From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 1 09:42:05 2008 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:42:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Nim Chimpsky Message-ID: <47F1B615.90201@sarai.net> http://www.salon.com/books/int/2008/03/31/Nim_Chimpsky/index.html Fascinating and sad story of Nim Chimpsky, the chimp who was raised as a boy... From chiarapassa at gmail.com Tue Apr 1 16:20:59 2008 From: chiarapassa at gmail.com (Chiara Passa) Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 12:50:59 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [A10medialab] ()RE | BOOT 11th/12th April Event In-Reply-To: <20080331204022.ffyr4ik8u8wckk88@www.crealab.info> References: <20080331204022.ffyr4ik8u8wckk88@www.crealab.info> Message-ID: *We apologize for any cross-postings* AREA 10 Project Space, Peckham Presents: () RE | BOOT; The launch event of Area10's new media media platform: Live Event and Opening: 12th April 7pm - Late £5 Come to Area10 for an evening program of film screenings, live performances, interactions, vjing, sound art, experimental and electronic noise music. Join us between 11am - 5pm Friday 11th & Saturday 12th April Activities include workshops, lectures presentations being held alongside an exhibition of digital and interactive arts over two days. Participating Artist, Musicians and Hackers: Project Serendipity (UK) Rob Davis (UK) Andy Wheddon & Fraser Geesin (UK) Genetic Moo Project (Peckham) Radek Rudnicki (UK) Erik Groen & Piebe de Vries (Holland) CathSign (France) Peckham Space (UK) Deptford.TV (UK) Chiara Passa (Italy) Phill Niblock (USA) Thibaud De Souza (UK) Sinsynplus (Germany) Günther Albrecht (Germany) Sunshine Frere (UK) Jenny Pickett (UK) Anila Ladwa (UK) Apo33 (France) Martin John Callanan (UK) Jean-Phillippe Roux (France) Lawrence Upton (UK) Mattin (Basque Country) ManamiN N(Japan) Nanofamas (Corsica) Goto10 & OpenLab (UK) Constant (Belgium) Yvan Etienne & Brice Jeannin (France) Medialab Madrid (Spain), Sonic (France) Tim Goldie (UK)...and many more!! For more information on () RE | BOOT and see attached press release or visit http://www.area10medialab.co.uk We look forward to seeing you on the 11th and 12th April regards Jenny, Julien and Anila Area 10 Project Space Peckham Eagle Wharf Peckham Square London SE15 5JT (White building behind Peckham Library) Bus: 12, 36, 37, 63, 78, 436, 345, 177, 312, 343 owTrain: Peckham Rye or Queens Road Station http://www.area10 has been introduced to facilitate the development of research and art practices using open source new technologies in the media arts. The medialab will focus on engaging cross-disciplinary collaborations between various arts and science based practices, encouraging open and critical discussion in addition to sharing knowledge and skills transfer. () RE | BOOT; is part of the Node London Spring '08 season - www.nodel.org and is supported by APO33 - www.apo33.org _______________________________________________ news &amp; informations list for Area10 Medialab a10medialab at crealab.info http://crealab.info/mailman/listinfo/a10medialab -- Chiara Passa chiarapassa at gmail.com http://www.chiarapassa.it http://www.ideasonair.net http://twitter.com/jogador Skype: ideasonair From vikash.sen at gmail.com Wed Apr 2 00:12:44 2008 From: vikash.sen at gmail.com (Bikash Ballabh Singh) Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 00:12:44 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?PM=92s_media_adviser_Baru_resigned?= Message-ID: <25c340bd0804011142t2414ec6aw75677cf41f81090@mail.gmail.com> SANJAY BARU, the media adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has put in his papers, according to a buzz. He is slated to take up a teaching assignment in a Singapore University. According to highly placed sources, Baru exit, after August this year has fuelled speculation of election anytime after that. Sources close to the PMO said that the former editor of Financial Express, who was responsible for Dr Singh's public image, would teach economics in his next assignment. A doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Baru, is a respected journalist. It is said that he was close to Dr Singh when he was a Finance minister during early Nineties. He was also a member of the National Security Advisory Board, other than being associated with leading newspapers. A pattern is palpable. Earlier, just before the elections, Shakti Sinha, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as Prime Minister had jumped ship as well. He was the PM's private secretary. A bureaucrat of the Union Territory cadre, he had taken up an assignment with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). PMO watchers opined that those near the power center are sure indicators of which way the wind is blowing. Just as Sinha hung his boots just before the Vajpayee government collapsed, is Baru too doing the same? If Baru leaves after August, is election far away, asked a highly placed source, with a smile and glint in his eyes. Source: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=131597 From markcmarino at gmail.com Tue Apr 1 11:56:47 2008 From: markcmarino at gmail.com (Mark Marino) Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:26:47 -0800 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] April 1: Wiki Satire Message-ID: <287213f30803312326v7dad6a68na2ac0a0d02d62318@mail.gmail.com> Announcing the April 1 issue of Bunk Magazine and soliciting writers to contribute satirical posting to a fictional wiki newspaper. The premise: The Los Angeles Times, to save its flagging enterprise, has relaunched itself in an entirely wiki format as The Los Wikiless Timespedia. http://www.bunkmag.com/mediawiki/ The piece plays with the mode of wikis and is a consideration of how old media producers get new media wrong. We're specifically looking for media-specific parodies, poking fun at wiki features and wiki culture: *Revert Wars *Histories *Talk Pages *Interwiki links *Stubs You can already see examples of contested articles, articles accidentally pasted in help pages, odd comments in the update histories. Of course there is also plenty of room for wiki parodies of newspaper content. The issue already includes: Want Ads, Comics, DIY Obituaries, Kids soccer reports, and more. The feature is currently up but goes live as the home page April 1, and it will remain the Bunk front page for at least 6 months. Afterwards it will enter the hallowed Bunk archives. Please join us in some cyber-satire. This is online humor that everyone can edit. Participation guidelines below. This marks the 10th anniversary of Bunk Magazine! Best, Mark Marino Editor Bunk Magazine and Writing Program University of Southern California http://WriterResponseTheory.org http://CriticalCodeStudies.com How to Play 1. Create and Account (feel free to use ridiculous pseudonym) 2. Type the name of a new article in the box on the front page 3. Press the Button 4. Write the article 5. Choose the newspaper category for the article. Or just edit an existing article. Once you are done, give yourself credit by adding to the "contributors" list on the masthead on the front page. If you write an article for a category that does not exist, let us know, or create the category page if you know how to do that. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From santhosh.kanipayur at gmail.com Tue Apr 1 11:46:40 2008 From: santhosh.kanipayur at gmail.com (Santhosh Kumar) Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 11:46:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Documentary films Message-ID: <19d498870803312316s6ccfe903x1a78966851e7842@mail.gmail.com> *Dear friends,* * * *SPECIAL PACKAGE OF FILMS FROM Other Media Communications.* * * *Greetings from Other Media Communications, Bangalore!* Other Media Communications is an institution set up to cater to the communication needs of social movements and civil society groups in India. We work in print, audio-video and new media areas. We have produced more than half a dozen documentaries on social issues in India.** * * *As part of our endeavour to make socially meaningful films more accessible to individuals, organisations and educational institutions, we* are *pleased to present to you a very special package. Not only does the package include five of our highly acclaimed documentaries from the recent past, but more importantly, it comes to you at subsidised prices.* * * *The package comprises the following documentaries:* * * *Hey Ram!! Genocide in the Land of Gandhi* *Hey Ram!! was the first film to be completed on the Gujarat Genocide, February 2002 in the aftermath of Godhra and was released even as the violence was raging in Gujarat.* * * *Resilient Rhythms** * This film documents the various atrocities that are committed on people simply because of their caste and shows how Dalits are fighting back. ** *Naga Story: The Other Side of Silence* *The film provides an introduction to the history of the Naga struggle, and documents the human rights abuses suffered by the Naga people in more than 50 years of existence as part of Independent India. * * * *Naka Naka Dupont, Naka (No to Dupont) *** *This film is the story of the Goan peoples' triumph over the multinational company 'Dupont' and a sterling model for similar struggles.* * * *BHOPAL – The Survivor's Story* *'Bhopal – The Survivors Story' explores the grim reality of lakhs of survivors and their children, caught between Dow-Carbide's denial of liability and the Government's reluctance to pursue Dow-Carbide, as they continue to face the unfolding hardships of the nearness of death and living poisoned everyday. * * * *For more details visit, www.othermediacommunications.com* * * *The documentaries are available in both VCD and DVD formats, and you also get copy of 'Burma: A Multi Media Presentation' (VCD) in the package. The DVD package is priced Rs.3500/- and Rs.2000/- and VCD package Rs.2000/- and Rs.1000/- respectively for Institutions and Individuals within India. Prices are different outside the country.* * * *Please place your order either by a letter to the address below or by e-mail to santhosh at othermediacommunications.com. We will require three weeks for the delivery of these films, after your confirmation of order and payment. * * * *Seeking your co-operation in reaching out to a wider audience.* * * *With warm regards,* * * * * *E. Deenadayalan* *Other Media Communications Pvt. Ltd.* *139/9, Domlur Layout* *Opp. Trinity Golf Links Apartments* *Bangalore – 560 071, India * *Tel: 91 80 41151587* *www.othermediacommunications.com* -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From turbulence at turbulence.org Tue Apr 1 23:44:04 2008 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 14:14:04 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Turbulence Commission: "No Time Machine" by Daniel C. Howe and Aya Karpinska Message-ID: <008401c89424$3e4ff4a0$baefdde0$@org> Turbulence Commission: "No Time Machine" by Daniel C. Howe and Aya Karpinska http://turbulence.org/works/notime Needs a Java-Enabled Browser Quiet time, dead time, free time -- call it what you will, there seems to be less and less of it. What do people give up in the race to maximize every second of their waking life? What kinds of activities are replaced by the panicked drive for efficiency? "No Time Machine" explores these questions by mining the Internet for mentions of the phrase "I don't have time for" and variations such as "You can't find the time for" and "We don't make time for." Based on a set of procedures they've set up, a program analyzes the search results and reconstructs them into a poetic conversation. Interwoven with this "found poetry" generated by the program are sentences that they re-contextualized themselves; a human-computer collaboration that expands the field of creative writing to include networked and programmable media. "No Time Machine" is a 2007 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc., (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation. BIOGRAPHIES Daniel C. Howe is a digital artist and researcher at NYU's Media Research Lab. His interests include generative systems for artistic practice (specifically for digital literary production) and the social/political aspects of technology design. In addition to a background in music, he has graduate degrees in both computer science and creative writing, and has exhibited and performed his work internationally since 1997. He is currently a visiting professor at Brown University. Aya Karpinska is an interaction designer and artist working in digital media. She creates interactive experiences through installation art, text, sound, and game design (but not all at the same time). Aya is currently an Electronic Writing Fellow at Brown University, developing children's stories for mobile devices. She splits her time between Providence and New York City. Daniel and Aya collaborated previously on a spatial poetry project, "open.ended." For more Turbulence Commissions, please visit http://turbulence.org 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 Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade New American Radio: http://somewhere.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From rana at ranadasgupta.com Wed Apr 2 08:39:45 2008 From: rana at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:39:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 1968 and its legacies: major show in London Message-ID: <47F2F8F9.1090005@ranadasgupta.com> All Power to the Imagination! 1968 and Its Legacies This curation marks the creative resistance of a remarkable year, while placing its lessons in the context of our own times. From April to June and across London, this major season explores 1968 culture, politics and thought and their legacy manifestations in cinema, visual art, literature, music and activism. http://www.1968.org.uk/ From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Wed Apr 2 09:52:47 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:52:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] China Human Rights In-Reply-To: <1950ca6c0804010037q5950becfi6855c3f541890a18@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: This is an old article but I found it useful especially in these times when some of our worthy leaders can¹t tell their imperialisms from their totalitarianisms. Simon Leys is the pen name of sinologist and author Pierre Ryckmans. Born in 1935 he lived in China and wrote extensively on its art, culture and history. He critiqued Mao and the cultural revolution in ŒChinese Shadows,¹ published in 1978. ------------------------------ THE BURNING FOREST Simon Leys "HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA" (This essay was originally published in 1978.) How much of this is known in the free countries of the West? The information is to be found in the daily papers. We are informed about everything. We know nothing. -SAUL BELLOW, To Jerusalem and Back On the question of human rights in China, an odd coalition has formed among "Old China hands" (left over from the colonial-imperialist era, starry-eyed Maoist adolescents, bright, ambitious technocrats, timid sinologists ever wary of being denied their visas for China, and even some overseas Chinese who like to partake from afar in the People's Republic's prestige without having to share any of their compatriots' sacri-fices or sufferings). The basic position of this strange lobby can be summarized in two propositions: (1) Whether or not there is a human-rights problem in China remains uncertain-"we simply do not know"; and (2) even if such a problem should exist, it is none of our concern. I shall attempt here to reply to the increasingly vocal and influential proponents of this theory; more simply, I shall try to remind my readers of certain commonplace and commonsense evidence that this line of thought seeks to conjure away. I do not apologize for being utterly banal; there are circumstances in which banality becomes the last refuge of decency and sanity. The starting point of any reflection on contemporary China- - especially with regard to the human-rights question - should be the obvious yet unpopular observation that the Peking regime is a totalitarian system. My contention is that totalitarianism has a quite specific meaning and that, inasmuch as it is totalitarian, Maoism presents features that are foreign to Chinese political traditions (however despotic some of these traditions might have been), while it appears remarkably similar to otherwise foreign models, such as Stalinism and Nazism. Yet "totalitarianism" has become a taboo concept among fashionable political scientists, and especially among contemporary China scholars; they generally endeavor to describe and analyze the system of the People's Republic without ever using the world "totalitarian"-no mean feat. It is akin to describing the North Pole without ever using the word "ice," or the Sahara without using the word sand. A convenient and generally acceptable definition of totalitarianism is provided by Leszek Kolakowski in his essay "Marxist Roots of Stalinism": I take the word "totalitarian" in a commonly used sense, meaning a political system where all social ties have been entirely replaced by state-imposed organization and where, consequently, all groups and all individuals are supposed to act only for goals which both are the goals of the state and were defined as such by the state. In other words, an ideal totalitarian system would consist in the utter destruction of civil society, whereas the state and its organizational instruments are the only forms of social life; all kinds of human activity-economical, intellectual, political, cultural-are allowed and ordered (the distinction between what is allowed and what is ordered tending to disappear) only to the extent of being at the service of state goals (again, as defined by the state). Every individual (including the rulers themselves) is considered the property of the state. Kolakowski adds that this ideal conception has never been fully realized, and that perhaps an absolutely perfect totalitarian system would not be feasible; however, he sees Soviet and Chinese societies as very close to the ideal, and so was Nazi Germany: "There are forms of life which stubbornly resist the impact of the system, familial, emotional and sexual relationships among them; they were subjected strongly to all sorts of state pressure, but apparently never with full success (at least in the Soviet state; perhaps more was achieved in China)." Lack of space prevents me from invoking a sufficient number of examples to show how well the above definition fits the Maoist reality. I shall provide only one illustration, selected from among hundreds and thousands, because this particular illustration is both typical and fully documented by one unimpeachable witness - I mean the noted writer Chen Jo-hsi, who is now free to express herself among us, and who reported it in a public lecture on the Chinese legal system, which she gave in 1978 at the University of Maryland. In 1971, when Chen was living in Nanking, she was forced with thousands of other people to attend and par-ticipate in a public accusation meeting. The accused person's crime was the defacing of a portrait of Mao Zedong; the accused had been denounced by his own daughter, a twelve-year-old child. On the basis of the child's testimony, he was convicted and sentenced to death; as was usually the case in these mass--accusation meetings, there was no right of appeal, and the sentence was carried out immediately, by firing squad. The child was officially extolled as a hero; she disclaimed any relationship with the dead man and proclaimed publicly her resolution to become from then on "with her whole heart and her whole will, the good daughter of the Party." This episode was neither exceptional nor accidental; it was a deliberate, well-planned occurrence, carefully staged in front of a large audience, in one of China's in major cities. Similar "happenings" recur periodically and accompany most "mass campaigns." They have a pedagogic purpose in that they fit into a coherent policy pattern and exemplify the state's attempt to become the unique, all-encompassing organizer of all social and human relations. It should be remarked that whatever feeling of scandal a Westerner may experience when confronted with such an incident, it is still nothing compared with the revulsion, horror, and fear that it provokes among the Chinese themselves. The episode not only runs against human decency in general, but more specifically it runs against Chinese culture - a culture which, for more than 2,500 years, extolled filial piety as a cardinal virtue. A second useful definition of totalitarianism is George Orwell's (in his postface to Homage to Catalonia). According to his description, the totalitarian system is one in which there is no such thing as "objective truth" or "objective science." There is only, for instance, "German science" as opposed to "Jewish science," or "proletarian truth" as opposed to "bourgeois lies": "The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future, but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event 'It never happened' - well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five, well, two and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs." How does this definition square with Peking reality? Let us glance at Maoist theory. In one of its key documents (the so-called May 16 Circular) we read precisely: The slogan "all men are equal before the truth" is a bourgeois slogan that absolutely denies the fact that truth has class-character. The class enemy uses this slogan to protect the bourgeoisie, to oppose himself to the proletariat, to Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. In the struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, between Marxist truth and the lies of the bourgeois class and of all oppressive classes, if the east wind does not prevail over the west wind, the west wind will prevail over the east wind, and therefore no equality can exist between them. In their latest book, Le Bonheur des pierres (Paris: Le Seuil, 1978), C. and J. Broyelle produce an interesting quotation from Mein Kampf and show that by merely substituting in Hitler's text the words "bourgeois" and "antihumanism" for the words "Jews" and "antisemitism" one obtains orthodox, standard "Mao Zedong Thought." "Two and two are five." We find countless variants of this type of proposition in the Chinese press: the downfall of the "Cultural Revolution" leaders and the rehabilitation of the "Cultural Revolution's" opponents are currently described as the supreme victory of the "Cultural Revolution"; Deng Xiaoping was in turn a criminal, then a hero, then again a criminal, and then again a hero; Lin Biao was a traitor; Madame Mao was a Kuomintang agent, and so on. Of course, none of this is new; we heard it all more than forty years ago at the Moscow trials, and we also remember how, in Stalinist parlance, Trotsky used to be Hitler's agent. Victor Serge, who experienced it all firsthand, analyzed it well: the very enormity of the lie is precisely designed to numb, paralyze, and crush all rationality and critical functioning of the mind. "The leader controls the past." In both Chinese Shadows and Broken Images I have described the constant rewriting of history that takes place in China (as it does in the Soviet Union) and in particular, the predicament of the wretched curators of the History Museums, who in recent years have been successively confronted with, for instance, the disgrace, rehabilitation, re-disgrace, and re-rehabilitation of Deng Xiaoping. These political turnabouts can be quite bewildering for the lower cadres, whose instructions do not always keep up with the latest shakeup of the ruling clique. As one hapless guide put it to a foreign visitor who was pressing him with tricky questions: "Excuse me, sir, but at this stage it is difficult to answer; the leadership has not yet had the time to decide what history was." There is nothing furtive or clandestine about history rewriting; it is done in broad daylight, and sometimes, at its most humble level, the public itself is invited to collaborate. Thus, at one stage of Deng's political vicissitudes, journals that had already been printed before his latest successful somersault were sent to subscribers together with little slips of paper expatiating on his virtues, slips that were to be pasted by the readers themselves over various special passages that described him as a scoundrel. The most spectacular example of this practice will be remembered by many. The day after Mao's funeral, all Chinese newspapers carried photos of the top leadership standing in a long line in front of the crowd at the memorial ceremony. When it was the monthlies' turn to carry the same photos, the "Gang of Four" had meanwhile been purged. The photos, already known to the Chinese public, were issued again, but this time the disgraced leaders had all disappeared from the pictures, leaving awkward gaps, like missing front teeth in an open mouth - the general effect being underlined rather than alleviated by the censor's heavy handling of the airbrush, and by his clumsy retouching of the background. To crown the cynicism of such blatant manipulation, a little later, New China News Agency issued a report denouncing Madame Mao for the way in which, in her time, she had allegedly falsified various official photographs for political purposes! The incident of the missing figures in the official photographs, though widely circulated, did not provoke any comments in the West (with the exception of C. and J. Broyelle's remarkable book, from which I am borrowing freely here). After all, aren't Chinese always supposed to behave in inscrutable and strange ways? What was not realized was the fact that however odd the incident may have appeared in our eves, the Chinese themselves felt it was even more grotesque and humiliating. The explanation for this bizarre episode did not lie in the Chinese mentality, but in totalitarian psychology. The most masterly analysis of totalitarian psychology is cer-tainly the one provided by Bruno Bettelheim in his book The Informed Heart , which was rightly hailed as "a handbook for survival in our age." The great psychiatrist observed the phenomenon firsthand in Buchenwald, where he was interned by the Nazis. The concentration camp is not marginal to the totalitarian world; on the contrary, it is its purest and most perfect projection, since there the various factors of resistance to the system - -the familial, emotional, and sexual relationships mentioned by Kolakowski - have all been removed, leaving the subject totally exposed to the totalitarian design. Bettelheim noted that prisoners were subjected to a "ban on daring to notice anything. But to look and observe for oneself what went on in the camp - while absolutely necessary for survival - was even more dangerous than being noticed. Often this passive compliance - not to see or not to know - was not enough; in order to survive one had to actively pretend not to observe, not to know what the SS required one not to know." Bettelheim gives various examples of SS behavior that presented this apparent contradiction - "you have not seen what you have seen, because we decided so" (which could apply precisely to the blatantly falsified photo of the Chinese leaders) - and he adds this psychological commentary: To know only what those in authority allow one to know is, more or less, all the infant can do. To be able to make one's own observations and to draw pertinent conclusions from them is where independent existence begins. To forbid oneself to make observations, and take only the observations of others in their stead, is relegating to nonuse one's own powers of reasoning, and the even more basic power of perception. Not observing where it counts most, not knowing where one wants so much to know, all this is most destructive to the functioning of one's personality. . . . But if one gives up observing, reacting, and taking action, one gives up living one's own life. And this is exactly what the SS wanted to happen. Bettelheim describes striking instances of this personality disintegration - which again are of particular relevance for the Chinese situation. Western apologists for the Peking regime have argued that since the Chinese themselves, and particularly those who recently left China, did not show willingness to express dissent or criticism (a questionable assertion-I shall come back to this point later), we had better not try to speak for them and should simply infer from their silence that there is probably nothing to be said. According to Bettelheim, the camp inmates came progressively to see the world through SS eyes; they even es-poused SS values: At one time, for instance, American and English newspapers were full of stories about cruelties committed in the camps. In discussing this event old prisoners insisted that foreign newspapers had no business bothering with internal German institutions and expressed their hatred of the journalists who tried to help them. When in 1938 I asked more than one hundred old political prisoners if they thought the story of the camp should be reported in foreign newspapers, many hesitated to agree that it was desirable. When asked if they would join a foreign power in a war to defeat National Socialism, only two made the unqualified statement that everyone escaping Germany ought to fight the Nazis to the best of his ability. Jean Pasqualini -whose book Prisoner of Mao is the most fundamental document on the Maoist "Gulag" and, as such, is most studiously ignored by the lobby that maintains that there is no human-rights problem in the People's Republic - notes a similar phenomenon. He confesses that after a few years in the labor camps, he came. if not exactly to love the system that was methodically destroying his personality, at least to feel gratitude for the patience and care with which the authorities were trying to reeducate worthless vermin like himself. Along the same lines, Orwell showed premonitory genius in the last sentence of Nineteen Eighty-four: when Winston Smith realizes that he loves Big Brother, that he has loved Big Brother all along. . . . Seemingly, I have wandered away from my topic: instead of dealing with human rights, I have talked about the nature of totalitarianism, the falsification of the past, and the alteration of reality. In fact, all these observations are of direct relevance to our topic. We can summarize them by saying that totalitarianism is the apotheosis of subjectivism. In Nineteen Eighty-four, the starting point of Winston Smith's revolt lies in this sudden awareness: "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." (Once more, see the falsified photos of the Chinese leadership on Tian'anmen!) "His heart sank as he thought of the enormous power arrayed against him. . . . And yet he was in the right! The obvious, the silly, and the true had got to be defended. Truisms are true, hold on to that! The solid world exists, its laws do not change. Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall toward the earth's center. . . . If that is granted, all else follows." Objectivism - the belief that there is an objective truth whose existence is independent of arbitrary dogma and ideology - is thus the cornerstone of intellectual freedom and human dignity, and as such, it is the main stumbling block for totalitarianism. Objectivism, as opposed to totalitarianism, can take essen-tially two forms: legality or morality. For historicocultural reasons, Western civilization seems to have put more emphasis on legality, while Chinese civilization was more inclined toward morality. Yet to oppose the two concepts, as some admirers of Maoism have attempted to do, betrays a complete misreading of both notions. In traditional China, "morality" (which meant essentially Confucianism) was the main bulwark against incipi-ent totalitarianism. This question was best expounded by the Chinese historian Yu Ying-shih in a masterful essay ("Anti-intellectualism in Chinese Traditional Politics," Ming Pao Monthly, February and March 1976) which could be schematically summarized as follows: Confucianism described the world in terms of a dualism; on the one hand there is the concrete, changing realm of actual politics, on the other hand there is the realm of abstract, permanent principles. The duty of the scholar--politician is to serve the ruler insofar as the ruler's behavior and policies harmonize with the unchanging moral principles, which provide a stable reference by which to judge them. In case of a clash between the two realms, the Confucian scholar must, in the strong and unambiguous words of Xun Zi, "follow the principles and disobey the Prince." For this reason Maoist legality and Maoist morality are equally inconceivable; both are self-contradictions (the same applies to Stalinist or Nazi legality or morality; the terms are mutually exclusive). Mao himself readily and cynically acknowledged this situation; for his subordinates, however (as for Stalin's), in practice this created an increasingly dangerous and frightening predicament to the point where a number of old and prestigious Communist leaders could be bullied, persecuted and even tortured to death during the "Cultural Revolution." Those who survived the turmoil, having come so close to being devoured by the very beast they themselves had raised, suddenly discovered the urgent need to establish some sort of legality. Their appeals, which filled the pages of the People's Daily two years after Mao's death, were pathetic, because they ran against the nature of the regime. Establishment of legality would mean the end of the system; with legal boundaries, Party authority would cease to be infallible and absolute, and a genuine rule of law would mark the end of its ideological rule. From a Communist point of view, such a situation would obviously be inconceivable. It is in this context of quintessential - indeed, institutional -- illegality that the human-rights question must be considered. In other words, for such a system, the very concept of human rights is necessarily meaningless. Thus, in this respect, the historical record of the regime could be characterized as a continuous and ruthless war waged by the Communist government against the Chinese people. Let us briefly enumerate here a few episodes selected at random, merely as illustrations. - Liquidation of counterrevolutionaries, land reform, "Three Antis" and "Five Antis" campaigns (1949-52). Five million executions (conservative estimate, advanced by one of the most cautious and respected specialists of contemporary Chinese his-tory, Jacques Guillermaz, in Le Parti Communiste chinois au pouvoir [Paris: Payot, 1972], 33, n. 1). - "Anti-rightist campaign" (1957). According to the figures issued by the Minister for Public Security, during the period from June to October alone, "100,000 counterrevolutionaries and bad elements were unmasked and dealt with"; 1,700,000 subjected to police investigation; several million sent to the countryside for "reeducation." - "Cultural Revolution" (1966-69). No total figures are available as yet. By Peking's own admission, the losses were heavy. In the last interview he granted to Edgar Snow, Mao Zedong said that foreign journalists, even in their most sensational reporting, had grossly underestimated the actual amount of violence and bloodshed. A full and methodical count still remains to be established from the various figures that are already available at the local level (90,000 victims in Sichuan province alone, 40,000 in Guangdong). The trial of the "Gang of Four" was an opportunity for further official disclosures on the enormous scope of these atrocities. - The anti-Lin Biao and anti-Confucius campaigns (1973-75), and then the campaign for the denunciation of the "Gang of Four" (1976-78), were both accompanied by waves of arrests and executions. Finally, in 1979, the Democracy Walls were outlawed and the Democracy movement was suppressed. Arbitrary arrests and heavy sentences based on trumped-up charges eliminated vast numbers of courageous and idealistic young people and finally destroyed all hopes for genuine political reform within the Chinese Communist system. Political and intellectual dissent in Communist China has produced an endless list of martyrs. The first victims fell well before the establishment of the People's Republic, as early as the Yan'an period. Later on, the repressions that successively followed the "Hundred Flowers" and the "Cultural Revolution" decimated the intellectual and political elite of the entire country. Besides these illustrious victims, however, we should not forget the immense crowd of humble, anonymous people who were subjected to mass arrests - as happened in the aftermath of the huge anti-Maoist demonstration in Tian'anmen Square (April 5, 1976), or who are suffering individual persecution all over China. They are imprisoned, condemned to hard labor, or even executed merely for having expressed unorthodox opinions; no one takes notice of them, they never make the headlines in our newspapers. It is only by chance encounter that sometimes, here and there, a more than usually attentive visitor comes across their names and records their fate, from ordinary public notices posted in the streets. Moreover, besides these political dissen-ters, countless religious believers are also branded as criminals and sent to labor camps simply because they choose to remain loyal to their church and to their faith. The Chinese "Gulag" is a gigantic topic that has been well described by firsthand witnesses - Jean Pasqualini (Bao Ruo-wang) and Rudolf Chelminski, Prisoner of Mao (New York: Cow-ard McCann & Geoghegan, 1973), and Lai Ying, The Thirty-sixth Way (New York: Doubleday, 1969). The reading of these accounts is a basic duty for everyone who professes the slightest concern for China. I have commented elsewhere (in Broken Images) on the central relevance of the labor camps for any meaningful analysis of the nature of the Maoist regime. Suffice it to say here that whoever wishes to dispose of the human-rights issue in China without first tackling this particular subject is either irresponsible or a fraud. Zhou Enlai observed quite accurately (in 1959) that "the present of the Soviet Union is the future of China." There will be, in the future, Chinese Solzhenitsyns to provide us with the fully documented picture of what Maoism in action actually meant for millions of individuals. Yet it should be remarked that the most amazing thing about Solzhenitsyn's impact is that the West reacted to it as if it were news. Actually, Solzhenitsyn's unique contribution lies in the volume and precision of his catalogue of atrocities - but basically he revealed nothing new. On the essential points, information about Soviet reality has been available for more than forty years, through the firsthand testimonies of un-impeachable witnesses such as Boris Souvarine, Victor Serge, Anton Ciliga, and others. Practically no one heard of it at the time because no one wanted to hear; it was inconvenient and inopportune. In the foreword to the 1977 edition of his classic essay on Stalin, originally published in 1935, Souvarine recalls the incredible difficulties he had in finding a publisher for it in the West. Everywhere the intellectual elite endeavoured to suppress the book: "It is going to needlessly harm our relations with Moscow." Only Malraux, adventurer and phony hero of the leftist intelligentsia, had the guts and cynicism to state his position clearly in a private conversation: "Souvarine, I believe that you and your friends are right. However, at this stage, do not count on me to support you. I shall be on your side only when you will be on top (Je serai avec vous quand vous serez les plus forts)!" How many times have we heard variants of that same phrase! On the subject of China, how many colleagues came to express private support and sympathy (these were still the bravest!), apologizing profusely for not being able to say the same things in public: "You must understand my position . . . my professional commitments . . . I must keep my channels of communication open with the Chinese Embassy. I am due to go on a mission to Peking...." Finally, I would like to examine successively the various methods that have been adopted in the West to dodge the issue of human rights in China. The first line of escape is the one I have just mentioned. It is to say, "We do not know for sure, we do not have sufficient information on the subject." Actually, there are enough documents, books, and witnesses to occupy entire teams of researchers for years to come. Of course, much more material is bound to surface; however, when the Chinese Solzhenitsyns begin methodically to expose the Maoist era in all its details, anyone who exclaims in horrified shock, "My God! had we only known!" will be a hypocrite and a liar. We already know the main outlines; basically there can be no new revelations, only the filling in of more details. The essential information has been available practically since the establishment of the regime, and everyone even slightly acquainted with Chinese affairs is aware of it. It is true that, compared with the Soviet Union, there may be a relative scarcity of documentation; this does not mean (as some people have had the temerity to assert) that the situation is relatively better in China - it means exactly the opposite. Under Stalin, what Soviet dissenter ever succeeded in meeting foreign visitors or in smuggling manuscripts to the West? The Stalin analogy is acutely relevant here, since China has always kept, and still keeps, proclaiming its unwavering fidelity to the mem-ory of Stalin and to the principles of Stalinism. The main accusation that Peking directs against Moscow is precisely that it has partly betrayed this heritage. The second line of escape (and possibly the most sickening one) is to say sadly, "Yes indeed, we know; there have been gross irregularities-even what you might call atrocities-committed in the past. But this is a thing of the past: it was all due to the evil influence of the 'Gang of Four.'" This new tune is now being dutifully sung by the entire choir of the fellow-travelers, the traveling salesmen of Maoism, the sycophants, and the propaganda commissars-the very people who, a few years ago, used to tell us how everything was well and wonderful in China under the enlightened rule of the same "Gang of Four." Pretending shock and indignation, they now come and tell us horrible stories-as if we did not know it all, as if they had not known it all-the very stories we told years ago, but at that time they used to label them "anti-China slander" and "CIA lies." The downfall of the "Gang of Four," however momentous, was, after all, a mere episode in the power struggle within the system - it did not bring a significant modification of the system. It does not have any bearing upon the human-rights issue. Violations of human rights, political and intellectual repression, mass arrests, summary executions, persecutions of dissenters, and so on, were perpetrated for nearly twenty years before the "Gang of Four's" accession to power, and now they continue after the "Gang's" disgrace. Not only have these methods and policies not changed, but they are being carried out by the same personnel, people who were not affected by the ups and downs of the ruling clique. The terms in which criticism of the "Gang" is being expressed, and the methods by which the "Gang" is being denounced, represent a direct continuation of the language and methods of the "Gang" itself. At no stage was any politically meaningful criticism and analysis allowed to develop; the basic questions (From where did the "Gang" derive its power? What kind of regime is it that provides opportunities for such charac-ters to reach supreme power? How should the system be reformed to prevent similar occurrences in the future?) cannot be raised; whenever clearsighted and courageous people dare to address these issues (Wang Xizhe, Wei Jingsheng), they are immediately gagged and disappear into the Chinese "Gulag." Since Mao's death, the pathetic reformist efforts of the leaders have actually demonstrated that Maoism is consubstantial with the regime. What happened to the Maoists in China reminds us of the fate of the cannibals in a certain tropical republic, as described by Alexandre Vialatte: "There are no more cannibals in that country since the local authorities ate the last ones." The third line of escape: "We admit there may be gross infringements of human rights in China. But the first of all human rights is to survive, to be free from hunger. The infringement of human rights in China is dictated by harsh national necessity." What causal relationship is there between infringement of human rights and the ability to feed people? The relative and modest ability of the People's Republic to feed its people represents the bare minimum achievement that one could expect from any Chinese government that continuously enjoyed for a quarter of a century similar conditions of peace, unity, and freedom from civil war, from colonialist exploitation, and from external aggression. These privileged conditions - for which the Communist government can claim only limited credit - had been denied to China for more than a hundred years, and this factor alone should invalidate any attempt to compare the achievements of the present government with those of preceding ones. Moreover, to what extent is the People's Republic truly able now to feed its population? Deng Xiaoping bluntly acknowledged in a speech on March 18, 1978, the backwardness and basic failure of the People's Repu-blic's economy. After nearly thirty years of Communist rule, "several hundred million people are still mobilized full time in the exclusive task of producing food. . . . We still have not really solved the grain problem. . . our industry is lagging behind by ten or twenty years. . . ." In proportion to population, food production in the People's Republic has not yet overtaken the record of the best Kuomintang years of more than forty years ago! The economic takeoff has not yet been achieved: China is still in a marginal situation, not yet secure from potential starvation, always vulnerable to the menace of successive bad harvests or other natural catastrophes. Further, some of the major catastrophes that have hit the People's Republic and crippled its development were entirely Mao-made and occurred only because the totalitarian nature of the regime prevented rational debate and forbade informed criticism and realistic assessment of the objective conditions. Suffice it to mention two well-known examples. The "Great Leap Forward," which Mao's private fancy imposed upon the country, resulted in widespread famine (an authoritative expert, L. Ladany, ventured the figure of fifty million dead from starvation during the years 1959-62). Falsified production statistics were issued by the local authorities to protect the myth of the Supreme Leader's infallibility; the hiding of the extent of the disaster prevented the early tackling of the problem and made the tragedy even worse. In the early fifties, one of China's most distinguished economists and demographers, Professor Ma Yinchu, expressed the common-sense warning that it would be necessary to control population growth, otherwise the demographic explosion would cancel the production increase. Mao, however, held to the crude and primitive peasant belief that "the more Chinese, the better." Ma was purged, all debate on this crucial issue was frozen for years, and precious time was wasted before Mao reversed his earlier conclusion (before obtaining his rehabilitation, Ma himself had to wait twenty years for Mao to die). Such examples could easily be multiplied. In a totalitarian system, whenever common sense clashes with dogma, common sense always loses - at tremendous cost to national development and the people's livelihood. The harm caused by arbitrary decisions enforced without the moderating counterweight of debate and criticism almost certainly exceeds whatever advantage could be gained from the monolithic discipline achieved by the system. Totalitarianism, far from being a drastic remedy that could be justified in a national emergency, appears on the contrary to be an extravagant luxury that no poor country can afford with impunity. The fourth line of escape is articulated in several variations on a basic theme: "China is different." The first variation on this theme: "Human rights are a Western concept, and thus have no relevance in the Chinese context." The inherent logic of this line of thought, though seldom expressed with such frankness, amounts to saying: "Human rights are one of those luxuries that befit us wealthy and advanced Westerners; it is preposterous to imagine that mere natives of exotic countries could qualify for a similar privilege, or would even be interested in it." Or, more simply: "Human rights do not apply to the Chinese, because the Chinese are not really human. Since the very enunciation of this kind of position excuses one from taking the trouble to refute it, I shall merely add here one incidental remark: human rights are not a foreign notion in Chinese modern history. Nearly a century ago, the leading thinker and political reformer Kang Youwei (1858-1927) made it the cornerstone of his political philosophy. In practice, under the first Republic, a human-rights movement developed effectively as a protest against the "white terror" of the Kuomintang; the famous China League for Civil Rights was founded in 1932 and mobilized the intellectual elite of the time, with prestigious figures such as Cai Yuanpei, Song Qingling, and Lu Xun. It also had its martyrs, such as Yang Quan (assassinated in 1933). However, the history of human rights in China is, after all, an academic question. What is of burning relevance is the current situation. Foreigners who pretend that "the Chinese are not interested in human rights" are obviously blind and deaf. The Chinese were forcefully expressing this very demand on the De-mocracy Wall, and on this theme popular pressure became so great that even the official newspapers finally had to acknowledge its existence. Second variation: "We must respect China's right to be different." One could draw interesting logical extensions of that principle. Had Hitler refrained from invading neighboring countries and merely contented himself with slaughtering his own Jews at home, some might have said: "Slaughtering Jews is probably a German idiosyncrasy; we must refrain from judging it and respect Germany's right to be different. Third variation: "China has always been subjected to despotic regimes, so there is no particular reason for us to become indignant at this one." Such reasoning is faulty twice over: first, because Chinese traditional government was far less despotic than Maoism; and second, because, had it been equally as despotic as Maoism or even more so, this would still not provide a justification. The second point does not need to be argued (since when can past atrocities justify present ones?); let us briefly consider the first. The great ages of Chinese civilization, such as the Tang and the Northern Song, present a political sophistication and enlightenment that had no equivalent in the world until modern times. Other periods were markedly more despotic, and some (Qin, Ming) even tried to achieve a kind of totalitarianism. However, they were always severely hampered by technical obstacles (genuine totalitarianism had to wait for twentieth-century technology to become really feasible). Ming politics were ruthless and terrifying, but they were such only for the relatively small fraction of the population that was politically active, or in direct contact with government organs. In the mid-sixteenth century Chinese officialdom consisted of some ten to fifteen thousand civil servants for a total population of about one hundred and fifty million. This tiny group of cadres was exclusively concentrated in the cities, while most of the population was living in the villages. Distance and slow communications preserved the autonomy of most countryside communities. Basically, taxation represented the only administrative interference in the life of the peasants, and simply by paying their taxes, the people were actually buying their freedom from most other governmental interventions. The great majority of Chinese could spend an entire lifetime without ever having come into contact with one single representative of imperial authority. The last dynasty, which ruled China for nearly three centuries, the Qing government, however authoritarian, was far less lawless than the Maoist regime; it had a penal code that determined which officials were entitled to carry out arrests, which crimes entailed the death penalty, and so on, whereas Maoist China has been living for thirty years in a legal vacuum, which, as we have read in the official press, eventually enabled countless local tyrants to govern following their caprice, and establish their own private jails where they could randomly torture and execute their own personal enemies. Fourth variation: "Respect for the individual is a Western characteristic"; in China (I quote from an eminent American bureaucrat) there is "an utterly natural acceptance of the age-old Confucian tradition of subordinating individual liberty to collective obligation." In other words, the Chinese dissidents who are being jailed and executed merely for having expressed heterodox opinion, the millions who, having been branded once and for all as "class enemies" (the classification is hereditary!), are reduced, they and their descendants, to a condition of being social outcasts, or are herded into labor camps. These people either, as good traditional Chinese, imbued with "the age-old Confucian tradition of subordinating individual liberty to collective obligations," are supposed to be perfectly satisfied with their fate, or, if they are not (like the 100,000 demonstrators who dared to show their anger in Peking on April 5, 1976, and all those who, two years later, gathered around the "Democracy Wall"), thereby prove that they are un-Chinese, and thus presumably unworthy of our attention! In all these successive variations, "difference" has been the key concept. If Soviet dissidents have, on the whole, received far more sympathy in the West, is it because they are Caucasians - while the Chinese are "different"? When Maoist sympathizers use such arguments, they actually echo diehard racists of the colonial-imperialist era. At that time the "Chinese difference" was a leitmotiv among Western entrepreneurs, to justify their exploitation of the "natives": Chinese were different, even physiologically; they did not feel hunger, cold and pain as Westerners would; you could kick them, starve them, it did not matter much; only ignorant sentimentalists and innocent bleeding-hearts would worry on behalf of these swarming crowds of yellow coolies. Most of the rationalizations that are now being proposed for ignoring the human-rights issue in China are rooted in the same mentality. Of course, there are cultural differences - the statement is a tautology, since "difference" is the very essence of culture. But if from there one extrapolates differences that restrict the relevance of human rights to certain nations only, this would amount to a denial of the universal character of human nature; such an attitude in turn opens the door to a line of reasoning whose nightmarish yet logical development ends in the very barbarity that this century witnessed a few decades ago, during the Nazi era. The above essay, first published in 1978, was essentially based upon observation and experience of the Maoist era. To what extent can it still provide a valid reflection of today's situation? In the past, I have often expressed skepticism regarding the ability of the Communist system to modify its essential nature. I dearly wish that its political evolution may eventually prove me wrong. In this matter, however, the pessimism generally expressed by most Chinese citizens appears to have some justification: what can we expect from a regime that is now solemnly reaffirming that all its laws and institutions must remain subordinated to the supreme guidance of the "Thought of Mao Zedong"? From anoopkheri at gmail.com Wed Apr 2 17:12:58 2008 From: anoopkheri at gmail.com (anoop kumar) Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 04:42:58 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Talk on Manual Scavenging on 6th April by INSIGHT STUDY CIRCLE In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Friends, Jaibheem INSIGHT Study Circle invites you for a public meeting on the issue of *'Manual Scavenging'* *Guest Speakers:* - *1. **Mr.** Saptarshi Mandal - Law Student , National University for Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata * *2. **Mr. Raj Kumar - Young Activist working on the issue of Manual Scavenging in Haryana* *3. **Ms. Seema - **Young Activist working on the issue of Manual Scavenging in Haryana* *Venue: - Indian Social Institute (ISI),* *[10, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi]* *Time: - 11 am to 1 pm* *Date: - 6th April 2008 (Sunday)* *Programme: - * The Government of India's 'Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993', had promised the eradication of a pernicious practice that only certain Dalit sub-castes were subject to and thereby the restoration of dignity to the individual as enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution. It was enacted as a uniform law for the whole of India to abolish manual scavenging by declaring employment of manual scavengers for removal of human excreta an offense, and thereby ban the construction of dry latrines. However, due to lack of political will and social consciousness, lakhs of Dalits (12 lakh approx) are still destined to clean and carry the human excreta with their bare hands in almost every part of the country, especially in the urban and semi-urban areas. Dalits involved in manual scavenging have been one of the worst sufferers of social exclusion and economic exploitation. *Mr. Saptrishi Mandal will present a paper on 'Manual Scavenging and the Legal Discourse'* *Mr. Rajkumar and Ms. Seema will share their experiences about working on the issue of manual scavenging in Haryana. * *INSIGHT: YOUNG VOICES is an English bimonthly Dalit Youth Magazine. Since inception, it has been organizing meetings and public talks on the issues related with the Dalit community both inside the campuses and outside. * *One of the prime objectives of the INSIGHT group has been to create a platform for Dalit students and youth to share their views and to interact with scholars, academicians, activists and organizations that have been working on the issues related with the Dalit community*. *Towards this objective, INSIGHT Study Circle* *organizes meetings on any one particular issue on the First Sunday of every Month. Through this we are aspiring to bring Dalit students, youth, activists, professionals, scholars and researchers on one platform to interact with each other. * *We encourage young Dalit students/researchers/activists to share their work with us during the meetings of Study Circle.* For more information please contact our Study Circle Coordinators: - Dr Ajita Rao [ajita_nav at yahoo.com] Anoop Kumar [anoopkheri at gmail.com] -- Anoop 0-9313432410 -- Anoop 0-9313432410 -- Anoop 0-9313432410 From moinakb at yahoo.com Wed Apr 2 19:58:14 2008 From: moinakb at yahoo.com (moinak biswas) Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 07:28:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Journal of the Moving Image Message-ID: <207772.24073.qm@web54307.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Journal of the Moving Image, the annual publication of the Department of Film Studies, Jadavpur University, is now available online. JMI 4 and JMI 5 are on view at the moment. JMI 6 has come out and will be uploaded by the end of this month. The earlier issues will be uploaded thereafter. We would like to receive your comments. www.jmionline.org Moinak Biswas On behalf of the Editorial Board (Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, Moinak Biswas, Abhijit Roy, Madhuja Mukhopadhyay, Anindya Sengupta, Manas K. Ghosh, Subhajit Chatterjee) Department of Film Studies Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700 032 Ph. 033 2414 6689 ____________________________________________________________________________________ You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Thu Apr 3 16:41:51 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:11:51 +0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Schengen For You, But Not For Me Message-ID: The final step of Schengen enlargement – controls at internal air borders to be abolished in late March Source: Press room - Slovenian presidency of EU After the lifting of checks at internal land and sea borders with the Schengen area Member States on 21 December 2007, when Slovenia and eight other EU Member States entered the common area of free movement without internal border controls based on a decision by the EU interior ministers, border checks will also be lifted at air borders on 30 March 2008 This will represent the final step in the abolition of controls at internal borders. Based on its assessment that all nine candidates for enlargement of the Schengen area, including Slovenia, were ready for full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis, the JHA Council on 6 December 2007 adopted the Council Decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in the Czech Republic, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Hungary, Republic of Malta, Republic of Poland, Republic of Slovenia and Slovak Republic. With Slovenia's entry into Schengen, border controls at the borders with Austria, Italy and Hungary were abolished, while at the same time border controls at the border with Croatia were reinforced, since this is now an EU external border. The entry into force of the Council Decision allowed for the lifting of checks at internal land and sea borders on 21 December 2007 and at air borders on 30 March 2008. The decision to abolish controls at airports at a later time has to do with changes in flight schedules, which are made twice a year in spring and in autumn. Apart from that, the reasons are also technical, as the implementation of the Schengen regime at airports imposes a strict separation between passengers on internal Schengen flights and other passengers in international traffic. In addition to high standards of physical border surveillance at land border crossing points and the use of the Schengen information system, the rules of Schengen external border control also require state-of-the-art technology for border checks at airports, which are simultaneously border crossing points at the external Schengen border (for extra-Schengen flights)and crossing points of internal borders without border checks (for intra-Schengen flights). To be able to meet the Schengen standards in air border control, Slovenia had to upgrade its airport infrastructure to allow for separation of passengers on Schengen and non-Schengen flights. Last year certain construction works and other measures were carried out at Ljubljana Jo~e Pu nik Airport to ensure the separation of internal and external flight passengers (a new passenger terminal at Jo~e Pu nik Airport was officially opened on 9 July 2007). For air passenger this means in practice that from 30 March onwards border checks will only be carried out on non-Schengen flights, i.e. flights involving the crossing of the external border. On these flights, border checks will be carried out for all passengers entering or exiting the Schengen area (including transit passengers catching a connecting intra-Schengen flight). There will be no border checks for internal flights from one Schengen country to another. The only remaining checks will be security checks, which will be performed by a security company and not by the police. From indersalim at gmail.com Thu Apr 3 20:03:20 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 20:03:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: an open letter to Artists in Pakistan Message-ID: <47e122a70804030733m72355895paa32db97ed240417@mail.gmail.com> Rasheed Araeen London, 2 March 2008. During my last visit to Karachi in during December 2007 and January 2008, Durriya Kazi asked me: 'What can artists do...?' I couldn't respond to her question immediately. But it kept me thinking. However, I think Durriya's question was not just about what was happening politically, but about art's social role in society and how one could take up this role effectively. I'm glad that artists in Pakistan are concerned with political situation in the country, and want to do something to improve it. I therefore welcome the recent meeting of artists in Karachi on 29 February 2008. I wish I had been there and joined the meeting. However, it is imperative to recognize, first of all, that art does not possess the quality to intervene directly in political power and change it. All that artists can do is to protest against the violation of basic human rights and the suppression of the rights of individuals for self-expression. In this respect, I'm in solidarity with the meeting. This meeting has however given me an opportunity to say something about the situation of art in Pakistan. The main problem here, in my view, is not and should not be only about what is external to art (politics) but, more importantly, what constitutes art itself and the nature of its own production and recognition. Why do we make art? Is it merely to express one's inner needs, or/and to understand one's place in society? If it provides a value to society, how do we detect or recognise it? And how do we assess its significance? Do we have a rational system by which to discuss it, assess its merits and significance? These questions are seldom asked in Pakistan, let alone to pursue a critical discourse that can deal with these questions. When in fact I look at art in Pakistan, I find it extremely depressing. Every Tom, Dick and Harry (sorry for this expression) claims to be an artist. The problem here is not so much to do with someone claiming to be an artist, but with the problem of its reception and acceptance. First, does the claimant understand why he or she is an artist and what constitutes a responsibility in this respect? I'm not invoking here one's social or political responsibility, but a responsibility to art itself. Art demands a serious responsibility, dedication and commitment within its own discourse, which I'm sorry to say is totally lacking in Pakistan. Second, as for those who claim to be critics, I have not yet come across anyone who has the ability to distinguish horses from donkeys. The consequence of all this is that art in Pakistan, in general, has become deeply immersed in the culture of mediocrity. Worst of all, nobody can question or challenge this situation and change it, because mediocrity is the basis of power in Pakistan, and the imagination which is fundamental to art is trapped within and its existence is dependent on this power. In fact, it is not just mediocrity but its celebration that leads to the delusion of great claims: a spectacle of self-aggrandisement that is the product of infantile mentality. Let me be more specific about the problem of art in Pakistan. First of all, we must recognise that art is not just about making (pretty) pictures, sculpture (which doesn't exist in Pakistan), or what is now fashionable — performance, video or installation art — but a discipline. In order to understand the seriousness of the word 'discipline', let us turn to other disciplines, such as various braches of science, and see if we can learn something from this comparison. No serious scientist would ever say: 'Look, this what I do. This comes from inside me...', and so on. If someone were to say this, he or she would be dismissed as an idiot. But this happens in art all the time, specifically in Pakistan. The function of science is to produce new knowledge, so is (and must be) the function of art. In order to judge and evaluate the significance of what is claimed to be new knowledge, whether in science or art, it must be placed within the whole body of knowledge humanity has so far produced. Of course, the rules of art are not as rigid as those of science. Art involves one's own human subjectivity, and this subjectivity operates somewhat differently in science. It seems that art demands much more freedom of imagination, more play with the material involved in making art. But both art and science have something common: their histories. These histories tell us how both art and science originated and how they have evolved since their origins, accumulating a body of knowledge or ideas that are now there for humanity with which to move forward into the future. In fact, without an understanding of this body of knowledge — specifically of art, as this is our concern here — we cannot understand our present situation and have a vision of the future. Since I have used the analogy of science to explain the problems of art, let me take you to the time when I was a student of science. I'm in the chemistry lab with some of my fellow students, working with some chemicals. When we mix two chemicals, a fantastic change takes place in the tube with the appearance of a beautiful colour. We see in front of us a spectacle so exciting that we all jump with laughter. While we are amusing ourselves, our chemistry professor passes by: 'Ah, you think this is magic. Do you know why has this happened?' We are first dumfounded, by this sudden question, but then try to explain. If we didn't know that there was a rational explanation for what happened in front of our eyes, we would have been thrown out of the lab. We would have no right to be there pretending to be doing serious work. Art has now also been turned into a spectacle, and we amuse ourselves with it but without knowing if there is anything significant behind or within this spectacle. This came home to me recently when I watched the program 'Khuli Baat' on Pakistani TV on 24 December 2007. It was paying homage to Ismail Gulgee, who had been brutally murdered a few days earlier, and it was right that we had this program. It was also right on this occasion not to look at his work critically. But the participants — who were important members of Karachi's intellectual life =97 did talk about his work and put him high on a pedestal of greatness. Gulgee may be one of the great artists of Pakistan. But how do we know? Did anyone talk about the source of his work? Yes, they did. The words 'action painting' were repeatedly used. But no one asked how action painting arrived in Pakistan, and why? How come Gulgee became an action painter overnight, without a difficult process that artists have to go through to discover something new? A few weeks later, an article on Gulgee appeared in Dawn, the leading English daily newspaper published in Karachi (13 January 2008), in which the writer claimed Gulgee to be a visionary who 'harnessed the energy of the gesture in Islamic calligraphy and fused it with the dynamism of modern action painting'. If it were an ordinary journalist, one could ignore this nonsense. But these were the words of an important critic who did not know that there is nothing in Islamic calligraphy which can be described as 'gesture'. Islamic calligraphy is contemplative, which is opposite of the gestural angst of action painting. The meeting of Islamic calligraphy and action painting is like a meeting of two opposing forces; they cannot be fused without going through a confrontation out of which must emerge a synthesis. We do not find this in Gulgee's work. In fact, the supposed presence of Islamic calligraphy in Gulgee's work is an illusion, a superimposition or a mask, to hide what is a disturbing reality underneath; a reality that has entered Pakistan as a cancer to destroy its creative body with its own authentic vision. It is not my aim here to offer a critical scrutiny of Gulgee's work (I have written an article on him, but I was told it would not be possible to publish it in Pakistan). I'm here only using his example to ask some questions which are fundamental to art; questions that must be asked if we are interested in the seriousness of art. Artists must concern themselves with what is happening in Pakistan, but whoever comes to power will make little difference to art. The problem is not only with who is in power, but the culture of mediocrity that has penetrated our every walk of life and is destroying our creative imagination. I am writing all this because I have a faith and confidence in people's creativity in Pakistan. We don't have to look to the West and follow whatever it offers; nor should we succumb to nostalgia for the Mughals. Artists can offer an example, if not a lead, in developing a modern vision for Pakistan which is not only its own but offers a way forward for humanity at large. With best wishes, Rasheed Araeen London, 2 March 2008. Rasheed Araeen is the founding editor of Third Text. The journal has been published since 1987 and is now in its 92nd issue. The Asian edition, Third Text Asia, is being launched in April 2008 in Karachi, Paki -- From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Fri Apr 4 02:57:59 2008 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 14:27:59 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] PDP's Delhi handlers! Message-ID: <4fcaee300804031427q576c6b4al2c911fac4b7fff3a@mail.gmail.com> * Mufti's party tries to shake off its ' Delhi masters'* By Parvaiz Bukhari in Srinagar THE People's Democratic Party ( PDP)' s president Mehbooba Mufti has unveiled her " selfrule" plan for an undivided Kashmir and quashed allegations that her party is a creation of Indian intelligence agencies. She announced her grand plan to resolve the Kashmir issue at the recent Pugwash conference in Pakistan, of all places, before it was discussed with New Delhi or even people back home. This happened at a time when the PDP is facing internal rebellion and criticism from the National Conference ( NC), which alleged that her party was created and works for New Delhi's spies. To counter the attacks from her rivals, Mufti tried to show her party's independence and simultaneously distance the PDP from its perceived links with the intelligence establishment. These are difficult times for the PDP when it is preparing for the next assembly elections, slated for later this year. Launched in 1999, ostensibly as the biggest political operation of Indian intelligence in embattled Jammu and Kashmir, the party grew in strength to become a formidable challenger to the NC's strong hold in the Valley. But the party's think- tank is now finding it hard to get the history of its making off its back and give it the status of a credible alternative to the NC. And more so when Farooq Abdullah's NC is going through a rough patch and the former chief minister is trying to regain his position by attacking the PDP. " The PDP is a creation of New Delhi and ( intelligence) agencies, which are trying to divide and rule Kashmiris," Abdullah tells the people repeatedly. He may not be off the mark. The PDP's foundations were laid when New Delhi began to regain control in Kashmir after militancy struck a blow to the political power structure which existed in the shape of the NC. In the run- up to the 1996 elections, the first seven years, electoral politics was principally dependent on the NC. In such a scenario, New Delhi found the NC more demanding and reminiscent of 1952 when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah began to question the state's accession to the Indian Union. The centre assigned former Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed the task and he was spot on — cashing in on anti- incumbency and other factors to rise to the chief minister's share with the Congress in tow. But, the unpleasant history hung heavy over the party and immediately after Sayeed stepped down as chief minister in tandem with the PDP- Congress power- sharing deal, he and his daughter floated the " self- rule" proposal. " It was the first attempt by the PDP to break free from any handling from outside ( read New Delhi)," said a party rebel. Sayeed's party is using its selfrule idea to give an impression that the Kashmir- specific component of the Indo- Pak peace process is driven by it. But the biggest question is: will the PDP be able to hold its flock together? Many of its founding members are attempting to form a third front. parvaiz. bukhari@ mailtoday. in http://mailtoday.in April, 3, 2008 Page 20 From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Fri Apr 4 13:27:48 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:27:48 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu Message-ID: This is a letter I have written to The Hindu in response to Pallavi Aiyar¹s , How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause (The Hindu, April 3). I¹m posting the original article FYI below. ---------------------------- Pallavi Aiyar¹s , How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause (The Hindu, April 3) is full of inconsistencies and errors. The argument that the Chinese leadership cannot be expected to engage in talks with the Dalai Lama because they have portrayed him as the enemy for the last 50 years, is like agonizing over how the Sangh Parivar can ever embrace Indian Muslims after demonizing the community all its life. The only sane answer to this can be: well, that¹s your problem, now go figure! Aiyar admits that there is little information about Tibet within China and then strangely concludes that there is widespread anger at Tibetan protests based on her readings of Chinese blogs. How does one accurately ascertain what people genuinely feel or think under an authoritarian government that controls information, thought and expression? Besides, Aiyar seems totally unaware of the ripples generated by the recent letter to the Chinese government calling for a direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama by over 30 Chinese intellectuals, many of who are Han. To assert that the Chinese government has to Œsell¹ an idea to the public is specious. Since when have dictatorships bothered with popularity ratings? Did the Chinese government assess what 1.25 million of its citizens felt when they were displaced to make way for the Olympic games, or the millions displaced in the Three Gorge Project, or what people feel when the government regularly arrests and incarcerates Chinese intellectuals, journalists, lawyers and activists who may harbour different opinions from the present regime? Aiyar claims the Dalai Lama refused an invitation by China in 1989 Œin an effort to re-start stalled talks,¹ and that he Œchose instead to appeal to the West to put pressure on China to accede to his demands,¹ and that is why the Chinese view him Œas a chronically unreliable negotiator.¹ What is her source of information? Why does she fail to mention concrete Tibetan efforts of preceding years that include the Dalai Lama¹s 5-point Proposal (1987) and Strasbourg Proposal (1988), and an invitation for talks in Geneva in 1988? The Panchen Lama died on 28 January 1989. The Chinese invitation to the Dalai Lama came unexpectedly on Feb 7 to attend the cremation on Feb 15. Is it reasonable to expect him to jump at an invitation from hostile forces with just a week to prepare for thirty years of absence? Incidentally, when the Dalai Lama subsequently asked to visit Tibet and to meet Premier Li Peng during his visit to New Delhi in 1991, both were denied. The Chinese government¹s stonewalling of the Tibet issue and issues of human rights within China cannot be viewed as a sovereign state¹s legitimate rights over Œinternal matters¹. These are acts of hubris which will sooner or later force those in power to weigh what is more important, absolute power for the Communist Party of China or the very existence of China itself? Sonia Jabbar ------------------------------------ How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause Pallavi Aiyar What those urging China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama fail to recognise is the fact that Beijing's main constituency is not the international community but its own domestic public. For Beijing to appear 'soft' on the Dalai Lama would be as politically unpalatable domestically asit would be in the United States were Washington to decide to engage in dialogue with Osama bin Laden.  With tensions in Tibet continuing to bubble, pundits and politicians in both India and the West are increasingly calling for talks between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. One argument supporting the utility of talks between the Chinese leadership and the pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist leader reasons that contrary to the dominant belief in Beijing, the Dalai Lama is in fact China's best bet for a long-term and stabl e solution to the Tibet issue. Only the Dalai Lama has the stature and authority to convince the Tibetan population at large that its interests lie within rather than separate from China, this line of reasoning proceeds. Thus it is argued that if Beijing loses out on the opportunity to reach an accommodation with the exiled leader now, it may end up with an even more unpredictable and hard to control situation regarding Tibetan aspirations for self-determination after the Dalai's death. Others are urging the Chinese leadership to negotiate with the Dalai Lama to prove to the world that it "deserves" to host the Olympic Games. Beijing will be able to boost its international image and prove its critics wrong if only it would agree to talks, it is claimed. What neither of these arguments takes into account, however, is how strongly divergent perceptions of the Dalai Lama within China and abroad, combined with the deep vein of government-stoked nationalism that runs through contemporary Chinese society, make it virtually impossible for Beijing to sell any potential deal reached with the Dalai Lama to its public. While in the West the Dalai is widely seen as a Nobel prize-winning, peace-loving figure of moral authority, within China the monk is regularly projected as not only a separatist but also a duplicitous trouble-maker not above unleashing violence. In the aftermath of the recent riots and protests in Tibet, Internet chat rooms in China are abuzz with anger and indignation at what many see as the biased portrayal of the situation by the western media and the 'hypocritical' actions and statements of the Dalai Lama. Revealingly, many Chinese have even lashed out at the authorities for their ostensible leniency in dealing with the protests, in sharp contradistinction to the 'repressive crackdown' most commentators abroad have criticised Beijing for. The majority of Chinese have little awareness that there is a Tibet problem at all. Although a relatively high-profile issue abroad, thanks in part to the efforts of Hollywood, within China Tibet is usually far less prominent in the consciousness of the average Chinese than Taiwan. In school, Chinese youngsters are taught how the region has only benefited from Communist rule. The feudal theocracy of the Dalai Lama was replaced by the enlightened policies of the People's Republic, they are told, with the result that Tibet has enjoyed rising living standards and economic development. While the Dalai Lama is portrayed as a sinister figure working to split Tibet from the Chinese nation, he is also described as having little support among the Tibetan population at large. When I gave a lecture to a class of about 50 students at one of Beijing's top journalism universities a few years ago, I discovered that not one of the bright, young things I was talking to was aware that the Dalai Lama had won the Nobel prize. Moreover, many Chinese regard Tibetans as being unfairly privileged since they are granted certain special subsidies and benefits from the government because of their ethnic status. For example, they are exempted from the one-child policy that restricts urban Han Chinese families to a single child. Given this background, the TV footage and photographs of rampaging monks in Lhasa and elsewhere attacking Han civilians and security forces have bewildered many Chinese. They are particularly outraged at western media stories that consistently blame the Chinese government for its handling of the situation while bolstering the Dalai Lama's version of events. With the Olympics being held in Beijing this August, 2008 was intended as a year for the Chinese to showcase their new globalised and friendly face to the world. Instead the reaction of the West to the Tibet issue, widely publicised daily in all official media, is leading to feelings of victimisation among the Chinese and a correspondingly sharp response from the authorities. "If the terrorists insist on carrying out their attacks on lives and properties of the Chinese nation," opined one netizen on the English language China Daily website chat room, "[the] next step would be to exterminate them, like so many cockroaches." He added: "The Olympics is only a party to celebrate China's successes. It is not a goal in itself. Allowing the terrorists to run amok would jeopardise the 30 years of successes from all that hard work and smart work of the Chinese citizenry." What those urging China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama fail to recognise is the fact that Beijing's main constituency is not the international community but its own domestic public. The Olympics, important though they may be to the country's prestige, are seen as far less important than China's territorial integrity. There is a range of scholarship on contemporary China that demonstrates the fundamental utility of nationalism as a source of legitimacy to the country's ruling party. Given this fact, for Beijing to appear 'soft' on the Dalai Lama would be as politically unpalatable domestically as it would be in the United States were Washington to decide to engage in dialogue with Osama bin Laden. The door for dialogue and genuine compromise between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama was open briefly in the 1980s. The two sides held secret talks in Beijing in 1982 and 1984. At the time however, the Dalai Lama was less clear than he states he is today on the issue of how far he was willing to accept Chinese rule over Tibet. The exiles repeatedly insisted that any solution must entail the governance of Tibet under a totally different political system than what the rest of China had. This would mean transforming the region into a self-governing democratic entity, something that was patently unacceptable to Beijing. When in 1989 the Chinese authorities invited the Dalai Lama to participate in a religious ceremony in an effort to re-start stalled talks, the exiled leader refused. He chose instead to appeal to the West to put pressure on China to accede to his demands. For Beijing this move branded the Dalai Lama as a chronically unreliable negotiator. Since then the Chinese leadership's preferred approach is to wait for the monk's passing. The idea is that any successor of the current Dalai is unlikely to inspire similar veneration in Tibetans and would thus lack the clout enjoyed by the current leader. Thus while Chinese leaders have repeatedly, in recent weeks, stated that they are open to talks with the Dalai Lama, they reiterate the caveat that he must give up his demand for independence. The Dalai Lama in turn has repeatedly insisted that he has no such claim. The Chinese respond by pointing to the riots in Lhasa and hence the Dalai's 'obvious insincerity.' And so on it goes, in circles. Even were the government persuaded to attempt a compromise with the exiled leader, its room for manoeuvre is slim given the way the public views the situation. Any change in Beijing's position, including talks with the Dalai Lama, would appear as bowing to foreign pressure and failing to respond firmly to violence. In 1989 the Dalai Lama won the Nobel peace prize. However, beyond symbolic gains for his cause, his strategy of appealing to the West for support failed to make China compromise on Tibet. In fact, it precipitated a more hard-line policy on the issue, which persists till today. With the recent protests and the upcoming Olympic Games, the Dalai and Tibet are once again in the international limelight. However, given the Chinese reaction there is little cause to believe any fundamental shift in Tibet's situation will be precipitated. From rashneek at gmail.com Thu Apr 3 09:56:55 2008 From: rashneek at gmail.com (rashneek kher) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 09:56:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Navreh Celebrations at Faridabad-Divay Message-ID: <13df7c120804022126i4d644209t729357da545a9ab7@mail.gmail.com> "*Roots in Kashmir*" in association with "*Kashmiri Sewak Samaj,Faridabad*" invites everyone to be a part of the Navreh(Kashmiri New Year) Celebrations on 6th of April,07. Renowned Kashmiri singer Kailash Mehra will enthrall the audiences with her mesmerizing voice. Others who will perform are Ravi Bhan(Light Kashmiri Classical and Sufiana Music),Sanjeev Raina"Gautam"(Traditional Kashmiri Folk-Chakri and Leela),Priyanka Patwari(Indian Classical Dance-Bharatnatyam). The Celebrations shall continue all night till the arrival of the first rays of Sun on 7th April,08. *Venue:* Hari Parvat Anangpur Village,Faridabad. *Time* from 2.30 PM onwards on 6th April,07 Anangpur is a small village,nestled between the Aravalis.A small by lane almost 1km ahead of Surajkund (on the Firing Range Road)takes you to the village.Atop the hillock,near the Anangpur Village,Faridabad,rests the replica of the temple of Sharika(the presiding deity of Kashmir). For any information please feel free to contact me at 9810049979. Best Regards and Have a Glorious Year Ahead... -- Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From markcmarino at gmail.com Fri Apr 4 11:52:11 2008 From: markcmarino at gmail.com (Mark Marino) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 22:22:11 -0800 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] CFP: Elit under the Stars (7/25/08) Message-ID: <287213f30804032322u6eaa3ffdt90292ea7b332e20a@mail.gmail.com> Hi, wanted to let you know about this event. Please help pass it along! Elit Open Mic/Open Mouse April 25,2008, 7:30pm USC, Institute for Multimedia Literacy Calling All creators (and fans) of Electronic Literature: authors, designers, and programmers. Sign up now to present your new or favorite work of elit in our Open Mic/Open Mouse. Venue: Outdoors under the stars at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy, 746 West Adams Blvd., LA, CA 90089 at the University of Southern California. Potential Genres: * Electronic Poetry * Hypertext * Interactive Fiction * Interactive Drama * Conversational Agents * Video Mashups * Serious Games * Flash Works * Codeworks Any work that could be labeled "Electronic Literature" is welcome Or you may read an excerpt of one of your favorite elit works. Performance Spots Length: 7 Minutes Max The performance will be Free and Open to the public. Contact: To sign up, contact Jeremy Douglass [jeremydouglass [at] gmail] Organized by Mark Marino, Jeremy Douglass, and Jessica Pressman with support from Holly Willis of the Institute for Multimedia Literacy and from the Electronic Literature Organization. For more information see: http://writerresponsetheory.org/wordpress/2008/04/03/underthestars/ -- Writing Program University of Southern California http://WriterResponseTheory.org http://CriticalCodeStudies.com -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From mitoo at sarai.net Thu Apr 3 05:58:04 2008 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:28:04 -1200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] 12th B.N.Ganguly Memorial Lecture Message-ID: <47F42494.8070900@sarai.net> Centre for the Study of Developing Societies cordially invites you to the 12th B.N. Ganguli Memorial Lecture "Rethinking Collectivities: Institutional Innovations in Group Farming, Community Forestry and Strategic Alliances" by "Professor Bina Agarwal" *Friday, 11th April 2008, 5:30 PM 29, Rajpur Road Delhi 110054 Professor Niraja Gopal Jayal will chair * "B.N. Ganguli Memorial Lectures" are instituted in memory of the distinguished economist-intellectual Professor B.N. Ganguli, former Chair CSDS Board of Governors. Earlier speakers in the series include Professors Charles Taylor, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Raimundo Panikkar, Bhikhu Parekh, Ernest Gellner, Ali Mazrui, Roberto Unger, Michael Walzer, John Keane, Amit Bhaduri and Giorgio Agamben. "Bina Agarwal" is Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University. She has written on a range of subjects: land, livelihoods and property rights; environment and development; the political economy of gender; poverty and inequality; law; and agriculture and technological change. Among her books are "Cold Hearths, Barren Slopes: The Woodfuel Crisis in the Third World" and "A Field of One's Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia". Her writings have been used extensively in framing policy by governments, NGOs and international agencies. She has participated in the formulation of several of India's Five Year Plans. She was conferred the Padma Shri in 2008. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Niraja Gopal Jayal" is Professor at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. She is the author of "Democracy and the State: Welfare, Secularism and Development in Contemporary India" and "Representing India: Ethnic Diversity and the Governance of Public Institutions". -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From moinakb at yahoo.com Wed Apr 2 15:59:22 2008 From: moinakb at yahoo.com (moinak biswas) Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 03:29:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Journal of the Moving Image is Online Message-ID: <696009.52605.qm@web54307.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Journal of the Moving Image, the annual publication of the Department of Film Studies, Jadavpur University, is now available online at www.jmionline.org JMI 4 and JMI 5 are on view at the moment. JMI. 6 will come up by the end of the month. The back issues will be uploaded thereafter. We would like to receive your comments. Moinak Biswas On behalf of the Editorial Board (Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, Moinak Biswas, Abhijit Roy, Madhuja Mukhopadhyay, Anindya Sengupta, Manas K. Ghosh, Subhajit Chatterjee) Department of Film Studies Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700 032 Ph. 033 2411 1143 (home), 033 2414 6689 (office) ____________________________________________________________________________________ You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From rashneek at gmail.com Fri Apr 4 14:01:50 2008 From: rashneek at gmail.com (rashneek kher) Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 14:01:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Navreh Celebrations-Invitation Message-ID: <13df7c120804040131j385ae475y7337de1f2dc40744@mail.gmail.com> "*Roots in Kashmir*" in association with "*Kashmiri Sewak Samaj,Faridabad*" invites your presence on the Navreh (Kashmiri New Year) Celebrations on 6th of April,07. Renowned Kashmiri singer Kailash Mehra will enthrall the audiences with her mesmerizing voice. Others who will perform are Ravi Bhan(Light Kashmiri Classical and Sufiana Music),Sanjeev Raina"Gautam"(Traditional Kashmiri Folk-Chakri and Leela),Priyanka Patwari(Indian Classical Dance-Bharatnatyam). The Celebrations and Prayers shall continue all night till the arrival of the first rays of Sun on 7th April,08. *Venue:* Hari Parvat Anangpur Village,Faridabad. *Time* from 2.30 PM onwards on 6th April,07 Anangpur is a small village,nestled between the Aravalis.A small by lane almost 1km ahead of Surajkund (on the Firing Range Road)takes you to the village.Atop the hillock,near the Anangpur Village,Faridabad,rests the replica of the temple of Sharika(the presiding deity of Kashmir). For any information please feel free to contact me at 9810049979. Best Regards - Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com From taraprakash at gmail.com Fri Apr 4 19:39:31 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 10:09:31 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu References: Message-ID: <013101c89661$c539c1f0$4624ab0a@taraprakash> Thanks Sonia for writing this letter. However, Hindu which has seemingly assumed a role of being the mouthpiece of current Chinese regime, is the least likely to pay any attention to it, let alone publish it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "S. Jabbar" To: "sarai list" Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 3:57 AM Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu > This is a letter I have written to The Hindu in response to Pallavi > Aiyar¹s > , How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause (The Hindu, April 3). I¹m > posting the original article FYI below. > > ---------------------------- > > Pallavi Aiyar¹s , How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause (The Hindu, > April 3) is full of inconsistencies and errors. The argument that the > Chinese leadership cannot be expected to engage in talks with the Dalai > Lama > because they have portrayed him as the enemy for the last 50 years, is > like > agonizing over how the Sangh Parivar can ever embrace Indian Muslims after > demonizing the community all its life. The only sane answer to this can > be: > well, that¹s your problem, now go figure! > > Aiyar admits that there is little information about Tibet within China and > then strangely concludes that there is widespread anger at Tibetan > protests > based on her readings of Chinese blogs. How does one accurately ascertain > what people genuinely feel or think under an authoritarian government that > controls information, thought and expression? Besides, Aiyar seems > totally > unaware of the ripples generated by the recent letter to the Chinese > government calling for a direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama by over 30 > Chinese intellectuals, many of who are Han. > > To assert that the Chinese government has to Œsell¹ an idea to the public > is > specious. Since when have dictatorships bothered with popularity ratings? > Did the Chinese government assess what 1.25 million of its citizens felt > when they were displaced to make way for the Olympic games, or the > millions > displaced in the Three Gorge Project, or what people feel when the > government regularly arrests and incarcerates Chinese intellectuals, > journalists, lawyers and activists who may harbour different opinions from > the present regime? > > Aiyar claims the Dalai Lama refused an invitation by China in 1989 Œin an > effort to re-start stalled talks,¹ and that he Œchose instead to appeal to > the West to put pressure on China to accede to his demands,¹ and that is > why > the Chinese view him Œas a chronically unreliable negotiator.¹ What is her > source of information? Why does she fail to mention concrete Tibetan > efforts of preceding years that include the Dalai Lama¹s 5-point Proposal > (1987) and Strasbourg Proposal (1988), and an invitation for talks in > Geneva > in 1988? > > The Panchen Lama died on 28 January 1989. The Chinese invitation to the > Dalai Lama came unexpectedly on Feb 7 to attend the cremation on Feb 15. > Is > it reasonable to expect him to jump at an invitation from hostile forces > with just a week to prepare for thirty years of absence? Incidentally, > when > the Dalai Lama subsequently asked to visit Tibet and to meet Premier Li > Peng > during his visit to New Delhi in 1991, both were denied. > > The Chinese government¹s stonewalling of the Tibet issue and issues of > human > rights within China cannot be viewed as a sovereign state¹s legitimate > rights over Œinternal matters¹. These are acts of hubris which will > sooner > or later force those in power to weigh what is more important, absolute > power for the Communist Party of China or the very existence of China > itself? > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > How China sees the Dalai Lama and his cause > Pallavi Aiyar > > What those urging China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama fail to recognise > is the fact that Beijing's main constituency is not the international > community but its own domestic public. For Beijing to appear 'soft' on the > Dalai Lama would be as politically unpalatable domestically asit would be > in > the United States were Washington to decide to engage in dialogue with > Osama > bin Laden. > > With tensions in Tibet continuing to bubble, pundits and politicians in > both > India and the West are increasingly calling for talks between the Chinese > government and the Dalai Lama. > One argument supporting the utility of talks between the Chinese > leadership > and the pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist leader reasons that contrary to the > dominant belief in Beijing, the Dalai Lama is in fact China's best bet for > a > long-term and stabl e solution to the Tibet issue. Only the Dalai Lama has > the stature and authority to convince the Tibetan population at large that > its interests lie within rather than separate from China, this line of > reasoning proceeds. Thus it is argued that if Beijing loses out on the > opportunity to reach an accommodation with the exiled leader now, it may > end > up with an even more unpredictable and hard to control situation regarding > Tibetan aspirations for self-determination after the Dalai's death. > > Others are urging the Chinese leadership to negotiate with the Dalai Lama > to > prove to the world that it "deserves" to host the Olympic Games. Beijing > will be able to boost its international image and prove its critics wrong > if > only it would agree to talks, it is claimed. > > What neither of these arguments takes into account, however, is how > strongly > divergent perceptions of the Dalai Lama within China and abroad, combined > with the deep vein of government-stoked nationalism that runs through > contemporary Chinese society, make it virtually impossible for Beijing to > sell any potential deal reached with the Dalai Lama to its public. While > in > the West the Dalai is widely seen as a Nobel prize-winning, peace-loving > figure of moral authority, within China the monk is regularly projected as > not only a separatist but also a duplicitous trouble-maker not above > unleashing violence. > > In the aftermath of the recent riots and protests in Tibet, Internet chat > rooms in China are abuzz with anger and indignation at what many see as > the > biased portrayal of the situation by the western media and the > 'hypocritical' actions and statements of the Dalai Lama. Revealingly, many > Chinese have even lashed out at the authorities for their ostensible > leniency in dealing with the protests, in sharp contradistinction to the > 'repressive crackdown' most commentators abroad have criticised Beijing > for. > > The majority of Chinese have little awareness that there is a Tibet > problem > at all. Although a relatively high-profile issue abroad, thanks in part to > the efforts of Hollywood, within China Tibet is usually far less prominent > in the consciousness of the average Chinese than Taiwan. In school, > Chinese > youngsters are taught how the region has only benefited from Communist > rule. > The feudal theocracy of the Dalai Lama was replaced by the enlightened > policies of the People's Republic, they are told, with the result that > Tibet > has enjoyed rising living standards and economic development. > > While the Dalai Lama is portrayed as a sinister figure working to split > Tibet from the Chinese nation, he is also described as having little > support > among the Tibetan population at large. When I gave a lecture to a class of > about 50 students at one of Beijing's top journalism universities a few > years ago, I discovered that not one of the bright, young things I was > talking to was aware that the Dalai Lama had won the Nobel prize. > > Moreover, many Chinese regard Tibetans as being unfairly privileged since > they are granted certain special subsidies and benefits from the > government > because of their ethnic status. For example, they are exempted from the > one-child policy that restricts urban Han Chinese families to a single > child. > > Given this background, the TV footage and photographs of rampaging monks > in > Lhasa and elsewhere attacking Han civilians and security forces have > bewildered many Chinese. They are particularly outraged at western media > stories that consistently blame the Chinese government for its handling of > the situation while bolstering the Dalai Lama's version of events. > > With the Olympics being held in Beijing this August, 2008 was intended as > a > year for the Chinese to showcase their new globalised and friendly face to > the world. Instead the reaction of the West to the Tibet issue, widely > publicised daily in all official media, is leading to feelings of > victimisation among the Chinese and a correspondingly sharp response from > the authorities. "If the terrorists insist on carrying out their attacks > on > lives and properties of the Chinese nation," opined one netizen on the > English language China Daily website chat room, "[the] next step would be > to > exterminate them, like so many cockroaches." He added: "The Olympics is > only > a party to celebrate China's successes. It is not a goal in itself. > Allowing > the terrorists to run amok would jeopardise the 30 years of successes from > all that hard work and smart work of the Chinese citizenry." What those > urging China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama fail to recognise is the > fact > that Beijing's main constituency is not the international community but > its > own domestic public. The Olympics, important though they may be to the > country's prestige, are seen as far less important than China's > territorial > integrity. > > There is a range of scholarship on contemporary China that demonstrates > the > fundamental utility of nationalism as a source of legitimacy to the > country's ruling party. Given this fact, for Beijing to appear 'soft' on > the > Dalai Lama would be as politically unpalatable domestically as it would be > in the United States were Washington to decide to engage in dialogue with > Osama bin Laden. > > The door for dialogue and genuine compromise between the Chinese > government > and the Dalai Lama was open briefly in the 1980s. The two sides held > secret > talks in Beijing in 1982 and 1984. At the time however, the Dalai Lama was > less clear than he states he is today on the issue of how far he was > willing > to accept Chinese rule over Tibet. The exiles repeatedly insisted that any > solution must entail the governance of Tibet under a totally different > political system than what the rest of China had. This would mean > transforming the region into a self-governing democratic entity, something > that was patently unacceptable to Beijing. > > When in 1989 the Chinese authorities invited the Dalai Lama to participate > in a religious ceremony in an effort to re-start stalled talks, the exiled > leader refused. He chose instead to appeal to the West to put pressure on > China to accede to his demands. For Beijing this move branded the Dalai > Lama > as a chronically unreliable negotiator. Since then the Chinese > leadership's > preferred approach is to wait for the monk's passing. The idea is that any > successor of the current Dalai is unlikely to inspire similar veneration > in > Tibetans and would thus lack the clout enjoyed by the current leader. > > Thus while Chinese leaders have repeatedly, in recent weeks, stated that > they are open to talks with the Dalai Lama, they reiterate the caveat that > he must give up his demand for independence. The Dalai Lama in turn has > repeatedly insisted that he has no such claim. The Chinese respond by > pointing to the riots in Lhasa and hence the Dalai's 'obvious > insincerity.' > And so on it goes, in circles. Even were the government persuaded to > attempt > a compromise with the exiled leader, its room for manoeuvre is slim given > the way the public views the situation. Any change in Beijing's position, > including talks with the Dalai Lama, would appear as bowing to foreign > pressure and failing to respond firmly to violence. > > In 1989 the Dalai Lama won the Nobel peace prize. However, beyond symbolic > gains for his cause, his strategy of appealing to the West for support > failed to make China compromise on Tibet. In fact, it precipitated a more > hard-line policy on the issue, which persists till today. With the recent > protests and the upcoming Olympic Games, the Dalai and Tibet are once > again > in the international limelight. However, given the Chinese reaction there > is > little cause to believe any fundamental shift in Tibet's situation will be > precipitated. > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From reartikulacija at gmail.com Thu Apr 3 12:40:35 2008 From: reartikulacija at gmail.com (reartikulacija reartikulacija) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 09:10:35 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] 3rd Issue of the journal for critical theory, political analysis and contemporary art REARTIKULACIJA Message-ID: <1f7bb6c60804030010x7946c624x873a6cf9753419ba@mail.gmail.com> REARTIKULACIJA, Ljubljana Self-organized platfom and journal for critical theory and political analysis of the Slovene, Balkan, EU and contemporary art. www.reartikulacija.org * * *Number 3 of Reartikulacija, MARCH 2008* *Contents: * *REARTIKULACIJA * Marina Grzinic:REARTICULATION OF THE STATE OF THINGS OR EURO-SLOVENIAN NECROCAPITALISM Stas Kleindienst:DE-POLITICIZING POLITICS: CONTROL OVER PRODUCTION AND LIFE Sebastjan Leban:IMPORT/EXPORT: THE LOGIC OF CONTEMPT IN CONTEMPORARY NEOLIBERAL IMPERIALISM *ERASED * The thematic issue of the Journal for Critique of Science: A STORY OF AN ERASURE *NEW FASCISMS * Sefik Seki Tatlic:ALIEN IN TRANSITION AS A REFLECTION OF CAPITALIST TOTALITARIANISM *DECOLONISATION * Subhabrata Bobby Banarjee: LIVE AND LET DIE: COLONIAL SOVEREIGNTIES AND THE DEATH WORLDS OF NECROCAPITALISM Sebastjan Leban:DEPRECIATING LIFE – A Conversation with Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee *QUEER * Tatjana Greif: SCHENGEN IN PRACTICE *LESBIAN BAR * Natasa Velikonja: EUROPE IS BORING *BELGRADE (OTHER) SCENE * Ana Vujanovic and Marta Popivoda in collaboration with Ana Vilenica: OPEN GLOSSARY – ENTRY No. 02/08 *POSITIONING * NSK STATE IN TIME *STATE OF EXCEPTION * EXCEPTION: CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE FROM PRISHTINA Eduard Freudmann and Ivana Marjanovic: THE EXCEPTION PROVES THE RULE Ana Vujanovic in collaboration with the actors of the Other Scene: NO EXCEPTION! *HARD (CORE) * Katja Kobolt: GREY STARS ON THE EUROPEAN BLUE(S) SKIES: The European Funds a Dream and a Precarization of Culture in Slovenia *(HARD) CORE * Katharina Morawek: UNFREEZING THE MUSEUMS: THE POWER OF DISPLAY *HYPERCOMMODIFICATION * Zolta kronika: A MANIFESTO OF THE YELLOW CHRONICLES (ŽOLTA KRONIKA) *DEEP THROAT * Marina Grzinic:WHAT IS TO BE DONE? – A Conversation with Dmitry Vilensky *Reartikulacija* is an art project by the group Reartikulacija (Marina Grzinic, Stas Kleindienst, Sebastjan Leban and Tanja Passoni). It is based on a precise intervention logic; through contemporary theory, critic, art projects, activism and self-organization it aims to intervene in Slovene, Balkan and international space. The platform allows networking with other critical, activist, theoretical and art subjects in Slovenia, Europe and worldwide, who are interested in the possibility to create and maintain a dialogue with concrete social and political spaces. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From swakkhyar at gmail.com Sat Apr 5 15:28:08 2008 From: swakkhyar at gmail.com (swakkhyar deka) Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 15:28:08 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] short film festival Message-ID: <99ca36500804050258w3266e2c1va8c8de9d1cef7d87@mail.gmail.com> hi there......would anybody like to inform me about short film festivals in India in the next few months....?.....I have made a short film of 14 mintues and would like to show it to people.....here in India mainly.....so please let me know.... From anivar at movingrepublic.org Sat Apr 5 11:09:37 2008 From: anivar at movingrepublic.org (Anivar Aravind) Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:09:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Join the ViBGYOR Film Fraternity! Message-ID: <47F71099.9050609@movingrepublic.org> *Join the ViBGYOR Film Fraternity!* ViBGYOR- the PEOPLE'S FILM FESTIVAL =================================== Celebrating Identities and Diversity The Annual ViBGYOR Film Festival in Thrissur, Kerala and its associated activities have, in the last 3 years, become a significant alternative space for issue based independent films and a meeting place for filmmakers, social movements, activists and the student community. It is today among the biggest independent documentary film festivals in the country and is fast becoming an important event for independent filmmakers and people's movements. Please visit our site www.vibgyorfilm.com for details on our festivals and other activities in the past three years. The 3rd edition of ViBGYOR was held from February 13-17 2008. Nearly 1500 women and men participated and 175 films were screened at the 3 venues in; Thrissur town, the `Village ViBGYOR' (held in different centers of Pananchery village panchayath) and `Campus ViBGYOR' (in 3 colleges). This year's edition also saw open forum discussions, a media exhibition and music performances. True to its activist traditions, the festival also served as a space to highlight three important campaigns on the Athirappilly (Chalakudy) Hydroelectric project, the Chakkankandam (Guruvayur) sewage plant and the ongoing Human Rights violations in the state of Manipur. 3 films relating to these struggles were screened at the festival and representatives from each area spoke to the public and media. We have been inspired and enthused by the support we received for the past three editions of ViBGYOR and hope to screen films across the country this year through a Traveling Festival. We are also in the process of making the collections of the ViBGYOR Digital Film Archives available to the general public, with around 2500 films--documentaries, short fiction, feature-length fiction, animations, music videos and spots—already in our stack. Depending on the type of membership that individuals and institutions may want to avail, different services of the Archives will be offered to them. This membership scheme is an attempt to broaden the organizational and financial support base of ViBGYOR. =/ APPEAL:/= As with any people led initiative, ViBGYOR film festival has faced severe financial crisis. In spite of support from local groups, activists and partner organizations, the local organizers of the festival have incurred a cumulative loss of approximately rupees Seven lakhs over the past 3 years. One of the reasons is that the festival in principle does not accept any corporate funding and has received little support from Government departments and public trusts. Major expenses incurred have been for travel, hire of equipment, halls, publications and accommodation and food for filmmakers and activists who attend the annual event. We appeal to friends and well-wishers to join the ViBGYOR Film Fraternity and thus support this alternative film festival, so that we can address the current financial crisis and also plan for the future. There are several ways to become part of the ViBGYOR Film Fraternity: 1. Contribute a lump sum of Rs. 5000 ($ 150 for people outside India) and be an Associate of the ViBGYOR Film collective. 2. Contribute Rs. 100 a month or Rs. 1000/- as one time payment and become a Member of the ViBGYOR Support Group 3. Contribute any amount as an individual Contributors to the ViBGYOR Fund, apart from becoming eligible for different types of Memberships, will be listed on our website, ViBGYOR Souvenir, the monthly News Letter and the next Festival Book. They will be entitled to one Guest Pass entry to ViBGYOR Annual Film Festival and associated activities. An e-group will link all friends and supporters of ViBGYOR, with monthly updates on all ViBGYOR events. We hope to collect at least rupees 10 lakhs towards the deficit in the past and for the activities we have planned for the next three years. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please write a DD/cheque to `ViBGYOR Film Collective' payable at Thrissur and mail it to the address below. Or you may directly transfer the money to the ViBGYOR Collective account (a/c number: 110533, Catholic Syrian Bank, Thrissur Town Branch). Please provide us with your postal address so that we can send you the receipt. Awarding of Membership to the ViBGYOR Film Fraternity will take place in the near future in a public function attended by eminent filmmakers and other dignitaries. For ViBGYOR Collective, K.P.Sasi (President) C.Saratchandran (Vice President ) Fr. Benny Benedict (Secretary) K.C.Santhoshkumar, Anivar Aravind ,Jibu Thomas, T.N.Prasannakumar, K.K.Sunilkumar (Joint-Directors) Mustafa Desamangalam, Adv. Lima Ramadas (Depty. Directors) ViBGYOR Film Festival Office Chetana, Kalliath Square, Palace Road Thrissur: 680 020, Kerala, INDIA Tel: +91-487-2330830/0-9447000830 info at vibgyorfilm.com, www.vibgyorfilm.com _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From pratilipi.in at gmail.com Sat Apr 5 15:44:34 2008 From: pratilipi.in at gmail.com (Pratilipi) Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 15:44:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Announcing "Pratilipi" - www.pratilipi.in - Possibly India's First Online, Bilingual (Hindi/English), Literary Magazine Message-ID: <435290ba0804050314t5afb529clfa6878714aa2d322@mail.gmail.com> मित्रों/ Hi, संभवतः, भारत की पहली द्विभाषी, ऑनलाइन , साहित्यिक पत्रिका – प्रतिलिपि – के लोकार्पण पर आपका स्वागत है/We welcome you to Pratilipi.in - quite possibly India's first bi-lingual, online literary magazine. प्रवेशांक आपके हाथों में है और हम ख़ुद नहीं बोलेंगे, प्रतिलिपि को ही बोलने देंगे /Our inaugural issue is out. And we shall let it speak for itself. हमें विश्वास है की प्रतिलिपि के पन्नों पर और भाषाओं व लिपियों में, और बहुत सारे लोग, और बहुत तरह के लेखन आयेंगे और बात करेंगे/ We are sure more people, more kinds of writings, more languages and scripts, will come together and converse at Pratilipi. हमारी वेबसाईट है / The website - http://www.pratilipi.in प्रवेशांक /The first issue - प्रतिलिपि अप्रैल २००८ / PRATILIPI - April 2008 शीर्ष आलेख / LEAD ARTICLE - प्रतिरोध और साहित्य: मदन सोनी /MADAN SONI ON RESISTANCE AND LITERATURE IN HINDI फीचर्स / FEATURES - THREE NEW INDIAN ENGLISH POETS AND A FEMALE MAX BROD/ तीन नए भारतीय अंग्रेज़ी कवि और एक स्त्री-मैक्स ब्रॉड - SUDHIR CHANDRA ON 1857 AND INDIAN INTELLIGENTSIA /१८५७ के बौद्धिक उत्तरजीवन पर सुधीर चंद्र - RUSTAM (SINGH) ON SELF AND TIME / आत्म और काल पर रुस्तम (सिंह) कथा /FICTION - गीतांजलि श्री और अनिरुद्ध उमट के उपन्यासों के अंश /EXCERPTS FROM NOVELS BY GEETANJALI SHREE AND ANIRUDDH UMATH कविता / POETRY - LARS LUNDKVIST / लार्श लुन्डक्विस्ट - MAMTA G SAGAR / ममता जी सागर - MATSYA / मत्स्या - MIRANHSHAH / मीरनशाह - NILIM KUMAR / नीलिम कुमार - SUNITI BHATT / सुनीति भट्ट - UDAYAN VAJPEYI / उदयन वाजपेयी कथेतर / NON-FICTION - हिन्दी साहित्य के पर्यावरण और एक स्त्री-लेखक पर गिरिराज किराडू / GIRIRAJ KIRADOO ON WOMEN WRITERS IN HINDI LITERARY ENVIRONMENT प्रतीक्षा में / Regards, Giriraj Kiradoo & Rahul Soni Shiv Kumar Gandhi (Editors) (Art Editor) गिरिराज किराडू एवं राहुल सोनी शिव कुमार गाँधी संपादक कला संपादक -- www.pratilipi.in ----Pratilipi is (for the time being) a completely non-commercial magazine running on the editors' investments and on the works of likeminded contributors. Pratilipi forbids itself nothing – except taking on a representational role on the web or catering to such expectations – and, hopefully, never will. From sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in Mon Apr 7 10:41:10 2008 From: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in (S.Fatima) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 06:11:10 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar) Message-ID: <632909.23204.qm@web8415.mail.in.yahoo.com> Fast-food chains don't deliver in Delhi's Muslim ghetto Fast-food chains like Domino's and McDonald's usually refuse home delivery in Jamia Nagar (in Delhi city)even though this dominantly Muslim neighbourhood, famed for its Jamia Islamia University, is close to their New Friends Colony (NFC) outlets. By the way, Jamia Nagar is not just another unplanned stinky ghetto--it has wide roads, spacious houses, and proper addresses. (See the story: Jamia Nagar - Delhi's Rich Muslim Ghetto) "We don't deliver there," was the reply when The Delhi Walla called up Domino's (011-26933951-56) at NFC. Different responses on different calls: "we are sorry", or "we haven't started our service there yet." Ditto with McDonald's. "There are areas we don't deliver to and Jamia Nagar is one of them," says the lady manning the McDelivery desk. According to McDonald's India North & East, "McDelivery ascertain the delivery area on various internal assessments including the convenience and safe accessibility of the area within the permissible timeframe." OK, fair enough. It takes less then 10 minutes to drive to Jamia Nagar from McDoanld's. So is the place not safe enough? An unusually forthcoming employee at Domino's said, "It's not a good area. We deliver there only to special customers." Who are these mysterious special customers? At least author Ms. Rakshanda Jalil, a Jamia Nagar resident who recently had luminaries like Khushwant Singh and Sheila Dikshit (Delhi Chief Minister no less) attending her book launch, is not special enough. She couldn't coax Domino's to deliver Veggie Delight with extra olives for her two daughters. "They go to faraway blocks of New Friends Colony and were delivering as far as Sarita Vihar but they won't come here which is closer", says Ms. Jalil. Now listen to the outlets' unofficial excuses: "customers there don't pay", "addresses are usually given wrong", and--this takes the pizza—"The Jamia University students forcibly take pizza boxes from delivery boys." Then why is Pizza Hut able to deliver, and deliver successfully, to Jamia Nagar? A quick phone call put things in perspective. Yes, Pizza Hut does deliver in Jamia Nagar. Yes, they have never faced problems. But sorry, they don't deliver after 7 pm. Reason? Traffic jam! Really? That's laughable. Jamia is essentially an university campus with verdant grounds and quiet libraries. Hardly the stuff traffic jams are made of. Ms. Jalil says, "Nobody uses the M word. But clearly, they don't go 'out there' because a different sort of species resides out there!" Achha, those Mussalmaans! ------------------- from: http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008/04/dateline-jamia-nagar-no-pizzas-for.html Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/ From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Mon Apr 7 12:34:26 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:04:26 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizza, No Cry Message-ID: The post about pizza in Jamia reminded me of a similar (but disconnected) topography vis-a-vis food deliveries & taxi rides to the inner city, black/latino dominated areas of New York. For a long time, black residents used to complain that Chinese restaurants and pizza parlors (often run by asian immigrants) would not deliver to their areas. I first started noticing this issue after talking to Domino's delivery boys (on bikes) in New York, many of whom are Bangali. The Bangalis would respond, "bhayya, you can say this is not right, but after being mugged three times on three deliveries, you will also not want to deliver there." Ironically, the most successful (and shit food) joints in the inner city seems to be the ubiquitous fried chinese joint, with its total encasing of bulletproof glass. New York taxi drivers have similar complaints against them-- of not wanting to make drop-offs to Harlem, etc. There was a famous incident of actor Danny Glover being refused to sit in front seat (drivers are afraid of getting mugged in that situation because there's no bulletproof glass divider there) after which he held a full-bore press conference and New York was abuzz with this topic for 3 weeks (after which, predictably, some sex scandal broke and it was all forgotten. I have heard two sides of this multi-prong debate. African-American friends who have millions of stories of taxis refusing to pick them up (the feeling of offense seems higher if they are a successful banker-- class trumps race, or not). South Asian taxi drivers who talk of how often they get mugged, and where they get mugged, and end by saying--> "if 75% of all taxi muggings happen north of 110th street, what do you ask me to do? be racially sensitive and risk getting killed? or be a racist and live". I have never known what could possibly be the tenable position to take in this whole debate. That South Asian migrants absorb the racism of the system they are making their way in is undeniable. But economic necessity and class warfare intersect and poison/muddy this debate as well. I feel that somewhere in all this is tenable progressive position, but not yet articulated. There are also books like TAXI! by Biju Matthews (New Press), that look at cabbies as the new exploited permanent underclass of New York. What a tragedy that this underclass has to failed to build any solidarity alliance with America's permanent african american underclass. The lack of unity came to the surface very quickly after 2001, when south asians became the new racial profiling target, and iTSA security jobs where often filled by african americans and latinos. Each minority community gains at the expense of another. Until of course the pendulum turns, again. It was only a decade ago that Vijay Prashad was asking in KARMA OF BROWN FOLK, inverting Dubois, to South Asians "how does it feel to be a solution?" That all seems hopelessly dated now. Fear and loathing in the big city... Message: 5 Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 06:11:10 +0100 (BST) From: "S.Fatima" Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar) To: sarai Message-ID: <632909.23204.qm at web8415.mail.in.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Fast-food chains don't deliver in Delhi's Muslim ghetto Fast-food chains like Domino's and McDonald's usually refuse home delivery in Jamia Nagar (in Delhi city)even though this dominantly Muslim neighbourhood, famed for its Jamia Islamia University, is close to their New Friends Colony (NFC) outlets. By the way, Jamia Nagar is not just another unplanned stinky ghetto--it has wide roads, spacious houses, and proper addresses. (See the story: Jamia Nagar - Delhi's Rich Muslim Ghetto) "We don't deliver there," was the reply when The Delhi Walla called up Domino's (011-26933951-56) at NFC. Different responses on different calls: "we are sorry", or "we haven't started our service there yet." Ditto with McDonald's. "There are areas we don't deliver to and Jamia Nagar is one of them," says the lady manning the McDelivery desk. According to McDonald's India North & East, "McDelivery ascertain the delivery area on various internal assessments including the convenience and safe accessibility of the area within the permissible timeframe." OK, fair enough. It takes less then 10 minutes to drive to Jamia Nagar from McDoanld's. So is the place not safe enough? An unusually forthcoming employee at Domino's said, "It's not a good area. We deliver there only to special customers." Who are these mysterious special customers? At least author Ms. Rakshanda Jalil, a Jamia Nagar resident who recently had luminaries like Khushwant Singh and Sheila Dikshit (Delhi Chief Minister no less) attending her book launch, is not special enough. She couldn't coax Domino's to deliver Veggie Delight with extra olives for her two daughters. "They go to faraway blocks of New Friends Colony and were delivering as far as Sarita Vihar but they won't come here which is closer", says Ms. Jalil. Now listen to the outlets' unofficial excuses: "customers there don't pay", "addresses are usually given wrong", and--this takes the pizza—"The Jamia University students forcibly take pizza boxes from delivery boys." Then why is Pizza Hut able to deliver, and deliver successfully, to Jamia Nagar? A quick phone call put things in perspective. Yes, Pizza Hut does deliver in Jamia Nagar. Yes, they have never faced problems. But sorry, they don't deliver after 7 pm. Reason? Traffic jam! Really? That's laughable. Jamia is essentially an university campus with verdant grounds and quiet libraries. Hardly the stuff traffic jams are made of. Ms. Jalil says, "Nobody uses the M word. But clearly, they don't go 'out there' because a different sort of species resides out there!" Achha, those Mussalmaans! ------------------- from: http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008/04/dateline-jamia-nagar-no-pizzas-for.html From shuddha at sarai.net Mon Apr 7 18:53:35 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 18:53:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities Message-ID: Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear and loathing in big cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it comes to the sharp edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each other. I recently saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian Express that I think would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. Its about a wall. No, Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I thought it would echo (from a different angle) some of the thoughts being expressed in Naeem and Fatima's posts. best Shuddha --------------------------------------- Great Wall of Kalkaji Preeti Jha, Indian Express Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at 11:51:20 http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of-Kalkaji/292736/ New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot wall to divide a slum cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies is wreaking havoc in south Delhi’s Kalkaji Extension. Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, Seema Sagar watches as a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to another, before precariously balancing on a stray brick. All this to safely cross the stream of sewage that now floats outside her house. On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 small shops and homes to make way for a wall that will encircle all three camps in the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and Navjeevan. Four hundred metres of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, under construction by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since December. “We are acting on an order from the High Court,” says DDA’s executive engineer K K Khanna. And the High Court was responding to a petition filed by Arsh Avtaar Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments’ Resident Welfare Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a solution against encroachment of roads and services by slum residents. ‘Block them out’ Neighbouring middle-class colonies support Singh’s efforts. A flat- owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does not want to be named, says: “All my life savings have been used to purchase this flat. For 22 years I have lived with the stink from open defecation, and constant over-crowding from blocked roads.” Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in ‘pukka’ housing. “I feel bad for them,” says Singh, whose own domestic help lives in Bhumiheen Camp. “They should be given an alternative home immediately.” But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the slum dwellers. “The wall is a temporary arrangement to offer protection to flat owners,” Khanna says. In the interim, Daliwal thinks the wall should be built higher. “It should be at least eight foot high, and built either with bricks, or grills and mesh. There should also be fewer outlets.” ‘Livelihood gone’ The camp’s residents, though, are fuming. “We were given no warning,” says Sagar. She claims to have bought her grocery shop for Rs 20,000 rupees 13 years ago. “I make Rs 50 a day, through which I cook for my family. We have nothing to eat today without my shop.” Trying to salvage broken chairs and cutlery from his former confectionery store, Izhar Ali asks, “What should I do to earn? Can the government give me an alternative?” As an MCD employee sprays mosquito repellent into stagnant water forming pools around the newly homeless, Kamla Ujhain forlornly watches her grandchildren eat in what used to be a bathroom. “We knew it would close our businesses,” says Maya Devi, peering outside her shop, now shrouded by bricks. “And what if there’s a fire?” asks another shopkeeper, Naresh Kumar. “It will be much harder to escape if we are contained from all sides.” DDA’s Khanna, meanwhile, insists there will be several entry and exit points in the wall. “There are more than 17 gaps in the 400-metre stretch built so far,” he says. DDA has a May 21 deadline for building the wall. Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Mon Apr 7 19:02:07 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 06:32:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Navreh Celebrations-Invitation In-Reply-To: <13df7c120804040131j385ae475y7337de1f2dc40744@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <258568.60788.qm@web45506.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Wishing you all a happy and prosporous Navreh to my kasmiri friends and new year wishes to the rest. This chitra will bring more deligh into the lives with NIMBA PUSHPA(NEEM FLOWER) PICKLE mixed with other 5 tastes. rashneek kher wrote: "*Roots in Kashmir*" in association with "*Kashmiri Sewak Samaj,Faridabad*" invites your presence on the Navreh (Kashmiri New Year) Celebrations on 6th of April,07. Renowned Kashmiri singer Kailash Mehra will enthrall the audiences with her mesmerizing voice. Others who will perform are Ravi Bhan(Light Kashmiri Classical and Sufiana Music),Sanjeev Raina"Gautam"(Traditional Kashmiri Folk-Chakri and Leela),Priyanka Patwari(Indian Classical Dance-Bharatnatyam). The Celebrations and Prayers shall continue all night till the arrival of the first rays of Sun on 7th April,08. *Venue:* Hari Parvat Anangpur Village,Faridabad. *Time* from 2.30 PM onwards on 6th April,07 Anangpur is a small village,nestled between the Aravalis.A small by lane almost 1km ahead of Surajkund (on the Firing Range Road)takes you to the village.Atop the hillock,near the Anangpur Village,Faridabad,rests the replica of the temple of Sharika(the presiding deity of Kashmir). For any information please feel free to contact me at 9810049979. Best Regards - Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: --------------------------------- You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Mon Apr 7 19:52:16 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 07:22:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <752639.98127.qm@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Dear Partha, HAPPY NEW YEAR! As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond your mail. My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a response to radhikarajen mail. Next on your points, >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir (which can only happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living in a hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within INDIA. Kashmiri Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its their birth place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being oblivious to everything else will solve anything. Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual scenario is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. Emperors,kings whoever ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN did the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. Dhatri. Partha Dasgupta wrote: Dear Dhatri, As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off on an unrelated tangent. All that we are clarifying here is: a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir (which can only happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living in a hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being oblivious to everything else will solve anything. Rgds, Partha ............................................. On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: Dear All, Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, PAST and interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere innocence over this >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, reluctantly >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan was born as free India >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH SAW THE >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND MUSLIMS, >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the division of the nation on faith? Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same amount of casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and for all) only. There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I MEAN INDIA AS A NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all directions. I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or 2). It is clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation theory failed so utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL SURVIVING with OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY FATHER, HIS FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS COMES FROM HIS FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE FLOURISHED IN STUDIES AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS CHEATED AND ROBBED BY INVADERS. How? As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO POPULAR IN WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL it from India after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to eradicate it?) AND NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his daughter, INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is Mr.M.K.GANDHI or Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and daughters)? What was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a spectators role over this? --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old know about his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country AND ITS DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA to the country that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have conscious they remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few cases if any (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. Late Mr. Nehru ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the stewardship of Mr. Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of course Indirapriyadarsini as well). Regards, Dhatri. radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: Hi, all. All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas Karamchand gandhi was as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free India which did not include divided national boundaries on the faith, and Nethaji Subhash was popularly elected president of then plenary session of Indian national Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High Command " then chose Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of nethaji. Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan was born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND MUSLIMS, SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY POWER OR POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE prime minister HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and dynastical fervour is seen in free India. Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the Rajeevs and Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was good human, with good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, selfish, never cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. Regards.. From: we wi Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > Partha, > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > note the difference in everything. > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I > just follow > >>>what I believe is right. > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever be the > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really sorry > to say this. > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > breed hate and > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > believing anything. > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do > or profess to > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this > list except my cousin > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > what of me. > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > engaging in a > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > Pawan, > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I just > followwhat I believe is right. > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > hate and > more violence and > can not be a solution. > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit (presume > that is > 'AsitRed'). However, > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes in a block > without > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do or > profess to > here is not > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list except my > cousinwho > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks what of me. > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and engaging > in a > debate when > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - that is - > are you > proposing that > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > violence - > because that is > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding the moot > pointof the debate. > > Rgds, Partha > ..................... > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > wrote: > > > Partha , > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued to trust > you to > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like others in > the bunch, > > maintain double standards. > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth against > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready at the > start up line > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > Pawan > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > wrote: > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think that the only > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the struggle - > just more > > > death and hate. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ................... > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in Violence > ......But> > > again we have no love for a Psycopath killer like > Yasine> > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > Yasin Malik a > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > understand is your > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India achieved it's > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight back with > violence. One of the > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > considered it > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept of peace > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > something all > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some don't. > If it > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, then I would > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul < > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > organiser of > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people who lick > his feet > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good piece > of mind > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today Conclave 2008 > where he > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; visit: > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs Historic 114 day > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > the city. > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: > > > --------------------------------- > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > Yahoo! Search. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 --------------------------------- You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. From parthaekka at gmail.com Mon Apr 7 21:41:47 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 21:41:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <752639.98127.qm@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> <752639.98127.qm@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> Dear Dhatri, a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you check the Govt site which just happens to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is used a number of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a unique dictionary of your own. b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, and killing. Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your 'Rakshas' c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the point that was being made instead of going off on right angles about Gandhiji and the Muslim League. Rgds, Partha ........................ On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > Dear Partha, > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond your mail. > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a response to > radhikarajen mail. > > Next on your points, > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir (which > can only > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living in > a > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within INDIA. Kashmiri > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its their birth > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > oblivious to everything > else will solve anything. > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual scenario > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. Emperors,kings whoever > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN did > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > Dhatri. > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > Dear Dhatri, > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off on an > unrelated tangent. > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir (which > can only > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living in > a > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being oblivious > to everything > else will solve anything. > > Rgds, Partha > ............................................. > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > Dear All, > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, PAST and > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere innocence > > over this > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of > > us, reluctantly > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan was > > born as free India > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH SAW > > THE > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND MUSLIMS, > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the division of the > > nation on faith? > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same amount of > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and for all) only. > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I MEAN INDIA AS A > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > directions. > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or 2). It is > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation theory failed so > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL SURVIVING with > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY FATHER, HIS > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS COMES FROM HIS > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE FLOURISHED IN STUDIES > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS CHEATED AND ROBBED > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO POPULAR IN > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL it from India > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to eradicate it?) AND > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his daughter, > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and daughters)? What > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a spectators > > role over this? > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old know about > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country AND ITS > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA to the country > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have conscious they > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few cases if any > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. Late Mr. Nehru > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the stewardship of Mr. > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of course > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > Hi, all. > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas Karamchand gandhi was > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free India which did not > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and Nethaji Subhash was > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of Indian national > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High Command " then chose > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of nethaji. > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan was > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND MUSLIMS, > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY POWER OR > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE prime minister > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and dynastical > > fervour is seen in free India. > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the Rajeevs and > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was good human, with > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, selfish, never > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > Regards.. > > From: we wi > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I > > > just follow > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever be the > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really sorry > > > to say this. > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > breed hate and > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > believing anything. > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do > > > or profess to > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this > > > list except my cousin > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > > > what of me. > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > engaging in a > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > Pawan, > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I just > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > hate and > > > more violence and > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit (presume > > > that is > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes in a block > > > without > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do or > > > profess to > > > here is not > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list except my > > > cousinwho > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks what of me. > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and engaging > > > in a > > > debate when > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - that is - > > > are you > > > proposing that > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > violence - > > > because that is > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding the moot > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ..................... > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued to trust > > > you to > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like others in > > > the bunch, > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth against > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready at the > > > start up line > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think that the only > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the struggle - > > > just more > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in Violence > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a Psycopath killer like > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > understand is your > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India achieved it's > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight back with > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept of peace > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > something all > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some don't. > > > If it > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, then I would > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul < > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people who lick > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good piece > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today Conclave 2008 > > > where he > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; visit: > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs Historic 114 day > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > > > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > +919811047132 > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > > > Yahoo! Search. > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > List archive: > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > > > ------------------------------ > You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster > Total Access, > No Cost. -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Mon Apr 7 22:07:42 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 22:07:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> References: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> <752639.98127.qm@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> Partha or anybody else, Dare you call us all victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing - "Kashmiri Migrants". We didn't leave by our own will nor did we go out in search of livelihood. It was a forced migration due to sudden rise of Islamic Fundamentalism and violence. And if you really want to get enligtened read the various Article's of United Nations. We do qualify to be Internally Displaced People (IDP's). Hope you understand that. May God Bless you on the first day of Navreh (Kashmiri Pandit New Year) Regards Aditya Raj Kaul Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com On 4/7/08, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > Dear Dhatri, > > a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you check the > Govt > site which just happens > to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is used a > number > of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a unique > dictionary > of your own. > > b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, and killing. > Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your 'Rakshas' > > c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the point > that > was being made instead of going off on right angles about Gandhiji and > the Muslim League. > > Rgds, Partha > ........................ > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > > > Dear Partha, > > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond your mail. > > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a response to > > radhikarajen mail. > > > > Next on your points, > > > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > (which > > can only > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living > in > > a > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. > > > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within > INDIA. Kashmiri > > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its their birth > > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > oblivious to everything > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual > scenario > > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. Emperors,kings whoever > > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN > did > > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off on an > > unrelated tangent. > > > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir (which > > can only > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or living > in > > a > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for death. > > > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > oblivious > > to everything > > else will solve anything. > > > > Rgds, Partha > > ............................................. > > > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, PAST and > > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere > innocence > > > over this > > > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all > of > > > us, reluctantly > > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan was > > > born as free India > > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH SAW > > > THE > > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > MUSLIMS, > > > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the division of > the > > > nation on faith? > > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same amount of > > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and for all) > only. > > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I MEAN INDIA > AS A > > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > > directions. > > > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or > 2). It is > > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation theory > failed so > > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL SURVIVING > with > > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY FATHER, HIS > > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS COMES FROM > HIS > > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE FLOURISHED IN > STUDIES > > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS CHEATED AND > ROBBED > > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO POPULAR IN > > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL it from > India > > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to eradicate it?) > AND > > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his daughter, > > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and > daughters)? What > > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a > spectators > > > role over this? > > > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old know > about > > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country AND ITS > > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA to the > country > > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have conscious > they > > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few cases if any > > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. Late Mr. > Nehru > > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the stewardship of > Mr. > > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of course > > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > > > Regards, > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > > > Hi, all. > > > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas Karamchand gandhi > was > > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free India which > did not > > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and Nethaji Subhash > was > > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of Indian national > > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High Command " then > chose > > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of nethaji. > > > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, > > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan > was > > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, > WHICH > > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > MUSLIMS, > > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY POWER OR > > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE prime > minister > > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and dynastical > > > fervour is seen in free India. > > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the Rajeevs > and > > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was good human, > with > > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, selfish, > never > > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > > Regards.. > > > From: we wi > > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I > > > > just follow > > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever be the > > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really sorry > > > > to say this. > > > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > > breed hate and > > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > > believing anything. > > > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do > > > > or profess to > > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this > > > > list except my cousin > > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > > > > what of me. > > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > > engaging in a > > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > Pawan, > > > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I just > > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > > hate and > > > > more violence and > > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit (presume > > > > that is > > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes in a block > > > > without > > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do or > > > > profess to > > > > here is not > > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list except my > > > > cousinwho > > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks what of > me. > > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and engaging > > > > in a > > > > debate when > > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - that is - > > > > are you > > > > proposing that > > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > > violence - > > > > because that is > > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding the moot > > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > ..................... > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued to trust > > > > you to > > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like others in > > > > the bunch, > > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth > against > > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready at the > > > > start up line > > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think that the > only > > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the struggle - > > > > just more > > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in Violence > > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a Psycopath killer like > > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > > understand is your > > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India achieved it's > > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight back with > > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept of peace > > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > > something all > > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some don't. > > > > If it > > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, then I > would > > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul < > > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people who lick > > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good piece > > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today Conclave 2008 > > > > where he > > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; visit: > > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs Historic 114 day > > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > > > > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > +919811047132 > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > > > > Yahoo! Search. > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.< > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Partha Dasgupta > > +919811047132 > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster > > Total Access< > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47523/*http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com > >, > > No Cost. > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From arshad.mcrc at gmail.com Mon Apr 7 22:41:47 2008 From: arshad.mcrc at gmail.com (arshad amanullah) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 22:41:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-based Journalist Message-ID: <2076f31d0804071011g44172c96pb71fbc9b9424ed99@mail.gmail.com> www.milligazette.com New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on recent arrests in the state. The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper published from Delhi since 2000. Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police officials in MP state. If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of India tomorrow, 8 April. [end] Issued by The Milli Gazette D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 Email: edit at milligazette.com Website: www.milligazette.com Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of central and MP state authorities: "This is to inform you that we are a registered English-language fortnightly newspaper published regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal violence there. At about same time news of arrests of alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as well to report on the situation there and to visit some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after making enquiries about the location of the concerned areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and he was there at my instructions to report on the recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping enquiries and he is not under arrest. My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he is alright and was answering questions by the police; Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone at that time and told me that there is nothing to worry about as they were only trying to establish the reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 April 08). He told me that he had no information about this matter. As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown place for no reason whatsoever as he was only discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate matters of common and media interest. I fear that under the current charged atmosphere in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed by our Constitution and laws." From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 05:57:01 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 06:27:01 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Indian Guest Workers, Katrina, UN Message-ID: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice Alliance of Guestworkers for Dignity Furious at Rejection From Their Own Government, Indian Guest Workers Turn To UN Workers Will Meet With UN High Commissioner To Highlight Role of US and India in Trafficking Guest Workers; Will Release Statement Demanding Action from Indian Government New York, New York -- Indian guest workers who broke a major human trafficking chain and launched a political firestorm in India will meet with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at 1 pm on Tuesday, April 8. Workers will highlight the role of the Indian and US governments in allowing companies and recruiters to use the US guest worker program as a legally sanctioned vehicle for modern-day slavery. Workers will also issue an excoriating statement demanding action from the Indian government to bring safety and relief to 550 trafficking victims and their families. The workers triggered a criminal trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice against their former employer, Signal International, and the US and Indian recruiters who brought them to the US on false promises of permanent residency and green cards. Workers slammed the company and recruiters with a federal class action lawsuit, and walked on foot to Washington - in the tradition of Gandhi - to unmask the US guest worker program and force the Indian and US governments to take action on their behalf. In Washington, workers spoke at Congressional briefings and addressed US elected officials. After a high-level meeting with the Indian ambassador yielded only symbols, not solutions, workers then sought out the United Nations as an ally. Where: Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, 10th Floor, New York City When: 2:30 pm, Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Who: Indian workers trafficked to the post-Katrina Gulf Coast who are members of the Alliance of Guest Workers for Dignity and their allies # # # MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2008 CONTACT: Saket Soni 504-881-6610 This message was sent by: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, 99 Hudson St., 12 FL, New York, NY 10013 From parthaekka at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 08:29:23 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 08:29:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> References: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> <752639.98127.qm@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804071959o227588fdia6652f6797970fe9@mail.gmail.com> Aditya, However justified your stance may be or not, you still are under the constitution of India. Which means what I 'dare' do or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is the terminology used by the government. Do check the official site that I have referenced. Unless now you are claiming that as an 'IDP' you do not come under the laws of the country. Rgds, Partha ........................... On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 10:07 PM, Aditya Raj Kaul wrote: > Partha or anybody else, > > Dare you call us all victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing - "Kashmiri > Migrants". We didn't leave by our own will nor did we go out in search of > livelihood. It was a forced migration due to sudden rise of Islamic > Fundamentalism and violence. And if you really want to get enligtened read > the various Article's of United Nations. We do qualify to be Internally > Displaced People (IDP's). Hope you understand that. > > May God Bless you on the first day of Navreh (Kashmiri Pandit New Year) > > Regards > Aditya Raj Kaul > Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com > > On 4/7/08, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you check the > > Govt > > site which just > happens > > to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is used a > > number > > of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a unique > > dictionary > > of your own. > > > > b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, and > killing. > > Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your > 'Rakshas' > > > > c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the point > > that > > was being made instead of going off on right angles about Gandhiji > and > > the Muslim League. > > > > Rgds, Partha > > ........................ > > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > > > > > Dear Partha, > > > > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > > > > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond your > mail. > > > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a response to > > > radhikarajen mail. > > > > > > Next on your points, > > > > > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > > (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or > living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for > death. > > > > > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within > > INDIA. Kashmiri > > > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its their birth > > > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > > > > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > > oblivious to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual > > scenario > > > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > > > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. Emperors,kings > whoever > > > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN > > did > > > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off on an > > > unrelated tangent. > > > > > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > > > > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or > living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for > death. > > > > > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > oblivious > > > to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ............................................. > > > > > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, PAST and > > > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere > > innocence > > > > over this > > > > > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all > > of > > > > us, reluctantly > > > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan > was > > > > born as free India > > > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH > SAW > > > > THE > > > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the division of > > the > > > > nation on faith? > > > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same amount of > > > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and for all) > > only. > > > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I MEAN INDIA > > AS A > > > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > > > directions. > > > > > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or > > 2). It is > > > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation theory > > failed so > > > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL > SURVIVING > > with > > > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY FATHER, HIS > > > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS COMES > FROM > > HIS > > > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE FLOURISHED IN > > STUDIES > > > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS CHEATED > AND > > ROBBED > > > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO POPULAR IN > > > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL it from > > India > > > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to eradicate it?) > > AND > > > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his daughter, > > > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and > > daughters)? What > > > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a > > spectators > > > > role over this? > > > > > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old know > > about > > > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country AND ITS > > > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA to the > > country > > > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have conscious > > they > > > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few cases if any > > > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. Late Mr. > > Nehru > > > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the stewardship of > > Mr. > > > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of course > > > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, all. > > > > > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas Karamchand gandhi > > was > > > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free India which > > did not > > > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and Nethaji > Subhash > > was > > > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of Indian > national > > > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High Command " then > > chose > > > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of nethaji. > > > > > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, > > > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > Pakistan > > was > > > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE > NATION, > > WHICH > > > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY POWER OR > > > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE prime > > minister > > > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and > dynastical > > > > fervour is seen in free India. > > > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the Rajeevs > > and > > > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was good human, > > with > > > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, > selfish, > > never > > > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > > > Regards.. > > > > From: we wi > > > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I > > > > > just follow > > > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever be the > > > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really sorry > > > > > to say this. > > > > > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > > > breed hate and > > > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > > > believing anything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do > > > > > or profess to > > > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this > > > > > list except my cousin > > > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > > > > > what of me. > > > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > > > engaging in a > > > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > > Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I just > > > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > > > hate and > > > > > more violence and > > > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit (presume > > > > > that is > > > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes in a > block > > > > > without > > > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do or > > > > > profess to > > > > > here is not > > > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list except my > > > > > cousinwho > > > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks what of > > me. > > > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and engaging > > > > > in a > > > > > debate when > > > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - that is - > > > > > are you > > > > > proposing that > > > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > > > violence - > > > > > because that is > > > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding the moot > > > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > ..................... > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued to trust > > > > > you to > > > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like others in > > > > > the bunch, > > > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth > > against > > > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready at the > > > > > start up line > > > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think that the > > only > > > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the struggle - > > > > > just more > > > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in Violence > > > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a Psycopath killer like > > > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > > > understand is your > > > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India achieved it's > > > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight back with > > > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept of peace > > > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > > > something all > > > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some don't. > > > > > If it > > > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, then I > > would > > > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul < > > > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people who lick > > > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good piece > > > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today Conclave 2008 > > > > > where he > > > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; visit: > > > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs Historic 114 > day > > > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > > > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > > > > > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > +919811047132 > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > > > > > Yahoo! Search. > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.< > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > +919811047132 > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of > Blockbuster > > > Total Access< > > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47523/*http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com > > >, > > > No Cost. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Partha Dasgupta > > +919811047132 > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Tue Apr 8 15:01:52 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 02:31:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <32144e990804071959o227588fdia6652f6797970fe9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <76105.481.qm@web45501.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Whatever Partha is talking is irrelevant I feel in all angles, forget about TANGENT. If partha go through the mails and the terminology inside carefully, partha ought to say something different like Partha told INDIA was survived by all attacks, INDIA will survive forever. As partha entered into this list, partha is trying to speak by misunderstanding or misinterpreting or whatever. Let me ask you a question directly on migration. CASE A: If I (don't wish to point anybody, they may feel wrong like partha) born in village, grew up and studied in a town, working at a METRO with humans, should I be called as a MIGRANT or CITIZEN??? ALL THE PLACES I MENTIONED BELONG TO THE SAME COUNTRY. CASE B: Born in a village/town, grew up and studied at a METRO of different country, returned to the birth country and working??? CASE C: Born and brought up at native and working at a METRO of another country ? Which society or country or Government will treat me as MIGRANT? As per my knowledge, Except in CASE C I am very much CITIZEN to my BIRTH COUNTRY. Hence as far as INDIA is concerned nobody working anywhere within INDIA should not be treated or called as MIGRANTS. Whatever laws you are talking are copy paste/dumped rules and are just man made, not only that they are unequal AMONG THE COUNTRY MEN my dear partha. Partha Dasgupta wrote: Aditya, However justified your stance may be or not, you still are under the constitution of India. Which means what I 'dare' do or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is the terminology used by the government. Do check the official site that I have referenced. Unless now you are claiming that as an 'IDP' you do not come under the laws of the country. Rgds, Partha ............................ On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 10:07 PM, Aditya Raj Kaul wrote: > Partha or anybody else, > > Dare you call us all victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing - "Kashmiri > Migrants". We didn't leave by our own will nor did we go out in search of > livelihood. It was a forced migration due to sudden rise of Islamic > Fundamentalism and violence. And if you really want to get enligtened read > the various Article's of United Nations. We do qualify to be Internally > Displaced People (IDP's). Hope you understand that. > > May God Bless you on the first day of Navreh (Kashmiri Pandit New Year) > > Regards > Aditya Raj Kaul > Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com > > On 4/7/08, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you check the > > Govt > > site which just > happens > > to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is used a > > number > > of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a unique > > dictionary > > of your own. > > > > b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, and > killing. > > Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your > 'Rakshas' > > > > c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the point > > that > > was being made instead of going off on right angles about Gandhiji > and > > the Muslim League. > > > > Rgds, Partha > > ........................ > > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > > > > > Dear Partha, > > > > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > > > > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond your > mail. > > > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a response to > > > radhikarajen mail. > > > > > > Next on your points, > > > > > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > > (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or > living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for > death. > > > > > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within > > INDIA. Kashmiri > > > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its their birth > > > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > > > > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > > oblivious to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual > > scenario > > > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > > > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. Emperors,kings > whoever > > > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN > > did > > > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off on an > > > unrelated tangent. > > > > > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > > > > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) or > living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking for > death. > > > > > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > oblivious > > > to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ............................................. > > > > > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, PAST and > > > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere > > innocence > > > > over this > > > > > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all > > of > > > > us, reluctantly > > > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus Pakistan > was > > > > born as free India > > > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, WHICH > SAW > > > > THE > > > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the division of > > the > > > > nation on faith? > > > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same amount of > > > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and for all) > > only. > > > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I MEAN INDIA > > AS A > > > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > > > directions. > > > > > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or > > 2). It is > > > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation theory > > failed so > > > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL > SURVIVING > > with > > > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY FATHER, HIS > > > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS COMES > FROM > > HIS > > > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE FLOURISHED IN > > STUDIES > > > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS CHEATED > AND > > ROBBED > > > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO POPULAR IN > > > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL it from > > India > > > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to eradicate it?) > > AND > > > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his daughter, > > > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and > > daughters)? What > > > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a > > spectators > > > > role over this? > > > > > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old know > > about > > > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country AND ITS > > > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA to the > > country > > > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have conscious > > they > > > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few cases if any > > > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. Late Mr. > > Nehru > > > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the stewardship of > > Mr. > > > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of course > > > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, all. > > > > > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas Karamchand gandhi > > was > > > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free India which > > did not > > > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and Nethaji > Subhash > > was > > > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of Indian > national > > > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High Command " then > > chose > > > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of nethaji. > > > > > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all of us, > > > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > Pakistan > > was > > > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE > NATION, > > WHICH > > > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY POWER OR > > > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE prime > > minister > > > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and > dynastical > > > > fervour is seen in free India. > > > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the Rajeevs > > and > > > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was good human, > > with > > > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, > selfish, > > never > > > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > > > Regards.. > > > > From: we wi > > > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I > > > > > just follow > > > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever be the > > > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really sorry > > > > > to say this. > > > > > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > > > breed hate and > > > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > > > believing anything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do > > > > > or profess to > > > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this > > > > > list except my cousin > > > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > > > > > what of me. > > > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > > > engaging in a > > > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > > Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or otherwise. I just > > > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > > > hate and > > > > > more violence and > > > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit (presume > > > > > that is > > > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes in a > block > > > > > without > > > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I do or > > > > > profess to > > > > > here is not > > > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list except my > > > > > cousinwho > > > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks what of > > me. > > > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and engaging > > > > > in a > > > > > debate when > > > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - that is - > > > > > are you > > > > > proposing that > > > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > > > violence - > > > > > because that is > > > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding the moot > > > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > ..................... > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued to trust > > > > > you to > > > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like others in > > > > > the bunch, > > > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth > > against > > > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready at the > > > > > start up line > > > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think that the > > only > > > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the struggle - > > > > > just more > > > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in Violence > > > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a Psycopath killer like > > > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > > > understand is your > > > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India achieved it's > > > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight back with > > > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept of peace > > > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > > > something all > > > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some don't. > > > > > If it > > > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, then I > > would > > > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul < > > > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people who lick > > > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good piece > > > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today Conclave 2008 > > > > > where he > > > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; visit: > > > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs Historic 114 > day > > > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and > > > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list === message truncated === --------------------------------- You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 18:21:09 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:51:09 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <2076f31d0804071011g44172c96pb71fbc9b9424ed99@mail.gmail.com> References: <2076f31d0804071011g44172c96pb71fbc9b9424ed99@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is above the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" are not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of governance, or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but not against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? Regatrds. ----- Original Message ----- From: arshad amanullah Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-basedJournalist To: reader-list at sarai.net > www.milligazette.com > > New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > recent arrests in the state. > > The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > published from Delhi since 2000. > > Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > officials in MP state. > > If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > India tomorrow, 8 April. > > [end] > > Issued by The Milli Gazette > D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > Email: edit at milligazette.com > Website: www.milligazette.com > > Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > central and MP state authorities: > > "This is to inform you that we are a registered > English-language fortnightly newspaper published > regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > well to report on the situation there and to visit > some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > making enquiries about the location of the concerned > areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > he was there at my instructions to report on the > recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > is alright and was answering questions by the police; > Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > at that time and told me that there is nothing to > worry about as they were only trying to establish the > reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > April 08). He told me that he had no information about > this matter. > > As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > matters of common and media interest. I fear that > under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > by our Constitution and laws." > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 18:30:39 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:00:39 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> References: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> <"7526 39.98127.qm"@web45510.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Well, the individuals and their families are not migrants, in 1947 with adventure of the two nation concept, the citizens were driven out by muscle power and violence, falsifying the promise that all will live like good brothers in free India. Pity is that the forced individuals are even today refugees, the refugees of bangladesh are citizens who fled in 1970 onwards, fortunately they happen to be vote banks., that too with fake ration cards. Today the individuals from Kashmir do migrate for business with artefacts and apparels, they can be seen in metros like Chennai, Bangaluru, Mumbai, but unfortunately we have to be looking at them with cynical eyes as some of them indulge in all anti societal activities. Individuals who seek to work with dignity and integrity, for the society any where in India are citizens of India, but those who work for propagation of faith like the missionaries, who along with service , do propagate that only their god is "saviour " is shame on tolerent society.Because they try to increase the number of votes of the "faith" not law abiding citizens, that is the reason an italian can rule the nation by proxy.She came as wife, but now she wnats to loot for her "family" typical mafia style, with sycophants and hangers on licking the butter, forgetting that that is how Nation was in slavery. Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Aditya Raj Kaul Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:08 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition To: reader-list at sarai.net > Partha or anybody else, > > Dare you call us all victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing - > "KashmiriMigrants". We didn't leave by our own will nor did we go > out in search of > livelihood. It was a forced migration due to sudden rise of Islamic > Fundamentalism and violence. And if you really want to get > enligtened read > the various Article's of United Nations. We do qualify to be > InternallyDisplaced People (IDP's). Hope you understand that. > > May God Bless you on the first day of Navreh (Kashmiri Pandit New > Year) > Regards > Aditya Raj Kaul > Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com > > On 4/7/08, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you > check the > > Govt > > site which > just happens > > to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is > used a > > number > > of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a > unique> dictionary > > of your own. > > > > b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, > and killing. > > Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your > 'Rakshas'> > > c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the > point> that > > was being made instead of going off on right angles about > Gandhiji and > > the Muslim League. > > > > Rgds, Partha > > ........................ > > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > > > > > Dear Partha, > > > > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > > > > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond > your mail. > > > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a > response to > > > radhikarajen mail. > > > > > > Next on your points, > > > > > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > > (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) > or living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking > for death. > > > > > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within > > INDIA. Kashmiri > > > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its > their birth > > > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > > > > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > > oblivious to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual > > scenario > > > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > > > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. > Emperors,kings whoever > > > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN rule,british rule> > > did > > > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off > on an > > > unrelated tangent. > > > > > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > > > > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to > Kashmir (which > > > can only > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) > or living > > in > > > a > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking > for death. > > > > > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > oblivious > > > to everything > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ............................................. > > > > > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, > PAST and > > > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere > > innocence > > > > over this > > > > > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault > lines as all > > of > > > > us, reluctantly > > > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > Pakistan was > > > > born as free India > > > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, > WHICH SAW > > > > THE > > > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the > division of > > the > > > > nation on faith? > > > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same > amount of > > > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and > for all) > > only. > > > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I > MEAN INDIA > > AS A > > > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > > > directions. > > > > > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or > > 2). It is > > > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation > theory> failed so > > > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL > SURVIVING> with > > > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY > FATHER, HIS > > > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS > COMES FROM > > HIS > > > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE > FLOURISHED IN > > STUDIES > > > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS > CHEATED AND > > ROBBED > > > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO > POPULAR IN > > > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL > it from > > India > > > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to > eradicate it?) > > AND > > > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his > daughter,> > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is > Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and > > daughters)? What > > > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a > > spectators > > > > role over this? > > > > > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old > know> about > > > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country > AND ITS > > > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA > to the > > country > > > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have > conscious> they > > > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few > cases if any > > > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. > Late Mr. > > Nehru > > > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the > stewardship of > > Mr. > > > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of > course> > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, all. > > > > > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas > Karamchand gandhi > > was > > > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free > India which > > did not > > > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and > Nethaji Subhash > > was > > > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of > Indian national > > > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High > Command " then > > chose > > > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of > nethaji.> > > > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all > of us, > > > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > Pakistan> was > > > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS > THE NATION, > > WHICH > > > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > MUSLIMS, > > > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY > POWER OR > > > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE > prime> minister > > > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and > dynastical> > > fervour is seen in free India. > > > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the > Rajeevs> and > > > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was > good human, > > with > > > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, > selfish,> never > > > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > > > Regards.. > > > > From: we wi > > > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or > otherwise. I > > > > > just follow > > > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever > be the > > > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really > sorry> > > > to say this. > > > > > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > > > breed hate and > > > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > > > believing anything. > > > > > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, > what I do > > > > > or profess to > > > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone > on this > > > > > list except my cousin > > > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who > thinks> > > > what of me. > > > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > > > engaging in a > > > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > > Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or > otherwise. I just > > > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > > > hate and > > > > > more violence and > > > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit > (presume> > > > that is > > > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes > in a block > > > > > without > > > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I > do or > > > > > profess to > > > > > here is not > > > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list > except my > > > > > cousinwho > > > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > what of > > me. > > > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > engaging> > > > in a > > > > > debate when > > > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - > that is - > > > > > are you > > > > > proposing that > > > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > > > violence - > > > > > because that is > > > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding > the moot > > > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > ..................... > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued > to trust > > > > > you to > > > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like > others in > > > > > the bunch, > > > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth > > against > > > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready > at the > > > > > start up line > > > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think > that the > > only > > > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the > struggle - > > > > > just more > > > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in > Violence> > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a > Psycopath killer like > > > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > > > understand is your > > > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India > achieved it's > > > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight > back with > > > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept > of peace > > > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > > > something all > > > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some > don't.> > > > If it > > > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, > then I > > would > > > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj > Kaul < > > > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people > who lick > > > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good > piece> > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today > Conclave 2008 > > > > > where he > > > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; > visit:> > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs > Historic 114 day > > > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on > media and > > > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list> > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the > subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list> > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media > and the > > > > > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list> > > > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > +919811047132 > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > > > > > Yahoo! Search. > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.< > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > +919811047132 > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of > Blockbuster> > Total Access< > > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47523/*http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com> >, > > > No Cost. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Partha Dasgupta > > +919811047132 > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 18:51:59 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:21:59 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: My dear sister Fathima and her post was very thought provoking. But let us be honest to see the facts in the right perspective, is it not true that poor muslims are second grade citizens like all others in other faiths divided by castes. But the difference ends there, the poor in other faith do not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the pizza carrying vehicle touches their children playing on the roads, they are not out immediately in groups to demand money for the accident.They do not loot with mob power.Hard working individuals irrespective of their faith always see success in life inspite of bad systemic flaws of vote bank governance,that is how one can see yarn merchant Ambani and his next generation in wealth.But unfortunately, many muslims think that their zakath is only legal and not taxes a citizens have to pay, but they want "subsidy" even when the HOLY script says you travel with your honest hard earned money. A system of governance which delivers good governance to ALL in society with fair and just form is the democracy, but do we have it in place. ?Citizens are divided in to groups of castes, minorities and "mahorities and ultimately, a minority rules the citizens defying the oath of governance, with all fear, with all unfair means for the votes, unless all citizens irrespective of faith unite as a single society this game will go on, appeasing one section of citizens at the cost of other sections of the society. Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 6:53 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities To: sarai list > Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, > > Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear and loathing in > big > cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it comes to the sharp > > edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each other. I recently > > saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian Express that I > think > would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. Its about a wall. > No, > Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I thought it would echo > > (from a different angle) some of the thoughts being expressed in > Naeem and Fatima's posts. > > best > > Shuddha > > --------------------------------------- > Great Wall of Kalkaji > Preeti Jha, Indian Express > Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at 11:51:20 > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of-Kalkaji/292736/ > > New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot wall to divide a > slum > cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies is wreaking havoc > in > south Delhi’s Kalkaji Extension. > > Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, Seema Sagar watches > as > a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to another, before > precariously balancing on a stray brick. All this to safely cross > the > stream of sewage that now floats outside her house. > > On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 small shops and > homes to make way for a wall that will encircle all three camps in > > the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and Navjeevan. Four hundred > metres > of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, under construction > by > the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since December. “We are > acting > on an order from the High Court,” says DDA’s executive engineer K > K > Khanna. > > And the High Court was responding to a petition filed by Arsh > Avtaar > Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments’ Resident Welfare > Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a solution against > encroachment of roads and services by slum residents. > > ‘Block them out’ > Neighbouring middle-class colonies support Singh’s efforts. A flat- > > owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does not want to be > named, > says: “All my life savings have been used to purchase this flat. > For > 22 years I have lived with the stink from open defecation, and > constant over-crowding from blocked roads.” > > Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in ‘pukka’ housing. > “I > feel bad for them,” says Singh, whose own domestic help lives in > Bhumiheen Camp. “They should be given an alternative home > immediately.” > But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the slum dwellers. > “The > wall is a temporary arrangement to offer protection to flat > owners,” > Khanna says. > > In the interim, Daliwal thinks the wall should be built higher. > “It > should be at least eight foot high, and built either with bricks, > or > grills and mesh. There should also be fewer outlets.” > > ‘Livelihood gone’ > The camp’s residents, though, are fuming. “We were given no > warning,” > says Sagar. She claims to have bought her grocery shop for Rs > 20,000 > rupees 13 years ago. “I make Rs 50 a day, through which I cook for > my > family. We have nothing to eat today without my shop.” > > Trying to salvage broken chairs and cutlery from his former > confectionery store, Izhar Ali asks, “What should I do to earn? > Can > the government give me an alternative?” > > As an MCD employee sprays mosquito repellent into stagnant water > forming pools around the newly homeless, Kamla Ujhain forlornly > watches her grandchildren eat in what used to be a bathroom. “We > knew > it would close our businesses,” says Maya Devi, peering outside > her > shop, now shrouded by bricks. “And what if there’s a fire?” asks > another shopkeeper, Naresh Kumar. “It will be much harder to > escape > if we are contained from all sides.” > > DDA’s Khanna, meanwhile, insists there will be several entry and > exit > points in the wall. “There are more than 17 gaps in the 400-metre > stretch built so far,” he says. > > DDA has a May 21 deadline for building the wall. > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net >www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From parthaekka at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 18:56:50 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:56:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition In-Reply-To: References: <32144e990803260907v50c3713ne24e3cf669c462f@mail.gmail.com> <32144e990804070911h65c27fdax302e0d90d12b39e7@mail.gmail.com> <6353c690804070937x50e2dc60h5597fe26f3a5046@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804080626l5662e4a1t1278b51b7b5cd17f@mail.gmail.com> Dear Radhikarajen, 1. On the issue of Kashmiri Migrants, I am not quoting myself, or even the UNDP or any other UN body as they are not the law in India. I have used the term from the official site of the J&K Govt, which does happen to be the official source. Or is that being denied? 2. When you look at refugees / migrants, etc, what are you referring to? Forget 1970. When the partition happened, a lot of people migrated to India. By the Bangladesh yardstick you are using, even those who came from the nascent Pakistan to India should be refugees - which also happens to be the birth place of many in all political parties including the BJP. 3. The 'Italian' that seems to bother you so much was married to an Indian, has lived as an Indian in India for more years than many of those on this list have been alive, and has lost her mother-in-law as well as her husband to terrorists for our country. Much as I may disagree with many things she may do, with what she has had to give up for India, I disagree with you that she is an outsider. We call a person who is born out of this country an Indian though s/he may have done nothing for this country and can barely speak the language even though it's their mother tongue. However, here I guess it is easy to raise the 'foreigner' bogey and change the topic when it becomes uncomfortable. 4. Finally, to get back to the point of this debate. Why are all calls for the death of Yasin Malik and others. How many mails have you seen on this list that refer to the Kashmiri Pandits returning? I can recall none, but I certainly recall many about death sentences. If the whole point is revenge, and not about the return to what is claimed as a lost home, I certainly see no love of the lost home, but instead a love for more death. Rgds, Partha ......................................... On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 6:30 PM, wrote: > Well, the individuals and their families are not migrants, in 1947 with > adventure of the two nation concept, the citizens were driven out by muscle > power and violence, falsifying the promise that all will live like good > brothers in free India. > Pity is that the forced individuals are even today refugees, the refugees > of bangladesh are citizens who fled in 1970 onwards, fortunately they > happen to be vote banks., that too with fake ration cards. > > Today the individuals from Kashmir do migrate for business with artefacts > and apparels, they can be seen in metros like Chennai, Bangaluru, Mumbai, > but unfortunately we have to be looking at them with cynical eyes as some of > them indulge in all anti societal activities. Individuals who seek to work > with dignity and integrity, for the society any where in India are citizens > of India, but those who work for propagation of faith like the > missionaries, who along with service , do propagate that only their god is > "saviour " is shame on tolerent society.Because they try to increase the > number of votes of the "faith" not law abiding citizens, that is the reason > an italian can rule the nation by proxy.She came as wife, but now she wnats > to loot for her "family" typical mafia style, with sycophants and hangers on > licking the butter, forgetting that that is how Nation was in slavery. > > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Aditya Raj Kaul > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:08 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Partha or anybody else, > > > > Dare you call us all victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing - > > "KashmiriMigrants". We didn't leave by our own will nor did we go > > out in search of > > livelihood. It was a forced migration due to sudden rise of Islamic > > Fundamentalism and violence. And if you really want to get > > enligtened read > > the various Article's of United Nations. We do qualify to be > > InternallyDisplaced People (IDP's). Hope you understand that. > > > > May God Bless you on the first day of Navreh (Kashmiri Pandit New > > Year) > > Regards > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com > > > > On 4/7/08, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > > > a) On the issue of 'Kashmiri Migrants' I would suggest you > > check the > > > Govt > > > site which > > just happens > > > to be the official site of the J&K Govt - and the phrase is > > used a > > > number > > > of times - officially. Unless, of course, you have started a > > unique> dictionary > > > of your own. > > > > > > b) From your phrasing, it seems you are in support of Jihad, > > and killing. > > > Do confirm if this is true, and who/how will you define your > > 'Rakshas'> > > > c) If you had read Radhikarajen's mail, you would have seen the > > point> that > > > was being made instead of going off on right angles about > > Gandhiji and > > > the Muslim League. > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > ........................ > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:52 PM, we wi wrote: > > > > > > > Dear Partha, > > > > > > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR! > > > > > > > > As I was busy with some matters, I am unable to respond > > your mail. > > > > My mail was very much related to the debate, as this is a > > response to > > > > radhikarajen mail. > > > > > > > > Next on your points, > > > > > > > > >>a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to Kashmir > > > (which > > > > can only > > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) > > or living > > > in > > > > a > > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking > > for death. > > > > > > > > First and foremost please avoid the term MIGRATION within > > > INDIA. Kashmiri > > > > Pundits do have exclusive rights over KASHMIR because its > > their birth > > > > place, since their ancestors. No body can do anything over this! > > > > > > > > >>b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > > > oblivious to everything > > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > > > > > > > Its nothing to do with my feeling or your feeling, but the actual > > > scenario > > > > is entirely different there and it is because of JIHAD and its > > > > supporters. Even RAMA,KRISHNA killed RAKHASAS. > > Emperors,kings whoever > > > > ruled INDIA from EPIC AGE TO MODERN > rule,british rule> > > > did > > > > the same. Irrespective of time RAKSHASAS SHOULD BE KILLED. > > > > > > > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > *Partha Dasgupta * wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear Dhatri, > > > > > > > > As usual, you have completely ignored the debate and gone off > > on an > > > > unrelated tangent. > > > > > > > > All that we are clarifying here is: > > > > > > > > a) What is more important, getting the migrants back to > > Kashmir (which > > > > can only > > > > happen after there is a measure of peace - and not hate) > > or living > > > in > > > > a > > > > hate-blinded stupor that only allows you to keep asking > > for death. > > > > > > > > b) Do you really believe that continuing the killing and being > > > oblivious > > > > to everything > > > > else will solve anything. > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > ............................................. > > > > > > > > On 3/26/08, we wi wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > > > Though I am not a great personality to talk about HISTORY, > > PAST and > > > > > interested as well, but If I ask a very basic question with mere > > > innocence > > > > > over this > > > > > > > > > > >>Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault > > lines as all > > > of > > > > > us, reluctantly > > > > > >>agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > > Pakistan was > > > > > born as free India > > > > > >>emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS THE NATION, > > WHICH SAW > > > > > THE > > > > > >>SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > > MUSLIMS, > > > > > > > > > > >>SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > > > What happen if late Mr.M.K.Gandhi disagrees for the > > division of > > > the > > > > > nation on faith? > > > > > Let us discuss pros and cons over this. Probably the same > > amount of > > > > > casualties (after Partition) could have happened as a result of > > > > > disagreement, but they are for time being (i.e., once and > > for all) > > > only. > > > > > There should not be any troubles, whatever the country (I > > MEAN INDIA > > > AS A > > > > > NATION) has been suffering and facing (since 60 years) from all > > > > > directions. > > > > > > > > > > I would like to question MUSLIM LEAGUE ROLE over SUB-CONTINENT > > > > > INDEPENDENCE, their leaders' sacrifices as that of ... (as there > > > > > are in-numerous HINDU patriots, I could not mention just one or > > > 2). It is > > > > > clear that Mr. JINNAH AND HIS PUPPETS with cunning BRITISH BACK > > > > > ENJOYED/ENTHRALLED the POWER and LAND freely. If 2 nation > > theory> failed so > > > > > utterly why was a SEPARATE COUNTRY CALLED PAKISTAN IS STILL > > SURVIVING> with > > > > > OCCUPIED, GIFTED INDIAN TERRITORIES TO CHINA? > > > > > > > > > > --Coming back to late Mr. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, > > > > > > > > > > 1) HE DIDN'T HAIL FROM ANY DYNASTY. LIKE EVERY > > FATHER, HIS > > > > > FATHER SENT HIM TO LONDON FOR HIGHER STUDIES. THE RICHNESS > > COMES FROM > > > HIS > > > > > FATHERS' THEN PROFESSION. AS HE WAS INTELLIGENT, HE > > FLOURISHED IN > > > STUDIES > > > > > AND IN POLITICS AS WELL. WHAT WE believe > > > > > > > > > > a) LATE Mr. NEHRU WAS CHEATED BY EVERYBODY (BRITISH, FRIENDS, > > > > > SECULARISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND THEN CHINA) like India WAS > > CHEATED AND > > > ROBBED > > > > > BY INVADERS. How? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As a CASTE RIDDEN INDIAN SOCIETY (WHY RACISM WAS IS SO > > POPULAR IN > > > > > WESTERN WORLD. Where does it come from? ARE THEY JUST STEAL > > it from > > > India > > > > > after invasions like anything? Why did they fail to > > eradicate it?) > > > AND > > > > > NOBODY WILLING TO LOOSE THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, > > > > > > > > > > Why late Mr. NEHRU was chosen/influenced to give away his > > daughter,> > > INDIRAPRIYADARSINI to a PARSI BRIDEGROOM? Is > > Mr.M.K.GANDHI or > > > > > Mr.JINNAH feared to do so (As both were having sons and > > > daughters)? What > > > > > was then SOCIETY (INTELLECTUAL OR ORDINARY) silent and play a > > > spectators > > > > > role over this? > > > > > > > > > > --Finally What Mr. Nehru did to whom? > > > > > > > > > > Entire India starting from school going kids to 110 year old > > know> about > > > > > his vision, his plans and his burning desire for the Country > > AND ITS > > > > > DEVELOPMENT. If we talk about the world starting from CHINA > > to the > > > country > > > > > that ANY BODY mention, The universe know and if they have > > conscious> they > > > > > remember HIM and pray with FOLDED HANDS. > > > > > > > > > > I hope none of you feel, contradict and murmur if I quote, > > > > > Too err is human, and what if late Mr. Nehru err in few > > cases if any > > > > > (anybody point or feel) after all Mr. Nehru too a human. > > Late Mr. > > > Nehru > > > > > ruled INDIA as per the constitution written under the > > stewardship of > > > Mr. > > > > > Ambedkar in a better way as that of any body all times. (Of > > course> > > Indirapriyadarsini as well). > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *radhikarajen at vsnl.net* wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi, all. > > > > > > > > > > All said and done, let us not forget that Mohandas > > Karamchand gandhi > > > was > > > > > as human as all of us, and he had greater vision of free > > India which > > > did not > > > > > include divided national boundaries on the faith, and > > Nethaji Subhash > > > was > > > > > popularly elected president of then plenary session of > > Indian national > > > > > Congress, in 1939, it is different matter that " High > > Command " then > > > chose > > > > > Jawahar Nehru to be president., over the popular choice of > > nethaji.> > > > > > > > Secondly, Gandhiji, being human had human fault lines as all > > of us, > > > > > reluctantly agreed for division of the nation on faith, thus > > Pakistan> was > > > > > born as free India emerged, to a remark of nethaJI THAT IS > > THE NATION, > > > WHICH > > > > > SAW THE SACRIFICES OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS BOTH FROM HINDUS AND > > > MUSLIMS, > > > > > SHOULD BE DIVIDED AS IF BOUNTY OF A LOOT. ? > > > > > > > > > > THIRDLY,GANDHIJI WAS IN FREE iNDIA NEVER ASPIRED FOR ANY > > POWER OR > > > > > POSITION lIKE NEHRU WHO WANTED TO SIDELINE EVERYBODY AND BE > > prime> minister > > > > > HIMSELF. His greed for position and favour and nepotism and > > dynastical> > > fervour is seen in free India. > > > > > Gandhiji never "helped" his progeny to be "leaders" like the > > Rajeevs> and > > > > > Indiras of nehru dynasty All said and done, Gandhiji was > > good human, > > > with > > > > > good morals and ethics unlike his betenoire, Nehru, debauch, > > selfish,> never > > > > > cared for kashmiri displaced brothers. > > > > > Regards.. > > > > > From: we wi > > > > > Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:38 pm > > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > To: Partha Dasgupta , Pawan Durani > > > > > Cc: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > > > Partha, > > > > > > > > > > > > Mahatma gandhi was in 1900 around and this is 2000. Kindly > > > > > > note the difference in everything. > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or > > otherwise. I > > > > > > just follow > > > > > > >>>what I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > > > What if somebody or everybody feel wrong about that. Will you > > > > > > reconsider it or still proceed in the same way. Whatever > > be the > > > > > > case you must be either intellectual or an idiot. I really > > sorry> > > > to say this. > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only > > > > > > breed hate and > > > > > > >>>more violence and can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > > > "violence is the only solution for violence." > > > > > > you should question both quarreling parties instead of asking > > > > > > only one. Listen their answers understand them and then start > > > > > > believing anything. > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, > > what I do > > > > > > or profess to > > > > > > >>>here is not to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone > > on this > > > > > > list except my cousin > > > > > > >>>who introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who > > thinks> > > > what of me. > > > > > > >>>Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > > > > > engaging in a > > > > > > >>>debate when I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > > > What do your cousin feel about youself??? > > > > > > > > > > > > JAI HIND INDIA. > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta wrote: > > > > > > Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > a) Never claimed to be a 'secularist', pseudo or > > otherwise. I just > > > > > > followwhat I believe is right. > > > > > > > > > > > > b) I firmly believe that the cycle of violence will only breed > > > > > > hate and > > > > > > more violence and > > > > > > can not be a solution. > > > > > > > > > > > > c) I have no idea what 'filth' you refer to about Asit > > (presume> > > > that is > > > > > > 'AsitRed'). However, > > > > > > must admit that I rarely read what he writes as he writes > > in a block > > > > > > without > > > > > > punctuation or paras that I find impossible to comprehend. > > > > > > > > > > > > d) As for double standards and your dissapointment, what I > > do or > > > > > > profess to > > > > > > here is not > > > > > > to make or lose friends. Don't know anyone on this list > > except my > > > > > > cousinwho > > > > > > introduced me, and really couldn't be bothered who thinks > > what of > > > me. > > > > > > Am here for the sole purpose of knowing view points and > > engaging> > > > in a > > > > > > debate when > > > > > > I find it interesting (and if I have the time). > > > > > > > > > > > > e) Why do you always by-pass the point in contention - > > that is - > > > > > > are you > > > > > > proposing that > > > > > > the solution to Yasin Malik and the violence in J&K is more > > > > > > violence - > > > > > > because that is > > > > > > what is coming out from your responses and your avoiding > > the moot > > > > > > pointof the debate. > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > ..................... > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Partha , > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Among many Pseudo secular over here , i still continued > > to trust > > > > > > you to > > > > > > > some extent. However I must admit that you too ,like > > others in > > > > > > the bunch, > > > > > > > maintain double standards. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You had no words when the Asit ( Lal Salaam) , writes filth > > > against > > > > > > > Kashmiri Hindus , while as you always seem to be ready > > at the > > > > > > start up line > > > > > > > of 100 mts once Kashmiri Muslim terrorists are discussed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Disappointed ! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Pawan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That still doesn't answer the question: Do you think > > that the > > > only > > > > > > > > response to violence should be violence? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Because, if so, there will never be an end to the > > struggle - > > > > > > just more > > > > > > > > death and hate. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > ................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And neither Have Kashmiri Hindus ever believed in > > Violence> > > > ......But> > > again we have no love for a > > Psycopath killer like > > > > > > Yasine> > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/19/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Pawan, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you are not saying that because you consider > > > > > > Yasin Malik a > > > > > > > > > > "killer/terrorist" that the only language he will > > > > > > understand is your > > > > > > > > > > shooting / killing him in the same manner. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Do try and remember that the nation of India > > achieved it's > > > > > > freedom> > > > through Mahatma Gandhi who did NOT fight > > back with > > > > > > violence. One of the > > > > > > > > > > reasons he's considered the "Father of the Nation'... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Pawan Durani < > > > > > > > > > > pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what manner of protest would a killer /terrorist > > > > > > understand ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Just Curious ...... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/18/08, Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the feet licking part (always > > > > > > considered it > > > > > > > > > > > > unhygienic), > > > > > > > > > > > > however, I do like the idea of peace. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I do hope you don't disagree with the concept > > of peace > > > > > > in J&K? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As for the "piece of mind" bit - well, that's > > > > > > something all > > > > > > > > > > > > public figures > > > > > > > > > > > > have to live with - some people agree and some > > don't.> > > > If it > > > > > > > > > > > > makes you > > > > > > > > > > > > happier to see people fighting and shouting, > > then I > > > would > > > > > > > > > > > > certainly disagree > > > > > > > > > > > > in the manner of protest. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rgds, Partha > > > > > > > > > > > > ...................................... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Aditya Raj > > Kaul < > > > > > > > > > > > > kauladityaraj at gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God Bless Terrorist Yasin Malik of JKLF - The > > > > > > organiser of > > > > > > > > > > > > this session of > > > > > > > > > > > > > brainwashing. May God as well bless people > > who lick > > > > > > his feet > > > > > > > > > > > > in Delhi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For Your Information, Yasin was given a good > > piece> > > > of mind > > > > > > > > > > > > inside and > > > > > > > > > > > > > outside the venue of the India Today > > Conclave 2008 > > > > > > where he > > > > > > > > > > > > was a guest > > > > > > > > > > > > > speaker. For more information and pictures; > > visit:> > > > > > > > > > > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aditya Raj Kaul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 3/17/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: S. Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: FW: JKLF Historic Exhibition > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To: sheba > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: Binalakshmi Nepram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > JKLF presents: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Voices of Peace, Voices of Freedom > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Photo and video exhibition of JKLFs > > Historic 114 day > > > > > > > > > > > > > > nonviolent march through the valley of Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: March 19,2008. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Time: 11 am > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Venue: Indian Social Institute, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 10 Institutional Area > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Lodi Road > > > > > > > > > > > > > > New Delhi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maqbool Manzil,Maisooma,Srinagar, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Contact:2474882-2481844, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklfkashmir.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.jklf.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on > > media and > > > > > > the city. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > > request at sarai.netwith> > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject > > > header. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list> > > > > > > > > > > > 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.netwith> > > > > > > subscribe in the > > subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list> > > > > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media > > and the > > > > > > city.> > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list- > > > > > > request at sarai.netwith subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > > > > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list> > > > > > > > > > List archive: > list/>> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > > > +919... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > > > +919811047132 > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > 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. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > list > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with > > > > > > Yahoo! Search. > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > 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. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > list > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.< > > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > > +919811047132 > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of > > Blockbuster> > Total Access< > > > > > > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=47523/*http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com> > >, > > > > No Cost. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Partha Dasgupta > > > +919811047132 > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 19:00:01 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:30:01 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar) In-Reply-To: <632909.23204.qm@web8415.mail.in.yahoo.com> References: <632909.23204.qm@web8415.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Behen Fathima, without going into blame games which is favourite past time of all debates, my respectful submission is all driving vehicles in muslim dominated areas know the harrowing experience of driving any vehicle in ghettos. A slight touch to a child who loves to play on the road, whole mohalla joins to harass and dispence mob justice. It is true that poor irrespective of their faith are recollected only at the time of elections, for slogan shouting on daily wages. After the budget you might have seen the "farmers" bundled out in vehicles for shouting the slogans for the queen and the prince of India. !That is the democracy in free India, where irrespective of faith or catse every citizen is not had the opportunity in life to have dignified living., education or life skills to earn. More divided the society, more are the chances of autocratic rule, not rule of laws, but rule of muscle and money power.! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: "S.Fatima" Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:41 am Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar) To: sarai > Fast-food chains don't deliver in Delhi's Muslim > ghetto > > Fast-food chains like Domino's and McDonald's usually > refuse home delivery in Jamia Nagar (in Delhi > city)even though this dominantly Muslim neighbourhood, > famed for its Jamia Islamia University, is close to > their New Friends Colony (NFC) outlets. By the way, > Jamia Nagar is not just another unplanned stinky > ghetto--it has wide roads, spacious houses, and proper > addresses. (See the story: Jamia Nagar - Delhi's Rich > Muslim Ghetto) > > "We don't deliver there," was the reply when The Delhi > Walla called up Domino's (011-26933951-56) at NFC. > Different responses on different calls: "we are > sorry", or "we haven't started our service there yet." > > > Ditto with McDonald's. "There are areas we don't > deliver to and Jamia Nagar is one of them," says the > lady manning the McDelivery desk. According to > McDonald's India North & East, "McDelivery ascertain > the delivery area on various internal assessments > including the convenience and safe accessibility of > the area within the permissible timeframe." > > OK, fair enough. > > It takes less then 10 minutes to drive to Jamia Nagar > from McDoanld's. So is the place not safe enough? An > unusually forthcoming employee at Domino's said, "It's > not a good area. We deliver there only to special > customers." > > Who are these mysterious special customers? > > At least author Ms. Rakshanda Jalil, a Jamia Nagar > resident who recently had luminaries like Khushwant > Singh and Sheila Dikshit (Delhi Chief Minister no > less) attending her book launch, is not special > enough. She couldn't coax Domino's to deliver Veggie > Delight with extra olives for her two daughters. > > "They go to faraway blocks of New Friends Colony and > were delivering as far as Sarita Vihar but they won't > come here which is closer", says Ms. Jalil. > > Now listen to the outlets' unofficial excuses: > "customers there don't pay", "addresses are usually > given wrong", and--this takes the pizza—"The Jamia > University students forcibly take pizza boxes from > delivery boys." > > Then why is Pizza Hut able to deliver, and deliver > successfully, to Jamia Nagar? > > A quick phone call put things in perspective. Yes, > Pizza Hut does deliver in Jamia Nagar. Yes, they have > never faced problems. But sorry, they don't deliver > after 7 pm. Reason? Traffic jam! Really? That's > laughable. Jamia is essentially an university campus > with verdant grounds and quiet libraries. Hardly the > stuff traffic jams are made of. > > Ms. Jalil says, "Nobody uses the M word. But clearly, > they don't go 'out there' because a different sort of > species resides out there!" > > Achha, those Mussalmaans! > > > ------------------- > from: > http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008/04/dateline-jamia-nagar-no- > pizzas-for.html > > > Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to > http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/_________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From parthaekka at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 19:04:26 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 19:04:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <32144e990804080634s1603e701se00361831c7ea72e@mail.gmail.com> Dear Radhikarajen, While generalising about Muslims, do read the Times of India of today where a Dalit widow was stripped and made to eat excreta because she visited a temple. As for taxes, I'm sure you see many businessmen (and I can't remember knowing any who doesn't) who use all legal loopholes as well as many illegal loopholes to avoid taxes. Why do you think the Govt of India is so happy about record tax collections in this Hindu majority nation? It is more the habit of cutting off the poor and bricking them off. Sure, they are wanted as maids and servants, but the wall is built in between so that the affluent don't get to see / hear them. Like the gates that are coming up in colonies and blocking off parks and other utilities that are supposed to be community resources created by the government on government land. Rgds, Partha .............................. On 4/8/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > My dear sister Fathima and her post was very thought provoking. But let us > be honest to see the facts in the right perspective, is it not true that > poor muslims are second grade citizens like all others in other faiths > divided by castes. But the difference ends there, the poor in other faith do > not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the pizza carrying vehicle > touches their children playing on the roads, they are not out immediately in > groups to demand money for the accident.They do not loot with mob power.Hard > working individuals irrespective of their faith always see success in life > inspite of bad systemic flaws of vote bank governance,that is how one can > see yarn merchant Ambani and his next generation in wealth.But > unfortunately, many muslims think that their zakath is only legal and not > taxes a citizens have to pay, but they want "subsidy" even when the HOLY > script says you travel with your honest hard earned money. > A system of governance which delivers good governance to ALL in society > with fair and just form is the democracy, but do we have it in place. > ?Citizens are divided in to groups of castes, minorities and "mahorities > and ultimately, a minority rules the citizens defying the oath of > governance, with all fear, with all unfair means for the votes, unless all > citizens irrespective of faith unite as a single society this game will go > on, appeasing one section of citizens at the cost of other sections of the > society. > > Regards. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 6:53 pm > Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities > To: sarai list > > > Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, > > > > Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear and loathing in > > big > > cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it comes to the sharp > > > > edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each other. I recently > > > > saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian Express that I > > think > > would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. Its about a wall. > > No, > > Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I thought it would echo > > > > (from a different angle) some of the thoughts being expressed in > > Naeem and Fatima's posts. > > > > best > > > > Shuddha > > > > --------------------------------------- > > Great Wall of Kalkaji > > Preeti Jha, Indian Express > > Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at 11:51:20 > > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of-Kalkaji/292736/ > > > > New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot wall to divide a > > slum > > cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies is wreaking havoc > > in > > south Delhi's Kalkaji Extension. > > > > Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, Seema Sagar watches > > as > > a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to another, before > > precariously balancing on a stray brick. All this to safely cross > > the > > stream of sewage that now floats outside her house. > > > > On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 small shops and > > homes to make way for a wall that will encircle all three camps in > > > > the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and Navjeevan. Four hundred > > metres > > of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, under construction > > by > > the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since December. "We are > > acting > > on an order from the High Court," says DDA's executive engineer K > > K > > Khanna. > > > > And the High Court was responding to a petition filed by Arsh > > Avtaar > > Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments' Resident Welfare > > Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a solution against > > encroachment of roads and services by slum residents. > > > > 'Block them out' > > Neighbouring middle-class colonies support Singh's efforts. A flat- > > > > owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does not want to be > > named, > > says: "All my life savings have been used to purchase this flat. > > For > > 22 years I have lived with the stink from open defecation, and > > constant over-crowding from blocked roads." > > > > Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in 'pukka' housing. > > "I > > feel bad for them," says Singh, whose own domestic help lives in > > Bhumiheen Camp. "They should be given an alternative home > > immediately." > > But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the slum dwellers. > > "The > > wall is a temporary arrangement to offer protection to flat > > owners," > > Khanna says. > > > > In the interim, Daliwal thinks the wall should be built higher. > > "It > > should be at least eight foot high, and built either with bricks, > > or > > grills and mesh. There should also be fewer outlets." > > > > 'Livelihood gone' > > The camp's residents, though, are fuming. "We were given no > > warning," > > says Sagar. She claims to have bought her grocery shop for Rs > > 20,000 > > rupees 13 years ago. "I make Rs 50 a day, through which I cook for > > my > > family. We have nothing to eat today without my shop." > > > > Trying to salvage broken chairs and cutlery from his former > > confectionery store, Izhar Ali asks, "What should I do to earn? > > Can > > the government give me an alternative?" > > > > As an MCD employee sprays mosquito repellent into stagnant water > > forming pools around the newly homeless, Kamla Ujhain forlornly > > watches her grandchildren eat in what used to be a bathroom. "We > > knew > > it would close our businesses," says Maya Devi, peering outside > > her > > shop, now shrouded by bricks. "And what if there's a fire?" asks > > another shopkeeper, Naresh Kumar. "It will be much harder to > > escape > > if we are contained from all sides." > > > > DDA's Khanna, meanwhile, insists there will be several entry and > > exit > > points in the wall. "There are more than 17 gaps in the 400-metre > > stretch built so far," he says. > > > > DDA has a May 21 deadline for building the wall. > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > >www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 19:13:48 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:43:48 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities In-Reply-To: <32144e990804080634s1603e701se00361831c7ea72e@mail.gmail.com> References: <32144e990804080634s1603e701se00361831c7ea72e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Partha, " generalising about muslims" is what you have percieved whereas my thoughts dwell on much ;arger issue of "GENERAL aam admi" irrepspective of faith or caste. Please, with a request to read and think for a while and then respond. Those who have it alll do flout the rules and as you rightly said avoid "legally", act illegally with all legal aid. ! ----- Original Message ----- From: Partha Dasgupta Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 7:04 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities To: "radhikarajen at vsnl.net" Cc: Shuddhabrata Sengupta , sarai list > Dear Radhikarajen, > > While generalising about Muslims, do read the Times of India of > today where > a Dalit widow was stripped and made to eat excreta because she > visited a > temple. > > As for taxes, I'm sure you see many businessmen (and I can't remember > knowing any who doesn't) who use all legal loopholes as well as > many illegal > loopholes to avoid taxes. Why do you think the Govt of India is so > happyabout record tax collections in this Hindu majority nation? > > It is more the habit of cutting off the poor and bricking them > off. Sure, > they are wanted as maids and servants, but the wall is built in > between so > that the affluent don't get to see / hear them. Like the gates > that are > coming up in colonies and blocking off parks and other utilities > that are > supposed to be community resources created by the government on > governmentland. > > Rgds, Partha > .............................. > > On 4/8/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > My dear sister Fathima and her post was very thought provoking. > But let us > > be honest to see the facts in the right perspective, is it not > true that > > poor muslims are second grade citizens like all others in other > faiths> divided by castes. But the difference ends there, the poor > in other faith do > > not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the pizza > carrying vehicle > > touches their children playing on the roads, they are not out > immediately in > > groups to demand money for the accident.They do not loot with > mob power.Hard > > working individuals irrespective of their faith always see > success in life > > inspite of bad systemic flaws of vote bank governance,that is > how one can > > see yarn merchant Ambani and his next generation in wealth.But > > unfortunately, many muslims think that their zakath is only > legal and not > > taxes a citizens have to pay, but they want "subsidy" even when > the HOLY > > script says you travel with your honest hard earned money. > > A system of governance which delivers good governance to ALL in > society> with fair and just form is the democracy, but do we have > it in place. > > ?Citizens are divided in to groups of castes, minorities and > "mahorities> and ultimately, a minority rules the citizens defying > the oath of > > governance, with all fear, with all unfair means for the votes, > unless all > > citizens irrespective of faith unite as a single society this > game will go > > on, appeasing one section of citizens at the cost of other > sections of the > > society. > > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 6:53 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities > > To: sarai list > > > > > Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, > > > > > > Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear and loathing in > > > big > > > cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it comes to the sharp > > > > > > edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each other. I recently > > > > > > saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian Express that I > > > think > > > would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. Its about a wall. > > > No, > > > Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I thought it would echo > > > > > > (from a different angle) some of the thoughts being expressed in > > > Naeem and Fatima's posts. > > > > > > best > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > --------------------------------------- > > > Great Wall of Kalkaji > > > Preeti Jha, Indian Express > > > Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at 11:51:20 > > > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of- > Kalkaji/292736/> > > > > New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot wall to divide a > > > slum > > > cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies is wreaking havoc > > > in > > > south Delhi's Kalkaji Extension. > > > > > > Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, Seema Sagar watches > > > as > > > a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to another, before > > > precariously balancing on a stray brick. All this to safely cross > > > the > > > stream of sewage that now floats outside her house. > > > > > > On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 small shops and > > > homes to make way for a wall that will encircle all three > camps in > > > > > > the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and Navjeevan. Four hundred > > > metres > > > of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, under construction > > > by > > > the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since December. "We are > > > acting > > > on an order from the High Court," says DDA's executive > engineer K > > > K > > > Khanna. > > > > > > And the High Court was responding to a petition filed by Arsh > > > Avtaar > > > Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments' Resident Welfare > > > Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a solution against > > > encroachment of roads and services by slum residents. > > > > > > 'Block them out' > > > Neighbouring middle-class colonies support Singh's efforts. A > flat- > > > > > > owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does not want to be > > > named, > > > says: "All my life savings have been used to purchase this flat. > > > For > > > 22 years I have lived with the stink from open defecation, and > > > constant over-crowding from blocked roads." > > > > > > Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in 'pukka' housing. > > > "I > > > feel bad for them," says Singh, whose own domestic help lives in > > > Bhumiheen Camp. "They should be given an alternative home > > > immediately." > > > But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the slum dwellers. > > > "The > > > wall is a temporary arrangement to offer protection to flat > > > owners," > > > Khanna says. > > > > > > In the interim, Daliwal thinks the wall should be built higher. > > > "It > > > should be at least eight foot high, and built either with bricks, > > > or > > > grills and mesh. There should also be fewer outlets." > > > > > > 'Livelihood gone' > > > The camp's residents, though, are fuming. "We were given no > > > warning," > > > says Sagar. She claims to have bought her grocery shop for Rs > > > 20,000 > > > rupees 13 years ago. "I make Rs 50 a day, through which I cook for > > > my > > > family. We have nothing to eat today without my shop." > > > > > > Trying to salvage broken chairs and cutlery from his former > > > confectionery store, Izhar Ali asks, "What should I do to earn? > > > Can > > > the government give me an alternative?" > > > > > > As an MCD employee sprays mosquito repellent into stagnant water > > > forming pools around the newly homeless, Kamla Ujhain forlornly > > > watches her grandchildren eat in what used to be a bathroom. "We > > > knew > > > it would close our businesses," says Maya Devi, peering outside > > > her > > > shop, now shrouded by bricks. "And what if there's a fire?" asks > > > another shopkeeper, Naresh Kumar. "It will be much harder to > > > escape > > > if we are contained from all sides." > > > > > > DDA's Khanna, meanwhile, insists there will be several entry and > > > exit > > > points in the wall. "There are more than 17 gaps in the 400-metre > > > stretch built so far," he says. > > > > > > DDA has a May 21 deadline for building the wall. > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > >www.sarai.net > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 8 19:19:12 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:49:12 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] PDP's Delhi handlers! In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804031427q576c6b4al2c911fac4b7fff3a@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804031427q576c6b4al2c911fac4b7fff3a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, let the citizens of this free nation not forget that this same Mufti was the kingpin to get his daughter released and let go the fanatic terror king, now with one party next with another to have his game of separatism going on. Let us be honest and stop the blame game of Kandahar hijack, when system of governance did err in releasing the terrorists to save the life of 160 innocent fliers in that aircraft, whereas the game of blame is going on this madam embraced this Mufti instead of law taking its vourse of action as his daughter got married and setteled in Islamic nation of UAE. ! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Wali Arifi Date: Friday, April 4, 2008 2:58 am Subject: [Reader-list] PDP's Delhi handlers! To: reader-list > * Mufti's party tries to shake off its ' Delhi masters'* > > By Parvaiz Bukhari in Srinagar > > THE People's Democratic Party ( PDP)' s president Mehbooba Mufti has > unveiled her " selfrule" plan for an undivided Kashmir and quashed > allegations that her party is a creation of Indian intelligence > agencies.She announced her grand plan to resolve the Kashmir issue > at the recent > Pugwash conference in Pakistan, of all places, before it was > discussed with > New Delhi or even people back home. This happened at a time when > the PDP is > facing internal rebellion and criticism from the National > Conference ( NC), > which alleged that her party was created and works for New Delhi's > spies. To > counter the attacks from her rivals, Mufti tried to show her party's > independence and simultaneously distance the PDP from its > perceived links > with the intelligence establishment. These are difficult times for > the PDP > when it is preparing for the next assembly elections, slated for > later this > year. Launched in 1999, ostensibly as the biggest political > operation of > Indian intelligence in embattled Jammu and Kashmir, the party grew in > strength to become a formidable challenger to the NC's strong hold > in the > Valley. But the party's think- tank is now finding it hard to get the > history of its making off its back and give it the status of a > crediblealternative to the NC. And more so when Farooq Abdullah's > NC is going > through a rough patch and the former chief minister is trying to > regain his > position by attacking the PDP. " The PDP is a creation of New > Delhi and ( > intelligence) agencies, which are trying to divide and rule > Kashmiris,"Abdullah tells the people repeatedly. He may not be off > the mark. The PDP's > foundations were laid when New Delhi began to regain control in > Kashmirafter militancy struck a blow to the political power > structure which existed > in the shape of the NC. In the run- up to the 1996 elections, the > firstseven years, electoral politics was principally dependent on > the NC. In such > a scenario, New Delhi found the NC more demanding and reminiscent > of 1952 > when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah began to question the state's > accession to the > Indian Union. The centre assigned former Union home minister Mufti > MohammadSayeed the task and he was spot on — cashing in on anti- > incumbency and > other factors to rise to the chief minister's share with the > Congress in > tow. But, the unpleasant history hung heavy over the party and > immediatelyafter Sayeed stepped down as chief minister in tandem > with the PDP- Congress > power- sharing deal, he and his daughter floated the " self- rule" > proposal." It was the first attempt by the PDP to break free from > any handling from > outside ( read New Delhi)," said a party rebel. Sayeed's party is > using its > selfrule idea to give an impression that the Kashmir- specific > component of > the Indo- Pak peace process is driven by it. But the biggest > question is: > will the PDP be able to hold its flock together? Many of its founding > members are attempting to form a third front. parvaiz. bukhari@ > mailtoday.in > > http://mailtoday.in > > April, 3, 2008 > > Page 20 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in Tue Apr 8 19:41:40 2008 From: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in (S.Fatima) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 15:11:40 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of Jamia Nagar) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <70082.56827.qm@web8412.mail.in.yahoo.com> Behen Radhika If we don't want to get into blame game, then why do we blame only Muslim ghettos for harrowing driving experience? Delhi itself has so many kinds of ghettos, each ready to join the mob when something untoward happens. And before one can start putting the words "Muslim" and "ghetto" together, one needs to ask who creates the ghettos. Why is it that you can't break a traffic rule on Parliament street without getting away, but you can break several rules in Jamia Nagar and no one will bother. The police actually allows illegal constructions, illegal parking, illegal throwing of garbage, and illegal encroachment on the road in Jamia Nagar, which they would never do at Aurangzeb Road. Simple because no higher official is coming to see their work at Jamia. Its only when a VIP visits the area, roads get swept. So, who creates the ghettos? --- radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > Behen Fathima, > > without going into blame games which is favourite > past time of all debates, my respectful submission > is all driving vehicles in muslim dominated areas > know the harrowing experience of driving any vehicle > in ghettos. A slight touch to a child who loves to > play on the road, whole mohalla joins to harass and > dispence mob justice. It is true that poor > irrespective of their faith are recollected only at > the time of elections, for slogan shouting on daily > wages. > After the budget you might have seen the "farmers" > bundled out in vehicles for shouting the slogans > for the queen and the prince of India. !That is the > democracy in free India, where irrespective of faith > or catse every citizen is not had the opportunity in > life to have dignified living., education or life > skills to earn. More divided the society, more are > the chances of autocratic rule, not rule of laws, > but rule of muscle and money power.! > > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "S.Fatima" > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:41 am > Subject: [Reader-list] No Pizzas for Muslims (of > Jamia Nagar) > To: sarai > > > Fast-food chains don't deliver in Delhi's Muslim > > ghetto > > > > Fast-food chains like Domino's and McDonald's > usually > > refuse home delivery in Jamia Nagar (in Delhi > > city)even though this dominantly Muslim > neighbourhood, > > famed for its Jamia Islamia University, is close > to > > their New Friends Colony (NFC) outlets. By the > way, > > Jamia Nagar is not just another unplanned stinky > > ghetto--it has wide roads, spacious houses, and > proper > > addresses. (See the story: Jamia Nagar - Delhi's > Rich > > Muslim Ghetto) > > > > "We don't deliver there," was the reply when The > Delhi > > Walla called up Domino's (011-26933951-56) at NFC. > > Different responses on different calls: "we are > > sorry", or "we haven't started our service there > yet." > > > > > > Ditto with McDonald's. "There are areas we don't > > deliver to and Jamia Nagar is one of them," says > the > > lady manning the McDelivery desk. According to > > McDonald's India North & East, "McDelivery > ascertain > > the delivery area on various internal assessments > > including the convenience and safe accessibility > of > > the area within the permissible timeframe." > > > > OK, fair enough. > > > > It takes less then 10 minutes to drive to Jamia > Nagar > > from McDoanld's. So is the place not safe enough? > An > > unusually forthcoming employee at Domino's said, > "It's > > not a good area. We deliver there only to special > > customers." > > > > Who are these mysterious special customers? > > > > At least author Ms. Rakshanda Jalil, a Jamia Nagar > > resident who recently had luminaries like > Khushwant > > Singh and Sheila Dikshit (Delhi Chief Minister no > > less) attending her book launch, is not special > > enough. She couldn't coax Domino's to deliver > Veggie > > Delight with extra olives for her two daughters. > > > > "They go to faraway blocks of New Friends Colony > and > > were delivering as far as Sarita Vihar but they > won't > > come here which is closer", says Ms. Jalil. > > > > Now listen to the outlets' unofficial excuses: > > "customers there don't pay", "addresses are > usually > > given wrong", and--this takes the pizza—"The Jamia > > University students forcibly take pizza boxes from > > delivery boys." > > > > Then why is Pizza Hut able to deliver, and deliver > > successfully, to Jamia Nagar? > > > > A quick phone call put things in perspective. Yes, > > Pizza Hut does deliver in Jamia Nagar. Yes, they > have > > never faced problems. But sorry, they don't > deliver > > after 7 pm. Reason? Traffic jam! Really? That's > > laughable. Jamia is essentially an university > campus > > with verdant grounds and quiet libraries. Hardly > the > > stuff traffic jams are made of. > > > > Ms. Jalil says, "Nobody uses the M word. But > clearly, > > they don't go 'out there' because a different sort > of > > species resides out there!" > > > > Achha, those Mussalmaans! > > > > > > ------------------- > > from: > > > http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008/04/dateline-jamia-nagar-no- > > pizzas-for.html > > > > > > Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to > > > http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/_________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > List archive: > > Get the freedom to save as many mails as you wish. To know how, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html From parthaekka at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 19:45:00 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 19:45:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities In-Reply-To: References: <32144e990804080634s1603e701se00361831c7ea72e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804080715j633af3e8y2f30fccda001f4c9@mail.gmail.com> Dear Radhikarajen, I did read your mail, and the reason I responded in that manner is that you specifically mentioned "But the difference ends there, the poor in other faith do not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the pizza carrying vehicle touches their children playing on the roads, they are not out immediately in groups to demand money for the accident.They do not loot with mob power..." - thereby directly stating that only the Muslims use mob power, etc. If you have now changed your viewpoint, am glad to know that. Rgds, Partha ......................... On 4/8/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > Partha, " > generalising about muslims" is what you have percieved whereas my > thoughts dwell on much ;arger issue of "GENERAL aam admi" irrepspective of > faith or caste. Please, with a request to read and think for a while and > then respond. > Those who have it alll do flout the rules and as you rightly said avoid > "legally", act illegally with all legal aid. ! > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Partha Dasgupta > Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 7:04 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities > To: "radhikarajen at vsnl.net" > Cc: Shuddhabrata Sengupta , sarai list < > reader-list at sarai.net> > > > Dear Radhikarajen, > > > > While generalising about Muslims, do read the Times of India of > > today where > > a Dalit widow was stripped and made to eat excreta because she > > visited a > > temple. > > > > As for taxes, I'm sure you see many businessmen (and I can't remember > > knowing any who doesn't) who use all legal loopholes as well as > > many illegal > > loopholes to avoid taxes. Why do you think the Govt of India is so > > > happyabout record tax collections in this Hindu majority nation? > > > > > It is more the habit of cutting off the poor and bricking them > > off. Sure, > > they are wanted as maids and servants, but the wall is built in > > between so > > that the affluent don't get to see / hear them. Like the gates > > that are > > coming up in colonies and blocking off parks and other utilities > > that are > > supposed to be community resources created by the government on > > governmentland. > > > > Rgds, Partha > > .............................. > > > > On 4/8/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > My dear sister Fathima and her post was very thought provoking. > > But let us > > > be honest to see the facts in the right perspective, is it not > > true that > > > poor muslims are second grade citizens like all others in other > > faiths> divided by castes. But the difference ends there, the poor > > in other faith do > > > not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the pizza > > carrying vehicle > > > touches their children playing on the roads, they are not out > > immediately in > > > groups to demand money for the accident.They do not loot with > > mob power.Hard > > > working individuals irrespective of their faith always see > > success in life > > > inspite of bad systemic flaws of vote bank governance,that is > > how one can > > > see yarn merchant Ambani and his next generation in wealth.But > > > unfortunately, many muslims think that their zakath is only > > legal and not > > > taxes a citizens have to pay, but they want "subsidy" even when > > the HOLY > > > script says you travel with your honest hard earned money. > > > A system of governance which delivers good governance to ALL in > > society> with fair and just form is the democracy, but do we have > > it in place. > > > ?Citizens are divided in to groups of castes, minorities and > > "mahorities> and ultimately, a minority rules the citizens defying > > the oath of > > > governance, with all fear, with all unfair means for the votes, > > unless all > > > citizens irrespective of faith unite as a single society this > > game will go > > > on, appeasing one section of citizens at the cost of other > > sections of the > > > society. > > > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 6:53 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, > > > > > > > > Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear and loathing in > > > > big > > > > cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it comes to the sharp > > > > > > > > edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each other. I recently > > > > > > > > saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian Express that I > > > > think > > > > would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. Its about a wall. > > > > No, > > > > Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I thought it would echo > > > > > > > > (from a different angle) some of the thoughts being expressed in > > > > Naeem and Fatima's posts. > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------- > > > > Great Wall of Kalkaji > > > > Preeti Jha, Indian Express > > > > Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at 11:51:20 > > > > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of- > > Kalkaji/292736/> > > > > > New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot wall to divide a > > > > slum > > > > cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies is wreaking havoc > > > > in > > > > south Delhi's Kalkaji Extension. > > > > > > > > Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, Seema Sagar watches > > > > as > > > > a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to another, before > > > > precariously balancing on a stray brick. All this to safely cross > > > > the > > > > stream of sewage that now floats outside her house. > > > > > > > > On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 small shops and > > > > homes to make way for a wall that will encircle all three > > camps in > > > > > > > > the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and Navjeevan. Four hundred > > > > metres > > > > of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, under construction > > > > by > > > > the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since December. "We are > > > > acting > > > > on an order from the High Court," says DDA's executive > > engineer K > > > > K > > > > Khanna. > > > > > > > > And the High Court was responding to a petition filed by Arsh > > > > Avtaar > > > > Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments' Resident Welfare > > > > Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a solution against > > > > encroachment of roads and services by slum residents. > > > > > > > > 'Block them out' > > > > Neighbouring middle-class colonies support Singh's efforts. A > > flat- > > > > > > > > owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does not want to be > > > > named, > > > > says: "All my life savings have been used to purchase this flat. > > > > For > > > > 22 years I have lived with the stink from open defecation, and > > > > constant over-crowding from blocked roads." > > > > > > > > Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in 'pukka' housing. > > > > "I > > > > feel bad for them," says Singh, whose own domestic help lives in > > > > Bhumiheen Camp. "They should be given an alternative home > > > > immediately." > > > > But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the slum dwellers. > > > > "The > > > > wall is a temporary arrangement to offer protection to flat > > > > owners," > > > > Khanna says. > > > > > > > > In the interim, Daliwal thinks the wall should be built higher. > > > > "It > > > > should be at least eight foot high, and built either with bricks, > > > > or > > > > grills and mesh. There should also be fewer outlets." > > > > > > > > 'Livelihood gone' > > > > The camp's residents, though, are fuming. "We were given no > > > > warning," > > > > says Sagar. She claims to have bought her grocery shop for Rs > > > > 20,000 > > > > rupees 13 years ago. "I make Rs 50 a day, through which I cook for > > > > my > > > > family. We have nothing to eat today without my shop." > > > > > > > > Trying to salvage broken chairs and cutlery from his former > > > > confectionery store, Izhar Ali asks, "What should I do to earn? > > > > Can > > > > the government give me an alternative?" > > > > > > > > As an MCD employee sprays mosquito repellent into stagnant water > > > > forming pools around the newly homeless, Kamla Ujhain forlornly > > > > watches her grandchildren eat in what used to be a bathroom. "We > > > > knew > > > > it would close our businesses," says Maya Devi, peering outside > > > > her > > > > shop, now shrouded by bricks. "And what if there's a fire?" asks > > > > another shopkeeper, Naresh Kumar. "It will be much harder to > > > > escape > > > > if we are contained from all sides." > > > > > > > > DDA's Khanna, meanwhile, insists there will be several entry and > > > > exit > > > > points in the wall. "There are more than 17 gaps in the 400-metre > > > > stretch built so far," he says. > > > > > > > > DDA has a May 21 deadline for building the wall. > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > >www.sarai.net > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Partha Dasgupta > > +919811047132 > > > -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From project.labels at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 19:50:46 2008 From: project.labels at gmail.com (Raheema Begum) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 19:50:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements]Expiate Message-ID: Part of the second labels level, [The Grid], 'Expiate' is a real-time and online event which started on April 6th 2008 in Vadodara.Online Participation is now open. Please visit http://whosebody.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/in-the-grid-starting-today/ Best, Raheema. -- http://whosebody.wordpress.com From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 7 08:30:55 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:30:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: media advisory to send out In-Reply-To: <264cd9380804060717l7f1dfd54uef46543ab1fc7d3e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: ------ Forwarded Message From: youdon aukatsang Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2008 19:47:38 +0530 To: Subject: media advisory to send out FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2008 Mass Protest Head Shave and Blood Donation camp in solidarity with the Tibetan nonviolent movement The Tibetan Solidarity Committee- Delhi Chapter will organize a mass protest head shave and a simultaneous blood donation camp at Jantar Mantar on April 7, 2008 from 11 am onwards. Through this event, we want to send a strong signal condemning violence inside Tibet and a message of solidarity to our brethrens who are victims of violent crackdown in Tibet for participating in non-violent peaceful action. The number of Tibetans killed inside Tibet has now risen to 154 with 8 killed in Karze Tibetan Prefecture in Sichuan when Chinese authorities blindly opened fire on demonstrators and 2 cases of suicide owing to deep resentment and frustration under the oppressive regime. For latest news on the situation in Tibet, please visit our official website www.stoptibetcrisis.net Contact Persons: Tsetan Norbu: +91 9818970928 Youdon Aukatsang: +91 9999915061 Issued by: Tibetan Solidarity Committee-Delhi Chapter ------ End of Forwarded Message From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 23:35:04 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 23:35:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Navreh In-Reply-To: <6353c690804081101g153ba0fcj33acd7cc8bd2d759@mail.gmail.com> References: <6353c690804081101g153ba0fcj33acd7cc8bd2d759@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6353c690804081105q5d520d93mb790508edf1b4104@mail.gmail.com> Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Navreh *Terrorism might have forced Kashmiri Pandits to live like a refugee in their own country, but the desire to return to the 'roots' has not succumbed to adversities. The celebrations of the Kashmiri New Year fully reflected their buoyant spirits.