to say that Mumbai city & municipal corporation is responsible for this kind of problems. To make money, they are allowing construction by reclaiming land, which should not have done.Poor citizens are paying for it." --- Prashant Pandey wrote: > Hi all > > I hope you all are doing well. Well I want > to share my experience of the Bombay flood. > This is quite long but i am sure you will > like it. > > Before I do so I hope everybody from Sarai > community esp. our people in Bombay Deboshree, > Ankur, Kaiwan, Madhavi,Pankaj, Shai,Lakshmi > everybody is fine. > > > It starts with a simple miscalculation. > Its 2.30 pm. 25 th july. I have a research > appointment at Bandra. Outside, its > raining. I think it’s just like any other > routine rain. > > So I come out with my umbrella and a small > polythene bag containing a notebook and > other stuff. Its raining very hard. There > is a mountain just behind our society and > muddy water is flowing high and wild. > I “think” that the rain will subside so I > take a short cut to the main Road i.e L.B.S > marg ( lal bahadur shashtri road), a very > prominent road which runs parallel to the > central line in Bombay. > > 2.45 pm Shreyas cinema Ghatkopar west > > I manage to get an auto for Bandra the auto > wallah ignores the commuters who are trying > to hitch a ride. We have come to the Thane-VT > highway. Now I see rains all over. I am inside > the auto and I am all wet. Near VidyaVihar > flyover the auto comes to a standstill. I > complain “ I should have taken the train”. > Auto-driver replies, “Trains are not running > since morning” For the first time realize what > mess I have gotten into. I lose patience pay up > whatever fare and stand on the flyover looking > at speeding cars and trucks. > > 3.30 pm VidyaVihar Flyover > > I triple on a bike with two funny guys who are > going to Dharavi. They tell me that Bandra is 5 > minutes walk from Dharavi. I still “think” that > the rains will stop in some time. I get down at > Dharavi after having witnessed some great biking > ( avoiding skidding and traffic policemen). > > 5.30 pm Dharavi > > There is traffic jam that slowly unravels. > Its huge and extends all over. > Road to dadar full. Road to sion full .road > to bandra full. > I leave my second auto. Now I am walking with > thousands of women, men, girls and boys. I am > stuck and there is no going back. I decide to > go for my appointment at Carter Road. So from > Dharavi I walk to Carter Road. Trees have > fallen down. I see cars going down. There is > lot of sound that I hear. Shouts cat calls hooting. > > > 7.30 pm Carter Road > > I am three hours late but this looks like a > calamity. Isn’t it? I take out my phone to > call up the person who I went to see. Guess > my phone looks like a water game (the kinds > that they sell in trains). So I cancel my plans > > 9 pm Bandra Station (West ) > > I decide to stay at Bandra Station like > everybody. But once I see it. I can’t. > Bandra station is badly flooded and is > swelling with people. I meet a lady and a > young man. All of us want to go to areas > that are on the central line- Sion( lady), > Ghatkopar(myself) and Thane(young man). > We persuade an auto driver who chooses to > listen to us only amidst 20 other commuters > yelling at him the places they want to go. > Barely 10 meters has the auto moved towards > Bandra east flyover, we find ourselves in > the most bizarre traffic jam in the universe. > Its amorphous, purposeless, dark and unending. > part of this jam is constituted by people > who are watching theirs cars and motorcycles > go down in water some 15 meters way. > It’s like star gazing when they tell > each other “that’s my car” > > 11 pm Between Bandra West & East > > Back in auto the lady who is a school teacher > has lost it. She is breathing heavily. I get > a man to call her relatives who stay nearby. > ( everybody shared drinking water and smiles > but no mobile phones so this was a great > gesture on that mans part) A miracle happens- > the call consummates with out any pee-pee or > getting cut. However the lady is troubled > because she hasn’t met these relatives for > 8-9 years. She tells me, “ kabhi jaroorat > nahi padi” . her husband had called up her > school and left this phone number. > > I propose a grand plan of walking to Sion. > She rejects it while the young man is > thinking about it. I come up with another > plan,” We will walk to Bandra Kurla Complex > ( home for state-of-the art but now flooded > offices) and stay in ICICI like others. > We cannot, later I learn, as there is almost > 5 ft of water to be crossed. I believe it > this piece of information. Before anything > happens the lady is out of the auto and has > left without paying(?) the autowalla. > > This auto-walla has the most quixotic plan. > He wants to take an unimaginable U-turn and > come back to Bandra Station and take S.V road > ( Swami Vivekanand Road). He would take us to > Andheri (east) and then to Ghatkopar through > Marol Naka. This auto wallah is a sadist. (I > had heard two hours back that 12 kids died in > Marol and Andheri was hell with its gutters.) > Though he plays us some remixes blaring with > a ghoom ghoom sound from the damp speakers > and I give him my cellphone to warm it in > some heated quarter of his auto. He opens a > box and keeps it there. > > Now this young man and I both are trying out > life in this wet auto. We try to sleep (a fake > put-on form of sleep), discuss cricket and two > hours later come to a conclusion that this auto > wallah is cheating us. “Ye Behen**** humko shendi > laga raha hai” The auto wallah is merrymaking > with other taxi drivers. So we decide to leave > the auto and find way on our own. We pay up > after the customary mutual allegations. We > tell him that we cannot pay 100 rupees for > nothing. He is a marathi yet to defeat him I > ask him, “are you from Delhi “The auto driver > is wondering at our unity. I give him 70 rupees > for taking us 10 meters away from the point > where we actually boarded the auto. > > 2 am Bandra east > > We have decided we will walk to Sion. There > are lots of people who strongly dissuade us. > There are jokes, discussions and kissagoi > (storytelling) – in 3 feet water climbing upto > our thighs. I want to get out of this gorgonic > jam. I tell him” all these are middle class > losers who are stuck with their cars with their > fat wives and we don’t have any (cars and wives) > > _________________________________________ > 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!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com Sun Jul 31 11:05:38 2005 From: mahmoodfarooqui at yahoo.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 22:35:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The Missing Personal law Message-ID: <20050731053538.53157.qmail@web80903.mail.scd.yahoo.com> A piece I wrote on the sharia/personal law etc... _____________________ The Case of the Missing Personal Law Undoubtedly the Imrana case is more about the oppressive caste-Panchayat system than about the putative Sharia or Muslim Personal Law. For several years now Panchayats in the Western regions of North India have produced a series of criminal judgements curbing individual choices. That it has been turned into another indictment of the Personal Law/Sharia reflects more the biases, for and against, prevalent in this society about that code. Muslim Personal Law and the Sharia are not quite the same things but it is one of the abiding successes of colonial legal order that the differences between them have been greatly elided. As Bernard Cohn has established elsewhere, in their search to discover authentic Hindu and Muslim laws in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the colonial rulers perforce constructed them anew. This does not mean that they had no connection with prior legal practice and understanding but that their enactment reflected British concerns with property relations more than the existing customary and legal reality. The Muslim Personal Law as it stands today is not a comprehensive body of statute. It is a collective term of reference for a variety of distinct enactments that were passed by Parliaments and other State Legislatures in the course of the last century, including the infamous 1986 amendment and the 1937 Application of Muslim Law (Sharia) Act. When we talk of reforming the Personal Law, therefore, we must remember that we are not talking of reforming a comprehensive and extant code. For it to be reformed, it needs first to be properly codified. Only the Parliament can do that. The Sharia on the other hand is an even more amorphous term. It is supposedly derived from injunctions in the Quran and the traditions from the Prophet’s life (the Hadith) but in actual fact is a compilation of rulings/opinions (that is, the fatwa) given by theologians and religious scholars down the centuries. Sometime in the ninth century four different schools of jurisprudence, based on the above principles, precedents and rational analogy, came to be instituted. These are highly complex and sophisticated systems of legal thought, and since they are based on precedent they can be pushed both into a conservative or an evolutionary direction. These four different schools of Jurisprudence, also called the Fiqah, the Hanafi, the Shafai, the Malilki and the Hambali supposedly govern Muslim civil practice in most countries. However, even these apply only to Sunni Muslims. The Sharia therefore is not the same thing for all Muslims. Apart from Shia and Sunni differences, there are divisions within Sunnis along the lines of these four schools and further along the line of observances and practices, witness the bloody battles between Barelvis and Deobandis in Pakistan. Then there are also the Ahl-e Hadis, the Ismailis, the Khojas, the Bohras and several other groupings who form a part of the 72 sects of traditional Islam. Then there are also several biradaris and caste groupings whose Personal Laws vary with custom and local usage even within singular sects. The implications of these disputatious details in practice is that on any possible issue, say the Imrana case or the similar Guria-Arif case, different schools of thought can come up with different rulings/opinions and can