* *ATOP THE highest hills of the Aravallis, in the village of Ananagpur in Faridabad, Kashmiri Pandits- living in and around Delhi- celebrated the arrival of the Kashmiri New Year, Navreh. The temple atop the hill houses the idol of the Goddess Sharika, the presiding deity of Kashmir. The hill has been manicured and landscaped in a manner that it gives the impression of the famed 'badam-vaer' (almond garden) of Kashmir.* ** *Read more on - http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=132007* ** *Please do write your comments on Merinews Website.* ** *Thanks* *Aditya Raj Kaul* *Roots In Kashmir* From paramjeetbernad at gmail.com Tue Apr 8 23:39:10 2008 From: paramjeetbernad at gmail.com (Paramjeet Bernad) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 23:39:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Essay and painting contest In-Reply-To: <84b20cca0804030220y465a2669ocdbe749198127c85@mail.gmail.com> References: <84b20cca0804030220y465a2669ocdbe749198127c85@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <84b20cca0804081109g21aedde6ie7f743692f9ca623@mail.gmail.com> Kindly please forward this mail to across the contry to various schools and colleges in India Thanks Paramjeet Bernad Dear all, Greetings from Control Arms Foundation of India, We have got a positive response from the educational institutions across the country, along with the request to extend the entries closing date because of examination period We also felt that many interested students may not participate as it coincides with the examination. Keeping all these things in mind, we have postponed the last day of entries. The revised date for receiving Essay and Painting entries from the schools and college students is 30 April 2008. By reviewing this, we look for greater participation from the student's community and hope you shall encourage more students of your institution to participate in the contest. The Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI) is pleased to announce an essay and painting contest on the topic *"What armed gun violence has done to my country?"* The painting contest is open to School students only. Students can write the essay on both Hindi and English. * * *TOPIC :- What Armed Gun Violence has done to my Country?* *(Banduki Hinsa Ne Hamare Desh Ke liye kya kiya?)* * * Thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of the unregulated global armed gun violence. One conflict cost nearly the average of the annual development aid worldwide. Especially developing countries are most affected, phenomena fuelled by illegal arms trade and domestic production and rampant proliferation. Indiais home to various conflicts, which are fought with arms and its consequences are far reaching, leading to poverty, degradation of the environment and underdevelopment** * * *The year deadline for entries is *30th April, 2008 and should be mailed to *Essay Contest Coordinator*, Control Arms Foundation of India( CAFI), B5/146,1st Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029.Participants can also E mail this to paramjeetbernad at gmail.com. This essay competition is a way to create a greater interest and an army of peace loving youth to come forward and propagate harmony among the global masses through their innovative thoughts and creations. The submissions are requested be the student's original and unpublished work. Please find more details on the essay and painting contest on www.cafi-online.org * * *Announces National level Essay and Painting Contest* Inviting entries from the schools/universities students*, for essay*(Hindi/English), *and painting contest* Topic: *What Armed Gun Violence** Has Done To My Country?* Minimum word limit for school students: 800 to 1000 words Universities and colleges -2000 to 2500 words, Painting contest – for school students *only.* *Send your entries by post or e-mail * *With your complete address, contact details & Identity proof, before **30 April 2008**, * Attested by your school/universities., B-5/146,(First floor), Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-29. Ph. 011- 46018541, 011-26166234 Email - paramjeetbernad at gmail.com , gremind at gmail.com For more details guidelines on the essay contest please log on to – www.cafi-online.org ** *Also like to request you to confirm the entries for the contest if possible from your institution and feel free to write or call me directly if you have any query for the contest. With best wishes, looking forward for your response.* * * Thanking you, Regards, Paramjeet Bernad Essay Contest Coordinator 09811084987 From pearl at osians.com Mon Apr 7 10:47:32 2008 From: pearl at osians.com (Pearl Sandhu) Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:47:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Call For Entry-TALENT CAMPUS INDIA#5 2008 Message-ID: CALL FOR ENTRY Osian'sCinefan is proud to announce the 5th edition of Talent Campus India organised in collaboration with the Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale Talent Campus and Max Mueller Bhawan, New Delhi. The 5th Talent Campus India will take place from 13 to 18 July, 2008. It will run along side Osian's Cinefan, 10th Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema (10-20 July), within the framework of the programme 'Infrastructure Building for Minds and Markets - IBM2. Talent Campus is a 6-day workshop where up to 30 young aspiring filmmakers will be invited to New Delhi to interact with renowned filmmakers and film professionals from India and abroad. The aim of the workshop is to provide Indian and South Asian youth a forum for learning and sharing the process of filmmaking. The application is open to India, its neighbouring countries as well as Iran. Participants will benefit not only from the calibre and experience of the professionals involved, but also from the exchange of ideas among themselves. The focus of the festival is Literature and Cinema which would also be the major influence on discussions in talent campus along with sessions on Screenplay Writing, Cinematography and Direction and other key aspects of filmmaking like Casting and Production Design. In addition to attending workshop session, the selected talents will have the opportunity to see the very best of Asian and Arab cinema being showcased during Osian'sCinefan. We would be grateful if you would circulate this information among students and those who you feel may benefit from this initiative. The application can be downloaded from our website www.osians.com Applying for Talent Campus India Along with the application, applicants are required to submit one of the following A one'minute film. This can also be a one'minute excerpt of a longer film. Any entry that is longer than 60 seconds will NOT be considered. OR A five'minute film. This should be directed by the applicant especially for Talent Campus India specifically on the subject of EVERYDAY JOURNEYS. The film should be NO LONGER than five minutes. The best two of the selected five'minute films will be awarded a Certificate of Appreciation. OR 3500 - 4500'word film script. Make sure that it is a film script! The language of the script needs to be English. It can be a translation of a script written in any other language and the original can also be sent along with the English version. The script needs to be a typed printout and not handwritten. Subject of the Five'minute film EVERYDAY JOURNEYS - Do you often travel from one place to another, one stage to another or by one mode of transport or another? Do you trace imagined journeys of sorts through books, photographs, conversations, encountering and unravelling the complexities of interaction, engagement and discovery? Do you map a plan as to how to get from point A to point B in a city or how to catch the next bus, auto rickshaw or taxi? Or does your mind travel when you are waiting to take the train from the suburbs to the city? In their growth Asian cities, suburbs and villages have carried forward histories, cultures, lifestyles and people with the kind of spatial and temporal simultaneity and existence that makes way for complex everyday negotiations. It is these everyday passages that we are interested in seeing represented in your films! A journey between your home and college or work can be just as intriguing as a journey across borders and dreaming in broad daylight is a journey as well that we have all indulged and found pleasure in. It is these everyday journeys that we want your film to explore, celebrate, question or ponder on. Your film can explore any genre - funny, sad, grim, ponderous. It can be fiction or documentary or even experimental. You can send us the one'minute or five'minute film on a VHS, VCD or a DVD. (We will not accept multi- media video formats like AVI, windows media format (WMF), mpeg, quick time, real video or shockwave (flash/format) An independently constituted Committee will select up to 30 Talents to attend the final workshop. We look forward to meeting these participants from around the country and from neighbouring countries. The deadline for applications is 10th May 2008 Pearl Sandhu Coordinator, Talent Campus India Osian's-Cinefan festival of Asian and Arab Cinema Tel: 91-11-41743157 / 58 / 66 pearl at osians.com -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From info at e-artnow.org Mon Apr 7 02:59:12 2008 From: info at e-artnow.org (e-artnow) Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2008 23:29:12 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Call_for_entries?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=3A_Volgograd_International_video_festival_Forward=BB2018?= Message-ID: e-artnow: 06.04.2008 Call for entries: Volgograd International video festival Forward»2018  Volgograd International video festival Forward»2018 Art Incubator "Videology" 400131, Russia, Volgograd, Prospekt Lenina, 21, GUK Volgograd Museum of Graphic Arts Phone: +79061685301 Fax: +79061685301 Contact: Fedor Yermolov forward at interra34.ru www.forward.interra34.ru/english.htm DEADLINE For works sent by snail-mail – 20th of April 2008. For works sent by FTP – 1st of May 2008. Volgograd International video festival Forward»2018 Invites artists and curators to participate Volgograd International Video Festival Forward»2018 announces the start of accepting works and invites artists and curators to participate. Festival will take place in Volgograd in May-June 2008 and it is planned that it will have the usual cinema hall format as well as online format in the Internet. It will allow presenting the festival programme not only to local, but also world wide audience. Works of multiple genres can participate: from short-length films and video art to animated cartoons and documentaries. It will be the Civil Jury that will evaluate the works, and it will involve specialists of different culture areas, but also, what is no less important – Citizens of Volgograd, recognizing their personal responsibility for social and cultural situation in the city. Besides, a Prize of Audience"s Sympathy will be awarded. Manifest Volgograd is an extraordinary city. Extraordinary and sophisticated – in many ways. It emerged from ruins in times of the Golden Horde in "no man"s land" between Europe and Asia (initially the fortress stood on an island amid mighty Volga, which was a boundary river then). Three times the city changed its name (and made it into history under sinister name of Stalin – it is here, in Stalingrad, where the decisive battle of the Second World War took place). It changed its appearance – from wooden fort to redbrick merchant town, from a pile of burnt bricks of war times to Empire style haughty polis. It incurved along the Volga bank – a pulsating vein of Russia, with a dot-and-dashed line (or rather unread Morse code message, where dots are plants and dashes – residential areas). Here everything is intermittent and pulsating. Vertical lines of sky scrapers under construction (and the main vertical – Mother Russia monument, the highest in the world), interlace with low blocks of residential houses; local transport-miracle – express tramway – dives underground, and then again comes on surface to broad daylight; a street rumble of a million-people-city changes to patriarchal silence of old patios… Everything is dashed and pulsating. So is the city"s cultural life. For the past few years Volgograd got acquainted with modern art on an international level again. Again – because before post-perestroika still air period international avant- garde art festivals already rioted here, the first of them being not in Russia even, but still in USSR. And again a new generation of modern artists appeared in the city – video-artists included. Not spouted from the old perestroika generation – but rather, jumped out of void, out of a pause in total Volgograd pulse. It"s exactly for this new, unknown generation (and by its forces) that this festival is being prepared. As a launching point, as a territory for a dialogue with equal young video-makers from all around the world… This festival is for the young in the first place. The number 2018 in the name of the festival is not a misprint, since today we invite to show their debut creative work those people who in 10 years time, in 2018, will become a formed core of modern art, We want to look forward together with You, forward into next decade. We want to show ourselves – to the city and to the world. We are not afraid of putting ourselves into world cultural context – even if the comparison would not be in our favour – and we invite young artists to come forward together with us. We invite the senior to show us their excellence. We want to learn, want to find our own place in modern culture. And perhaps, and why not – to lay foundation of a new local cultural tradition, which would not be intermitted. Planned programmes Forward– competitive programme for young artists (under 33 years of age). REview – Competitive programme for artists above 33 years of age. Each artist can submit TWO works, one of which represents the opening stage of his creative work, and the other – today"s stage. DEADLINE For works sent by snail-mail – 20th of April 2008. For works sent by FTP – 1st of May 2008. Festival"s organizers "Art-incubator "Videology" workshop with support from Volgograd regional NGO "Centre for cultural initiatives development" "InTerra". Contact information Address: 400131, Russia, Volgograd, Prospekt Lenina, 21, GUK Volgograd Museum of Graphic Arts mail: forward[a]interra34.ru www.forward.interra34.ru/english.htm UNSUBSCRIBE from e-artnow www.e-artnow.org -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shuddha at sarai.net Wed Apr 9 01:49:19 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 01:49:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: References: <2076f31d0804071011g44172c96pb71fbc9b9424ed99@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> Radhikarajen, I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you have read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do you find the evidence of this violation? The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the police officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist has violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that effect. All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a completely legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot resist the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you directly here) - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is it only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What can we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, I cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who happens to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) Santan Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name gives me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your motives, your character, your personality on the basis of your name would be totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have to rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate the detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization like the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I was arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta sounds, in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my personal convictions in the matter of religion). Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive proof, would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations (which infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI activists and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally absurd. You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your intelligence and your imagination is. I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest you take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, Shuddhabrata On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is above > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" are > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of governance, > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but not > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > Regatrds. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: arshad amanullah > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > basedJournalist > To: reader-list at sarai.net > >> www.milligazette.com >> >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on >> recent arrests in the state. >> >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper >> published from Delhi since 2000. >> >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police >> officials in MP state. >> >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of >> India tomorrow, 8 April. >> >> [end] >> >> Issued by The Milli Gazette >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 >> Email: edit at milligazette.com >> Website: www.milligazette.com >> >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of >> central and MP state authorities: >> >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as >> well to report on the situation there and to visit >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and >> he was there at my instructions to report on the >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. >> >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about >> this matter. >> >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed >> by our Constitution and laws." >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> list >> 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From taraprakash at gmail.com Wed Apr 9 02:21:26 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 16:51:26 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arresteda Delhi-basedJournalist References: <2076f31d0804071011g44172c96pb71fbc9b9424ed99@mail.gmail.com> <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> Message-ID: <003201c899ba$51c6a9c0$df2cab0a@taraprakash> Journalists are not above law. BJP government is. The cops are. They can arrest innocent people at will. They can spare murderers of teachers. They can shoot people to test their guns. habeas corpus provision for a journalist!!! You must be kidding. It applies only in the states where the law rules. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" To: Cc: "arshad amanullah" ; Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:19 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arresteda Delhi-basedJournalist > Radhikarajen, > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you have > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > you find the evidence of this violation? > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the police > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist has > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that effect. > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a completely > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot resist > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > directly here) > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, he > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned does. > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of laws, > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, laws > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is it > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What can > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, I > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who happens > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) Santan > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name gives > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your motives, > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would be > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have to > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate the > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization like > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I was > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta sounds, > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive proof, > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations (which > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI activists > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally absurd. > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your intelligence > and your imagination is. > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest you > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > >> Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is above >> the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, >> support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that >> is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is >> used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now >> banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in >> subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion >> and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour >> in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of >> individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" are >> not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of >> such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of governance, >> or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some >> point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but not >> against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? >> >> Regatrds. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: arshad amanullah >> Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm >> Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- >> basedJournalist >> To: reader-list at sarai.net >> >>> www.milligazette.com >>> >>> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police >>> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a >>> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on >>> recent arrests in the state. >>> >>> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The >>> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper >>> published from Delhi since 2000. >>> >>> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening >>> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, >>> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was >>> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone >>> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not >>> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil >>> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in >>> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. >>> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have >>> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested >>> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam >>> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, >>> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, >>> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home >>> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police >>> officials in MP state. >>> >>> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans >>> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of >>> India tomorrow, 8 April. >>> >>> [end] >>> >>> Issued by The Milli Gazette >>> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I >>> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 >>> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 >>> Email: edit at milligazette.com >>> Website: www.milligazette.com >>> >>> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr >>> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 >>> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of >>> central and MP state authorities: >>> >>> "This is to inform you that we are a registered >>> English-language fortnightly newspaper published >>> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number >>> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim >>> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to >>> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal >>> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of >>> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area >>> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as >>> well to report on the situation there and to visit >>> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad >>> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after >>> making enquiries about the location of the concerned >>> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada >>> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana >>> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town >>> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). >>> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 >>> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why >>> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr >>> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and >>> he was there at my instructions to report on the >>> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there >>> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping >>> enquiries and he is not under arrest. >>> >>> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday >>> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he >>> is alright and was answering questions by the police; >>> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone >>> at that time and told me that there is nothing to >>> worry about as they were only trying to establish the >>> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's >>> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not >>> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the >>> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile >>> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned >>> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was >>> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to >>> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr >>> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is >>> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I >>> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman >>> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 >>> April 08). He told me that he had no information about >>> this matter. >>> >>> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has >>> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown >>> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only >>> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate >>> matters of common and media interest. I fear that >>> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of >>> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely >>> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of >>> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in >>> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed >>> by our Constitution and laws." >>> _________________________________________ >>> 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. >>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >>> list >>> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From the.solipsist at gmail.com Wed Apr 9 02:37:06 2008 From: the.solipsist at gmail.com (Pranesh Prakash) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 02:37:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Symposium_on_the_Challenges_to_Ind?= =?windows-1252?q?ia=92s_Patent_Regime_=7C_NLSIU=2C_Bangalore_=7C_A?= =?windows-1252?q?pril_12_=26_13?= Message-ID: <4785f1e20804081407t46ecd62dr7ba429829d8f1920@mail.gmail.com> Dear All,* *National Law School of India Review, the bi-annual journal of the National Law School, Bangalore is organising the First *NLSIR Symposium on the "Challenges to India's Patent Regime"*. The Symposium is being held from *12th – 13th April (Saturday and Sunday)* at the *NLSIU campus in Nagarbhavi, Bangalore* and is intended to promote healthy debate and discussion amongst all the stakeholders involved. The Symposium has been structured to discuss the cutting edge issues relating to the Indian patent regime. Over four sessions, it looks to cover the theoretical justifications for patents, India's role as a country which is a signatory to TRIPS, the contentious issue of pharmaceutical patents and finally an analysis of possible judicial attitudes towards patent law and legislation in India. The Symposium brings together judges of the Supreme Court, patent attorneys from the USA, senior advocates, technical experts, ideologues and activists to facilitate constructive discussion of the issues set out and the best way forward for India's patent law. Prominent speakers include – *Judiciary* Justice AR Lakshmanan, Chairman Law Commission of India; Justice PP Naolekar, Judge Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravindra Bhat, Judge Delhi High Court; Justice DV Shylendra Kumar, Judge Karnataka High Court *Academics* Dr. Anil Gupta, IIM Ahmedabad; Shamnad Basheer, Oxford IP Research Centre; Srividhya Raghavan, Oklahoma University; T. Ramakrishna, NLSIU; Sudhir Krishnaswamy, NLSIU *Bar* Feroz Ali Khader, Advocate High Court of Madras; Aditya Sondhi, Advocate Karnataka High Court; Vinay Aravind, Poovayya & Poovayya *Public Interest* Leena Menghaney, Access Campaign Manager - India, MSF; Mr. Gopa Kumar, CENTAD; Dr. Anand Grover, Director, Lawyers' Collective For registration, please contact Apurva Rai, +919886208285. For more details visit – http://www.nlsir.in/symposium.htm or contact Arghya Sengupta, +919886023232. Regards, Pranesh Prakash From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Wed Apr 9 09:48:44 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:48:44 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Han blog on Tibet Message-ID: First Time I Feel Ashamed to be Han, and Lucky to Not Be a Party Member China Digital Times[Monday, April 07, 2008 17:26] The following blog post was signed as written by ³a student from the Central University of Nationalities³. Translated by CDT: I¹ve wanted to write something for a while in the wake of the latest developments in Tibetan regions. But after seeing press reports by media outlets from home and abroad, I don¹t know whom to believe in. I lost my judgment. I tried to start writing, but then couldn¹t continue because my feelings are too complex. This afternoon, I talked to a colleague again about this issue and the conversation escalated into a fight. The colleague finally used a very ³Chinese Communist² style to stop me from ³venting angry words.² Faced with irrationality, I zipped my mouth. I¹ve worked with a variety of people, but I didn¹t imagine that there are people who have been brainwashed so much, and I started to realize this issue isn¹t a small matter! The key is, a lot of Han and some ethnic Tibetans with vested interests have become blind to the blue sky, white clouds, green mountains and water. Amidst the long history and mystical culture of Tibet, their brains are only thinking about how to commercialize these things. They don¹t know that many aspects of the Tibetan way of life, religion and custom, culture and values are gradually being dismantled. Neither do they know that the dignity of Tibetans is shedding tears, and many Tibetans are strugglingŠ Looking at Tibet, I sometimes feel ashamed to be a Han. Since first coming to Tibet in 2006 I often think about these issues: What on earth does Tibet need, how should it develop and who does it need to lead that development? I have no power to resist anything, nor do I have the intention to resist, after all our motherland is slowly making progress and our party is gradually inching toward democracy. As an ethnic university graduate and a Han who now works in the Tibetan region, these topics have surrounded me every day of my working life. In a civilized world in the 21st Century, when something incredible happens in a certain area but many people around us (including Tibetans) yell out about a crackdown and mass killing, should we seriously reflect on ourselves: Why? I have picked an article by an alumni [of the Central University of Nationalities] below. As a member of the Chinese nation, no matter which ethnicity, we, the future of the country, shall rethink the whole issue! ===== Those Who Throw Out Angry Rhetoric Please Apologize to Tibetan Compatriots What I write has no intention to be separatist or to damage ethnic solidarity. I love my motherland, love my people and love all my compatriots. I only hope that in this huge family, we can truly love one another, understand and tolerate one another, and truly live a harmonious life. We always mistakenly believe that whatever we do is progressive, but we are repeatedly committing mistakes. While walking on the streets in Lhasa, I always have a subconscious sad feeling. In a sacred place like Lhasa, I cannot find where I belong, and I¹ve lost my direction. Jiangsu Road, Beijing Road, so on and so forth, these names pop up in front of my eyes. Roads named in Tibetan are few in number, and the city makes one feel like being in a mainland town. Children beggars swarm around me and when I see their aspiring eyes and the joy of getting some money, my heart bleeds, and language becomes pale. Occasionally, made-up ladies cozy up and wave toward me, wanting to saying something but I understand they are not just saying hello to me. The whole sacred city is filled with aid construction. I am not saying this is not good, and Tibetan people very much appreciate the help from other ethnic groups and the care from the central government. But those Hunan-aided and Shandong-financed post boards stand up high on the top of buildings, fearing that not enough people will recognize their generosity. But this philanthropic advertising is overstretched. Every ethnicity has its dignity, so imagine, will this hurt the feelings of the Tibetans? And the assistance buildings are not constructed based on Tibetan culture and ideas, but wild shapes and structures. Will Tibetans like these houses? Nowadays, there are so many prostitutes on the boulevards and small lanes, they number at least in the thousands. There was once a women¹s movement that put out a slogan that says ³Sichuan women get out, husbands return home.² Imagine how many people are engaged in prostitution! We cannot blame the Tibetan ethnicity, these are imports from the mainland. And their influence is so deep that it¹s unimaginable. Those colorful women fill the streets wide and narrow and beam their seductive eyes around the crowds, which is for sure a blasphemy on Lhasa¹s image. Still, we have no regret and, instead, have turned the sacred town into a setting of indulgence and satiating lust. Some even say that Tibetans are dark-colored and dirty. Yes, Tibetans are dark-skinned, but they have a red heart and pure belief. Look at us who believe ourselves to be light-colored. We feel proud about our faces being covered with chemical compounds. Tibetans are not dirty, and their hearts are pure and kind. We always stress the importance of Mandarin. Indeed Chinese is important and it¹s our national official language. But in Lhasa and many Tibetan ethnic regions, there is a popular saying that goes, ³Tibetan is a formality but Mandarin is the rice bowl.² That¹s exactly as I see it­Many Tibetan students work hard on Mandarin for their future, and, as a result, many forget their own language. Of course there are a lot of reasons for this, for example some schools don¹t have Tibetan language curriculum at all, and classes of mainland students are not allowed to speak Tibetan, etc. Language is the root of an ethnic group and to a great extent is a symbol that distinguishes one race from another. Without a language, an ethnic culture will also die along with it. On the other hand how many Han people understand Tibetan language and script? Which makes us feel deeply ashamed and sorry. There are so many Tibetans who can fluently speak Mandarin. I don¹t know whether I should be happy or sad about this, but I feel there¹s a serious lack of understanding between the two ethnic groups. Han people have their own holidays and customs, so do the Tibetans. In Lhasa, along with more contact with other ethnic groups, many Tibetans started to celebrate Han holidays, such as dragon boat festival and tomb sweeping festival, etc. But few spend Tibetan holidays with Tibetans. Some say Han culture is so tolerant and so influential. But do you truly understand the Tibetan holidays? When some people talk about sky burial, they associate it with cruelty and horror. But have you ever thought about that when a dead body is incinerated it perishes and when it gets buried it becomes part of the soil, while heavenly burial benefits other animals and alleviates their hunger, thus protecting them. What a noble burial and selfless funeral is this. But it is regarded as barbarian, primitive, cruel. So when you talk about this please read up a little and understand more about it! Many still stubbornly believe that rice is the best staple food. But when told that Tibetans eat Tsangba [roasted barley], their facial expression reflects shock, contempt, dismissal. It¹s ridiculous and stupid and ignorant because tsangba is actually a pure and unpolluted natural food. All these examples are beyond reason but they happen around us. Some only know that there are Tibetans in Tibet, but don¹t know that there are Tibetans in other provinces. Some only know there¹s a Lhasa in Tibet but don¹t know any other place there. But they still randomly say outrageous things about Tibet. Let¹s also talk about those cadres who assisted the development of Tibet. Were/are they really coming to help Tibet? So many of them have returned to their home bases for promotions after a short stint in Tibet. I heard about a friend¹s uncle, who stayed in Tibet for less than four years and took 800,000 yuan back to the mainland. There are many stories like this, going back home from Tibet to skyrocket in their career or buy villas, so on and so forth. Did they come to Tibet to work for the good of Tibetans? How much contribution did they make to Tibet? Where did the money go after the state earmarked it for Tibet? I don¹t even want to imagine, the more I think about it the more frightful it gets. Let me also talk about the inner land (neidi) classes for Tibetans. I don¹t know about other ethnic groups¹ neidi classes but I know quite a bit about the Tibetan ones. Everything they study is written in Mandarin and the history they learn is also Han history. What about Tibetan history? As a Tibetan who doesn¹t know his/her own history, is he/she still a Tibetan? Of course there is reason for this but shall we consider their racial feelings and ethnic belonging? Many years later, many kids have made tremendous progress in Mandarin but their Tibetan level is still elementary. Let me also talk a bit about March 14. China¹s coverage of it has been indeed thorough and detailed. But some issues have been haunting me still. For instance, in the news, a lot of information was ³according to reliable sources/materials.² I don¹t know how reliable these pieces of information are. Where on earth are the sources? Why not tell us, the public? Videos on March 14 shown on the Internet are truly saddening. No matter which ethnic group, it¹s heart-wrenching. But let¹s look at the comments and our netizens, who speak about killing or exterminating in every sentence. Why are we so extremist? Why so partial? How about let¹s try not to preemptively judge certain people without getting the whole story? No ethnic group is composed of all good people. Why not say things like that? Shall we also reflect upon our own behavior and our own mistakes? To kill all Tibetans, isn¹t it a little irresponsible? We did make efforts to develop solidarity and the growth of Han and Tibetan cultures. But we ignore the feelings and belief of Tibetan compatriots. We did give, but we didn¹t do it sincerely enough and not perfectly enough. Not only shall we give in terms of material, but also spiritual, support. We shall offer our help with an equal and caring attitude, not just to do cosmetic work. Think about it: China has run Tibet for so many years and now we have this situation over there, there are so many things we should reflect on about ourselves. We cannot always think that we are always right and we are the best. For those who randomly say outrageous things, please apologize to our kind Tibetan compatriots. Only mutual understanding and trust can build up our truly harmonious societyŠ (Note: this article has been deleted three times on campus Internet forum. It was delayed for republishing today [April 1], only to express my opinion, there¹s no other motive. Viewers¹ tolerance is greatly appreciated.) From ysaeed7 at yahoo.com Wed Apr 9 16:22:12 2008 From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com (Yousuf) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 03:52:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Hindi is in danger of declining and extremely polluted Message-ID: <501242.79991.qm@web51403.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hindi is in danger of declining and extremely polluted http://agrasen.blogspot.com/ APR 8 08 Support to Urdu is support to Islam and Islamic rule. Many people say Urdu is a Bhaaratiya language and write in support of Urdu. Are these people justified? Here are some more viewpoints. From: ramgopal gupta The tragedy is that Hindu intellectuals, activists, and leaders, of the day, talk of Hindu nation, Hindu Rashtra, but forget that a nation must have a national language and that it had been decided hundred years back, early years of the 20th century, by our national leaders of the time, including Gandhi. It is a different matter that, after 1920, Gandhi resiled in favour of Hindustani, i.e. Urdu written in Devanagari and Persian scripts both, to be on the right side of the Muslims. Gandhi's legatees got the political power, along with the power on all wings of the State, including propaganda. They used every means to demean Hindi and promote Urdu. Many among us are also the victims of that propaganda. The origin of Urdu is a mixture of Turkish, Persian, and Hindi. In its original form, used by Amir Khusro, there was not much difference between Urdu and 'Khari Boli' variant of Hindi, around the 13th century. At that time, Hindi had four main branches (variants), 'Avadhi, 'Braj', 'Bundelkhandi' and 'Khari Boli'. 'Avadhi' and 'Braj' were the main languages of literature, because all literary compositions were then done in verses. 'Khari Boli' was used for prose. Since the 19th century, when press came into being and prose became more important, the Khari Boli rose in importance. In 19th century itself, for political reasons, Muslims declared 'Urdu' as their religious and 'Kaumi', meaning national language and started replacing Hindi and other indigenous words by Persian or Arabic ones. So much so, it has now become radically different from the original Urdu of Amir Khusro's time. Just listen to Urdu news broad-cast on the Doordarshan and see that pronunciation of over 75 per cent words are un-Indian. I wonder if you know that the first poet of Khari Boli (modern Hindi) and Urdu is one, namely, Amir Khusro. Muslims' first separatist battle was to attack introduction of Hindi, by the British government of the time, as a subsidiary official language in its own home State of United Provinces (UP) in 1901. Urdu in its origin form was not a foreign language, but its growth since late 19th century has been Islamic and Arab centric. Now, if you write a verse in Urdu, you have to address God as "Allah" or "Khuda", not "Ishwar" or "Parmeshwara" and praise prophet Muhammed. Otherwise, you have no place in an Urdu Mushaira. In all Islamic madrasas, from Bengal to Gujarat and from Kashmir to extreme South, Urdu is the medium of education. Here is what a distinguished Pakistani scholar, Abdul Haque, speaking on the role of Urdu in the making of Pakistan, said in Karachi on February 15, 1961: "Pakistan was not created by Jinnah, nor was it created by Iqbal. It was Urdu that created it. For, the fundamental reason for the discord between Hindus and Muslims was the Urdu language. The entire two-nation and all other difficulties of this nature issued solely from Urdu". No wonder, Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and of J & K in India. Support to Urdu is support to Islam and Islamic rule. Ram Bhai ------------------ Ravi Bakhsi Whilst Urdu may be what ever it is, the fact is that there is also another Indian language called Hindi, which seems to have been forgotten, overstepped, and dismissed. We should remember that for whatever Urdu is, was or is trying to be, Hindi is supposed to be the national Language of India, and not Hindustani, a misnomer for Urdu. Whilst the observation that just because you speak a language does not mean to say that you partake of the various ideologies associated with it may be true. We should remember that there is a language in India called Hindi, it is supposed to be its national language and it's script & vocabulary is different to Urdu. Sadly I have had various encounters with people of different Indian cultures e.g. Gujaratis, Bengalis etc who speak beautiful Urdu thinking it to be beautiful Hindi. They had unfortunately watched many Bollywood films studiously, putting in a lot of extra hours after work, weekends etc., in their effort to learn a language which was anything but that Hindi. Can you imagine the pain they must have suffered having to sit through all that, for want of a better word, Shit? All that crying, singing, dancing & melodrama for hours and hours? The affect it must have had on their families, mothers in law etc. must have been devastating. Most lovers of Urdu also happen to be lovers of Gazals a tradition of little or no literary merit. Whereas e.g. Haiku, a Japanese Literary art form is studied throughout the world I have yet to encounter translations of these Gazals though I believe they should be translated so we can all say wah! wah! are kya baat hai? after reading them with the prerequisite glass of whisky in our hands. Anyway when we were young and at school, there was a girl named Gazala, and we used to say, Oh look, here comes Gazala with the ears of a Gazelle, I know it was cruel, but there you are. The compiler of the valuable Hindi/ Urdu Vocabulary list, next needs to add columns showing the words in some different Indian languages e.g. Gujarati, Bengali, and also one with their Sanskrit roots. On the whole it is a good composition. Finally Sanskrit and Hindi words in Urdu? Surely you're having a laugh aintchya? Ravi Ravi Bakhsi wrote: Years ago my Father, Dr R.S. Bakhshi, attended Hindi Divas or some such function in India House, London, he was extremely aware of this constant affront to our national language and the attitude of those in power. He absolutely hated Nehru and used to call him Gaddaar and Gandhi a Bastard. Basically he called both of them such names and more and I actually learnt a lot of good swear words in Hindi from his discourses on those 2 characters. Anyway he returned very angry and upset from the meeting. The Indian High Commissioner, a South Indian Moslem Gentleman, was walking around parading a copy of some Urdu newspaper in his pocket. The 'Hindi' poetry etc... was in Urdu. My Father told them all off and asked the High commissioner "why Persian and Arabic vocabulary were being promoted, if you can promote those words why can't you promote the vocabulary of Tamil, Telgu, Malayalam? why do we treat these as step daughters? " The High Commissioner and his aides said that "Hindi Ka hriday bohut vishal hai" and it can incorporate any number of words from any language to make it richer. My Father told them to call their event Urdu Divas next time and left. What is the point being made? The point being made or asked is " What point were India House and the High commissioner making? What point are Moslems making? it is sad when language becomes a pawn in political struggles. Arabic once belonged to Pagan Arabia a country with great respect for India. Persian belongs to an ancient Indo-Aryan group with very close ties and relationship to Sanskrit and our culture. I guess in a way it is if a limb gets gangrenous, it's sad but if you don't cut it off, you stand the risk of dying. My approach has been, "If I can say 'Zaroor' then I can Say 'Avashya' its a matter of habit. If I’m conditioned to think that avashya, avashak, avashakta etc... sound strange, then I can just as much tell myself that Zaroor sounds just as strange, it’s a matter of my conditioning. Step by step I removed as much Arabic from my Hindi as possible and if I can't, at least I am aware of its root. We should at least be aware of the roots and origins of words in our language. I refuse to accept this Urdu words business, there is no such thing, and the words belong to Arabic, Turkish or Persian. I have nothing against those Languages but will speak them as soon as they show respect to mine. Regarding inclusion of foreign vocabulary, 'Le Institute Françoise' meet every Year or so to decide which new words can be included in French, its a serious affair and its reports are published in newspapers soon after. Who are we to randomly decide which words our language should accept or not? Where is our council of Hindi scholars? If we don't take care of our language it will soon join the "ainit" brand that English is becoming. Finally I remember reading Urdu described as "a bastardised form of Persian". Ravi -------------- savarkar vinayak Everybody talks in such 'Secularism' terms and thus destroys our own originality. May I say you are wrong to say that Urdu is an Indian language; it has been promoted by Congress Governments to appease Muslims and see where the nation has landed. So keep up with Hindi language and they too will understand Hindi and that way also you will promoting this language. Most of the people rush to comment on these articles. These show their extremely poor knowledge of the subject. For people who say that Urdu is a Bhaaratiya language. They are not only blind to see the danger of Urdu language, but they do not understand that it does not give it the right of intrusion of Urdu words in Hindi. People who say that Urdu is Bhaaratiya language, why for them intrusion of Urdu words in Hindi are important while proper Hindi words are available. Moreover if Hindi needs words then it must be taken from Tamil, Telgu, Kannad, Malayalam, Bengali etc. languages. Rudy Mishra A mixture remains a mixture. and that mixture is being bent towards Arabic. While the computer generation is moving towards the use of Sanskrit-the purest form of language there is-some people are bent on pleasing the murders, rapist, robbers and looters of our Motherland. They have no pride left in them. It would be worth enquiring if there is some cross-breeding in their family background. ------ Poison is also locally grown. If the poison is of local origin, it does not mean that every body needs it. If the product is of local origin, then its usefulness is assessed. Urdu has become the language of Muslims and it is also language of division. Much poison comes out through Urdu against Hindus. Urdu language people if it is possible do not accept Hindi words. Urdu people look words from Arabic, Farsi or Turkish languages before adopting words from Hindi or other Bhaaratiya languages. Urdu language was born in India, during Mogul time. The word Urdu in Turkish language means " battle field " it was designed for secret language for military use, from mix of all Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Persian, Arabic, and some other Indian languages. Traitors are also born in the Bhaaratiya country; such people destroy the nation or help foreigners in making country slave nations. Similarly poison is also a local grown product, it also destroy or kills other native people who come in contact with locally grown product. Urdu is such a local product. http://agrasen.blogspot.com/2008/04/hindi-is-in-danger-of-declining-and.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Wed Apr 9 17:43:35 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:43:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet Message-ID: Letter to the Editor: The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its editorial on Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained growth, omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, Party and government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on natural resources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced denunciations of the Dalai Lama. The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. In 1952 Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." By 1953 there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed eastern Tibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million Chinese and 750,000 Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's population was Tibetan. This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw between Tibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long demanded the re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri anxieties that New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate statehood for Ladakh and Jammu. Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its stonewalling of his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just solution "within the framework of one China" is precisely what the Dalai Lama has pursued. The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on Tibet does it little credit. Yours sincerely, Sonia Jabbar Ramachandra Guha Mukul Kesavan Madhu Sarin Jyotirmaya Sharma Dilip Simeon Tenzin Sonam Shashi Tharoor From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Wed Apr 9 18:06:25 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 05:36:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> Message-ID: <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) Santan >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe the possible conclusions as 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" do belong to BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI and CPM? Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service charge for this. Regards, Dhatri. Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: Radhikarajen, I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you have read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do you find the evidence of this violation? The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the police officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist has violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that effect. All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a completely legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot resist the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you directly here) - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is it only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What can we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, I cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who happens to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) Santan Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name gives me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your motives, your character, your personality on the basis of your name would be totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have to rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate the detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization like the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I was arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta sounds, in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my personal convictions in the matter of religion). Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive proof, would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations (which infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI activists and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally absurd. You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your intelligence and your imagination is. I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest you take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, Shuddhabrata On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is above > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of religion > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant behaviour > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" are > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of governance, > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but not > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > Regatrds. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: arshad amanullah > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > basedJournalist > To: reader-list at sarai.net > >> www.milligazette.com >> >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on >> recent arrests in the state. >> >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper >> published from Delhi since 2000. >> >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police >> officials in MP state. >> >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of >> India tomorrow, 8 April. >> >> [end] >> >> Issued by The Milli Gazette >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 >> Email: edit at milligazette.com >> Website: www.milligazette.com >> >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of >> central and MP state authorities: >> >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as >> well to report on the situation there and to visit >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and >> he was there at my instructions to report on the >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. >> >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about >> this matter. >> >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed >> by our Constitution and laws." >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> list >> 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From justjunaid at rediffmail.com Wed Apr 9 18:21:47 2008 From: justjunaid at rediffmail.com (junaid) Date: 9 Apr 2008 12:51:47 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses in Kashmir Message-ID: <20080409125147.4516.qmail@f4mail-235-146.rediffmail.com> http://www.amnesty.nl/voor_de_pers_artikel/31437?PHPSESSID=975c9807c483e274bdec9288f1c26a86   Amnesty International   India should investigate all allegations of enforced disappearances in Jammu and Kashmir following reports of mass graves   8 April 2008:   Amnesty International urges the Government of India to launch urgent investigations into hundreds of unidentified graves discovered since 2006 in Jammu and Kashmir. The investigation must be independent, impartial and follow international standards. The grave sites are believed to contain the remains of victims of unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other abuses which occurred in the context of armed conflict persisting in the state since 1989. The graves of at least 940 persons have reportedly been found in 18 villages in Uri district alone.Unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture are violations of both international human rights law and international humanitarian law, set out in treaties to which India is a state party and in customary international law. They also constitute international crimes. Amnesty International calls on the Government of India to comply with its international obligations in this regard, as well as act on the commitment displayed through its signing of the United Nations? Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances on 6 February 2007 by ordering prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all past and current allegations of enforced disappearances. A report issued on 29 March 2008 by the Srinagar-based Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), Facts under Ground, indicated the existence of multiple graves in localities which, because of their proximity of the Line of Control with Pakistan, are not accessible without the specific permission on the security forces. In response to the report army spokespersons again claimed that those found buried were armed rebels and ?foreign militants? killed lawfully in armed encounters with military forces. However the report detailed testimonies from local villagers saying that most of those buried were local residents hailing from the state. These are serious allegations that must be fully investigated. While the report alleges that more than 8,000 persons have gone missing in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989, the central and state authorities state that the total amounts to less than 4.000, and that most of these went to Pakistan to join armed opposition groups. In 2006 a state police report confirmed the deaths in custody of 331 persons and also 111 enforced disappearances following detention since 1989. Since the early 1990s, Amnesty International has issued a series of reports and statements on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir detailing arbitrary detentions by the security forces and the state police and enforced disappearances. For instance, see India: ?An unnatural fate?- "Disappearances" and impunity in the Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, AI Index: ASA 20/042/1993; India: "If they are dead, tell us": "Disappearances" in Jammu and Kashmir, AI Index: ASA 20/002/1998; Open Letter to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, AI Index: ASA 20/020/2002 and India: Armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir targeting civilians, AI Index: ASA 20/016/2005. The organisation has also consistently opposed human rights abuses perpetrated by armed opposition groups, repeatedly appealing to them to abide by minimum standards of international humanitarian law which prohibit hostage-taking, torture and killing of people taking no active part in hostilities including members of the Hindu community and issued several statements documenting the same. Amnesty International reiterates its grave concern that the state has failed to take responsibility to ascertain the fate or the whereabouts of a majority of the disappeared persons, especially in response to habeas corpus petitions filed in the state?s courts. In addition, while Amnesty International has welcomed efforts of the judiciary in a number of high profile cases - including the Chattisingpura case in which a series of court hearings established that the security service had extrajudicially executed five local residents while claiming lawful use of force against suspected ?foreign militants? - the organization remains concerned that judicial inquiries into individual complaints are rare and the rights of victim to justice and redress remains unfulfilled. In the light of the above, Amnesty International urges the Government of India to: unequivocally reiterate condemnation of enforced disappearances in Jammu & Kashmir; ensure that prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all sites of mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir are immediately carried out by forensic experts in line with UN Model Protocol on the disinterment and analysis of skeletal remains;make available adequate resources; and seek and accept offers of assistance and cooperation from international experts, both in carrying out the work itself, and in training local personnel engaged in the work. As an immediate step, the grave sites must be secured in order to preserve the evidence; ensure that all past and current allegations of enforced disappearances are promptly, thoroughly, independently and impartially investigated and that, where there is sufficient evidence, anyone suspected of responsibility for such crimes is prosecuted in proceedings which meet international fair trial standards; ensure that all victims of unlawful killings, enforced disappearance and torture are granted full reparations, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition; consider assigning the civilian prosecutor?s office with the jurisdiction to investigate all cases of suspected enforced disappearances, whichever military, security or law enforcement agency is suspected of being involved; and provide the civilian prosecutor?s office with the mandate and authority necessary to be able to effectively investigate all such cases; create a single authoritative and comprehensive database of the names and details, including where possible DNA information, of all individuals who have gone missing, who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, or abducted in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989, and create a single official database logging details of all unidentified bodies found in Jammu and Kashmir. Make both databases public and accessible to relatives of these people; ratify without delay and without any reservations the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, make declarations pursuant to Articles 31 and 32 recognizing the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive communications from individuals and states, enact effective implementing legislation and implement it in practice; Ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; facilitate the long-standing requests for visits to India including Jammu and Kashmir, by the UN Special Procedures, in accordance with their long-established terms of reference for missions, in particular the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances by setting dates for them to undertake missions in the near future. Amnesty International urges the state authorities to support the actions of the Government of India and ensure all detentions in the state are carried out in accordance with proper procedures, meeting the strict requirements of international law and standards, including by ensuring detaining officials are identifiable by wearing visible ID numbers and for the registration numbers of vehicles to be clearly visible; ensuring all detentions are properly logged; providing medical examination of detainees on entering, transfer and release from detention, ensuring all detainees have prompt access to family members, lawyers and independent courts where they may challenge the lawfulness of their detention, and ensuring accountability for any violations of such procedures; ensure no one faces reprisals for seeking the truth about the fate of their disappeared relative; establish safeguards against reprisals in order to protect all complainants, victims and witnesses in accordance with international standards; work with the Union government authorities and international experts to exhume the sites of mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with international standards. Ensure the sites are protected from any interference pending such exhumation; work with the Union government authorities to create a comprehensive database of the names and details of all individuals who have gone missing, who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, or abducted in Jammu and Kashmir since 1999 and to create a single official database logging details of all unidentified bodies found in the state; provide full reparation, including restitution, rehabilitation, compensation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition, to the victims and their families.             http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/07/india18442_txt.htm India: UN Rights Council Should Tackle Impunity Government Scrutinized for Failing to Protect Minority Rights (New York, April 07, 2008) ? The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) should insist that the Indian government take strong steps to hold accountable members of its security forces responsible for torture, arbitrary detentions, killings, and ?disappearances,? Human Rights Watch said today. The HRC should also demand that the government fulfill its responsibility to protect and support vulnerable communities, including Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, and women. India?s human rights record comes under the first-ever Universal Periodic Review (UPR) when the HRC meets in Geneva on April 10, 2008.   ?India is a vibrant electoral democracy with an abysmal human rights record,? said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. ?Victims of abuse in India are counting on the Human Rights Council to put maximum pressure on the government to address these problems.?   In its submission to the UPR, India said it has adopted various measures for the protection of human rights, including the training of government officials, armed forces, prison officials, and law officers. It said that such measures have had a ?beneficial effect? and that there has been a ?decline of complaints of human rights violations even from areas affected by insurgency and terrorist activities and violence.?   While Human Rights Watch welcomes the government?s efforts to properly train its security forces and other officials, human rights violations remain rampant. Security forces in India continue to be responsible for grave human rights abuses during counter-insurgency operations, such as in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Manipur. Serious abuses are being committed in the many states where there is a violent campaign by Maoist ?Naxalite? groups. Further, the government is ignoring the crime of forced disappearances from past conflicts in Punjab and Nagaland.   Extrajudicial executions, often disguised as encounters with armed criminals, have become the norm and are widely reported in Indian media. Torture and arbitrary detentions continue, not just in insurgency-affected areas, but also in most police stations in the country. Yet India continues to provide effective immunity from prosecution to its security forces and other public officials. When investigations are started, they are often blocked. The army and other special forces, in particular, remain almost completely above the law.   Human Rights Watch called on the HRC to demand that India remove all immunity clauses in Indian law, such as that in section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code. India should also accept the recommendation of various government-appointed experts and repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which has allowed widespread human rights violations by security forces with impunity.   ?India likes to tell the world that it has a world class legal system that allows it to solve its own problems, but the reality on the ground is far different,? said Adams. ?Killers and torturers in the army and police do their work with official protection, degrading the law and taking the shine off of India?s claim to be an emerging world leader. Now is the time to repeal antiquated laws that protect abusers.?   In its submission for the UPR, India claimed that it has ?embarked on a programme of affirmative action which is, perhaps, without parallel in scale and dimension in human history.? The policies are intended to end discrimination against Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and provide quotas in jobs, education and political representation. India cited policy initiatives and legislation, including the recent Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, which recognizes customary land rights of these communities.   These efforts are welcome and the necessary foundation for reform. However, India has failed to effectively implement these policies and laws. Dalits, tribals and other so-called backward classes continue to suffer severe discrimination, exploitation and violence. They are routinely denied access to land, water and shelter, forced to work in degrading conditions, and abused at the hands of the police and private actors belonging to so-called higher caste groups. These vulnerable groups also have unequal access to services, employment opportunities, justice mechanisms, and development programs. Protection for Dalits, tribals and other groups is limited because officials and police responsible for abuses or failing to discharge their duties to protect vulnerable persons routinely go unpunished.   India has repeatedly refused to substantively engage with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, disputing its claim that discrimination on the ground of caste is fully covered by the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.   ?In its report to the Human Rights Council, India has cited numerous laws and policies to protect human rights,? said Adams. ?But as victims, lawyers and activists in India tell us every day, human rights abuses are rampant in India because there is little will in the government to properly implement these laws. While these are fine words on paper, those facing ?faked encounter killings? or ?dowry deaths? need effective action.?   While India cites secularism as the fundamental tenet of its constitution and touts policies and institutions established for the protection of minority rights, including the National Commission for Minorities, religious minorities continue to face discrimination, particularly in access to housing and employment and to suffer violent attacks from Hindu militant groups. For example, in December 2007 hundreds of churches and Christian homes were destroyed in attacks by Hindu militants in Orissa state in eastern India. The Indian government has yet to hold perpetrators accountable for riots in which Muslims came under attack from Hindu mobs. It has failed to implement the Srikrishna Commission recommendations on the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai. The commission proposed action against police responsible for instigating or participating in the violence. The government has taken little action to address the 2002 attacks on Muslims in Gujarat. The violence started after 59 people died when a train carriage carrying Hindus caught fire during a Muslim mob attack. In a retaliatory spree led by Hindu militant groups, hundreds of Muslims were slaughtered, tens of thousands were displaced, and their property was destroyed. In March 2008, the Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to further probe 14 cases from the 2002 riots. As the court said: ?If in the name of religion, people are liquidated it is essentially a slur and blot on society governed by the Constitution of India which in its Preamble refers to secularism.?   Human Rights Watch also called on the HRC to press India to strengthen its official human rights mechanisms. The Indian government often refers to a number of ?Ombudsman type institutions,? particularly the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), that it says ensures the protection of human rights. However, these institutions are weak, under-staffed, and often ignored. The national and state governments often do not act upon the findings and recommendations of these bodies.   The NHRC itself has complained about restrictions that prevent the commission from performing a meaningful role in addressing impunity. Under section 19 of the Human Rights Protection Act, when the NHRC receives a complaint of a human rights violation by the armed forces, it cannot independently investigate the case but can only seek a report from the central government and make recommendations. The state human rights commissions are invariably poorly funded and stacked with political appointees, making them ineffective in addressing ongoing human rights violations.   India also urgently needs to reform its policing systems. Junior police officials operate in abysmal working conditions, which make it more likely that they will succumb to corruption and brutality. Senior officers, on the other hand, complain of improper interference from politicians. There is an urgent need for proper training in criminal investigations and access to forensic tools for evidence gathering, which will decrease the pervasive culture of torture and mistreatment during interrogation to obtain forced confessions.   ?Adequate resources and political support must be given to India?s human rights commissions to investigate abuses,? Adams said. ?And so long as police officers live in terrible conditions and effectively are permanently on duty, the police are likely to be part of the problem instead of part of the solution.?   In discussing its commitment to international human rights norms, India claimed in its report to the UPR that ?voluntary pledges and commitments made by India have been fulfilled and the rest are being carried out in earnest.?   India has still not invited the UN?s Special Rapporteur on torture, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, or the Working Group on arbitrary detention to conduct in-country missions.   India has also ignored recommendations by UN bodies on human rights. For example, in 1997 the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern about legislation such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Public Safety Act, and the National Security Act. It also expressed concern that criminal or civil proceedings against members of the security forces, acting under special powers, could not be commenced without permission from the central government, contributing to a climate of impunity and depriving people of a remedy. Several treaty bodies, including CERD and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, have expressed concern about human rights violations by security forces, including custodial deaths, rape, torture, and arbitrary detention. The Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances has reported on cases related to insurgencies in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and in the northeastern states. India has failed to address these concerns.   India is yet to ratify the Convention against Torture, and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Human Rights Watch welcomed the fact that India has signed the Convention on Enforced Disappearances and looks forward to its prompt ratification, but urged the government to take concrete measure to effectively address allegations of widespread disappearances in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir.   ?As the world?s largest democracy, India should set the standard for the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council,? said Adams. ?India must make credible commitments to uphold its constitutional and international obligations and provide justice to those who continue to suffer human rights abuse.?     From vikash.sen at gmail.com Wed Apr 9 18:21:30 2008 From: vikash.sen at gmail.com (Bikash Ballabh Singh) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 05:51:30 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Olympic Torch to face Freedom Torch in India Message-ID: <25c340bd0804090551p9f2ed7ftfe24887ccb6fc85@mail.gmail.com> Tibetans and their support groups in India are planning to hold parallel torch march on April 17, coinciding with the Olympic Torch relay run in New Delhi. The 'Freedom Torch' march will be taken out in eight Indian cities including the capital. ** THERE WOULD be a parallel torch relay march in several Indian cities the same day when the Olympic Torch relay run would take place. Tibetan support groups and Tibetans residing in India have planned these marches in seven or eight cities. Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Dharamshala are on their radar besides New Delhi. The main show will be, obviously, in the capital. Informed sources claim that more than one thousand Tibetans will be present in the march everywhere. "We will try to keep our march peaceful in all the cities. In fact, the Tibet issue has already achieved so much publicity this time that we don't need to do anything drastic," they say. But, the young Tibetans, in a way, are somewhat unpredictable in nature. All support groups accept this. When contacted, co-convener of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause, Vijay Kranti said, "If government of India resorts to preventive arrests of Tibetan people in the name of smooth Olympic Torch relay run, the young Tibetans will be provoked, as we have seen in the past." In Delhi, Tibetans will be demanding Jantar-Mantar for their parallel torch show. The government may hesitate to allot this place to them, as it is only one km away from the Rajpath, where the Olympic Torch relay run will be on and where the security agencies are planning for a very heavy deployment. Can the unpredictability of younger lot of Tibetans be provoked by the refusal of allotment of Jantar-Mantar area to them for their march in New Delhi? No one has the correct answer. Kranti says, "If the government threatens them by resorting to preventive arrests, if it doesn't allow their march on Jantar-Mantar and if India allows Chinese guards to run with the Olympic Torch, we cannot predict the result. We can only say that the Freedom Torch march will be peaceful." "India should not allow the Chinese policemen to run with the Olympic Torch in the name of its security. It will be shameful for our country. India should come forward to announce that our agencies are capable for the security of the Olympic Torch," he asserted. Source: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=132157 From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Wed Apr 9 18:23:15 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:53:15 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown fact that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red the whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line marked as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end of world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a joint survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, then two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can have honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even US would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its freedom than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: "S. Jabbar" Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet To: sarai list > > > Letter to the Editor: > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > editorial on > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > Party and > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > denunciations of the > Dalai Lama. > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > In 1952 > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > By 1953 > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > Chinese and 750,000 > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > population was > Tibetan. > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > demanded the > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > statehood for Ladakh and > Jammu. > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > stonewalling of > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > Dalai Lama has > pursued. > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > Yours sincerely, > > Sonia Jabbar > Ramachandra Guha > Mukul Kesavan > Madhu Sarin > Jyotirmaya Sharma > Dilip Simeon > Tenzin Sonam > Shashi Tharoor > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From rashneek at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 09:18:59 2008 From: rashneek at gmail.com (rashneek kher) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:18:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Will Kashmiri Hindu Pandits Ever Return To Their Homeland by J.N.Raina(Asian Tribune) Message-ID: <13df7c120804092048y74f2a509o3e545230e438a6e2@mail.gmail.com> By J.N. Raina - Syndicate Features Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call for the return of the Kashmiri Hindu Pandits to their ancestral abode is ludicrous. The community has almost been exterminated from the Elysian valley, through the planned process of ethnic cleansing, sporadically, especially since independence, when India became a secular and democratic nation. Over five lakh Kashmiri Hindus live like refugees in their own country. Now their number might have proportionately increased during 18 years of their "exile." They were forced to flee like pigeons from their home and hearth at the point of gun, when Pakistan-sponsored terrorism erupted during 1989-90. Their houses were repeatedly plundered by the Muslim fundamentalists, assisted by gun-wielding militants in the nefarious "operation." Several hundred temples and places of worship were either desecrated or destroyed during militancy, which is still on. Geelani's call is mischievous. He is not honest in saying that the Kashmiri Pandits should only return to their 'native places' where their "old Muslim neighbours would receive them with open arms"; and that they should not 'opt' for living in the 'security zones', because that according to him is "impractical and rather fraught with dangers". Perhaps Geelani and his cohorts are treating the proposed 'home-coming' as a return of the prodigals. It is apparent from the tone and tenor adopted by the diehard Geelani and many others of his ilk. Geelani's call came on the heels of the Jammu and Kashmir Government's announcement of a 'grand' rehabilitation plan for the Kashmiri Hindu migrants, under which a cluster of houses and flats are being constructed, under a comprehensive package. These will be ready within this year, or may be earlier, to coincide with the elections to the state Assembly. But one would like to ask Geelani, where are the so-called 'old houses' of these Kashmiri Pandits? Where are their landed properties? Where are their apple and almond orchards; temples and religious places, palatial buildings, paddy fields, business establishments et al. Their dwellings were pulled down after their mass exodus in early 1990. No one dared to go back and see these damaged properties or even to file an FIR. Police proved helpless. Many houses were grabbed. Roughly, over 80 per cent of the migrants disposed of their properties under pressure and unforeseen circumstances, and that too at throwaway prices. Surprisingly, after the sale deeds were conducted, prices went up significantly so that the migrants do not return to the valley. It was all manipulated. Where from the money came to purchase these properties at one go? It is generally believed that Kashmiris are poor. The Pandits are in wilderness. When I visited the then Hindu-dominated locality of Habbakadal in 2005, it wore an eerie and deserted look. Even dogs would not struggle to bark. It may sound hypothetical, but one would like to understand that after Geelani and his folks receive the Pandits with 'open arms', where shall they go? Geelani, who is leading a faction of the Hurriyat Conference, is in fact denigrating the Pandits' community. The like-minded political leaders, preferring to act as a "devil's advocate," are in support of Geelani's view that the migrants should return only to their 'old houses' and not to Government flats under construction. It is untenable. The Kashmiri Pandits are now a fragmented lot. They have settled in different parts of the country, mostly in Jammu and Delhi. Thousands of them live in shattered tenements and dingy apartments, in unhygienic conditions. If Geelani and his compeers had been honest enough about the return of the Pandits, they should have first condemned militancy in no uncertain terms, and the barbarous acts the community was subjected to before they were hounded out. Geelani and his 'comrades' should have volunteered to reconstruct the burned down houses of the migrants and restored their places of worship to their original shape and not waited thus far. But alas; they were never serious, for the fact that they regarded the Pandits as persona non grata in the valley. Geelani is against the permanent stay of outsiders in the valley, including Biharis, but those who were the permanent settlers were thrown out. The radicals by and large achieved their goal of establishing what is known as "Nizam-e-Mustafa" (Islamic way of life). This concept is against the general will of the majority of the Muslims. They have opted for modernity rather than for Afghanistan-type Talibanisation of the Islamic society. What the Muslim fundamentalists are aiming at is against the concept of secular democracy, adopted by India. The radicals' ideology has not only ruined Kashmiris but the people of Pakistan as well. The Hurriyat leader is shedding crocodile tears that "Kashmir is incomplete without the Hindu Pandit community." The population of Hindus in Kashmir was reduced to just two per cent (from 15 per cent in 1947) before 1990 exodus. Now less than 15,000 to 20,000 Hindus live in the valley. Panun Kashmir Chairman Dr Ajay Chrungoo is averse to Geelani's idea about the return of the Pandits. "By insisting that the migrants should return only to their old homes and intermingle with their old Muslim neighbours, Geelani in fact wants them to ignore their security concerns. He does not want the Pandits to have relationship with the Government or the security forces." Naturally, it could be interpreted to mean that the Kashmiri Hindus should identify themselves with the politics of the radicals, which is uncalled for. Panun Kashmir, an organization representing the Kashmiri Pandits, has demanded to carve out a separate homeland for the Kashmiri Hindus in the valley, within the Indian union. Geelani and other separatist leaders should say peccavi (we have sinned) and apologize to the Pandits before making such overtures. They should abjure violence and realize that separatism is disastrous. Separation of Kashmir from the Indian union is impossible. It simply means disintegration of India as well as Pakistan. It can never happen. The radicals are a curse upon the people of Kashmir. Geelani's mea culpa for supporting and engineering terrorism in the valley will go a long way in the restoration of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. What they want to achieve is unachievable, for if Kashmir is unstable, both India and Pakistan will remain so. The fundamentals in the valley have no locus standi to decide about people residing in the other two regions of the Buddhist-dominated Ladakh region and the Hindu-dominated Jammu. Ugly happenings in Kashmir will have an adverse impact in both the countries. The Kashmiri Muslim fundamentalists are holding people in the entire subcontinent at ransom. This is why Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari wants Kashmir issue to be kept on the backburner, to develop economic relationship between India and Pakistan http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/10471 -- Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com From patwardhan_gauri at yahoo.com Thu Apr 10 10:36:34 2008 From: patwardhan_gauri at yahoo.com (gouri) Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:06:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [People'sResistance] The Establishment Strikes Back Message-ID: <40451.54069.qm@web32403.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Thu Apr 10 13:28:54 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:58:54 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi, it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of "defamation." Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: we wi Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist To: reader-list at sarai.net > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > Adventist, a > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > the possible conclusions as > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > do belong to > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > and CPM? > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > charge for this. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Radhikarajen, > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > have > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > you find the evidence of this violation? > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > police > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > has > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > effect. > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > completely > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > resist > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > directly here) > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > he > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > does. > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > laws, > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > laws > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > it > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > can > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > I > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > happens > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > gives > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > motives, > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > be > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > to > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > the > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > like > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > was > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > sounds, > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > proof, > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > (which > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > activists > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > absurd. > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > intelligence > and your imagination is. > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > you > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > above > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > that > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > is > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > religion > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > behaviour > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > are > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > governance, > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > not > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > Regatrds. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: arshad amanullah > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >> www.milligazette.com > >> > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > >> recent arrests in the state. > >> > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > >> > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > >> officials in MP state. > >> > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > >> > >> [end] > >> > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > >> > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > >> central and MP state authorities: > >> > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > >> > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > >> this matter. > >> > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > >> by our Constitution and laws." > >> _________________________________________ > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From pkray11 at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 14:29:47 2008 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:29:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Cinemela Film Fest Message-ID: <98f331e00804100159t5ad4927fr7f890f1043d27a86@mail.gmail.com> The 3rd edition of CINEMELA FILM FEST 11-14 APRIL SAA AUDITORIUM JNU/New Delhi 11th April 5.30pm Opening Session Inauguration by Prof Parul D Mukherjee Dean, SAA, JNU Keynote Speech: Mr Mukul Sharma Director, Amnesty International India Ashvin Kumar Filmmaker Screening: The Little Terrorist Dir- Ashvin Kumar (widely acclaimed and Oscars nominee) 12, 13 & 14 April 10.30am onwards Short films, documentaries & features Special screening: Raja Harishchandra, the first Indian film by Dadasaheb Phalke 0987331331 cinemela at gmail.com cinemela.blogspot.com All are invited From parthaekka at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 14:30:27 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804100200y65908d9i5a482d7a528d837f@mail.gmail.com> Hi, That's a very wierd (and I would say irrelevant) question to ask 'who' is the reporter writing the news for. All of us see whatever we do and 'report' it in the hindsight of our personal bias. Whether or not the journalist wrote for the Forward Block or the Milli GHazette or the BJP, he would be putting out a view point based on facts that he has in possession. Your question becomes even more irrelevant looking at the fact that he never reported anything since the Police picked him up before he could. However, that still doesn't answer the question of how you presumed he had violated the law since the Police apparently called only to confirm that he was a reporter. Rgds, Partha ..................... On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > Hi, > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > "defamation." > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > Regards. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: we wi > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > aDelhi-basedJournalist > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > Adventist, a > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > the possible conclusions as > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > do belong to > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > and CPM? > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > charge for this. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > have > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > police > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > has > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > effect. > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > completely > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > resist > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > directly here) > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > he > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > does. > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > laws, > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > laws > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > it > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > can > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > I > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > happens > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > gives > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > motives, > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > be > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > to > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > the > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > like > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > was > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > sounds, > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > proof, > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > (which > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > activists > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > absurd. > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > intelligence > > and your imagination is. > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > you > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > above > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > that > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > is > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > religion > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > behaviour > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > are > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > governance, > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > not > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > >> > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > >> > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > >> officials in MP state. > > >> > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > >> > > >> [end] > > >> > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > >> > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > >> > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > >> this matter. > > >> > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > >> _________________________________________ > > >> 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. > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > >> list > > >> 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Thu Apr 10 17:24:54 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:54:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <738911.22086.qm@web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi, I am expecting the response should be from SUDDHA, a founder member of SARAI. The "defamation" I mentioned was nothing to do with current topic on list or with politics. As suddha spoke about "Indian Penal Code" I just put that question to use it as a suggestion. For fruitful results, ANY LAW SHOULD ABIDE DHARMA(1/4th at least as we are into KALI ERA), But is that so? The answer is a definite NO. LAW IS DIFFERENT AND DHARMA(SANATAN OR ADHUNIK) IS DIFFERENT. Hence the conflicts. Next Coming back to comment on allegations that were made by you, 1) Passing or failing ICS or any degree/pg/diploma is a criteria to become something then and now? Late Mr.M.K.Gandhi would have took the lead to rule India as he agreed for partition based on fallacious 2 Nation theory fearing for Number of casualties, for which the country has been suffering 60 years(apart from 1000 years worst rule, lets say) in terms of .....(any body can fill the blank as per their thought). Any other leader would have took the initiative to rule INDIA after partition and Independence. What forced them to agree upon Mr.Nehru unanimously? As Mr.M.K.Gandhi do have children, why was he adopted FEROZ(its against the dharma)? Either of his or anybody children would have married to a PARSI. Does anybody consulted shri KAMALA NEHRU about her daughter marriage and consider her opinion? What was the Nation doing when a HINDU(brahmin) FAMILY was being CONVERTED to CASTE LESS? It clearly tell us rest of the people are so ORTHODOX irrespective of their CASTE and literacy levels. It tell us INVADERS SUCCEEDED OVER INDIA WITH THIS KIND OF THOUGHT AGAIN. Autocratic or democratic, RAJADHARMA is so power full and one need to understand it, digest it and dare to execute it. Both late Mr.Nehru and late Mrs.Indira experienced UNNATURAL deaths, one because of BACKSTABBING and the other because of CONSPIRACY. They too human beings and they were ruled the country in a better way. Their period was over. Whatever it may be the case WE fond of Mr.NEHRU family. Regards, Dhatri. radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: Hi, it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of "defamation." Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: we wi Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist To: reader-list at sarai.net > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > Adventist, a > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > the possible conclusions as > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > do belong to > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > and CPM? > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > charge for this. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Radhikarajen, > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > have > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > you find the evidence of this violation? > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > police > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > has > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > effect. > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > completely > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > resist > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > directly here) > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > he > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > does. > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > laws, > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > laws > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > it > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > can > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > I > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > happens > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > gives > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > motives, > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > be > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > to > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > the > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > like > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > was > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > sounds, > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > proof, > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > (which > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > activists > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > absurd. > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > intelligence > and your imagination is. > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > you > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > above > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > that > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > is > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > religion > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > behaviour > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > are > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > governance, > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > not > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > Regatrds. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: arshad amanullah > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >> www.milligazette.com > >> > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > >> recent arrests in the state. > >> > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > >> > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > >> officials in MP state. > >> > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > >> > >> [end] > >> > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > >> > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > >> central and MP state authorities: > >> > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > >> > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > >> this matter. > >> > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > >> by our Constitution and laws." > >> _________________________________________ > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 19:05:52 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:05:52 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Kollam Collectorate March Message-ID: <3457ce860804100635m55f2553dnc2e4f0f6844558a1@mail.gmail.com> Kollam Collectorate March The fish workers led by Kerala Independent Fish workers Federation (KSMTF) conducted a March to the Kollam Collectorate demanding to solve various issues concerning the traditional fishing community. The March was inaugurated by T. Peter, State President, KSMTF. In his inaugural speech he said that the government is trying to evacuate the fishing community from the sea shore. T.Peter stated that the Government is facilitating the commercial interests in the coastal areas instead of the survival of the traditional fishing community. The community leaders who spoke during the programme asked the fisher people to actively participate in the campaigns and agitations to make sure that their rights are protected properly. They warned that if the fishing community did not resist strongly, the sea and sea shore would be invaded by the Tourism, Mining and other industrial lobbies. KSMTF general secretary A. Andrews, S. Francis, M. Ambrose, P.M. Varghese, S. Joseph, S. James S. Steephan led the march to the collectorate. The main demands of the march were: 1. To implement CRZ. 2. To provide debt relief declared by the Government to all those who have membership in the Fishermen Welfare Fund Board 3. To develop the Thankassery Harbour. 4. To build an auction unit at Portkollam, 5.To build and develop the costal roads and start new bus roots in the coastal region in Kollam. 6. To Increase the kerosene quota of the traditional fish workers, and to solve the patta issues of the coastal land. Around 1000 Fisher people participated in the March which started from Vadi Junction in kollam. The march was the result of campaign initiated by the kollam district committee of KSMTF during last two days. http://www.keralafishworkers.org http://www.alakal.net From debjanisgupta at yahoo.com Thu Apr 10 19:17:11 2008 From: debjanisgupta at yahoo.com (debjani sengupta) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:47:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] posting Message-ID: <279390.92295.qm@web54402.mail.yahoo.com> Transforming a city For the whole of last week, as I took the Metro from Krishi Bhavan, I have been noticing them. Sometimes in two’s or three’s, sometimes in a group, young women and men, old women in traditional Tibetan garb, prayer beads in hand, worn out and tired. They got in at Rajiv Chowk or at Patel Chowk, obviously on their way from or to a demonstration. Some were returning to Majnu ka Tila, very near where I lived. I noticed so many things about them. Like distant people who are at a marginal removed from our collective consciousness, they were now all over the public space of the Metro stations, transforming an ambiguous and impersonal city space with the intensity and vivacity of their silent presence. Today, the Tibetans who came into the train carried the red, blue and yellow flags of their lost homeland. Unlike the stereotype of exiled people that we might harbour in our heads, they did not look passive, abject, listless. They were quiet, determined, and serene as they trooped into the train. A young man wore a T-shirt with bold letters, ‘Justice is raped in Tibet.’ A young mother, with a baby strapped on her shoulders, came in too. I looked up and stood to give her my seat. The baby dozed, its plump forehead wearing a bright blue message, ‘Free Tibet.’ The mother looked tired, she had been demonstrating at Jantar Mantar, in anticipation against the Beijing Olympic torch that was to cross Lutyens’ Delhi, a city that was her home but where she did not belong. I stood staring, forgetting my resolve not to do that. There was something about all of them that made me forget an unwritten rule of urban travel. I was a seasoned Metro traveler, averting my eyes from direct eye contacts, keeping an impassive countenance. The Tibetans were quiet, not euphoric after a public demonstration of their strength and resolve. The Tibetans were smiling, not at all scared after confronting the might of nations determined to crush their public demonstrations of anger. Into the impersonal, glittering neon lit interior of the Metro train they brought a steely determination, a glow of their unequivocal political consciousness, their unbroken spirit, like Lhasa’s crisp cold air that many of them have never felt on their faces but they knew in their dreams. They stood out amongst all others, and I looked at them. What brought us close? It was something so far distant and yet so familiar that I could not put it into words. The whole morning I had been reading about DP’s, in rehabilitation parlance Displaced Persons, of India’s Partition in 1947 who came into West Bengal’s borders, trundling broken trunks and shattered lives. In the grey photographs of the newspapers, their faces looked the same, yet in the quiet way they held themselves, I recognized a posture that I had seen so often this past week. They were people who were the flotsam and jetsam of politics, yet determined to be alive, to survive, to hang around with endless patience in the waiting rooms of history. In every decade, they were fated to crowd into our lives, determined to make us feel and see as we go about our busy lives. Today I knew what I had in common with that Tibetan mother and that man in his black T-shirt, like those other countless grey ghostly faces in the newspapers. I knew for a fact that these men and women was transforming this metropolis that was not my own and where I did not belong either. This knowledge lay between us, like an unspoken word of love, and that united all of us in the compartment as the train carried us to light and distant dreams. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From debjanisgupta at yahoo.com Thu Apr 10 19:30:33 2008 From: debjanisgupta at yahoo.com (debjani sengupta) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:00:33 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] transforming a city Message-ID: <56910.46548.qm@web54403.mail.yahoo.com> Transforming a city For the whole of last week, as I took the Metro from Krishi Bhavan, I have been noticing them. Sometimes in two’s or three’s, sometimes in a group, young women and men, old women in traditional Tibetan garb, prayer beads in hand, worn out and tired. They got in at Rajiv Chowk or at Patel Chowk, obviously on their way from or to a demonstration. Some were returning to Majnu ka Tila, very near where I lived. I noticed so many things about them. Like distant people who are at a marginal removed from our collective consciousness, they were now all over the public space of the Metro stations, transforming an ambiguous and impersonal city space with the intensity and vivacity of their silent presence. Today, the Tibetans who came into the train carried the red, blue and yellow flags of their lost homeland. Unlike the stereotype of exiled people that we might harbour in our heads, they did not look passive, abject, listless. They were quiet, determined, and serene as they trooped into the train. A young man wore a T-shirt with bold letters, ‘Justice is raped in Tibet.’ A young mother, with a baby strapped on her shoulders, came in too. I looked up and stood to give her my seat. The baby dozed, its plump forehead wearing a bright blue message, ‘Free Tibet.’ The mother looked tired, she had been demonstrating at Jantar Mantar, in anticipation against the Beijing Olympic torch that was to cross Lutyens’ Delhi, a city that was her home but where she did not belong. I stood staring, forgetting my resolve not to do that. There was something about all of them that made me forget an unwritten rule of urban travel. I was a seasoned Metro traveler, averting my eyes from direct eye contacts, keeping an impassive countenance. The Tibetans were quiet, not euphoric after a public demonstration of their strength and resolve. The Tibetans were smiling, not at all scared after confronting the might of nations determined to crush their public demonstrations of anger. Into the impersonal, glittering neon lit interior of the Metro train they brought a steely determination, a glow of their unequivocal political consciousness, their unbroken spirit, like Lhasa’s crisp cold air that many of them have never felt on their faces but they knew in their dreams. They stood out amongst all others, and I looked at them. What brought us close? It was something so far distant and yet so familiar that I could not put it into words. The whole morning I had been reading about DP’s, in rehabilitation parlance Displaced Persons, of India’s Partition in 1947 who came into West Bengal’s borders, trundling broken trunks and shattered lives. In the grey photographs of the newspapers, their faces looked the same, yet in the quiet way they held themselves, I recognized a posture that I had seen so often this past week. They were people who were the flotsam and jetsam of politics, yet determined to be alive, to survive, to hang around with endless patience in the waiting rooms of history. In every decade, they were fated to crowd into our lives, determined to make us feel and see as we go about our busy lives. Today I knew what I had in common with that Tibetan mother and that man in his black T-shirt, like those other countless grey ghostly faces in the newspapers. I knew for a fact that these men and women was transforming this metropolis that was not my own and where I did not belong either. This knowledge lay between us, like an unspoken word of love, and that united all of us in the compartment as the train carried us to light and distant dreams. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From mail at shivamvij.com Thu Apr 10 20:21:07 2008 From: mail at shivamvij.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Shivam_Vij?= =?UTF-8?Q?_=E0=A4=B6=E0=A4=BF=E0=A4=B5=E0=A4=AE?= =?UTF-8?Q?=E0=A5=8D_=E0=A4=B5=E0=A4=BF=E0=A4=9C=E0=A5=8D?=) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:21:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?The_media_should_be_sceptical_of_the_stat?= =?utf-8?q?e=E2=80=99s_narratives=3A_Mukul_Kesavan?= Message-ID: <9c06aab30804100751n2b26a2a6h4597a55e20dd68ef@mail.gmail.com> PRESUMING INNOCENCE - The media should be sceptical of the state's narratives by MUKUL KESAVAN http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080403/jsp/opinion/story_9087647.jsp India has a free news media which we shouldn't take for granted. Anyone who lived through the Emergency will remember how oppressive and conspiratorial the world can seem when the state turns censor. English language newspapers and news channels in India have much to be proud of: their determination to tell the truth and to document atrocity during the pogrom in Gujarat in 2002 was an outstanding example of how a free press can bear witness when the state fails its citizens. The awfulness of Nandigram would never have come to light in a country with a more pliant press. But on some issues the press and the news networks seem to suffer a collective breakdown: the scepticism about narratives sponsored by the state that marks out good journalism is replaced by a willing suspension of disbelief. Since 9/11, stories that can be classified as instances of Islamic or Muslim terrorism read more like police briefings than news reports. The press coverage of S.A.R. Geelani's arrest in connection with the attack on Parliament seven years ago was one example of the near-hysterical collusion between the news media and government agencies. Geelani's subsequent acquittal made several newspapers and television news channels look both craven and credulous. The reporting on the Student's Islamic Movement of India, banned since 2001, is shaping up to be another such story. The April 2 edition of a leading daily carried a story on the arrest of thirteen Muslims, said to be members of SIMI, under the headline "The 13 Faces of Terror". The headline was made graphic by thirteen mugshots of the arrested men that bordered the story. The bold-face blurb under the headline read: "Arrested SIMI activists helped Lashkar plan and execute Mumbai train blasts". As a reader, I had no way of knowing if this was in fact what the arrested men had done. If the blurb was true, I expected the reporter to tell me why he thought so, because the headline and the blurb suggested not just evidence but conclusive proof. But as I read my way through the story, it became clear that despite the breathless prose ("In a pre-dawn swoop… etc"), the story was a transcription of anonymous police leaks and briefings. The Maharashtra police, the Hyderabad police, the Karnataka police were cited, the odd 'allegedly' was inserted but the tone of the reportage suggested that the police's claims that these men had colluded with an alphabet soup of Pakistani terrorist groups (the LeT, the HuJI, the JeM), and were involved in acts of terror in India, were incontrovertible. For example, there was a single-sentence paragraph in the report (without attribution or qualifying adverbs), which made a categorical assertion: "SIMI members had helped the LeT plan as well as execute the serial bomb blasts on Mumbai locals in July 2006 that killed over 180 people". The prime catch, Safdar Nagori, the national secretary-general of SIMI, who has been underground since the organization was first proscribed in 2001, was, the reader was told, "suspected to be involved in the 11/7 serial blasts in Mumbai". Then the prose became categorical: "He was the group's point person with the ISI, and the jihadi leadership based there. Last year, he plotted attacks in south India." The biographical notes that accompanied the mugshots read like police memos. Khalid was the "son of one Mohammed Salim"; Hafeez Hussein "is son of one Tasuddin". Reading through them, I realized that while some of the arrested men like Nagori and Shibli Abdul were wanted as suspects in earlier incidents of terror, most of the thirteen suspects had been arrested for attending three meetings in Karnataka convened by Safdar Nagori in 2007. Being an active member of a banned organization is a legitimate ground for arresting someone, but it doesn't, in itself, indicate collusion in terrorism. Aware of this, the Indore police, who arrested the men, declared that seven pistols, 32 cartridges, 9 mobile phones, 15 masks, 22 surgical gloves and other surgical instruments were recovered from the three rooms where they had been staying for the last month. It's hard to estimate the significance of those enigmatic surgical instruments, but the formidable cache of seven pistols and 32 cartridges seemed enough to persuade reporters that the police were justified in charging them with collecting arms with the intention of waging a war against the Indian government and promoting enmity between classes. The police, in fact, weren't even certain if one of the arrested, Mohammad Yaseen, had attended the Karnataka meetings. "His exact role in the outfit and background," wrote the reporter, "is still being probed." And yet the headline confidently encourages the reader to identify Mohammad Yaseen's photograph as one of thirteen faces of terror. It's one thing to report a police briefing as a police briefing, quite another to trick it out into a featured news report which reads like a prosecutor's brief. The reports of the incident on ndtv.com, in The Hindu, the DNA, The Telegraph and the The Indian Express were scrupulous about attributing the story to the police. The reporter of another leading daily added an interesting wrinkle: "Incidentally," he wrote, "all the states (except MP and Haryana) to which the arrested SIMI men belong have suffered terror attacks in the past." Since four of the thirteen men arrested belong to terror-free Madhya Pradesh, it wasn't clear how the suggested correlation between regional affiliation and terrorist incident worked, but in the mind of the reporter there was an obvious connection. What all the stories about these arrests lacked was any interest in getting the other side of the story, the point of view of the arrested men or their friends or their families. I put this to a journalist friend of mine. He said, "What would be the point of that? What would their families say that wouldn't be utterly predictable?" But surely the whole point of good journalism is to assume that there's another side to every story like this, that for the sake of fairness, if nothing else, setting down the case for the defence must be worthwhile. The arrests happened on March 27. News agencies like the PTI did their job by setting down the police version; newspapers like the leading daily, whose report is cited extensively in this piece, didn't do theirs when they embellished the police narrative instead of testing it. It might have helped if their reporters had remembered that Hafeez Hussein and Khalid, besides being "the son of one Tasuddin" and "the son of one Mohammad Salim", were, first and last, fellow citizens of a free republic, innocent till they were proven guilty. mukulkesavan at hotmail.com From anujbhuwania at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 21:37:57 2008 From: anujbhuwania at gmail.com (Anuj Bhuwania) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:37:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Indira Jaising on Supreme Court Judgment in OBC quota case Message-ID: The Supreme Court's stunning decision! Indira Jaising April 10, 2008 The judgment of the Supreme Court upholding the Constitutional validity of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Admissions) Act 2006, was delivered today by a bench of five judges, unanimously upholding the validity of the Act. This means that the government will now be able to reserve 27 per cent of seats for candidates from 'Other Backward Classes' in IITs and IIMs (and other central educational institutions). The judgment is a resounding vindication of our Constitutional values and is rooted in the history of the struggle for Independence and the major concern of our Constitution for the abolition of discrimination based on caste, which characterised our society. What was at stake was future directions in a country beset with caste prejudice and social stratification. The judgment gives a clear signal that the future lies in inclusive growth, inclusion of SC/ST and backward classes in the halls of higher learning. What is more important, it rejects a facile notion of 'equality' as requiring equal treatment of those unequally situated. Rather, it is based on a notion of equality that recognises the vast inequality that exists in Indian society, an equality of status and opportunity in all fields of life. This interpretation of 'equality' holds great potential for social change in the matter of distribution of national resources, based on need and historical disadvantages, rather than on market forces. It also has important implications for women who have been demanding reservations in Parliament, in state legislatures and will put to rest any argument that any such reservations will result in inequality of results. Considering the law was unique, in that it actually increases capacity in these institutions, by increasing the number of seats, one wonders, what was behind the objection to the law. The forward classes stood to lose no seats, something that is commonly objected to. This was a law that created an additional 27 per cent seats to be filled in by the backward classes. It actually proposed the building of a new capacity in the institutions to be made available to OBC candidates. Clearly therefore, the petitioners were demanding that this newly built capacity should also go to the open general capacity. Though dressed in Constitutional rhetoric and political cynicism, the bottom line was a fight over national resources and how they should be distributed. It was a battle to defend class and privilege closing the doors to those other excluded, to enter the realm of higher education. Those who opposed the law argued that what was important was basic and primary education and not higher education! What after all, is basic education meant for, if not to enable a person to aspire to the highest attainable standard of education, employment and enterprise? Or were they perhaps suggesting that education for them must be confined to A B C -- enough to enable a SC/ST and OBC candidate to be a peon in a government office, or a clerk, or worse a domestic? Crocodile tears were shed in court for children on the streets and on child labour, suggesting basic education as the solution to the problem. The other major argument was that to take caste into consideration as a factor to determine social backwardness was unconstitutional, since the mandate of the Constitution was to abolish caste. The argument was convenient to say the least and legally inaccurate. What the Constitution attempts to abolish is the discrimination and disadvantage attached to caste, not caste. Caste cannot be abolished with a magic wand or with a Constitutional mantra. What it need is strategies to benefit excluded cases including the provision of higher education. The combined effect of these arguments was to project their petitioners as progressive people, who believe in the need for primarily education for all and in the abolition of caste. Fortunately, the court was able to see through the smoke screen, and a smoke screen there clearly was. All the time, one got the impression that the real contesting parties were not present before the court. Perhaps one got a clue from the fact that the 93rd Amendment to the Constitution which enabled this law, also enables the making of reservations in the private sector. And judging from the arguments that were addressed, I got the impression that a surrogate battle was being fought by foreign universities and private educational institutions, all of whom are entering in to the field of education in India in a big way. Perhaps they were the real objectors to the law, though absent from the court. The Supreme Court wisely avoided answering the question whether reservations can be made in private institutions, stating that the question will be decided only as and when a law is made making reservations in private institutions. This means, the issue is left open for an appropriate day. In this stunning decision of the Supreme Court of India, one recognises the power of a Constitutional Court. The judgment is a vision statement, a road map for development, a road map for inclusive growth. It is time for us to acknowledge frankly that the so- called benefits of globalisation and privatisation have not reached the lower levels of society, but remained in the privileged hands of a few, for whom the world begins and ends with fashion, Bollywood and cricket. At a time when prestigious foreign universities are looking to set up shop in India, it is only natural that they need to know where they stand on the reservation issue as it will impact deeply on their finances. Education will become more out of reach than it is already for the backward classes. The Supreme Court judgment corrects an existing imbalance in this regard. What requires special mention is arguments advanced by the team working for the government. Solicitor General Ghulam [Images] Vahanvati argued that we need to acknowledge that equality in the Article is not about treating likes alike, but about compensation the backward to ensure equitable distribution of scarce resources. Gopal Subramanium placed the debate in historical context and pointed out that American judgments freely thrown about in court by the petitioners, could not be relied upon, the Indian Constitution was based on an understanding of the direction of social change desired by the Constitution makers. K Parasaran, former attorney general for the Union of India, returned the Preamble to its rightful place, emphasising the Constitutional goal of equality of social status. Appearing for one of the states, Andhra Pradesh, I pointed out that under the federal structure that we have, the states have identified backward classes and taken special measures for their advancement for more than a century. In support of the Constitutional challenge, all that was argued is that the law was a measure in 'vote back' politics. This is cynicism carried to its extreme. It is unfortunate that we have reached a stage in political debate which is bipartisan and cynical. This time, all political parties had supported the passage of the law in Parliament. The cynicism came from the counsel in court, mouthing what one would expect to hear from politicians. Very few political parities had the courage of their conviction to defend the law in court, one of them being the Rashtriya Janata Dal through Ram Jethmalani. The petitions, however, invited the court to hold that the law was a measure of 'vote catching' and the unanimity over its passing was sought to be projected as an exercise in self interest rather than in the interest of the OBC. It is to invite court to decide on prejudice, not on Constitutional vision. Fortunately that view did not prevail. It is true that the judgment calls upon the government to exclude the 'creamy layer.' This seems to be in line with the Mandal judgment, which also mandated the exclusion of the creamy layer in employment. It was argued for the Union of India, that in order to avail of the benefits of higher education, one needs to be in a stable economic position to arrive at the level or competing for those exams. To exclude them, would be to deny the class as a whole, the benefit of those who could become leaders and peer group motivators. However, that was not to be. Given the exclusion, there is a case for upward revision of the income limit for deciding backwardness, given the passage of time and inflation. The exclusion of children of former and sitting MPs and MLAs seems to be motivated by the assumption that they are already at a high level of achievement. While this may be true of those who inherit their MP status from parents, it is not necessarily true of others. I recently represented Haribhau Radhord, MP, the only member Parliament from the Nomadic and Denotified tribes, who has been fighting a lonely battle for including these categories for reservations in employment. It is too much to expect that the privileged will give up their fight so easily, but what the judgment does is give legitimacy to the struggle for justice of the OBC, a legitimacy which was denied to them in the smoke screen of 'vote bank politics' and political bargaining between the leaders of these communities. Many a battle between the health minister and the director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences has its origins in the known opposition of students and faculty of AIIMS to reservations. Who can forget those images of striking doctors supporting the director and opposing reservations? During the arguments, I was being told, "Do you know, so and so is the head of medicine in the hospital? He is SC. No one goes to him." The suggestion was that the SC doctors are not good at their work. For me, it was evidence of the deep rooted caste bias against the best and most qualified of the SC and ST. We need to celebrate that fact that Indian society is on the march in the direction of social change and upward mobility for the dispossessed, despite the well funded, well disguised and well argued case of the forward class doctors of AIIMS. The court has been able to separate the grain from the chaff and look at the reality of the situation. The judgment will change the lives of many formally excluded sections from the halls of higher learning and privilege. Advisedly, the court did not go into the question whether reservations can be mandated in private colleges. However, it is an idea whose time has arrived, a law waiting to be passed, a constitutional challenge waiting to happen. I would like to be there then to defend the law, as I was this time round. Indira Jaising is a well-known Supreme Court lawyer. From parthaekka at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 21:47:19 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:47:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <738911.22086.qm@web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <738911.22086.qm@web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804100917l3356aba7n3114952299dd105e@mail.gmail.com> Dear Dhatri, 1. Do try and remember the constitution of India. It is a 'secular' nation and if you are unclear of what that means, there are plenty of references. In short, the law (and the constitution) are separate from religion. Unfortunately, many politicians have used caste and religion as vote banks. If what is being said still isn't clear, Dharma is the Hindu code of religion and morals or religious and moral duty. Being a secular nation, India has to take all religions and views into count and can not follow Dharma for the law - much like we have different Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Special marriage acts (maybe more for all I know). Similarly, Rajdharma can not be the law in a secular nation, that is, unless you are a fanatic asking for Hindu 'Talibanisation' of India. 2. What ever Kamala Nehru or MK Gandhi may have done, what is the relevance to the post on the journalist? If none (at least none that I can see) and you want a personal opinion of Shuddha (as you have stated) then it would be sensible - and considerate to other members of this list - to have mailed him personally instead of posting this tangent in the middle of an unrelated debate. Rgds, Partha ............................. On 4/10/08, we wi wrote: > > Hi, > I am expecting the response should be from SUDDHA, a founder > member of SARAI. The "defamation" I mentioned was nothing to do with > current topic on list or with politics. As suddha spoke about "Indian Penal > Code" I just put that question to use it as a suggestion. > > For fruitful results, ANY LAW SHOULD ABIDE DHARMA(1/4th at least as we > are into KALI ERA), But is that so? The answer is a definite NO. LAW IS > DIFFERENT AND DHARMA(SANATAN OR ADHUNIK) IS DIFFERENT. Hence the conflicts. > > Next Coming back to comment on allegations that were made by you, > > 1) Passing or failing ICS or any degree/pg/diploma is a criteria > to become something > then and now? > > Late Mr.M.K.Gandhi would have took the lead to rule India as he > agreed for partition based on fallacious 2 Nation theory fearing for Number > of casualties, for which the country has been suffering 60 years(apart from > 1000 years worst rule, lets say) in terms of .....(any body can fill the > blank as per their thought). > > Any other leader would have took the initiative to rule INDIA after > partition and Independence. What forced them to agree upon Mr.Nehru > unanimously? > > As Mr.M.K.Gandhi do have children, why was he adopted FEROZ(its against > the dharma)? Either of his or anybody children would have married to a > PARSI. Does anybody consulted shri KAMALA NEHRU about her daughter marriage > and consider her opinion? > > What was the Nation doing when a HINDU(brahmin) FAMILY was being > CONVERTED to CASTE LESS? It clearly tell us rest of the people are so > ORTHODOX irrespective of their CASTE and literacy levels. It tell us > INVADERS SUCCEEDED OVER INDIA WITH THIS KIND OF THOUGHT AGAIN. > > Autocratic or democratic, RAJADHARMA is so power full and one need to > understand it, digest it and dare to execute it. Both late Mr.Nehru and > late Mrs.Indira experienced UNNATURAL deaths, one because of BACKSTABBING > and the other because of CONSPIRACY. They too human beings and they were > ruled the country in a better way. Their period was over. > > > Whatever it may be the case WE fond of Mr.NEHRU family. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > > radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > Hi, > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds of > the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > "defamation." > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > Regards. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: we wi > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > aDelhi-basedJournalist > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > Adventist, a > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > the possible conclusions as > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > do belong to > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > and CPM? > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > charge for this. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > have > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > police > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > has > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > effect. > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > completely > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > resist > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > directly here) > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > he > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > does. > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > laws, > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > laws > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > it > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > can > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > I > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > happens > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > gives > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > motives, > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > be > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > to > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > the > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > like > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > was > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > sounds, > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > proof, > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > (which > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > activists > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > absurd. > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > intelligence > > and your imagination is. > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > you > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > above > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > that > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > is > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > religion > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > behaviour > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > are > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > governance, > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > not > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > >> > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > >> > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > >> officials in MP state. > > >> > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > >> > > >> [end] > > >> > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > >> > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > >> > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > >> this matter. > > >> > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > >> _________________________________________ > > >> 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. > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > >> list > > >> 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From aarti.sethi at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 22:45:38 2008 From: aarti.sethi at gmail.com (Aarti Sethi) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:45:38 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <48c2916d0804101015l326168b0v487e7f4b5de225a9@mail.gmail.com> Radhikarajen, As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a reasoned response by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, in this case Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is totally off topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being raised by Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done to deserve you... Perhaps... we had a wicked childhood Perhaps we had a miserable youth Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past There must have been a moment of truth For there you are, standing there, boring us Whether or not you should So somewhere in our youth or childhood We must have done something we shouldn't Nothing comes from nothing Nothing ever could So somewhere in our youth or childhood We must have done something we shouldn't Aarti On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > Hi, > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > "defamation." > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > Regards. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: we wi > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > aDelhi-basedJournalist > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > Adventist, a > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > the possible conclusions as > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > do belong to > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > and CPM? > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > charge for this. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > have > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > police > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > has > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > effect. > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > completely > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > resist > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > directly here) > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > he > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > does. > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > laws, > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > laws > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > it > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > can > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > I > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > happens > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > gives > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > motives, > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > be > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > to > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > the > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > like > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > was > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > sounds, > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > proof, > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > (which > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > activists > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > absurd. > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > intelligence > > and your imagination is. > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > you > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > above > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > that > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > is > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > religion > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > behaviour > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > are > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > governance, > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > not > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > >> > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > >> > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > >> officials in MP state. > > >> > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > >> > > >> [end] > > >> > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > >> > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > >> > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > >> this matter. > > >> > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > >> _________________________________________ > > >> 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. > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > >> list > > >> 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From aman.am at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 23:32:52 2008 From: aman.am at gmail.com (Aman Sethi) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:32:52 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <48c2916d0804101015l326168b0v487e7f4b5de225a9@mail.gmail.com> References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net> <595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <48c2916d0804101015l326168b0v487e7f4b5de225a9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <995a19920804101102g3cbb0bbfw30eeee87b4e005b3@mail.gmail.com> I think we have finally got it: wittingly or unwittingly, i think aarti has hit upon the perfect way to respond to hate speech- poetry. Here is my two cents worth. In the event of the Hindutva cleansing of India that Radhika, Dhatri, Pawan, Aditya, Kshemdra et al wish for: How I came to love secularism. They sit with their brows furrowed, Oh whatever can they do, The Muslims have finally up and gone, left us here to stew. Kashmir Kashmir, that forgotten land, Its just not fun no more, Now that there;s no one contesting it, Living here is such a bore. Even Modi says he misses them, "I meant it all in jest." Trust them to take it seriously, They've failed the "indian-ness" test. Jai Siya ram has lost its ring Bharat ma ki sounds obscene Jai Hanuman wont rouse the crowds We need a change of scene. Perhaps we could call them back Maybe if we are all polite And tell them that we're sorry It's no fun without a fight. Damn this country's gone to the dumps. Till yesterday it was just swell Perhaps the Muslims figured it out. Maybe we should leave as well. Boom Shiva a. But alas, they figured it out On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Aarti Sethi wrote: > Radhikarajen, > > As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a reasoned response > by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, in this case > Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is totally off > topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being raised by > Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring > persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done to deserve > you... > > Perhaps... > > we had a wicked childhood > Perhaps we had a miserable youth > Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past > There must have been a moment of truth > > For there you are, standing there, boring us > Whether or not you should > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > We must have done something we shouldn't > > Nothing comes from nothing > Nothing ever could > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > Aarti > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > > "defamation." > > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > > > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: we wi > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > > Adventist, a > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > Santan > > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > > do belong to > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > > and CPM? > > > > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > charge for this. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > Radhikarajen, > > > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > > have > > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > police > > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > > has > > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > > effect. > > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > > completely > > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > > resist > > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > > directly here) > > > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > > he > > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > > does. > > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > > laws, > > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > > laws > > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > > it > > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > > can > > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > > I > > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > > happens > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > Santan > > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > > gives > > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > > motives, > > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > > be > > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > > to > > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > > the > > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > > like > > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > > was > > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > sounds, > > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > > proof, > > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > > (which > > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > > activists > > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > > absurd. > > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > > intelligence > > > and your imagination is. > > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > > you > > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > > above > > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > > that > > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > > is > > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > religion > > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > behaviour > > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > are > > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > > governance, > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > > not > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > > > basedJournalist > > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > > >> > > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > > >> > > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > > >> > > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > > >> officials in MP state. > > > >> > > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > > >> > > > >> [end] > > > >> > > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > > >> > > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > > >> > > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > > >> > > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > > >> this matter. > > > >> > > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > >> _________________________________________ > > > >> 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. > > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > >> list > > > >> 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > www.sarai.net > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 00:28:43 2008 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:28:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> Dear all It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the way The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question actually reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P Sainath, the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what he is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and onslaught of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's proximity to the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional scrutiny - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself and its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has over time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of the Swamiji iceberg. http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's ideologue in 2003! For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this regard. Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with just tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only to write about US imperialism. For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they give themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and Kashmir. Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! Best On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown fact > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red the > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line marked > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end of > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a joint > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, then > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can have > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even US > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its freedom > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "S. Jabbar" > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > To: sarai list > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > editorial on > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > Party and > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > denunciations of the > > Dalai Lama. > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > In 1952 > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > By 1953 > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > Chinese and 750,000 > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > population was > > Tibetan. > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > demanded the > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > statehood for Ladakh and > > Jammu. > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > stonewalling of > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > Dalai Lama has > > pursued. > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > Ramachandra Guha > > Mukul Kesavan > > Madhu Sarin > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > Dilip Simeon > > Tenzin Sonam > > Shashi Tharoor > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From pkray11 at gmail.com Thu Apr 10 14:26:13 2008 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:26:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Cinemela 2008/SCHEDULE Message-ID: <98f331e00804100156rc79da73j32b7d59c7b007277@mail.gmail.com> *CINEMELA SCHEDULE* 11-14 April/SAA Audi/JNU 11th April/Opening Session/5.30pm Inauguration Prof Parul D Mukherjee Dean, SAA, JNU Special Guest Mr Mukul Sharma Director, Amnesty International India Ashvin Kumar Filmmaker Opening Film The Little Terrorist Dir- Ashvin Kumar (widely acclaimed and Oscars nominee) 12th April/10.30am onwards La Edad de la Peseta (Silly Age)/Pavel Giroud/Cuba/2007/90min Kyon (Why?)/Pushpa, Lokendra, Ankur, Lokesh/India/2007/17min Break/2.30onwards Migration/Mira Nair/India/2007/18min When I Meet Me/Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/2007/9min Ahwaan/ Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/2007/11min Rendition/Gavin Hood/USA-South Africa 9.00pm Water/ Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/1min Khuda Ke Liye/Shoaib Mansoor/Pakistan/2008 13th April/10.30onwards Search For Freedom/Munizae Jahangir/Pakistan/2007 Positive/Farhan Akhtar/India/2007/18min Break/2.30onwards Kali Bein (The Black River)/Surendra Manan/India/2007/62min Knock/Satya Vivek/India/2006/14min Power For All/Satya Vivek/India/2007/4.37min Tea Break Waters of Despair/Srijan/India/2007/31.5min Everyday/Anu Srinivasan/India/2006/6.20min Tere Ishq Mere Pyar (Your Love My Love)/Austria/2007/13min 9.00pm Curiosity/Ajay Agarwal/India/2008/1min Dharm Putra (The Son of Duty)/Yash Chopra/India/1961 14th April/10.30onwards One dayfrom a Hangman's Life/Joshy Josheph/India/2006 Paginas del Diario de Mauricio (Pages from Mauricio's Diary)/Manuel Perez Paredes/Cuba/2006 Break/2.30onwards Blood Brothers/Vishal Bhardwaj/India/2007/18min Ayodhya Gatha/Vani Subramanian/India/2007/62min Tea Break Basanti/Bhartendu, Disha, Neelam, Sumit/India/2006/8.40min Ek Safar/Karan/India/2006/16.47min Special Screening Raja Harishchandra/Dadasaheb Phalke/India/1912 9.00pm Twilight/Khanjan Kishore Nath/India/2008/1min Ben-Hur/William Wyler/USA/1959 Almost all the films are with subtitles. All are invited. Please see the board at the venue for changes and additions. www.cinemela.blogspot.com cinemala at gmail.com 9873313315 -- Prakash K Ray 225, Sutlej, JNU, New Delhi-110067. cinemela.blogspot.com (0) 9873313315 From taraprakash at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 03:18:34 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:48:34 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net><595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <32144e990804100200y65908d9i5a482d7a528d837f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <001501c89b61$fb8157f0$6400a8c0@taraprakash> The answer was not given as it was evident. You must be a dunce not to get it. If BJP government has done it, it has to be correct. The arrested guy must be lawless. Wasn't the journalist a Muslim? How can he be more worthy of justice than Professor Sabbarwal? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Partha Dasgupta" To: Cc: Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 5:00 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist > Hi, > That's a very wierd (and I would say irrelevant) question to ask 'who' is > the reporter writing the news for. All of us see whatever we do and > 'report' > it in the hindsight of our personal bias. Whether or not the journalist > wrote for the Forward Block or the Milli GHazette or the BJP, he would be > putting out a view point based on facts that he has in possession. > > Your question becomes even more irrelevant looking at the fact that he > never > reported anything since the Police picked him up before he could. > > However, that still doesn't answer the question of how you presumed he had > violated the law since the Police apparently called only to confirm that > he > was a reporter. > > Rgds, Partha > ..................... > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the >> method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, >> the >> step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two >> is >> holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, >> to >> harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how >> legally >> any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. >> Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug >> and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the >> freedom, >> then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice >> which >> explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged >> out. >> But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds >> of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue >> remains. >> >> New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of >> India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It >> is >> one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that >> inspired >> many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of >> lala >> Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one >> voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice >> for >> freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but >> the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all >> credit >> is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent >> his >> confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, >> to >> be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands >> who >> sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. >> Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under >> british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, >> after >> enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here >> is >> was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? >> The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter >> now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to >> share >> power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of >> "defamation." >> Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, >> was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his >> community >> of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? >> >> Regards. >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: we wi >> Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested >> aDelhi-basedJournalist >> To: reader-list at sarai.net >> >> > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, >> > >> > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day >> > Adventist, a >> > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of >> > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) >> > Santan >> > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. >> > >> > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan >> > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe >> > the possible conclusions as >> > >> > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? >> > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the >> > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? >> > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are >> > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" >> > do belong to >> > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? >> > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI >> > and CPM? >> > >> > >> > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, >> > >> > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I >> > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a >> > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service >> > charge for this. >> > >> > Regards, >> > Dhatri. >> > >> > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: >> > Radhikarajen, >> > >> > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you >> > have >> > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which >> > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do >> > you find the evidence of this violation? >> > >> > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's >> > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the >> > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the >> > police >> > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to >> > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of >> > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? >> > >> > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist >> > has >> > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that >> > effect. >> > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is >> > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a >> > completely >> > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, >> > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any >> > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an >> > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot >> > resist >> > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you >> > directly here) >> > >> > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, >> > he >> > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and >> > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when >> > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to >> > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned >> > does. >> > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of >> > laws, >> > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, >> > laws >> > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." >> > >> > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the >> > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is >> > it >> > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the >> > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What >> > can >> > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, >> > I >> > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are >> > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who >> > happens >> > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term >> > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I >> > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a >> > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of >> > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) >> > Santan >> > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name >> > gives >> > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative >> > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your >> > motives, >> > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would >> > be >> > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have >> > to >> > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. >> > >> > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate >> > the >> > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization >> > like >> > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in >> > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken >> > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I >> > was >> > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the >> > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> > sounds, >> > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly >> > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my >> > personal convictions in the matter of religion). >> > >> > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive >> > proof, >> > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations >> > (which >> > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI >> > activists >> > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and >> > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally >> > absurd. >> > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic >> > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other >> > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their >> > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your >> > intelligence >> > and your imagination is. >> > >> > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study >> > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations >> > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite >> > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild >> > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest >> > you >> > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it >> > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. >> > >> > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, >> > >> > Shuddhabrata >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >> > >> > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is >> > above >> > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, >> > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, >> > that >> > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion >> > is >> > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now >> > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in >> > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of >> > religion >> > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant >> > behaviour >> > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of >> > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" >> > are >> > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of >> > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of >> > governance, >> > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some >> > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but >> > not >> > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? >> > > >> > > Regatrds. >> > > >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > From: arshad amanullah >> > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm >> > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- >> > >> > > basedJournalist >> > > To: reader-list at sarai.net >> > > >> > >> www.milligazette.com >> > >> >> > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police >> > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a >> > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on >> > >> recent arrests in the state. >> > >> >> > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The >> > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper >> > >> published from Delhi since 2000. >> > >> >> > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening >> > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, >> > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was >> > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone >> > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not >> > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil >> > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in >> > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. >> > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have >> > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested >> > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam >> > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, >> > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, >> > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home >> > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police >> > >> officials in MP state. >> > >> >> > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans >> > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of >> > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. >> > >> >> > >> [end] >> > >> >> > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette >> > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I >> > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 >> > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 >> > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com >> > >> Website: www.milligazette.com >> > >> >> > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr >> > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 >> > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of >> > >> central and MP state authorities: >> > >> >> > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered >> > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published >> > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number >> > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim >> > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to >> > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal >> > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of >> > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area >> > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as >> > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit >> > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad >> > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after >> > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned >> > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada >> > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana >> > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town >> > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). >> > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 >> > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why >> > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr >> > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and >> > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the >> > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there >> > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping >> > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. >> > >> >> > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday >> > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he >> > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; >> > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone >> > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to >> > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the >> > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's >> > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not >> > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the >> > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile >> > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned >> > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was >> > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to >> > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr >> > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is >> > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I >> > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman >> > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 >> > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about >> > >> this matter. >> > >> >> > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has >> > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown >> > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only >> > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate >> > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that >> > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of >> > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely >> > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of >> > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in >> > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed >> > >> by our Constitution and laws." >> > >> _________________________________________ >> > >> 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. >> > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > >> list >> > >> 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. >> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> > > List archive: >> > >> > Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> > The Sarai Programme at CSDS >> > Raqs Media Collective >> > shuddha at sarai.net >> > www.sarai.net >> > www.raqsmediacollective.net >> > >> > >> > _________________________________________ >> > 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. >> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > list >> > 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. >> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > list >> > 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From taraprakash at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 03:18:34 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:48:34 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist References: <9BE33FFC-D9CF-44B5-998F-25F4C6F4BE82@sarai.net><595098.41323.qm@web45505.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> <32144e990804100200y65908d9i5a482d7a528d837f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <001501c89b61$fb8157f0$6400a8c0@taraprakash> The answer was not given as it was evident. You must be a dunce not to get it. If BJP government has done it, it has to be correct. The arrested guy must be lawless. Wasn't the journalist a Muslim? How can he be more worthy of justice than Professor Sabbarwal? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Partha Dasgupta" To: Cc: Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 5:00 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist > Hi, > That's a very wierd (and I would say irrelevant) question to ask 'who' is > the reporter writing the news for. All of us see whatever we do and > 'report' > it in the hindsight of our personal bias. Whether or not the journalist > wrote for the Forward Block or the Milli GHazette or the BJP, he would be > putting out a view point based on facts that he has in possession. > > Your question becomes even more irrelevant looking at the fact that he > never > reported anything since the Police picked him up before he could. > > However, that still doesn't answer the question of how you presumed he had > violated the law since the Police apparently called only to confirm that > he > was a reporter. > > Rgds, Partha > ..................... > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the >> method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, >> the >> step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two >> is >> holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, >> to >> harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how >> legally >> any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. >> Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug >> and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the >> freedom, >> then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice >> which >> explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged >> out. >> But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds >> of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue >> remains. >> >> New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of >> India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It >> is >> one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that >> inspired >> many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of >> lala >> Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one >> voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice >> for >> freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but >> the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all >> credit >> is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent >> his >> confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, >> to >> be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands >> who >> sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. >> Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under >> british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, >> after >> enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here >> is >> was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? >> The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter >> now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to >> share >> power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of >> "defamation." >> Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, >> was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his >> community >> of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? >> >> Regards. >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: we wi >> Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested >> aDelhi-basedJournalist >> To: reader-list at sarai.net >> >> > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, >> > >> > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day >> > Adventist, a >> > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of >> > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) >> > Santan >> > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. >> > >> > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan >> > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe >> > the possible conclusions as >> > >> > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? >> > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the >> > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? >> > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are >> > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" >> > do belong to >> > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? >> > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI >> > and CPM? >> > >> > >> > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, >> > >> > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I >> > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a >> > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service >> > charge for this. >> > >> > Regards, >> > Dhatri. >> > >> > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: >> > Radhikarajen, >> > >> > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you >> > have >> > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which >> > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do >> > you find the evidence of this violation? >> > >> > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's >> > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the >> > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the >> > police >> > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to >> > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of >> > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? >> > >> > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist >> > has >> > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that >> > effect. >> > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is >> > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a >> > completely >> > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, >> > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any >> > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an >> > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot >> > resist >> > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you >> > directly here) >> > >> > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, >> > he >> > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and >> > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when >> > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to >> > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned >> > does. >> > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of >> > laws, >> > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, >> > laws >> > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." >> > >> > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the >> > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is >> > it >> > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the >> > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What >> > can >> > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, >> > I >> > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are >> > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who >> > happens >> > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term >> > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I >> > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a >> > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of >> > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) >> > Santan >> > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name >> > gives >> > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative >> > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your >> > motives, >> > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would >> > be >> > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have >> > to >> > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. >> > >> > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate >> > the >> > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization >> > like >> > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in >> > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken >> > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I >> > was >> > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the >> > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> > sounds, >> > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly >> > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my >> > personal convictions in the matter of religion). >> > >> > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive >> > proof, >> > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations >> > (which >> > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI >> > activists >> > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and >> > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally >> > absurd. >> > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic >> > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other >> > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their >> > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your >> > intelligence >> > and your imagination is. >> > >> > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study >> > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations >> > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite >> > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild >> > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest >> > you >> > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it >> > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. >> > >> > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, >> > >> > Shuddhabrata >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >> > >> > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is >> > above >> > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, >> > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, >> > that >> > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion >> > is >> > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now >> > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in >> > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of >> > religion >> > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant >> > behaviour >> > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of >> > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" >> > are >> > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of >> > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of >> > governance, >> > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some >> > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but >> > not >> > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? >> > > >> > > Regatrds. >> > > >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > From: arshad amanullah >> > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm >> > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- >> > >> > > basedJournalist >> > > To: reader-list at sarai.net >> > > >> > >> www.milligazette.com >> > >> >> > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police >> > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a >> > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on >> > >> recent arrests in the state. >> > >> >> > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The >> > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper >> > >> published from Delhi since 2000. >> > >> >> > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening >> > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, >> > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was >> > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone >> > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not >> > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil >> > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in >> > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. >> > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have >> > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested >> > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam >> > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, >> > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, >> > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home >> > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police >> > >> officials in MP state. >> > >> >> > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans >> > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of >> > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. >> > >> >> > >> [end] >> > >> >> > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette >> > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I >> > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 >> > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 >> > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com >> > >> Website: www.milligazette.com >> > >> >> > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr >> > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 >> > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of >> > >> central and MP state authorities: >> > >> >> > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered >> > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published >> > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number >> > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim >> > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to >> > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal >> > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of >> > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area >> > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as >> > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit >> > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad >> > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after >> > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned >> > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada >> > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana >> > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town >> > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). >> > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 >> > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why >> > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr >> > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and >> > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the >> > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there >> > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping >> > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. >> > >> >> > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday >> > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he >> > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; >> > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone >> > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to >> > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the >> > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's >> > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not >> > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the >> > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile >> > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned >> > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was >> > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to >> > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr >> > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is >> > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I >> > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman >> > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 >> > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about >> > >> this matter. >> > >> >> > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has >> > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown >> > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only >> > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate >> > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that >> > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of >> > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely >> > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of >> > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in >> > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed >> > >> by our Constitution and laws." >> > >> _________________________________________ >> > >> 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. >> > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > >> list >> > >> 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. >> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> > > List archive: >> > >> > Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> > The Sarai Programme at CSDS >> > Raqs Media Collective >> > shuddha at sarai.net >> > www.sarai.net >> > www.raqsmediacollective.net >> > >> > >> > _________________________________________ >> > 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. >> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > list >> > 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. >> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > list >> > 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in Fri Apr 11 09:10:36 2008 From: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in (S.Fatima) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:40:36 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Who would wipe Prof. Radoo's tears? Message-ID: <914633.46981.qm@web8403.mail.in.yahoo.com> WHO WOULD WIPE PROFESSOR SANAULLAH RADOO'S TEARS ? by Subhash Gatade Professor Sanaullah Radoo, Principal of a Degree College in Sopore, Jammu-Kashmir still remembers the day when his youngest son Pervez had reached the airport in Srinagar in a hurry to catch the next Spice Jet flight to Delhi.(12 September 2006). The moment the flight landed in Delhi, he had even made a call to his Abboo (father in colloquial terms - as he used to fondly call him) informing him that he is rushing to get the boarding pass to the next connecting flight for Pune. Little did he could have any prenomition then that what was in store for him. It has been more than nineteen months that Pervez is in detention and right now lodged in Jail no 01, Ward no 01, Barrack no. 02, Tihar, Delhi. And as of now all his dreams to undertake research on the variety of rice found in Kashmir stands suspended. Young Pervez Ahmad Radoo, who had already finished his post-graduation in Zoology from Modern College in Pune was seeking admission to Ph.D. for which he was going to Pune. In fact, the moment Pervez approached the airline staff to get his boarding pass at Delhi airport, he experienced that he has been surrounded by seven-eight people who held him firmly and took away his luggage and straightaway drove him to Lodhi Colony Special Cell office. In a letter (Combat Law, March-April 2008) he provides details of the manner in which he was 'tortured and interrogated severly' and how he was 'beaten up ruthlessly' and was given 'electric shocks'. If one were to believe Special Cell of the Delhi Police, Pervez was arrested on October 15, 2006 from Azadpur Mandi in the city with "three kgs of RDX and Rs 10 lakh as hawala money along with other incriminating evidence" proving him to be a "Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist". Professor Sanaullah has been running from pillar to post for the last around eighteen months so that his youngest son gets a 'fair trial' and comes out of jail unscathed and is able to resume his research work. The fact is that for around one month Professor did not know that Pervez has not landed in Pune rather he was in detention. He has also presented a memorandum to the National Commission on Minorities (NCM) to press harder for their intervention. Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Chairperson of NCM, who has looked into the case and has also written to the Delhi police was candid enough to share his views on the subject with a reporter ('Mail Today' , Delhi, March 6, 2008 - NCM fights for release of J & K youth in Tihar) : "It is hard to believe the police version when one sees the clean chits given by the police superintendent and additional district magistrate of Sopore, his native town, and from the local resident welfare association (RWA). Most importantly, the certificate given by Spicejet for the same day shows him as boarding the plane for Delhi from Srinagar and then also bound to travel further to Pune. These facts have been completely ignored by the Special Cell.' Trying to control his tears Professor Sanaullah Radoo tells the reporter the manner in which police have turned a promising young scientiest into a 'bomb-man' 'He should be completing his research on a rice species in Kashmir valley, instead he is inside prison facing charges of terrorism.' He clearly says the police 'are lying'. He is also not sure whether his son would receive a fair trial or not and whether he has been provided an able prosecution to defend his case or not. Pervez's jail diary, which has appeared in a section of the media, puts further light on his plight. In his letter asking to 'Save My Career, As I Am Innocent' he poignantly asks 'Am I not Indian, if I am Kashmiri. Why this discrimination. When tall claims are being made by the govt of India, by media, that before law all citizens are equal.' Of course it would not be cliche to state that the story of the metamorphosis of a student of Zoology into a 'bomb-man' is not the only one of its kind. In fact not a day passes when one does not hear about the illegal detention of a youth from the minority community on some frivolous charges. Just a day before 'Mail Today' carried the above mentioned story about Pervez, it had provided details of a case involving a 'terrorist' gutkha manufacturer getting bail ( Mail Today, March 5, 2008). According to the report filed by Piyush Srivastava, ' Barely six months ago, 35 year old Imran Ismail Memon was termed as a terrorist, gangster, a hawala racketeer, a smuggler and a manufacturer of adulterated Gutkha.' Imran Ismail Memon, a resident of Thane in Maharashtra was arrested by the Rae Bareli police on August 25, 2007. Police said he was part of a "terrorist module" and had started a "illegal and adulterated gutkha factory" as a cover-up to stay in the district. Lucknow bench of the Allahabad highcourt granted bail to him because of lack of evidence. It also added that 'the police could not even prove the power theft charge against him.' May it be the case of Aftab Alam Ansari, an employee of the Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation who was arrested on 27 th December 2007 as 'main accused behind the serial blasts in no of courts in UP' or for that matter the case of a poor fruit vendor from Kashmir who was presented before the media as a 'prize catch' responsible for blasts on the eve of Diwali in Delhi two years back, it is clear to any layperson that with the ascendance of the Hindu right forces in the Indian polity and in the ambience which has been created the world over post 9/11 such targetting of innocents from the minority community has become all the more common. All of us were witness to the travails of Aftab Alam Ansari who was tortured for 22 days that he spent in police custory after his arrest on December 27, 2007 in order to make him confess that he was Mukhtar alias Raju, resident of Malda district in West Bengal and had Rs. 6 crores in his bank account. A biggest irony of the whole situation is that while terrorist acts committed by Hindutva organisations are not even reported or all attempts are done to cover them up, innocents from the minority community are apprehended claiming them to be associates of this or that dreaded terrorist organisation. The media which is supposed to be a watchdog of democracy also joins the malicious campaign where it has no qualms in calling all such people as terrorists rather than accused awaiting trial in court. It does not bother it that such trial by media is not only unethical but also violates the basic ethics of responsible and fair journalism. To be very frank, this is not to condone any of such terrorist acts if they occur in any part of the country, rather one would want that the law of the land should be equally applicable in all such cases and it should not appear that it is avouring/targettin g a particular community. Things have reached such a pass that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is a new trend where 'terrorisation' and 'stigmatisation' of the minority community is reaching menacing proportions. The pattern of mindless arrests for the sake of branding innocent persons as terrorists and resorting to relentless torture is coming under increasing scrutiny. And it is quite natural that it is giving rise to perceptible anger all across the country. Perhaps the recent decision of the UP government asking a retired judge to ascertain whether two persons arrested for the court blasts in state are indeed terrorists or not, is an indicator of the pressure governments are facing over repeated complaints that the state police is implicating Muslims as terrorists. The case involves the arrest of Khalid Mujahid and Tariq, claiming them to be members of Harkat-Ul-Jehadi (HUJI) who were implicated for executing the serial blasts that left 14 people dead. If one searches the record of the Jamia Tul-Salahat Madarsa in Jaunpur where Khalid use to teach, it tells us that not only he was present on the day (23 Nov) in the Madarsa but had also checked the copies of the students. The judge has been asked to cross-check the UP police story which says that Khalid landed in Lucknow in a bus on November 23 morning, met other accomplices, bought new cycles, planted bombs in Lucknow court premises and returned immediately to Jaunpur. One can just go on narrating instances of the highhandedness of the police and the callousness of the polity in turning a blind eye towards continuous stigmatisation of a particular community.As already mentioned this is an understanding which has received a new boost in the aftermath of 9/11 and the 'war against terror' unleashed by the US regime, to further its imperialist ambitions. Any impartial enquiry into the state of affairs would make it clear that the need of the hour is to understand that 'terrorism' cannot be the monopoly of a particular community. It is a product of the typical circumstances which societies encounter or find themselves in and the nature of the dominant or dominated forces in operation in those societies and their larger worldview. There is no denying the fact that civil society at large at some level has accorded legitimacy to all such actions by the police. If that would not have been the case there would have a uproar at the national level when it was revealed that how 'intelligence bureau operatives colluded with Delhi police to brand two of its own informers as dreaded terrorists'. It was sheer coincidence that the matter reached CBI which exposed the dark machinations of the dirty tricks brigade. A writeup in Times of India 'IB, cops in murky frame-up' (By Sachin Parashar, New Delhi, 13 September 2007) had presented all relevant details of the case. New Delhi: The CBI has found that Intelligence Bureau operatives colluded with Delhi Police special cell sleuths to 'plant' RDX on two youths who were arrested as 'Al Badr terrorists', TOI has learnt. The shocking conclusion comes a month after the agency told the Delhi High Court that the special cell's probe into the murky affair "didn't inspire confidence". Top CBI sources told TOI on Wednesday that the seized RDX appeared to have been planted on the two 'terrorists' Mohd Moarif Qamar and Irshad Ali. The agency will submit its report, which indicts officers of IB and Delhi Police special cell, to the court on October 24. While similar episodes in the past have hurt the credibility of the anti-terror agencies, this one stands out because it marks a rare instance where Intelligence Bureau operatives collaborated in the plot hatched by Delhi Police's special cell against its former informers. Few months back one was witness to a furore over the violation of human rights and dignity of Dr Haneef in Australia. Thanks to the support provided by international media and human rights organisations and the concern expressed in the polity here, it did not take much time for either the Australian judiciary and executive to release Dr Haneef. We were also told then that our honourable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally felt disturbed over the plight of Dr Haneef and could not sleep that night. Perhaps it is high time that the honourable Prime Minister is told that 'Dr Haneef' is not just the name of doctor who was wrongly apprehended in Australia rather it is another name for a phenomenon which is quite rampant in this part of the earth. And the case of Pervez Ahmad Radoo is one such important case which demands his immediate intervention. Such a move only can bring back the smile on Professor Sanaullah's face ! Best Jokes, Best Friends, Best Food and more. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/bestofyahoo/ From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Fri Apr 11 09:58:48 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:28:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <32144e990804100917l3356aba7n3114952299dd105e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <311088.50372.qm@web45503.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Dear Partha, In secular INDIA its my view! this is my direct answer to you ONLY Partha. The reason is you never read, though read do not understand, whether understand try to behave the contents appear to you as alien. There should be a PA like personality to explain you what is there, what is what, what is the meaning. Probably that is the reason you COUSIN asked you to visit this list. If you read SHUDDHA response to RADHIKARAJEN mail, """""*******#####%%%%% > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) Santan Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet.>>>%%%%%####*******"""""" look at the above lines and read my mail carefully then respond to me. FYI i just copy paste the my old mail again Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist To: reader-list at sarai.net > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > Adventist, a > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > the possible conclusions as > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > do belong to > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > and CPM? > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > charge for this. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > to this mail Shudda didn't responded yet and radhikarajen wrote something else. and you started murmuring to my reply on that. Any way Thanks for your suggestion. YOU DON'T WORRY, WE WORK TOGETHER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, and NATION BUILDING. Regards, "DHATRI". Partha Dasgupta wrote: Dear Dhatri, 1. Do try and remember the constitution of India. It is a 'secular' nation and if you are unclear of what that means, there are plenty of references. In short, the law (and the constitution) are separate from religion. Unfortunately, many politicians have used caste and religion as vote banks. If what is being said still isn't clear, Dharma is the Hindu code of religion and morals or religious and moral duty. Being a secular nation, India has to take all religions and views into count and can not follow Dharma for the law - much like we have different Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Special marriage acts (maybe more for all I know). Similarly, Rajdharma can not be the law in a secular nation, that is, unless you are a fanatic asking for Hindu 'Talibanisation' of India. 2. What ever Kamala Nehru or MK Gandhi may have done, what is the relevance to the post on the journalist? If none (at least none that I can see) and you want a personal opinion of Shuddha (as you have stated) then it would be sensible - and considerate to other members of this list - to have mailed him personally instead of posting this tangent in the middle of an unrelated debate. Rgds, Partha .............................. On 4/10/08, we wi wrote: Hi, I am expecting the response should be from SUDDHA, a founder member of SARAI. The "defamation" I mentioned was nothing to do with current topic on list or with politics. As suddha spoke about "Indian Penal Code" I just put that question to use it as a suggestion. For fruitful results, ANY LAW SHOULD ABIDE DHARMA(1/4th at least as we are into KALI ERA), But is that so? The answer is a definite NO. LAW IS DIFFERENT AND DHARMA(SANATAN OR ADHUNIK) IS DIFFERENT. Hence the conflicts. Next Coming back to comment on allegations that were made by you, 1) Passing or failing ICS or any degree/pg/diploma is a criteria to become something then and now? Late Mr.M.K.Gandhi would have took the lead to rule India as he agreed for partition based on fallacious 2 Nation theory fearing for Number of casualties, for which the country has been suffering 60 years(apart from 1000 years worst rule, lets say) in terms of .....(any body can fill the blank as per their thought). Any other leader would have took the initiative to rule INDIA after partition and Independence. What forced them to agree upon Mr.Nehru unanimously? As Mr.M.K.Gandhi do have children, why was he adopted FEROZ(its against the dharma)? Either of his or anybody children would have married to a PARSI. Does anybody consulted shri KAMALA NEHRU about her daughter marriage and consider her opinion? What was the Nation doing when a HINDU(brahmin) FAMILY was being CONVERTED to CASTE LESS? It clearly tell us rest of the people are so ORTHODOX irrespective of their CASTE and literacy levels. It tell us INVADERS SUCCEEDED OVER INDIA WITH THIS KIND OF THOUGHT AGAIN. Autocratic or democratic, RAJADHARMA is so power full and one need to understand it, digest it and dare to execute it. Both late Mr.Nehru and late Mrs.Indira experienced UNNATURAL deaths, one because of BACKSTABBING and the other because of CONSPIRACY. They too human beings and they were ruled the country in a better way. Their period was over. Whatever it may be the case WE fond of Mr.NEHRU family. Regards, Dhatri. radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: Hi, it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of "defamation." Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: we wi Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist To: reader-list at sarai.net > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > Adventist, a > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > the possible conclusions as > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > do belong to > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > and CPM? > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > charge for this. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Radhikarajen, > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > have > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > you find the evidence of this violation? > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > police > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > has > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > effect. > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > completely > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > resist > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > directly here) > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > he > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > does. > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > laws, > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > laws > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > it > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > can > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > I > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > happens > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > Santan > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > gives > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > motives, > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > be > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > to > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > the > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > like > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > was > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > sounds, > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > proof, > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > (which > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > activists > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > absurd. > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > intelligence > and your imagination is. > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > you > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > above > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > that > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > is > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > religion > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > behaviour > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > are > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > governance, > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > not > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > Regatrds. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: arshad amanullah > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > >> www.milligazette.com > >> > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > >> recent arrests in the state. > >> > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > >> > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > >> officials in MP state. > >> > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > >> > >> [end] > >> > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > >> > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > >> central and MP state authorities: > >> > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > >> > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > >> this matter. > >> > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > >> by our Constitution and laws." > >> _________________________________________ > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 10:00:27 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:00:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <48c2916d0804101015l326168b0v487e7f4b5de225a9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Shuddha's piece certainly did not deserve the kind of vituperation it received. I subscribed to the reader list only a few months ago, and I'm really appalled at what ought to be a forum of ideas and reasoned public debate is actually an akhara without rules for people to vent their prejudices and hate. Is restraint that difficult if you disagree with someone? What a pity. On 4/10/08 10:45 PM, "Aarti Sethi" wrote: > Radhikarajen, As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a > reasoned response by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your > post, in this case Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel > which is totally off topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate > questions being raised by Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your > exhausting boring persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we > done to deserve you... Perhaps... we had a wicked childhood Perhaps we had a > miserable youth Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past There must > have been a moment of truth For there you are, standing there, boring > us Whether or not you should So somewhere in our youth or childhood We must > have done something we shouldn't Nothing comes from nothing Nothing ever > could So somewhere in our youth or childhood We must have done something we > shouldn't Aarti On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, > wrote: > Hi, > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are > expressed, the > method of suppression are time tested and have not found > success, first, the > step one is to discredit the person and not the > thoughts, next step two is > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third > step, use the brute force, to > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, > it is not new as to how legally > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , > violent protests. > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic > ruler.Now with drug > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to > extinguish the freedom, > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was > poisoned, one voice which > explained that earth was revolving around the sun > had the eyes gauged out. > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it > remains in the minds > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, > the issue remains. > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of > freedom struggle of > India, go with that as their perspective for the > learning experience. It is > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala > gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > many others to become BalGangadhars of the > struggle. It is one voice of lala > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become > the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired > many to be the stronger voice for > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were > repressed brutally, killed, but > the struggle went on, as the fruits of > freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > is to one family which had a person who > hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > confinement in guest houses, but the > family took the surname of Gandhi, to > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein > reality check, there are thousands who > sacrificed their life and livelihood > to alll of us to have freedom. > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS > exam but refused to serve under > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru > who had failed the ICS, after > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as > Barrister, but issue here is > was he a visionary that he is projected as for > free India. ? > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist > supporter > now have with them the Forward Block even though with > uncomfortable to share > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing > threats of > "defamation." > Basic issue here is again, it is not about > religion, or the journalist, > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he > reporting to his community > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all > citizens of the nation. ? > > Regards. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > we wi > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > Subject: > Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > >>For all > I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > Adventist, a > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > >>therapy > or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > >>Dharmi > who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > I contradict over and > above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean > by using that term? I observe > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > 2) All > ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > ALCOHOLICS? > 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > do belong to > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all > present in CONGRESS,CPI > > and CPM? > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most > suitable and correct anyway, > > > > Please let me know how much can be > gained for a defamation as I > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking > to file a > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > charge for this. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > Shuddhabrata > Sengupta wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > I am curious to > know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > have > > read that the > journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > law do you think has > been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > you find the evidence of > this violation? > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of > Mr. Ahmad's > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about > the > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > police > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > imagination > then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > I find it > disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > has > > violated any > law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > effect. > > All that we > can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > that Mr. Ahmad was > doing his job - making enquiries in a > > completely > > legitimate manner, as > journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > nowhere, in the posting that > Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his > relationship to an > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you > cannot > > resist > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting > you > > directly here) > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean > he is above the law, > > he > > can do anything to go anywhere and even > sheltor (sic), support and > > shield the few fanatics because he is > journalist, that is when > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when > religion is used to > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > banned > > does. > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > subversion of > > laws, > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and > its freedom, > > laws > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free > society." > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe > that the > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? > Is > > it > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about > the > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > > can > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > > I > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > happens > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > for a > royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > care, you > could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > lapsed Roman > Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > therapy or a born-again, > paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > Santan > > Dharmi who spends way too > much time on the internet. Your name > > gives > > me no real indication > whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > judgements that I, or anyone esle > would make about you, your > > motives, > > your character, your personality > on the basis of your name would > > be > > totally indefensible. If I had to > make judgements, they would have > > to > > rely on your actions and your > statments, not your name. > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, > trying to investigate > > the > > detention of the activists of a supposedly > 'Hindu' organization > > like > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume > that I was arrested, in > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, > then be taken > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect > that I > > was > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and > shielding" the > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata > Sengupta > > sounds, > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an > ostensibly > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about > my > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > Such an > allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > proof, > > would be > patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > (which > > infer > connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > activists > > and > Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > therefore > irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > absurd. > > You, > sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > here. You > cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > peoples' character > based on nothing other than the sound of their > > name. It really shows how > narrow the bandwidth of your > > intelligence > > and your imagination is. > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > about > being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > effectively > against people like you who make baseless and wild > > allegations about other > people's character and conduct. I suggest > > you > > take a careful look at > section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > spells out the law of a crime > called defamation. Be careful. > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not > this time, > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, > radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, > that does not mean he is > > above > > > the law, he can do anything to go > anywhere and even sheltor, > > > support and shield the few fanatics because > he is journalist, > > that > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free > India, when religion > > is > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, > like the SIMI now > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, > who are in > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > religion > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > behaviour > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group > of > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > are > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > governance, > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > point > out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > not > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > Date: Monday, > April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh > arrested a Delhi- > > > > > basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late > last evening the police > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh > arrested a > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > >> > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim > Ahmad, a staffer of The > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language > newspaper > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > >> > > >> Ahmad was > arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > >> in village Aroda/Choral > under Balwada Police Station, > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact > with Ahmad was > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > >> picking up > his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), > who took Ahmad in > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > >> failed to > help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette > editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj > Patil, > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > >> MP > Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > >> minister Mr. Himmat > Kothari, as well as to top police > > >> officials in MP state. > > >> > > >> > If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > >> to file a habeas > corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > >> > > > >> [end] > > >> > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal > Enclave-I > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, > 26947483, 26952825 > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > >> Website: > www.milligazette.com > > >> > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by > Dr > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > >> April > 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > >> central and MP state > authorities: > > >> > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > >> regularly since > January 2000 (registered RNI number > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back > we sent Mr Nadim > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > >> > Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > >> violence there. At > about same time news of arrests of > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from > an adjacent area > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > >> some places > from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 > April 2008, and after > > >> making enquiries about the location of the > concerned > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > >> > Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > >> phone No. > 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre > (mobile no. 09926670086). > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at > around 8-9 > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > >> > he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > >> Ahmad was a > full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > >> he was there at my > instructions to report on the > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me > that there > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > >> > enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > >> > > >> My last contact with Ahmad > was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he > said he > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > >> > Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > >> at that time and > told me that there is nothing to > > >> worry about as they were only trying > to establish the > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim > Ahmad's > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > >> > receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > >> morning I tried to > contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > >> number but there was no response. > Thereafter, I phoned > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > >> Indore in > the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > >> Ahmad since then have > failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. > After this, I > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > >> > Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > >> April 08). He told > me that he had no information about > > >> this matter. > > >> > > >> As of > now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > >> been arrested and kept > under custody at an unknown > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was > only > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > >> > matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > >> under the current > charged atmosphere in the state of > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have > been falsely > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > >> > his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > >> this matter and > ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > >> _________________________________________ > > >> 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. > > >> To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > >> list > > >> 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > > Shuddhabrata > Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > > To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> ___________________________ > ______________ 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. To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From postbodhi at yahoo.co.in Fri Apr 11 11:27:07 2008 From: postbodhi at yahoo.co.in (Bodhisattva Kar) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:57:07 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] WORKSHOP FOR BEGINNING DOCTORAL SCHOLARS, 2008 Message-ID: <158793.61634.qm@web8503.mail.in.yahoo.com> Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta WORKSHOP FOR BEGINNING DOCTORAL SCHOLARS, 2008 Theme: Inequalities and Differences Description: Inequalities and differences in the developing world have evolved historically. Caste, class, gender, ethnicity etc are reshaped to converge with circuits of global capital within and outside the nation-state. How do social and cultural mobilizations produce collective identities? Does the state’s intervention mitigate or reinforce disparities? What effects do solidarities and conflicts among the underprivileged have on society at large? The Workshop will address these and similar questions from the perspective of various social science disciplines. The Workshop is part of a project on ‘Training in New Social Science Research Methods’ being run by the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC). Eligibility: Candidates with (i) postgraduate degree in any of the social science disciplines (e.g., economics, History, Sociology, Political Science, Cultural Studies, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Geography, Social Anthropology, Education) and (ii) who have either just begun or are intending to pursue doctoral research. Format: The Workshop will have two parts. First: ‘Teaching Session’: detailed discussion of pre-circulated readings by resource persons. Second: ‘Library Session’: formulation of research questions by participants under the supervision of resource persons. The 4-day workshop will be held from 1 July 2008 to 4 July 2008 at the CSSSC’s Baishnabghata-Patuli campus in Kolkata. The Workshop does not have any fees. Local hospitality and travel expenses of outstation participants will be covered by CSSSC with partial funding from Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT). Application: Each applicant is required to send a 500-word description of her/his proposed research along with curriculum vitae to the following address: The Registrar, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta R-1, Baishnabghata-Patuli Township, Kolkata 700 094 OR Write to Madhuban Mitra, Research Officer, CSSSC-NRTT Programme: madhuban_mitra at cssscal.org --------------------------------- Meet people who discuss and share your passions. Join them now. From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 12:00:49 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Yes to affirmative action, no to mindless quotas In-Reply-To: <6353c690804100414m657df7b0v74e4096059c0cce2@mail.gmail.com> References: <6353c690804100414m657df7b0v74e4096059c0cce2@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6353c690804102330p60c915bak4285f40250a09572@mail.gmail.com> * Yes to affirmative action, no to mindless quotas Aastha Manocha - The Indian ExpressPosted online: Thursday , April 10, 2008 at 02:57:13* ** *New Delhi, April 10: *The student community, especially the ones who had protested against the increase in caste-based quotas is very pleased with the Supreme Court's decision on the reservation issue. United Students, a first student initiative which launched anti-caste based reservation exactly two years back and which had even met with the then president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam over the issue, feel that their stand has been vindicated. They say, 'we are not against quotas per se, we are all for affirmative action, but only caste based quotas doesn't serve any purpose.' The very first point that they had raised in their protests back in 2006 was that the 1931 census or even the 1978 situation used by the Mandal commission could in no way be applicable in present context, and this judgment validates that fact. This is not just a group that only makes a noise, a look at their website shows a couple of studies and surveys on how to decide which groups are actually in need of empowerment through reservation-like measures. Although this is a success, it is but a first step, as they say that it needs to be seen if the government even implements these SC directives. A close watch needs to be kept and the government constantly monitored. Presently, the government has been given a free hand as no time frame has been set. The stress on close monitoring by non-governmental body becomes all the more important due to the fact that the creamy layer which has been excluded includes ministers, bureaucrats and people in places of power who are bound to find a loophole sometime. Dhruv Suri, of IP University, further adds, 'the ultimate aim is to ensure that all caste disparities disappear. So in that sense, it is a very welcome judgment as the Supreme Court has given its nod to a new survey, which takes into account not only the caste but also the economic indicators to decide backwardness.' Now, he says, the priority remains to see the proper monitoring is done and that the vision behind this judgment is carried out. Also due to such reservations, in colleges and higher educational institutions, caste has become a sort of deciding factor, which is sometimes used to taunt. 'We want to move towards a situation where all caste disparity disappears because the more you focus only on caste as the factor for granting seats, you are only reinforcing the caste divide.' Clearly, youngistan at work… Link - http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Yes-to-affirmative-action-no-to-mindless-quotas/295151/ United Students - www.unitedstudents.in From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 12:02:10 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:02:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Divided as ever, quota lobbies mouth familiar lines In-Reply-To: <6353c690804102327w5b1b3083rc55609ea794f6072@mail.gmail.com> References: <6353c690804102327w5b1b3083rc55609ea794f6072@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6353c690804102332p4d61f875k78bba37a637b718f@mail.gmail.com> *Divided as ever, quota lobbies mouth familiar lines-**The Times Of India (Page-2) 11 Apr 2008* *NEW DELHI:* The Supreme Court's stamp of approval on OBC reservations in educational institutes on Thursday elicited mixed reactions from students and teachers. From infrastructure problems to implementation of the creamy layer clause, they, however, sounded a note of caution. "We are happy that the creamy layer is kept out. It is a victory for all those students who stood up against it. But we are disappointed that the seats in the general category are not increased," asked Dr Abhishek Bansal, president, Azad Medicos Association (AMA), Maulana Azad Medical College. Youth for Equality (YFE), which was formed in the wake of the OBC reservation, debate is ecstatic. "It is the most balanced judgement. Reservation should have been rationalised and now we are satisfied that the government has been asked to come out with a list of beneficiaries. It is the time to celebrate," said Anup Awasthi from YFE. Pro-reservation groups though are unhappy about the creamy layer exclusion. "It will just make the process more difficult. The Rs 2.5-lakh limit is not justified, as it will disqualify a lot of needy people, especially after the sixth pay commission, which has raised the salaries of government servants," said a senior faculty member of Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC). In some quarters, apprehensions were raised about the ability of institutes to build infrastructure that will be required to accommodate additional students so that the number of seats for the general category remains unchanged. "There are not enough lecture theatres, laboratories, hostels to accommodate the existing students. Where would the additional 54% students go?" asked Dr Dilpreet Kaur, active member of the Lady Hardinge Students' Association. The concerns are similar in other technical institutes. "IIT Delhi is the smallest of the seven IITs. How will extra hostels, labs and classrooms come up? We got through IIT after competing with almost 3 lakh students in the entrance exam. Reserving seats for a set of students is unfair to us. If 40 students have to be stuffed in the same space which now houses 25, imagine the way experiments would be done," said Nikita Mathur, final-year student of chemical engineering in IIT Delhi. "It should not be implemented. It's the doing of politicians. Admissions should be conducted on the basis of merit, not caste. IIT is known for taking in only the best of minds. This will not be said after the quota is implemented," said Manali Kapoor, who is doing her PhD in Chemistry atIITD. Neighbouring JNU, meanwhile, lived up to its "Leftist" reputation with most people welcoming the quota. "Social justice was long due. If OBCs get educated, it will create more skilled workforce. Many reserved seats that are never filled because of shortage of skilled OBCs and Dalits will now be up for grabs. Universities should be given funds and time to implement the quota," said Kamal Mitra Chenoy, president, JNU Teachers' Association. Infrastructure, meanwhile, tops the list of students' concerns in Delhi University too. Said Tisha Sehdev, a second-year student at Hindu College, "There's already a fight for space in colleges. Labs don't have enough equipment and classrooms are over-crowded. How will the colleges manage to take in more students within the next two months?" Said DUTA president Aditya Narayan Misra: "It's a welcome move, which will only be realised if the government also ensures that lack of infrastructure is addressed while implementing the quota." For many like Vasudha, the very word reservation reeked of inequality. "Competition matters. If you're good, you'll get admission no matter where you're from." Uday Raj Anand, however, had a different take. "Meritocracy is between equals. When a section of people have not enjoyed basic amenities, how can they be judged on the same level? Reservations are needed to bring this section of people at par with the rest of the population." *Said Aditya Raj Kaul of the United Students: "It's a step in the right direction. But the government* *needs to ensure that implementation takes place properly."* Added SFI spokesperson, Rohit from JNU, "It's a historic judgment that will pave the way for social justice and affirmative action in educational institutions for the deprived sections in our society." From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 13:48:22 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:48:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Guantanamo Message-ID: /Abducted, Tortured and Deprived of His Rights/ Should Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be Set Free? By MIKE WHITNEY "This is the time to demonstrate to the world that the United States need not abandon its principles even as it seeks to ensure the safety of its citizens." -- Janet Reno, former Attorney General and member of ACLU Guantánamo Defense "Dream Team" Should Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be set free? It's a difficult question, but it deserves a serious answer. Here's why. The only reason the Bush administration has decided to conduct a trial for Mohammed, the alleged terrorist mastermind of the attacks on September 11, is because they feel confident in the outcome. It's a slam dunk. There's no chance that the perpetrator of the biggest act of terrorism in American history (against America, that is) will be found innocent. Bush thinks a Mohammed conviction will be a vindication for his kangaroo courts (Military tribunals) at Guantánamo Bay as well as reinforce the belief that the president has the inherent right to arbitrarily imprison anyone he chooses if he brands him an enemy combatant. It is a cynical power-play meant to increase presidential authority while further undermining fundamental legal protections. That means that the so-called tribunals will be choreographed by the Bush public relations team to rehash 9-11 in as frightening terms as possible invoking the same, worn demagoguery we've heard for the past six years. On the other hand, the ACLU, which has courageously decided to defend Mohammed, will try to demonstrate the basic unfairness of the proceedings (which provide defendants with fewer rights than civilian trials or courts-martial) and how the Bush administration has violated the law at every turn by denying Mohammed due process and by using harsh interrogation techniques, including torture, to extract a confession. Bush is no friend of civil liberties or justice. Since he first took office in 2000, he's waged a persistent and systematic no-holds-barred attack on the Bill of Rights and the Geneva Conventions. Last week, a 30-page memo authored by senior Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo surfaced, showing that the Bush administration worked assiduously to create a legal framework for justifying the cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees in their custody. "Could the president, if he desired, have a prisoner's eyes poked out? Or, for that matter, could he have 'scalding water, corrosive acid or caustic substance' thrown on a prisoner? How about slitting an ear, nose or lip, or disabling a tongue or limb? What about biting?" According to Yoo's 81-page memo, which was declassified last week, the president had the legal authority to order any of these acts of barbarism because, as Yoo says, "Federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes by military interrogators are trumped by the president's ultimate authority as commander in chief." The memo also repeats the Yoo's assertion that an interrogation tactic cannot be considered torture unless it results in "death, organ failure or serious impairment of bodily functions." The memo proves that Bush was aggressively seeking legal justification for the cruel and degrading treatment of prisoners and deliberately circumventing the law. Yoo was paid to dignify Bush's coercive detainee policies with legal flim-flam. He was fully aware of what he was doing; he was a willing accomplice to a crime. As conservative pundit, Andrew Sullivan, pointed out on "Hardball" this week, "The latest revelations on the torture front show the memo from John Yoo...means that Don Rumsfeld, David Addington and John Yoo should not leave the United States any time soon. They will be, at some point, indicted for war crimes." Yoo worked in the Office of Legal Counsel, which means that his written opinions had "the force of law within the government because its staff is assigned to interpret the meaning of statutory or constitutional language." (Washington Post) In other words, Yoo was the "go-to" guy. The memo proves that the treatment of terror suspects was premeditated and criminal. But what does Yoo's memo have to do with the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? Everything. It shows that the government was intentionally carrying out war crimes while conducting its so-called war on terror. It shows that the military tribunals have nothing to do with establishing the guilt or innocence of the defendants. They're just politically-motivated show trials designed to enhance executive powers and further savage civil liberties. The administration hopes that by trotting out the so-called "worst of the worst" they can scare the pants off the public and weaken their commitment to the rule of law. But whatever hatred or rage Americans may feel for the perpetrators of 9-11, it is not worth destroying the laws that protect us all from the long arm of the state. If Bush is allowed to create his own parallel justice system, with its own courts and procedures, what's to stop him or a successor from using that same model at home? Does anyone seriously think that Bush would hesitate to use the military tribunals on alleged eco-terrorists, protestors at the School of the Americas, or antiwar activists like the Irish member of the Pitstop Ploughshares who was just barred from the US for his efforts to stop Bush's bloodbath in Iraq? No way. Bush has done everything in his power to place himself above the law, particularly when it comes to deciding issues of life and death. These are not matters that should be left to the flawed judgment of one man. By ignoring the flagrant violations of the law in the imprisonment and subsequent torture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, we further reinforce the precedents that Bush is setting. That's a blueprint for dictatorship. The law is our only refuge from would-be tyrants like George W. Bush. Thomas More summed it up like this in "A Man for all Seasons": "And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of the law, for my own safety's sake!" However horrible he may be, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed poses no threat to our system or our freedom. Bush does. We'd be better off letting one guilty man free than than destroying the laws that protect all of us from liberty's greatest enemy; the State. Mohammed has been abducted, tortured, and deprived of his rights. Give him an ankle bracelet, and let him go. *Mike Whitney* lives in Washington state. He can be reached at: fergiewhitney at msn.com From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 20:41:41 2008 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:41:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. These are no personal issues though... Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive it is? Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit of Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes Kashmir issue to be? And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. best On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe criminal > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > > Dear all > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > way > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > actually > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > recently > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > Sainath, > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what > > he > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > onslaught > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > proximity to > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr > > Praveen > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > scrutiny > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > and > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > over > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > information > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > the > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I > > am > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > > does), > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > > Hizbul > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the > > group's > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > regard. > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > just > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only > > to > > write about US imperialism. > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they > > give > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and > > Kashmir. > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > Best > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown > > fact > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red > > the > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line > > marked > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end > > of > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a > > joint > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, > > then > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China > > can have > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, > > even US > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its > > freedom > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > editorial on > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > Party and > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > denunciations of the > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > In 1952 > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > By 1953 > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > > population was > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > demanded the > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > stonewalling of > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > From indersalim at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 20:46:29 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:46:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804110816o8ed5016i7a936196a8a73d93@mail.gmail.com> Dear Wali sahib your reflection on The Hindu piece is not out of place...we all are a little aware about the nature of poltics and the compulsions intellectuals....and i guess none amongst us is free from that limitation.... In fact, i wast thinking to write a piece on Tiger and Tibet... with an aim to enter the nature of similarities between North East, Palestine, Kashmir, Chechenya etc. I almost abandoned the idea of writing on the subject, with a strange sadness, because the devastation to enivironment by all of us ( both, the nations that supress and aspiring nations) just click Tibet and Tiger on the google, and see how Tiger skin is on sale in Tibet, and for chinese it is not an issue... I doubt, if freedom fighters of these aspiring ( future ) natiions even think about the need to protect Tigers. I guess, the future agenda of freedom fighters need to think about the environemt and also bring it strongly in the actions as part of their agenda... then the nature of politics too might change, violence in the present form too will change.. infact, the ongoing nature of war between state and those who are against state suits the State more than thiose who aspire for a seperate nation. I feel the nation state want the contiunation of terrorims in this form because it gives them excuse to stifle the genuine voices. i just want to see a change... the struggle has to be creative, deeply about the survival of human being on this earth, not just simple politics... i hope some reflection to this burninng issue. with love inder salim On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > Dear all > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the way > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question actually > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P Sainath, > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what he > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and onslaught > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's proximity to > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional scrutiny > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself and > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has over > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of the > Swamiji iceberg. > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the Hizbul > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's > ideologue in 2003! > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this regard. > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with just > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only to > write about US imperialism. > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they give > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and Kashmir. > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > Best > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown fact > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red the > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line marked > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end of > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a joint > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, then > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can have > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even US > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its freedom > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > Regards. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > editorial on > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > Party and > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > denunciations of the > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > In 1952 > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > By 1953 > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > population was > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > demanded the > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > Jammu. > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > stonewalling of > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > > Dalai Lama has > > > pursued. > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > Madhu Sarin > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > Dilip Simeon > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From yousufism at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 21:12:57 2008 From: yousufism at gmail.com (M Yousuf) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:12:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> Dear list buddies Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the issue deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting from many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a moral container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space to let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the signatories of the open letter to The Hindu in question. The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the moral stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been in places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. cheers M Yousuf On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi wrote: > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. > These > are no personal issues though... > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about > Kashmir, > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive > it > is? > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit of > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes > Kashmir issue to be? > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the > likes > of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many > others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > best > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > criminal > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > wrote: > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about > the > > > way > > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > > actually > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > > recently > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > > Sainath, > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to > what > > > he > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > > onslaught > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > proximity to > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr > > > Praveen > > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > > scrutiny > > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for > itself > > > and > > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > > over > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > country's > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > > information > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip > of > > > the > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I > > > am > > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > > > does), > > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > > > Hizbul > > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the > > > group's > > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > > regard. > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > its > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > > just > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > only > > > to > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how > they > > > give > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > > > Best > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown > > > fact > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting > red > > > the > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line > > > marked > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the > end > > > of > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre > friends > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a > > > joint > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, > > > then > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China > > > can have > > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, > > > even US > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its > > > freedom > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > > editorial on > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the > recent > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > > Party and > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > > > population was > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > > demanded the > > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 > disallows > > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > From taraprakash at gmail.com Fri Apr 11 21:58:20 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:28:20 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com><4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to anyone. There are so many movements going all round the world, all require equal attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are not part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, are doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack Tibet issue. The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India that if you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom Hindu is speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" To: "Wali Arifi" Cc: "sarai list" Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > Dear list buddies > > Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the issue > deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting from > many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a moral > container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space to > let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. > > Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the signatories > of > the open letter to The Hindu in question. > > The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the > moral > stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been in > places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, > Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. > > cheers > M Yousuf > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi wrote: > >> One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. >> These >> are no personal issues though... >> >> Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about >> Kashmir, >> may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like >> Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive >> it >> is? >> >> Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's >> neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit >> of >> Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes >> Kashmir issue to be? >> >> And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the >> likes >> of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many >> others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. >> >> best >> >> >> >> On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: >> > >> > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic >> > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe >> criminal >> > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and >> > substantively to my writings and activism. >> > >> > >> > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi >> wrote: >> > >> > > Dear all >> > > >> > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about >> the >> > > way >> > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question >> > > actually >> > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar >> > > issues. >> > > >> > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook >> > > recently >> > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P >> > > Sainath, >> > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to >> what >> > > he >> > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and >> > > onslaught >> > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's >> > > proximity to >> > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. >> > > >> > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr >> > > Praveen >> > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional >> > > scrutiny >> > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for >> itself >> > > and >> > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji >> > > has >> > > over >> > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the >> country's >> > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to >> > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking >> > > information >> > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. >> > > >> > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip >> of >> > > the >> > > Swamiji iceberg. >> > > >> > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm >> > > >> > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report >> > > (I >> > > am >> > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly >> > > does), >> > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the >> > > Hizbul >> > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three >> > > years. >> > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the >> > > group's >> > > ideologue in 2003! >> > > >> > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this >> > > regard. >> > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, >> its >> > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with >> > > just >> > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated >> only >> > > to >> > > write about US imperialism. >> > > >> > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly >> > > Sonia >> > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic >> > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how >> they >> > > give >> > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise >> > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and >> > > Kashmir. >> > > >> > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! >> > > >> > > Best >> > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >> > > > >> > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is >> > > > wellknown >> > > fact >> > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting >> red >> > > the >> > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line >> > > marked >> > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the >> end >> > > of >> > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre >> friends >> > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make >> > > > a >> > > joint >> > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with >> > > > China, >> > > then >> > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China >> > > can have >> > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, >> > > even US >> > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its >> > > freedom >> > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! >> > > > Regards. >> > > > >> > > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > > From: "S. Jabbar" >> > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm >> > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet >> > > > To: sarai list >> > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > Letter to the Editor: >> > > > > >> > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its >> > > > > editorial on >> > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the >> recent >> > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of >> > > > > sustained >> > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, >> > > > > Party and >> > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on >> > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced >> > > > > denunciations of the >> > > > > Dalai Lama. >> > > > > >> > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. >> > > > > In 1952 >> > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in >> > > > > Tibet." >> > > > > By 1953 >> > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the >> > > > > renamed >> > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million >> > > > > Chinese and 750,000 >> > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's >> > > > > population was >> > > > > Tibetan. >> > > > > >> > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw >> > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long >> > > > > demanded the >> > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 >> disallows >> > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri >> > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate >> > > > > statehood for Ladakh and >> > > > > Jammu. >> > > > > >> > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its >> > > > > stonewalling of >> > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just >> > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the >> > > > > Dalai Lama has >> > > > > pursued. >> > > > > >> > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line >> > > > > on >> > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. >> > > > > >> > > > > Yours sincerely, >> > > > > >> > > > > Sonia Jabbar >> > > > > Ramachandra Guha >> > > > > Mukul Kesavan >> > > > > Madhu Sarin >> > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma >> > > > > Dilip Simeon >> > > > > Tenzin Sonam >> > > > > Shashi Tharoor >> > > > > _________________________________________ >> > > > > 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. >> > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > > > > list >> > > > > 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. >> > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> > > >> > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> > > _________________________________________ >> > > 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. >> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> > > >> > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> > >> > >> > >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 09:10:06 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:10:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, published in the op-ed section in the Indian Express. Cease Firing! By Sonia Jabbar After announcing one or the other step in Kashmir ³in the right direction² the Indian State is in the habit of falling asleep with its head in the sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things would have sorted themselves out‹somehow. The Prime Minister¹s Ramzan Cease Fire announcement is the most recent example of this policy. I was in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and hope it promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a carnivalesque feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large crowds in the market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry after the day¹s fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief and welcomed the Centre¹s move. Three months later things are back to normal: curfew, custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up by the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the J&K Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the 13th. Two days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in ³retaliatory action² when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the forest area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in handing over Shah¹s dead body to his relatives. This prompted the residents of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto the Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah¹s body be handed over to his relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road blocked by the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was already present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a first-year B.A. student. The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed Shah was a dreaded district commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami (HUJI) and had masterminded several attacks on the army and on civilians. But this is in direct contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no presence in the Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim of Shah¹s affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says that Shah was the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in the blood donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of the Gujrat earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and has since advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the Indian State lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, under law, to exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to profess their ideology and engage in political activities. A day after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a demonstration at Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and the 5 deaths at Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the demonstration killing one young man immediately. Another is in hospital with a bullet in his head. Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The tremendous goodwill generated in the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian state stands to be lost unless immediate measures are taken to rectify the situation. The Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its sincerity on the ground in Kashmir if it genuinely wants peace in Kashmir. A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should visit the Valley and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade long war in the Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, it is a rare occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims have seen how the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought planeloads of concerned officials from the Centre. The SOG/STF should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial executions recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the SOG/STF. The granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus claim that holding them accountable would somehow ³demoralise the forces² is unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of the Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold in Kashmir. For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be treated like other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If the Kar Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their V-day celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? The Centre should recognise that the Kashmir issue has festered for over half a century because it did not allow any healthy opposition to grow and democratically challenge the governments that New Delhi foisted upon Kashmir. Opposition and protest are vital safety valves for any democracy. Plug them and you have pressure growing and exploding like it did in 1989 when Kashmiri youth picked up the gun. Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq Abdullah is virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy political scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within the Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a little less paranoid about the Hurriyat¹s miniscule pro-Pak element and engage with it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace process. The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions to visit Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the date for their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry vacillated and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports‹ a decision entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone¹s brave statements against foreign militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat¹s transparent agenda for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how necessary it is to allow the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The continued intransigence on the passport issue impresses no one, and only underscores the whimsical high-handedness of the Indian State. The Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will be six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: Mothers, grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies weeping; weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a businessman. He or she was just going to be married or just had a child, or there would be some little detail about this person that would make the whole thing terribly tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was soft-spoken, I would be told, had never picked up the gun. And yet, here he lies, cold, never to wake again. This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: stop killing our own people. On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. These > are no personal issues though... > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about Kashmir, > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like Tibet, or > a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive it is? > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit of > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes Kashmir > issue to be? > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the likes of > Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many others owe their > careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > best > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: >> Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic >> relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe criminal >> silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and >> substantively to my writings and activism. >> >> >> On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: >>> Dear all >>> >>> It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the way >>> The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question actually >>> reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. >>> >>> The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently >>> exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P Sainath, >>> the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what he >>> is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and onslaught >>> of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's proximity to >>> the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. >>> >>> Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen >>> Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional scrutiny >>> - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself and >>> its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has over >>> time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's >>> intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to >>> exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information >>> dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. >>> >>> For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of the >>> Swamiji iceberg. >>> >>> http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm >>> >>> While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am >>> taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), >>> his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the Hizbul >>> Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. >>> According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's >>> ideologue in 2003! >>> >>> For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this regard. >>> Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its >>> Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with just >>> tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only to >>> write about US imperialism. >>> >>> For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia >>> Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic >>> relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they give >>> themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise >>> criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and Kashmir. >>> >>> Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! >>> >>> Best >>> On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >>>> > >>>> > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown fact >>>> > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red >>>> the >>>> > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line >>>> marked >>>> > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end of >>>> > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends >>>> > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a >>>> joint >>>> > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, then >>>> > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can >>>> have >>>> > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even >>>> US >>>> > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its >>>> freedom >>>> > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! >>>> > Regards. >>>> > >>>> > ----- Original Message ----- >>>> > From: "S. Jabbar" >>>> > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm >>>> > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet >>>> > To: sarai list >>>> > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > Letter to the Editor: >>>>> > > >>>>> > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its >>>>> > > editorial on >>>>> > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent >>>>> > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained >>>>> > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, >>>>> > > Party and >>>>> > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on >>>>> > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced >>>>> > > denunciations of the >>>>> > > Dalai Lama. >>>>> > > >>>>> > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. >>>>> > > In 1952 >>>>> > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." >>>>> > > By 1953 >>>>> > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed >>>>> > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million >>>>> > > Chinese and 750,000 >>>>> > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's >>>>> > > population was >>>>> > > Tibetan. >>>>> > > >>>>> > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw >>>>> > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long >>>>> > > demanded the >>>>> > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows >>>>> > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri >>>>> > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate >>>>> > > statehood for Ladakh and >>>>> > > Jammu. >>>>> > > >>>>> > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its >>>>> > > stonewalling of >>>>> > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just >>>>> > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the >>>>> > > Dalai Lama has >>>>> > > pursued. >>>>> > > >>>>> > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on >>>>> > > Tibetdoes it little credit. >>>>> > > >>>>> > > Yours sincerely, >>>>> > > >>>>> > > Sonia Jabbar >>>>> > > Ramachandra Guha >>>>> > > Mukul Kesavan >>>>> > > Madhu Sarin >>>>> > > Jyotirmaya Sharma >>>>> > > Dilip Simeon >>>>> > > Tenzin Sonam >>>>> > > Shashi Tharoor >>>>> > > _________________________________________ >>>>> > > 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. >>>>> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >>>>> > > list >>>>> > > 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. >>>> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>> >>>> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >>> _________________________________________ >>> 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. >>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>> >>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> > > From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 10:33:27 2008 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:33:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 15thApril, Bangalore: Candle Light Vigil for Document Freedom Message-ID: <4800429F.707@gmail.com> Dear Friends, Recently International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) is approved Microsoft's broken standard OOXML( with 1000s of Technical Flaws) also as a Document standard. India's Vote was No to this standard that creates vendor lock-in and prevents interoperability. Micro$oft played a lot of nasty games to get the approval from member countries. In this context we are Conducting a Candle Light Vigil foor Document Freedom Demanding bureau of indian standard (BIS) to appeal ISO's Decision of approving the banana standard OOXML Venue : In Front of Townhall, Corporation Circle , Bangalore Date : 15th April 6.00pm The programme is planned as a starting point for various events & awareness campaigns on Document freedom . Please use following wiki page for organising the programme http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Campaign_for_Document_Freedom Also add your name on campaigners section Contact : Praveen A +91 9986348565 Anivar Aravind +91 9449009908/ +91 080 23435606 Why Document Freedom? We live in an age in which paper documents increasingly get replaced by electronic records. Document freedom is fundamental for your documents to outlive the application you are currently using and allows you to choose and change applications freely. Document Freedom and Democracy Electronic records kept today include records of your government, such as tax and legal records or minutes of parliamentary proceedings. Making sure that such records remain in the control of the government is essential for a functioning democracy. The same is true for all interactions between citizens and their government, which should never depend on monopolies or on the proprietary product of a single company. How to achieve Document Freedom? Make a stand by saving your documents in ODF today. If your application does not support ODF, get one of the ODF supported applications like OpenOffice.org, Staroffice, NeoOffice, KOffice, AbiWord, Google Docs, IBM Lotus Symphony etc -- Anivar Aravind Information Architect, ICT Consultant Phone: +91 9449009908 / +91.80.23435606 7/1 , First Floor, First Cross Ankappa Block, J.C Nagar Bangalore-560006, INDIA From naresh.rhythm at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 10:49:50 2008 From: naresh.rhythm at gmail.com (Naresh Kumar) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:49:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Looking for help regarding accomodation in south Delhi Message-ID: <003d01c89c5d$4941cdc0$4966a13b@nishkars70e408> Hi friends, I have recently changed my job. That's why I'll have to vacate the government flat, I was residing at. I'm looking for a one-bedroom or two-bedroom houste in south Delhi. It should be easily approachable because I'm visually challenged and it would be good if the rent does not accede eight thousand. I hope that my reader-list friends will help me in this matter also as they do in accademic matters. NARESH KUMAR, MOBILE:09999308530, E-mail: naresh.rhythm at gmail.com, Residence: 75, Delhi Government flats, Sector11, Rohini, Delhi110085. From sen.gargi at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 11:27:51 2008 From: sen.gargi at gmail.com (Gargi Sen) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:27:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation for a film festival In-Reply-To: <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> Message-ID: Dear all, I write to invite you for a film festival that Magic Lantern Foundation (www.magiclanternfoundation.org) and India International Centre (www.iicdelhi.nic.in) are organising in New Delhi from 28 ­ 30 April 2008 at the India International Centre, and apologies for cross posting. The festival called Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary political films will screen over 100 films in a multitude of spaces. A write up and schedule of the film festival is available at: www.magiclanternfoundation.org The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the emerging aesthetics of political filmmaking. The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries in an attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the present day scenario of neo-liberal globalisation. Simultaneously the festival will present films in multiple ways of seeing, interacting and engaging by creating installations, outdoor screenings and small intimate screening spaces along with regular auditorium screenings. Additionally, over three evenings we explore the linkages between art, literature, theatre, comics, animation and censorship with films. If you are in Delhi during those days I will be delighted if you can attend. Also please also circulate the information about the film festival to others who may be interested. Gargi Sen From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Apr 12 18:04:23 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:04:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir Message-ID: Dear All, This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty unidentified bodies in different sites in Kashmir. If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir are true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC website on the subject. 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN did not yield any results. The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could find was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. The story is titled - Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times Srinagar, March 29, 2008 http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID2= 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves +raise+rights+violation+stink if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is a fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy when they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. best Shuddha From taraprakash at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 19:31:26 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:01:26 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Looking for help regarding accomodation in south Delhi References: <003d01c89c5d$4941cdc0$4966a13b@nishkars70e408> Message-ID: <00c301c89ca5$b6046f60$6400a8c0@taraprakash> Congrats for your new job. Coming to your accommodation related query, South Delhi being an amorphous term, it would help more if you could be more precise about the location of your work place. Accessibility being a big issue, and that concern is not necessarily restricted to the visually challenged persons, South Delhi may not always be the best place to live. There are areas which are technically in South Delhi but it takes more time and effort to reach them than it takes to reach Tibet, J&K, Kandahar, Basra or Louisiana in the United States. Sorry for exaggerating. But you know what I mean. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Naresh Kumar" To: Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 1:19 AM Subject: [Reader-list] Looking for help regarding accomodation in south Delhi > Hi friends, I have recently changed my job. That's why I'll have to vacate > the government flat, I was residing at. I'm looking for a one-bedroom or > two-bedroom houste in south Delhi. It should be easily approachable > because I'm visually challenged and it would be good if the rent does not > accede eight thousand. I hope that my reader-list friends will help me in > this matter also as they do in accademic matters. > NARESH KUMAR, > MOBILE:09999308530, > E-mail: naresh.rhythm at gmail.com, > Residence: 75, > Delhi Government flats, > Sector11, > Rohini, > Delhi110085. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Apr 12 20:46:07 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:46:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all, at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, Taiwan, Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards on lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - Punjab Kesri http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir Tribune http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 The Telegraph, Kolkata http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp The Economic Times http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms Outlook http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 DNA, Mumbai http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. None of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have anything. I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given the seriousness of the story. I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what I found. The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which is tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass graves. It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by Javed Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by the 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline of the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the event must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' ) on the 'nameless graves' But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example of a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally is all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a casual reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, ie, Kashmiri Pandits. In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro site for news about Kashmir are as follows - 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the valley, would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that refers to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen Swami on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features only one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of impersonation and fraud. How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in Delhi and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange silence. Would really like to know what other people think is actually going on. best Shuddha On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear All, > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty unidentified > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir are > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC website > on the subject. > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with The > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN did > not yield any results. > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could find > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. > > The story is titled - > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > 2= > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is a > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy when > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > best > > Shuddha > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From yousufism at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 22:33:29 2008 From: yousufism at gmail.com (M Yousuf) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:33:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Dear all, > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, Taiwan, > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards on > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > Punjab Kesri > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > Tribune > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > The Economic Times > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > Outlook > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > DNA, Mumbai > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. None > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have anything. > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given the > seriousness of the story. > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what I > found. > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which is > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass graves. > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by Javed > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by the > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline of > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the event > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' ) > on the 'nameless graves' > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example of > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally is > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a casual > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, ie, > Kashmiri Pandits. > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the valley, > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that refers > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen Swami > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features only > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > impersonation and fraud. > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get > its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in Delhi > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange silence. > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually going on. > > best > > Shuddha > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > Dear All, > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty unidentified > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir are > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC website > > on the subject. > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with The > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN did > > not yield any results. > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could find > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. > > > > The story is titled - > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > 2= > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is a > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy when > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > best > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From yousufism at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 23:06:55 2008 From: yousufism at gmail.com (M Yousuf) Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:06:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> Message-ID: <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> In the political morality paradigm the signatories should be bound by what happens in their own nations. The point is not to raise voices about every such issue that may exist anywhere else in the world. What is not heartening is that the signatories have remained silent on the Tibet like isssue of Kashmir where the nation state they are citizens of is perpetrating the same crimes. From that point of view, the signatories are criminals in silence and in that sense colaborators with the state of India in as much as the crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated in Kashmir and Northeast. The issue is, where does one derive the moral authority to come down on China (in which case all the protest and solidarity is perfectly justified), and in this conversation, on The Hindu. It is utter hypocricy when similar atmosphere prevailing in the country of one's residence is so conveniently (and may I say criminally) overlooked. I see no difference between the Chinese Han officials who justify their brutality in Tibet and those nationalist Indians (Like the signatories who ceratinly appear to me as such) who choose not to see India's brutality and sophisticated occupation of Kashmir and Northeast. The point I am trying to drive home is that one cannot be a wife beater and SHO of a women's Thana at the same time. For heaven's/Hell's sake, all of us who rise in solidarity with victims of political injustices, can we first be civil society actors in our own operating spaces instead of 'Advisors to Nationalism'. In solidarity against all occupations in the world. M Yousuf On 4/11/08, TaraPrakash wrote: > > Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to > anyone. > There are so many movements going all round the world, all require equal > attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a > specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are not > part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are > bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, are > doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack Tibet > issue. > The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India that if > you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom Hindu is > speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" > To: "Wali Arifi" > Cc: "sarai list" > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > Dear list buddies > > > > Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the issue > > deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting > > from > > many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a > > moral > > container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space > > to > > let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. > > > > Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the > > signatories of > > the open letter to The Hindu in question. > > > > The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the > > moral > > stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been > > in > > places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, > > Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. > > > > cheers > > M Yousuf > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi > > wrote: > > > > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > > These > > > are no personal issues though... > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about > > > Kashmir, > > > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like > > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > beleive > > > it > > > is? > > > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > benefit of > > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the > > > likes > > > of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many > > > others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > > > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > > criminal > > > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently > > > and > > > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated > > > about > > > the > > > > > way > > > > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in > > > question > > > > > actually > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar > > > > > issues. > > > > > > > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > > > > recently > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr > > > P > > > > > Sainath, > > > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to > > > what > > > > > he > > > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > > > > onslaught > > > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > > > proximity to > > > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr > > > > > Praveen > > > > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > > > > scrutiny > > > > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for > > > itself > > > > > and > > > > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji > > > > > has > > > > > over > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > > > country's > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem > > > to > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > > > > information > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the > > > tip > > > of > > > > > the > > > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular > > > report > > (I > > > > > am > > > > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > > > > > does), > > > > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that > > > the > > > > > Hizbul > > > > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three > > > > > years. > > > > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the > > > > > group's > > > > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > > > > regard. > > > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In > > > fact, > > > its > > > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment > > > with > > > > > just > > > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is > > > mandated > > > only > > > > > to > > > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly > > > > > Sonia > > > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > > > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how > > > they > > > > > give > > > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to > > > exercise > > > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > > > > wellknown > > > > > fact > > > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > painting > > > red > > > > > the > > > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the > > > line > > > > > marked > > > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after > > > the > > > end > > > > > of > > > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre > > > friends > > > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to > > > make > > > a > > > > > joint > > > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with > > > > > > China, > > > > > then > > > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and > > > China > > > > > can have > > > > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of > > > nations, > > > > > even US > > > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and > > > its > > > > > freedom > > > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > > > > editorial on > > > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the > > > recent > > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of > > > > > > > sustained > > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > > > > Party and > > > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught > > > on > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement > > > policy. > > > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in > > > > > > > Tibet." > > > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > > > > > > renamed > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > > > million > > > > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > > > > > population was > > > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you > > > draw > > > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > > > > demanded the > > > > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 > > > disallows > > > > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay > > > Kashmiri > > > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A > > > just > > > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what > > > the > > > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > > > line > > > > on > > > > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > > list > > > > > > > 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.netwith > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Sat Apr 12 23:51:42 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:21:42 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Kashmir/Chittagong Hill Tracts, hard to see your own nether parts Message-ID: The same way that every Bangladeshi newspaper's heart bleeds for Palestine, but after 36 years we still refuse to use the words "ethnic cleansing" for our three decade long army-backed resettlement & pacification policy against the indigenous Jumma people in Chittagong Hill Tracts. When Fazle Lohani first used the platform of his popular magazine show "Jodi Kichu Mone Na Koren" (If You Don't Mind) to talk about the Sabra-Shatila massacre, no one in Bangladesh knew where Palestine was. His first words in opening that program (I still remember, it made hair on my arms stand up) "Today we take you far far away, to a land called Filisthin" (cue dramatic arabic music). Lohani was part of the third world solidarity sentiment, but within a decade Palestine had been appropriated by the Islamists, with "jalamoi" (fiery) khutbas before and after each Jumma prayer. But this treatment was never extended to the CHT. One letter writer acidly commented that local crusaders were willing (they claimed) to march all the way to Palestine, but not to Chittagong (6 hours by train, 25 minutes by plane). The topic remains radio-active in all media. Sensitivities so high (sovereignty, Indian interference, etc most often cited) that many of us use pseudos when writing about it. In 1997, the guerilla war came to a halt during the first Peace Talks between CHT guerillas and government (the backstory was that India had withdrawn support for guerilla camps, and was sympathetic towards the Awami League gov't). Guerilla leader Shantu Larma came flying out of his basecamp in a helicopter (in India we were told, we never really knew). I desperately needed to get a text published.The editor refused to print without first removing the phrase "genocide". He got his way. After all, victims of a historic genocide (1971) could not possibly be capable of committing their own genocide. Could they? Was Sheikh Mujib aware of the nasty irony of saying to the Jumma "from today you are all Bengalis", having become leader of a country fighting against "Urdu will be the national language of Pakistan". My Own Little Palestine http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/07/10/d707101502126.htm Ain Salish Kendra 2007 Annual Report http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2008/03/27/adivasi-07/ I'm Sorry, Choles Ritchil http://shobakorg.blogspot.com/2007/04/sorry-choles.html http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2007/03/05/sfeature.htm Genocide Chronology (1997) http://www.jpnuk.org.uk/chronology.html Court Attacks Peace Treaty http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/08/29/cht-peace-treaty/ http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/10/25/cht-treaty-challenged/ Region At Unrest http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/07/12/region-at-unrest/ Amnesty Silent on CHT http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/05/24/amnesty-cht/ From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 02:10:29 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:10:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> References: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> WHETHER THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS GRAVES IN KASHMIR IS ESTABLISHED OR NOT, THE FACT REMAINS THAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES FOR NO FAULT OF THEIRS. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS NO ANSWER TO THAT, LIKE MANY OTHER STATES WHICH SUPRESS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OCCUPATION, WHICH IS PROFOUNDLY REGREGTABLE. WHATEVER BEST THERE WAS BETWEEN KASHMIR AND INDIA ENDED IN 1990. FIRST KASHMIRI PANDITS HAD TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEN ITS WAS INNOCENT PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY AT THE RECEIVING END OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE .... IT IS ALL SAD. On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 10:33 PM, M Yousuf wrote: > TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES > http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 > > > On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > Dear all, > > > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string > > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of > > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like > > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the > > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, Taiwan, > > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards on > > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured > > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > > > Punjab Kesri > > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > > > Tribune > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > > > The Economic Times > > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > > > Outlook > > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > > > DNA, Mumbai > > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. None > > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have anything. > > > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous > > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given the > > seriousness of the story. > > > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what I > > found. > > > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which is > > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and > > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass graves. > > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by Javed > > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced > > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it > > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by the > > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline of > > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the event > > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' ) > > on the 'nameless graves' > > > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example of > > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally is > > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually > > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a casual > > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, ie, > > Kashmiri Pandits. > > > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro > > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the valley, > > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that refers > > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen Swami > > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features only > > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > > impersonation and fraud. > > > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get > > its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian > > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem > > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in Delhi > > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange silence. > > > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually going on. > > > > best > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty > > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses > > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass > > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty unidentified > > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the > > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir are > > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC website > > > on the subject. > > > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media > > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but > > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with The > > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN did > > > not yield any results. > > > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could find > > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. > > > > > > The story is titled - > > > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > > 2= > > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is a > > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what > > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to > > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy when > > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to > > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games > > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > > > best > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From turbulence at turbulence.org Thu Apr 10 23:00:29 2008 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:30:29 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Networked Music Review Commission: ['til death do us a part] by Tobias c. van Veen Message-ID: <007c01c89b30$948f3d90$bdadb8b0$@org> Networked Music Review Commission: ['til death do us a part] by Tobias c. van Veen (aka saibotuk) http://turbulence.org/works/earos/ Live Performance at "Programmable Media II: Networked Music" symposium in New York tomorrow! http://tinyurl.com/yuk2rf Not in New York? Join us in Second Life! http://tinyurl.com/3auf7z Dead media unwinds time from its spools. Two electromagnetic machines capture the unfolding of an era in which memory encodes the loving caress of electron imprinted tape. Time out of joint falls in & out of tape sync; more inhuman than human loops the frequency. "I wanted my human experience with machinic love to have the intensity of a hands-on relationship." Thus, van Veen turned to reel-to-reel (RTR) tape machines and Konstantin Raudive's experiments with blank media in which he attempted to record the 'voices of the dead'. (Little did van Veen know that John Hudak was exploring similar terrain in "Voices from the Paradise Network".) "This led to a series of investigations of the sonic realm arising between two networked R2R machines, a simple mixer and a DSP processor (to add spatialization and stereo channel manipulation to sometimes mono signals). These investigations revealed a performative realm, a space to improvise and to develop a capacity to 'play' the machines, or rather tweak & twiddle their hard knobs into spasms of ecstasy, cries of joy &, at times, moans of despair. The machines sang to me & each other, & I was drawn into the deadzone..." ['til death do us a part] is a 2007 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc., for Networked_Music_Review. It was made possible with funding from the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. BIOGRAPHY Tobias c. van Veen is a renegade theorist and pirate, techno-turntablist and writer. Since 1993 he has directed conceptual and sound-art events, online interventions and radio broadcasts, working with STEIM, the New Forms Festival, the Banff Centre, Eyebeam, the Video-In, MUTEK, MDCN.ca, the Vancouver New Music Society and Hexagram. His work has appeared in CTheory, EBR, Bad Subjects, Leonardo, Locus Suspectus, FUSE (contributing editor), e/i, the Wire, HorizonZero and through Autonomedia, among others. He has sonic and mix releases on No Type's BricoLodge and the and/OAR labels. From 1993-2000 he was Direktor of the sonic performance Collective [shrumtribe.com] in Vancouver. He is co-founder of technoWest.org with Dave Bodrug, controltochaos.ca with DJ FISHEAD and thisistheonlyart.com with artist ssiess. From 2002-2007 Director of UpgradeMTL [upgrademtl.org] and Concept Engineer at the Society for Arts and Technology [SAT.qc.ca]. Tobias is doctoral candidate in Philosophy & Communication Studies at McGill University. For more Networked_Music_Review Commissions please visit http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review/tags/nmr_commission 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 Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade New American Radio: http://somewhere.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From raviv at sarai.net Thu Apr 10 11:08:19 2008 From: raviv at sarai.net (raviv at sarai.net) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:08:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] CSSSC workshop for beginning phd scholars Message-ID: <47FDA7CB.3030404@sarai.net> Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta WORKSHOP FOR BEGINNING DOCTORAL SCHOLARS, 2008 Theme: Inequalities and Differences Description: Inequalities and differences in the developing world have evolved historically. Caste, class, gender, ethnicity etc are reshaped to converge with circuits of global capital within and outside the nation-state. How do social and cultural mobilizations produce collective identities? Does the state’s intervention mitigate or reinforce disparities? What effects do solidarities and conflicts among the underprivileged have on society at large? The Workshop will address these and similar questions from the perspective of various social science disciplines. The Workshop is part of a project on ‘Training in New Social Science Research Methods’ being run by the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC). Eligibility: Candidates with (i) postgraduate degree in any of the social science disciplines (e.g., Economics, History, Sociology, Political Science, Cultural Studies, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Geography, Social Anthropology, Education) and (ii) who have either just begun or are intending to pursue doctoral research. Format: The Workshop will have two parts. First: ‘Teaching Session’: detailed discussion of pre-circulated readings by resource persons. Second: ‘Library Session’: formulation of research questions by participants under the supervision of resource persons. The 4-day workshop will be held from 1 July 2008 to 4 July 2008 at the CSSSC’s Baishnabghata-Patuli campus in Kolkata. The Workshop does not have any fees. Local hospitality and travel expenses of outstation participants will be covered by CSSSC with partial funding from Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT). Deadline for receiving applications: 15 April 2008 Application: Each applicant is required to send a 500-word description of her/his proposed research along with curriculum vitae to the following address: The Registrar, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta R-1, Baishnabghata-Patuli Township, Kolkata 700 094 OR Write to Madhuban Mitra, Research Officer, CSSSC-NRTT Programme: madhuban_mitra at cssscal.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in Sun Apr 13 08:53:19 2008 From: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in (S.Fatima) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:23:19 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big Cities In-Reply-To: <32144e990804080634s1603e701se00361831c7ea72e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <733071.94911.qm@web8407.mail.in.yahoo.com> Dear Radhika I am replying to you very late, since for some strange reasons, Sarai mails are coming late or some of them not arriving at all. You mentioned that the poor Muslims are quick to turn into mobs (especially to overpower a pizza delivery boy). I simply wanted to ask you: have you ever heard of "Road Rage of Delhi"? Not a day passes when people of Delhi don't chase, abuse, thrash, stab, kill, rape and crush other people of Delhi for slightest of excuses. Tell me: are all those people coming from Muslim ghettos like Jamia nagar? Also, can you cite just one example of a Muslim who can get away without paying Indian taxes because he thinks that his zakat is enough? SF > On 4/8/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > wrote: > > > > My dear sister Fathima and her post was very > thought provoking. But let us > > be honest to see the facts in the right > perspective, is it not true that > > poor muslims are second grade citizens like all > others in other faiths > > divided by castes. But the difference ends there, > the poor in other faith do > > not resort to violence at the flimsy excuse if the > pizza carrying vehicle > > touches their children playing on the roads, they > are not out immediately in > > groups to demand money for the accident.They do > not loot with mob power.Hard > > working individuals irrespective of their faith > always see success in life > > inspite of bad systemic flaws of vote bank > governance,that is how one can > > see yarn merchant Ambani and his next generation > in wealth.But > > unfortunately, many muslims think that their > zakath is only legal and not > > taxes a citizens have to pay, but they want > "subsidy" even when the HOLY > > script says you travel with your honest hard > earned money. > > A system of governance which delivers good > governance to ALL in society > > with fair and just form is the democracy, but do > we have it in place. > > ?Citizens are divided in to groups of castes, > minorities and "mahorities > > and ultimately, a minority rules the citizens > defying the oath of > > governance, with all fear, with all unfair means > for the votes, unless all > > citizens irrespective of faith unite as a single > society this game will go > > on, appeasing one section of citizens at the cost > of other sections of the > > society. > > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 6:53 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] Fear and Loathing in Big > Cities > > To: sarai list > > > > > Dear Fatima, Naeem dear all, > > > > > > Thanks for your posts on pizza delivery and fear > and loathing in > > > big > > > cities, and how New York and New Delhi, when it > comes to the sharp > > > > > > edge of exclusion, can seem like shadows of each > other. I recently > > > > > > saw something in the Delhi edition of the Indian > Express that I > > > think > > > would be of interest to the ensuing discussion. > Its about a wall. > > > No, > > > Its not in Palestine, but in South Delhi. I > thought it would echo > > > > > > (from a different angle) some of the thoughts > being expressed in > > > Naeem and Fatima's posts. > > > > > > best > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > --------------------------------------- > > > Great Wall of Kalkaji > > > Preeti Jha, Indian Express > > > Posted online: Saturday , April 05, 2008 at > 11:51:20 > > > > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Great-Wall-of-Kalkaji/292736/ > > > > > > New Delhi, April 04 Construction of a five-foot > wall to divide a > > > slum > > > cluster from neighbouring middle-class colonies > is wreaking havoc > > > in > > > south Delhi's Kalkaji Extension. > > > > > > Standing in the remnants of her grocery store, > Seema Sagar watches > > > as > > > a young boy jumps from one mound of debris to > another, before > > > precariously balancing on a stray brick. All > this to safely cross > > > the > > > stream of sewage that now floats outside her > house. > > > > > > On Monday, bulldozers razed down more than 1,000 > small shops and > > > homes to make way for a wall that will encircle > all three camps in > > > > > > the slum cluster: Bhumiheen, Nehru and > Navjeevan. Four hundred > > > metres > > > of the proposed 2-km wall are already in place, > under construction > > > by > > > the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) since > December. "We are > > > acting > > > on an order from the High Court," says DDA's > executive engineer K > > > K > > > Khanna. > > > > > > And the High Court was responding to a petition > filed by Arsh > > > Avtaar > > > Singh, former president of Kohinoor Apartments' > Resident Welfare > > > Association, in May 2005. The petition sought a > solution against > > > encroachment of roads and services by slum > residents. > > > > > > 'Block them out' > > > Neighbouring middle-class colonies support > Singh's efforts. A flat- > > > > > > owner from nearby Konark Apartments, who does > not want to be > > > named, > > > says: "All my life savings have been used to > purchase this flat. > > > For > > > 22 years I have lived with the stink from open > defecation, and > > > constant over-crowding from blocked roads." > > > > > > Residents want slum dwellers to be relocated in > 'pukka' housing. > > > "I > > > feel bad for them," says Singh, whose own > domestic help lives in > > > Bhumiheen Camp. "They should be given an > alternative home > > > immediately." > > > But the DDA claims it needs time to relocate the > slum dwellers. > > > "The > > > wall is a temporary arrangement to offer > protection to flat > > > owners," > > > Khanna says. > > > > === message truncated === Get the freedom to save as many mails as you wish. To know how, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html From parthaekka at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 09:48:35 2008 From: parthaekka at gmail.com (Partha Dasgupta) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:48:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <32144e990804122118m2bf10453q84eb918fb700e8fc@mail.gmail.com> Dear Yousuf, That's a ridiculous view point to take. Next you'll be asking us to support the Khalistan movement, or perhaps the Eelam movement as well. You talk about 'raise voices for all issues'. Who on this earth has the bandwidth to even know about all the millions of issues happening in this strife prone world, much less spend the time to figure out the rights and wrongs, claims and counter-claims. You talk of just Kashmir with Tibet. Well, then as a Bengali I would also insist that we also include Bangladesh and accuse you of being a 'criminal in silence'. Partha PS: You forgot to refer to the USSR, Africa, etc. ............................................ On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 11:06 PM, M Yousuf wrote: > In the political morality paradigm the signatories should be bound by what > happens in their own nations. The point is not to raise voices about every > such issue that may exist anywhere else in the world. What is not > heartening > is that the signatories have remained silent on the Tibet like isssue of > Kashmir where the nation state they are citizens of is perpetrating the > same > crimes. From that point of view, the signatories are criminals in silence > and in that sense colaborators with the state of India in as much as the > crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated in Kashmir and > Northeast. > > The issue is, where does one derive the moral authority to come down on > China (in which case all the protest and solidarity is perfectly > justified), > and in this conversation, on The Hindu. It is utter hypocricy when similar > atmosphere prevailing in the country of one's residence is so conveniently > (and may I say criminally) overlooked. > > I see no difference between the Chinese Han officials who justify their > brutality in Tibet and those nationalist Indians (Like the signatories > who ceratinly appear to me as such) who choose not to see India's > brutality > and sophisticated occupation of Kashmir and Northeast. > > The point I am trying to drive home is that one cannot be a wife beater > and > SHO of a women's Thana at the same time. > > For heaven's/Hell's sake, all of us who rise in solidarity with victims of > political injustices, can we first be civil society actors in our > own operating spaces instead of 'Advisors to Nationalism'. > > In solidarity against all occupations in the world. > > M Yousuf > > > On 4/11/08, TaraPrakash wrote: > > > > Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to > > anyone. > > There are so many movements going all round the world, all require equal > > attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a > > specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are not > > part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are > > bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, are > > doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack > Tibet > > issue. > > The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India that > if > > you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom Hindu > is > > speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" > > To: "Wali Arifi" > > Cc: "sarai list" > > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > Dear list buddies > > > > > > Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the > issue > > > deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting > > > from > > > many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a > > > moral > > > container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space > > > to > > > let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. > > > > > > Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the > > > signatories of > > > the open letter to The Hindu in question. > > > > > > The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the > > > moral > > > stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been > > > in > > > places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, > > > Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. > > > > > > cheers > > > M Yousuf > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi > > > wrote: > > > > > > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > > > These > > > > are no personal issues though... > > > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about > > > > Kashmir, > > > > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like > > > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > > beleive > > > > it > > > > is? > > > > > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > > > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > > benefit of > > > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > believes > > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by > the > > > > likes > > > > of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many > > > > others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > > > > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > > > criminal > > > > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond > intelligently > > > > and > > > > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > > > > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated > > > > about > > > > the > > > > > > way > > > > > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in > > > > question > > > > > > actually > > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar > > > > > > > issues. > > > > > > > > > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > > > > > recently > > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. > Mr > > > > P > > > > > > Sainath, > > > > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast > to > > > > what > > > > > > he > > > > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > > > > > onslaught > > > > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > > > > proximity to > > > > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > > > > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", > Mr > > > > > > Praveen > > > > > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or > professional > > > > > > scrutiny > > > > > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for > > > > itself > > > > > > and > > > > > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how > Swamiji > > > > > > has > > > > > > over > > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > > > > country's > > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even > seem > > > > to > > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > > > > > information > > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > > > > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, > the > > > > tip > > > > of > > > > > > the > > > > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular > > > > report > > (I > > > > > > am > > > > > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so > regularly > > > > > > does), > > > > > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that > > > > the > > > > > > Hizbul > > > > > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three > > > > > > > years. > > > > > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by > the > > > > > > group's > > > > > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > > > > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in > this > > > > > > regard. > > > > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In > > > > fact, > > > > its > > > > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment > > > > with > > > > > > just > > > > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is > > > > mandated > > > > only > > > > > > to > > > > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly > > > > > > > Sonia > > > > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an > organic > > > > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand > how > > > > they > > > > > > give > > > > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to > > > > exercise > > > > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast > and > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > > > > > > wellknown > > > > > > fact > > > > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > > painting > > > > red > > > > > > the > > > > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the > > > > line > > > > > > marked > > > > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after > > > > the > > > > end > > > > > > of > > > > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre > > > > friends > > > > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to > > > > make > > > a > > > > > > joint > > > > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with > > > > > > > > China, > > > > > > then > > > > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and > > > > China > > > > > > can have > > > > > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of > > > > nations, > > > > > > even US > > > > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and > > > > its > > > > > > freedom > > > > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > > > > > editorial on > > > > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the > > > > recent > > > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of > > > > > > > > > sustained > > > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the > economy, > > > > > > > > Party and > > > > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the > onslaught > > > > on > > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement > > > > policy. > > > > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in > > > > > > > > > Tibet." > > > > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > > > > > > > > renamed > > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > > > > million > > > > > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > Qinghai's > > > > > > > > population was > > > > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you > > > > draw > > > > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have > long > > > > > > > > demanded the > > > > > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 > > > > disallows > > > > > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay > > > > Kashmiri > > > > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A > > > > just > > > > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely > what > > > > the > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > > > > line > > > > on > > > > > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to > reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > > > list > > > > > > > > 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.netwith > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: < > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > -- Partha Dasgupta +919811047132 From pawan.durani at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 11:28:35 2008 From: pawan.durani at gmail.com (Pawan Durani) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:28:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> References: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6b79f1a70804122258o1db25767y92645619fe315270@mail.gmail.com> I agree with Inder Ji . Also all those people who have been resposnible for inciting violence which resulted in the current situation in Kashmir should be hanged in public. On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > WHETHER THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS GRAVES IN KASHMIR IS ESTABLISHED OR NOT, THE > FACT REMAINS THAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE LOST THEIR > LIVES FOR NO FAULT OF THEIRS. > > THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS NO ANSWER TO THAT, LIKE MANY OTHER STATES > WHICH > SUPRESS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OCCUPATION, WHICH IS PROFOUNDLY REGREGTABLE. > > WHATEVER BEST THERE WAS BETWEEN KASHMIR AND INDIA ENDED IN 1990. FIRST > KASHMIRI PANDITS HAD TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEN ITS WAS INNOCENT > PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY AT THE RECEIVING END OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE .... > > IT IS ALL SAD. > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 10:33 PM, M Yousuf wrote: > > > TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES > > http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 > > > > > > On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string > > > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of > > > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like > > > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the > > > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, Taiwan, > > > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards on > > > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured > > > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > > > > > Punjab Kesri > > > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > > > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > > > > > Tribune > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > > > > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > > > > > The Economic Times > > > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > > > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > > > > > Outlook > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > > > > > DNA, Mumbai > > > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > > > > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. None > > > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have anything. > > > > > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous > > > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given the > > > seriousness of the story. > > > > > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what I > > > found. > > > > > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which is > > > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and > > > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass graves. > > > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by Javed > > > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced > > > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it > > > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by the > > > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > > > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > > > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline of > > > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the event > > > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' ) > > > on the 'nameless graves' > > > > > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example of > > > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > > > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > > > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally is > > > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually > > > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a casual > > > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > > > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, ie, > > > Kashmiri Pandits. > > > > > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro > > > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > > > > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > > > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > > > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > > > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > > > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > > > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > > > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > > > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > > > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > > > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > > > > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the valley, > > > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that refers > > > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > > > > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen Swami > > > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features only > > > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > > > impersonation and fraud. > > > > > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get > > > its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian > > > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem > > > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > > > > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in Delhi > > > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange silence. > > > > > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually going > on. > > > > > > best > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty > > > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights abuses > > > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass > > > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty unidentified > > > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > > > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the > > > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir are > > > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC website > > > > on the subject. > > > > > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media > > > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but > > > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with The > > > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN did > > > > not yield any results. > > > > > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could > find > > > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. > > > > > > > > The story is titled - > > > > > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > > > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > > > 2= > > > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is a > > > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what > > > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to > > > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy when > > > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to > > > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games > > > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > www.sarai.net > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 11:39:16 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:39:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fisk on Bush Message-ID: Robert Fisk: Semantics can't mask Bush's chicanery This goes beyond hollow laughter. Since when did armies go around 're-liberating' Saturday, 12 April 2008 After his latest shenanigans, I've come to the conclusion that George Bush is the first US president to march backwards. First we had weapons of mass destruction. Then, when they proved to be a myth, Bush told us we had stopped Saddam's "programmes" for weapons of mass destruction (which happened to be another lie). Now he's gone a stage further. After announcing victory in Iraq in 2003 and "mission accomplished" and telling us how this enormous achievement would lead the 21st century into a "shining age of human liberty", George Bush told us this week that "thanks to the surge, we've renewed and revived the prospect of success". Now let's take a look at this piece of chicanery and subject it to a little linguistic analysis. Five years ago, it was victory – ie success – but this has now been transmogrified into a mere "prospect" of success. And not a "prospect", mark you, that has even been glimpsed. No, we have "renewed" and "revived" this prospect. "Revived", as in "brought back from the dead". Am I the only one to be sickened by this obscene semantics? How on earth can you "renew" a "prospect", let alone a prospect that continues to be bathed in Iraqi blood, a subject Bush wisely chose to avoid? Note, too, the constant use of words that begin with "re -". Renew. Revive. And – incredibly – Bush also told us that "we actually re-liberated certain communities". This, folks, goes beyond hollow laughter. Since when did armies go around "re-liberating" anything? And what does that credibility-sapping "actually" mean? I suspect it was an attempt by the White House speech writer to suggest – by sleight of hand, of course – that Bush was really – really – telling the truth this time. But by putting "actually" in front of "re-liberate" – as opposed to just "liberate" – the whole grammatical construction falls apart. Rather like Iraq. For by my reckoning, we have now "re-liberated" Fallujah twice. We have "re-liberated" Mosul three times and "re-liberated" Ramadi four times. The scorecard goes on. My files show that Sadr City may have been "re-liberated" five times, while Baghdad is "re-liberated" on an almost daily basis. General David Petraeus, in his pitiful appearance before the US Senate armed services committee, was bound to admit his disappointment at the military failure of the equally pitiful Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Basra. He had not followed Petraeus' advice; which was presumably to "re-liberate" the city (for the fourth time, by my calculation but with a bit more planning). Indeed, Petraeus told senators that after his beloved "surge" goes home, the US will need a period of "consolidation and evaluation" – which is suspiciously close to saying that the US military will be, as the old adage goes, "redeployed to prepared positions". Ye gods! Where will this tomfoolery end? In statistics, perhaps. By chance, as Bush was speaking this week, my mail bag flopped open to reveal a letter from my old American military analyst friend, George W Appenzeller. He gently (and rightly) corrects some recent comparative figures I used on US casualties in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. "In previous wars," he writes, "the US army has not reported to the public the number of wounded who are treated and immediately released back to duty. They have reported these casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars". So here are a few Appenzeller factoids (glossed by Fisk, so the responsibility is mine!). The correct ratios for wounded in action vs killed in action for Iraq and Afghanistan is 8.13 to 1; for Korea, it's 7.38 to 1 and for Vietnam it's 6.43 to 1. The true number of US wounded in Iraq until 18 March this year was 13,170, of whom 8,904 were so badly wounded that they required air evacuation to hospitals outside Iraq. The number of killed in action in Iraq is 3,251. (The other 750 died in accidents or of sickness.) But this does not include the kind of figure that the Pentagon and Bush always keep secret: an astonishing 1,000 or more Western-hired mercenaries, killed in Iraq while fighting or killing for "our" side. But now I'll let George Appenzeller speak in his own words. "There are widely ranging estimates, but roughly 450,000 individuals ... fought on the ground in Vietnam ... At the height of the Vietnam war there were 67,000 ground combat troops there. That is roughly the number of ground combat troops the US presently has deployed in Iraq. Interestingly enough, that is also about the number of ground combat troops the US had fighting at any one time in the Korean war. "The US army now has a much leaner and meaner organisation than in the past with a higher proportion of combat troops to total troops. All those American civilian truck drivers and Bangladeshi cooks have freed up troop slots that have gone to the combat arms." No, Iraq has not yet reached Korea and Vietnam proportions. The three-year Korean war resulted in 33,686 US battle deaths and about 250,000 US wounds, an average of 94,562 casualties per year. The American phase of the Vietnam war lasted 14 years and resulted in 47,378 US battle deaths and 304,704 US wounds, an average of 25,149 casualties per year and an average of 66,792 during the four years of 1966-1969, the height of American fighting. The Iraq war has lasted five years and has resulted in 3,251 battle deaths and 29,395 wounds, an average of 6,529 casualties per year. "Thus, the average number of killed and wounded during the Korean war was three times the total number of killed and wounded in the five years of the Iraq war. The average number of killed and wounded during each of the most difficult years of the Vietnam war was twice the total for the five years of the Iraq war." Now for much more blood, the civilian variety. According to George, "About 1,600,000 were killed in the Korean war, 365,000 (according to American authorities) and four million (according to the Vietnamese government) during the American phase of the Vietnam war, and who knows how many in Iraq. No fewer than 250,000, certainly." Not that long ago, Bush claimed that civilian fatalities in Iraq were "30,000 more or less" – again, note the "more or less" – but I can see why these statistics matter even less for him. It's not just that we don't care a damn about Iraqi lives. We are going to care even less about Iraqi civilian casualties when we walk backwards, when we are renewing and reviving and re-liberating all over again. Robert Fisk's new book, 'The Age of the Warrior: Selected Writings', is published by Fourth Estate From sananth99 at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 09:40:40 2008 From: sananth99 at gmail.com (Ananth S) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:40:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Newseum Message-ID: At Newseum, Mobile Phones, Bloggers Upstage Old Media By Karen Leigh http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news? pid=20601088&sid=aB1NSs4q_PQU&refer=home April 11 (Bloomberg) -- When the Newseum was last open to the public in 2002, a prominent feature was Walter Cronkite's hulking TV camera. Today, when the journalism museum reopens in Washington, a spotlight will be on Jamal Albarghouti's phone. Albarghouti used his mobile phone's camera to record video during last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University. The graduate student e-mailed his footage to CNN, bringing the news to the nation before the networks got anywhere near the scene. That shift sums up a new mission of the interactive Newseum, which at $450 million is among the most expensive museums ever built: to reflect the revolution in the media, where citizen reporters, bloggers and Web sites have overtaken an industry once dominated by a few centralized news sources. ``We are about things that happen right away,'' said Joe Urschel, executive director of the museum, which is on Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. So determined is the museum to give the news a forward spin that even the building's architecture reflects the Internet: The front resembles an oversize computer, and the windows were designed to evoke the visual activity of ``a Web site screen,'' said architect James Polshek. Homages to historical news coverage -- like Cronkite's camera, video of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 ``I Have a Dream'' speech, and Orson Welles's 1938 ``War of the Worlds'' radio broadcast -- which dominated the old Newseum in Rosslyn, Virginia, are still there. Back Gallery Yet, to reach the massive archive of historical news broadsheets, visitors must ride to the fifth floor, then take stairs to a back gallery. And one of the largest collections of Berlin Wall segments on display outside Germany is tucked away next to the food court at the bottom level. Instead of focusing on the past, Newseum visitors ``will get more involved in what's happening now,'' said Felix Gutierrez, a Newseum consultant and journalism professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. Inside the 90-foot atrium, the museum's layout showcases new technology, including a 40-by-20-foot video screen. Exhibits were designed so they can be replaced overnight to address major news events. Internet In the Internet, TV and Radio gallery, short documentaries herald the rise of citizen journalists and bloggers and spotlight newspaper editors as they shift their focus to Web content. One short film notes the popularity of independent Web sites, such as the news and gossip clearinghouse operated by Matt Drudge. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at a ceremony for the facility's grand opening today, noted the speed at which news spreads using the latest technology. ``Communication travels in real time,'' she said. ``In fact, I find in my meetings -- and perhaps some of you do -- that it has traveled even before we've left the meeting: the BlackBerrys at work.'' At 250,000 square feet, the new facility is about four times the size of the former Newseum and cost nine times more to construct. Both facilities were funded mainly by a foundation established by USA Today founder Al Neuharth. The new museum opens amid the newspaper industry's worst slump in at least 57 years. Print advertising sales fell 9.4 percent last year, the most since an industry group began keeping records in 1950. Declining Membership Blocks away from the Newseum, at the National Press Club, membership has fallen during the past few decades to about 3,700 from 4,500 as traditional reporting jobs have disappeared. At the same time, Web-based journalism has grown. Advertising on Web sites gained 19 percent in 2007 according to the New York-based market researcher Nielsen Co. ``The media is growing,'' said Gutierrez of the Annenberg School, ``and it's growing in a new direction.'' Bloomberg News is among the founding partners and a sponsor of the Newseum. From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 14:32:45 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:32:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: <6b79f1a70804122258o1db25767y92645619fe315270@mail.gmail.com> References: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> <6b79f1a70804122258o1db25767y92645619fe315270@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804130202m136ad8derc8bfca995bd5096c@mail.gmail.com> dear pawan ji How many people will you hang in public, ( although i am against any kind of death sentence ) but if it is so, then the Indian politicians and administrators since last 60 years who ruined Kashmir with their policies need to be hanged first. Who is to be blamed for the present crises? Even if you go by the two nation theory, Kashmir should never have been a part of India in 1947, Was not there a Prime Minister in Kashmir even after 1947... It might have achieved freedom in 1971 like Bangladesh...if India had allowed it to merge with Pakistan. the second blunder was to outwit Sheikh Mohamand Abudullah, whom i consider a real hero of his times. Nehru imprisoned him for what..... Indira Gandhi humiliated him by compelling to sing the accord. People around sheikh too were without vision. People have dug into the archives, and have found clues that Sheikh Mohd Abhullah was never willing to sign the accord. Now, how can you exonarate all these Indian people who created mess in Kashmir. Forget the fascist BJP, even Congress party palyed communal cards in Kashmir like in Punjab.. Kashmir deserves freedom by all means, India has done mistakes in the past and after 1990 something terrible happened.... Now tell me, what India has gained? Yes, if you agree that there is an Anglo-American game plan which has destroyed peace between pakistan and India then one can see the reason of violence through a different lens.. If cold war has led to war in Iraq finally, then the real enemies of Kashmir are in Washington, now how will you hang Mr. Bush? with love is On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 11:28 AM, Pawan Durani wrote: > I agree with Inder Ji . > > Also all those people who have been resposnible for inciting violence > which resulted in the current situation in Kashmir should be hanged in > public. > > > On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > WHETHER THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS GRAVES IN KASHMIR IS ESTABLISHED OR NOT, > > THE > > FACT REMAINS THAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE LOST THEIR > > LIVES FOR NO FAULT OF THEIRS. > > > > THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS NO ANSWER TO THAT, LIKE MANY OTHER STATES > > WHICH > > SUPRESS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OCCUPATION, WHICH IS PROFOUNDLY > > REGREGTABLE. > > > > WHATEVER BEST THERE WAS BETWEEN KASHMIR AND INDIA ENDED IN 1990. FIRST > > KASHMIRI PANDITS HAD TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEN ITS WAS INNOCENT > > PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY AT THE RECEIVING END OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE .... > > > > IT IS ALL SAD. > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 10:33 PM, M Yousuf wrote: > > > > > TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES > > > http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 > > > > > > > > > On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string > > > > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of > > > > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like > > > > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the > > > > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, Taiwan, > > > > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards on > > > > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured > > > > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > > > > > > > Punjab Kesri > > > > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > > > > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > > > > > > > Tribune > > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > > > > > > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > > > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > > > > > > > The Economic Times > > > > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > > > > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > > > > > > > Outlook > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > > > > > > > DNA, Mumbai > > > > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > > > > > > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. > > None > > > > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have anything. > > > > > > > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous > > > > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given the > > > > seriousness of the story. > > > > > > > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what I > > > > found. > > > > > > > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which is > > > > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and > > > > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass graves. > > > > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by Javed > > > > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced > > > > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it > > > > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by the > > > > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > > > > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > > > > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline of > > > > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the event > > > > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' ) > > > > on the 'nameless graves' > > > > > > > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example > > of > > > > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > > > > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > > > > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally > > is > > > > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually > > > > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a casual > > > > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > > > > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, ie, > > > > Kashmiri Pandits. > > > > > > > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro > > > > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > > > > > > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > > > > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > > > > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > > > > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > > > > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > > > > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > > > > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > > > > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > > > > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > > > > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > > > > > > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the valley, > > > > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that refers > > > > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > > > > > > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen Swami > > > > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features > > only > > > > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > > > > impersonation and fraud. > > > > > > > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get > > > > its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian > > > > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem > > > > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > > > > > > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in Delhi > > > > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange silence. > > > > > > > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually going > > on. > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : 'Amnesty > > > > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights > > abuses > > > > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of mass > > > > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty > > unidentified > > > > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > > > > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain the > > > > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir > > are > > > > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > > > > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC > > website > > > > > on the subject. > > > > > > > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > > > > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > > > > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > > > > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' media > > > > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, but > > > > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with > > The > > > > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN > > did > > > > > not yield any results. > > > > > > > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could > > find > > > > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan Times. > > > > > > > > > > The story is titled - > > > > > > > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > > > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > > > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > > > > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > > > > > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > > > > 2= > > > > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > > > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > > > > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story is > > a > > > > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask what > > > > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations to > > > > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy > > when > > > > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary to > > > > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth > > Games > > > > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From patrice at xs4all.nl Sun Apr 13 16:38:22 2008 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:08:22 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [Reader-list] fwd: Praful Bidwai / Floriano Lobo on L.K.Advani Message-ID: <6584.195.169.149.4.1208084902.squirrel@webmail.xs4all.nl> fwd from Goanet with permission of the sender. Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:00:57 +0530 From: "floriano" Subject: [Goanet] The Prosaic Thruth about L K Advani - Commentary by floriano lobo (goasuraj) To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" The Prosaic Truth about L K Advani By: Praful Bidwai NT-April 10, 2008 Vol XLVI No. 51 So powerful is the spin machine that certain political leaders command that the media becomes a willful accomplice in lionizing them. Take PV Narashima Rao for instance. This cynical advocate of defeatism in the face of Hindutva and globalization was glorified as both a scholar extraordinaire who knew 14 languages, and a Chanakya or master-tactician. Reality was more prosaic. Rao was no great linguist. He allowed the Babri mosque to be razed through 'masterly' inaction. And he accelerated the Congress' decline after losing the 1996 election. Now, the media is building up Mr. LK Advani as a leader whose swearing -in as the Prime Minister is imminent - exactly the way Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee was promoted in 1998 as ' the man India awaits'. Mr Advani, we are also told, is an erudite person, with sharp analytical faculties and eager to engage with ideas. He has a gentle, humane, side too. Those who have followed Mr Advani's career will doubt the validity of this description. His autobiography 'My Country, My Life' should confirm their worst assessments. Reading the book does not lead to the conclusion, set out in Mr Vajpayee's foreword, that it is authored b an "outstanding leader whose best.. Is yet to come". Mr. Advani emerges as a leader whose time has already passed. His ideology and politics have no relevance for flesh-and-blood people in today's India who want an open, tolerant and just society, free of discrimination on grounds of birth or religion, who long to be emancipated from poverty, and who are yet to enjoy real, substantive democracy. Mr. Advani's 986-page book is tediously descriptive. It narrates numerous anecdotes, some interesting, but most without insights into events or personalities. Mr. Advani does not rise to the mark. He does not distance himself from events and does not look at them critically. The book is a self-justificatory apology for his role in them. It also reveals a series of obsessions and clich?s: "Hindu India's" centuries-long story of victim hood, prejudice against efforts (eg Ghandiji's) to forge a citizen-based identity independent of religion, deep suspicion of liberal, consensual Nehru-style politics, blind faith in aggressive nationalism as the key to India's emergence as a great power. Even in the best part of the book, pertaining to the Emergency, Mr Advani does not rise above petty, person-centric polemics. He shows no understanding, whatsoever, of the deeper causes of the structural crisis of governance in that period. He condemns Indira Gandhi for saying that "the nation is more important than democracy", and for invoking 'the foreign hand' to violate civil liberties. But, Mr Advani forgets that his own party is distinguished by the primacy it accords to the nation, and to a strong Centre, over and above democracy and fundamental rights. Mr Advani closely observed or played a role in some momentous events - the Emergency, the Ayodhya mobilization, the 1998 nuclear test, India's worst state-sponsored violence in Gujarat. But he offers no analytical insights or self-critical reflection into these. Totally missing is the larger social-political context, which made these events possible - including the historic decline of the Congress, rise of identity politics, the consequences of neo-liberal policies, and spread of chauvinistic nationalism. Mr. Advani's entire discourse on national security is banal, and his understanding of terrorism, pathetic and driven by a Pakistan obsession - as if the Kashmir militancy never had indigenous roots in popular discontent and Indian policies. Terrorism must be, can only be, smashed with force. There is no need for addressing its root-causes. This thinking befits a small-town thanedar, and not India's home minister. Mr Advani foams at the mouth at threats from Pakistan. But he does not explain why India's 10-month-long post-December 2001 mobilisation of 7 lakh troops was no answer. Nor does he explain why Mr Vajpayee extended 'the hand of peace' to Pakistan in April 2003, barely a week after he had ruled this out, and how he himself suddenly became a votary of peace with Pakistan. Mr Advani held 20 secret meetings with former Pakistan high commissioner, Mr Qazi Jehangir Ashraf, but does not explain why they produced no results at Agra or later. The book contains outright lies, too. During Mr Advni's June 2003 US visit, India all but agreed - subject to clarifications - to send troops in aid of the occupation. He says" "Right from the beginning .. Atalji and I were firmly of the view that sending .troops .. was out of the question.." It wasn't in India's national interests" to support the unjust invasion. However, it was officially reported that India agreed, in principle, to send troops. A huge 8 statement by the Indian Embassy in Washington says, Mr Advani told the then defence secretary, Mr Donald Rumsfeld "that the matter was under consideration of the government." Mr. Advani merely repeats his 2005 remarks on Jinnah's 'secularism' in Pakistan, based on his August 11, 1947 speech, which he interprets as defending "equality of all citizens in the eyes of the state". But Jinnah created a state on the basis of religion. Mr Advani believes that it is legitimate to use religion to come to power, and then build a nominally non-denominational state. Mr. Advani is silent on as to who pressed for his resignation after these remarks, but it's known that they included his own prot?g?s (eg Mr Arun Jaitley). Yet, he recalls: "One day... I was told I should step down from the presidency of the BJP". He calls this 'profoundly agonising', but does not gather the courage to say it was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which issued the directive!. Mr. Advani's account of the Kandahar episode is a classic white lie. He repeatedly claims the BJP would never compromise with 'terrorists' - when it actually exchanged hostages with them. He ludicrously says he was unaware that Mr. Jaswant Singh was asked by the Cabinet Committee on Security to go to Kandahar and carry out the exchange. This gravely damages Mr Advani's credibility, and his unique selling point as 'Loh Purush' (Iron Man. If he was unaware of Mr Singh's brief, he was unfit to be home minister. Either way, Mr. Adjani loses. Mr. Advani's idea of 'secularism' is grotesque. He never rises above the religion-based "us" and "them" identities. He condemns 'Graham Staines' killing and repeats the clich?, "some of my best friends are Christians", but reverts to crass Hindutva on the freedom of religion: conversions 'a threat both to Hindu society and national integration", and Hindu organizations cannot be "blamed for protesting against" it. The most nauseating part of the book pertains to Gujarat. Mr Advani rejects the settled truth that the post-Godhra violence was state-sponsored. As proof, he narrates two instances in which he interceded with Mr Modi and prevented Muslims from being killed. But for every such example, there are probably 10 instances of premeditated murder, including the gruesome dismembering alive of former Member of Parliament, P Ehsan Jafri, which Mr Advani failed to prevent. COMMENTARY Since the day Advani (I shall refrain from using the prefix 'Mr' as it signifies 'gentlemanliness', and, as far as I am concerned, Advani is far from being a gentleman. To me he has always been a conniving rat) was projected as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, I have been wanting to say my bit, but infact was waiting for a chance to do it. And by God, Praful Bidwai has given it to me in his excellent article above which I shall treasure so dearly. So here I go. The author is very right about Narashima Rao. With him, it started a spate of India having 'gutless' and shameful Prime Ministers, including the most impotent 'Atal Behari Vajpayee'. I have never considered the good Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Prime Ministerial material ever. In fact he is too good to be a Prime Minister. He is most highly qualified, dignified and gentlemanly. But he is too soft a person and therefore unsuitable to be the Prime Minister of a nation which needs to deal with characters such as Musharafs and Lalloos. And to come to my favourite 'ADVANI', to me and in my archives, he has been the master manipulator and a candidate to be locked behind bars at Delhi's Tihar Jail rather than have him seated on the Prime Minister's chair of India. Cause he will undo what India has gained over all these years since Independence and take it to its NADIR rather than to its ZENITH. And, if there should be just one person in the over billion people of this nation refusing to accept Advani as the Prime Minister, even if he succeeds to get to that august chair, it will be me, floriano lobo. I would rather die than live the day to see this rat being hailed as India's Prime Minister. Advani has never intended to retire from politics, as we have heard him tell Barkha Dutt on NDTV and as he would have us believe. He has, on the contrary, blackmailed the BJP into projecting him as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate. Why? Because it has been his obsession and a long time cherished dream to be India's Prime Minister. And he has been espousing that dream as early as in 1966, as the then 'Jana Sangh' leader, speaking to a crowd in the 'Nav Jivan Co-operative Housing Colony at Mahim, Bombay, shouted down for speaking in chaste Sindhi. "Yaad Rakhna" he had told the crowd "Ek din meim yhe desh ka, India ka, Pradhan Mantri banke hi rahumga". Advani has come close to that position, being the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister. And he has seen to it that the enquiry/hearing by the 'Liberhan Commission' on the demolition of the Babri Masjid in which case he was indicted, has been scuttled to save his own scrawny neck. As the Home Minister he has invariable brought pressure on the CBI to absolve himself from the sin of planning and executing the plot to demolish the Babri Masjid. I have reason to believe that Babri Masjid, or religion or any other thing for that matter is not really his cup of tea. But he will use anything and everything that will help him get closer to his dream throne. With Babri Masjid, he was sure of taking the throne. He used religious fervor to whip up the passion in the gullible Hindus to achieve his dream. And he almost accomplished it. His next try was the Jinnah affair. Again, it was the retirement bait. This man will never stop trying until he breathes his last. In my Sunday Ramblings -20 (Published in the Goan Observer - Vol I, No.32, dated June 11-17, 2005) I had predicted that Advani would even go to the extent of patching -up with the hated "Italy ki Beti" (Sonia Ganshi) in his quest for the PM's Throne. Three years later he has done exactly that and my prophesy has come true. I remember the chat I had with Audhut Parrikar, brother of Manohar Parrikar, at his house in Khorlim, Mapusa, over a cup of tea, immediately after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. I used to consult him on some technical problem I had vis a vis MS fabrication. Since the Babri Masjid affair was hot, we naturally lapsed into political talk when he had said to me "You should join the BJP, you know?". To that, I had replied "Why not? But on one condition though ! First you must lock up Advani in the Tihar Jail ". At that time I was not to know that his brother had played an active role in the 'Kar Seva' contingent from Goa to help Advani bring down the Babri Masjid. The Babri Masjid was demolished when I was sailing. The news had devastated me. And I had written an article on this episode and had it posted to 'Herald' which never got published, thanks to Rajan Narayan, who was its editor at that time. I had concluded that article in this manner "Advani must be tried and shut-up in the darkest of the dark dungeons where he can see in his mind's eye the film of the demolition of the Babri Masjid a-million-times- over until he goes raving mad." Advani is a liar of a thousand lies. I am not the only one to say this. Many have written about it. And Praful Bidwai has said it here to make it my day, sort of. And, by virtue of this, Advani 'cannot' and 'must not' become the Prime Minister of India. If he does, it would be a 'SHAME' to this great nation , a country with great potential !!! Now coming back to Goa and Goans and the reference that I have made to Manohar Parrikar above, I am of firm belief that an individual is free to choose his/her ideologies and how to go about selling those to others. But as a Goan, I would want Manohar Parrikar to make a deep introspection to see if he is being used by shallow leaders like Advani for their own selfish game. Whereas Advani may not think twice about changing the direction to suit his plans, his followers are stuck with what they have been given to believe and cannot change the direction off hand. The demand for the resignation of Advani as the chief of the BJP from Arun Jaitley sums up what I have said above. For me, Goa is my 'smaller' country from the perspective of being a pre-independent-India baby with the Portuguese colonial yoke. And if I am to have my loyalties to my larger country which is India, the larger country must have some considerations towards my smaller country which is a wholesome part of me and cannot just use it to the hilt and let it go to dogs with not an iota of consideration of preserving it in the manner that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave us to understand that Goa, like the rest of the states of India will be preserved in its cultural and linguistic mosaic. As a fourteen year old, I have heard him say these words from his own mouth, live, at a public meeting held at the sprawling open fields that is now the stinking 'Kadamba Bus Terminus'. If that promise is not forthcoming, it is but natural that I will protest and protest hard until my voice is heard. floriano http://www.goasu-raj.org/ ------------------------------ From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 20:02:04 2008 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:02:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4fcaee300804130732p4eb898e9t7eec2664932d7cd4@mail.gmail.com> *"This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: stop killing our own people."* The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and describes her position about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so far stand answered! Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out clear. For her, the world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as an occupation because its the military of her own nation that she appears to be advising in her piece. Hypocrisy... Is this? Best On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar wrote: > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, published in the op-ed section > in the Indian Express. > > > Cease Firing! > > By Sonia Jabbar > > > > After announcing one or the other step in Kashmir "in the right direction" > the Indian State is in the habit of falling asleep with its head in the > sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things would have sorted > themselves out—somehow. The Prime Minister's Ramzan Cease Fire announcement > is the most recent example of this policy. > > > > I was in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and > hope it promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a > carnivalesque feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large > crowds in the market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry > after the day's fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > welcomed the Centre's move. Three months later things are back to normal: > curfew, custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up > by the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the J&K > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the 13th. Two > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the forest > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This prompted the residents > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto the > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah's body be handed over to his > relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road blocked by > the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were > killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was already > present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a > first-year B.A. student. > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed Shah was a dreaded district > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami (HUJI) and had masterminded > several attacks on the army and on civilians. But this is in direct > contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no presence in the > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim of Shah's > affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says that Shah was > the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in the blood > donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of the Gujrat > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and has since > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the Indian State > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, under law, to > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to profess their > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > A day after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a > demonstration at Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and the > 5 deaths at Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the > demonstration killing one young man immediately. Another is in hospital with > a bullet in his head. Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The tremendous > goodwill generated in the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian > state stands to be lost unless immediate measures are taken to rectify the > situation. > > > > The Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > Kashmir. > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should visit the Valley > and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade long war in the > Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, it is a rare > occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims have seen how > the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought planeloads of > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > The SOG/STF should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > executions recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > SOG/STF. The granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > claim that holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of the > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold in > Kashmir. > > > > For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be treated like > other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If the Kar > Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their V-day > celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > The Centre should recognise that the Kashmir issue has festered for over > half a century because it did not allow any healthy opposition to grow and > democratically challenge the governments that New Delhi foisted upon > Kashmir. Opposition and protest are vital safety valves for any democracy. > Plug them and you have pressure growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > when Kashmiri youth picked up the gun. > > > > Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq Abdullah is > virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy political > scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within the > Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a little > less paranoid about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and engage with > it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace process. > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions to visit > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the date for > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry vacillated > and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports— a decision > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone's brave statements against foreign > militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat's transparent agenda > for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how necessary it is to allow > the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The continued intransigence on > the passport issue impresses no one, and only underscores the whimsical > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > The Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > be six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > Mothers, grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > weeping; weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > businessman. He or she was just going to be married or just had a child, or > there would be some little detail about this person that would make the > whole thing terribly tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was > soft-spoken, I would be told, had never picked up the gun. And yet, here he > lies, cold, never to wake again. > > > > This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our > leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: > stop killing our own people. > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. > These are no personal issues though... > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive it > is? > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit of > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes > Kashmir issue to be? > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many others > owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > best > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia jabbar* wrote: > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe criminal > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > Dear all > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > way > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > actually > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > Sainath, > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what he > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and onslaught > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's proximity > to > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > scrutiny > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > and > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > over > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > the > Swamiji iceberg. > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > Hizbul > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's > ideologue in 2003! > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this regard. > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with just > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only > to > write about US imperialism. > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they > give > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and Kashmir. > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > Best > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown > fact > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red > the > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line > marked > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end of > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a > joint > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, > then > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can > have > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even > US > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its > freedom > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > Regards. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > editorial on > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > Party and > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > denunciations of the > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > In 1952 > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > By 1953 > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > population was > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > demanded the > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > Jammu. > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > stonewalling of > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > > Dalai Lama has > > > pursued. > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > Madhu Sarin > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > Dilip Simeon > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > From taraprakash at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 20:48:48 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:18:48 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet References: <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804130732p4eb898e9t7eec2664932d7cd4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <010c01c89d79$aef62630$6500a8c0@taraprakash> I am not sure this guy's problem is with any issue or with Ms Jabbar. The issue was not Tibet and Kashmir, it was Hindu's coverage of the Tibet issue. Stop mud slinging and tell the list what is your moral ground on which you can oppose her? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wali Arifi" To: "sarai list" Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 10:32 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our > leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > themselves > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been > told > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice > say: > stop killing our own people."* > > The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and describes her position > about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so far stand answered! > > Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out clear. For her, the > world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as an occupation because > its the military of her own nation that she appears to be advising in her > piece. > > Hypocrisy... Is this? > > Best > > > On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar wrote: >> >> FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, published in the op-ed section >> in the Indian Express. >> >> >> Cease Firing! >> >> By Sonia Jabbar >> >> >> >> After announcing one or the other step in Kashmir "in the right >> direction" >> the Indian State is in the habit of falling asleep with its head in the >> sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things would have sorted >> themselves out—somehow. The Prime Minister's Ramzan Cease Fire >> announcement >> is the most recent example of this policy. >> >> >> >> I was in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and >> hope it promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a >> carnivalesque feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large >> crowds in the market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry >> after the day's fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief >> and >> welcomed the Centre's move. Three months later things are back to normal: >> curfew, custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian >> casualties. >> >> >> >> Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up >> by the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the >> J&K >> Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the 13th. >> Two >> days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in >> "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the >> forest >> area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in >> handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This prompted the >> residents >> of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto the >> Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah's body be handed over to his >> relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road blocked >> by >> the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians >> were >> killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was already >> present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One >> policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one >> was a >> first-year B.A. student. >> >> >> >> The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed Shah was a dreaded district >> commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami (HUJI) and had masterminded >> several attacks on the army and on civilians. But this is in direct >> contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no presence in the >> Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim of Shah's >> affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says that Shah >> was >> the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in the blood >> donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of the >> Gujrat >> earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and has >> since >> advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the Indian >> State >> lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, under law, >> to >> exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to profess their >> ideology and engage in political activities. >> >> >> >> A day after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a >> demonstration at Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and >> the >> 5 deaths at Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the >> demonstration killing one young man immediately. Another is in hospital >> with >> a bullet in his head. Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The >> tremendous >> goodwill generated in the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian >> state stands to be lost unless immediate measures are taken to rectify >> the >> situation. >> >> >> >> The Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the >> escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be >> meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie >> points >> against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its >> sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in >> Kashmir. >> >> >> >> A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should visit the >> Valley >> and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade long war in the >> Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, it is a rare >> occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims have seen how >> the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought planeloads >> of >> concerned officials from the Centre. >> >> >> >> The SOG/STF should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three >> extrajudicial >> executions recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the >> SOG/STF. The granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus >> claim that holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" >> is >> unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the >> Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have >> stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as >> it >> would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that >> abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of >> the >> Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold in >> Kashmir. >> >> >> >> For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be treated like >> other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If the Kar >> Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their >> V-day >> celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against >> killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? >> >> >> >> The Centre should recognise that the Kashmir issue has festered for over >> half a century because it did not allow any healthy opposition to grow >> and >> democratically challenge the governments that New Delhi foisted upon >> Kashmir. Opposition and protest are vital safety valves for any >> democracy. >> Plug them and you have pressure growing and exploding like it did in 1989 >> when Kashmiri youth picked up the gun. >> >> >> >> Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq Abdullah is >> virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy >> political >> scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within the >> Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a little >> less paranoid about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and engage >> with >> it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace process. >> >> >> >> The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions to visit >> Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the date >> for >> their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry >> vacillated >> and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports— a >> decision >> entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone's brave statements against >> foreign >> militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat's transparent >> agenda >> for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how necessary it is to >> allow >> the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The continued intransigence >> on >> the passport issue impresses no one, and only underscores the whimsical >> high-handedness of the Indian State. >> >> >> >> The Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There >> will >> be six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: >> Mothers, grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies >> weeping; weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a >> businessman. He or she was just going to be married or just had a child, >> or >> there would be some little detail about this person that would make the >> whole thing terribly tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was >> soft-spoken, I would be told, had never picked up the gun. And yet, here >> he >> lies, cold, never to wake again. >> >> >> >> This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our >> leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they >> themselves >> take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been >> told >> for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice >> say: >> stop killing our own people. >> >> >> >> On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: >> >> One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. >> These are no personal issues though... >> >> Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about >> Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just >> like >> Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive >> it >> is? >> >> Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's >> neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit >> of >> Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes >> Kashmir issue to be? >> >> And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the >> likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many >> others >> owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. >> >> best >> >> >> >> On 4/11/08, *sonia jabbar* wrote: >> >> Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic >> relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe criminal >> silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and >> substantively to my writings and activism. >> >> >> On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi >> wrote: >> >> Dear all >> >> It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the >> way >> The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question >> actually >> reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. >> >> The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently >> exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P >> Sainath, >> the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what >> he >> is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and >> onslaught >> of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's proximity >> to >> the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. >> >> Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr >> Praveen >> Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional >> scrutiny >> - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself >> and >> its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has >> over >> time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's >> intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to >> exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking >> information >> dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. >> >> For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of >> the >> Swamiji iceberg. >> >> http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm >> >> While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am >> taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), >> his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the >> Hizbul >> Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. >> According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the >> group's >> ideologue in 2003! >> >> For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this >> regard. >> Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its >> Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with >> just >> tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only >> to >> write about US imperialism. >> >> For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly Sonia >> Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic >> relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they >> give >> themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise >> criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and >> Kashmir. >> >> Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! >> >> Best >> On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >> > >> > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is wellknown >> fact >> > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red >> the >> > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line >> marked >> > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end >> > of >> > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends >> > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make a >> joint >> > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with China, >> then >> > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China can >> have >> > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, even >> US >> > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its >> freedom >> > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! >> > Regards. >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "S. Jabbar" >> > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm >> > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet >> > To: sarai list >> > >> > > >> > > >> > > Letter to the Editor: >> > > >> > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its >> > > editorial on >> > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent >> > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained >> > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, >> > > Party and >> > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on >> > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced >> > > denunciations of the >> > > Dalai Lama. >> > > >> > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. >> > > In 1952 >> > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." >> > > By 1953 >> > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed >> > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million >> > > Chinese and 750,000 >> > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's >> > > population was >> > > Tibetan. >> > > >> > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw >> > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long >> > > demanded the >> > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows >> > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri >> > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate >> > > statehood for Ladakh and >> > > Jammu. >> > > >> > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its >> > > stonewalling of >> > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just >> > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the >> > > Dalai Lama has >> > > pursued. >> > > >> > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on >> > > Tibetdoes it little credit. >> > > >> > > Yours sincerely, >> > > >> > > Sonia Jabbar >> > > Ramachandra Guha >> > > Mukul Kesavan >> > > Madhu Sarin >> > > Jyotirmaya Sharma >> > > Dilip Simeon >> > > Tenzin Sonam >> > > Shashi Tharoor >> > > _________________________________________ >> > > 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. >> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> > > list >> > > 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. >> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> >> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> >> >> >> >> >> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From yousufism at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 20:56:22 2008 From: yousufism at gmail.com (M Yousuf) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:56:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <32144e990804122118m2bf10453q84eb918fb700e8fc@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> <32144e990804122118m2bf10453q84eb918fb700e8fc@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <19ba050f0804130826o4b17336ag4d8c9b265d61b3db@mail.gmail.com> Well....if allowing Tibet like things to continue at home (India for Mr Partha I guess) is being ridiculous then the point made earlier is vindicated and reiterated. Partha particularly seems to have missed the point about where one derives the moral ground to denounce China on Tibet. While one fully supports the Tibetan movement for freedom from China, it cannot be at the cost of allowing yourself the liberty to remain criminally silent when India (home for all we have been responding to in this space) as a state is doing the same with freedom movements like Kashmir and northeast. I will not hesitate a moment to extend my support to people's movements like Khalistan and Eelam. For me politically as well as personally people's movements, democratic as they are, deserve recognition and solidarity as such. i expect signatories of the open letter in question here to at least have the narrowest possible bandwidth not to completely miss what they so silently are leaving unquestioned next door in Kashmir...and in many cases they call it "an integral part of home". At the risk of sounding repetitive Cheers On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 9:48 AM, Partha Dasgupta wrote: > Dear Yousuf, > That's a ridiculous view point to take. Next you'll be asking us to > support the Khalistan movement, or perhaps the Eelam movement as well. > > You talk about 'raise voices for all issues'. Who on this earth has the > bandwidth to even know about all the millions of issues happening in this > strife prone world, much less spend the time to figure out the rights and > wrongs, claims and counter-claims. > > You talk of just Kashmir with Tibet. Well, then as a Bengali I would also > insist that we also include Bangladesh and accuse you of being a 'criminal > in silence'. > > Partha > > PS: You forgot to refer to the USSR, Africa, etc. > ............................................ > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 11:06 PM, M Yousuf wrote: > > > In the political morality paradigm the signatories should be bound by > > what > > happens in their own nations. The point is not to raise voices about > > every > > such issue that may exist anywhere else in the world. What is not > > heartening > > is that the signatories have remained silent on the Tibet like isssue of > > Kashmir where the nation state they are citizens of is perpetrating the > > same > > crimes. From that point of view, the signatories are criminals in > > silence > > and in that sense colaborators with the state of India in as much as the > > crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated in Kashmir and > > Northeast. > > > > The issue is, where does one derive the moral authority to come down on > > China (in which case all the protest and solidarity is perfectly > > justified), > > and in this conversation, on The Hindu. It is utter hypocricy when > > similar > > atmosphere prevailing in the country of one's residence is so > > conveniently > > (and may I say criminally) overlooked. > > > > I see no difference between the Chinese Han officials who justify their > > brutality in Tibet and those nationalist Indians (Like the signatories > > who ceratinly appear to me as such) who choose not to see India's > > brutality > > and sophisticated occupation of Kashmir and Northeast. > > > > The point I am trying to drive home is that one cannot be a wife beater > > and > > SHO of a women's Thana at the same time. > > > > For heaven's/Hell's sake, all of us who rise in solidarity with victims > > of > > political injustices, can we first be civil society actors in our > > own operating spaces instead of 'Advisors to Nationalism'. > > > > In solidarity against all occupations in the world. > > > > M Yousuf > > > > > > On 4/11/08, TaraPrakash wrote: > > > > > > Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to > > > anyone. > > > There are so many movements going all round the world, all require > > equal > > > attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a > > > specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are > > not > > > part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are > > > bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, > > are > > > doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack > > Tibet > > > issue. > > > The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India > > that if > > > you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom > > Hindu is > > > speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" > > > To: "Wali Arifi" > > > Cc: "sarai list" > > > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > > > > Dear list buddies > > > > > > > > Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the > > issue > > > > deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is > > getting > > > > from > > > > many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a > > > > moral > > > > container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this > > space > > > > to > > > > let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. > > > > > > > > Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the > > > > signatories of > > > > the open letter to The Hindu in question. > > > > > > > > The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from > > the > > > > moral > > > > stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has > > been > > > > in > > > > places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, > > > > Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. > > > > > > > > cheers > > > > M Yousuf > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai > > forum. > > > > > These > > > > > are no personal issues though... > > > > > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing > > about > > > > > Kashmir, > > > > > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just > > like > > > > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > > > beleive > > > > > it > > > > > is? > > > > > > > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > > > > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > > > benefit of > > > > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > believes > > > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by > > the > > > > > likes > > > > > of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many > > > > > others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > > > > > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > > > > criminal > > > > > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond > > intelligently > > > > > and > > > > > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi < > > waliarifi3 at gmail.com> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > > > > > > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated > > > > > about > > > > > the > > > > > > > way > > > > > > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in > > > > > question > > > > > > > actually > > > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar > > > > > > > > > issues. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to > > overlook > > > > > > > recently > > > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. > > Mr > > > > > P > > > > > > > Sainath, > > > > > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete > > contrast to > > > > > what > > > > > > > he > > > > > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre > > and > > > > > > > onslaught > > > > > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the > > newspaper's > > > > > > > proximity to > > > > > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir > > expert", Mr > > > > > > > Praveen > > > > > > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or > > professional > > > > > > > scrutiny > > > > > > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve > > for > > > > > itself > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how > > Swamiji > > > > > > > has > > > > > > > over > > > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > > > > > country's > > > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even > > seem > > > > > to > > > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > > > > > > information > > > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, > > the > > > > > tip > > > > > of > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular > > > > > report > > (I > > > > > > > am > > > > > > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so > > regularly > > > > > > > does), > > > > > > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check > > that > > > > > the > > > > > > > Hizbul > > > > > > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by > > three > > > > > > > years. > > > > > > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by > > the > > > > > > > group's > > > > > > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in > > this > > > > > > > regard. > > > > > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In > > > > > fact, > > > > > its > > > > > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence > > establishment > > > > > with > > > > > > > just > > > > > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is > > > > > mandated > > > > > only > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, > > particularly > > > > > > > Sonia > > > > > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an > > organic > > > > > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand > > how > > > > > they > > > > > > > give > > > > > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to > > > > > exercise > > > > > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast > > and > > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > > > > > > > > wellknown > > > > > > > fact > > > > > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > > > painting > > > > > red > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that > > the > > > > > line > > > > > > > marked > > > > > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 > > after > > > > > the > > > > > end > > > > > > > of > > > > > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our > > cadre > > > > > friends > > > > > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now > > to > > > > > make > > > a > > > > > > > joint > > > > > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes > > with > > > > > > > > China, > > > > > > > then > > > > > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India > > and > > > > > China > > > > > > > can have > > > > > > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of > > > > > nations, > > > > > > > even US > > > > > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation > > and > > > > > its > > > > > > > freedom > > > > > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > > > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in > > its > > > > > > > > > editorial on > > > > > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind > > the > > > > > recent > > > > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of > > > > > > > > > > > sustained > > > > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the > > economy, > > > > > > > > > Party and > > > > > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the > > onslaught > > > > > on > > > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement > > > > > policy. > > > > > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in > > > > > > > > > > > Tibet." > > > > > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > > > > > > > > > > renamed > > > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > > > > > million > > > > > > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > > Qinghai's > > > > > > > > > population was > > > > > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you > > > > > draw > > > > > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have > > long > > > > > > > > > demanded the > > > > > > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 > > > > > disallows > > > > > > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay > > > > > Kashmiri > > > > > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or > > separate > > > > > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. > > A > > > > > just > > > > > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely > > what > > > > > the > > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > > > > > line > > > > on > > > > > > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > > city. > > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to > > reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > > > > list > > > > > > > > > List archive: < > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to > > reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: < > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: < > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > -- > Partha Dasgupta > +919811047132 > From the.solipsist at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 21:08:59 2008 From: the.solipsist at gmail.com (Pranesh Prakash) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:08:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?