all claim to emanate from the Sharia. For instance, in both the Guria and the Imrana case the Shafai School has more liberal provisions than the Hanafi ones and depending on which scholar you talk to, even the Hanafi school is said to contain other precedents that could have been drawn upon in these two cases. Part of the reason why Sharia remains so intractable and so amenable to misinterpretation, by practitioners and critics alike, is because it does not exist as a code or a text, it inheres in these millions of fatwas including what one understands of their context and their spirit. As one wit has commented the ‘Sharia is less Shara and more Shar’, meaning it is less a system of rules and more a cause of evil, for the simple reason that in a patriarchal and diverse society, the men, as the Mullahs are, can resort to the most arcane and obscure traditions to continue their sway. Undoubtedly, in its time Islam was one of the first organized religions to institute and codify rights for women. A properly codified Muslim Personal Law can take the best of the interpretations from these different schools of opinions, thoughts and practice and come up with a modern and equitable code. However, even if one takes the best of all systems of Islamic thought to compile a comprehensive code there would still be areas like inheritance and status of witnesses where the principles will fall far short of current ideals. Time and again, in the modern era, Muslim thinkers and clerics have come unstuck on the issue of gender equality. It is not enough to argue, as many liberal Muslims do, that Islam ‘gives’ women a lot of rights. In the modern world it is not for anyone to ‘give’ any rights to women, they should have it as a natural right. What we need is a codified Personal Law for the Muslims which is in consonance with modern notions of gender equality. It may be derivative from what is understood as Islam/Sharia, it may be not, but that is beside the point. Demanding an immediate reform of the process through which Qazis make the kinds of decisions that we have been lately witnessing, (and this still begs the question of what gives them the sanction to do so) is not the same as demanding a Uniform Civil Code. The latter involves streamlining a much greater variety of customary, ritualistic, caste-based and inheritance-related practices by an entire gamut of communities-regional, caste, fraternity, brotherhoods. I am not sure this homogenizing sweep is entirely necessary either. The gleeful Shariah-bashers, however, should remember that gender oppression is a universal phenomenon although it seems more conspicuous and repugnant in the other. ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From mmdesai2 at yahoo.co.in Sat Jul 30 16:22:20 2005 From: mmdesai2 at yahoo.co.in (mmdesai) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 16:22:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Apologies for late posting Message-ID: <000401c594f4$d38d21a0$0a18fea9@com1> Posting VI: Women and their Spatial Narratives in the City of Ahmedabad By: Madhavi Desai One of the main realizations of this project for me is the sad truth that much needs to be done at the level of physical planning in the city of Ahmedabad as well as most other cities of India. Not being from the discipline of Planning, this had not struck me with such a force till now. I have been talking to planners in the process of completing my work. Before introducing the gender angle, I tried to find out about the mechanisms of people's participation in the city. It seems the structures for this are inadequate in the present system and the scale is too huge. The fist level of physical planning is done through the Development Plans (these include major services, road network, zoning regulations, etc.) that generally cover a decade or two. There is a feeling among planners that shorter-term plans may make more sense. The second level is the Town Planning Scheme level that is not always there in all states of India. Here they have reservation of certain economically weaker section of the society, provision for commercial and local market spaces, and rules about location of us stops. The problems are not found in the rules but in the implementation due to corruption and bureaucratic processes. From the Master Plan scale to the individual building design, there is a tremendous gap that needs to be bridged. For example, there is a lack of local area plans or area specific byelaws, an experiment to evolve these has just begun in Delhi. As far as people's participation is concerned, they are not very active. An exception was found in the planning of Bhuj (in Kutch) after the earthquake when a lot of interest was generated and several groups participated in the discussions. Generally, the plans are displayed in offices and an announcement is made in newspapers, inviting objections, which I personally do not think is a very open or positive approach. In any case, the analysis of how the physical decisions affect women as a group is not there. On a positive note, I was very pleased to come across a publication from Janaagraha, a citizens' movement in the city of Bangalore. It is called, "Shaping Vibrant Cities: Neighbourhood Vision Campaign 2003: A Citizens' Platform for Participatory Ward Planning". The ward is the smallest administrative unit in the municipality. Janaagraha used this unit for participatory planning initiatives at the local level where it matters the most. (Perhaps the ward unit is also too large to effectively make an impact on the core of citizens' lives but that is the best we can do at the moment.) Though excellent efforts have been made by this organization (that should be emulated), I was a little disappointed not to find the mention of women as a special group in their campaign. The question is why do private citizens and non-governmental organizations have to make such efforts? Why cannot the government also bring about certain changes as we move forward in the 21st century? I totally empathize with Sudeshna Chatterjee's experience in Delhi dealing with the Basti Nizamuddin. Though things are changing in the last decade due to globalizing pressures, we still have a long way to go. I think it is time to root for transparency in all planning processes and respect for the individual citizen, whether male or female. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20050730/00b3b441/attachment.html From rgdj12 at yahoo.com Sat Jul 30 16:59:03 2005 From: rgdj12 at yahoo.com (roger das) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 04:29:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIMWOMEN?? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20050730112903.81539.qmail@web42410.mail.yahoo.com> So Mrs. V Jogi you are overjoyed to be a RSS....or a closed mind so called hindu who neither understand her own religion nor wants to learn others......just be in tehir own make believe world that all except them are wrong. traitors, indiscipline, uneducated, etc, etc. But let me give more info about myself I am a christain and a student of comparative religion study..and in the course of my study I find Islam as a modern religion which teaches humanity in turest form. Yes there should be stoned to death to rapist according to shariah..and remember after delhi medical student rape your leader Advani, then home minister, himself support the death sentence to the rapist.....Like u every other citizen of India is very much hindustani. What pakistan is doing not our concern we Indian people should not forget that every individual irrespective of any religion has played vital role in freedom movement as well as nation building. But people like you, closed mind, didnt accept this they only think that this place is for hindus only. For your info I must tel you that majority of hindus didnt want think like this..coz they know the history very well, not the distorted history. So you say gujarat happen becoz of godhra but have ever thought why godhra happen and how the train caught fire, why the mob of karsevak misbehaved with the local people especially muslims....think over it......go through eye witness report....presented by NDTV n other news channel. godhra was just an excuse to carry on their experiment, quoted Modi, Joshi, Advani....etc."It is a laboratory" As far as babri masjid is concern I must say your knowledge in hsitory is very poor or you have grown up with distorted history taught in RSS school...first of all Baber built masjid on a vacant land there were no temple on that spot....if according to you he had such bend of mind to dismantled temple then why didnt he do more acts like this? there are many instances which shows the rerality but you dont want to accept it. If you dont want to take pride for invader's deeds then why you consider Taj Mahal as pride, Qutub minar, red fort....etc.....so many things are there even the buildings constructed by Britishers are serving as government offices, meusuems..etc.... I didnt talk about whole Indian Army..but there are few whose acts really discredit army's morale. Why you only talk about kashmir....dopnt you see news what hapen in north eastern states....girls are parading naked to demonstrate against the brutality of Army deployed there coz girls were repeatedly rape by some of these soldiers. In kashmir too the case is similar......How a top official create a video tape of fake encouter with the millitants just to get promotion and this unmasked by news channel through sting operation ....and who can forget the Tahelka tapes in which top army officials were involved in arms dealings..are they not traitors....how pakistani army capture the tiger point that led to kargil war.....where were those army at that time? so many questions are still unanswered and people like you always blame the minority.....Coz u have learnt to behave like this, just create communal hatered so that again your like minded people can carry the 'experiment' in India. about the kashmiri pundit they are feared to go back when there is government which claims normalcy there. It is the governement decision to be out of Kashmir then they will be rehabilitate latter but still these pundits are not asking the government about their home in the valley. They should not depend on the governement and without any hesitation they should return to their respective home towns like a week or two earlier some pundit families return back and were got warm welcome by their muslims brothers and sisters..... Pls dont spread the hate feeling among different communities who are very much part of India and dont listen to these self proclaimed hindu representatives.who only knows how to tear communal and secular fabric and do politics. I hope you can enlarge your knowledge boudaries by reading other books written by profound scholars so that you can make difference between communal force and the secular one...... roger Vedavati Jogi wrote: thank you very much for this compliment though i am not a rss volunteer! i find reflection of a typical muslim mind in your letter. very first thing, lets adopt shariah, now tell me will you & your secular brothers & sisters accept punishments like amputing hands & legs? only because you are in india you are allowed to talk any stupid thing against hindus & hindustan, will pakistan give this freedom to any non-muslim? secondly, gujrat happened because godhra happened.because muslims can understand only this language used by gujrati brothers. third thing, non of the countries on this earth has ever taken pride for invader's deeds, hindus did the best thing that they dismantled babri masjid. now they should take law in their hands & complete the remaining task of dismantling remaining masjids which were erected by dismantling hindu temples. fourth point, indian army is facing lot of pressure in kashmir, they don't have time for looting or raping the kashimiris, people like you are traitors i must say, who are trying to demoralise our military.if you get some time please go to kashmir & see for yourself how many mandirs have been burnt, how many houses vacated by pandits have been looted,captured or even burnt....for your kind information i am a maharashtrian married to a kashmiri pandit who has become refugee in his own country because of muslims like you. now tell me why shouldn't we throw you out of this country? vedavati ravindra jogi >From: roger das >To: Vedavati Jogi >CC: reader-list at sarai.net, readers-list at sarai.net, reader-lists at sarai.net >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN >MUSLIMWOMEN?? >Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:03:36 -0700 (PDT) > >I must say to this RSS volunteer that though he/she is hindu but know >nothing about their own religion and thus goes on maligning Islam bcoz they >afraid the way People from all over the world embracing Islam on their own >will. it is the fastest spreading religion even in land of zionist-USA, UK, >Europe....south asia etc. If you are talking about uniform civil code then >do a debate to adopt the best rule for all Indian and am damn sure that >after reading world class book only shariah will emerge as the supreme law >coz it is the law of GOD- the best for all human kind. >The so called 'rule of the land' in India is most widely violated by these >so called 'Indians hindus' e.g. Babri Masjid demolition, Gujarat massacre, >raping and looting by Indian Army in kashmir, North eastern states, Mumbai >riot, fake encounter of muslims brothers, alineated them from mainstream by >not giving them jobs on ythe basis of religion, curbing their talent, >making false allegation all the time to establish a notion that they are >not patriotic, deleting history of their efforts in freedom fighting and >nation building....etc etc....so many instances I can give to these so >called patriotic Indian hindus. >I hope this message will find palce in the posting list.....coz my last >nessages didnt put on the saem just bcoz it didnt suits sarai coordinator. > >accept the truth > >Vedavati Jogi wrote: >i did not talk about 'dividing india'. i want to throw out those muslims >who don't accept rule of the land. > > >From: "khadeeja arif" > >Reply-To: khadeeja arif > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > >Subject: Re: Re: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN > >MUSLIMWOMEN?? > >Date: 27 Jul 2005 07:35:09 -0000 > > > > Ms Inda > > > >"Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan!" > > > >Is this statement very different from Vadevati's statement?? I am curious > >to know!! > >cheers > >K > > > > > > > >On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 linda bouifrou wrote : > > > > > > > > > > > >How life is funny, > > > > > > > > > > > >I, a proud French Muslim women, just came back from lunch. During this > >time of relaxation, I had a talk with my friends (Indians & French) about > >our love for India. We spoke about Gandhi, Nehru as much as about Tagore >or > >Roy. My first answer to explain and show my admiration about your country > >was to demonstrate that such a multi-cultural/Ethnical/religious country > >can still be united ! > > > > > >How chocked I’ve been to read these exchanges of e-mails but still not > >disappointed by India. > > > > > >Well, why not to make an other partition where we can put all the >Indian > >Muslim, since they will probably not be accepted, neither, in Pakistan ! > > > > > > > > > > > >Manish Tewani a écrit : HI, all Without reading the > >entire e.mail, Vedavati has replied back giving an answer. It is calling > >for abolishing of mechanisms, institutions and actions against Indian > >Muslim Women. One should first cross-check and be aware of what an amount > >of positive impact, organisations like Awaaz-e-Niswaan, WRAG are having >in > >changing the society, at the grassroots level. After this, one has every > >right to be critical of such efforts. I am not in a lecturer or > >preacher's mode, but Jogi's response is quite an un-clear, demeaning and > >rather un-civilised that Muslims should move to Islamic countries. > >According to Jogi's ideas, all of us Hindus should move to Nepal (A Hindu > >State). With regards, Manish > > > On 7/22/05, Vedavati Jogi wrote: demonstrations > >will not serve any purpose, muslims are not accepting common > > >civil code under the pretext of 'secularism, pluralism' etc.etc. first > >ask > > >them to accept the law of the land or else pack them off to pakistan or > >any > > >arab country. > > > > > > >From: abshi at vsnl.com > > > >To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >Subject: [Reader-list] WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM > >WOMEN?? > > > >Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:22:08 +0200 > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INVITATION > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >July 21, 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >?WHO WILL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIAN MUSLIM WOMEN?? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our > >discontent > > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women > >fatwas > > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of >Indian > > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard >for > >the > > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe > >that > > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this > >country. We > > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and > >advancing > > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start >at > >2.30 > > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and >go > >via > > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad >Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna > >Birje) > > > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group invite you support and attend a mass > > > >demonstration being organized by women?s groups to express our > >discontent > > > >and anger with the rise in strength of extra-judicial forces like the > > > >shariah jamaats, as has been evident in the recent Imrana case in > > > >Muzaffarnagar in U.P, and the increase in the number of anti-women > >fatwas > > > >being issued by local panchayats and self-styled religious leaders. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In most of these cases not only are the interests and rights of >Indian > > > >Muslim women being trampled upon but there?s also a total disregard >for > >the > > > >rule of law. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We, a collective of organizations supporting women?s rights, believe > >that > > > >we simply cannot have parallel judicial systems running in this > >country. We > > > >demand that the State play a more active role in protecting and > >advancing > > > >the rights of Indian Muslim women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The demonstration will be on Saturday, July 23, 2005. It will start >at > >2.30 > > > >pm at Nagpada junction (near Sagar Hotel/Nagpada police station) and >go > >via > > > >the JJ Hospital junction down Mohammed Ali Road and end at Azad >Maidan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Thanking you > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Awaaz-e-Niswaan, Akshara, Forum Against Oppression of Women, > > > >Hukook-e-Niswaan, Mahila Sanghatana, India Centre For Human Rights, > >PUKAR > > > >(Gender & Space project), Special Cell for Women and Children, >Women?s > > > >Research and Action Group > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >For further information, contact: > > > > > > > >* Awaaz-e-Niswaan: 9819106124 (Farhat and Smita) > > > > > > > >* Women?s Research & Action Group: 9833072690 (Noorjahan and Shabana) > > > > > > > >* Forum Against Oppression of Women: 9820833422 (Sandhya Gokhale) > > > > > > > >* India Centre for Human Rights & Law Network: 9820022614 (Chetna > >Birje) > > > > > > > >* PUKAR Gender & Space Project: 9820290402 (Sameera Khan) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > > >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: > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > > >Check out freebies in the racing zone > > >http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/tataracing/ Read race reports and columns > >by > > >Narain > > > > > >_________________________________________ > > >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: > > > > > > > > >BOUIFROU Linda - Doctorante allocataire de recherche en géographie > >urbaine. 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