=5BCommons-Law=5D_Symposium_on_the?= =?windows-1252?q?_Challenges_to_India=92s_Patent_Regime_=7C_NLSIU?= =?windows-1252?q?=2C_Bangalore_=7C_A_pril_12_=26_13?= Message-ID: <4785f1e20804130838j28c70d78q3d9bfd88a630feab@mail.gmail.com> Dear Mr. Shanker, I understand why you may have misgivings about our invitation of Mr. Basheer, but I believe your misgivings are unnecessary on two grounds: that our conference is meant to be inclusive; and that the wrongdoing you assert on Mr. Basheer's part is not a given. Firstly, the objective of this symposium is not to push forward a particular agendum, whether pro-pharma, anti-pharma, pro-IP or anti-IP, but to have broad-based discussions on the various sorts of changes and challenges that India's current patent regime is facing. While this might involve coming to a consensus as to solutions (and that would be welcomed), in our pragmatism we understand that a consensus might not be arrived at, and are ready to face that. The important thing is to explore issues, and all possible ways of addressing those issues. The benefits of one approach over another is not something that we wish to push during this symposium. This, I believe, is reflected by the wide variety of views and opinions that the speakers represent. Thus, simply put, Mr. Basheer's "close association" with the pharmaceutical industry does not hamper his participation in this symposium. In fact, to get a variety of views, such a association (if it did indeed exist) would even be preferable. The pharmaceutical industry is after all a stakeholder, just as the poverty-stricken medicine-less patient is a stakeholder. The relative weights of their stakeholding (and the issue of India being socialist) is not something I wish to get into here. Secondly, Mr. Basheer's "close association" with the pharmaceutical industry is not a given. As he has pointed out (and Chan Park has agreed), his report, part of which was copied without the necessary acknowledgement, by the Mashelkar Committee, was based on solid research and was substantiated. While we may disagree with the conclusions that he arrived at, the fact that it was well-argued is not, I believe, at dispute. The dispute is based on the questionable assumption that the source of funding of his research directly or indirectly affected his views and biased his conclusions. There is nothing to support that assumption, especially given that he has held those views even outside of that report. Funding of research and "mercenerisation" of research are different, and I see no evidence to Mr. Basheer's research being the latter. In any case, even Mr. Chan accepts that. Additionally, in case of doubt, I believe that he ought be given the benefit of the same. I hope you agree. Please note that these are my personal views, and not that of the organising committee. Finally, I must thank you for taking enough interest in the Symposium to respond! Regards, Pranesh On 4/11/08, Daya Shanker wrote: > > Dear Pranesh > It appears to be a very nice group of people but I do not see why ShamnadBasheer should be there. Didn't we discuss his role during the Karnataka > High Court's decision in Novartis and his close association with the > pharmaceutical industry? If a research output is based on the payment made > by the industry, it destroys total sense of ethics and morality and > definitely academic nature of the conference unless it is to provide > legitimacy to such research. I have nothing personal against him or anybody > but any mercenerisation of research destroys the total fabric of academic > morality. > daya shankerAAt 07:07 AM 9/04/2008, Pranesh Prakash wrote: > > Dear All,* > *National Law School of India Review, the bi-annual journal of the > National Law School, Bangalore is organising the First *NLSIR Symposium on > the "Challenges to India's Patent Regime"*. The Symposium is being held > from *12th – 13th April (Saturday and Sunday)* at the *NLSIU campus in > Nagarbhavi, Bangalore* and is intended to promote healthy debate and > discussion amongst all the stakeholders involved. > > The Symposium has been structured to discuss the cutting edge issues > relating to the Indian patent regime. Over four sessions, it looks to cover > the theoretical justifications for patents, India's role as a country which > is a signatory to TRIPS, the contentious issue of pharmaceutical patents and > finally an analysis of possible judicial attitudes towards patent law and > legislation in India. The Symposium brings together judges of the Supreme > Court, patent attorneys from the USA, senior advocates, technical experts, > ideologues and activists to facilitate constructive discussion of the issues > set out and the best way forward for India's patent law. Prominent speakers > include – > > *Judiciary* > Justice AR Lakshmanan, Chairman Law Commission of India; Justice PP > Naolekar, Judge Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravindra Bhat, Judge Delhi > High Court; Justice DV Shylendra Kumar, Judge Karnataka High Court > > *Academics* > Dr. Anil Gupta, IIM Ahmedabad; Shamnad Basheer, Oxford IP Research Centre; > Srividhya Raghavan, Oklahoma University; T. Ramakrishna, NLSIU; Sudhir > Krishnaswamy, NLSIU > > *Bar* > Feroz Ali Khader, Advocate High Court of Madras; Aditya Sondhi, Advocate > Karnataka High Court; Vinay Aravind, Poovayya & Poovayya > > *Public Interest* > Leena Menghaney, Access Campaign Manager - India, MSF; Mr. Gopa Kumar, > CENTAD; Dr. Anand Grover, Director, Lawyers' Collective > > For registration, please contact Apurva Rai, +919886208285. For more > details visit – http://www.nlsir.in/symposium.htm or contact Arghya > Sengupta, +919886023232. > > Regards, > Pranesh Prakash > _______________________________________________ commons-law mailing list > commons-law at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/commons-law > > > From yousufism at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 21:11:26 2008 From: yousufism at gmail.com (M Yousuf) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:11:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <003901c89cd8$db1e3c80$6400a8c0@taraprakash> References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> <003901c89cd8$db1e3c80$6400a8c0@taraprakash> Message-ID: <19ba050f0804130841t41a20ca5v722a6c49ffb33fde@mail.gmail.com> Kashmir, Northeast, Tibet, Palestine and wherever in any continent people want to secede from their respective occupiers...I AM WITH THEM. make no mistake even if all the individual states of India demand sovereignty I WILL PRINCIPALLY HAVE NO PROBLEMS....and would stand in support. Do I still need to say that I do not consider Kashmir to be an integral part of India? Budhism, Islam, Hinduism and other isms or 370s are not enough to learn the political histories of struggles. And, it may not actually be too hard to make out a fundamentalist....in the understanding of it, as appears in the text you chose not to post in the Sarai space, i find it easy to make out one. Cheers On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 1:37 AM, TaraPrakash wrote: > You talk of hypocrisy? Where are your mails to question Hindu's coverage > or otherwise of oppression in J&K? When they question the coverage of > Tibet, suddenly you think of moral grounds? Let people not smell > anti-Buddhism in you. I know the sour relationship of Islam and Buddhism. > Notable is that when Buddhists in Kashmir protested against what is > happening in Tibet recently, those Muslims who escaped from Tibet did not > join the Buddhist protesters. > Sadly, there was not much of furor from those talking about hypocrisy when > Buddhist culture was being destroyed in Afghanistan in the name of Islam. > Greg Mortenson and David Oliver in "Three cups of Tea" have suggested the > Muslim paranoia with Buddhists. But that I thought was with the > fundamentalists. But of course, a fundamentalist is difficult to make out > these days. > > I didn't hear you questioning Hindu when the newspaper was shamelessly > siding with the oppression in Nandi Gram. When someone is challenging the > paper finally you think of the moral grounds? > Even if someone acknowledges that their silence was criminal, are you guys > telling them to keep on being criminals? > Last point but not the least, apart from Kashmiris, there are other people > who think that Kashmir is a disputed territory, and India's claim on it is > challenged, what do you say to that? Do you accept Kashmir as integral part > of India? If not, how do you compare Tibet and Kashmir? If you accept > Kashmir as India's part, Do we have mechanism like article 370 (even if for > the name's sake) to protect the culture of Tibet in China? > > I think you need to rise above the notions of self and other. Just because > someone was not protesting against lack of coverage of oppression in Sudan, > Turkey, Iraq, or oppression of women in the NWFP, one does not lose moral > right to question the coverage of riots in Gujarat. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* M Yousuf > *To:* TaraPrakash > *Cc:* Wali Arifi ; sarai list > *Sent:* Saturday, April 12, 2008 1:36 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > In the political morality paradigm the signatories should be bound by what > happens in their own nations. The point is not to raise voices about every > such issue that may exist anywhere else in the world. What is not heartening > is that the signatories have remained silent on the Tibet like isssue of > Kashmir where the nation state they are citizens of is perpetrating the same > crimes. From that point of view, the signatories are criminals in silence > and in that sense colaborators with the state of India in as much as the > crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated in Kashmir and > Northeast. > > The issue is, where does one derive the moral authority to come down on > China (in which case all the protest and solidarity is perfectly justified), > and in this conversation, on The Hindu. It is utter hypocricy when similar > atmosphere prevailing in the country of one's residence is so conveniently > (and may I say criminally) overlooked. > > I see no difference between the Chinese Han officials who justify their > brutality in Tibet and those nationalist Indians (Like the signatories > who ceratinly appear to me as such) who choose not to see India's brutality > and sophisticated occupation of Kashmir and Northeast. > > The point I am trying to drive home is that one cannot be a wife beater > and SHO of a women's Thana at the same time. > > For heaven's/Hell's sake, all of us who rise in solidarity with victims of > political injustices, can we first be civil society actors in our > own operating spaces instead of 'Advisors to Nationalism'. > > In solidarity against all occupations in the world. > > M Yousuf > > > On 4/11/08, TaraPrakash wrote: > > > > Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to > > anyone. > > There are so many movements going all round the world, all require equal > > attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a > > specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are not > > part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are > > bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, are > > doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack Tibet > > issue. > > The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India that > > if you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom Hindu > > is speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" > > To: "Wali Arifi" > > Cc: "sarai list" > > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > Dear list buddies > > > > > > Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the > > > issue > > > deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting > > > from > > > many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a > > > moral > > > container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space > > > to > > > let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. > > > > > > Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the > > > signatories of > > > the open letter to The Hindu in question. > > > > > > The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the > > > moral > > > stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been > > > in > > > places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, > > > Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. > > > > > > cheers > > > M Yousuf > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi > > > wrote: > > > > > > One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > > > These > > > > are no personal issues though... > > > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about > > > > Kashmir, > > > > may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like > > > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > > beleive > > > > it > > > > is? > > > > > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's > > > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > > benefit of > > > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > > > believes > > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by > > > > the > > > > likes > > > > of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many > > > > others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > > > > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > > > criminal > > > > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond > > > > intelligently and > > > > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > > > > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated > > > > about > > > > the > > > > > > way > > > > > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in > > > > question > > > > > > actually > > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar > > > > > > issues. > > > > > > > > > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > > > > > recently > > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. > > > > Mr P > > > > > > Sainath, > > > > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast > > > > to > > > > what > > > > > > he > > > > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > > > > > onslaught > > > > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > > > > proximity to > > > > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > > > > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", > > > > Mr > > > > > > Praveen > > > > > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or > > > > professional > > > > > > scrutiny > > > > > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for > > > > itself > > > > > > and > > > > > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how > > > > Swamiji > > has > > > > > > over > > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > > > > country's > > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even > > > > seem to > > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > > > > > information > > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > > > > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, > > > > the tip > > > > of > > > > > > the > > > > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular > > > > report > > (I > > > > > > am > > > > > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so > > > > regularly > > > > > > does), > > > > > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that > > > > the > > > > > > Hizbul > > > > > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three > > > > > > years. > > > > > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by > > > > the > > > > > > group's > > > > > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > > > > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in > > > > this > > > > > > regard. > > > > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In > > > > fact, > > > > its > > > > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment > > > > with > > > > > > just > > > > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is > > > > mandated > > > > only > > > > > > to > > > > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly > > > > > > Sonia > > > > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an > > > > organic > > > > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand > > > > how > > > > they > > > > > > give > > > > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to > > > > exercise > > > > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast > > > > and > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > > > > > wellknown > > > > > > fact > > > > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > > painting > > > > red > > > > > > the > > > > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the > > > > line > > > > > > marked > > > > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after > > > > the > > > > end > > > > > > of > > > > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre > > > > friends > > > > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to > > > > make > > > a > > > > > > joint > > > > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with > > > > > > > China, > > > > > > then > > > > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and > > > > China > > > > > > can have > > > > > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of > > > > nations, > > > > > > even US > > > > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and > > > > its > > > > > > freedom > > > > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > > > > > editorial on > > > > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the > > > > recent > > > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of > > > > > > > > sustained > > > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the > > > > economy, > > > > > > > > Party and > > > > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the > > > > onslaught on > > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement > > > > policy. > > > > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in > > > > > > > > Tibet." > > > > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > > > > > > > renamed > > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > > > > million > > > > > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > > > > Qinghai's > > > > > > > > population was > > > > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you > > > > draw > > > > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have > > > > long > > > > > > > > demanded the > > > > > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 > > > > disallows > > > > > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay > > > > Kashmiri > > > > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A > > > > just > > > > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely > > > > what the > > > > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > > > > line > > > > on > > > > > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > > > > list > > > > > > > > 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.netwith > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: < > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > From gautam.bhan at gmail.com Sun Apr 13 23:04:54 2008 From: gautam.bhan at gmail.com (gautam bhan) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:34:54 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Swept off the Map : Book Release : Apr 19 : 3pm : IIC, New Delhi Message-ID: Dear All, Over the past three years, I and Kalyani Menon-Sen have been conducting research in Bawana, a resettlement site for evictees from Yamuna Pushta in Delhi. Our findings, based on a 2600-household sample intended to quantify the impact of eviction and resettlement, were an attempt at a direct response to governmental claims of improvement of life in resettlement colonies. The write-up is being published as a book by Yoda Press in Delhi [ www.yodapress.com]. Details of the book are here: http://www.yodapress.com/Forthcoming.html#f_21 The launch is a release by journalist P. Sainath. The list doesnt allow attachments, so please treat this email as an invite to attend. 3pm April 19th Conference Room 2 Indian International Centre Lodi Road, New Delhi best, Gautam From taraprakash at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 02:55:10 2008 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash) Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:25:10 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet References: <4fcaee300804101158k6bfd36cg1fdccc9a17070a81@mail.gmail.com> <4fcaee300804110811m7c8dad00yc928e117be3d6eb@mail.gmail.com> <19ba050f0804110842m4170c938x6753cb9d5b3a31c4@mail.gmail.com> <028d01c89bf1$14934ac0$cb20ab0a@taraprakash> <19ba050f0804121036t4415a44o6d166b4da94f43ad@mail.gmail.com> <003901c89cd8$db1e3c80$6400a8c0@taraprakash> <19ba050f0804130841t41a20ca5v722a6c49ffb33fde@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <047f01c89dac$debc3070$6500a8c0@taraprakash> That's where your fundamentalism lies. I must modify my statement in the previous mail, It is not always too difficult to make out a fundamentalist. Nowhere in your list of cessationist movements or movements for social justice is mentioned any movement that is going on a land ruled by an Islamic regime. No questioning of oppression in the name of Islam. The kind of reasoning you have used thus far on this thread, if I use for you, I will conclude that oppression is acceptable if it is not directed against the Muslims. You would be on a higher pedestal to challenge Sonia and other signatories, again going by your way of reasoning, if you had supported the cessationist movement in Sindh in Pakistan, if you had raised your voice against the oppression of minorities in Bangla Desh, if you had fumed over what is happening in Malaysia with non-Muslims. If you never voiced your opinion against the murder of a youth called Jagdish in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy last week, if you are fine with the forced closure of barber shops, ban on all kind of music, ban on women's education by Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan and NWFP of Pakistan; if you did not write anything against women being punished by throwing acid on their faces if they came out unchaperoned or without a veil, if you never used your fingers to write anything against a ban on non-Muslims on being seen in public on Fridays, you should be the last person to challenge the signatories when they took a proactive step of challenging Hindu's playing the role of Chinese regime's mouthpiece and distorting facts in their editorials. No one should object when someone is pro-Islamic without being savagely against "infidels", but when someone limits the word "people" in the phrases like "people's struggle" to Muslims only, I think it is highly objectionable. ----- Original Message ----- From: M Yousuf To: TaraPrakash Cc: sarai list Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:41 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet Kashmir, Northeast, Tibet, Palestine and wherever in any continent people want to secede from their respective occupiers...I AM WITH THEM. make no mistake even if all the individual states of India demand sovereignty I WILL PRINCIPALLY HAVE NO PROBLEMS....and would stand in support. Do I still need to say that I do not consider Kashmir to be an integral part of India? Budhism, Islam, Hinduism and other isms or 370s are not enough to learn the political histories of struggles. And, it may not actually be too hard to make out a fundamentalist....in the understanding of it, as appears in the text you chose not to post in the Sarai space, i find it easy to make out one. Cheers On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 1:37 AM, TaraPrakash wrote: You talk of hypocrisy? Where are your mails to question Hindu's coverage or otherwise of oppression in J&K? When they question the coverage of Tibet, suddenly you think of moral grounds? Let people not smell anti-Buddhism in you. I know the sour relationship of Islam and Buddhism. Notable is that when Buddhists in Kashmir protested against what is happening in Tibet recently, those Muslims who escaped from Tibet did not join the Buddhist protesters. Sadly, there was not much of furor from those talking about hypocrisy when Buddhist culture was being destroyed in Afghanistan in the name of Islam. Greg Mortenson and David Oliver in "Three cups of Tea" have suggested the Muslim paranoia with Buddhists. But that I thought was with the fundamentalists. But of course, a fundamentalist is difficult to make out these days. I didn't hear you questioning Hindu when the newspaper was shamelessly siding with the oppression in Nandi Gram. When someone is challenging the paper finally you think of the moral grounds? Even if someone acknowledges that their silence was criminal, are you guys telling them to keep on being criminals? Last point but not the least, apart from Kashmiris, there are other people who think that Kashmir is a disputed territory, and India's claim on it is challenged, what do you say to that? Do you accept Kashmir as integral part of India? If not, how do you compare Tibet and Kashmir? If you accept Kashmir as India's part, Do we have mechanism like article 370 (even if for the name's sake) to protect the culture of Tibet in China? I think you need to rise above the notions of self and other. Just because someone was not protesting against lack of coverage of oppression in Sudan, Turkey, Iraq, or oppression of women in the NWFP, one does not lose moral right to question the coverage of riots in Gujarat. ----- Original Message ----- From: M Yousuf To: TaraPrakash Cc: Wali Arifi ; sarai list Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 1:36 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In the political morality paradigm the signatories should be bound by what happens in their own nations. The point is not to raise voices about every such issue that may exist anywhere else in the world. What is not heartening is that the signatories have remained silent on the Tibet like isssue of Kashmir where the nation state they are citizens of is perpetrating the same crimes. From that point of view, the signatories are criminals in silence and in that sense colaborators with the state of India in as much as the crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated in Kashmir and Northeast. The issue is, where does one derive the moral authority to come down on China (in which case all the protest and solidarity is perfectly justified), and in this conversation, on The Hindu. It is utter hypocricy when similar atmosphere prevailing in the country of one's residence is so conveniently (and may I say criminally) overlooked. I see no difference between the Chinese Han officials who justify their brutality in Tibet and those nationalist Indians (Like the signatories who ceratinly appear to me as such) who choose not to see India's brutality and sophisticated occupation of Kashmir and Northeast. The point I am trying to drive home is that one cannot be a wife beater and SHO of a women's Thana at the same time. For heaven's/Hell's sake, all of us who rise in solidarity with victims of political injustices, can we first be civil society actors in our own operating spaces instead of 'Advisors to Nationalism'. In solidarity against all occupations in the world. M Yousuf On 4/11/08, TaraPrakash wrote: Signatories are not bound by any moral or legal contract to respond to anyone. There are so many movements going all round the world, all require equal attention. It does not mean that when someone starts writing about a specific issue, you will pin them down on the other issues. They are not part of a political party for heaven's/hell's sake. The people who are bringing Kashmir in the current issue in discussion, that of Tibet, are doing the same thing that Hindu has been trying to do, to sidetrack Tibet issue. The Hindu is almost threatening the government and people of India that if you will show any pro-Tibet leanings, the Chinese regime for whom Hindu is speaking, will raise the issue of Kashmir. ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Yousuf" To: "Wali Arifi" Cc: "sarai list" Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet Dear list buddies Well.....Tibet is fashion for many compulsive activists, while the issue deserves all the attention, solidarity and support that it is getting from many among us. But what is missing in all this activist dynamic is a moral container that so conveniently allows the many who populate this space to let go of or ignore issues like Kashmir and Northeast. Arifi deserves an answer, at least in this case, from all the signatories of the open letter to The Hindu in question. The right to question China or The Hindu on Tibet must derive from the moral stand of questioning the state of India that is doing what it has been in places like Northeast/Kashmir in the name of its citizens like Guha, Tharoor, Kesavan, Jabbar et al. cheers M Yousuf On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM, Wali Arifi wrote: One would have hoped that this response was posted on the Sarai forum. These are no personal issues though... Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing about Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, just like Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to beleive it is? Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms Jabbar's neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the benefit of Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she believes Kashmir issue to be? And does she also have anything to say about Kashmir reportage by the likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both of whom along with many others owe their careers as journalists to misrepresenting Kashmir. best On 4/11/08, sonia jabbar wrote: > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an organic > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe criminal > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently and > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > > Dear all > > > > It is not clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > way > > The Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > actually > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar > > issues. > > > > The newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > recently > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > Sainath, > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to what > > he > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > onslaught > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > proximity to > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > Similarly, The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr > > Praveen > > Swami, appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > scrutiny > > - the right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > and > > its readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji > > has > > over > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > information > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > For patient readers the link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > the > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > While the ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report > > (I > > am > > taking the sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > > does), > > his (and thus The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > > Hizbul > > Mujahideen (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three > > years. > > According to Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the > > group's > > ideologue in 2003! > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > regard. > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, its > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > just > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated only > > to > > write about US imperialism. > > > > For the signatories of the letter to the newspaper, particularly > > Sonia > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra Guha, who enjoy an organic > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy to understand how they > > give > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet and choose to exercise > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in Northeast and > > Kashmir. > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a mandate! > > > > Best > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > wellknown > > fact > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with painting red > > the > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact that the line > > marked > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in 1945 after the end > > of > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to our cadre friends > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even now to make > > > a > > joint > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and disputes with > > > China, > > then > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, both India and China > > can have > > > honourable interaction with all nations in the comity of nations, > > even US > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders think of the nation and its > > freedom > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the first family.! > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > editorial on > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of > > > > sustained > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > Party and > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > denunciations of the > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > In 1952 > > > > Chairman Mao complained that there were "hardly any Han in > > > > Tibet." > > > > By 1953 > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > > > renamed > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > > Chinese and 750,000 > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of Qinghai's > > > > population was > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > This demographic engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > demanded the > > > > re-settlement of the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > non-state subjects from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > stonewalling of > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their sincerity. A just > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is precisely what the > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > The Hindu's wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line > > > > on > > > > Tibetdoes it little credit. > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > Jyotirmaya Sharma > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 09:33:27 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:33:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804130732p4eb898e9t7eec2664932d7cd4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: The article was directed at the people of India who have singularly failed to stop human rights violations in Kashmir. It is extremely critical of the Indian state's militaristic response. Nowhere in the article or indeed anywhere in my writings have I supported the military action against civilians in Kashmir. If you choose to interpret the article as hypocrisy I'd suggest you read it again. If you still choose to do so, it is your prerogative, and I am saddened by what I see as your prejudiced reading. But as someone who admires Gandhi I take your criticism seriously and somewhere I agree with you. I have tried since 1995 to work on Kashmir, to somehow stop the killings, rapes, disappearances and torment of innocent civilians whether by the Indian armed forces or the militants through my writings and activism. In this I have singularly failed. All I have managed to do in all these years is to generate a little debate and comfort a handful of families. In return I have received more than my share of love and hospitality from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a debt that I can never repay. It is this debt that makes me continue my work in Kashmir. Having said that, I'd like to draw your attention to a question I have for you and to other young Kashmiris. I, as an "Indian" may have failed to help people in Kashmir through the twenty devastating years of war, but what have you done? I find the moral high ground you occupy just because you happen to be born a Kashmiri unacceptable. I am reminded of the time when I could not go to Kashmir for a few months because of Gujarat. I was deeply involved in organising and coordinating efforts of activists, lawyers and NGOs. When I returned to Kashmir, a prominent human rights lawyer accused me of forgetting Kashmir. I explained the Gujarat situation to him, described to him how we had worked day and night to counter the monstrous actions of the Sangh Parivar, but in the end he said, 'OK, OK, but you haven't done much for Kashmir.' I asked him what he had done for Gujarat and he fell silent. The point is I believe there cannot be an hierarchy of pain. The pain of the Kashmiri is not greater than the pain of a Sri Lankan or an Afghan or indeed, a Tibetan. In this I find Rosa Luxembourg most instructive and I will quote her in full: What do you want with this particular suffering of the Jews? The poor victims on the rubber plantations in Puntamayo, the negroes in Africa with whose bodies the Europeans play a game of catch are just as near to me. Do you remember the words written on the work of the General Staff about Trotta's campaign in the Kalahari Desert? "And the death rattles, the mad cries of those dying of thirst, faded away into the sublime silence of eternity." Oh this "sublime silence of eternity" in which so many screams have faded away unheard. It rings with me so strongly that I have no special corner of my heart reserved for the ghetto. I am at home wherever in the world there are clouds, birds and human tears. ---- Returning to the issue of what you call my hypocritical engagement with the Tibet issue. Instead of stopping me from doing so, I suggest you encourage more people to engage with the Kashmir issue. Let there be debate. Let the Indian government be shamed into repealing its draconian laws and punishing those guilty of rights violations. And I don't believe that it is hypocritical for a Japanese to engage with Kashmir when his or her government has as yet not apologised to China or for an American to do so because of Iraq, or for a Kashmiri Muslim to speak up for the Tibetans because of the Pandit exodus. The world is small. You accuse me of nationalism and yet you want my energies to be confined to the borders of my nation. There are many struggles I should have done more for, not just Kashmir. I am deeply disturbed by what the Indian state has done in the Northeast. I believe India's attitude here has been one of a colonial power, and yet I have not had the time or energy to do more. The same goes with Burma, as well as Balochistan. The Tibetans are a small nation of 6.5 million people and yet there is something about their non-violent struggle that has attracted millions of people across the globe to come to their support. I think Kashmiris can learn something from them. If you are based in Delhi please join us. The Tibetans have been camped in Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks and every evening there is a candle light vigil. On the 17th we are planning a parallel peace run: the Torch for Tibet. Nothing would make me happier than to see a Kashmiri running with us. With this I close my end of this particular debate, again for want of time. On 4/13/08 8:02 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our leaders > have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves take. If > Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told for more > than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: stop > killing our own people."* The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and > describes her position about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so > far stand answered! Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out clear. > For her, the world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as an occupation > because its the military of her own nation that she appears to be advising in > her piece. Hypocrisy... Is this? Best On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar > wrote: > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, > published in the op-ed section > in the Indian Express. > > > Cease > Firing! > > By Sonia Jabbar > > > > After announcing one or the other step in > Kashmir "in the right direction" > the Indian State is in the habit of falling > asleep with its head in the > sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things > would have sorted > themselves out‹somehow. The Prime Minister's Ramzan Cease > Fire announcement > is the most recent example of this policy. > > > > I was > in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and > hope it > promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a > carnivalesque > feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large > crowds in the > market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry > after the day's > fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > welcomed the > Centre's move. Three months later things are back to normal: > curfew, > custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up> by > the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the J&K > > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the 13th. Two > > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in > > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the forest > > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in > > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This prompted the residents > > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto the > > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah's body be handed over to his > > relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road blocked by > > the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were > > killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was already > > present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > > policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a > > first-year B.A. student. > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed > Shah was a dreaded district > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami > (HUJI) and had masterminded > several attacks on the army and on civilians. > But this is in direct > contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no > presence in the > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim > of Shah's > affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says > that Shah was > the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in > the blood > donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of > the Gujrat > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and > has since > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the > Indian State > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, > under law, to > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to > profess their > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > A day > after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a > demonstration at > Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and the > 5 deaths at > Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the > demonstration killing > one young man immediately. Another is in hospital with > a bullet in his head. > Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The tremendous > goodwill generated in > the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian > state stands to be lost > unless immediate measures are taken to rectify the > situation. > > > > The > Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points > > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > > Kashmir. > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should > visit the Valley > and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade > long war in the > Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, > it is a rare > occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims > have seen how > the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought > planeloads of > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > The SOG/STF > should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > executions > recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > SOG/STF. The > granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > claim that > holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have> > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it > > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of the > > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold in > > Kashmir. > > > > For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be > treated like > other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If > the Kar > Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their > V-day > celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > > killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > The Centre should recognise that > the Kashmir issue has festered for over > half a century because it did not > allow any healthy opposition to grow and > democratically challenge the > governments that New Delhi foisted upon > Kashmir. Opposition and protest are > vital safety valves for any democracy. > Plug them and you have pressure > growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > when Kashmiri youth picked up the > gun. > > > > Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq > Abdullah is > virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy > political > scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within > the > Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a > little > less paranoid about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and > engage with > it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace > process. > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions > to visit > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the > date for > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry > vacillated > and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports‹ > a decision > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone's brave statements > against foreign > militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat's > transparent agenda > for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how > necessary it is to allow > the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The > continued intransigence on > the passport issue impresses no one, and only > underscores the whimsical > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > The > Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > be > six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > Mothers, > grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > weeping; > weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > businessman. He or > she was just going to be married or just had a child, or > there would be some > little detail about this person that would make the > whole thing terribly > tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was > soft-spoken, I would be told, > had never picked up the gun. And yet, here he > lies, cold, never to wake > again. > > > > This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because > our > leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > themselves > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we > have been told > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in > one voice say: > stop killing our own people. > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, > "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > One would have hoped that this > response was posted on the Sarai forum. > These are no personal issues > though... > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing > about > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, > just like > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > beleive it > is? > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms > Jabbar's > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > benefit of > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > believes > Kashmir issue to be? > > And does she also have anything to say > about Kashmir reportage by the > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both > of whom along with many others > owe their careers as journalists to > misrepresenting Kashmir. > > best > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia jabbar* > wrote: > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an > organic > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > criminal > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently > and > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at > 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > Dear all > > It is not > clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > way > The > Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > actually > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > The > newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > Sainath, > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to > what he > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > onslaught > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > proximity > to > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > Similarly, > The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > Swami, > appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > scrutiny > - the > right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > and > its > readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > over > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > For patient readers the > link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > the > Swamiji iceberg. > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > While the > ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > taking the > sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), > his (and thus > The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > Hizbul > Mujahideen > (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > According to > Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's > ideologue in > 2003! > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > regard. > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > its > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > just > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > only > to > write about US imperialism. > > For the signatories of the letter > to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra > Guha, who enjoy an organic > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy > to understand how they > give > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet > and choose to exercise > criminal silence about what India has been doing in > Northeast and Kashmir. > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a > mandate! > > Best > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > wrote: > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > wellknown > fact > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > painting red > the > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact > that the line > marked > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in > 1945 after the end of > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to > our cadre friends > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even > now to make a > joint > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and > disputes with China, > then > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, > both India and China can > have > > honourable interaction with all nations > in the comity of nations, even > US > > would be thinking twice if our leaders > think of the nation and its > freedom > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the > first family.! > > Regards. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. > Jabbar" > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > editorial > on > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > Party > and > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > denunciations of the > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is > most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > In 1952 > > > Chairman Mao > complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > By 1953 > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > Chinese > and 750,000 > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > Qinghai's > > > population was > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > This demographic > engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. > Right-wing groups in India have long > > > demanded the > > > re-settlement of > the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > non-state subjects > from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi > has not granted autonomy or separate > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > stonewalling of > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their > sincerity. A just > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is > precisely what the > > > Dalai Lama has > > > pursued. > > > > > > The Hindu's > wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > Tibetdoes it > little credit. > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > Madhu Sarin > > > Jyotirmaya > Sharma > > > Dilip Simeon > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _______________ > __________________________ 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. To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From indersalim at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 12:01:32 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:01:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: <4fcaee300804130732p4eb898e9t7eec2664932d7cd4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804132331r30fc2b33w1a83da013355a827@mail.gmail.com> dear Sonia " I think Kashmiris can learn something from them" thanks Sonia for endorsing what i actually want to be debated on the list. But this non-violent technique to carry forward struggle(s) is just the first step towards what i actually want. Social, psychological and Environmental issues are dear to me, and therefore, i dont see any struggle meaningful unless these are clubbed with the freedom sturggles. This new politics can really give direction to our future on earth. This way we will know whether people of a particular area actually want a freedom or just want to unfurl a colour ful piece of cloth 'flag' ( parcham ) in the backyards or secretraits. So people of Tibet too need to know that the recent gains made by their non-violent methods of protesting are limited unless they learn to club the issues. When M.Yousuf said that someone can not be the SHO of a woman thana, and a woman beater at the same time, i thought of those Tibetians who kill Tigers and call themselves Buddhists at the same time. If they continue to do so, they simply dont deserve a free country. About Kashmir, i must add that the strong Sufi traditions of Kashmir are amply equpped with systems of thought that can be converted into new forms of protesting. That can really be creative. This way, an actual support can trickle into the valley. People like me, who can not take a gun in his hands to kill even a bird, let alone a human being, too can join the struggle. A new agenda can be fixed, that can be part of a globalized world order, re-emphasizing 'the oriental' as Edward Said might have loved to see.... converting a violent organization into a non-vilent organiztion is too simplistic, but a significant one to march ahead for a new world politics, if there is one. I am optimistic. with love inder salim On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 9:33 AM, S. Jabbar wrote: > The article was directed at the people of India who have singularly failed > to stop human rights violations in Kashmir. It is extremely critical of the > Indian state's militaristic response. Nowhere in the article or indeed > anywhere in my writings have I supported the military action against > civilians in Kashmir. If you choose to interpret the article as hypocrisy > I'd suggest you read it again. If you still choose to do so, it is your > prerogative, and I am saddened by what I see as your prejudiced reading. > > But as someone who admires Gandhi I take your criticism seriously and > somewhere I agree with you. I have tried since 1995 to work on Kashmir, to > somehow stop the killings, rapes, disappearances and torment of innocent > civilians whether by the Indian armed forces or the militants through my > writings and activism. In this I have singularly failed. All I have managed > to do in all these years is to generate a little debate and comfort a > handful of families. In return I have received more than my share of love > and hospitality from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a debt that I can > never repay. It is this debt that makes me continue my work in Kashmir. > > Having said that, I'd like to draw your attention to a question I have for > you and to other young Kashmiris. I, as an "Indian" may have failed to help > people in Kashmir through the twenty devastating years of war, but what have > you done? I find the moral high ground you occupy just because you happen to > be born a Kashmiri unacceptable. > > I am reminded of the time when I could not go to Kashmir for a few months > because of Gujarat. I was deeply involved in organising and coordinating > efforts of activists, lawyers and NGOs. When I returned to Kashmir, a > prominent human rights lawyer accused me of forgetting Kashmir. I explained > the Gujarat situation to him, described to him how we had worked day and > night to counter the monstrous actions of the Sangh Parivar, but in the end > he said, 'OK, OK, but you haven't done much for Kashmir.' I asked him what > he had done for Gujarat and he fell silent. > > The point is I believe there cannot be an hierarchy of pain. The pain of > the Kashmiri is not greater than the pain of a Sri Lankan or an Afghan or > indeed, a Tibetan. In this I find Rosa Luxembourg most instructive and I > will quote her in full: > > What do you want with this particular suffering of the Jews? The poor > victims on the rubber plantations in Puntamayo, the negroes in Africa with > whose bodies the Europeans play a game of catch are just as near to me. Do > you remember the words written on the work of the General Staff about > Trotta's campaign in the Kalahari Desert? "And the death rattles, the mad > cries of those dying of thirst, faded away into the sublime silence of > eternity." > > Oh this "sublime silence of eternity" in which so many screams have faded > away unheard. It rings with me so strongly that I have no special corner of > my heart reserved for the ghetto. I am at home wherever in the world there > are clouds, birds and human tears. > > ---- > > Returning to the issue of what you call my hypocritical engagement with the > Tibet issue. Instead of stopping me from doing so, I suggest you encourage > more people to engage with the Kashmir issue. Let there be debate. Let the > Indian government be shamed into repealing its draconian laws and punishing > those guilty of rights violations. And I don't believe that it is > hypocritical for a Japanese to engage with Kashmir when his or her > government has as yet not apologised to China or for an American to do so > because of Iraq, or for a Kashmiri Muslim to speak up for the Tibetans > because of the Pandit exodus. > > The world is small. You accuse me of nationalism and yet you want my > energies to be confined to the borders of my nation. There are many > struggles I should have done more for, not just Kashmir. I am deeply > disturbed by what the Indian state has done in the Northeast. I believe > India's attitude here has been one of a colonial power, and yet I have not > had the time or energy to do more. The same goes with Burma, as well as > Balochistan. > > The Tibetans are a small nation of 6.5 million people and yet there is > something about their non-violent struggle that has attracted millions of > people across the globe to come to their support. I think Kashmiris can > learn something from them. > > If you are based in Delhi please join us. The Tibetans have been camped in > Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks and every evening there is a candle > light vigil. On the 17th we are planning a parallel peace run: the Torch > for Tibet. Nothing would make me happier than to see a Kashmiri running > with us. > > With this I close my end of this particular debate, again for want of time. > > > > > > On 4/13/08 8:02 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our > leaders > > have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves > take. If > > Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told > for more > > than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: > stop > > killing our own people."* > > The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and > > describes her position > about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so > > far stand answered! > > Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out clear. > > For her, the > world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as an occupation > > because > its the military of her own nation that she appears to be advising in > > her > piece. > > Hypocrisy... Is this? > > Best > > > On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar > > wrote: > > > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, > > published in the op-ed section > > in the Indian Express. > > > > > > Cease > > Firing! > > > > By Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > After announcing one or the other step in > > Kashmir "in the right direction" > > the Indian State is in the habit of falling > > asleep with its head in the > > sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things > > would have sorted > > themselves out‹somehow. The Prime Minister's Ramzan Cease > > Fire announcement > > is the most recent example of this policy. > > > > > > > > I was > > in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and > > hope it > > promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a > > carnivalesque > > feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large > > crowds in the > > market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry > > after the day's > > fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > > welcomed the > > Centre's move. Three months later things are back to normal: > > curfew, > > custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > > > > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up> by > > the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the J&K > > > > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the 13th. Two > > > > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in > > > > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the forest > > > > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in > > > > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This prompted the residents > > > > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto the > > > > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah's body be handed over to his > > > > relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road blocked by > > > > the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were > > > > killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was already > > > > present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > > > > policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a > > > > first-year B.A. student. > > > > > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed > > Shah was a dreaded district > > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami > > (HUJI) and had masterminded > > several attacks on the army and on civilians. > > But this is in direct > > contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no > > presence in the > > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim > > of Shah's > > affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says > > that Shah was > > the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in > > the blood > > donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of > > the Gujrat > > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and > > has since > > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the > > Indian State > > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, > > under law, to > > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to > > profess their > > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > > > > > A day > > after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a > > demonstration at > > Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and the > > 5 deaths at > > Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the > > demonstration killing > > one young man immediately. Another is in hospital with > > a bullet in his head. > > Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The tremendous > > goodwill generated in > > the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian > > state stands to be lost > > unless immediate measures are taken to rectify the > > situation. > > > > > > > > The > > Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > > > > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > > > > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points > > > > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > > > > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should > > visit the Valley > > and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade > > long war in the > > Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, > > it is a rare > > occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims > > have seen how > > the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought > > planeloads of > > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > > > > > The SOG/STF > > should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > > executions > > recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > > SOG/STF. The > > granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > > claim that > > holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > > > > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > > > > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have> > > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it > > > > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > > > > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of the > > > > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold in > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be > > treated like > > other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If > > the Kar > > Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their > > V-day > > celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > > > > killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > > > > > The Centre should recognise that > > the Kashmir issue has festered for over > > half a century because it did not > > allow any healthy opposition to grow and > > democratically challenge the > > governments that New Delhi foisted upon > > Kashmir. Opposition and protest are > > vital safety valves for any democracy. > > Plug them and you have pressure > > growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > > when Kashmiri youth picked up the > > gun. > > > > > > > > Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq > > Abdullah is > > virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy > > political > > scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within > > the > > Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a > > little > > less paranoid about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and > > engage with > > it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace > > process. > > > > > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions > > to visit > > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the > > date for > > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry > > vacillated > > and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports‹ > > a decision > > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone's brave statements > > against foreign > > militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat's > > transparent agenda > > for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how > > necessary it is to allow > > the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The > > continued intransigence on > > the passport issue impresses no one, and only > > underscores the whimsical > > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > > > > > The > > Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > > be > > six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > > Mothers, > > grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > > weeping; > > weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > > businessman. He or > > she was just going to be married or just had a child, or > > there would be some > > little detail about this person that would make the > > whole thing terribly > > tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was > > soft-spoken, I would be told, > > had never picked up the gun. And yet, here he > > lies, cold, never to wake > > again. > > > > > > > > This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because > > our > > leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > > themselves > > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we > > have been told > > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in > > one voice say: > > stop killing our own people. > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, > > "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > > One would have hoped that this > > response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > These are no personal issues > > though... > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing > > about > > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, > > just like > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > beleive it > > is? > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms > > Jabbar's > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > benefit of > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > believes > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > And does she also have anything to say > > about Kashmir reportage by the > > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both > > of whom along with many others > > owe their careers as journalists to > > misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > best > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia jabbar* > > wrote: > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an > > organic > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > criminal > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently > > and > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at > > 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > > > Dear all > > > > It is not > > clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > way > > The > > Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > actually > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > The > > newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > > > Sainath, > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to > > what he > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > onslaught > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > proximity > > to > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > Similarly, > > The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > > Swami, > > appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > scrutiny > > - the > > right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > and > > its > > readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > over > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the country's > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking information > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > For patient readers the > > link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > the > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > While the > > ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > > taking the > > sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), > > his (and thus > > The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > > Hizbul > > Mujahideen > > (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > > According to > > Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's > > ideologue in > > 2003! > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > regard. > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > > its > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > just > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > > only > > to > > write about US imperialism. > > > > For the signatories of the letter > > to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra > > Guha, who enjoy an organic > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy > > to understand how they > > give > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet > > and choose to exercise > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in > > Northeast and Kashmir. > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a > > mandate! > > > > Best > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > wrote: > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > wellknown > > fact > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > painting red > > the > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact > > that the line > > marked > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in > > 1945 after the end of > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to > > our cadre friends > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even > > now to make a > > joint > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and > > disputes with China, > > then > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, > > both India and China can > > have > > > honourable interaction with all nations > > in the comity of nations, even > > US > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders > > think of the nation and its > > freedom > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the > > first family.! > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "S. > > Jabbar" > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > editorial > > on > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > Party > > and > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is > > most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > In 1952 > > > > Chairman Mao > > complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > > Chinese > > and 750,000 > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > > Qinghai's > > > > population was > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > This demographic > > engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. > > Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > demanded the > > > > re-settlement of > > the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > non-state subjects > > from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi > > has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their > > sincerity. A just > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is > > precisely what the > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > The Hindu's > > wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > > Tibetdoes it > > little credit. > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > Jyotirmaya > > Sharma > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________ > > __________________________ > 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. > To > > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List > > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From rohitism at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 12:08:16 2008 From: rohitism at gmail.com (Rohit Shetti) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:08:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804132331r30fc2b33w1a83da013355a827@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804130732p4eb898e9t7eec2664932d7cd4@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804132331r30fc2b33w1a83da013355a827@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Inder Salim, That is indeed very well-said... I also feel that freedom struggles are incomplete without the angle of environmental sustanance & cultural freedom thrown in.. infact that ought to be more powerful than geo-political concerns. Rohit On 4/14/08, inder salim wrote: > > dear Sonia > > " I think Kashmiris can > learn something from them" > > thanks Sonia for endorsing what i actually want to be debated on the list. > But this non-violent technique to carry forward struggle(s) is just > the first step towards what i actually want. > > Social, psychological and Environmental issues are dear to me, and > therefore, i dont see any struggle meaningful unless these are > clubbed with the freedom sturggles. This new politics can really give > direction to our future on earth. This way we will know whether > people of a particular area actually want a freedom or just want to > unfurl a colour ful piece of cloth 'flag' ( parcham ) in the backyards > or secretraits. > > So people of Tibet too need to know that the recent gains made by > their non-violent methods of protesting are limited unless they learn > to club the issues. > > When M.Yousuf said that someone can not be the SHO of a woman thana, > and a woman beater at the same time, i thought of those Tibetians who > kill Tigers and call themselves Buddhists at the same time. If they > continue to do so, they simply dont deserve a free country. > > About Kashmir, i must add that the strong Sufi traditions of Kashmir > are amply equpped with systems of thought that can be converted into > new forms of protesting. That can really be creative. This way, an > actual support can trickle into the valley. People like me, who can > not take a gun in his hands to kill even a bird, let alone a human > being, too can join the struggle. A new agenda can be fixed, that can > be part of a globalized world order, re-emphasizing 'the oriental' as > Edward Said might have loved to see.... > > converting a violent organization into a non-vilent organiztion is too > simplistic, but a significant one to march ahead for a new world > politics, if there is one. > > I am optimistic. > > with love > inder salim > > On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 9:33 AM, S. Jabbar wrote: > > The article was directed at the people of India who have singularly > failed > > to stop human rights violations in Kashmir. It is extremely critical of > the > > Indian state's militaristic response. Nowhere in the article or indeed > > anywhere in my writings have I supported the military action against > > civilians in Kashmir. If you choose to interpret the article as > hypocrisy > > I'd suggest you read it again. If you still choose to do so, it is your > > prerogative, and I am saddened by what I see as your prejudiced reading. > > > > But as someone who admires Gandhi I take your criticism seriously and > > somewhere I agree with you. I have tried since 1995 to work on Kashmir, > to > > somehow stop the killings, rapes, disappearances and torment of innocent > > civilians whether by the Indian armed forces or the militants through my > > writings and activism. In this I have singularly failed. All I have > managed > > to do in all these years is to generate a little debate and comfort a > > handful of families. In return I have received more than my share of > love > > and hospitality from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a debt that I can > > never repay. It is this debt that makes me continue my work in Kashmir. > > > > Having said that, I'd like to draw your attention to a question I have > for > > you and to other young Kashmiris. I, as an "Indian" may have failed to > help > > people in Kashmir through the twenty devastating years of war, but what > have > > you done? I find the moral high ground you occupy just because you > happen to > > be born a Kashmiri unacceptable. > > > > I am reminded of the time when I could not go to Kashmir for a few > months > > because of Gujarat. I was deeply involved in organising and > coordinating > > efforts of activists, lawyers and NGOs. When I returned to Kashmir, a > > prominent human rights lawyer accused me of forgetting Kashmir. I > explained > > the Gujarat situation to him, described to him how we had worked day and > > night to counter the monstrous actions of the Sangh Parivar, but in the > end > > he said, 'OK, OK, but you haven't done much for Kashmir.' I asked him > what > > he had done for Gujarat and he fell silent. > > > > The point is I believe there cannot be an hierarchy of pain. The pain > of > > the Kashmiri is not greater than the pain of a Sri Lankan or an Afghan > or > > indeed, a Tibetan. In this I find Rosa Luxembourg most instructive and I > > will quote her in full: > > > > What do you want with this particular suffering of the Jews? The poor > > victims on the rubber plantations in Puntamayo, the negroes in Africa > with > > whose bodies the Europeans play a game of catch are just as near to > me. Do > > you remember the words written on the work of the General Staff about > > Trotta's campaign in the Kalahari Desert? "And the death rattles, the > mad > > cries of those dying of thirst, faded away into the sublime silence of > > eternity." > > > > Oh this "sublime silence of eternity" in which so many screams have > faded > > away unheard. It rings with me so strongly that I have no special > corner of > > my heart reserved for the ghetto. I am at home wherever in the world > there > > are clouds, birds and human tears. > > > > ---- > > > > Returning to the issue of what you call my hypocritical engagement with > the > > Tibet issue. Instead of stopping me from doing so, I suggest you > encourage > > more people to engage with the Kashmir issue. Let there be debate. Let > the > > Indian government be shamed into repealing its draconian laws and > punishing > > those guilty of rights violations. And I don't believe that it is > > hypocritical for a Japanese to engage with Kashmir when his or her > > government has as yet not apologised to China or for an American to do > so > > because of Iraq, or for a Kashmiri Muslim to speak up for the Tibetans > > because of the Pandit exodus. > > > > The world is small. You accuse me of nationalism and yet you want my > > energies to be confined to the borders of my nation. There are many > > struggles I should have done more for, not just Kashmir. I am deeply > > disturbed by what the Indian state has done in the Northeast. I believe > > India's attitude here has been one of a colonial power, and yet I have > not > > had the time or energy to do more. The same goes with Burma, as well as > > Balochistan. > > > > The Tibetans are a small nation of 6.5 million people and yet there is > > something about their non-violent struggle that has attracted millions > of > > people across the globe to come to their support. I think Kashmiris can > > learn something from them. > > > > If you are based in Delhi please join us. The Tibetans have been camped > in > > Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks and every evening there is a candle > > light vigil. On the 17th we are planning a parallel peace run: the > Torch > > for Tibet. Nothing would make me happier than to see a Kashmiri running > > with us. > > > > With this I close my end of this particular debate, again for want of > time. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/13/08 8:02 PM, "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > > > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because our > > leaders > > > have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they themselves > > take. If > > > Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we have been told > > for more > > > than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: > > stop > > > killing our own people."* > > > > The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and > > > describes her position > > about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so > > > far stand answered! > > > > Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out clear. > > > For her, the > > world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as an occupation > > > because > > its the military of her own nation that she appears to be advising in > > > her > > piece. > > > > Hypocrisy... Is this? > > > > Best > > > > > > On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar > > > wrote: > > > > > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, > > > published in the op-ed section > > > in the Indian Express. > > > > > > > > > Cease > > > Firing! > > > > > > By Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > After announcing one or the other step in > > > Kashmir "in the right direction" > > > the Indian State is in the habit of falling > > > asleep with its head in the > > > sand, hoping that if and when it wakes up things > > > would have sorted > > > themselves out‹somehow. The Prime Minister's Ramzan Cease > > > Fire announcement > > > is the most recent example of this policy. > > > > > > > > > > > > I was > > > in Kashmir in the early days of the cease-fire and the relief and > > > hope it > > > promised amongst the Kashmiris was remarkable. There was a > > > carnivalesque > > > feeling in the air: shops alight and open until late, large > > > crowds in the > > > market places, mosques and shrines, feasting and revellry > > > after the day's > > > fast. Even hardened separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > > > welcomed the > > > Centre's move. Three months later things are back to normal: > > > curfew, > > > custodial killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked > up> by > > > the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the > J&K > > > > > > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the > 13th. Two > > > > > > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been killed in > > > > > > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol in the > forest > > > > > > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the police delayed in > > > > > > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This prompted the > residents > > > > > > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an estimated 6,000 people onto > the > > > > > > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding Shah's body be handed over to > his > > > > > > relatives. An officer leading an army convoy, on finding the road > blocked by > > > > > > the protestors, ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians > were > > > > > > killed, 30 were injured. Police sources say that the police was > already > > > > > > present, persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > > > > > > policeman was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one > was a > > > > > > first-year B.A. student. > > > > > > > > > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel Ahmed > > > Shah was a dreaded district > > > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- Islami > > > (HUJI) and had masterminded > > > several attacks on the army and on civilians. > > > But this is in direct > > > contradiction to their own claim that the HUJI has no > > > presence in the > > > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also contradicting the claim > > > of Shah's > > > affiliation to the HUJI is a statement by Yasin Malik who says > > > that Shah was > > > the Distict Secretary of the JKLF and had even participated in > > > the blood > > > donation camp recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of > > > the Gujrat > > > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and > > > has since > > > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the > > > Indian State > > > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a right, > > > under law, to > > > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the right to > > > profess their > > > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > > > > > > > > > A day > > > after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised a > > > demonstration at > > > Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah and the > > > 5 deaths at > > > Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into the > > > demonstration killing > > > one young man immediately. Another is in hospital with > > > a bullet in his head. > > > Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar. The tremendous > > > goodwill generated in > > > the early days of the cease fire towards the Indian > > > state stands to be lost > > > unless immediate measures are taken to rectify the > > > situation. > > > > > > > > > > > > The > > > Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > > > > > > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > > > > > > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie > points > > > > > > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > > > > > > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New Delhi should > > > visit the Valley > > > and listen to the grievances of the people. In the decade > > > long war in the > > > Valley where thousands of innocent people have been killed, > > > it is a rare > > > occassion when a minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims > > > have seen how > > > the gruesome killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought > > > planeloads of > > > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > > > > > > > > > The SOG/STF > > > should be reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > > > executions > > > recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > > > SOG/STF. The > > > granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > > > claim that > > > holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > > > > > > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > > > > > > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure > have> > > > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system > as it > > > > > > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > > > > > > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out > of the > > > > > > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a foothold > in > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > For a genuine peace to be established Kashmiris need to be > > > treated like > > > other citizens of this country with full democratic rights. If > > > the Kar > > > Sevaks were not shot at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their > > > V-day > > > celebrations, why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > > > > > > killings of non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > > > > > > > > > The Centre should recognise that > > > the Kashmir issue has festered for over > > > half a century because it did not > > > allow any healthy opposition to grow and > > > democratically challenge the > > > governments that New Delhi foisted upon > > > Kashmir. Opposition and protest are > > > vital safety valves for any democracy. > > > Plug them and you have pressure > > > growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > > > when Kashmiri youth picked up the > > > gun. > > > > > > > > > > > > Opposition to the National Conference government and Farooq > > > Abdullah is > > > virtually non-existent in the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy > > > political > > > scenario. The only opposition rests outside the Assembly, within > > > the > > > Hurriyat Conference. In such a situation the Centre needs to be a > > > little > > > less paranoid about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and > > > engage with > > > it seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace > > > process. > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions > > > to visit > > > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set the > > > date for > > > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home Ministry > > > vacillated > > > and continue to stall their initiative by not issuing passports‹ > > > a decision > > > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani Lone's brave statements > > > against foreign > > > militants on his last trip to Pakistan and the Hurriyat's > > > transparent agenda > > > for Pakistan should have convinced the Centre how > > > necessary it is to allow > > > the Hurriyat to travel without impediment. The > > > continued intransigence on > > > the passport issue impresses no one, and only > > > underscores the whimsical > > > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > > > > > > > > > The > > > Valley is in shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > > > be > > > six funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > > > Mothers, > > > grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > > > weeping; > > > weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > > > businessman. He or > > > she was just going to be married or just had a child, or > > > there would be some > > > little detail about this person that would make the > > > whole thing terribly > > > tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed was > > > soft-spoken, I would be told, > > > had never picked up the gun. And yet, here he > > > lies, cold, never to wake > > > again. > > > > > > > > > > > > This has got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because > > > our > > > leaders have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > > > themselves > > > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we > > > have been told > > > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in > > > one voice say: > > > stop killing our own people. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 PM, > > > "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > > > > One would have hoped that this > > > response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > > These are no personal issues > > > though... > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a response to her work/writing > > > about > > > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers Kashmir a military occupation, > > > just like > > > Tibet, or a law and order issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > beleive it > > > is? > > > > > > Not that her readership and observance is not aware of Ms > > > Jabbar's > > > neo-Gandhian activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > benefit of > > > Sarai subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > > believes > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say > > > about Kashmir reportage by the > > > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both > > > of whom along with many others > > > owe their careers as journalists to > > > misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia jabbar* > > > wrote: > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me of enjoying 'an > > > organic > > > relationship with the powers that be.' Easier to say I observe > > > criminal > > > silence than to find out what I've said and respond intelligently > > > and > > > substantively to my writings and activism. > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at > > > 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi wrote: > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > It is not > > > clear why the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > > way > > > The > > > Hindu has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > > actually > > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > > > The > > > newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook recently > > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in Nandigram. Mr P > > > > > > Sainath, > > > the interrogator of Indian social reality, in complete contrast to > > > what he > > > is known for, chose to remain silent about purging, massacre and > > > onslaught > > > of corporate world. All this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > proximity > > > to > > > the so called CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > Similarly, > > > The Hindu's "ace reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > > > Swami, > > > appears to have been left above any ethical or professional > > > scrutiny > > > - the > > > right a newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > > and > > > its > > > readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > > over > > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > country's > > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even seem to > > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > information > > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > For patient readers the > > > link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > > the > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > While the > > > ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > > > taking the > > > sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly does), > > > his (and thus > > > The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check that the > > > Hizbul > > > Mujahideen > > > (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark only by three years. > > > According to > > > Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire was scripted by the group's > > > ideologue in > > > 2003! > > > > > > For a discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > > regard. > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > > > its > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > > just > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > > > only > > > to > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > For the signatories of the letter > > > to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor and Ramachandra > > > Guha, who enjoy an organic > > > relationship with the powers that be, it is easy > > > to understand how they > > > give > > > themselves the moral right to talk about Tibet > > > and choose to exercise > > > criminal silence about what India has been doing in > > > Northeast and Kashmir. > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a > > > mandate! > > > > > > Best > > > On 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > I very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > wellknown > > > fact > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > painting red > > > the > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very fact > > > that the line > > > marked > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between british india in > > > 1945 after the end of > > > > world war, even today remains unsurveyed, thanks to > > > our cadre friends > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai bhai. It is not late even > > > now to make a > > > joint > > > > survey and with dialogue end the border row and > > > disputes with China, > > > then > > > > two nations, the developing economies of Asia, > > > both India and China can > > > have > > > > honourable interaction with all nations > > > in the comity of nations, even > > > US > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders > > > think of the nation and its > > > freedom > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the > > > first family.! > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "S. > > > Jabbar" > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > To: sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese Government in its > > > > > editorial > > > on > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is dismaying. The reasons behind the > recent > > > > > > > > demonstrations by Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > > > > > growth,omitting the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > > Party > > > and > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of Tibet is > > > most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > Chairman Mao > > > complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the renamed > > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 million > > > > > Chinese > > > and 750,000 > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the 2000 census only 20% of > > > Qinghai's > > > > > population was > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > This demographic > > > engineering undermines the comparison you draw > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. > > > Right-wing groups in India have long > > > > > demanded the > > > > > re-settlement of > > > the Kashmir Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > > non-state subjects > > > from buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi > > > has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama and its > > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to accept their > > > sincerity. A just > > > > > solution"within the framework of one China" is > > > precisely what the > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's > > > wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese line on > > > > > Tibetdoes it > > > little credit. > > > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > Jyotirmaya > > > Sharma > > > > > Dilip Simeon > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > List archive: > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > List archive: > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________ > > > __________________________ > > 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. > > To > > > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List > > > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 13:05:39 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:05:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804132331r30fc2b33w1a83da013355a827@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Inder, I am closely connected with the Wildlife Trust of India who asked the Dalai Lama to endorse their campaign against the illegal trade in furs and skins. The Dalai Lama agreed and immediately sent out a strong message to the Tibetans. I'm pasting a news report on what happened as well as the Tibetan proposal to turn Tibet into the largest bio-reserve in the world. Best Sj --------------------------- Tibetans clash with Chinese over fur bonfires By Richard Spencer in Beijing Last Updated: 12:13am GMT 20/02/2006 Tibetan followers of the Dalai Lama have clashed with the Chinese authorities after an unusual series of organised burnings of animal skins and fur-lined clothes, campaigners said. The Dalai Lama made a seemingly innocuous call last month for Tibetans to stop wearing the skins of protected animal species. Tibetans have often worn animal skins as decorations, and clothes lined with furs, including from tigers, leopards and otters suddenly became fashionable in recent years. The call was taken up with such alacrity that the Chinese saw it as a political statement of support for the Dalai Lama, whose continued popularity remains one of their greatest sore points. According to the Wildlife Trust of India, which was shown a smuggled tape of the burnings, nine people were arrested as the police moved in to put an end to the bonfires. The group said "they were charged for public unrest and colluding with the Dalai Lama". Relations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama, who is living in exile in Dharamsala, northern India, are in an uncertain phase. A group of the Dalai's emissaries are currently in China, on what is assumed to be part of a series of contacts between the Communist authorities, who accuse the Dalai of wanting to "split" China, and the Tibet government-in-exile. Supporters say the Dalai's statement about protected animals was not intended to be political but a response to a series of calls from environmental groups, concerned at an upsurge in the smuggling of rare animal skins into China and Tibet. The smuggling had caused anger in India, which has suffered from extensive poaching of tigers and other wildlife. But the Tibetans responded with enthusiasm. "An estimated six hundred million yuan [£43 million] worth of animal skins have been burnt in eastern Tibet alone," said Lobsang Choephal, the monk who smuggled the videotape, in Dharamsala on Friday. "These events are significant for us as they show the world and especially China that Tibetans all over listen to the Dalai Lama and are willing to make sacrifices if he wishes so," he added. Reports say that hundreds of people have been digging through their wardrobes for fur-lined garments. Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet, said bonfires had been lit in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, and on hillsides near monasteries in Tibet and Tibetan-occupied parts of neighbouring provinces. She said that finally the authorities had stepped in to ban a mass burning planned at a monastery at the town of Rebgong, and added that she had been told of eight arrests. "They are letting them burn skins in their own homes, but the situation is very tense," she said. "This is not going to go away." She added that neither the Dalai Lama nor the Tibetans had political motives. ---------------------------- It is my dream that the entire Tibetan plateau should become a free refuge where humanity and nature can live in peace and in harmonious balance. It would be a place where people from all over the world could come to seek the true meaning of peace within themselves, away from the tensions and pressures of much of the rest of the world. Tibet could indeed become a creative center for the promotion and development of peace. -- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Tibet As A Zone of Peace In his "FIVE POINT PEACE PLAN STATEMENT" delivered in 1987 the Dalai Lama committed himself to developing Tibet, following liberation into a "Zone of Peace". The specific points regarding the Zone of Peace he made in his lecture in Norway on 12/11/89 were as follows: * a. the entire Tibetan plateau would be demilitarized; * b. the manufacture, testing, and stockpiling of nuclear weapons and other armaments on the Tibetan plateau would be prohibited. * c. the Tibetan plateau would be transformed into the world¹s largest natural park or biosphere. Strict laws would be enforced to protect wildlife and plant life; the exploitation of natural resources would be carefully regulated so as not to damage relevant ecosystems; and a policy of sustainable development would be adopted in populated areas; * d. the manufacture and use of nuclear power and other technologies which produce hazardous waste would be prohibited; * e. national resources and policy would be directed towards the active promotion of peace and environmental protection. * f. organizations dedicated to the furtherance of peace and to the protection of all forms of life would find a hospitable home in Tibet; * g. the establishment of international and regional orga-nisations for the promotion and protection of human rights would be encouraged in Tibet. Since that time the topic has appeared here and there in his lectures as he has networked around the world. Other governmental and non-governmental organizations have made reference to it as they have anticipating the prospects of disrupting the stranglehold China continues to have on Tibet. Clearly this is a vision or a "dream" as the Dalai Lama calls it that can capture the imagination of serious scholars, environmentalists and citizens in a world that is spinning out of control. It calls forth an idea that¹s time has truly come. Thereis still unlimited potential for ending the process of dissembling the earth¹s resources and reversing this avaricious trend to bring about a healthy whole living environment in Tibet. His Holiness' vision has been laid out, but the pressures in dealing with world leaders and organization to put Tibet's problems high on the international agenda has kept the focus at another political level. The concept of "The Zone of Peace" or "Ahisma" as used by Gandhi has sadly lacked sufficient worldwide attention. The team that manages this web site believes that His Holiness' vision is ripe for fuller development. This development could take the form of a pre-visualization of how Tibet with its natural features and resources, its wildlife, its people and culture could re-emerge as a healthy, stable and humanistic environment dedicated to international peace. While the world waits for the tide to shift the balance toward liberty and justice for Tibet, it is none too soon to begin to fill in the outer and then inner outlines of how such a society may solve its problems and be a service to mankind. The conceptualizations can begin from the general and eventually lead to specifics. The areas of concern are many and all interrelated. They must move from the arena of survival, survival of people, culture, land, wildlife, natural environment etc. to one of thriving. We would like to use this site as a forum to gather together ideas from serious thinkers as to how such an exciting concept might be developed and look once it is put in place. As the notion is almost as large as Tibet itself, there is room for the generalist and the specialist from many fields to contribute their thoughts. We wish to encourage the readers of www.tew.org (Tibet Environmental Watch) to submit their ideas to us via e-mail: rapte at dnai.com. Should one wish to write essays or papers regarding the subject they would be seriously considered for posting. While TEW is not an official site, useful ideas and contributions become available for those who are working from around the world for the future Tibet. On 4/14/08 12:01 PM, "inder salim" wrote: > dear Sonia " I think Kashmiris can learn something from them" thanks > Sonia for endorsing what i actually want to be debated on the list. But this > non-violent technique to carry forward struggle(s) is just the first step > towards what i actually want. Social, psychological and Environmental issues > are dear to me, and therefore, i dont see any struggle meaningful unless > these are clubbed with the freedom sturggles. This new politics can really > give direction to our future on earth. This way we will know whether people > of a particular area actually want a freedom or just want to unfurl a colour > ful piece of cloth 'flag' ( parcham ) in the backyards or secretraits. So > people of Tibet too need to know that the recent gains made by their > non-violent methods of protesting are limited unless they learn to club the > issues. When M.Yousuf said that someone can not be the SHO of a woman > thana, and a woman beater at the same time, i thought of those Tibetians > who kill Tigers and call themselves Buddhists at the same time. If > they continue to do so, they simply dont deserve a free country. About > Kashmir, i must add that the strong Sufi traditions of Kashmir are amply > equpped with systems of thought that can be converted into new forms of > protesting. That can really be creative. This way, an actual support can > trickle into the valley. People like me, who can not take a gun in his hands > to kill even a bird, let alone a human being, too can join the struggle. A > new agenda can be fixed, that can be part of a globalized world order, > re-emphasizing 'the oriental' as Edward Said might have loved to > see.... converting a violent organization into a non-vilent organiztion is > too simplistic, but a significant one to march ahead for a new world politics, > if there is one. I am optimistic. with love inder salim On Mon, Apr 14, > 2008 at 9:33 AM, S. Jabbar wrote: > The article was > directed at the people of India who have singularly failed > to stop human > rights violations in Kashmir. It is extremely critical of the > Indian > state's militaristic response. Nowhere in the article or indeed > anywhere in > my writings have I supported the military action against > civilians in > Kashmir. If you choose to interpret the article as hypocrisy > I'd suggest > you read it again. If you still choose to do so, it is your > prerogative, and > I am saddened by what I see as your prejudiced reading. > > But as someone who > admires Gandhi I take your criticism seriously and > somewhere I agree with > you. I have tried since 1995 to work on Kashmir, to > somehow stop the > killings, rapes, disappearances and torment of innocent > civilians whether by > the Indian armed forces or the militants through my > writings and activism. > In this I have singularly failed. All I have managed > to do in all these > years is to generate a little debate and comfort a > handful of families. In > return I have received more than my share of love > and hospitality from the > people of Jammu and Kashmir, a debt that I can > never repay. It is this debt > that makes me continue my work in Kashmir. > > Having said that, I'd like to > draw your attention to a question I have for > you and to other young > Kashmiris. I, as an "Indian" may have failed to help > people in Kashmir > through the twenty devastating years of war, but what have > you done? I find > the moral high ground you occupy just because you happen to > be born a > Kashmiri unacceptable. > > I am reminded of the time when I could not go to > Kashmir for a few months > because of Gujarat. I was deeply involved in > organising and coordinating > efforts of activists, lawyers and NGOs. When I > returned to Kashmir, a > prominent human rights lawyer accused me of > forgetting Kashmir. I explained > the Gujarat situation to him, described to > him how we had worked day and > night to counter the monstrous actions of the > Sangh Parivar, but in the end > he said, 'OK, OK, but you haven't done much > for Kashmir.' I asked him what > he had done for Gujarat and he fell > silent. > > The point is I believe there cannot be an hierarchy of pain. The > pain of > the Kashmiri is not greater than the pain of a Sri Lankan or an > Afghan or > indeed, a Tibetan. In this I find Rosa Luxembourg most instructive > and I > will quote her in full: > > What do you want with this particular > suffering of the Jews? The poor > victims on the rubber plantations in > Puntamayo, the negroes in Africa with > whose bodies the Europeans play a game > of catch are just as near to me. Do > you remember the words written on the > work of the General Staff about > Trotta's campaign in the Kalahari Desert? > "And the death rattles, the mad > cries of those dying of thirst, faded away > into the sublime silence of > eternity." > > Oh this "sublime silence of > eternity" in which so many screams have faded > away unheard. It rings with > me so strongly that I have no special corner of > my heart reserved for the > ghetto. I am at home wherever in the world there > are clouds, birds and > human tears. > > ---- > > Returning to the issue of what you call my > hypocritical engagement with the > Tibet issue. Instead of stopping me from > doing so, I suggest you encourage > more people to engage with the Kashmir > issue. Let there be debate. Let the > Indian government be shamed into > repealing its draconian laws and punishing > those guilty of rights > violations. And I don't believe that it is > hypocritical for a Japanese to > engage with Kashmir when his or her > government has as yet not apologised to > China or for an American to do so > because of Iraq, or for a Kashmiri Muslim > to speak up for the Tibetans > because of the Pandit exodus. > > The world is > small. You accuse me of nationalism and yet you want my > energies to be > confined to the borders of my nation. There are many > struggles I should > have done more for, not just Kashmir. I am deeply > disturbed by what the > Indian state has done in the Northeast. I believe > India's attitude here has > been one of a colonial power, and yet I have not > had the time or energy to > do more. The same goes with Burma, as well as > Balochistan. > > The Tibetans > are a small nation of 6.5 million people and yet there is > something about > their non-violent struggle that has attracted millions of > people across the > globe to come to their support. I think Kashmiris can > learn something from > them. > > If you are based in Delhi please join us. The Tibetans have been > camped in > Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks and every evening there is a > candle > light vigil. On the 17th we are planning a parallel peace run: the > Torch > for Tibet. Nothing would make me happier than to see a Kashmiri > running > with us. > > With this I close my end of this particular debate, > again for want of time. > > > > > > On 4/13/08 8:02 PM, "Wali Arifi" > wrote: > > > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be > killed every day because our > leaders > > have no idea on how to proceed with > initiatives that they themselves > take. If > > Kashmir is indeed an > inseparable part of India as we have been told > for more > > than 50 years, > then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: > stop > > killing our own > people."* > > The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and > > describes > her position > about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so > > far > stand answered! > > Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out > clear. > > For her, the > world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as > an occupation > > because > its the military of her own nation that she > appears to be advising in > > her > piece. > > Hypocrisy... Is this? > > > Best > > > On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar > > wrote: > > > > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, > > published in the op-ed > section > > in the Indian Express. > > > > > > Cease > > Firing! > > > > By > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > After announcing one or the other step in > > > Kashmir "in the right direction" > > the Indian State is in the habit of > falling > > asleep with its head in the > > sand, hoping that if and when it > wakes up things > > would have sorted > > themselves out‹somehow. The Prime > Minister's Ramzan Cease > > Fire announcement > > is the most recent example > of this policy. > > > > > > > > I was > > in Kashmir in the early days of the > cease-fire and the relief and > > hope it > > promised amongst the Kashmiris > was remarkable. There was a > > carnivalesque > > feeling in the air: shops > alight and open until late, large > > crowds in the > > market places, mosques > and shrines, feasting and revellry > > after the day's > > fast. Even hardened > separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > > welcomed the > > Centre's move. > Three months later things are back to normal: > > curfew, > > custodial > killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > > > > > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up> > by > > the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the > J&K > > > > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the > 13th. Two > > > > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been > killed in > > > > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol > in the forest > > > > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the > police delayed in > > > > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This > prompted the residents > > > > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an > estimated 6,000 people onto the > > > > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding > Shah's body be handed over to his > > > > relatives. An officer leading an > army convoy, on finding the road blocked by > > > > the protestors, ordered > his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were > > > > killed, 30 were > injured. Police sources say that the police was already > > > > present, > persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > > > > policeman > was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a > > > > > first-year B.A. student. > > > > > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel > Ahmed > > Shah was a dreaded district > > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- > Islami > > (HUJI) and had masterminded > > several attacks on the army and on > civilians. > > But this is in direct > > contradiction to their own claim that > the HUJI has no > > presence in the > > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also > contradicting the claim > > of Shah's > > affiliation to the HUJI is a > statement by Yasin Malik who says > > that Shah was > > the Distict Secretary > of the JKLF and had even participated in > > the blood > > donation camp > recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of > > the Gujrat > > > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and > > has > since > > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the > > > Indian State > > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a > right, > > under law, to > > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the > right to > > profess their > > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > > > > > > A day > > after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised > a > > demonstration at > > Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah > and the > > 5 deaths at > > Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into > the > > demonstration killing > > one young man immediately. Another is in > hospital with > > a bullet in his head. > > Curfew has been clamped in > Srinagar. The tremendous > > goodwill generated in > > the early days of the > cease fire towards the Indian > > state stands to be lost > > unless immediate > measures are taken to rectify the > > situation. > > > > > > > > The > > > Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > > > > > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > > > > > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points > > > > > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > > > > > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New > Delhi should > > visit the Valley > > and listen to the grievances of the > people. In the decade > > long war in the > > Valley where thousands of > innocent people have been killed, > > it is a rare > > occassion when a > minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims > > have seen how > > the gruesome > killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought > > planeloads of > > > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > > > > > The SOG/STF > > should be > reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > > executions > > > recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > > SOG/STF. The > > > granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > > claim that > > > holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > > > > > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > > > > > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have> > > > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it > > > > > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > > > > > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of > the > > > > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a > foothold in > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > For a genuine peace to be > established Kashmiris need to be > > treated like > > other citizens of this > country with full democratic rights. If > > the Kar > > Sevaks were not shot > at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their > > V-day > > celebrations, > why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > > > > killings of > non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > > > > > The Centre should recognise that > > > the Kashmir issue has festered for over > > half a century because it did > not > > allow any healthy opposition to grow and > > democratically challenge > the > > governments that New Delhi foisted upon > > Kashmir. Opposition and > protest are > > vital safety valves for any democracy. > > Plug them and you > have pressure > > growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > > when Kashmiri > youth picked up the > > gun. > > > > > > > > Opposition to the National > Conference government and Farooq > > Abdullah is > > virtually non-existent in > the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy > > political > > scenario. The only > opposition rests outside the Assembly, within > > the > > Hurriyat Conference. > In such a situation the Centre needs to be a > > little > > less paranoid > about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and > > engage with > > it > seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace > > process. > > > > > > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions > > > to visit > > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set > the > > date for > > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home > Ministry > > vacillated > > and continue to stall their initiative by not > issuing passports‹ > > a decision > > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani > Lone's brave statements > > against foreign > > militants on his last trip to > Pakistan and the Hurriyat's > > transparent agenda > > for Pakistan should > have convinced the Centre how > > necessary it is to allow > > the Hurriyat to > travel without impediment. The > > continued intransigence on > > the > passport issue impresses no one, and only > > underscores the whimsical > > > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > > > > > The > > Valley is in > shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > > be > > six > funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > > Mothers, > > > grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > > > weeping; > > weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > > > businessman. He or > > she was just going to be married or just had a child, > or > > there would be some > > little detail about this person that would make > the > > whole thing terribly > > tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed > was > > soft-spoken, I would be told, > > had never picked up the gun. And > yet, here he > > lies, cold, never to wake > > again. > > > > > > > > This has > got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because > > our > > leaders > have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > > themselves > > > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we > > have been > told > > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in > > one > voice say: > > stop killing our own people. > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 > PM, > > "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > > One would have > hoped that this > > response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > These are no > personal issues > > though... > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a > response to her work/writing > > about > > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers > Kashmir a military occupation, > > just like > > Tibet, or a law and order > issue most nationalist Indians like to > > beleive it > > is? > > > > Not that > her readership and observance is not aware of Ms > > Jabbar's > > neo-Gandhian > activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > benefit of > > Sarai > subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > believes > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > And does she also have anything to say > > about > Kashmir reportage by the > > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both > > > of whom along with many others > > owe their careers as journalists to > > > misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > best > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia > jabbar* > > wrote: > > > > Easy for you to accuse me > of enjoying 'an > > organic > > relationship with the powers that be.' > Easier to say I observe > > criminal > > silence than to find out what I've > said and respond intelligently > > and > > substantively to my writings and > activism. > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at > > 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > wrote: > > > > Dear all > > > > It is not > > clear why > the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > way > > The > > Hindu > has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > actually > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > > The > > newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > recently > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in > Nandigram. Mr P > > > > Sainath, > > the interrogator of Indian social > reality, in complete contrast to > > what he > > is known for, chose to remain > silent about purging, massacre and > > onslaught > > of corporate world. All > this in conformity with the newspaper's > > proximity > > to > > the so called > CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > Similarly, > > The Hindu's "ace > reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > > Swami, > > appears to have > been left above any ethical or professional > > scrutiny > > - the > > right a > newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > and > > its > > > readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > over > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > country's > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even > seem to > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > information > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > For patient readers the > > link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > > the > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > While > the > > ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > > > taking the > > sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > does), > > his (and thus > > The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check > that the > > Hizbul > > Mujahideen > > (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark > only by three years. > > According to > > Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire > was scripted by the group's > > ideologue in > > 2003! > > > > For a > discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > regard. > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > > its > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > > just > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > > > only > > to > > write about US imperialism. > > > > For the signatories of > the letter > > to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor > and Ramachandra > > Guha, who enjoy an organic > > relationship with the > powers that be, it is easy > > to understand how they > > give > > themselves > the moral right to talk about Tibet > > and choose to exercise > > criminal > silence about what India has been doing in > > Northeast and Kashmir. > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a > > mandate! > > > > Best > > On > 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > wrote: > > > > > > I > very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > wellknown > > > fact > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > painting red > > the > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very > fact > > that the line > > marked > > > as Mcmohan line as border between > british india in > > 1945 after the end of > > > world war, even today remains > unsurveyed, thanks to > > our cadre friends > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai > bhai. It is not late even > > now to make a > > joint > > > survey and with > dialogue end the border row and > > disputes with China, > > then > > > two > nations, the developing economies of Asia, > > both India and China can > > > have > > > honourable interaction with all nations > > in the comity of > nations, even > > US > > >would be thinking twice if our leaders > > think of > the nation and its > > freedom > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the > > > first family.! > > > Regards. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "S. > > Jabbar" > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, > 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > To: > sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to > the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese > Government in its > > > > editorial > > on > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is > dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > > > demonstrations by > Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > > > growth,omitting > the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > Party > > and > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > The subjugation of > Tibet is > > most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > In 1952 > > > > > Chairman Mao > > complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > renamed > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > million > > > > Chinese > > and 750,000 > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the > 2000 census only 20% of > > Qinghai's > > > > population was > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > This demographic > > engineering undermines the > comparison you draw > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. > > Right-wing groups in > India have long > > > > demanded the > > > > re-settlement of > > the Kashmir > Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > non-state subjects > > from > buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi > > > has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama > and its > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > his proposals make it difficult to > accept their > > sincerity. A just > > > > solution"within the framework of > one China" is > > precisely what the > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's > > wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > line on > > > > Tibetdoes it > > little credit. > > > > > > > > Yours > sincerely, > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > Jyotirmaya > > Sharma > > > > Dilip > Simeon > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________ > > __________________________ > 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. > To > > unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List > > archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From pawan.durani at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 16:44:55 2008 From: pawan.durani at gmail.com (Pawan Durani) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:44:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804130202m136ad8derc8bfca995bd5096c@mail.gmail.com> References: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> <6b79f1a70804122258o1db25767y92645619fe315270@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804130202m136ad8derc8bfca995bd5096c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6b79f1a70804140414y4dd58ac6m56739a34e9c8fe58@mail.gmail.com> Dear Inder , The problem is that you have a creamy knowledge about Kashmir . Well, i dont mind that now since most of your friends in Sarai bank on same type of knowledge. However if you feel so passionate about so called "freedom" to Kashmiris , i suggest you to go back to Kashmir and work towards that . What is the use of your thoughts and knowledge about Kashmir if you do not stay at ground zero , and instead spend time on writing mails from your office or home at New Delhi. Last time i asked you if you had guts to do your nude photo shoot at some other place of worship , other than those belonging to Hindus. You havent replied to that . You know what I mean . And I know where your "art" STARTS & where it ENDS. Good Luck Pawan Durani On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > dear pawan ji > How many people will you hang in public, ( although i am against any kind > of > death sentence ) but if it is so, then the Indian politicians and > administrators since last 60 years who ruined Kashmir with their policies > need to be hanged first. Who is to be blamed for the present crises? > > Even if you go by the two nation theory, Kashmir should never have been a > part of India in 1947, Was not there a Prime Minister in Kashmir even > after > 1947... It might have achieved freedom in 1971 like > Bangladesh...if India > had allowed it to merge with Pakistan. the second blunder was to outwit > Sheikh Mohamand Abudullah, whom i consider a real hero of his > times. Nehru > imprisoned him for what..... Indira Gandhi humiliated him by compelling to > sing the accord. People around sheikh too were without vision. People have > dug into the archives, and have found clues that Sheikh Mohd > Abhullah was > never willing to sign the accord. > > Now, how can you exonarate all these Indian people who created mess in > Kashmir. Forget the fascist BJP, even Congress party palyed communal > cards > in Kashmir like in Punjab.. > > Kashmir deserves freedom by all means, India has done mistakes in the past > and after 1990 something terrible happened.... Now tell me, what India > has > gained? > > Yes, if you agree that there is an Anglo-American game plan which has > destroyed peace between pakistan and India then one can see the reason of > violence through a different lens.. If cold war has led to war in Iraq > finally, then the real enemies of Kashmir are in Washington, now how will > you hang Mr. Bush? > > with love > is > > > > > > > > On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 11:28 AM, Pawan Durani > wrote: > > > I agree with Inder Ji . > > > > Also all those people who have been resposnible for inciting violence > > which resulted in the current situation in Kashmir should be hanged in > > public. > > > > > > On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > WHETHER THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS GRAVES IN KASHMIR IS ESTABLISHED OR NOT, > > > THE > > > FACT REMAINS THAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE LOST > THEIR > > > LIVES FOR NO FAULT OF THEIRS. > > > > > > THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS NO ANSWER TO THAT, LIKE MANY OTHER STATES > > > WHICH > > > SUPRESS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OCCUPATION, WHICH IS PROFOUNDLY > > > REGREGTABLE. > > > > > > WHATEVER BEST THERE WAS BETWEEN KASHMIR AND INDIA ENDED IN 1990. FIRST > > > KASHMIRI PANDITS HAD TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEN ITS WAS > INNOCENT > > > PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY AT THE RECEIVING END OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE .... > > > > > > IT IS ALL SAD. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 10:33 PM, M Yousuf > wrote: > > > > > > > TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES > > > > http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > > > > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the string > > > > > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages of > > > > > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir like > > > > > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in the > > > > > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, > Taiwan, > > > > > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and forwards > on > > > > > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that featured > > > > > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > > > > > > > > > Punjab Kesri > > > > > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > > > > > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > Tribune > > > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > > > > > > > > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > > > > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > > > > > > > > > The Economic Times > > > > > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > > > > > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > > > > > > > > > Outlook > > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > > > > > > > > > DNA, Mumbai > > > > > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > > > > > > > > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring Outlook. > > > None > > > > > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have > anything. > > > > > > > > > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the previous > > > > > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, given > the > > > > > seriousness of the story. > > > > > > > > > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is what > I > > > > > found. > > > > > > > > > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - which > is > > > > > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" and > > > > > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass > graves. > > > > > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by > Javed > > > > > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for displaced > > > > > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that it > > > > > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized by > the > > > > > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > > > > > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > > > > > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The dateline > of > > > > > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the > event > > > > > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts Underground' > ) > > > > > on the 'nameless graves' > > > > > > > > > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine example > > > of > > > > > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > > > > > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > > > > > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the rally > > > is > > > > > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is usually > > > > > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a > casual > > > > > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > > > > > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' Kashmiris, > ie, > > > > > Kashmiri Pandits. > > > > > > > > > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated micro > > > > > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > > > > > > > > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > > > > > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > > > > > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > > > > > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > > > > > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > > > > > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > > > > > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > > > > > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > > > > > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > > > > > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > > > > > > > > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the > valley, > > > > > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that > refers > > > > > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen > Swami > > > > > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) features > > > only > > > > > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > > > > > impersonation and fraud. > > > > > > > > > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to get > > > > > its act together. I am not making a special case for the Indian > > > > > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all seem > > > > > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > > > > > > > > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in > Delhi > > > > > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange > silence. > > > > > > > > > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually > going > > > on. > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : > 'Amnesty > > > > > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human rights > > > abuses > > > > > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery of > mass > > > > > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty > > > unidentified > > > > > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed and > > > > > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may contain > the > > > > > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in Kashmir > > > are > > > > > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > > > > > > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC > > > website > > > > > > on the subject. > > > > > > > > > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' > media > > > > > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be corrected, > but > > > > > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection with > > > The > > > > > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and CNN-IBN > > > did > > > > > > not yield any results. > > > > > > > > > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I could > > > find > > > > > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan > Times. > > > > > > > > > > > > The story is titled - > > > > > > > > > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > > > > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > > > > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > > > > > > > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > > > > > 2= > > > > > > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > > > > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > > > > > > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking story > is > > > a > > > > > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to ask > what > > > > > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television stations > to > > > > > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all coy > > > when > > > > > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be necessary > to > > > > > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming Commonwealth > > > Games > > > > > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From indersalim at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 17:29:07 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:29:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet In-Reply-To: References: <47e122a70804132331r30fc2b33w1a83da013355a827@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804140459o7bf07207gfb22531e3efd797a@mail.gmail.com> It is my dream that the entire Tibetan plateau should become a free refuge > where humanity and nature can live in peace and in harmonious balance. It > would be a place where people from all over the world could come to seek the > true meaning of peace within themselves, away from the tensions and > pressures of much of the rest of the world. Tibet could indeed become a > creative center for the promotion and development of peace. > > -- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Dear Sonia , ...this should become a mantra, or an ayaat,or a poem for all those who are deeply into their respective struggles(s). I just want add one thing,- talking about environment is not just about tigers and trees. It is too deep and quite subjective in essence. Feminisim in essence is an environmental issue. Recongnitiion of tribal art forms and music as contemporary and modern is an environmental issue. In fact, the need to recognize 'all the human beings are artists' is a environmental issue. That is why i emphasized the need to club issues of sturggles with those of environmental and psychological even. Unless we discover a new way of living on this earth we are doomed. That is why these freedom struggles can become a ready -made ( Duchampian sense ) to bring about a veritable and long lasting change., if they club issues. That will be neo-radical sufisim as well, besides ishq-hakiki and majazi, all blended in one.. The urgent need to shun violence is not just because Gandhi said it, but because the IWC ( integrated world capitalism ) as Flexi Guatari says, find a ready-made excuse to use the power whenever we use violence to counter them. The language of violence is always written with the blood of other, which is war, and the humanity can not afford to go on with more wars. Freedom struggles based on terror use the language of war, which is unwittingly self defeateing. This is one of the reasons, i believe, corporates and fundamentalists go hand in hand beneath the surface. i am still optimistic with love is On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 1:05 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > Inder, > I am closely connected with the Wildlife Trust of India who asked the Dalai > Lama to endorse their campaign against the illegal trade in furs and skins. > The Dalai Lama agreed and immediately sent out a strong message to the > Tibetans. > > I'm pasting a news report on what happened as well as the Tibetan proposal > to turn Tibet into the largest bio-reserve in the world. > Best > Sj > --------------------------- > Tibetans clash with Chinese over fur bonfires > > By Richard Spencer in Beijing > Last Updated: 12:13am GMT 20/02/2006 > > Tibetan followers of the Dalai Lama have clashed with the Chinese > authorities after an unusual series of organised burnings of animal skins > and fur-lined clothes, campaigners said. > > The Dalai Lama made a seemingly innocuous call last month for Tibetans to > stop wearing the skins of protected animal species. Tibetans have often worn > animal skins as decorations, and clothes lined with furs, including from > tigers, leopards and otters suddenly became fashionable in recent years. > > > The call was taken up with such alacrity that the Chinese saw it as a > political statement of support for the Dalai Lama, whose continued > popularity remains one of their greatest sore points. > > According to the Wildlife Trust of India, which was shown a smuggled tape of > the burnings, nine people were arrested as the police moved in to put an end > to the bonfires. The group said "they were charged for public unrest and > colluding with the Dalai Lama". > > Relations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama, who is living > in exile in Dharamsala, northern India, are in an uncertain phase. A group > of the Dalai's emissaries are currently in China, on what is assumed to be > part of a series of contacts between the Communist authorities, who accuse > the Dalai of wanting to "split" China, and the Tibet government-in-exile. > > Supporters say the Dalai's statement about protected animals was not > intended to be political but a response to a series of calls from > environmental groups, concerned at an upsurge in the smuggling of rare > animal skins into China and Tibet. > > > The smuggling had caused anger in India, which has suffered from extensive > poaching of tigers and other wildlife. But the Tibetans responded with > enthusiasm. > > "An estimated six hundred million yuan [£43 million] worth of animal skins > have been burnt in eastern Tibet alone," said Lobsang Choephal, the monk who > smuggled the videotape, in Dharamsala on Friday. > > "These events are significant for us as they show the world and especially > China that Tibetans all over listen to the Dalai Lama and are willing to > make sacrifices if he wishes so," he added. > > Reports say that hundreds of people have been digging through their > wardrobes for fur-lined garments. > > Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet, said bonfires had > been lit in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, and on hillsides near monasteries in > Tibet and Tibetan-occupied parts of neighbouring provinces. > > She said that finally the authorities had stepped in to ban a mass burning > planned at a monastery at the town of Rebgong, and added that she had been > told of eight arrests. > > "They are letting them burn skins in their own homes, but the situation is > very tense," she said. "This is not going to go away." > > She added that neither the Dalai Lama nor the Tibetans had political > motives. > ---------------------------- > > It is my dream that the entire Tibetan plateau should become a free refuge > where humanity and nature can live in peace and in harmonious balance. It > would be a place where people from all over the world could come to seek the > true meaning of peace within themselves, away from the tensions and > pressures of much of the rest of the world. Tibet could indeed become a > creative center for the promotion and development of peace. > > -- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. > > > Tibet As A Zone of Peace > > In his "FIVE POINT PEACE PLAN STATEMENT" delivered in 1987 the Dalai Lama > committed himself to developing Tibet, following liberation into a "Zone of > Peace". The specific points regarding the Zone of Peace he made in his > lecture in Norway on 12/11/89 were as follows: > > * a. the entire Tibetan plateau would be demilitarized; > > * b. the manufacture, testing, and stockpiling of nuclear weapons and > other armaments on the Tibetan plateau would be prohibited. > > * c. the Tibetan plateau would be transformed into the world¹s largest > natural park or biosphere. Strict laws would be enforced to protect wildlife > and plant life; the exploitation of natural resources would be carefully > regulated so as not to damage relevant ecosystems; and a policy of > sustainable development would be adopted in populated areas; > > * d. the manufacture and use of nuclear power and other technologies > which produce hazardous waste would be prohibited; > > * e. national resources and policy would be directed towards the active > promotion of peace and environmental protection. > > * f. organizations dedicated to the furtherance of peace and to the > protection of all forms of life would find a hospitable home in Tibet; > > * g. the establishment of international and regional orga-nisations for > the promotion and protection of human rights would be encouraged in Tibet. > > > Since that time the topic has appeared here and there in his lectures as he > has networked around the world. Other governmental and non-governmental > organizations have made reference to it as they have anticipating the > prospects of disrupting the stranglehold China continues to have on Tibet. > Clearly this is a vision or a "dream" as the Dalai Lama calls it that can > capture the imagination of serious scholars, environmentalists and citizens > in a world that is spinning out of control. It calls forth an idea that¹s > time has truly come. There is still unlimited potential for ending the > process of dissembling the earth¹s resources and reversing this avaricious > trend to bring about a healthy whole living environment in Tibet. > > His Holiness' vision has been laid out, but the pressures in dealing with > world leaders and organization to put Tibet's problems high on the > international agenda has kept the focus at another political level. The > concept of "The Zone of Peace" or "Ahisma" as used by Gandhi has sadly > lacked sufficient worldwide attention. > > The team that manages this web site believes that His Holiness' vision is > ripe for fuller development. This development could take the form of a > pre-visualization of how Tibet with its natural features and resources, its > wildlife, its people and culture could re-emerge as a healthy, stable and > humanistic environment dedicated to international peace. > > While the world waits for the tide to shift the balance toward liberty and > justice for Tibet, it is none too soon to begin to fill in the outer and > then inner outlines of how such a society may solve its problems and be a > service to mankind. > > The conceptualizations can begin from the general and eventually lead to > specifics. The areas of concern are many and all interrelated. They must > move from the arena of survival, survival of people, culture, land, > wildlife, natural environment etc. to one of thriving. > > We would like to use this site as a forum to gather together ideas from > serious thinkers as to how such an exciting concept might be developed and > look once it is put in place. As the notion is almost as large as Tibet > itself, there is room for the generalist and the specialist from many fields > to contribute their thoughts. > > We wish to encourage the readers of www.tew.org (Tibet Environmental Watch) > to submit their ideas to us via e-mail: rapte at dnai.com. Should one wish to > write essays or papers regarding the subject they would be seriously > considered for posting. While TEW is not an official site, useful ideas and > contributions become available for those who are working from around the > world for the future Tibet. > > > > > > > On 4/14/08 12:01 PM, "inder salim" wrote: > > > dear Sonia > > " I think Kashmiris can > learn something from them" > > thanks > > Sonia for endorsing what i actually want to be debated on the list. > But this > > non-violent technique to carry forward struggle(s) is just > the first step > > towards what i actually want. > > Social, psychological and Environmental issues > > are dear to me, and > therefore, i dont see any struggle meaningful unless > > these are > clubbed with the freedom sturggles. This new politics can really > > give > direction to our future on earth. This way we will know whether > people > > of a particular area actually want a freedom or just want to > unfurl a colour > > ful piece of cloth 'flag' ( parcham ) in the backyards > or secretraits. > > So > > people of Tibet too need to know that the recent gains made by > their > > non-violent methods of protesting are limited unless they learn > to club the > > issues. > > When M.Yousuf said that someone can not be the SHO of a woman > > thana, > and a woman beater at the same time, i thought of those Tibetians > > who > kill Tigers and call themselves Buddhists at the same time. If > > they > continue to do so, they simply dont deserve a free country. > > About > > Kashmir, i must add that the strong Sufi traditions of Kashmir > are amply > > equpped with systems of thought that can be converted into > new forms of > > protesting. That can really be creative. This way, an > actual support can > > trickle into the valley. People like me, who can > not take a gun in his hands > > to kill even a bird, let alone a human > being, too can join the struggle. A > > new agenda can be fixed, that can > be part of a globalized world order, > > re-emphasizing 'the oriental' as > Edward Said might have loved to > > see.... > > converting a violent organization into a non-vilent organiztion is > > too > simplistic, but a significant one to march ahead for a new world > politics, > > if there is one. > > I am optimistic. > > with love > inder salim > > On Mon, Apr 14, > > 2008 at 9:33 AM, S. Jabbar wrote: > > The article was > > directed at the people of India who have singularly failed > > to stop human > > rights violations in Kashmir. It is extremely critical of the > > Indian > > state's militaristic response. Nowhere in the article or indeed > > anywhere in > > my writings have I supported the military action against > > civilians in > > Kashmir. If you choose to interpret the article as hypocrisy > > I'd suggest > > you read it again. If you still choose to do so, it is your > > prerogative, and > > I am saddened by what I see as your prejudiced reading. > > > > But as someone who > > admires Gandhi I take your criticism seriously and > > somewhere I agree with > > you. I have tried since 1995 to work on Kashmir, to > > somehow stop the > > killings, rapes, disappearances and torment of innocent > > civilians whether by > > the Indian armed forces or the militants through my > > writings and activism. > > In this I have singularly failed. All I have managed > > to do in all these > > years is to generate a little debate and comfort a > > handful of families. In > > return I have received more than my share of love > > and hospitality from the > > people of Jammu and Kashmir, a debt that I can > > never repay. It is this debt > > that makes me continue my work in Kashmir. > > > > Having said that, I'd like to > > draw your attention to a question I have for > > you and to other young > > Kashmiris. I, as an "Indian" may have failed to help > > people in Kashmir > > through the twenty devastating years of war, but what have > > you done? I find > > the moral high ground you occupy just because you happen to > > be born a > > Kashmiri unacceptable. > > > > I am reminded of the time when I could not go to > > Kashmir for a few months > > because of Gujarat. I was deeply involved in > > organising and coordinating > > efforts of activists, lawyers and NGOs. When I > > returned to Kashmir, a > > prominent human rights lawyer accused me of > > forgetting Kashmir. I explained > > the Gujarat situation to him, described to > > him how we had worked day and > > night to counter the monstrous actions of the > > Sangh Parivar, but in the end > > he said, 'OK, OK, but you haven't done much > > for Kashmir.' I asked him what > > he had done for Gujarat and he fell > > silent. > > > > The point is I believe there cannot be an hierarchy of pain. The > > pain of > > the Kashmiri is not greater than the pain of a Sri Lankan or an > > Afghan or > > indeed, a Tibetan. In this I find Rosa Luxembourg most instructive > > and I > > will quote her in full: > > > > What do you want with this particular > > suffering of the Jews? The poor > > victims on the rubber plantations in > > Puntamayo, the negroes in Africa with > > whose bodies the Europeans play a game > > of catch are just as near to me. Do > > you remember the words written on the > > work of the General Staff about > > Trotta's campaign in the Kalahari Desert? > > "And the death rattles, the mad > > cries of those dying of thirst, faded away > > into the sublime silence of > > eternity." > > > > Oh this "sublime silence of > > eternity" in which so many screams have faded > > away unheard. It rings with > > me so strongly that I have no special corner of > > my heart reserved for the > > ghetto. I am at home wherever in the world there > > are clouds, birds and > > human tears. > > > > ---- > > > > Returning to the issue of what you call my > > hypocritical engagement with the > > Tibet issue. Instead of stopping me from > > doing so, I suggest you encourage > > more people to engage with the Kashmir > > issue. Let there be debate. Let the > > Indian government be shamed into > > repealing its draconian laws and punishing > > those guilty of rights > > violations. And I don't believe that it is > > hypocritical for a Japanese to > > engage with Kashmir when his or her > > government has as yet not apologised to > > China or for an American to do so > > because of Iraq, or for a Kashmiri Muslim > > to speak up for the Tibetans > > because of the Pandit exodus. > > > > The world is > > small. You accuse me of nationalism and yet you want my > > energies to be > > confined to the borders of my nation. There are many > > struggles I should > > have done more for, not just Kashmir. I am deeply > > disturbed by what the > > Indian state has done in the Northeast. I believe > > India's attitude here has > > been one of a colonial power, and yet I have not > > had the time or energy to > > do more. The same goes with Burma, as well as > > Balochistan. > > > > The Tibetans > > are a small nation of 6.5 million people and yet there is > > something about > > their non-violent struggle that has attracted millions of > > people across the > > globe to come to their support. I think Kashmiris can > > learn something from > > them. > > > > If you are based in Delhi please join us. The Tibetans have been > > camped in > > Jantar Mantar for the past few weeks and every evening there is a > > candle > > light vigil. On the 17th we are planning a parallel peace run: the > > Torch > > for Tibet. Nothing would make me happier than to see a Kashmiri > > running > > with us. > > > > With this I close my end of this particular debate, > > again for want of time. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/13/08 8:02 PM, "Wali Arifi" > > wrote: > > > > > *"This has got to stop. People cannot be > > killed every day because our > > leaders > > > have no idea on how to proceed with > > initiatives that they themselves > > take. If > > > Kashmir is indeed an > > inseparable part of India as we have been told > > for more > > > than 50 years, > > then we must as Indians rise, and in one voice say: > > stop > > > killing our own > > people."* > > > > The end lines of Ms Jabbar's piece sums it up and > > > describes > > her position > > about places like Kashmir. All the questions raised so > > > far > > stand answered! > > > > Double standards of people like Ms Jabbar come out > > clear. > > > For her, the > > world's highest militarised area doesn't qualify as > > an occupation > > > because > > its the military of her own nation that she > > appears to be advising in > > > her > > piece. > > > > Hypocrisy... Is this? > > > > > > Best > > > > > > On 4/12/08, S. Jabbar > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > FYI This is from the neo-Gandhian in 2001, > > > published in the op-ed > > section > > > in the Indian Express. > > > > > > > > > Cease > > > Firing! > > > > > > By > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > > > > > After announcing one or the other step in > > > > > Kashmir "in the right direction" > > > the Indian State is in the habit of > > falling > > > asleep with its head in the > > > sand, hoping that if and when it > > wakes up things > > > would have sorted > > > themselves out‹somehow. The Prime > > Minister's Ramzan Cease > > > Fire announcement > > > is the most recent example > > of this policy. > > > > > > > > > > > > I was > > > in Kashmir in the early days of the > > cease-fire and the relief and > > > hope it > > > promised amongst the Kashmiris > > was remarkable. There was a > > > carnivalesque > > > feeling in the air: shops > > alight and open until late, large > > > crowds in the > > > market places, mosques > > and shrines, feasting and revellry > > > after the day's > > > fast. Even hardened > > separatists heaved a sigh of relief and > > > welcomed the > > > Centre's move. > > Three months later things are back to normal: > > > curfew, > > > custodial > > killings, firing on demonstrations, civilian casualties. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Consider the events of the last few days: Jaleel Ahmed Shah was picked up> > > by > > > the Special Operations Group (SOG, the counter-insurgency arm of the > > J&K > > > > > > Police) and the army from his residence in Haigam, Sopore, on the > > 13th. Two > > > > > > days later the people of Haigam were told that Shah had been > > killed in > > > > > > "retaliatory action" when he had ambushed an army/SOG patrol > > in the forest > > > > > > area of Juhama, Baramulla. As it often happens, the > > police delayed in > > > > > > handing over Shah's dead body to his relatives. This > > prompted the residents > > > > > > of Haigam to lead a demonstration of an > > estimated 6,000 people onto the > > > > > > Srinagar-Baramulla highway, demanding > > Shah's body be handed over to his > > > > > > relatives. An officer leading an > > army convoy, on finding the road blocked by > > > > > > the protestors, ordered > > his men to open fire on the crowd. 5 civilians were > > > > > > killed, 30 were > > injured. Police sources say that the police was already > > > > > > present, > > persuading the crowd to leave when the army opened fire. One > > > > > > policeman > > was also injured in the firing. Of the two women killed, one was a > > > > > > > > first-year B.A. student. > > > > > > > > > > > > The security forces claim that Jaleel > > Ahmed > > > Shah was a dreaded district > > > commander of the Harkat-ul Jehad-i- > > Islami > > > (HUJI) and had masterminded > > > several attacks on the army and on > > civilians. > > > But this is in direct > > > contradiction to their own claim that > > the HUJI has no > > > presence in the > > > Valley, but in the Jammu area. Also > > contradicting the claim > > > of Shah's > > > affiliation to the HUJI is a > > statement by Yasin Malik who says > > > that Shah was > > > the Distict Secretary > > of the JKLF and had even participated in > > > the blood > > > donation camp > > recently organised by the JKLF for the victims of > > > the Gujrat > > > > > earthquake. The JKLF declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and > > > has > > since > > > advocated a non-violent, secular, political struggle. Since the > > > > > Indian State > > > lifted the ban on the organisation last year it has a > > right, > > > under law, to > > > exist. Its workers and office bearers have the > > right to > > > profess their > > > ideology and engage in political activities. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A day > > > after the Haigam firing, workers of the JKLF organised > > a > > > demonstration at > > > Lal Chowk protesting the custodial killing of Shah > > and the > > > 5 deaths at > > > Haigam. A plain clothed security man fired into > > the > > > demonstration killing > > > one young man immediately. Another is in > > hospital with > > > a bullet in his head. > > > Curfew has been clamped in > > Srinagar. The tremendous > > > goodwill generated in > > > the early days of the > > cease fire towards the Indian > > > state stands to be lost > > > unless immediate > > measures are taken to rectify the > > > situation. > > > > > > > > > > > > The > > > > > Centre must not be tempted to retract the cease-fire in view of the > > > > > > > > escalation in violence. But an extension of the cease-fire would be > > > > > > > > meaningless if it were seen simply as an instrument to score brownie points > > > > > > > > against Pakistan in the international arena. It must demonstrate its > > > > > > > > sincerity on the ground in Kashmir *if* it genuinely wants peace in > > > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > A high-ranking minister or official from New > > Delhi should > > > visit the Valley > > > and listen to the grievances of the > > people. In the decade > > > long war in the > > > Valley where thousands of > > innocent people have been killed, > > > it is a rare > > > occassion when a > > minister visits. And yet, Kashmiri Muslims > > > have seen how > > > the gruesome > > killings of 36 Sikhs of Chittisinghpora brought > > > planeloads of > > > > > concerned officials from the Centre. > > > > > > > > > > > > The SOG/STF > > > should be > > reined in. Fifteen of the twenty-three extrajudicial > > > executions > > > > > recorded since the cease-fire have been attributed to the > > > SOG/STF. The > > > > > granting of impunity to the security forces under the bogus > > > claim that > > > > > holding them accountable would somehow "demoralise the forces" is > > > > > > > > unacceptable to any self-respecting democracy. Senior officers in the > > > > > > > > Police and Army while admitting to working under tremendous pressure have> > > > > > stated often enough how they would welcome a more transparent system as it > > > > > > > > would discipline the forces. But finally, it should be recognised that > > > > > > > > abuses by the security forces will only stop when they are pulled out of > > the > > > > > > Valley. And that can only happen when a genuine peace gets a > > foothold in > > > > > > Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > For a genuine peace to be > > established Kashmiris need to be > > > treated like > > > other citizens of this > > country with full democratic rights. If > > > the Kar > > > Sevaks were not shot > > at in Ayodhya and the Shiv Sainiks during their > > > V-day > > > celebrations, > > why should Kashmiris be shot at for protesting against > > > > > > killings of > > non-combatant Kashmiris? > > > > > > > > > > > > The Centre should recognise that > > > > > the Kashmir issue has festered for over > > > half a century because it did > > not > > > allow any healthy opposition to grow and > > > democratically challenge > > the > > > governments that New Delhi foisted upon > > > Kashmir. Opposition and > > protest are > > > vital safety valves for any democracy. > > > Plug them and you > > have pressure > > > growing and exploding like it did in 1989 > > > when Kashmiri > > youth picked up the > > > gun. > > > > > > > > > > > > Opposition to the National > > Conference government and Farooq > > > Abdullah is > > > virtually non-existent in > > the Assembly. This is hardly a healthy > > > political > > > scenario. The only > > opposition rests outside the Assembly, within > > > the > > > Hurriyat Conference. > > In such a situation the Centre needs to be a > > > little > > > less paranoid > > about the Hurriyat's miniscule pro-Pak element and > > > engage with > > > it > > seriously. This would be the next logical step in the peace > > > process. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hurriyat had announced in early December its intentions > > > > > to visit > > > Pakistan to hold talks with the militant organisations, and set > > the > > > date for > > > their departure as January 15. The mandarins in the Home > > Ministry > > > vacillated > > > and continue to stall their initiative by not > > issuing passports‹ > > > a decision > > > entirely uncalled for. Abdul Ghani > > Lone's brave statements > > > against foreign > > > militants on his last trip to > > Pakistan and the Hurriyat's > > > transparent agenda > > > for Pakistan should > > have convinced the Centre how > > > necessary it is to allow > > > the Hurriyat to > > travel without impediment. The > > > continued intransigence on > > > the > > passport issue impresses no one, and only > > > underscores the whimsical > > > > > high-handedness of the Indian State. > > > > > > > > > > > > The > > > Valley is in > > shadow again today. Six families are bereaved. There will > > > be > > > six > > funerals. I have seen this scene played out hundreds of times: > > > Mothers, > > > > > grandmothers, children, uncles will be sitting around the bodies > > > > > weeping; > > > weeping for a boy or girl who was a student, a worker, a > > > > > businessman. He or > > > she was just going to be married or just had a child, > > or > > > there would be some > > > little detail about this person that would make > > the > > > whole thing terribly > > > tragic. Afzal or Imran or Ghulam Mohammed > > was > > > soft-spoken, I would be told, > > > had never picked up the gun. And > > yet, here he > > > lies, cold, never to wake > > > again. > > > > > > > > > > > > This has > > got to stop. People cannot be killed every day because > > > our > > > leaders > > have no idea on how to proceed with initiatives that they > > > themselves > > > > > take. If Kashmir is indeed an inseparable part of India as we > > > have been > > told > > > for more than 50 years, then we must as Indians rise, and in > > > one > > voice say: > > > stop killing our own people. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08 8:41 > > PM, > > > "Wali Arifi" wrote: > > > > > > One would have > > hoped that this > > > response was posted on the Sarai forum. > > > These are no > > personal issues > > > though... > > > > > > Now that Ms Sonia Jabbar wants a > > response to her work/writing > > > about > > > Kashmir, may I ask if she considers > > Kashmir a military occupation, > > > just like > > > Tibet, or a law and order > > issue most nationalist Indians like to > > > beleive it > > > is? > > > > > > Not that > > her readership and observance is not aware of Ms > > > Jabbar's > > > neo-Gandhian > > activism in Kashmir. Could Ms Jabbar also, for the > > > benefit of > > > Sarai > > subscribers, point out any published stand on what she > > > believes > > > > > Kashmir issue to be? > > > > > > And does she also have anything to say > > > about > > Kashmir reportage by the > > > likes of Praveen Swami and Barkha Dutt both > > > > > of whom along with many others > > > owe their careers as journalists to > > > > > misrepresenting Kashmir. > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/11/08, *sonia > > jabbar* > > > wrote: > > > > > > Easy for you to accuse me > > of enjoying 'an > > > organic > > > relationship with the powers that be.' > > Easier to say I observe > > > criminal > > > silence than to find out what I've > > said and respond intelligently > > > and > > > substantively to my writings and > > activism. > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at > > > 12:28 AM, Wali Arifi > > wrote: > > > > > > Dear all > > > > > > It is not > > > clear why > > the signatories to the letter are agitated about the > > > way > > > The > > > Hindu > > has dealt with the Tibet issue. The editorial in question > > > actually > > > > > > > > reflects the newspaper's consistent outlook about many similar issues. > > > > > > > > The > > > newspaper's well known Rural Editor simply chose to overlook > > recently > > > > > > exposed state terrorism by the CPI(M) government in > > Nandigram. Mr P > > > > > > Sainath, > > > the interrogator of Indian social > > reality, in complete contrast to > > > what he > > > is known for, chose to remain > > silent about purging, massacre and > > > onslaught > > > of corporate world. All > > this in conformity with the newspaper's > > > proximity > > > to > > > the so called > > CPI(M) ideology and the party. > > > > > > Similarly, > > > The Hindu's "ace > > reporter" and its "Kashmir expert", Mr Praveen > > > Swami, > > > appears to have > > been left above any ethical or professional > > > scrutiny > > > - the > > > right a > > newspaper is supposed to unequivocally reserve for itself > > > and > > > its > > > > > readers. The newspaper willingly chooses to ignore how Swamiji has > > > over > > > > > > > > time been turned into a dumping yard for its scrap book by the > > country's > > > > > > intelligence establishment. The ace journalist does not even > > seem to > > > > > > exercise the basic minimum professional duty of cross checking > > information > > > > > > dolled out to him by his intelligence handlers. > > > > > > > > For patient readers the > > > link bellow provides just an example, the tip of > > > > > the > > > Swamiji iceberg. > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040458210100.htm > > > > > > While > > the > > > ace reporter was being briefed for this particular report (I am > > > > > taking the > > > sweet liberty to imagine once like Swamiji so regularly > > does), > > > his (and thus > > > The Hindu's) trusted handlers forgot to check > > that the > > > Hizbul > > > Mujahideen > > > (HM) ceasefire dates were off the mark > > only by three years. > > > According to > > > Swamiji, HM's July 2000 ceasefire > > was scripted by the group's > > > ideologue in > > > 2003! > > > > > > For a > > discerning reader, The Hindu cannot be disappointing in this > > > regard. > > > > > Be it Tibet, Kashmir, Nandigram or the issue of Northeast. In fact, > > > its > > > > > Kashmir reportage happens through the intelligence establishment with > > > > > just > > > tulip gardens from the ground. Or, may be the newspaper is mandated > > > > > only > > > to > > > write about US imperialism. > > > > > > For the signatories of > > the letter > > > to the newspaper, particularly Sonia > > > Jabbar, Shashi Tharoor > > and Ramachandra > > > Guha, who enjoy an organic > > > relationship with the > > powers that be, it is easy > > > to understand how they > > > give > > > themselves > > the moral right to talk about Tibet > > > and choose to exercise > > > criminal > > silence about what India has been doing in > > > Northeast and Kashmir. > > > > > > > > Nationalism, lady and gentlemen, is quite a > > > mandate! > > > > > > Best > > > On > > 4/9/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > I > > very much appreciate your concern and anguish, but it is > > > wellknown > > > > > fact > > > > that our "cadres" always hail china and welcome them with > > > > > painting red > > > the > > > > whole of the city like they did in 1962.The very > > fact > > > that the line > > > marked > > > > as Mcmohan line as border between > > british india in > > > 1945 after the end of > > > > world war, even today remains > > unsurveyed, thanks to > > > our cadre friends > > > > engineering hindi-chini bhai > > bhai. It is not late even > > > now to make a > > > joint > > > > survey and with > > dialogue end the border row and > > > disputes with China, > > > then > > > > two > > nations, the developing economies of Asia, > > > both India and China can > > > > > have > > > > honourable interaction with all nations > > > in the comity of > > nations, even > > > US > > > > would be thinking twice if our leaders > > > think of > > the nation and its > > > freedom > > > > than kickbacks in N-deal for the > > > > > first family.! > > > > Regards. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > From: "S. > > > Jabbar" > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, > > 2008 5:44 pm > > > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] The Hindu on Tibet > > > > To: > > sarai list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Letter to > > the Editor: > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's bias in favour of the Chinese > > Government in its > > > > > editorial > > > on > > > > > Tibet (March 28, 2008) is > > dismaying. The reasons behind the recent > > > > > > > > demonstrations by > > Tibetans are transparent. You speak of sustained > > > > > > > > growth,omitting > > the fact that Han Chinese control the economy, > > > > > Party > > > and > > > > > > > government. Impartial observers have documented the onslaught on > > > > > > > > > > naturalresources, the repression of Buddhism, the enforced > > > > > > > > > > denunciations of the > > > > > Dalai Lama. > > > > > > > > > > The subjugation of > > Tibet is > > > most evident in re-settlement policy. > > > > > In 1952 > > > > > > > Chairman Mao > > > complained that there were "hardly any Han in Tibet." > > > > > > > By 1953 > > > > > > > > there were 100,000 Chinese in the province of Qinghai, the > > renamed > > > > > > > > easternTibetan province of Amdo. In 1985 there were 2.5 > > million > > > > > Chinese > > > and 750,000 > > > > > Tibetans in Qinghai. By the > > 2000 census only 20% of > > > Qinghai's > > > > > population was > > > > > > > Tibetan. > > > > > > > > > > This demographic > > > engineering undermines the > > comparison you draw > > > > > betweenTibet and Kashmir. > > > Right-wing groups in > > India have long > > > > > demanded the > > > > > re-settlement of > > > the Kashmir > > Valley. However, Article 370 disallows > > > > > non-state subjects > > > from > > buying land; and it is to allay Kashmiri > > > > > anxietiesthat New Delhi > > > > > has not granted autonomy or separate > > > > > statehood for Ladakh and > > > > > > > > > > Jammu. > > > > > > > > > > Beijing's abusive denunciations of the Dalai Lama > > and its > > > > > > > > stonewalling of > > > > > his proposals make it difficult to > > accept their > > > sincerity. A just > > > > > solution"within the framework of > > one China" is > > > precisely what the > > > > > Dalai Lama has > > > > > pursued. > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu's > > > wholesale reproduction of the official Chinese > > line on > > > > > Tibetdoes it > > > little credit. > > > > > > > > > > Yours > > sincerely, > > > > > > > > > > Sonia Jabbar > > > > > > > > Ramachandra Guha > > > > > > > Mukul Kesavan > > > > > Madhu Sarin > > > > > Jyotirmaya > > > Sharma > > > > > Dilip > > Simeon > > > > > Tenzin Sonam > > > > > Shashi Tharoor > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > > list > > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > List archive: > > > > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________ > > > __________________________ > > 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. > > To > > > unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List > > > archive: > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > -- > > > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From chiarapassa at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 19:52:33 2008 From: chiarapassa at gmail.com (Chiara Passa) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:22:33 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Ecotronica.net out now! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Friends & colleagues, we're very glad to announce that ECOTRONICA blog is out now at www.ecotronica.net ecotronica.net (bilingual eng/ita) is a blog that pays attention to electronic artworks designed with the purpose and method ecological based on recycling technologies and other forms of artistic expression. ecotronica.net is curate by Luigi Pagliarini & Chiara Passa but we are happy to involve other people interested in the marriage between hi-tech art and ecology. Cheers, Luigi pagliarini & Chiara Passa -- Chiara Passa chiarapassa at gmail.com http://www.chiarapassa.it http://www.ideasonair.net http://twitter.com/jogador Skype: ideasonair From justjunaid at rediffmail.com Tue Apr 15 01:37:31 2008 From: justjunaid at rediffmail.com (junaid) Date: 14 Apr 2008 20:07:31 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] The day Tibetans made fun of Kashmiris Message-ID: <20080414200731.26778.qmail@f4mail-235-128.rediffmail.com>  The afternoon sun shone bright on Srinagar?s busy MA Road. Honking cars jostling for space gave tough time to the only traffic policeman present; his whistles lost in the din. Dressed immaculately, with a turban crowning his bearded head, the policeman directs the unruly traffic. The veins in his neck stick out; his red face and blood shot eyes proof of the pressure he is under. With each whistle blow, blood drains out from his face only to return slowly. From a short distance, atop fortified guard towers, two paramilitary troopers guarding the chief minister?s residence watch him. A car grazes against another one, and a verbal duel ensues. A few heavily-armed policemen in battle fatigues hurl abuses as they lung forward to intervene. On the other side of the road some Tibetans assemble. A cop walks up to them, says something, and hurriedly withdraws.             The Tibetans put on head bands. A Tibetan man brings out some placards and banners from a waiting auto-rickshaw. They form two lines, one on either side of the road, and start marching. Two long rows walk silently. The traffic cop is distracted; he looks on dreamily at the strange marchers. He is woken from his reverie by the sound of horns and cars coming to a screeching halt. Boys from the nearby SP College, evading the wrathful eyes of baton-wielding policemen who act as Kashmir?s moral cops, wait as usual for girls to come out of the adjoining Women?s college. They look surprised upon seeing the marchers; they don?t know what the march is about. Some of them look at the marchers and at the police in quick glances. Past few weeks have not been good for protestors in Srinagar: first the employees of electric department were beaten blue, then the striking state transport employees were thrashed badly, and in the nearby Maisuma, young Liberation Front activists were tear-gassed and baton-charged. The police, however, stays put. Some students move forward to read the banners. ?Free Tibet?. ?Stop Cultural Genocide of Tibetans.?   The bright yellow headbands with the traditional Tibetan symbols of red and blue rays radiating from a rising yellow sun behind a snow mountain, and two snow lions protecting Buddha?s three-coloured jewel, attracts curiosity. ?What is this?? a student asks. ?This is our flag? replies a smiling Tibetan. ?Who are you?? asks the confused student. A man sitting on a railing, caresses his well-trimmed beard, laughs awkwardly, and says: ?Don?t you see these are Botta? They are from Ladakh. Tibetan market.? The marchers keep moving; and at the end of the road they turn right toward the Tourist Reception Centre, of which only a burnt plinth is left now. A billboard, with pictures of a sari-clad Sonia Gandhi, blue-turbaned Manmohan Singh, and a traumatized head-shot of Mufti Saeed, celebrating the inauguration of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as a historic step toward peace, stands tilted face-forward in front of the now open space; the long yellow wooden building with a green conical roof that once housed the centre no longer there. The date ?April 07, 2005? is partially blackened by the soot from the burning building where two holed-up guerrillas had died fighting only a day before the bus was to be inaugurated by the Indian prime minister. A man comes forward from the adjoining state transport yard; he yells hysterically: ?Hey all come see Botta!? The man, looking like a mechanic with his greased clothes, reads the word F-R-E-E-D-O-M. It takes him some time to make the necessary connections, and then sighs sadly. He asks some questions in Kashmiri; the Tibetan he asked responds by bowing a little with a smile on his face. A sumo-driver from the taxi stand on the other side makes a bawdy physical gesture, and in Kashmiri, shouts: ?O yes, we received it long back, only you haven?t!?   A group of rural folk with bags full of merchandise pause to look; they put their load down, stretch and ease themselves. An elderly woman in the group is told by a college student what the march is about. The woman?s eyes well up; she wipes her tears, inhales deeply, and prays aloud with her hands raised: ?May, my Shah-e-Jeelan protect you!? The Tibetans smile at passers-by. Their leader looks at his watch, takes out his phone, and makes some calls. They turn right again onto the Residency Road. Many more people watch from sides. The cars slow down to read the placards for a while, and then hurry away. By now a flock of photographers and cameramen from the nearby press enclave have descended on the scene. They take close-ups and mug shots; they zoom out from marching Tibetans to focus on the overlooking Takht-e-Sulaiman in the distance. One cameraman moves close to a protestor?s face, focussing on his eyes, apparently to capture his emotions. Some Tibetans bring out pictures of Dalai Lama. The cameramen find it difficult to keep shifting stands; the marchers will wait for them. After a while, the march resumes but will come to an end shortly afterwards. A bearded young man pulls a young Tibetan to the side, and tells him:           ?If you become Muslim, we will fight them together.? The young Tibetan excuses himself, and hurriedly jumps into a waiting auto-rickshaw, like his other compatriots, and leaves. A former rebel leader, coming out of a shop in Lal Chowk, says: ?We must learn from Tibetans. See how they have brought the mighty Chinese to their knees.? He quickly adds an Urdu verse: ?Kisi Shehenshah ne bana ke Taj Mahal, Hum gariboon ki mohabat ka udaya hai mazaak.? (Some emperor, by building the Taj Mahal,   Has mocked at the love of us, poor people.)           ?By asking for their freedom in Srinagar, Tibetans have made fun of the Kashmiri people.?   ***********************************   Kashmir is under threat of losing all its crazy mad men; they are getting shot and killed every other day. Some are killed, as the Indian army argues, because these mentally-challenged people don?t stop when asked, while others are shot dead because they run around wildly. If the Indian army does not stop its campaign against them, Kashmir might lose this rare breed of people soon.  http://bluekashmir.blogspot.com/                           From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Tue Apr 15 01:54:59 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:54:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A Wandering Child Longing for his Lost Childhood Message-ID: <6353c690804141324x4fd29b45td3fdf02eeede3cff@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, This blog comes after months of procrastination, but just on time. Titled, "A Wandering Child Longing for his Lost Childhood", I begin with it today with my very first post; "Reincarnation...". Visit it at - http://www.activistsdiary.blogspot.com/ Hope to get your comments on the blog and even blogroll. Many Thanks, P.S. - Till a few months I used to blog at www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com ; One fine day I found it to have been hacked by someone; immediately after we did expose on a Terrorist Bitta Karate of JKLF on a National news Channel. Regards Aditya Raj Kaul Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Tue Apr 15 11:58:59 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:28:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The day Tibetans made fun of Kashmiris In-Reply-To: <20080414200731.26778.qmail@f4mail-235-128.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: <309093.23821.qm@web45512.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi, The junaid version of story sounds good to read, but JUNAID forget to make a point that TIBET IS OCCUPIED BY CHINA, WHERE AS KASHMIR is an INDIAN TERRITORY since times immemorial.Though the religion in CHINA is an exported BUDDHISM from India, being a communist country and if allowed it is ready to occupy rest of the surrounding parts or nations. But INDIA, democratic in nature never tried to occupy any country anytime not now. Rather we gave part of INDIAN land to facilitate BRITISH influenced egoists, to create a separate country in the name of faith. As they are not satisfied with that, occupied Indian territories and gifted them to china. India has been observing silence for its sacred places like SHARADA TEMPLE ,MANAS SAROVAR are in enemy possession. Over the period of time, 1)Jinnah died 2)faith based 2 nation theory failed and 3)they fail to manage them self and causing troubles, every INDIAN CITIZEN is questioning the EXISTENCE OF PAKISTAN NOW!!! One must understand entire HIMALAYAS do belong to INDIA. As far as INDIA and common INDIAN CITIZENS are concerned, Whatever the race that junaid wrote about is COMPLETELY SAFE and are living happily. There are so many kashmiris like VEDAVADI Jogi HUSBAND got married, settled down and living happily, providing livelihood to other citizens. Almighty is the supreme for all the living and nonliving beings, will take care about what to stay and what to go with time. With this I conclude this mail by not mentioning any smritis(as BRITISH took MANU SMRITI to create law/constitution to follow for INDIA) hymns,slokas,sastras,puranas,vedas,cultures (since these are as old as compared to any .....) to prove what is what, what belong to whom, who is from where? Regards, Dhatri. junaid wrote: The afternoon sun shone bright on Srinagar?s busy MA Road. Honking cars jostling for space gave tough time to the only traffic policeman present; his whistles lost in the din. Dressed immaculately, with a turban crowning his bearded head, the policeman directs the unruly traffic. The veins in his neck stick out; his red face and blood shot eyes proof of the pressure he is under. With each whistle blow, blood drains out from his face only to return slowly. From a short distance, atop fortified guard towers, two paramilitary troopers guarding the chief minister?s residence watch him. A car grazes against another one, and a verbal duel ensues. A few heavily-armed policemen in battle fatigues hurl abuses as they lung forward to intervene. On the other side of the road some Tibetans assemble. A cop walks up to them, says something, and hurriedly withdraws. The Tibetans put on head bands. A Tibetan man brings out some placards and banners from a waiting auto-rickshaw. They form two lines, one on either side of the road, and start marching. Two long rows walk silently. The traffic cop is distracted; he looks on dreamily at the strange marchers. He is woken from his reverie by the sound of horns and cars coming to a screeching halt. Boys from the nearby SP College, evading the wrathful eyes of baton-wielding policemen who act as Kashmir?s moral cops, wait as usual for girls to come out of the adjoining Women?s college. They look surprised upon seeing the marchers; they don?t know what the march is about. Some of them look at the marchers and at the police in quick glances. Past few weeks have not been good for protestors in Srinagar: first the employees of electric department were beaten blue, then the striking state transport employees were thrashed badly, and in the nearby Maisuma, young Liberation Front activists were tear-gassed and baton-charged. The police, however, stays put. Some students move forward to read the banners. ?Free Tibet?. ?Stop Cultural Genocide of Tibetans.? The bright yellow headbands with the traditional Tibetan symbols of red and blue rays radiating from a rising yellow sun behind a snow mountain, and two snow lions protecting Buddha?s three-coloured jewel, attracts curiosity. ?What is this?? a student asks. ?This is our flag? replies a smiling Tibetan. ?Who are you?? asks the confused student. A man sitting on a railing, caresses his well-trimmed beard, laughs awkwardly, and says: ?Don?t you see these are Botta? They are from Ladakh. Tibetan market.? The marchers keep moving; and at the end of the road they turn right toward the Tourist Reception Centre, of which only a burnt plinth is left now. A billboard, with pictures of a sari-clad Sonia Gandhi, blue-turbaned Manmohan Singh, and a traumatized head-shot of Mufti Saeed, celebrating the inauguration of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as a historic step toward peace, stands tilted face-forward in front of the now open space; the long yellow wooden building with a green conical roof that once housed the centre no longer there. The date ?April 07, 2005? is partially blackened by the soot from the burning building where two holed-up guerrillas had died fighting only a day before the bus was to be inaugurated by the Indian prime minister. A man comes forward from the adjoining state transport yard; he yells hysterically: ?Hey all come see Botta!? The man, looking like a mechanic with his greased clothes, reads the word F-R-E-E-D-O-M. It takes him some time to make the necessary connections, and then sighs sadly. He asks some questions in Kashmiri; the Tibetan he asked responds by bowing a little with a smile on his face. A sumo-driver from the taxi stand on the other side makes a bawdy physical gesture, and in Kashmiri, shouts: ?O yes, we received it long back, only you haven?t!? A group of rural folk with bags full of merchandise pause to look; they put their load down, stretch and ease themselves. An elderly woman in the group is told by a college student what the march is about. The woman?s eyes well up; she wipes her tears, inhales deeply, and prays aloud with her hands raised: ?May, my Shah-e-Jeelan protect you!? The Tibetans smile at passers-by. Their leader looks at his watch, takes out his phone, and makes some calls. They turn right again onto the Residency Road. Many more people watch from sides. The cars slow down to read the placards for a while, and then hurry away. By now a flock of photographers and cameramen from the nearby press enclave have descended on the scene. They take close-ups and mug shots; they zoom out from marching Tibetans to focus on the overlooking Takht-e-Sulaiman in the distance. One cameraman moves close to a protestor?s face, focussing on his eyes, apparently to capture his emotions. Some Tibetans bring out pictures of Dalai Lama. The cameramen find it difficult to keep shifting stands; the marchers will wait for them. After a while, the march resumes but will come to an end shortly afterwards. A bearded young man pulls a young Tibetan to the side, and tells him: ?If you become Muslim, we will fight them together.? The young Tibetan excuses himself, and hurriedly jumps into a waiting auto-rickshaw, like his other compatriots, and leaves. A former rebel leader, coming out of a shop in Lal Chowk, says: ?We must learn from Tibetans. See how they have brought the mighty Chinese to their knees.? He quickly adds an Urdu verse: ?Kisi Shehenshah ne bana ke Taj Mahal, Hum gariboon ki mohabat ka udaya hai mazaak.? (Some emperor, by building the Taj Mahal, Has mocked at the love of us, poor people.) ?By asking for their freedom in Srinagar, Tibetans have made fun of the Kashmiri people.? *********************************** Kashmir is under threat of losing all its crazy mad men; they are getting shot and killed every other day. Some are killed, as the Indian army argues, because these mentally-challenged people don?t stop when asked, while others are shot dead because they run around wildly. If the Indian army does not stop its campaign against them, Kashmir might lose this rare breed of people soon. http://bluekashmir.blogspot.com/ _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: From bikasranjan at rediffmail.com Tue Apr 15 19:27:31 2008 From: bikasranjan at rediffmail.com (bikas ranjan mishra) Date: 15 Apr 2008 13:57:31 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Review Contest@DearCinema Message-ID: <20080415135731.12360.qmail@f4mail-235-231.rediffmail.com> Write A Review and Win World Cinema Collector's DVD set! A Truffaut, Wong Kar Wai or Akira Kurosawa collector's box of DVDs could be yours soon. All you need to do is review any movie that's moved you and made your creative juices flow. Dearcinema.com in association with Palador Pictures has launched a film review contest open to all the Indian residents. All you need to do is send in your entries to the contest at dearcinema.com by 21st April, 2008. We are looking for a fresh perspective in addition to engaging writing style. So it's not the film you are reviewing that will matter but how you review it that will make all the difference. The winners will be declared by the 25th April. All the prizes will be mailed to the respective winners and their reviews will be published in Dearcinema.com. For more information on the rules and regulations of this contest you can visit http://dearcinema.com/contest/ . Bikas To write me back click here: bikasranjan at rediffmail.com From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Wed Apr 16 09:20:31 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:20:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Torch for Tibet Message-ID: PARALLEL PEACE RUN: TORCH FOR TIBET ON 17th April Œ08 10 am: assemble at Raj Ghat. Prayers and chanting for peace. The torch will be blessed by leaders of different faiths and we will keep Gandhi's message of non-violence in our hearts as we seek his blessings. 10.30 Silent march to Samta Sthal. This is Jagjivan Ram's samadhi across from Raj Ghat on the other side of Ring Road. 11.00 Torch for Tibet Flag off. The route follows LNJP Road to Ram Lila Ground Chowk, where it will turn left and go over the Ranjit Singh flyover to the Barakhamba Rd./Tolstoy Marg crossing. Then it will go down Tolstoy Marg, crossing Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Janpath to end at Jantar Mantar. The whole run/walk is 4 km and should not take more than 1.5-2 hrs. Afterwards at Jantar Mantar we will observe Tibet Day where Tibetan and Indian speakers will have an opportunity to express their support. We will also have performers from Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts showcasing their work. Please come and support in large numbers. Please bring banners and placards of peace and support to the Tibetan movement. You should plan to line the streets in prominent places like the big crossings or in the last stretch to cheer the runners. We welcome anyone, especially athletes and sports people who wish to run along the Torch for Tibet. It should be noted that what was supposed to be a grand spectacle with the Official Olympic Torch has turned into a shady affair where ordinary people refuse to participate or cheer and governments have to deploy large numbers of police to 'protect' the torch. Our Torch for Tibet in contrast should symbolize peace, joy and freedom. Therefore, we request you to observe this spirit and not indulge in violence, abuse or anger against anyone. Please be vigilant against agent provocateurs who may infiltrate our event and try and cause disturbances to generate controversy and give this movement a bad name. Please circulate this message widely. From chiarapassa at gmail.com Mon Apr 14 19:50:22 2008 From: chiarapassa at gmail.com (Chiara Passa) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:20:22 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Ecotronica.net out now! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Friends & colleagues, we're very glad to announce that ECOTRONICA blog is out now at www.ecotronica.net ecotronica.net (bilingual eng/ita) is a blog that pays attention to electronic artworks designed with the purpose and method ecological based on recycling technologies and other forms of artistic expression. ecotronica.net is curate by Luigi Pagliarini & Chiara Passa but we are happy to involve other people interested in the marriage between hi-tech art and ecology. Cheers, Luigi pagliarini & Chiara Passa -- Chiara Passa chiarapassa at gmail.com http://www.chiarapassa.it http://www.ideasonair.net http://twitter.com/jogador Skype: ideasonair From mirjam.struppek at urbanscreens.net Mon Apr 14 14:02:37 2008 From: mirjam.struppek at urbanscreens.net (Mirjam Struppek) Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:32:37 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] CALL - URBAN SCREENS 08 - for film, video and projects and posters presentations Message-ID: Calls for Urban Screens Melbourne 08 – film&video, multimedia projects and poster presentations ******************************************************************** Urban Screens Melbourne 08 Conference “mobile publics” 3 – 5 October 2008 Multimedia exhibition 3 – 8 October 2008 www.urbanscreens08.net Deadline for submission (poster presentations): 24. May 2008 Deadline for submission (fim&video/projects): 31. May 2008 ******************************************************************** Urban Screens Melbourne 08 is the third, ground-breaking international conference and multimedia exhibition in a series of worldwide events around the redefinition of a growing digital infrastructure of moving images in public space. It will mark the official launch of the International Urban Screens Association and will take place 3.-8. October at Federation Square, Melbourne. Federation Square is a unique cultural and community oriented multimedia precinct, centred around a significant 38m2 public LED screen. CALL FOR FILM&VIDEO and MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS ******************** The Urban Screens 08 exhibition is looking for Artists, Urban Poets, Filmmakers and Multimedia and Interaction Designers to submit film and videos or multimedia, interactive or participatory screen based projects. A large diverse urban screens infrastructure is available at Federation Square. Criteria We are looking for existing and potentially adaptable projects that interrogate screen media as a medium| content and tackle the festival’s key themes of issues of building community and sustainability in relation to water. These two complex themes aim to provoke discussion and spark questions such as: What is community in times of the high-speed, global flows of the new media scape? How can we explore the diversity of water, an element, essential to the existence of life on earth? For a detailed description of the event and curatorial framework see www.urbanscreens08.net/art-+-events For a detailed description of Fed Squares infrastructure see www.urbanscreens08.net/technical The projects should preferably employ one or more of the listed existing infrastructure of urban screens of Fed Square and should consider and adapt to the special circumstances of outdoor public spaces, transforming urban spaces to foster dialogue and community engagement. We are looking for: A) Film and video such as - Video art, text art, animation, animated slideshows, or fictional advertisements and community information (under 3 min.) - Silent works especially for the joint broadcasting or daily screenings in-between (under 3 min.) - Short experimental films, documentary and journalistic content (under 15 min.) - Small curated programs of the mentioned type of works B) Interactive, performance based or participatory projects such as - Interactive software applications for urban screens - Participatory community projects using creative digital practices - Live media art merging performance and new media - Community displays for education and exchange - Virtual/real world hybrid projects using streaming content - Real-time generated content - Screen related sound experiments - Digital storytelling projects - Mobile games using urban space as social and educative playground - Connecting mobile culture of locative media with urban screens CALL FOR POSTERS ******************** To bridge the Conference and the Multimedia Exhibition, we are looking for posters about the latest development of Urban Screens. They will be displayed in a public exhibition in the Atrium next to the conference venue. Conference will be encouraged to get in exchange with the authors during the breaks. Eight submissions will be additionally shown in an experimental presentation on the four outdoor I-sites around Federation Square. These are equiped with an integrated screen, which offer the possibility to present remotely via scheduled skype sessions, while the audience gathers in groups around them. Criteria Posters are aimed at presenting the latest development in this interdisciplinary field of Urban Screens. Posters are ideal for presenting speculative, late-breaking results of ongoing research projects, drawing important conclusions from practical experiments, for giving an introduction to innovative art works or new practical design applications, reports on cutting edge technologies and content management systems under development. Posters will be reviewed by the Poster Committee, soon to be announced. Authors of accepted submissions must provide a one or two page summary for publication in the conference proceedings. Selected submissions will also be published on-line on the International Urban Screens Association website. APPLICATION AND DETAILED CALL ******************** Please have a look at the detailed calls and the official online forms for application, available at: http://www.urbanscreens08.net/callforprojects CONTACT exhibition at urbanscreens.net (please use the subject “USM08 - question concerning the CALL”) MAJOR EXHIBITION SPONSORS International Urban Screens Association - www.urbanscreens.net Fed Square Pty Ltd - www.federationsquare.com Barco ‘visibly yours’ - www.barco.com Circus - www.circusexp.com Pinnacle ‘Production Services’ - www.pinnacleps.com. Best regards, Mirjam Struppek _______________________________________ URBAN SCREENS MELBOURNE 08 www.urbanscreens08.net Artistic Director International Urban Screens Association www.urbanscreens.net Rheinsberger Str. 68 D-10115 Berlin -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From turbulence at turbulence.org Tue Apr 15 22:05:43 2008 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:35:43 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Networked Music Review Commission: "Rust Belt / Bayou" by Julia Christensen Message-ID: <006e01c89f16$c2f03c40$48d0b4c0$@org> Networked Music Review Commission: "Rust Belt / Bayou" by Julia Christensen http://turbulence.org/works/rustbelt_bayou/ Needs Flash Player and Speakers "Rust Belt / Bayou" is an aural exploration of two cities: Cleveland, Ohio, and New Orleans, Louisiana. For the past several years, Christensen's artistic practice has been based in extensive travel throughout the United States, surveying the ways in which communities are changing in the shadow of corporate real estate development. During these travels, she has often been struck by the similarities between Cleveland, a city of the Rust Belt, and New Orleans, a city of the bayou. Both cities dwell on the shores of bodies of water with global reach: Cleveland on Lake Erie, New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Both cities have seen the boom and bust of industry and population throughout their histories - past and present. Cleveland and New Orleans look remarkably different, but Christensen has often noticed that they have sounds in common: industry, birds, water, tourists. "Rust Belt / Bayou" offers an interactive document of aural snapshots from recent trips to both New Orleans and Cleveland. "Rust Belt / Bayou" is a 2007 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc., for Networked_Music_Review. It was made possible with funding from the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. BIOGRAPHY Julia Christensen is an artist whose work treads on the thin line between art and research. She also likes to tread on most of the thin lines between various media, between the electronic and the non-electronic, and between audience and performer. Julia is the author of "Big Box Reuse" (MIT Press, Fall 2008), a book about how communities are renovating abandoned Wal-Mart and K-Mart structures for creative new uses. Her photography, sound work, and electronic installations have shown recently at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Lincoln Center in New York City, and the DUMBO Art Center in Brooklyn, among other venues. Julia lectures widely about land use, art, music, and interdisciplinary research. She likes hearing stories, playing with her rock band in Troy, traveling in the depths of the United States, and thinking about the future. For more Networked_Music_Review Commissions please visit http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review/tags/nmr_commission 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 Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade New American Radio: http://somewhere.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shahzulf at yahoo.com Wed Apr 16 13:26:37 2008 From: shahzulf at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:56:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: Invitation for a film festival Message-ID: <869234.72405.qm@web38807.mail.mud.yahoo.com> From: Gargi Sen To: PR India 2 Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 11:13:14 Subject: Invitation for a film festival PERSISTENCE/RESISTANCE- A FESTIVAL OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS, NEW DELHI, APRIL 28-30 (Apologies for cross posting) Dear friend, We are happy to invite you to Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary documentaries, made in the last 10 years, which will screen over 100 films in a multitude of spaces. Films will be shown in two auditoria, in open air venues and also in unique video booths, where people can check out a film of their choice from a temporary 'library', as well as in loops on video monitors around the venue. The festival will showcase retrospectives of the work of four among the documentary filmmakers working in India today: R.V.Ramani, Sehjo Singh, Paromita Vohra and Madhusree Dutta,as well as the work of Rehad Desai from South Africa. The festival celebrates a rich, exciting moment in the history of the Indian documentary film: its diverse subject and forms, its independent spirit and aesthetics and its complex political voice. Along with the screenings there will also be presentations on each evening which will explore the linkages between art, literature, theatre, comics, animation and censorship with films. We will also carry a section on international documentaries in an attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the present day scenario of neo-liberal globalisation. THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE is up at: www.magiclanternfoundation.org Dates: April 28-30 Venue: India International Centre, 40 Maxmueller Road, New Delhi Entry Free Please do come and circulate this information to people who would want to attend or write about the festival Gargi Sen Ranjan De Priyanka Mukherjee Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com DEFANGED.291> ----- Forwarded Message ---- From rajeshr at csds.in Wed Apr 16 17:23:54 2008 From: rajeshr at csds.in (Rajesh Ramakrishnan) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:23:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Talk by Dilip Gaonkar at CSDS, 22nd April Message-ID: Tuesday, 22nd April, 2008 Dilip P. Gaonkar will speak on After the Fictions: Notes Towards a Phenomenology of the People at 3 PM in the Seminar Room, CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi – 110 054 Dilip Gaonkar is Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. He is also the Executive Editor of Public Culture and Co-Director of the Centre for Transcultural Studies, Chicago. His publications include: (ed. with Cary Nelson) Disciplinarity and Dissent in Cultural Studies (Routledge, 1996); "The Idea of Rhetoric in the Rhetoric of Science" in Rhetorical Hermeneutics (ed. Alan Gross and William Keith, SUNY Press, 1996). From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Wed Apr 16 17:25:12 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:55:12 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Divided as ever, quota lobbies mouth familiar lines In-Reply-To: <6353c690804102332p4d61f875k78bba37a637b718f@mail.gmail.com> References: <6353c690804102327w5b1b3083rc55609ea794f6072@mail.gmail.com> <6353c690804102332p4d61f875k78bba37a637b718f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, after some thoughts over your expressions here are few of my thoughts for you to ponder: When free India ensured in its constitution, and the very constitution assured that this reservation and quota is for a temporary period of only 10 years, it is really absurd to have these quotas and reservations which started only for scheduled tribes and scheduled castes with the sole aim of giving them an opportunity to be equal among the citizens. But later, the OTHER Backward CASTES, this wording is really discriminatory, is a list compiled by those in power to favour their castes and the cake which was shrinking was to be cornered at any cost. Reservation and quota is required for funds of the national exchequer to extend basic education at every village level, improve the quality of education, to impart life skills to each child from village to every level of dwelling, but in reality it is the private schools who are selling education and it is business now. What is the point in reservation and quotas at higher education when 80 % of the oppressed irrespective of castes and faiths do not get even basic education, life skills. ? It is imperative of the system of governance to facilitate each child of the nation, irrespective of the caste, faith, region to impart good education, atleast basic skills in life to enable him/her of the opprtunities in life., to earn in life with dignity. This discrimination of favouring a few castes at the cost of others is neither democratic, not social justice. ----- Original Message ----- From: Aditya Raj Kaul Date: Friday, April 11, 2008 12:02 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Divided as ever, quota lobbies mouth familiar lines To: sarai list > *Divided as ever, quota lobbies mouth familiar lines-**The Times > Of India > (Page-2) > 11 Apr 2008* > > *NEW DELHI:* The Supreme Court's stamp of approval on OBC > reservations in > educational institutes on Thursday elicited mixed reactions from > studentsand teachers. From infrastructure problems to > implementation of the creamy > layer clause, they, however, sounded a note of caution. > > "We are happy that the creamy layer is kept out. It is a victory > for all > those students who stood up against it. But we are disappointed > that the > seats in the general category are not increased," asked Dr > Abhishek Bansal, > president, Azad Medicos Association (AMA), Maulana Azad Medical > College. > Youth for Equality (YFE), which was formed in the wake of the OBC > reservation, debate is ecstatic. "It is the most balanced judgement. > Reservation should have been rationalised and now we are satisfied > that the > government has been asked to come out with a list of > beneficiaries. It is > the time to celebrate," said Anup Awasthi from YFE. > > Pro-reservation groups though are unhappy about the creamy layer > exclusion."It will just make the process more difficult. The Rs > 2.5-lakh limit is not > justified, as it will disqualify a lot of needy people, especially > after the > sixth pay commission, which has raised the salaries of government > servants,"said a senior faculty member of Lady Hardinge Medical > College (LHMC). > > In some quarters, apprehensions were raised about the ability of > institutesto build infrastructure that will be required to > accommodate additional > students so that the number of seats for the general category remains > unchanged. "There are not enough lecture theatres, laboratories, > hostels to > accommodate the existing students. Where would the additional 54% > studentsgo?" asked Dr Dilpreet Kaur, active member of the Lady > Hardinge Students' > Association. > > The concerns are similar in other technical institutes. "IIT Delhi > is the > smallest of the seven IITs. How will extra hostels, labs and > classrooms come > up? We got through IIT after competing with almost 3 lakh students > in the > entrance exam. Reserving seats for a set of students is unfair to > us. If 40 > students have to be stuffed in the same space which now houses 25, > imaginethe way experiments would be done," said Nikita Mathur, > final-year student > of chemical engineering in IIT Delhi. > > "It should not be implemented. It's the doing of politicians. > Admissionsshould be conducted on the basis of merit, not caste. > IIT is known for > taking in only the best of minds. This will not be said after the > quota is > implemented," said Manali Kapoor, who is doing her PhD in > Chemistry atIITD. > > Neighbouring JNU, meanwhile, lived up to its "Leftist" reputation > with most > people welcoming the quota. "Social justice was long due. If OBCs get > educated, it will create more skilled workforce. Many reserved > seats that > are never filled because of shortage of skilled OBCs and Dalits > will now be > up for grabs. Universities should be given funds and time to > implement the > quota," said Kamal Mitra Chenoy, president, JNU Teachers' Association. > > Infrastructure, meanwhile, tops the list of students' concerns in > DelhiUniversity too. Said Tisha Sehdev, a second-year student at > Hindu College, > "There's already a fight for space in colleges. Labs don't have enough > equipment and classrooms are over-crowded. How will the colleges > manage to > take in more students within the next two months?" > > Said DUTA president Aditya Narayan Misra: "It's a welcome move, > which will > only be realised if the government also ensures that lack of > infrastructureis addressed while implementing the quota." > > For many like Vasudha, the very word reservation reeked of inequality. > "Competition matters. If you're good, you'll get admission no > matter where > you're from." Uday Raj Anand, however, had a different take. > "Meritocracy is > between equals. When a section of people have not enjoyed basic > amenities,how can they be judged on the same level? Reservations > are needed to bring > this section of people at par with the rest of the population." > > *Said Aditya Raj Kaul of the United Students: "It's a step in the > rightdirection. But the government* *needs to ensure that > implementation takes > place properly."* Added SFI spokesperson, Rohit from JNU, "It's a > historicjudgment that will pave the way for social justice and > affirmative action in > educational institutions for the deprived sections in our society." > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Wed Apr 16 18:39:35 2008 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:09:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested aDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <995a19920804101102g3cbb0bbfw30eeee87b4e005b3@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <621317.37633.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Aman Sethi You have ascribed to me the wishing of "Hindutva cleansing of India" Will you please support that with quoting what I may have written anyplace either directly stating that 'wish' or even by implication. Else I would expect that the 'journalist' that you are, you will retract from your statement. Kshmendra Kaul Aman Sethi wrote: I think we have finally got it: wittingly or unwittingly, i think aarti has hit upon the perfect way to respond to hate speech- poetry. Here is my two cents worth. In the event of the Hindutva cleansing of India that Radhika, Dhatri, Pawan, Aditya, Kshemdra et al wish for: How I came to love secularism. They sit with their brows furrowed, Oh whatever can they do, The Muslims have finally up and gone, left us here to stew. Kashmir Kashmir, that forgotten land, Its just not fun no more, Now that there;s no one contesting it, Living here is such a bore. Even Modi says he misses them, "I meant it all in jest." Trust them to take it seriously, They've failed the "indian-ness" test. Jai Siya ram has lost its ring Bharat ma ki sounds obscene Jai Hanuman wont rouse the crowds We need a change of scene. Perhaps we could call them back Maybe if we are all polite And tell them that we're sorry It's no fun without a fight. Damn this country's gone to the dumps. Till yesterday it was just swell Perhaps the Muslims figured it out. Maybe we should leave as well. Boom Shiva a. But alas, they figured it out On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Aarti Sethi wrote: > Radhikarajen, > > As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a reasoned response > by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, in this case > Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is totally off > topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being raised by > Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring > persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done to deserve > you... > > Perhaps... > > we had a wicked childhood > Perhaps we had a miserable youth > Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past > There must have been a moment of truth > > For there you are, standing there, boring us > Whether or not you should > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > We must have done something we shouldn't > > Nothing comes from nothing > Nothing ever could > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > Aarti > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > > "defamation." > > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > > > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: we wi > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > > Adventist, a > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > Santan > > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > > do belong to > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > > and CPM? > > > > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > charge for this. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > Radhikarajen, > > > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > > have > > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > police > > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > > has > > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > > effect. > > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > > completely > > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > > resist > > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > > directly here) > > > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > > he > > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > > does. > > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > > laws, > > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > > laws > > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > > it > > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > > can > > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > > I > > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > > happens > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > Santan > > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > > gives > > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > > motives, > > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > > be > > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > > to > > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > > the > > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > > like > > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > > was > > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > sounds, > > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > > proof, > > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > > (which > > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > > activists > > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > > absurd. > > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > > intelligence > > > and your imagination is. > > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > > you > > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > > above > > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > > that > > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > > is > > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > religion > > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > behaviour > > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > are > > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > > governance, > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > > not > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > > > basedJournalist > > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > > >> > > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > > >> > > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > > >> > > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > > >> officials in MP state. > > > >> > > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > > >> > > > >> [end] > > > >> > > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > > >> > > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > > >> > > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > > >> > > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > > >> this matter. > > > >> > > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > >> _________________________________________ > > > >> 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. > > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > >> list > > > >> 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > List archive: > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > www.sarai.net > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From tasveerghar at gmail.com Wed Apr 16 19:17:07 2008 From: tasveerghar at gmail.com (Tasveer Ghar) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:17:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] When a Language Becomes a Mother/Goddess Message-ID: <484c1050804160647x7947164cnc69aa3e77757d449@mail.gmail.com> When a Language Becomes a Mother/Goddess: An Image Essay on Tamil by Sumathi Ramaswamy http://tasveerghar.net/stamil/ Tasveer Ghar announces a new Visual Essay exploring the historical journey of Tamil, a language that comes to be transformed into an object of love and devotion, producing in the process an unusual visual presence for a spoken tongue... For more, please visit http://tasveerghar.net/stamil/ Other recent Visual Essays on Tasveer Ghar: Remediation: Iconic Images and Everyday Spaces - 'Female Film Stars' in Print Media: by Madhuja Mukherji http://tasveerghar.net/2007/madhuja/ Miss Use: A Survey of Raunchy Bhojpuri Music Album Covers: By Vishal Rawlley http://tasveerghar.net/2007/vishal/ Catering to Indian and British Tastes: Gender in Early Indian Print Advertisements: By Javed Masood http://tasveerghar.net/2007/javed/ Miniature Societies & Grihani Aesthetics: Traditional Dolls from South India: By Annapurna Garimella http://tasveerghar.net/2007/annapurna/ Objects of Desire: Commodification of Gender in the Titles of Popular Hindi Novels: By Atmaram K. Bhakal http://tasveerghar.net/2007/atmaram/ This is What They Look Like: Stereotypes of Muslim Piety in Calendar Art and Hindi Cinema. By Yousuf Saeed http://tasveerghar.net/mstereo/ Celebrating More Than the New Year: The Hindu Nationalist Greeting Cards. By Christiane Brosius http://tasveerghar.net/hgreet/ Good Morning – Welcome – Svagatam: Kitschy Indian 'Welcome' Posters. By Patricia Uberoi http://tasveerghar.net/welcome/ -- http://www.tasveerghar.net From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Wed Apr 16 20:12:52 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:42:52 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] The State vs. Kataria (Impunity of Indian Army) Message-ID: The State vs. Kataria: The Impunity of the Indian Army and Lessons from Nepal http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2008/214-08.html From zainabbawa at yahoo.com Wed Apr 16 21:07:13 2008 From: zainabbawa at yahoo.com (Zainab Bawa) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:37:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Protest against GMs Message-ID: <541399.18219.qm@web36101.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. Zainab Bawa Ph.D. Student and Independent Researcher Between Places http://wbfs.wordpress.com --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From trupthi.basavaraj at gmail.com Wed Apr 16 23:09:15 2008 From: trupthi.basavaraj at gmail.com (trupthi basavaraj) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:09:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mass Graves in Kashmir In-Reply-To: References: <19ba050f0804121003k68e1746r80c7bcd0cc0d102b@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804121340x34cdcf9ave45841fa0c5c980e@mail.gmail.com> <6b79f1a70804122258o1db25767y92645619fe315270@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70804130202m136ad8derc8bfca995bd5096c@mail.gmail.com> <6b79f1a70804140414y4dd58ac6m56739a34e9c8fe58@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: On 4/16/08, trupthi basavaraj wrote: > > Hi, > > I'm just wondering why most reasonable/interesting points of discussion > descend into a this sort of passive aggression? > > I am however intrigued by the lack of media coverage and so has anyone > (shuddha?) found anything? > > Trupthi > > > On 4/14/08, Pawan Durani wrote: > > > > Dear Inder , > > > > The problem is that you have a creamy knowledge about Kashmir . Well, i > > dont > > mind that now since most of your friends in Sarai bank on same type of > > knowledge. > > > > However if you feel so passionate about so called "freedom" to Kashmiris > > , i > > suggest you to go back to Kashmir and work towards that . > > > > What is the use of your thoughts and knowledge about Kashmir if you do > > not > > stay at ground zero , and instead spend time on writing mails from your > > office or home at New Delhi. > > > > Last time i asked you if you had guts to do your nude photo shoot at > > some > > other place of worship , other than those belonging to Hindus. You > > havent > > replied to that . > > > > You know what I mean . And I know where your "art" STARTS & where it > > ENDS. > > > > Good Luck > > > > Pawan Durani > > > > > > > > > > On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > dear pawan ji > > > How many people will you hang in public, ( although i am against any > > kind > > > of > > > death sentence ) but if it is so, then the Indian politicians and > > > administrators since last 60 years who ruined Kashmir with their > > policies > > > need to be hanged first. Who is to be blamed for the present crises? > > > > > > Even if you go by the two nation theory, Kashmir should never have > > been a > > > part of India in 1947, Was not there a Prime Minister in Kashmir even > > > after > > > 1947... It might have achieved freedom in 1971 like > > > Bangladesh...if India > > > had allowed it to merge with Pakistan. the second blunder was to > > outwit > > > Sheikh Mohamand Abudullah, whom i consider a real hero of his > > > times. Nehru > > > imprisoned him for what..... Indira Gandhi humiliated him by > > compelling to > > > sing the accord. People around sheikh too were without vision. People > > have > > > dug into the archives, and have found clues that Sheikh Mohd > > > Abhullah was > > > never willing to sign the accord. > > > > > > Now, how can you exonarate all these Indian people who created mess > > in > > > Kashmir. Forget the fascist BJP, even Congress party palyed communal > > > cards > > > in Kashmir like in Punjab.. > > > > > > Kashmir deserves freedom by all means, India has done mistakes in the > > past > > > and after 1990 something terrible happened.... Now tell me, what > > India > > > has > > > gained? > > > > > > Yes, if you agree that there is an Anglo-American game plan which has > > > destroyed peace between pakistan and India then one can see the reason > > of > > > violence through a different lens.. If cold war has led to war in Iraq > > > finally, then the real enemies of Kashmir are in Washington, now how > > will > > > you hang Mr. Bush? > > > > > > with love > > > is > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 11:28 AM, Pawan Durani > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > I agree with Inder Ji . > > > > > > > > Also all those people who have been resposnible for inciting > > violence > > > > which resulted in the current situation in Kashmir should be hanged > > in > > > > public. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/13/08, inder salim wrote: > > > > > > > > > > WHETHER THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS GRAVES IN KASHMIR IS ESTABLISHED OR > > NOT, > > > > > THE > > > > > FACT REMAINS THAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE LOST > > > THEIR > > > > > LIVES FOR NO FAULT OF THEIRS. > > > > > > > > > > THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS NO ANSWER TO THAT, LIKE MANY OTHER > > STATES > > > > > WHICH > > > > > SUPRESS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OCCUPATION, WHICH IS PROFOUNDLY > > > > > REGREGTABLE. > > > > > > > > > > WHATEVER BEST THERE WAS BETWEEN KASHMIR AND INDIA ENDED IN 1990. > > FIRST > > > > > KASHMIRI PANDITS HAD TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEN ITS WAS > > > INNOCENT > > > > > PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY AT THE RECEIVING END OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE .... > > > > > > > > > > IT IS ALL SAD. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 10:33 PM, M Yousuf > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > TRAGEDIES BURIED IN KASHMIR GRAVES > > > > > > > > http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=02/20/2008 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 4/12/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear all, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > at a friends urging, I did a short google search using the > > string > > > > > > > "Nameless Graves Kashmir" and I came up with a first 30 pages > > of > > > > > > > reports. There were stories in newspapers based in Kashmir > > like > > > > > > > Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times of course, and stories in > > the > > > > > > > International Herald Tribune, in newspapers out of Ireland, > > > Taiwan, > > > > > > > Pakistan and elsewhere, besides numerous blog posts and > > forwards > > > on > > > > > > > lists. The only Indian newspapers of any consequence that > > featured > > > > > > > the story (I tracked this till the 30th google page) were - > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Punjab Kesri > > > > > > > http://www.punjabkesari.com/frmChNewsDetails.aspx? > > > > > > > uid=72362&CatName=Jammu-Kashmir > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Tribune > > > > > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080410/j&k.htm#9 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Telegraph, Kolkata > > > > > > > > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080406/jsp/nation/story_9101889.jsp > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Economic Times > > > > > > > http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/ > > > > > > > msid-2912554,flstry-1.cms > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Outlook > > > > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=61&id=560828 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > DNA, Mumbai > > > > > > > http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1159182 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (all more or less 'regional/city' publications) Barring > > Outlook. > > > > > None > > > > > > > of the national dailies, or big news channels seem to have > > > anything. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have already listed the Hindustan Times story in the > > previous > > > > > > > posting. This frugality of media attention is surprising, > > given > > > the > > > > > > > seriousness of the story. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I spent some time on the Indian Express website, and here is > > what > > > I > > > > > > > found. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Indian Express's micro website - www.kashmirlive.com - > > which > > > is > > > > > > > tagged - "Coverage from the Largest news bureau in the valley" > > and > > > > > > > which offers 'latest Kashmir news' has no report on the mass > > > graves. > > > > > > > It does have a photograph, (in the section titled 'Gallery' by > > > Javed > > > > > > > Shah, that is captioned - 'participant at a rally for > > displaced > > > > > > > persons in Srinagar' and one can make out from the banner that > > it > > > > > > > carries the words 'missing' and that it is clearly organized > > by > > > the > > > > > > > 'Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons' - the > > > > > > > organization that has brought out the report called 'Facts > > > > > > > Underground' which highlights the anonymous graves. The > > dateline > > > of > > > > > > > the photograph, and the contents of the image suggest that the > > > event > > > > > > > must have to do with the APDPs report (titled 'Facts > > Underground' > > > ) > > > > > > > on the 'nameless graves' > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But the Indian Express's editorial policy, no doubt a fine > > example > > > > > of > > > > > > > a case of the hihgly restrained realization of its credo of > > > > > > > 'journalism of courage', transformed 'disappearance' into > > > > > > > 'displacement', and omits to give any indication of what the > > rally > > > > > is > > > > > > > all about. In fact, given that the term 'displacement' is > > usually > > > > > > > identified with the internal migration of Kashmiri Pundits, a > > > casual > > > > > > > reader may even think (simply from reading the caption to the > > > > > > > photograph) that this may be referring to 'displaced' > > Kashmiris, > > > ie, > > > > > > > Kashmiri Pandits. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In fact the 10 top stories in the Indian Express's dedicated > > micro > > > > > > > site for news about Kashmir are as follows - > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 1.Civilian killed after being mistaken for a militant > > > > > > > 2. First Kashmiri Maj Gen asks youth to join army > > > > > > > 3. Sonia Gandhi to visit Kashmiri migrant camp > > > > > > > 4. J-K spends Rs 15 crore on road upgradation project > > > > > > > 5. Traffic awareness campaign to be launched > > > > > > > 6. 21,000 vacancies to be filled by fast-track recruitment > > > > > > > 7. NC at the forefront of anti-Kashmiri tirade: PDP > > > > > > > 8. Former ultras float seperatist political outfit > > > > > > > 9. Bomb squad destroys fuse safely > > > > > > > 10. Valley expects heavy influx of tourists > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You would have thought that the "largest" news bureau in the > > > valley, > > > > > > > would have the human resources to folllow up on a story that > > > refers > > > > > > > to the remains of the bodies of 940 nameless people. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Hindu (known for the imaginative journalism of one Praveen > > > Swami > > > > > > > on Kashmir , recently discussed on one of the postings) > > features > > > > > only > > > > > > > one recent report on Kashmir - about a youth found guilty of > > > > > > > impersonation and fraud. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > How much courage does it take for the Journalism of Courage to > > get > > > > > > > its act together. I am not making a special case for the > > Indian > > > > > > > Express - the Hindu, the Times of India, NDTV, CNN-IBN all > > seem > > > > > > > complicit in the generation of a very loud silence. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Does any one know why this is the case? I am currently not in > > > Delhi > > > > > > > and so, cannot get a sense of what is causing this strange > > > silence. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Would really like to know what other people think is actually > > > going > > > > > on. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 12-Apr-08, at 6:04 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear All, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This is in continuation of Junaid's posting of April 7 : > > > 'Amnesty > > > > > > > > International and Human Rights Watch slam Indian human > > rights > > > > > abuses > > > > > > > > in Kashmir' . The posting pointed out the recent discovery > > of > > > mass > > > > > > > > graves containing the remains of Nine hundred and forty > > > > > unidentified > > > > > > > > bodies in different sites in Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If the allegations that these are bodies of people killed > > and > > > > > > > > disposed of by the security forces, and that they may > > contain > > > the > > > > > > > > remains of many who are alleged to have 'disappeared' in > > Kashmir > > > > > are > > > > > > > > true, then this constitutes a very serious matter. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Here are three recent reports that have appeared on the BBC > > > > > website > > > > > > > > on the subject. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 1. Protest over graves in Kashmir > > > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7343454.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 2. Kashmir police refuse body demand > > > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7325001.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 3. Amnesty urges Kashmir grave probe > > > > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7334965.stm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have not seen too many reports in the mainstream 'indian' > > > media > > > > > > > > about this - I could be wrong, and would like to be > > corrected, > > > but > > > > > > > > preliminary google searches about the subject in connection > > with > > > > > The > > > > > > > > Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and > > CNN-IBN > > > > > did > > > > > > > > not yield any results. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The only exception in the mainstream 'Indian' media that I > > could > > > > > find > > > > > > > > was a report by Rashid Ahmad from Srinagar in the Hindustan > > > Times. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The story is titled - > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mass graves in Kashmir raise rights violation stink > > > > > > > > Rashid Ahmad, Hindustan Times > > > > > > > > Srinagar, March 29, 2008 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > id=eb572d05-2d48-4604-99a0-1fc154e2c914&MatchID1=4680&TeamID1=6&TeamID > > > > > > > > 2= > > > > > > > > > > > 3&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1179&PrimaryID=4680&Headline=Mass+graves > > > > > > > > +raise+rights+violation+stink > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > if the general media silence in India about this shocking > > story > > > is > > > > > a > > > > > > > > fact. (Again, I hope I am wrong here). Then it is time to > > ask > > > what > > > > > > > > makes it possible for Indian newspapers and television > > stations > > > to > > > > > > > > report mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia and suddenly turn all > > coy > > > > > when > > > > > > > > they are found in Indian administered Kashmir. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Further, is it time to think about what steps may be > > necessary > > > to > > > > > > > > take to move towards a boycott of the forthcoming > > Commonwealth > > > > > Games > > > > > > > > in Delhi (2010)? (Among other things). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from the Tibetans. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to > > reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > > List archive: < > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > > List archive: < > > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > > > > > Critiques & Collaborations > > > > > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.netwith > > > > > > subscribe in the subject header. > > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > From alltough at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 10:03:04 2008 From: alltough at gmail.com (Altaf Abid) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:03:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Communicative Power and Democratic Change Panel Discussion Message-ID: British Council along with LSE and TISS invites you to The Launch of Global Civil Society Yearbook and a panel discussion on 'Communicative Power and Democratic Change' - What Role for Global Civil Society in the 21st Century? Arun Anant, CEO of UTV News Ltd Professor Mary Kaldor, Co-director, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, LSE R K Misra, Lead India Campaign finalist Professor S Parasuraman, Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Dorab R Sopariwala, election analyst This panel will explore the extent of civil society's influence on public debate, policy making and governance at local, national and global levels. How will the role of global civil society change in the 21st century? Interaction will be encouraged from the audience during a dedicated Q&A session. In an increasingly interconnected world characterised by new and accelerated modes of communication, and growing concern about global issues and governance, the role of global civil society is arguably more important than ever. Global civil society can be understood as an arena of for dialogue and action around shared interests and values, as well as a multitude of organisations, networks and individuals. Such actors are constantly creating new public spaces – using innovative forms of communication and technology - that operate beyond nation state boundaries. The Global Civil Society Yearbook is a collaboration between the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, LSE and the Center for Civil Society, UCLA. Tata Institute of Social Sciences is collaborating with these institutions on Global Civil Society 2009. Date: May 02, 2008 Time: 6.00 pm - 8.30 pm Venue: British Council Auditorium C Wing 2nd Floor, Mittal Tower Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021 Please confirm your attendance by simply sending an email to Altaf.Abid at in.britishcouncil.org Tel: 022 2279 0111 From utf-8 at 1904.cc Thu Apr 17 04:08:01 2008 From: utf-8 at 1904.cc (utf-8 at 1904.cc) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:38:01 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] *// Aether9 new online performance //* Message-ID: <20080417003801.rral5qty8g0ocsgw@webmail.1904.cc> The AETHER9 collective is pleased to invite you to attend its new online performance LRRH, which will be premiered in the course of the next days at Festival de la Imagen, Manizales, Colombia, and Mapping Festival, Geneva, Switzerland. The performance will be transmitted live through a web interface, accessible to online viewers from any location. Schedules, live interface, locations and more: http://1904.cc //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Further information about the Aether9 project: http://1904.cc/timeline/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/aether9 !" !" !" !" !" !" !" !" !" Aether9 is an experiment in collaborative remote realtime storytelling through the use of networked video transmission. Aether9 is supported by sitemapping.ch (Swiss Federal Office of Culture) */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ Aether9 emergency mirror sites: http://aether.x-xx---x.info http://aether.dudac.org http://aether.smtp.ru http://aether.front.ru */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ Personnel: Colombia (Manizales) Paula Velez (AV transmission) Natalia Valencia (AV transmission) Gladkazuka (live soundtrack + wolf) USA 1 (Yorba Linda) Christiaan Cruz (video transmission) The Netherlands (Rotterdam) Audrey Samson (video transmissions) USA 2 (New York) Judy Nylon (Doll House transmission) Belgium (Brussels) Laure De Selys (The Girl) Chloe Cramer (video transmission) Switzerland (Geneva) Boris Kish (The Operator) Manuel Schmalstieg: (AV transmission) Bliscappen Van Maria: (live soundtrack + wolves) */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ */ _______________________________________________ You have received this mail either because you registered directly with N3krozoft Ltd, or because you expressed interest in new media arts and telecommunication issues. If this message is not intended for you please delete it and notify us immediately. To unsuscribe or view your subscription options, check: http://lists.n3krozoft.com/mailman/listinfo/koi8-r From mitoo at sarai.net Wed Apr 16 16:02:40 2008 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:02:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Talk @ Sarai by Rashmi Sadana Message-ID: <4805D5C8.10107@sarai.net> Hi all, This is a reminder for the talk we have tomorrow afternoon by Rashmi Sadana. The details for the talk is given below. Best, Mitoo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Talk @ Sarai* "Koi Acchi Kitab": Transnational Markets and the Indian Publisher Speaker: Rashmi Sadana Date: *17th April 2008, Thursday* Time: *4:00 pm* Venue: *Seminar Room, CSDS * This paper begins with a provocation about the framing of Indian literature in the transnational marketplace, and then turns to a discussion of Ravi Dayal and the Hindi publishers of Ansari Road. I frame my interviews with literary publishers as an intellectual history of the present in order to ask : How did Hindi and English language publishers position themselves in the decades immediately after Independence? And, what might that tell us about the ways in which the two languages having been vying for national legitimacy ever since? The paper will juxtapose these transnational (London-New York) and local (Delhi) narratives of how to make "good books" in order to spark a larger discussion about how literature is produced, texts are interpreted and audiences cultivated. Rashmi Sadana received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003 and, from 2003 till 2007, was a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in Anthropology at Columbia University. She is now based in Delhi, completing a book manuscript about the intersection of language politics and Indian literary production and is co-editing The Cambridge Companion to Modern Indian Culture. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 12:11:16 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:41:16 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Bush's Democracy Project in Bangladesh+Nepal Message-ID: Well worth a thorough read. Watch these chess moves. http://www.southasiamonitor.org/2007/mar/news/15view1.shtml Bush's Democracy Project in Bangladesh and Nepal By J. Sri Raman Who says that President George Bush and his men and women promote democracy only by destructive wars? They do so also through creative, unconventional diplomacy. Look at their latest achievements in Bangladesh and Nepal. In both these countries bordering India, whose ruling establishment has enlisted in the Bush crusade to save democracy (especially "emerging" democracies), the cause has hit a major roadblock. And it is representatives of Washington who have placed a mega-sized boulder on the path to much-awaited elections in both cases. In the case of Nepal, Bush's mouthpieces have not really bothered to conceal this. In the case of Bangladesh, Washington and its Western allies have only declared a more devious war on democracy. In talking of Nepal, these columns have repeatedly noted striking instances of the distinguished style of US Ambassador James Francis Moriarty's diplomacy, through the entire period since the people of the Himalayan state overthrew a hated monarchy and opened the door to democracy. A higher official of the US administration has now outdone him. Moriarty has tried many tricks barred by the book of diplomacy in a bid to prevent the return of Maoists to the political mainstream, and to break the historic accord between them and the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) that ended King Gyanendra's despotic rule last April. Moriarty has played a role in keeping Washington's "terror tag" on the Maoists. While insisting on their electoral insignificance, he has tried to stall their inclusion in the interim government by warning of US assistance only to departments under non-Maoist ministers. He has also made a very un-diplomat-like visit to a center of ethnic unrest and voiced support for the demands of the Madhesi minority, which the Maoists and the SPA do not oppose anyway. Notwithstanding Moriarty, Nepal was to move ahead to the next stage of its democratic transition on March 14th, when the Maoists were to join the interim government under Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. US Under Secretary of State for Management Henrietta H. Fore, on a visit to Kathmandu last week, ensured that progress in the process was put off. On March 10th, she proclaimed Washington's displeasure with "two trends that, if unresolved, threaten Nepal's democratic progress." The first - surprise, surprise - was "the continuing failure of the Maoists to renounce violence". The second, equally predictably, was ethnic unrest. This, she said showed the need for "inclusiveness" in Nepal, though the Maoists were to be excluded. She followed up that critique with a call on the aging and ailing prime minister. The outcome was, again, predictable. Koirala announced that the Maoists could not enter the interim government until they "return all the people's property they had seized and account for all their weapons." The moment Fore left Nepal, Koirala hastened to assure the offended Maoists that they would be inducted into the government "shortly." The damage, however, was not totally undone. Maoist leader Prachanda has now threatened street protests if the interim government is not expanded by the end of March. More scarily, he has alleged a "conspiracy" by the "pro-palace" camp to assassinate Americans in Nepal, blame it on the Maoists, and seek a ban on them. It is significant that some knowledgeable observers in Kathmandu think that the Nepal situation may lead to a "Bangladesh-type" solution. What they mean is not a declared military rule, but a military-backed dispensation that will keep out the Maoists and parties ready to make up with them. This will be a "democracy" that Moriarty and Fore will not disapprove of. This is also the kind of "democracy" in Bangladesh of which Washington and its Western allies do not disapprove. This has become evident in the two months of rapid events since the general election originally scheduled for January 22 was scrapped. The opposition led by the Awami League of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, of course, wanted the elections scrapped; it feared massive poll-rigging under the caretaker regime of President Iajuddin Ahmad, who is known to be close to the right-wing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Hasina's rival and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Both parties extended support to the caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed, sworn in on January 13th. Not many, however, foresaw two developments that followed. Fakhruddin Ahmed's regime soon turned out to be only the front of the Bangladesh army with a history of frequent political interventions. The public can only speculate about the identity of the faceless, string-pulling military rulers. But, like several other "benevolent" military regimes in the past, this one too has started off with a series of measures aimed at the heart of the middle class. An alleged crusade against corruption and for a new "political culture" has followed, with the prospect of polls receding rapidly in the process. The process gathered momentum with the arrest of Begum Zia's unpopular son Tarique Rahman and raids on Hasina's residence on March 8th. The very next day, all political activity (including indoor meetings) was banned. The second development is the entry into politics of eminent economist Mohammad Yunus. He has turned out to be a typical candidate of the same political camp and constituency that the behind-the-scene military rulers represent and back. Even more significant is the extra-Bangladesh dimension of his electoral appeal and that of his hastily assembled party called Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power). Moriarty and Fore have played politics in Nepal, but their counterparts in Bangladesh would seem to have gone a step further by fielding their own candidate and a party in the forthcoming election, if and when it is held. The US ambassador in Bangladesh, Patricia Butien, has been more circumspect than Moriarty. But a former US ambassador in Bangladesh (and Pakistan ) and currently an academic at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC, William B. Milam, has nearly given the game away. Milam's proximity to the power centre in Washington is seen in the fact that he was to be a US observer of the scrapped election of January 22nd. On January 9th, almost two weeks before that, he wrote in a newspaper column, "My trip to Bangladesh ... is off." He said "the US and EU have ruled out sending teams (of observers)" because, among other reasons, it "would convey an unofficial sanction to an election that will be clearly wanting in legitimacy." The US and the Western governments, however, have not only supported the "clean-up" drive of the Fakhruddin Ahmed regime. They have also kept mum, not mysteriously so perhaps, about the eloquent silence of the caretaker regime about the election plans. Milam goes further. In a subsequent column, he derides the united demand of Hasina and Zia for an announcement of the election date and asks why they call for early polls. "Could it be that they suspect that the longer an election is delayed, and the more time given to a new third party to develop a platform and make itself known, the weaker are their prospects in that election? Do their interests converge again on a single point: the need to forestall the growth and development of a new party that might take the centre of politics away from them?" He also notes, approvingly, that "the announcement the other day by the chief of the caretaker government that it could not yet set an election date gives Yunus and his organizers more time to pull it all together." Of what his candidate can do, if elected, he says: "(That) depends on how well the caretaker government does its job in cleaning up the political culture so that reformers like Yunus will have a chance to make a difference." All this, however, can only produce a system that is very different from democracy as the people in Bangladesh or elsewhere understand it. (A freelance journalist and a peace activist of India, J. Sri Raman is the author of Flashpoint (Common Courage Press, USA). He is a regular contributor to t r u t h o u t. From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Thu Apr 17 16:19:21 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:49:21 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist In-Reply-To: <621317.37633.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <995a19920804101102g3cbb0bbfw30eeee87b4e005b3@mail.gmail.com> <621317.37633.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi, now that you have clubbed me into something which disliked most by me , here are few thoughts for you to ponder: 1. I am proud to be hindu, but at the same time, my way of life has taught me to respect all other ways of life, and being hindu is my choice to be good human first, in my nation, and believe in the whole of humanity as my family and any pain and violence to any living being is equally painful to me irrespective of that human/living being having faith of any way of life. 2. Being hindu, my effort is to be good human being and express my dissent at what is wrong in the life, to make conscious efforts to change the ills in the society with good thoughts for change, without violence. 3. Being born in India, which as free India has, constitution which professes of secular governance, unlike other nations, which are declared themselves as nations of any one faith., thus making its own citizens of other than professed faith of that nation, second class citizens. In the circumstances, in the last sixty years, in my free India, the "secular" word is misused to divide the society on faith, region and caste in governance, irrespective of the political party that has ruled the nation and governance has been always appeasing a caste, a faith or a region, which is despisable by any citizen as good governance shall mean delivery of good governance to each of its citizens irrespective of faith, caste and region. 4. Even though started the life journey with Sevadal of slave India under british rule,later saw the sad demise of Sevadal, which was the link between governance and its feed back to those who govern the society.The sidelined sevadal saw the rise of slogan shouters who could muster slogan shouters for different parties as "cadres" with muscle and money power, irrespective of the parties. In the whole process, sycophancy in all political parties has left me wondering to be in partyless state of mind, as all parties have the same ills in differing measures. having tries all colours in my life journey, it has come as no surprise to me, in left, right or any politcal parties, ultimately common good governance takes backseat as selfish interests take over and the common man or aaqm admi remains where he was, with only wondering about the slogans initiated by different colours of the political spectrum. Be it the Garibi Hatao, or India shining or social justice, all that is seen i n society is once the chance to govern is obtained by any party, nepotism, sycophancy and self interest with new slogans take hold of the nation thus society again is lost with bad governance with 16 % for one faith, 15 % for some caste, 7.5 % for a tribe, 27 % for some more castes and the aam admi is still lost in promises, still struggling for a square meal a day, used as cadres to kill the dissenters, to kill others in another faith, to conduct genocide of a panth so that the "leader" can prove "loyalty" to his/her party, not the society that we live in. ? Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kshmendra Kaul Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:40 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrestedaDelhi-basedJournalist To: Aman Sethi , Aarti Sethi , sarai list > Dear Aman Sethi > > You have ascribed to me the wishing of "Hindutva cleansing of India" > > Will you please support that with quoting what I may have > written anyplace either directly stating that 'wish' or even by > implication. > > Else I would expect that the 'journalist' that you are, you will > retract from your statement. > > Kshmendra Kaul > > Aman Sethi wrote: > I think we have finally got it: wittingly or unwittingly, i think > aarti has hit upon the perfect way to respond to hate speech- poetry. > Here is my two cents worth. > > In the event of the Hindutva cleansing of India that Radhika, Dhatri, > Pawan, Aditya, Kshemdra et al wish for: > > How I came to love secularism. > > They sit with their brows furrowed, > Oh whatever can they do, > The Muslims have finally up and gone, > left us here to stew. > > Kashmir Kashmir, that forgotten land, > Its just not fun no more, > Now that there;s no one contesting it, > Living here is such a bore. > > Even Modi says he misses them, > "I meant it all in jest." > Trust them to take it seriously, > They've failed the "indian-ness" test. > > Jai Siya ram has lost its ring > Bharat ma ki sounds obscene > Jai Hanuman wont rouse the crowds > We need a change of scene. > > Perhaps we could call them back > Maybe if we are all polite > And tell them that we're sorry > It's no fun without a fight. > > Damn this country's gone to the dumps. > Till yesterday it was just swell > Perhaps the Muslims figured it out. > Maybe we should leave as well. > > Boom Shiva > a. > > > But alas, they figured it out > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Aarti Sethi wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a > reasoned response > > by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, > in this case > > Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is > totally off > > topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being > raised by > > Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring > > persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done > to deserve > > you... > > > > Perhaps... > > > > we had a wicked childhood > > Perhaps we had a miserable youth > > Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past > > There must have been a moment of truth > > > > For there you are, standing there, boring us > > Whether or not you should > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > Nothing comes from nothing > > Nothing ever could > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > > > Aarti > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are > expressed, the > > > method of suppression are time tested and have not found > success, first, the > > > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next > step two is > > > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the > brute force, to > > > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as > to how legally > > > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > > > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now > with drug > > > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to > extinguish the freedom, > > > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, > one voice which > > > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes > gauged out. > > > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in > the minds > > > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the > issue remains. > > > > > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom > struggle of > > > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning > experience. It is > > > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, > that inspired > > > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one > voice of lala > > > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. > It is one > > > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the > stronger voice for > > > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, > killed, but > > > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now > enjoyed, all credit > > > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with > viceroys, spent his > > > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname > of Gandhi, to > > > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are > thousands who > > > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have > freedom.> > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but > refused to serve under > > > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed > the ICS, after > > > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but > issue here is > > > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > > > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist > supporter> > now have with them the Forward Block even though with > uncomfortable to share > > > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > > > "defamation." > > > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the > journalist,> > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he > reporting to his community > > > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the > nation. ? > > > > > > Regards. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: we wi > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > > > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > > > Adventist, a > > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire > need of > > > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > > > do belong to > > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > > > and CPM? > > > > > > > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation > as I > > > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > > charge for this. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > Radhikarajen, > > > > > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > > > have > > > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? > Which> > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's > posting) do > > > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. > Ahmad's> > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer > about the > > > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > > police > > > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > > > has > > > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > > > effect. > > > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned > report is > > > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > > > completely > > > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > > > resist > > > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > > > directly here) > > > > > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above > the law, > > > > he > > > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), > support and > > > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is > used to > > > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > > > does. > > > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > > > laws, > > > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > > > laws > > > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe > that the > > > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any > "fanatics"? Is > > > > it > > > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. > What> > > can > > > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for > instance,> > > I > > > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > > > happens > > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and > the term > > > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For > all I > > > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > Adventist, a > > > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > > > gives > > > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > > > motives, > > > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > > > be > > > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they > would have > > > > to > > > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to > investigate> > > the > > > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > > > like > > > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was > arrested, in > > > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect > that I > > > > was > > > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and > shielding" the > > > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > sounds, > > > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > > > proof, > > > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > > > (which > > > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > > > activists > > > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > > > absurd. > > > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of > their> > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > > > intelligence > > > > and your imagination is. > > > > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you > study> > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy > allegations> > > about being above or below the law. The law can > be used quite > > > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I > suggest> > > you > > > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > > > above > > > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > > > that > > > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when > religion> > > is > > > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who > are in > > > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > > religion > > > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > > behaviour > > > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > > are > > > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take > care of > > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > > > governance, > > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it > that some > > > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the > faith, but > > > > not > > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a > Delhi- > > > > > > > > > basedJournalist > > > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > > > >> > > > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > > > >> > > > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > > > >> officials in MP state. > > > > >> > > > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > > > >> > > > > >> [end] > > > > >> > > > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > > > >> > > > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > > > >> > > > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > > > >> this matter. > > > > >> > > > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > > >> _________________________________________ > > > > >> 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. > > > > >> To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > >> list > > > > >> 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list> > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. > Try it now. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 20:39:15 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:09:15 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] US Ambassador Moriarty on "Bangladesh Terrorism" Message-ID: ...bubble bubble toil and trouble...even a lame duck US presidency continues to stir up trouble and seek new enemies..hunting wabbits Below is the key excerpt (aka "the money shot") from new Ambassador Moriarty's testimony to the Senate. Note the use of checked and double-checked "facts" based on that most reliable, unbiased and agenda-free source in subcontinent achaar manufacture-- "Indian press reports" which are based on that maguffin "Indian Intel" (by the way I am equally leery of "Bangladesh Intel"). Let the games begin, or rather continue... JAMES F. MORIARTY/AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO BANGLADESH/SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 6, 2008 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: It is a great honor to appear before you as President Bush's nominee to serve as Ambassador to Bangladesh. I deeply appreciate the trust President Bush and Secretary Rice have shown in nominating me and, if confirmed, I will serve to the best of my abilities. .... Mr. Chairman, I would like to turn now to the U.S. interest in denying terrorists the use of Bangladesh's territory. Despite a long and admirable history of religious tolerance, Bangladesh has become a target of extremists in recent years. Poverty and political turmoil have provided some space for terrorists. Home-grown terrorists called the Jama-atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) simultaneously exploded over 400 small bombs throughout Bangladesh in August 2005; shortly thereafter, the JMB embarked on a terror campaign of suicide attacks against judges, other prominent figures, and crowded markets. The subsequent execution of six JMB leaders appears to have left the terrorist organization on the run. A number of press reports also indicate, however, that Pakistan-based militant groups are using Bangladesh as a staging area and transit point to facilitate attacks directed at targets in India, and at least one of these groups, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT), has been able to tap into resources provided by local militant groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami, Bangladesh (HUJI-B) to support their operations. Indian press reports allege that Bangladeshi HUJI-B members and individuals affiliated with the LT are involved in an active terrorist network, operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Press reports also suggest that this particular network is responsible for a string of attacks in India, including the October 2005, May 2007, and August 2007 bombings in Hyderabad and probably the October 2007 bombing of a shrine in Ajmer, Rajasthan as well. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION TEL: 880-2-883-7150-4 FAX: 880-2-9881677, 9885688 E-MAIL: DhakaPA at state.gov WEBSITE: http://dhaka.usembassy.gov The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a confirmation hearing for Ambassador James Moriarty, the U.S. Ambassador designate for Bangladesh, Wednesday, February 6, 2008. His testimony is attached. A full transcript will be available shortly. From culetti at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 22:03:29 2008 From: culetti at gmail.com (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Lele_Linge=F1ere?=) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:33:29 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] CALL: 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL -- UPLOAD video and BET on it // or on someone else's || SUBE tu video y APUESTA por el // o sobre el de otro Message-ID: <001201c8a0a8$c653cdf0$52fb69d0$@com> //////////Español abajo/////////Italiano sotto Third ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) is the new edition of the festival of 1 second lasting videos, + organized by Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + which will be hosted by the DigitalMedia 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/) ////jury: The winner will be selected by a formula that combines the Gambling Online and the algorithm DEEP DREDD (http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////rewards: + In this edition you can bet for the prize-winning video and gain some + good money to cash or to spend on our favourite website virtual casino: UNIBET + THE  VIDEO WINNER WILL INCREASE HIS/HER ECONOMY IN AT LEAST 500 EUROS. + watch last year reportage by Cuatro(spanish) http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////dates: 1 April - 1 May : UPLOAD videos 1 May  - 8 May : BETTING on videos 9 May           : online PRIZING ////requisites: _ fill up the application form _ upload the 1 second video (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _ upload a snapshot of the video _ last frame of the video must be black //////////English above//////////Italiano sotto El 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) es la nueva edición del festival de películas de un segundo + de Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + que este año será hospedado por el DIGITAL MEDIA 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/). ////jurado: El ganador será elegido por una formula que combinará las apuestas online y el algoritmo DEEP DREDD(http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premios: + En esta edición podréis apostar por el video ganador y llevaros un + buen dinero a cobrar o gastar en la web de nuestro casino virtual favorito: UNIBET. + EL VIDEO GANADOR AUMENTARÁ SU PATRIMONIO EN POR LO MENOS 500 EUROS. mira el reportaje en Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////fechas: 1 Abril - 1 Mayo : UPLOAD peliculas 1 Mayo – 8 Mayo  : APUESTAS sobre peliculas 9 Mayo           : PREMIACIÓN online ////requisitos _rellenar la ficha de inscripción _subir el vídeo de 1 segundo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _adjuntar un still de la película _el ultimo frame del video debe ser negro //////////English & Spanish above Il 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) è la nuova edizione del festival di film di un secondo + di Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + che quest'anno sará ospitato da DIGITAL MEDIA 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/). ////giuria: Il vincitore verrá selezionato da una formula che combina le scommesse online e l'algoritmo DEEP DREDD (http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premio: + In questa edizione potrete scommettere sul video vincitore e + guadambiarvi un bel malloppo da incassare o spendere nella web del nostro casinó virtuale preferito: UNIBET. + IL VIDEO VINCENTE VEDRÀ LA SUA SITUAZIONE ECONOMICA MIGLIORARE DI 500 EURO. Guarda lo speciale sulla rete spagnola Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////date: 1 Aprile - 1 Maggio : UPLOAD video 1 Maggio – 8 Maggio : SCOMMESSE sui video 9 Maggio : PREMIAZIONE online ////requisiti _riempire la scheda di iscrizione _uploadare il video i un secondo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _allegare un'immagine del video _l'ultimo frame del video deve essere nero From culetti at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 22:11:57 2008 From: culetti at gmail.com (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Lele_Linge=F1ere?=) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:41:57 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] RV: CALL: 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL -- UPLOAD video and BET on it // or on someone else's || SUBE tu video y APUESTA por el // o sobre el de otro Message-ID: <001301c8a0a9$f4d472a0$de7d57e0$@com> //////////Español abajo/////////Italiano sotto Third ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) is the new edition of the festival of 1 second lasting videos, + organized by Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + which will be hosted by the DigitalMedia 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/) ////jury: The winner will be selected by a formula that combines the Gambling Online and the algorithm DEEP DREDD (http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////rewards: + In this edition you can bet for the prize-winning video and gain some + good money to cash or to spend on our favourite website virtual casino: UNIBET + THE  VIDEO WINNER WILL INCREASE HIS/HER ECONOMY IN AT LEAST 500 EUROS. + watch last year reportage by Cuatro(spanish) http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////dates: 1 April - 1 May : UPLOAD videos 1 May  - 8 May : BETTING on videos 9 May           : online PRIZING ////requisites: _ fill up the application form _ upload the 1 second video (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _ upload a snapshot of the video _ last frame of the video must be black //////////English above//////////Italiano sotto El 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) es la nueva edición del festival de películas de un segundo + de Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + que este año será hospedado por el DIGITAL MEDIA 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/). ////jurado: El ganador será elegido por una formula que combinará las apuestas online y el algoritmo DEEP DREDD(http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premios: + En esta edición podréis apostar por el video ganador y llevaros un + buen dinero a cobrar o gastar en la web de nuestro casino virtual favorito: UNIBET. + EL VIDEO GANADOR AUMENTARÁ SU PATRIMONIO EN POR LO MENOS 500 EUROS. mira el reportaje en Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////fechas: 1 Abril - 1 Mayo : UPLOAD peliculas 1 Mayo – 8 Mayo  : APUESTAS sobre peliculas 9 Mayo           : PREMIACIÓN online ////requisitos _rellenar la ficha de inscripción _subir el vídeo de 1 segundo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _adjuntar un still de la película _el ultimo frame del video debe ser negro //////////English & Spanish above Il 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (http://www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) è la nuova edizione del festival di film di un secondo + di Respeto-Total (http://www.respeto-total.com), + che quest'anno sará ospitato da DIGITAL MEDIA 1.0 (http://www.digitalmediavalencia.com/). ////giuria: Il vincitore verrá selezionato da una formula che combina le scommesse online e l'algoritmo DEEP DREDD (http://www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premio: + In questa edizione potrete scommettere sul video vincitore e + guadambiarvi un bel malloppo da incassare o spendere nella web del nostro casinó virtuale preferito: UNIBET. + IL VIDEO VINCENTE VEDRÀ LA SUA SITUAZIONE ECONOMICA MIGLIORARE DI 500 EURO. Guarda lo speciale sulla rete spagnola Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja ////date: 1 Aprile - 1 Maggio : UPLOAD video 1 Maggio – 8 Maggio : SCOMMESSE sui video 9 Maggio : PREMIAZIONE online ////requisiti _riempire la scheda di iscrizione _uploadare il video i un secondo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _allegare un'immagine del video _l'ultimo frame del video deve essere nero From yamunajiye at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 22:49:16 2008 From: yamunajiye at gmail.com (Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:49:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Swept off the Map : Book Release : Apr 19 : 3pm : IIC, New Delhi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <659937df0804171019x6e8c8ae4k80a0c5a94db353d7@mail.gmail.com> I am unfortunately not in Delhi on the 19th April. I wish your book a grand readership. That is important. It is such a planning farce that the said site in the river bed is now being 'developed' as a road and it is said that soon the area shall have traffic circulation clover leaves like the one at AIIMS crossing complete with underpasses and what not. More fancy roads / flyovers, more cars and more urban mayhem. What about the justice if any vis a vis the uprooted? manoj misra On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 11:04 PM, gautam bhan wrote: > Dear All, > Over the past three years, I and Kalyani Menon-Sen have been conducting > research in > Bawana, a resettlement site for evictees from Yamuna Pushta in Delhi. Our > findings, > based on a 2600-household sample intended to quantify the impact of > eviction > and resettlement, were an attempt at a direct response to governmental > claims of improvement > of life in resettlement colonies. > > The write-up is being published as a book by Yoda Press in Delhi [ > www.yodapress.com]. > Details of the book are here: > http://www.yodapress.com/Forthcoming.html#f_21 > > The launch is a release by journalist P. Sainath. The list doesnt allow > attachments, > so please treat this email as an invite to attend. > > 3pm > April 19th > Conference Room 2 > Indian International Centre > Lodi Road, New Delhi > > > > best, > Gautam > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- www.yamunajiyeabhiyaan.blogspot.com From chiarapassa at gmail.com Thu Apr 17 13:52:23 2008 From: chiarapassa at gmail.com (Chiara Passa) Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:22:23 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] ECOTRONICA.NET out now! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Friends & colleagues, we're very glad to announce that ECOTRONICA blog is out now at www.ecotronica.net ecotronica.net (bilingual eng/ita) is a blog that pays attention to electronic artworks designed with the purpose and method ecological based on recycling technologies and other forms of artistic expression. ecotronica.net is curate by Luigi Pagliarini & Chiara Passa but we are happy to involve other people interested in the marriage between hi-tech art and ecology. Cheers, Luigi Pagliarini & Chiara Passa -- Chiara Passa chiarapassa at gmail.com http://www.chiarapassa.it http://www.ideasonair.net http://twitter.com/jogador Skype: ideasonair _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From waterjourneys at rediffmail.com Thu Apr 17 14:21:07 2008 From: waterjourneys at rediffmail.com (Water Journeys) Date: 17 Apr 2008 08:51:07 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] VFW08: Deadline for Entries Extended Message-ID: <20080417085107.5209.qmail@f5mail-237-242.rediffmail.com> Voices from the Waters 2008, The Biggest International Film Festival on Water will be held in Bangalore from 13th September, 2008 to 18th September, 2008. The deadline for acceptance of entries has been extended to 31st May, 2008. Kindly help spread the word by forwarding the new call for entries to your friends and acquaintainces. Voices from the Waters 2008 3rd International Film Festival on Water CALL FOR ENTRIES Bangalore Film Society, Arghyam, Svaraj- Society for Voluntary Action Revitalization and Justice, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College, USA (FLEFF) Mountainfilm in Telluride, USA, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore and Water Journeys - Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water are organizing the third International 'Voices from the Waters'- the biggest international film festival on water in August 2008 following on the footsteps of the hugely popular and successful events in 2005 and 2007. This consortium of committed organizations active in water issues are inviting you to be part of this festival by contributing short, documentary, animation and feature films (DVD format only) with English subtitles on water and related issues. Also include a photograph and CV of the film-maker, a minimum of three film stills and a short synopsis of the film. You are also most welcome to send us photographs for exhibition at the festival. The first edition of 'Voices from the Waters' was held in April 2005 in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, while the second was held in June 2007 in Bangalore, India by a consortium of organizations. With the overwhelming success and the positive responses to the festival from across the globe and the urgency of the water issue to a planet headed towards catastrophe, 'Voices from the Waters' is being organized as an annual event of images and sounds, of films, songs, photo and art exhibitions, lectures and conferences, a platform for diverse voices – free as water as nature intended it to be. If you have a film under the following categories: 1. Water Scarcity, 2. The Dams and the Displaced, 3. Water Harvest, 4. Water Struggles, 5. Floods and Droughts, 6. Global Warming and Climate Change, 7. Impact of Deforestation on Water Bodies and 8. Water and Life, you should consider sending it to us so that we may place them in the festival. All entries will be acknowledged. 'Voices from the Waters' is a public awareness program and while there is no entry fee for the festival, the final short-list for the festival will be decided from the entries by a committee comprised of eminent film-makers, film critics and social activists. This is also conceived as a traveling film festival. Deadline for entries is 31st May, 2008 . For more information, contact us at the address below. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, The organizing committee If there is magic on this planet it is contained in water - Loran Eisley Contact:- Georgekutty A.L. Secretary, Bangalore Film Society, 33/1-9, Thyagaraja Layout, Jai Bharath Nagar, MS Nagar P.O., Bangalore- 560 033. Karnataka, India Tel: 91- 80- 25493705 Email: bangalorefilmsociety at gmail.com , waterjourneys at rediffmail.com http://www.voicesfromthewaters.   Campaign for the fundamental right to water, C/o No.33/1-9, Thyagaraj Layout, Jai Bharath Nagar, Maruthisevanagar P.O, Bangalore-560 033. "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water" - Loran Eisley -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From aman.am at gmail.com Fri Apr 18 11:44:23 2008 From: aman.am at gmail.com (Aman Sethi) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:44:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Poems for Kshmendra (and Radhika) Message-ID: <995a19920804172314g436ded41q255f7fc0dfc19a48@mail.gmail.com> Dear Kashmendra I haven't the time To go through the your emails and sort out the grime, and separate the nuances of precisely you hate I aspire to a more kindly fate. As a "journalist" I am glad to retract A statement not wholly based on fact And if you say really dont support a cleansing My apologies for my lack of tact. Dear Radhika, how nice to receive a laundry list of exactly what you believe What would be much nicer though Was if you thought longer before you wrote some more. Best a. On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 6:39 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Aman Sethi > > You have ascribed to me the wishing of "Hindutva cleansing of India" > > Will you please support that with quoting what I may have written anyplace either directly stating that 'wish' or even by implication. > > Else I would expect that the 'journalist' that you are, you will retract from your statement. > > Kshmendra Kaul > > > > > Aman Sethi wrote: > > > > I think we have finally got it: wittingly or unwittingly, i think > aarti has hit upon the perfect way to respond to hate speech- poetry. > Here is my two cents worth. > > In the event of the Hindutva cleansing of India that Radhika, Dhatri, > Pawan, Aditya, Kshemdra et al wish for: > > How I came to love secularism. > > They sit with their brows furrowed, > Oh whatever can they do, > The Muslims have finally up and gone, > left us here to stew. > > Kashmir Kashmir, that forgotten land, > Its just not fun no more, > Now that there;s no one contesting it, > Living here is such a bore. > > Even Modi says he misses them, > "I meant it all in jest." > Trust them to take it seriously, > They've failed the "indian-ness" test. > > Jai Siya ram has lost its ring > Bharat ma ki sounds obscene > Jai Hanuman wont rouse the crowds > We need a change of scene. > > Perhaps we could call them back > Maybe if we are all polite > And tell them that we're sorry > It's no fun without a fight. > > Damn this country's gone to the dumps. > Till yesterday it was just swell > Perhaps the Muslims figured it out. > Maybe we should leave as well. > > Boom Shiva > a. > > > But alas, they figured it out > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Aarti Sethi wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a reasoned response > > by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, in this case > > Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is totally off > > topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being raised by > > Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring > > persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done to deserve > > you... > > > > Perhaps... > > > > we had a wicked childhood > > Perhaps we had a miserable youth > > Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past > > There must have been a moment of truth > > > > For there you are, standing there, boring us > > Whether or not you should > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > Nothing comes from nothing > > Nothing ever could > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > > > Aarti > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > > > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > > > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > > > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > > > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > > > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > > > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > > > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > > > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > > > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > > > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > > > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > > > > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > > > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > > > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > > > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > > > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > > > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > > > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > > > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > > > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > > > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > > > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > > > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > > > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > > > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > > > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > > > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > > > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > > > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > > > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > > > "defamation." > > > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > > > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > > > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > > > > > Regards. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: we wi > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > > > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > > > Adventist, a > > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > > > do belong to > > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > > > and CPM? > > > > > > > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > > charge for this. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > Radhikarajen, > > > > > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > > > have > > > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > > police > > > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > > > has > > > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > > > effect. > > > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > > > completely > > > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > > > resist > > > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > > > directly here) > > > > > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > > > he > > > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > > > does. > > > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > > > laws, > > > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > > > laws > > > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > > > it > > > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > > > can > > > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > > > I > > > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > > > happens > > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > > > gives > > > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > > > motives, > > > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > > > be > > > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > > > to > > > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > > > the > > > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > > > like > > > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > > > was > > > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > sounds, > > > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > > > proof, > > > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > > > (which > > > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > > > activists > > > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > > > absurd. > > > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > > > intelligence > > > > and your imagination is. > > > > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > > > you > > > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > > > above > > > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > > > that > > > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > > > is > > > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > > religion > > > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > > behaviour > > > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > > are > > > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > > > governance, > > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > > > not > > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > > > > > basedJournalist > > > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > > > >> > > > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > > > >> > > > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > > > >> officials in MP state. > > > > >> > > > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > > > >> > > > > >> [end] > > > > >> > > > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > > > >> > > > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > > > >> > > > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > > > >> this matter. > > > > >> > > > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > > >> _________________________________________ > > > > >> 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. > > > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > >> list > > > > >> 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > > ________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From rana at ranadasgupta.com Fri Apr 18 12:31:36 2008 From: rana at ranadasgupta.com (Rana Dasgupta) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:01:36 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] NYT: Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger Message-ID: <48084750.9090504@ranadasgupta.com> Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger By MARC LACEY PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Hunger bashed in the front gate of Haiti’s presidential palace. Hunger poured onto the streets, burning tires and taking on soldiers and the police. Hunger sent the country’s prime minister packing. Haiti’s hunger, that burn in the belly that so many here feel, has become fiercer than ever in recent days as global food prices spiral out of reach, spiking as much as 45 percent since the end of 2006 and turning Haitian staples like beans, corn and rice into closely guarded treasures. Saint Louis Meriska’s children ate two spoonfuls of rice apiece as their only meal recently and then went without any food the following day. His eyes downcast, his own stomach empty, the unemployed father said forlornly, “They look at me and say, ‘Papa, I’m hungry,’ and I have to look away. It’s humiliating and it makes you angry.” That anger is palpable across the globe. The food crisis is not only being felt among the poor but is also eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent and putting new pressures on fragile governments. In Cairo, the military is being put to work baking bread as rising food prices threaten to become the spark that ignites wider anger at a repressive government. In Burkina Faso and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, food riots are breaking out as never before. In reasonably prosperous Malaysia, the ruling coalition was nearly ousted by voters who cited food and fuel price increases as their main concerns. “It’s the worst crisis of its kind in more than 30 years,” said Jeffrey D. Sachs, the economist and special adviser to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. “It’s a big deal and it’s obviously threatening a lot of governments. There are a number of governments on the ropes, and I think there’s more political fallout to come.” Indeed, as it roils developing nations, the spike in commodity prices — the biggest since the Nixon administration — has pitted the globe’s poorer south against the relatively wealthy north, adding to demands for reform of rich nations’ farm and environmental policies. But experts say there are few quick fixes to a crisis tied to so many factors, from strong demand for food from emerging economies like China’s to rising oil prices to the diversion of food resources to make biofuels. There are no scripts on how to handle the crisis, either. In Asia, governments are putting in place measures to limit hoarding of rice after some shoppers panicked at price increases and bought up everything they could. Even in Thailand, which produces 10 million more tons of rice than it consumes and is the world’s largest rice exporter, supermarkets have placed signs limiting the amount of rice shoppers are allowed to purchase. But there is also plenty of nervousness and confusion about how best to proceed and just how bad the impact may ultimately be, particularly as already strapped governments struggle to keep up their food subsidies. ‘Scandalous Storm’ “This is a perfect storm,” President Elías Antonio Saca of El Salvador said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Cancún, Mexico. “How long can we withstand the situation? We have to feed our people, and commodities are becoming scarce. This scandalous storm might become a hurricane that could upset not only our economies but also the stability of our countries.” In Asia, if Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia steps down, which is looking increasingly likely amid postelection turmoil within his party, he may be that region’s first high- profile political casualty of fuel and food price inflation. In Indonesia, fearing protests, the government recently revised its 2008 budget, increasing the amount it will spend on food subsidies by about $280 million. “The biggest concern is food riots,” said H.S. Dillon, a former adviser to Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture. Referring to small but widespread protests touched off by a rise in soybean prices in January, he said, “It has happened in the past and can happen again.” Last month in Senegal, one of Africa’s oldest and most stable democracies, police in riot gear beat and used tear gas against people protesting high food prices and later raided a television station that broadcast images of the event. Many Senegalese have expressed anger at President Abdoulaye Wade for spending lavishly on roads and five-star hotels for an Islamic summit meeting last month while many people are unable to afford rice or fish. “Why are these riots happening?” asked Arif Husain, senior food security analyst at the World Food Program, which has issued urgent appeals for donations. “The human instinct is to survive, and people are going to do no matter what to survive. And if you’re hungry you get angry quicker.” Leaders who ignore the rage do so at their own risk. President René Préval of Haiti appeared to taunt the populace as the chorus of complaints about la vie chère — the expensive life — grew. He said if Haitians could afford cellphones, which many do carry, they should be able to feed their families. “If there is a protest against the rising prices,” he said, “come get me at the palace and I will demonstrate with you.” When they came, filled with rage and by the thousands, he huddled inside and his presidential guards, with United Nations peacekeeping troops, rebuffed them. Within days, opposition lawmakers had voted out Mr. Préval’s prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis, forcing him to reconstitute his government. Fragile in even the best of times, Haiti’s population and politics are now both simmering. “Why were we surprised?” asked Patrick Élie, a Haitian political activist who followed the food riots in Africa earlier in the year and feared they might come to Haiti. “When something is coming your way all the way from Burkina Faso you should see it coming. What we had was like a can of gasoline that the government left for someone to light a match to it.” Dwindling Menus The rising prices are altering menus, and not for the better. In India, people are scrimping on milk for their children. Daily bowls of dal are getting thinner, as a bag of lentils is stretched across a few more meals. Maninder Chand, an auto-rickshaw driver in New Delhi, said his family had given up eating meat altogether for the last several weeks. Another rickshaw driver, Ravinder Kumar Gupta, said his wife had stopped seasoning their daily lentils, their chief source of protein, with the usual onion and spices because the price of cooking oil was now out of reach. These days, they eat bowls of watery, tasteless dal, seasoned only with salt. Down Cairo’s Hafziyah Street, peddlers selling food from behind wood carts bark out their prices. But few customers can afford their fish or chicken, which bake in the hot sun. Food prices have doubled in two months. Ahmed Abul Gheit, 25, sat on a cheap, stained wooden chair by his own pile of rotting tomatoes. “We can’t even find food,” he said, looking over at his friend Sobhy Abdullah, 50. Then raising his hands toward the sky, as if in prayer, he said, “May God take the guy I have in mind.” Mr. Abdullah nodded, knowing full well that the “guy” was President Hosni Mubarak. The government’s ability to address the crisis is limited, however. It already spends more on subsidies, including gasoline and bread, than on education and health combined. “If all the people rise, then the government will resolve this,” said Raisa Fikry, 50, whose husband receives a pension equal to about $83 a month, as she shopped for vegetables. “But everyone has to rise together. People get scared. But we will all have to rise together.” It is the kind of talk that has prompted the government to treat its economic woes as a security threat, dispatching riot forces with a strict warning that anyone who takes to the streets will be dealt with harshly. Niger does not need to be reminded that hungry citizens overthrow governments. The country’s first postcolonial president, Hamani Diori, was toppled amid allegations of rampant corruption in 1974 as millions starved during a drought. More recently, in 2005, it was mass protests in Niamey, the Nigerien capital, that made the government sit up and take notice of that year’s food crisis, which was caused by a complex mix of poor rains, locust infestation and market manipulation by traders. “As a result of that experience the government created a cabinet-level ministry to deal with the high cost of living,” said Moustapha Kadi, an activist who helped organize marches in 2005. “So when prices went up this year the government acted quickly to remove tariffs on rice, which everyone eats. That quick action has kept people from taking to the streets.” The Poor Eat Mud In Haiti, where three-quarters of the population earns less than $2 a day and one in five children is chronically malnourished, the one business booming amid all the gloom is the selling of patties made of mud, oil and sugar, typically consumed only by the most destitute. “It’s salty and it has butter and you don’t know you’re eating dirt,” said Olwich Louis Jeune, 24, who has taken to eating them more often in recent months. “It makes your stomach quiet down.” But the grumbling in Haiti these days is no longer confined to the stomach. It is now spray-painted on walls of the capital and shouted by demonstrators. In recent days, Mr. Préval has patched together a response, using international aid money and price reductions by importers to cut the price of a sack of sugar by about 15 percent. He has also trimmed the salaries of some top officials. But those are considered temporary measures. Real solutions will take years. Haiti, its agriculture industry in shambles, needs to better feed itself. Outside investment is the key, although that requires stability, not the sort of widespread looting and violence that the Haitian food riots have fostered. Meanwhile, most of the poorest of the poor suffer silently, too weak for activism or too busy raising the next generation of hungry. In the sprawling slum of Haiti’s Cité Soleil, Placide Simone, 29, offered one of her five offspring to a stranger. “Take one,” she said, cradling a listless baby and motioning toward four rail-thin toddlers, none of whom had eaten that day. “You pick. Just feed them.” Reporting was contributed by Lydia Polgreen from Niamey, Niger, Michael Slackman from Cairo, Somini Sengupta from New Delhi, Thomas Fuller from Bangkok and Peter Gelling from Jakarta, Indonesia. From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Fri Apr 18 13:01:10 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:31:10 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] "Hidden Hunger" Message-ID: Following on Rana's post about "Empty Bellies & Rising Anger" here is the Economist on the debate in Bangladesh about whether it's a "food crisis", "famine" or "hidden hunger" (The Food Advisor's infamous "h h" gaffe at a press conference has become staple of underground gibboth). A different sort of emergency Apr 17th 2008 | DHAKA >From The Economist print edition A food crisis further complicates the army's exit strategy AFP Bags to fill before they eat "OUR politicians were corrupt, but we had enough money to buy food," says Shah Alam, a day labourer in Rangpur, one of Bangladesh's poorest districts, nostalgic for the days before the state of emergency imposed in January last year. He has been queuing all day for government-subsidised rice. Two floods and a devastating cyclone last year, combined with a sharp rise in global rice prices, have left some 60m of Bangladesh's poor, who spend about 40% of their skimpy income on rice, struggling to feed themselves. In the capital, Dhaka, a debate is raging about whether this is a famine or "hidden hunger". The crisis is not of the army-backed interim government's own making. But it is struggling to convince people that the politicians it locked up as part of an anti-corruption drive would have been equally helpless. They include the feuding leaders of the two big political parties, the former prime ministers Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League. The state of emergency, imposed to silence riotous politicians and repair corrupted institutions, can barely contain the growing discontent. This week thousands of garment workers went on strike for higher pay to cope with soaring food prices. The crisis has emboldened the political parties, which have been calling more loudly for the release of their leaders. The army's main headache is Sheikh Hasina, whose party is widely expected to win the election. Her detention on corruption charges has made her more popular than ever. Senior leaders of the League say it will boycott the election if the courts convict her. The threat might be empty. But it is a risk the army cannot afford to take. The patience of Western governments, which backed the state of emergency, is wearing thin. Human-rights abuses continue unabated. And they fear the political vacuum might be filled by an Islamist fringe, whose members this week went on a rampage to protest against a draft law giving equal inheritance rights to men and women. The election will almost certainly take place. And, unlike in the past, rigging it will be hard. Bangladesh has its first proper voters' list. Criminals will be banned from running. But to hold truly free and fair elections, the army will need to reach an accommodation with the parties. There is talk of a face-saving deal allowing Sheikh Hasina to go abroad for medical treatment, in return for a promise that the League will not boycott the election. Hardliners in the army will not like it. But they have largely been sidelined. With food prices likely to remain high and rice yields half those of India, Bangladesh desperately needs to secure food aid, investment and trade. It also badly needs to sustain the rising flow of billions of dollars in remittances, which have lifted millions of Bangladeshis out of poverty. This complicates the government's stated plan of considering prosecution of those who assisted the Pakistani army in a campaign that left 3m Bengalis dead in the country's liberation war in 1971. Saudi Arabia, which accounts for 40% of total remittances, objects to an international war-crimes tribunal. If the two big political parties had their way, a large number of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, would stand trial. It appears unlikely that the army will walk off the pitch and let the politicians run the country without altering the rules of the game. The interim government has already approved, in principle, the creation of a National Security Council, which would institutionalise the army's role in politics. Last month the army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, extended his term by one year in the "public interest". His term now runs out in June 2009. But many Bangladeshis still doubt that he will go down in history as that rare general who gave up power voluntarily. From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Fri Apr 18 16:01:30 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:01:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Plea to rehabilitate displaced fishermen Message-ID: <3457ce860804180331l393c6c91o3072643c945b1076@mail.gmail.com> Plea to rehabilitate displaced fishermen http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/17/stories/2008041760060300.htm Special Correspondent THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) has urged the government to take immediate steps to relocate fishermen families from the vulnerable areas of the coast before the onset of the South-West monsoon when strong waves invade the beaches. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, KSMTF State president T. Peter and general secretary A. Andrews said the government had made no effort to rehabilitate the families that were relocated to temporary relief camps after their houses were washed away in 2006. They accused the government of diverting Rs.100 crore funds from the Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme for the development of tourism sector. The federation urged the government to issue kerosene permits for outboard engines and increase the quota of kerosene. "At a time when the depletion of fish stocks is forcing fishermen to venture further out to the deep sea, the government is slashing the monthly quota for boats," Mr. Peter said. He demanded that the quota be raised to 300 litres. "After purchasing a new engine, fishermen now have to wait for three to four years for the kerosene quota. During this period, they are forced to depend on the black market for fuel. This pushes them into a debt trap. The only solution is to ensure that the permit is issued as soon a new engine is purchased," he said. The federation leaders called upon the Central and State governments to ensure that the debt relief programme for fishermen was implemented without hitches. They feared that members of bogus organisations would appropriate the benefits of the programme. They urged the government to ensure that the debt relief reached all eligible fishermen. KSMTF would join the nation-wide campaign from May 1 to June 27. From bangalorefilmsociety at gmail.com Fri Apr 18 17:53:12 2008 From: bangalorefilmsociety at gmail.com (Bangalore Film Society ,) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:53:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] VFW2008: Deadline for Entries Extended Message-ID: Voices from the Waters 2008, The Biggest International Film Festival on Water will be held in Bangalore from 13th September, 2008 to 18th September, 2008 at Bangalore University. The deadline for acceptance of entries has been extended to 31st May, 2008. Kindly help spread the word by forwarding the new call for entries to your friends and acquaintances. Voices from the Waters 2008 3rd International Film Festival on Water CALL FOR ENTRIES Bangalore Film Society, Arghyam, Svaraj- Society for Voluntary Action Revitalization and Justice, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College, USA (FLEFF) Mountainfilm in Telluride, USA, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore and Water Journeys - Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water are organizing the third International 'Voices from the Waters'- the biggest international film festival on water in August 2008 following on the footsteps of the hugely popular and successful events in 2005 and 2007. This consortium of committed organizations active in water issues are inviting you to be part of this festival by contributing short, documentary, animation and feature films (DVD format only) with English subtitles on water and related issues. Also include a photograph and CV of the film-maker, a minimum of three film stills and a short synopsis of the film. You are also most welcome to send us photographs for exhibition at the festival. The first edition of 'Voices from the Waters' was held in April 2005 in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, while the second was held in June 2007 in Bangalore, India by a consortium of organizations. With the overwhelming success and the positive responses to the festival from across the globe and the urgency of the water issue to a planet headed towards catastrophe, 'Voices from the Waters' is being organized as an annual event of images and sounds, of films, songs, photo and art exhibitions, lectures and conferences, a platform for diverse voices – free as water as nature intended it to be. If you have a film under the following categories: 1. Water Scarcity, 2. The Dams and the Displaced, 3. Water Harvest, 4. Water Struggles, 5. Floods and Droughts, 6. Global Warming and Climate Change, 7. Impact of Deforestation on Water Bodies and 8. Water and Life, you should consider sending it to us so that we may place them in the festival. All entries will be acknowledged. 'Voices from the Waters' is a public awareness program and while there is no entry fee for the festival, the final short-list for the festival will be decided from the entries by a committee comprised of eminent film-makers, film critics and social activists. This is also conceived as a traveling film festival. Deadline for entries is 31st May, 2008 . For more information, contact us at the address below. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, The organizing committee If there is magic on this planet it is contained in water - Loran Eisley Contact:- Georgekutty A.L. Secretary, Bangalore Film Society, 33/1-9, Thyagaraja Layout, Jai Bharath Nagar, MS Nagar P.O., Bangalore- 560 033. Karnataka, India Tel: 91- 80- 25493705 Email: bangalorefilmsociety at gmail.com , waterjourneys at rediffmail.com http://www.voicesfromthewaters. From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Sat Apr 19 12:07:17 2008 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:07:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for endorsements: Open Letter to Mamootty from Free Software Community Message-ID: <35f96d470804182337m2267d77fg803b9f3ca244cc6f@mail.gmail.com> Dear Friends, I request all to endorse Open letter to Mammooty It is available at http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_To_Mammootty You can endorse it (organisationally/individually) either on wiki or by sending a mail to me If You are logging it . Dont forget to add it to http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_To_Mammootty/Protest_Blog_Posts Regards Anivar ================================ Dear Bharat Mammootty, This letter is to express our deepest disappointment in your involvement with Microsoft to launch their e-literacy program in Keralaand is based on the belief that you have high social convictions and commitment to the people of Kerala. Kerala's civil society had in the past been delighted by your decision to dissociate with the coco cola advertisementproject as a response to the resource exploitation and pollution caused by the corporate body. However, people of Kerala will be bewildered to see that you are lending your name and fame to support a devastatingly nefarious techno-monopolistic campaign unleashed by Microsoft in our state. We feel your move is both ill-advised and harmful. Being the Director of a major media initiative (Kairali TV, Malayalam Communications Limited) that claims to be people-oriented both in terms of its initial resource mobilization tactics as well as its professed commitment to people's causes, it is embarrassing to see that such concerns are completely sidelined in favor of a hideous agenda of a major US based multi-national IT giant, despised even in US for its monopolistic tendencies. In fact there are records of this company using underhanded tactics to enforce its viewson an organization like ISO which maintains international standards for public benefit. We are assuming that you were not given enough information about the IT Scenario we live in. Software is a tool and a means with which we can achieve a lot of things. In this respect, it is similar to infrastructure like roads and rails. Using Microsoft software is akin to using a road built by a private agency who levies a charge for its use. Any further development of that road and the terms of usage of that road will be subject to the whims of that private agency alone, however insane it may be. Free Software is like an alternate road , with equal or better quality. It is community owned - public property. What modifications have to be done, and where it has to be done is driven by public need and is not influenced by a private party. When we use Microsoft's products, which do not give the 4 essential freedoms in Computing (Right to study, Right to copy, Right to modify and Right to Redistribute software), we are becoming helpless creatures. Non-free softwares like Windows are designed to keep users helpless and prohibit cooperation. On the other hand , Free software believes in sharing and cooperation. For your kind attention, Microsoft, the company with which you plan to sign the contract, has a track record of being fined($1.35 billion) for Antitrust Charges in European Union for not complying with EU standards and trying to avoid giving essential information required for interoperability to others by asking for a huge price. As the report says, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," The Hindu February 28, 2008 . The Kerala state IT policysays motto of Akshaya project is 'making technology and e-government services accessible to common man'. For making technology and e-governance accessible to common man without vendor lock-in, Free Software (Swathanthra Software) is the only solution available. On IANS Reportyou are saying "your mission is to help make all sections of the society IT literate". We understand and appreciate your genuine spirit. But selecting Microsoft as an accomplice would be a wrong choice. Making people literate benefits the society as a whole. Proprietary software rejects their thirst for knowledge: it says, "The knowledge you want is a secret — learning is forbidden!" Free software encourages everyone to learn. The free software community rejects the 'priesthood of technology', which keeps the general public ignorant of how technology works. The people and Government of Kerala understood it and has already introduced it in our schoolsand government institutions. So we request you to stand for free software and essential freedoms in computing to fulfill your mission. Since you have on several occasions expressed your support to the causes upheld by left forces in the country, we hope that it will not be news to you that CPI(M) and other progressive forces in the country have been ardent supporters of free software and as a matter of principle, detest Microsoft's monopoly built through treacherous market machinations that even the developed countries find unbearable. It is high time that you understood the implications and ramifications of your support for Microsoft. It seriously undermines your role as a socially committed artist, progressive media leader and sympathizer of leftist politics. We hope that being a thinking man, you will realize the error in endorsing proprietary software and will persist in your mission of bringing about IT to the common man via free software and open standards. As a great man who has enriched the culture of Kerala and India, please do set an example by using and promoting free software. You are already using GNU/Linux and Apache webserver (both are free software) for your site: http://www.mammootty.com. We as a body that strives to support free standards and free society through free software, request you to reconsider your decision and be a proponent of free software to achieve your mission to help make all sections of the society IT literate. Let us build your dream together with free software. A group of free software activists, supporters and users who believe in freedom, free society and free expression of ideas. http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_To_Mammooty Endorsed by Organisations 1. FOSS Communities in India 2. GNU Linux Users Group- Thiruvanathapuram 3. Swathanthra Malayalam Computing 4. Swathantra Software User Group Malappuram 5. Palakkad Libre Software Users Society 6. GNU/Linux Users Group Calicut 7. Free Software Users Group Bangalore 8. Open Source Foundation of India 9. Movingrepublic 10. Indian Linux User Group Cochin Chapter 11. Global Alternate Information Applications(GAIA) 12. ViBGYOR Film Collective 13. Keraleeyam Magazine 14. Third Eye Films Individuals 1. Abhinandh 2. Amit Surana 3. Anand S Babu 4. Anivar Aravind 5. Anoop John 6. Anoop Jacob Thomas 7. Anoop P Alias 8. Anoop Panavalappil 9. Anoop V Muraleedharan 10. Anu James 11. Arun.K.R 12. Ashik Salahudeen 13. baburajbhagavathy 14. Baiju M 15. Birenjith P S 16. Chandrasekharan Nair S 17. Cibu C J 18. CK Raju 19. George John 20. G. Palaniappan 21. Hiran Venugopalan 22. Jayesh V 23. Jinesh K J 24. Joby John 25. Justin Joseph 26. Mahesh Aravind 27. Manilal K M 28. Manish Sharma 29. M Jayadev 30. Nimesh V 31. Nishan Naseer 32. Pramode C.E 33. Prashant Shah 34. Pratheesh Prakash 35. Praveen A 36. Rajiv R Nair 37. Sajith VK 38. S.Anoop 39. Sameer Mohamed Thahir 40. Santhosh Thottingal 41. Shashank Bharadwaj 42. Sheshu K R 43. Shyam.k 44. Sujith Haridasan 45. The Overclocked Fragger 46. Sudev 47. Vimal Joseph 48. V K Adarsh Relates Links 1. Microsoft, Mammootty to launch Kerala e-literacy programme 2. CPI(M) supports Free software 3. Globalization Institute's submission to European Union 4. Kerala schools use free software 5. What is Free Software? 6. ORUMA: the result of KSEB's concerted efforts From justjunaid at rediffmail.com Sat Apr 19 15:44:53 2008 From: justjunaid at rediffmail.com (junaid) Date: 19 Apr 2008 10:14:53 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] A Collage on Kashmir Message-ID: <20080419101453.13147.qmail@f4mail-235-144.rediffmail.com> Came across this nice choreographed collage on Kashmir...  The song is by Chris de Burg, but fits so well into images on Kashmir Watch  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nagm3sJvee8 here are lyrics of the song: Wake up boys, there's a light at the window,I can hear someone knocking on the door,There are voices in the street,And the sound of running feet,And they whisper the word --Revolution!There are men coming down from the valleys,There are tall ships lying off the coast,And they carry the light,In the dark of the night,Like a whisper in the wind --Revolution!Bring my gun and a handful of silver,By the sea we will gather for the fight,It's been so many years,So many tears,We have lost once before,Now we'll settle the score,When our cannons will roar --Revolution!...light a firelight a fireejust light a fire From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Apr 19 15:55:40 2008 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:25:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Poems for Kshmendra (and Radhika) In-Reply-To: <995a19920804172314g436ded41q255f7fc0dfc19a48@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <299735.54950.qm@web57209.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Aman Sethi Thank you for your retraction and apology. I did notice though the lack of grace in it with the reference to "grime ... hate". With that, your trying to express your gracelessness in 'poetry' does not lessen the questioning of your character (or lack of it) as a 'journalist'. Kshmendra Kaul Aman Sethi wrote: Dear Kashmendra I haven't the time To go through the your emails and sort out the grime, and separate the nuances of precisely you hate I aspire to a more kindly fate. As a "journalist" I am glad to retract A statement not wholly based on fact And if you say really dont support a cleansing My apologies for my lack of tact. Dear Radhika, how nice to receive a laundry list of exactly what you believe What would be much nicer though Was if you thought longer before you wrote some more. Best a. On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 6:39 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Aman Sethi > > You have ascribed to me the wishing of "Hindutva cleansing of India" > > Will you please support that with quoting what I may have written anyplace either directly stating that 'wish' or even by implication. > > Else I would expect that the 'journalist' that you are, you will retract from your statement. > > Kshmendra Kaul > > > > > Aman Sethi wrote: > > > > I think we have finally got it: wittingly or unwittingly, i think > aarti has hit upon the perfect way to respond to hate speech- poetry. > Here is my two cents worth. > > In the event of the Hindutva cleansing of India that Radhika, Dhatri, > Pawan, Aditya, Kshemdra et al wish for: > > How I came to love secularism. > > They sit with their brows furrowed, > Oh whatever can they do, > The Muslims have finally up and gone, > left us here to stew. > > Kashmir Kashmir, that forgotten land, > Its just not fun no more, > Now that there;s no one contesting it, > Living here is such a bore. > > Even Modi says he misses them, > "I meant it all in jest." > Trust them to take it seriously, > They've failed the "indian-ness" test. > > Jai Siya ram has lost its ring > Bharat ma ki sounds obscene > Jai Hanuman wont rouse the crowds > We need a change of scene. > > Perhaps we could call them back > Maybe if we are all polite > And tell them that we're sorry > It's no fun without a fight. > > Damn this country's gone to the dumps. > Till yesterday it was just swell > Perhaps the Muslims figured it out. > Maybe we should leave as well. > > Boom Shiva > a. > > > But alas, they figured it out > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM, Aarti Sethi wrote: > > Radhikarajen, > > > > As usual, in that unique style you have made your own, a reasoned response > > by someone who takes you up on the rubbish which is your post, in this case > > Shuddha, you respond with some incomprehensible drivel which is totally off > > topic, does not answer in any way the legitimate questions being raised by > > Shuddha, and confirms for us, once again, your exhausting boring > > persistently bigoted presence on this list....what have we done to deserve > > you... > > > > Perhaps... > > > > we had a wicked childhood > > Perhaps we had a miserable youth > > Clearly somewhere in our wicked, miserable past > > There must have been a moment of truth > > > > For there you are, standing there, boring us > > Whether or not you should > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > Nothing comes from nothing > > Nothing ever could > > So somewhere in our youth or childhood > > We must have done something we shouldn't > > > > > > Aarti > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM, wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > it is not at all surprising when thoughts of dissent are expressed, the > > > method of suppression are time tested and have not found success, first, the > > > step one is to discredit the person and not the thoughts, next step two is > > > holding out threats of "legal" actions, third step, use the brute force, to > > > harass phyisically, mentally by false cases, it is not new as to how legally > > > any dissenter can be cowed down by threats , violent protests. > > > Nation has seen it in emergency days of a autocratic ruler.Now with drug > > > and kickbacks in deals money power is threatening to extinguish the freedom, > > > then centuries ago, one voice which told truth was poisoned, one voice which > > > explained that earth was revolving around the sun had the eyes gauged out. > > > But power of thought is such that if truthful, it remains in the minds > > > of the readers, they like it or not, support it or not, the issue remains. > > > > > > New generations of India have doctored histrory of freedom struggle of > > > India, go with that as their perspective for the learning experience. It is > > > one voice from remote Maharashtra, of Bala gangadhar Thilak, that inspired > > > many others to become BalGangadhars of the struggle. It is one voice of lala > > > Lajpath rai that inspired many to become the lalaLajpath rai. It is one > > > voice of Bipin Chnandra Pal, that inspired many to be the stronger voice for > > > freedom. Ofcourse all the one voices were repressed brutally, killed, but > > > the struggle went on, as the fruits of freedom are now enjoyed, all credit > > > is to one family which had a person who hobnobbed with viceroys, spent his > > > confinement in guest houses, but the family took the surname of Gandhi, to > > > be mother of all sacrifices, wherein reality check, there are thousands who > > > sacrificed their life and livelihood to alll of us to have freedom. > > > Nethaji was not the first who passed ICS exam but refused to serve under > > > british regime, dissent cost him dear. Nehru who had failed the ICS, after > > > enrolling at british Bar Council came back as Barrister, but issue here is > > > was he a visionary that he is projected as for free India. ? > > > The very same left parties which condemned Nethaji as fascist supporter > > > now have with them the Forward Block even though with uncomfortable to share > > > power, so let us not be sensitive to such oppressing threats of > > > "defamation." > > > Basic issue here is again, it is not about religion, or the journalist, > > > was he out on reportage of true facts or was he reporting to his community > > > of milli gazette, or was he reporting to all citizens of the nation. ? > > > > > > Regards. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: we wi > > > > > > Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008 6:07 pm > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested > > > aDelhi-basedJournalist > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > Haha Exhausted Suddhabrata, > > > > > > > > >>For all I care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day > > > > Adventist, a > > > > >>lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > > >>therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > >>Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. > > > > > > > > I contradict over and above with the term "alcoholic Santan > > > > Dharmi"? What do you exactly mean by using that term? I observe > > > > the possible conclusions as > > > > > > > > 1) One should not follow "Sanatan Dharm" at all? > > > > 2) All ALCOHOLICS in INDIA or abroad mystifying the > > > > world as "Sanatan Dharmis"? > > > > 3) Those who are all following "Sanatan Dharm" are > > > > ALCOHOLICS? 4) Those who ever following "Sanatan Dharm" > > > > do belong to > > > > BAJARANGDAL,VHP,BJP,RSS,SHIVSENA? > > > > 5) "Sanatan Dharmis" not at all present in CONGRESS,CPI > > > > and CPM? > > > > > > > > > > > > Possibly the 2nd one is most suitable and correct anyway, > > > > > > > > Please let me know how much can be gained for a defamation as I > > > > am fighting a minor litigation, I am thinking to file a > > > > "defamation" as well. I request you please don't ask a service > > > > charge for this. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dhatri. > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > Radhikarajen, > > > > > > > > I am curious to know, where in the post by Arshad Amanullah you > > > > have > > > > read that the journalist, Nadim Ahmad, had violated any law? Which > > > > law do you think has been violated? Where (in Arshad's posting) do > > > > you find the evidence of this violation? > > > > > > > > The report forwarded by Arshad mentions the editor of Mr. Ahmad's > > > > newspaper citing conversations with a police officer about the > > > > journalist, his whereabouts and his assignment, and even the > > > > police > > > > officer who is quoted in the forwarded report does not seem to > > > > indicate that the Mr. Ahmad had broken any law. Which leap of > > > > imagination then impels you to make the assumption that he had? > > > > > > > > I find it disgusting that you should assume that the journalist > > > > has > > > > violated any law whatsoever, without any stated proof to that > > > > effect. > > > > All that we can surmise from reading the above mentioned report is > > > > that Mr. Ahmad was doing his job - making enquiries in a > > > > completely > > > > legitimate manner, as journalists are supposed to do. Morover, > > > > nowhere, in the posting that Arshad has forwarded, is there any > > > > reference to Mr. Ahmad's faith, or his relationship to an > > > > organization called SIMI, and yet, I can see that you cannot > > > > resist > > > > the cheap temptation of stating that - (and I am quoting you > > > > directly here) > > > > > > > > - "he is journalist (sic), that does not mean he is above the law, > > > > he > > > > can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor (sic), support and > > > > shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, that is when > > > > conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion is used to > > > > propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now banned > > > > does. > > > > If system of governance arrests a few, who are in subversion of > > > > laws, > > > > planning violent acts in the guise of religion and its freedom, > > > > laws > > > > have to take care of such deviant behaviour in free society." > > > > > > > > Where, in Arshad's posting do you find grounds to believe that the > > > > journalist, "sheltered, supported and shielded" any "fanatics"? Is > > > > it > > > > only on the grounds of his name, and what we can learn about the > > > > possibility of his beliefs, again on the basis of that name. What > > > > can > > > > we learn on the basis of a name. If I take your name for instance, > > > > I > > > > cannot even tell whether you are male or female, whether you are > > > > Hindu, or a person of another faith, or no faith at all, who > > > > happens > > > > to have the Sanskrit names of a hindu deity (Radhika) and the term > > > > for a royal personage, (Rajen) attached to his/her name. For all I > > > > care, you could be a Brahmo Samajist, a Seventh Day Adventist, a > > > > lapsed Roman Catholic, a de-sexed pagan cyobrg in dire need of > > > > therapy or a born-again, paranoiac, alcoholic (or abstinent) > > > > Santan > > > > Dharmi who spends way too much time on the internet. Your name > > > > gives > > > > me no real indication whatsoever, actually. And any negative > > > > judgements that I, or anyone esle would make about you, your > > > > motives, > > > > your character, your personality on the basis of your name would > > > > be > > > > totally indefensible. If I had to make judgements, they would have > > > > to > > > > rely on your actions and your statments, not your name. > > > > > > > > Now, let us assume that I was a journalist, trying to investigate > > > > the > > > > detention of the activists of a supposedly 'Hindu' organization > > > > like > > > > the Bajrang Dal. Now let us further assume that I was arrested, in > > > > the course of doing so. Would you, or anyone else, then be taken > > > > seriously, if you or they, made a statement to the effect that I > > > > was > > > > arrested, because I was "sheltering, supporting and shielding" the > > > > activists of the Bajrang Dal (because Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > sounds, > > > > in an appropriately deadpan Sanskritic way, like an ostensibly > > > > 'hindu' name, though it actually says next to nothing about my > > > > personal convictions in the matter of religion). > > > > > > > > Such an allegation, if it were not backed by any substantive > > > > proof, > > > > would be patently absurd. Similarly, your implicit allegations > > > > (which > > > > infer connections and convergences of purpose between SIMI > > > > activists > > > > and Nadim Ahmad solely on the grounds of the incidental 0 and > > > > therefore irrelevant - marker of Mr. Ahmad's name), are equally > > > > absurd. > > > > You, sir, or madam, or whatever you may be, are the true fanatic > > > > here. You cannot resist making broad generalizations about other > > > > peoples' character based on nothing other than the sound of their > > > > name. It really shows how narrow the bandwidth of your > > > > intelligence > > > > and your imagination is. > > > > > > > > I think you owe this list an apology, and I suggest that you study > > > > the Indian Penal Code carefully before making flimsy allegations > > > > about being above or below the law. The law can be used quite > > > > effectively against people like you who make baseless and wild > > > > allegations about other people's character and conduct. I suggest > > > > you > > > > take a careful look at section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, it > > > > spells out the law of a crime called defamation. Be careful. > > > > > > > > no regards whatsoever, not to you, not this time, > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 08-Apr-08, at 6:21 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > > > Losten my friend, he is journalist, that does not mean he is > > > > above > > > > > the law, he can do anything to go anywhere and even sheltor, > > > > > support and shield the few fanatics because he is journalist, > > > > that > > > > > is when conflict of interest comes in free India, when religion > > > > is > > > > > used to propagate hatred, to foist violence, like the SIMI now > > > > > banned does. If system of governance arrests a few, who are in > > > > > subversion of laws, planning violent acts in the guise of > > > > religion > > > > > and its freedom, laws have to take care of such deviant > > > > behaviour > > > > > in free society. Be it a hindu, muslim or any faith, group of > > > > > individuals who are traitors to the society for the "religion" > > > > are > > > > > not citizens who deserve to be spared as law has to take care of > > > > > such deviant behaviour., irrespective of the system of > > > > governance, > > > > > or the political party that rules the state, why is it that some > > > > > point out such incidents as if system is against the faith, but > > > > not > > > > > against lawless behaviour by "journalist. ? > > > > > > > > > > Regatrds. > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: arshad amanullah > > > > > Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 10:42 pm > > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh arrested a Delhi- > > > > > > > > > basedJournalist > > > > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > > > > > > > >> www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> New Delhi, 7 April 2008: Late last evening the police > > > > >> in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh arrested a > > > > >> Delhi-based journalist who had gone there to report on > > > > >> recent arrests in the state. > > > > >> > > > > >> The journalist is Mr Nadim Ahmad, a staffer of The > > > > >> Milli Gazette fortnightly English-language newspaper > > > > >> published from Delhi since 2000. > > > > >> > > > > >> Ahmad was arrested by the police early 6 April evening > > > > >> in village Aroda/Choral under Balwada Police Station, > > > > >> Distt Khargone, Indore Range. Contact with Ahmad was > > > > >> possible until late in the evening on his mobile phone > > > > >> (# 09911334768). However, since this morning he is not > > > > >> picking up his phone while Police Inspector Sunil > > > > >> Visthre (mobile # 09926670086), who took Ahmad in > > > > >> custody, is not responding to calls on his mobile. > > > > >> Enquiries with highest police officials in Indore have > > > > >> failed to help trace the whereabout of the arrested > > > > >> journalist. The Milli Gazette editor, Dr Zafarul-Islam > > > > >> Khan, has written in this matter to Mr Shivraj Patil, > > > > >> the Union Home Minister, MP Governor Mr Balram Jhakar, > > > > >> MP Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, MP home > > > > >> minister Mr. Himmat Kothari, as well as to top police > > > > >> officials in MP state. > > > > >> > > > > >> If the journalist remains untraceable, Dr Khan plans > > > > >> to file a habeas corpus suit in the Supreme Court of > > > > >> India tomorrow, 8 April. > > > > >> > > > > >> [end] > > > > >> > > > > >> Issued by The Milli Gazette > > > > >> D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I > > > > >> Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 > > > > >> Tel. (011) 26942883, 26947483, 26952825 > > > > >> Email: edit at milligazette.com > > > > >> Website: www.milligazette.com > > > > >> > > > > >> Following is the text of the letter sent by Dr > > > > >> Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette, on 7 > > > > >> April 2008 via fax, email and courier to a number of > > > > >> central and MP state authorities: > > > > >> > > > > >> "This is to inform you that we are a registered > > > > >> English-language fortnightly newspaper published > > > > >> regularly since January 2000 (registered RNI number > > > > >> DELENG/2000/930). A few days back we sent Mr Nadim > > > > >> Ahmad, one of our full-time staff reporters, to > > > > >> Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh, to report on communal > > > > >> violence there. At about same time news of arrests of > > > > >> alleged SIMI members also came from an adjacent area > > > > >> in the state, so I instructed him to go to Indore as > > > > >> well to report on the situation there and to visit > > > > >> some places from where arrests were made. Mr Ahmad > > > > >> reached Indore yesterday, 6 April 2008, and after > > > > >> making enquiries about the location of the concerned > > > > >> areas, went to village Aroda/Choral under Balwada > > > > >> Police Station, Distt Khargone, Indore Range (Thana > > > > >> phone No. 07280-261237) whose in-charge is Town > > > > >> Inspector Mr Sunil Visthre (mobile no. 09926670086). > > > > >> Inspector Visthre spoke to me last night at around 8-9 > > > > >> pm using Mr Ahmad's mobile no. 09911334768 asking why > > > > >> he was in the area. It was explained to him that Mr > > > > >> Ahmad was a full-time staff reporter of this paper and > > > > >> he was there at my instructions to report on the > > > > >> recent arrests. Inspector Visthre told me that there > > > > >> was nothing to worry about and Mr Ahmad is helping > > > > >> enquiries and he is not under arrest. > > > > >> > > > > >> My last contact with Ahmad was at 11.06 pm yesterday > > > > >> (6 April 08) on his mobile phone in which he said he > > > > >> is alright and was answering questions by the police; > > > > >> Inspector Visthre also spoke to me over the same phone > > > > >> at that time and told me that there is nothing to > > > > >> worry about as they were only trying to establish the > > > > >> reason why Mr Nadim was in the area.. Mr Nadim Ahmad's > > > > >> last call was at 1.28 am on 7-4-08 which I could not > > > > >> receive as I had gone to bed by that time. In the > > > > >> morning I tried to contact Mr Ahmad using his mobile > > > > >> number but there was no response. Thereafter, I phoned > > > > >> Balwada Thana at the above phone number and was > > > > >> informed that Inspector Visthre has taken Mr Ahmad to > > > > >> Indore in the morning at 6 AM. Efforts to contact Mr > > > > >> Ahmad since then have failed; Inspector Visthre too is > > > > >> not taking up calls to his mobile. After this, I > > > > >> phoned Indore Superintendent of Police Mr Anshuman > > > > >> Yadav on his mobile no. 09425115144 at 11.30 am (7 > > > > >> April 08). He told me that he had no information about > > > > >> this matter. > > > > >> > > > > >> As of now, my apprehension is that Mr Nadim Ahmad has > > > > >> been arrested and kept under custody at an unknown > > > > >> place for no reason whatsoever as he was only > > > > >> discharging his duties as a journalist to investigate > > > > >> matters of common and media interest. I fear that > > > > >> under the current charged atmosphere in the state of > > > > >> Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ahmad may have been falsely > > > > >> implicated in some matter and illegally deprived of > > > > >> his liberty. I request you to immediately intervene in > > > > >> this matter and ensure the freedom of press guaranteed > > > > >> by our Constitution and laws." > > > > >> _________________________________________ > > > > >> 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. > > > > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > >> list > > > > >> 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. > > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > > > Raqs Media Collective > > > > shuddha at sarai.net > > > > www.sarai.net > > > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > > > list > > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > > ________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Sat Apr 19 15:58:09 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:58:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fisher people demand justice for climate refugees Message-ID: <3457ce860804190328v1b24895fjd99465760cbeb82d@mail.gmail.com> Press release 19-04-2008 Fisher people demand justice for climate refugees South Indian fishing community conference on Climate change and Fisher people's livelihood was held on 17th April 2008 at Rotary Community hall, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district. This event was organized by Tamilnadu Fisher workers Union (TFU), Kerala Independent Fish workers Federation (KSMTF) and Voices from the Margins (VFM). Mr. T. Peter Dass, President, Tamilnadu Fish workers Union (TFU) delivered welcome address and he pointed out that fisher people are facing sea erosion as a result of climate change. This public event is recognized as the first one organized by the affected community against Climate Change and fisher people have decided to launch public protest for their sufferings as a result of climate change. Mr.M.Pakkirisamy, district revenue officer inaugurated this workshop and in his Chief Guest address said that sea level is rising in the last past decade at an unimaginable rate of increase. Sea level is expected raise 5 meters in the next 50 years and it is going to affect the fisher people. There is a need to change the consumption pattern to avoid the expansion of the hole in ozone layer. Mr. K.P. Sasi, activist film maker wondered what the government is doing to stop the carbon emission? There is a need to change the production process of the industries, agriculture and the energy systems. Nothing is done so far to the people affected by climate change and marginalized people who are becoming refugees as a result of ecological impacts thrust upon them. Dr. A.D.Shobana Raj, ecological researcher highlighted the fact that the coastal Kanyakumari district has 56 km long coast with a population density of 1500 per sq.km; and the coast line is vanishing. 80% of the water resources in the coastal area have become saline and people are facing water crisis because of the intrusion of sea water. 132 coastal sea weeds have disappeared in the last 10 years. If the global temperature rises 2 degree Celsius then it will have impact on micro organisms leading to several contagious diseases affecting coastal people. Dr. S.P.Udayakumar social activist demanded that our energy consumption pattern should change. The solution for climate change lies in shifting our energy sector from fossil fuel dependent sector to renewable energy. Our transportation pattern should move towards effective and efficient public transport system rather than promoting cars which will lead to increase in carbon emission and vehicular pollution. Mr. Sathya Sivaraman, journalist & film maker stressed the need to pinpoint who emits more carbon and who should pay for carbon credit. USA is responsible for 25% of carbon emission and it should take the responsibility in compensation to the victims of carbon emission and climate change. The relationship of Human species to Earth should be the equivalent to child and mother, but this species has taken up the role of the destroyer of the earth and other species. Carbon emitting industries should be changed and if this is not possible all such industries should be closed. After the people's response, Mr. T.Peter president KSMTF demanded that chemical farming practices, polluting industries and carbon emitting life style should be stopped since the fisher people are the most affected by the climate change. Today, this public event is organized with the conviction that the affected communities can not remain in halls but there is a need to launch mass public protest not just for their survival alone but for the entire humanity locally, nationally and internationally. In the concluding session Mr. S.M.Prithiviraj, Convener, Voices from the Margins explained how the marginalized farmers of the Tamilnadu are affected by climate change in recent heavy rains as a result unusual low pressure in Arabian Sea. Fisher people are affected by changes in pattern of fish catch, reduction in fish wealth, and loss of working days as a result of climate change and tidal waves and their houses are washed away by intruding sea in many places of South India. Why should the fisher people pay for the impacts of climate change entirely created by other vested interests? The conference ended with a resolution questioning the polluting industries, chemical farming practices, non-renewable energy sectors, carbon emitting life style and the need for taxing the polluters to pay the price for ecologically affected fisher people and other marginalized communities. Press release issued by Tamilnadu Fisher workers Union (TFU)Ph:09443294198 Kerala Independent Fish workers Federation (KSMTF)Ph:09447429243 and Voices from the Margins (VFM)Ph:09843080963 From bainulsatoor at googlemail.com Sun Apr 20 14:42:29 2008 From: bainulsatoor at googlemail.com (Bain Al Satoor) Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:42:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Cinema Reception Message-ID: Dear all I am writing a long piece of research on Cinema reception. This is, in my opinion, an area that remains least explored by Cinema/film-studies scholars. Much of the work has been done on history, techniques of film-making, genres of films, narrative style, grammar and and blah blah. I request you all to suggest me the names of some good international academic journals where i can publish my piece of research. If possible, also forward me any reference(s) around this theme. Thanks Bain From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 09:41:13 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:41:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Australia on Tibet In-Reply-To: <20080420162649.28428.qmail@f4mail-235-243.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: PM makes great leap on China The Australian[Saturday, April 12, 2008 18:16] By Greg Sheridan LU Kewen, as our Prime Minister is known to tens of millions in Mandarin, is usually no Red Guard. In fact, he is a counter-revolutionary, having written his honours thesis admiringly on the famous Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, who wrote a brilliant large character wall poster on the ³fifth modernisation²: democracy, which China¹s leaders have refused to embrace as part of their economic modernisation. But Kevin Rudd this week has produced his own cultural revolution. He may have transformed the way the world deals with China. He may have produced a great leap forward in the broad international project of making China a normal nation. For Rudd has shown the world that it is possible to be a good friend of China and still speak to the Chinese leadership frankly and in public about its appalling human rights practices. This is a profound revolution. Let no one tell you it is not a change from the past. I am sure Australian officialdom advised against this approach and it is a radical departure from the practice of John Howard, who preferred to concentrate on what he and the Chinese had in common. Australian officials may perversely try to play down the radical nature of what Rudd did. Don¹t buy it. That is a nonsense interpretation. No Western leader, with the partial exception of US presidents, does what Rudd did this week: criticise the Chinese over human rights abuses in Tibet before he arrives, in fact in a joint press conference with US President George W. Bush. Repeat the criticism in London. Absorb furious official Chinese protests in Beijing and Canberra, then go to China and repeat the offence in public, in front of a Chinese audience. It¹s true that the Chinese censored this part of Rudd¹s speech at Beijing University. That is not the point. The Chinese were ropeable at Rudd¹s statement and millions of Chinese will hear about it one way and another. It figured prominently in CNN and BBC reports this week, as well as coverage by Deutsche Welle and countless other news services. I myself did an interview with Al Jazeera¹s global audience explaining Rudd¹s statements. These statements featured heavily in The Economist, as they did in newspapers and journals across the world. Given the internet, much of this finds its way back to the Chinese public. Nonetheless, Rudd had a positive visit to China. Although the Chinese leadership was furious with him and took the unusual step of having party spokesmen denounce Rudd¹s views while he was in China, nonetheless it continued with the positive side of the visit, simultaneously embracing and honouring Rudd as it denounced his views. This is why his performance constitutes a cultural revolution in doing business with China. His approach, of course, was immensely sophisticated. In his speech at Beijing University he said he wanted to be a zhengyou to China. This Chinese term means a friend who is such a good friend that he will tell you unpleasant truths. This is where Rudd¹s approach, which was very high risk, much higher risk than anyone will now admit, has paid off handsomely, indeed beyond anyone¹s wildest dreams before the trip began. In his speech to the Chinese students Rudd suggested the marriage of two concepts. One was the official Chinese description of its national development as a ³peaceful rise² or ³peaceful development² or more recently promoting a ³harmonious world². The other was the formulation of former US deputy secretary of state Bob Zoellick that China should become a responsible stakeholder in the global order. The next sentence of Rudd¹s was critical. He said: ³The idea of a Œharmonious world¹ depends on China being a participant in the world order and, along with others, acting in accordance with the rules of that order. Failing this, harmony is impossible to achieve.² As much as his comments on Tibet, this sentence produced a stony silence in Rudd¹s listeners. But this goes to the very nub of how the world deals with China. The best way to treat China is as a normal nation, which has the normal rights and responsibilities of any other nation, which plays a role in the world commensurate with its importance and standing, and which honours basic norms of civilised behaviour and the international order. The Chinese, for the past 30 years, have been pulling a confidence trick by claiming that previous Western colonisation of China means that any Western criticism hurts the feelings of the Chinese people. The resort to crude nationalism and old-fashioned communist propaganda is evident in the reaction of China¹s state-controlled media to the worldwide demonstrations in favour of human rights in Tibet. To express concern for the human rights of Chinese citizens, in this twisted world view, is to be anti-Chinese. China¹s apologists in Australia often reinforce this paradigm by their support of the ³whateverist² school. Whatever the Chinese Government does is right and any criticism of it is wrong. Sometimes this is justified as being sensitive to China; at other times it¹s defended with a kind of tawdry ersatz realism: China is too big to offend. Rudd has completely transcended this sterile paradigm and he has done so while moving forward on a positive agenda with China. Rudd¹s positive agenda was solid. He got a climate change co-operation agreement and the establishment of several new co-operative bodies on it, one at ministerial level. He got an agreement to work together on reducing deforestation which, if you are serious about climate change, is vital. And he got agreement to inject new political energy into the free trade agreement negotiations between Canberra and Beijing. He also made various economic representations to the Chinese and prosecuted a lot of other business. It¹s not absolutely earth-shattering but it is more than respectable. But to do it while publicly criticising the Chinese over human rights and telling them that they have to abide by the rules of the global system: that is earth-shattering and unprecedented. The Chinese will not like it much because it tells other Western leaders that they do not need to be so mealy-mouthed as they normally are with the Chinese. Of course China badly wants Australia¹s resources, so Rudd was in the strong position of not going to China as a mendicant with a beggar¹s bowl. Similarly, his Mandarin language and his undeniable love of Chinese culture provided the best possible context for his harder messages to Beijing. But, still, there was no guarantee at all that the Chinese would not react by cancelling his high-level appointments and humiliating him. It may be that circumstances partly pushed Rudd into having to make public statements on Tibet. But he could have wimped out of it without any serious political damage in Australia. Rudd took a risk for human rights and it was a well-judged risk. Whether his cultural revolution represents a new international pattern of a more normal China or whether it is a false spring, soon to be followed by a new wind of Chinese hostility, is perhaps now the most fascinating question. Greg Sheridan is the most influential foreign affairs commentator in Australia. A veteran of over 30 years in the field, he has written five books and is a frequent commentator on Australian and international radio and TV. From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 09:42:00 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:42:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A Chinese student at Duke In-Reply-To: <20080420162348.32742.qmail@f4mail-235-233.rediffmail.com> Message-ID: Caught in the Middle, Called a Traitor Washington Post[Sunday, April 20, 2008 14:20] By Grace Wang I study languages -- Italian, French and German. And this summer -- now that it looks as though I won't be able to go home to China -- I'll take up Arabic. My goal is to master 10 languages, in addition to Chinese and English, by the time I'm 30. I want to do this because I believe that language is the bridge to understanding. Take China and Tibet. If more Chinese learned the Tibetan language, and if Tibetans learned more about China, I'm convinced that our two peoples would understand one another better and we could overcome the current crisis between us peacefully. I feel that even more strongly after what happened here at Duke University a little more than a week ago. Trying to mediate between Chinese and pro-Tibetan campus protesters, I was caught in the middle and vilified and threatened by the Chinese. After the protest, the intimidation continued online, and I began receiving threatening phone calls. Then it got worse -- my parents in China were also threatened and forced to go into hiding. And I became persona non grata in my native country. It has been a frightening and unsettling experience. But I'm determined to speak out, even in the face of threats and abuse. If I stay silent, then the same thing will happen to someone else someday. So here's my story. When I first arrived at Duke last August, I was afraid I wouldn't like it. It's in the small town of Durham, N.C., and I'm from Qingdao, a city of 4.3 million. But I eventually adjusted, and now I really love it. It's a diverse environment, with people from all over the world. Over Christmas break, all the American students went home, but that's too expensive for students from China. Since the dorms and the dining halls were closed, I was housed off-campus with four Tibetan classmates for more than three weeks. I had never really met or talked to a Tibetan before, even though we're from the same country. Every day we cooked together, ate together, played chess and cards. And of course, we talked about our different experiences growing up on opposite sides of the People's Republic of China. It was eye-opening for me. I'd long been interested in Tibet and had a romantic vision of the Land of Snows, but I'd never been there. Now I learned that the Tibetans have a different way of seeing the world. My classmates were Buddhist and had a strong faith, which inspired me to reflect on my own views about the meaning of life. I had been a materialist, as all Chinese are taught to be, but now I could see that there's something more, that there's a spiritual side to life. We talked a lot in those three weeks, and of course we spoke in Chinese. The Tibetan language isn't the language of instruction in the better secondary schools there and is in danger of disappearing. Tibetans must be educated in Mandarin Chinese to succeed in our extremely capitalistic culture. This made me sad, and made me want to learn their language as they had learned mine. I was reminded of all this on the evening of April 9. As I left the cafeteria planning to head to the library to study, I saw people holding Tibetan and Chinese flags facing each other in the middle of the quad. I hadn't heard anything about a protest, so I was curious and went to have a look. I knew people in both groups, and I went back and forth between them, asking their views. It seemed silly to me that they were standing apart, not talking to each other. I know that this is often due to a language barrier, as many Chinese here are scientists and engineers and aren't confident of their English. I thought I'd try to get the two groups together and initiate some dialogue, try to get everybody thinking from a broader perspective. That's what Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu and Confucius remind us to do. And I'd learned from my dad early on that disagreement is nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately, there's a strong Chinese view nowadays that critical thinking and dissidence create problems, so everyone should just keep quiet and maintain harmony. A lot has been made of the fact that I wrote the words "Free Tibet" on the back of the American organizer of the protest, who was someone I knew. But I did this at his request, and only after making him promise that he would talk to the Chinese group. I never dreamed how the Chinese would seize on this innocent action. The leaders of the two groups did at one point try to communicate, but the attempt wasn't very successful. The Chinese protesters thought that, being Chinese, I should be on their side. The participants on the Tibet side were mostly Americans, who really don't have a good understanding of how complex the situation is. Truthfully, both sides were being quite closed-minded and refusing to consider the other's perspective. I thought I could help try to turn a shouting match into an exchange of ideas. So I stood in the middle and urged both sides to come together in peace and mutual respect. I believe that they have a lot in common and many more similarities than differences. But the Chinese protesters -- who were much more numerous, maybe 100 or more -- got increasingly emotional and vocal and wouldn't let the other side speak. They pushed the small Tibetan group of just a dozen or so up against the Duke Chapel doors, yelling "Liars, liars, liars!" This upset me. It was so aggressive, and all Chinese know the moral injunction: Junzi dongkou, bu dongshou (The wise person uses his tongue, not his fists). I was scared. But I believed that I had to try to promote mutual understanding. I went back and forth between the two groups, mostly talking to the Chinese in our language. I kept urging everyone to calm down, but it only seemed to make them angrier. Some young men in the Chinese group -- those we call fen qing (angry youth) -- started yelling and cursing at me. What a lot of people don't know is that there were many on the Chinese side who supported me and were saying, "Let her talk." But they were drowned out by the loud minority who had really lost their cool. Some people on the Chinese side started to insult me for speaking English and told me to speak Chinese only. But the Americans didn't understand Chinese. It's strange to me that some Chinese seem to feel as though not speaking English is expressing a kind of national pride. But language is a tool, a way of thinking and communicating. At the height of the protest, a group of Chinese men surrounded me, pointed at me and, referring to the young woman who led the 1989 student democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, said, "Remember Chai Ling? All Chinese want to burn her in oil, and you look like her." They said that I had mental problems and that I would go to hell. They asked me where I was from and what school I had attended. I told them. I had nothing to hide. But then it started to feel as though an angry mob was about to attack me. Finally, I left the protest with a police escort. Back in my dorm room, I logged onto the Duke Chinese Students and Scholars Association (DCSSA) Web site and listserv to see what people were saying. Qian Fangzhou, an officer of DCSSA, was gloating, "We really showed them our colors!" I posted a letter in response, explaining that I don't support Tibetan independence, as some accused me of, but that I do support Tibetan freedom, as well as Chinese freedom. All people should be free and have their basic rights protected, just as the Chinese constitution says. I hoped that the letter would spark some substantive discussion. But people just criticized and ridiculed me more. The next morning, a storm was raging online. Photographs of me had been posted on the Internet with the words "Traitor to her country!" printed across my forehead. Then I saw something really alarming: Both my parents' citizen ID numbers had been posted. I was shocked, because this information could only have come from the Chinese police. I saw detailed directions to my parents' home in China, accompanied by calls for people to go there and teach "this shameless dog" a lesson. It was then that I realized how serious this had become. My phone rang with callers making threats against my life. It was ironic: What I had tried so hard to prevent was precisely what had come to pass. And I was the target. I talked to my mom the next morning, and she said that she and my dad were going into hiding because they were getting death threats, too. She told me that I shouldn't call them. Since then, short e-mail messages have been our only communication. The other day, I saw photos of our apartment online; a bucket of feces had been emptied on the doorstep. More recently I've heard that the windows have been smashed and obscene posters have been hung on the door. Also, I've been told that after convening an assembly to condemn me, my high school revoked my diploma and has reinforced patriotic education. I understand why people are so emotional and angry; the events in Tibet have been tragic. But this crucifying of me is unacceptable. I believe that individual Chinese know this. It's when they fire each other up and act like a mob that things get so dangerous. Now, Duke is providing me with police protection, and the attacks in Chinese cyberspace continue. But contrary to my detractors' expectations, I haven't shriveled up and slunk away. Instead, I've responded by publicizing this shameful incident, both to protect my parents and to get people to reflect on their behavior. I'm no longer afraid, and I'm determined to exercise my right to free speech. Because language is the bridge to understanding. grace.wang at duke.edu Grace Wang is a freshman at Duke University. Scott Savitt, a visiting scholar in Duke's Chinese media studies program, assisted in writing this article. From vivek at sarai.net Mon Apr 21 12:32:33 2008 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:32:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Alice Walker on Obama Message-ID: <480C3C09.7010809@sarai.net> A moving revisiting of womanism in the current context: http://www.theroot.com/id/45469 Vivek From vishal.rawlley at gmail.com Sat Apr 19 13:34:55 2008 From: vishal.rawlley at gmail.com (Vishal Rawlley) Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:34:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] BOMBAY ARTS Message-ID: <31d5ea920804190104sc41a661scfbecfb2b11c55f2@mail.gmail.com> Friends, Please visit www.bombay-arts.com There is much that you all might enjoy: - Raunchy Bhojpuri music album covers - Indian disco and desi techno - Lo-fi audio broadcast stuff - Typefaces and signage styles from Mumbai - Film poster painting - Architecture that float in the air - Indian Porn - Comic books Lots of photos, a video, some audio, textual essays, graphic design, illustrations... Your critical feedback shall be most welcome. Best, Vishal Rawlley From pkray11 at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 14:35:46 2008 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:35:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A letter from Michael Moore Message-ID: <98f331e00804210205r3371014fvb773b88315902dbb@mail.gmail.com> Dear all, I am posting a letter from Michael Moore on the US Presidential Elections. The elections are really important for the entire globe and we must request those who vote in November this year to cast their vote keeping the world in the view. Regards, Prakash *My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore* April 21st, 2008 Friends, I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted. So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama? I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name. Seriously, I know so many people who don't care if the name under the Big "D" is Dancer, Prancer, Clinton or Blitzen. It can be Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Barry Obama or the Dalai Lama. Well, that sounded good last year, but over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I've watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name "Farrakhan" out of nowhere, well that's when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the "F" word to scare white people, pure and simple. Of course, Obama has no connection to Farrakhan. But, according to Senator Clinton, Obama's pastor does -- AND the "church bulletin" once included a *Los Angeles Times* op-ed from some guy with Hamas! No, not the church bulletin! This sleazy attempt to smear Obama was brilliantly explained the following night by Stephen Colbert. He pointed out that if Obama is supported by Ted Kennedy, who is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is led by a Pope who was in the Hitler Youth, that can mean only one thing: OBAMA LOVES HITLER! Yes, Senator Clinton, that's how you sounded. Like you were nuts. Like you were a bigot stoking the fires of stupidity. How sad that I would ever have to write those words about you. You have devoted your life to good causes and good deeds. And now to throw it all away for an office you can't win unless you smear the black man so much that the superdelegates cry "Uncle (Tom)" and give it all to you. But that can't happen. You cast your die when you voted to start this bloody war. When you did that you were like Moses who lost it for a moment and, because of that, was prohibited from entering the Promised Land. How sad for a country that wanted to see the first woman elected to the White House. That day will come -- but it won't be you. We'll have to wait for the current Democratic governor of Kansas to run in 2016 (you read it here first!). There are those who say Obama isn't ready, or he's voted wrong on this or that. But that's looking at the trees and not the forest. What we are witnessing is not just a candidate but a profound, massive public movement for change. My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate. That is not to take anything away from this exceptional man. But what's going on is bigger than him at this point, and that's a good thing for the country. Because, when he wins in November, that Obama Movement is going to have to stay alert and active. Corporate America is not going to give up their hold on our government just because we say so. President Obama is going to need a nation of millions to stand behind him. I know some of you will say, 'Mike, what have the Democrats done to deserve our vote?' That's a damn good question. In November of '06, the country loudly sent a message that we wanted the war to end. Yet the Democrats have done nothing. So why should we be so eager to line up happily behind them? I'll tell you why. Because I can't stand one more friggin' minute of this administration and the permanent, irreversible damage it has done to our people and to this world. I'm almost at the point where I don't care if the Democrats don't have a backbone or a kneebone or a thought in their dizzy little heads. Just as long as their name ain't "Bush" and the word "Republican" is not beside theirs on the ballot, then that's good enough for me. I, like the majority of Americans, have been pummeled senseless for 8 long years. That's why I will join millions of citizens and stagger into the voting booth come November, like a boxer in the 12th round, all bloodied and bruised with one eye swollen shut, looking for the only thing that matters -- that big "D" on the ballot. Don't get me wrong. I lost my rose-colored glasses a long time ago. It's foolish to see the Democrats as anything but a nicer version of a party that exists to do the bidding of the corporate elite in this country. Any endorsement of a Democrat must be done with this acknowledgement and a hope that one day we will have a party that'll represent the people first, and laws that allow that party an equal voice. Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!" But no, Obama won't throw that at her. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be decent. She's been through enough hurt. And so he remains silent and takes the mud she throws in his face. That's why the crowds who come to see him are so large. That's why he'll take us down a more decent path. That's why I would vote for him if Michigan were allowed to have an election. But the question I keep hearing is... 'can he win? Can he win in November?' In the distance we hear the siren of the death train called the Straight Talk Express. We know it's possible to hear the words "President McCain" on January 20th. We know there are still many Americans who will never vote for a black man. Hillary knows it, too. She's counting on it. Pennsylvania, the state that gave birth to this great country, has a chance to set things right. It has not had a moment to shine like this since 1787 when our Constitution was written there. In that Constitution, they wrote that a black man or woman was only "three fifths" human. On Tuesday, the good people of Pennsylvania have a chance for redemption. Yours, Michael Moore From pkray11 at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 14:44:41 2008 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:44:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Cinema Reception Message-ID: <98f331e00804210214r227737d9qee060fcc65188e3b@mail.gmail.com> Dear Bain, It is good to know that you are writing on cinema reception. I am really surprised that you are aware of the writings on cinema but you do not know names of some reputed journals. Have you not read journals while writing your "long piece"? How can you claim that writings in cinema studies are restricted to some areas when you do not know about the journals? I am simply amazed. Prakash From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 17:59:35 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:59:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles Message-ID: >From the Greenpeace campaign for the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find the TATA environmental record that great... Why Save the turtles? Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built navigation system that guides them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, back to the precise coast on which they were born. Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port at Dhamra threatens a nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon suites for the remaining Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that swims all the way here from places as far away as Australia and the Philippines. When you consider these two facts together, it seems only logical that Tata would reconsider its decision to build the port at Dhamra, and build it in an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It seems especially logical when it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. After all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international player, while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. The Tata brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have genuinely improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt that flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms our winter baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the Tata cars that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a different side to the same Tata. A Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A Tata that looks the other way when confronted with evidence. A Tata that cares nothing for the community, and even less for nature. The port Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive Ridley turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15 million to 35 million. When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised concerned citizens that it would abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle presence and the ecological significance of the area were ever unearthed.¹ The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. The perfunctory EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Another nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality from mechanized fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual death toll, the Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, ensuring that this area is never safe for turtles again. Will this willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in Orissa? Not if you can help it. Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan by clicking here From kumaramesh at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 19:54:40 2008 From: kumaramesh at gmail.com (Ramesh Kumar) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:24:40 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 50 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8122bc0b0804210724q754359d9h348429f9a14b94ee@mail.gmail.com> I couldn't agree more with you Bain. Thanks for bringing your work to the notice of the list. However, in order for us to suggest any journals, it would help if you could be more specific about what aspects of reception studies are you focusing on, and in which soico-cultural context? I look forward to knowing more about your work. > From: "Bain Al Satoor" > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:42:29 +0530 > Subject: [Reader-list] Cinema Reception > Dear all > > I am writing a long piece of research on Cinema reception. This is, in my > opinion, an area that remains least explored by Cinema/film-studies > scholars. Much of the work has been done on history, techniques of > film-making, genres of films, narrative style, grammar and and blah blah. > > I request you all to suggest me the names of some good international > academic journals where i can publish my piece of research. > > If possible, also forward me any reference(s) around this theme. > > Thanks > > Bain > -- Ramesh Kumar +46 (0)76 246 4975 From tapasrayx at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 20:16:01 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:46:01 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sonia, Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need not go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a large section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur (West Bengal), helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). A little over a decade ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular opposition it was encountering in Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its plan to set up an integrated steel plant, take over the small local port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, the state government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in police, to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, etc. I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way despite all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at that time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs are nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their administrative structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on whose block Tata is now the new kid, and is duly revered for this by state governments and political parties across the spectrum in India, from Gujarat to West Bengal. I used to think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have been rather unsure of that since I saw what they were up to in Gopalpur. A side note - there is a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My suggestion to the state and central governments in India: if you want to emulate China, don't beat about the bush; just turn the whole country into one big Shanghai. Another side note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one of their newsletters, they were talking about "green Apple". A couple of months later, they realised that Apple wasn't that green after all. I think they need to be more careful with their assessment of corporations and governments. Tapas On 21/04/2008, S. Jabbar wrote: > From the Greenpeace campaign for the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > the TATA environmental record that great... > > > Why Save the turtles? > > > Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > navigation system that guides them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > back to the precise coast on which they were born. > > Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port at Dhamra threatens a > nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon suites for the remaining > Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that swims all the way here from > places as far away as Australia and the Philippines. > > When you consider these two facts together, it seems only logical that Tata > would reconsider its decision to build the port at Dhamra, and build it in > an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It seems especially logical when > it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > After all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > player, while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. The Tata > brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have genuinely > improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt that > flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms our winter > baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the Tata cars > that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a different side to the same Tata. A > Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A Tata that looks the other way when > confronted with evidence. A Tata that cares nothing for the community, and > even less for nature. > > The port Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > Ridley turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15 > million to 35 million. > > When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised concerned citizens that it would > abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle presence and the ecological > significance of the area were ever unearthed.¹ > > > The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. The perfunctory > EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Another > nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality from mechanized > fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual death toll, the > Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, ensuring that this > area is never safe for turtles again. > > Will this willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > Orissa? > > Not if you can help it. > > Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan by clicking here > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From tapasrayx at gmail.com Mon Apr 21 22:26:53 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:56:53 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Cinema Reception In-Reply-To: <98f331e00804210214r227737d9qee060fcc65188e3b@mail.gmail.com> References: <98f331e00804210214r227737d9qee060fcc65188e3b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: I am amazed, too - at the rudeness of this response to Bain's post. On 21/04/2008, prakash ray wrote: > Dear Bain, > > It is good to know that you are writing on cinema reception. I am really > surprised that you are aware of the writings on cinema but you do not know > names of some reputed journals. Have you not read journals while writing > your "long piece"? How can you claim that writings in cinema studies are > restricted to some areas when you do not know about the journals? > > I am simply amazed. > > > Prakash > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From pankhuree at hotmail.com Tue Apr 22 03:06:37 2008 From: pankhuree at hotmail.com (pankhuree dube) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:36:37 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Introduction Message-ID: Hi Monica, I just joined Sarai last night and am sending along the paragraph about myself. I am an undergraduate at Boise State University pursuing a double major in History and Political Science. My main area of interest is social movements, civil society. The regions I want to study are Latin America (specifically, the crisis in Oaxaca, southern Mexico) and of course India (specifically, the plight of the Adivasis in central India: Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh). I am especially interested in the development-induced displacement of the Adivasis by the Narmada dams and the Naxalite insurgency & counterinsurgency because that is the topic of my Honors Thesis. So I would appreciate any advice, feedback, info, news of the developing situation there. More generally, I work in a library and love to read, am an avid film-buff and one of my favorite albums is Night Song by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (with Michael Brook). I am going to apply to graduate programs in the Fall and yet I wish I could somehow run off and do some fieldwork while re-charging my psychic batteries for a year. Right now, I am coping with burn out, fear of the future, and an overabundance of ideas and plans. I look forward to being part of this conversation! Best, Pankhuree Dube _________________________________________________________________ Get in touch in an instant. Get Windows Live Messenger now. http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_getintouch_042008 From rohitism at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 07:32:34 2008 From: rohitism at gmail.com (Rohit Shetti) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:32:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The letter to Tata as part of the website is disgusting to say the least. Thankfully it is editable and I think it would be good to be direct and to the point. Rgds, Rohit On 4/21/08, Tapas Ray wrote: > > Sonia, > > Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need not > go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > large section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > (West Bengal), helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > > A little over a decade ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > opposition it was encountering in Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > plan to set up an integrated steel plant, take over the small local > port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, the state > government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in police, > to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, etc. > > I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way despite > all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at that > time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > are nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > administrative structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > whose block Tata is now the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > state governments and political parties across the spectrum in India, > from Gujarat to West Bengal. > > I used to think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > been rather unsure of that since I saw what they were up to in > Gopalpur. > > A side note - there is a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > suggestion to the state and central governments in India: if you want > to emulate China, don't beat about the bush; just turn the whole > country into one big Shanghai. > > Another side note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > of their newsletters, they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > of months later, they realised that Apple wasn't that green after all. > I think they need to be more careful with their assessment of > corporations and governments. > > Tapas > > > On 21/04/2008, S. Jabbar wrote: > > From the Greenpeace campaign for the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I > find > > the TATA environmental record that great... > > > > > > Why Save the turtles? > > > > > > Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > > navigation system that guides them, when it¹s time for them to > reproduce, > > back to the precise coast on which they were born. > > > > Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port at Dhamra threatens > a > > nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon suites for the > remaining > > Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that swims all the way here > from > > places as far away as Australia and the Philippines. > > > > When you consider these two facts together, it seems only logical that > Tata > > would reconsider its decision to build the port at Dhamra, and build it > in > > an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It seems especially logical > when > > it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > > > After all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > > player, while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of > social > > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. The Tata > > brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > genuinely > > improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt that > > flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms our > winter > > baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the Tata > cars > > that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > > > > And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a different side to the same Tata. > A > > Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A Tata that looks the other way > when > > confronted with evidence. A Tata that cares nothing for the community, > and > > even less for nature. > > > > The port Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the > Olive > > Ridley turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in > the > > vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15 > > million to 35 million. > > > > When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised concerned citizens that it > would > > abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle presence and the ecological > > significance of the area were ever unearthed.¹ > > > > > > The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. The > perfunctory > > EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's printed on. > Another > > nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality from mechanized > > fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual death toll, > the > > Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, ensuring that > this > > area is never safe for turtles again. > > > > Will this willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > > Orissa? > > > > Not if you can help it. > > > > Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan by clicking here > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 09:11:09 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:11:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Whitney Message-ID: Why be understood when you can be a star... >From the Wall Street Journal DE GUSTIBUS The Lost Art of Writing About Art By ERIC GIBSON April 18, 2008; Page W13 In certain circles, the Whitney Museum's Biennial exhibition of contemporary art is known as "the show everybody loves to hate." Usually the criticism comes in the form of negative reviews. But this year it's different, with the brickbats directed at the exhibition's accompanying commentary instead of the art itself. Texts written by the Whitney's curators and outside contributors are being widely (and accurately) dismissed as unalloyed gibberish. What makes this complaint particularly significant is that it comes not from the public, whom the museum might privately dismiss as benighted philistines, but from insiders -- artists and critics who know their stuff and are generally well-disposed toward the museum and its efforts. When the show opened last month, artist and critic Carol Diehl blogged about the "impenetrable prose from the Whitney Biennial." As examples, she offered "random quotes" about individual artists and their work taken from the exhibition's wall texts and catalog. Among the gems: € ". . . invents puzzles out of nonsequiturs to seek congruence in seemingly incongruous situations, whether visual or spatial . . . inhabits those interstitial spaces between understanding and confusion." € "Bove's 'settings' draw on the style, and substance, of certain time-specific materials to resuscitate their referential possibilities, to pull them out of historical stasis and return them to active symbolic duty, where new adjacencies might reactivate latent meanings." Ms. Diehl's complaint was quickly taken up by others. Richard Lacayo, on a Time magazine blog, likened reading the show's introductory wall text ("Many of the projects . . . explore fluid communication structures and systems of exchange") to "being smacked in the face with a spitball." To combat such verbiage, he recommended banning five words long popular with critics that nonetheless say nothing: "interrogates," "problematizes," "references" (as a verb), "transgressive" and "inverts." On his Modern Art Notes blog, Tyler Green dismissed the Whitney prose as an "embarrassment" and suggested that every candidate for a contemporary-art curatorship be required to pass a writing test. And an art blogger known only as C-Monster pleaded simply for "smart writing that is precise and unmuddled," adding plaintively: "Making it enjoyable to read wouldn't hurt." Once upon a time, art writing was all those things. Critics of an earlier age, such as John Ruskin, had no problem making themselves understood, and they are still read today. The same is true of the great art historians of the postwar era, such as Erwin Panofsky and Ernst Gombrich. Panofsky, among whose books was the definitive study of Albrecht Dürer, was a supremely elegant prose stylist. Gombrich's 1950 survey, "The Story of Art," has sold six million copies and been translated into 23 languages. By the way, English was the second language for both men. And Alfred Barr, founding director of the Museum of Modern Art, wrote catalogs on topics ranging from Matisse to Surrealism that made the mysteries of modern art accessible to the American public. It was Marcel Duchamp who unwittingly launched art criticism on its current path of willful obscurantism. His "Readymade" art -- mass-produced commercial objects (most famously a urinal) that the artist removed from everyday utilitarian contexts and displayed in a museum -- almost required this development. Until Duchamp, criticism was aesthetically based. The critic talked about a painting's subject, the way the artist handled color, drawing, composition and the like. With Readymades, the object's appearance and beauty were no longer the issue -- indeed, they were irrelevant. What mattered was the idea behind the work -- the point the artist was trying to make. So art criticism moved from the realm of visual experience to that of philosophy. The writer no longer had to base his critical observations on a close scrutiny of the work of art. He could simply riff. Conceptual art like Duchamp's took a while to catch on, but by the 1980s it had become mainstream. Around that time, academics and critics drove another nail into the coffin of accessible writing. They turned to areas outside of art and aesthetics -- disciplines such as linguistics and ideologies such as Marxism and feminism -- to interpret art. >From the late 19th century to just after World War II, writing about modern art was clear. It had to be. Critics from Émile Zola to Clement Greenberg were trying to explain new and strange art forms to a public that was often hostile to the avant-garde. To have a hope of making their case, these writers couldn't afford to obfuscate. Today, when curators and critics can count on a large audience willing to embrace new art simply because it is new, they don't have to try as hard. Still, there is no excuse for a museum letting nonsense of the sort quoted above out in the open, particularly an institution whose mission includes educating the public. If the Whitney continues to snub this public -- its core audience -- by "explaining" art with incomprehensible drivel, it shouldn't be surprised if people decide to return the favor and walk away. Mr. Gibson is the Journal's Leisure & Arts features editor. Write to Eric Gibson at eric.gibson at wsj.com From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 09:53:10 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:53:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Tapas, Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I really think the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I discovered they had many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted to install a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them through their website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally someone sent me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was exorbitant, at least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost interest. He was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. subsidy for the urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced themselves reasonably they would have enough demand for the product to be profitable in the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My love of the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti. Next time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the highways, particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation it is easy to see the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. It is disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to continue to produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why aren't they subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed heavily when entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems and made to clean up the rock faces at the very least. And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced if all the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor REVA, I believe they don't get any support from the Go I. Best sj On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > Sonia, Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > not go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a large > section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur (West Bengal), > helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). A little over a decade > ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular opposition it was encountering in > Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > take over the small local port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > the state government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > police, to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > etc. I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > despite all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > that time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs are > nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their administrative > structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on whose block Tata is now > the new kid, and is duly revered for this by state governments and political > parties across the spectrum in India, from Gujarat to West Bengal. I used to > think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have been rather unsure > of that since I saw what they were up to in Gopalpur. A side note - there is > a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My suggestion to the state and > central governments in India: if you want to emulate China, don't beat about > the bush; just turn the whole country into one big Shanghai. Another side > note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one of their newsletters, > they were talking about "green Apple". A couple of months later, they realised > that Apple wasn't that green after all. I think they need to be more careful > with their assessment of corporations and governments. Tapas On 21/04/2008, > S. Jabbar wrote: > From the Greenpeace campaign for > the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > the TATA environmental record > that great... > > > Why Save the turtles? > > > Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > navigation system that guides > them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > back to the precise coast on > which they were born. > > Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > at Dhamra threatens a > nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > suites for the remaining > Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > swims all the way here from > places as far away as Australia and the > Philippines. > > When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > logical that Tata > would reconsider its decision to build the port at > Dhamra, and build it in > an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > seems especially logical when > it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > After > all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > player, > while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. The Tata > > brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have genuinely > > improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt that > > flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms our winter > > baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the Tata cars> > that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > different side to the same Tata. A > Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > Tata that looks the other way when > confronted with evidence. A Tata that > cares nothing for the community, and > even less for nature. > > The port > Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > Ridley > turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > > vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15 > > million to 35 million. > > When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > concerned citizens that it would > abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > presence and the ecological > significance of the area were ever > unearthed.¹ > > > The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > The perfunctory > EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > printed on. Another > nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > from mechanized > fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > death toll, the > Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > ensuring that this > area is never safe for turtles again. > > Will this > willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > Orissa? > > > Not if you can help it. > > Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > by clicking here > > > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> ___________________________ > ______________ 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. To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 10:44:46 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:14:46 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Enter Potato Message-ID: Let them eat spuds: potatoes - the world's new staple Andrew Buncombe Monday, 21 April 2008 The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/let-them-eat-spuds-the-worlds-new-staple-812661.html As the Bangladeshi army is ordered to march on potatoes rather than rice, Andrew Buncombe investigates whether the humble tuber, so popular in the West, can really help alleviate the global food crisis When the order came down from the top brass of Bangladesh's armed forces it sounded like a joke. Some of the soldiers and sailors who were told that from now on their daily rations would include increased servings of potatoes almost certainly did not take it seriously either. But in a country where rice is overwhelmingly the staple dish, this was no laughing matter. With Bangladesh and the rest of Asia gripped by a rice crisis that has sent governments into panic, last Friday's announcement by the military that it was turning to the potato to supplement its troops' rations was for real. "The daily food menu now includes 125g of potato for each soldier irrespective of ranks," it said. But it is not just in Bangladesh that the humble spud is being turned to for help. With world food prices soaring and with riots breaking out everywhere from Egypt to Indonesia, experts believe that increased use of potatoes could provide at least part of the solution. Easy to grow, quick to mature, requiring little water and with yields two to four times greater than that of wheat or rice, the potato is being cultivated more in an effort to ensure food security, agronomists say. Such are the hopes being placed on the tuber that the UN named 2008 the International Year of the Potato. "As concern grows over the risk of food shortages and instability in dozens of low-income countries, global attention is turning to an age-old crop that could help ease the strain of food price inflation," said the world body. "It is ideally suited to places where land is limited and labour is abundant, conditions that characterise much of the developing world. The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop." The emergence of the potato as a potential solution to global hunger comes amid mounting concern about the increased cost of food around the world. The price of rice, wheat and cereals has soared in recent months, as a result of the increasing price of oil, rising demand and uncertain supplies. Many countries have been forced to take special measures to protect their food suppplies. India, for instance, recently banned the export of rice except for its premium basmati. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, expressed his own concern about the mounting food prices at globalisation talks in Africa this weekend, saying they posed "a threat to the stability of many developing countries". Meanwhile, the UN's food envoy, Jean Ziegler, went much further, saying they were leading to a "silent mass murder" that he blamed on the West. Mr Ziegler said that growth in biofuels, speculation on the commodities markets and European Union export subsidies meant the West was to blame for the problem. "Hunger has not been down to fate for a long time – just as Marx thought. It is rather that a murderer is behind every victim. This is silent mass murder," he told the Austrian newspaper, Kurier am Sonntag. "We have a herd of market traders, speculators and financial bandits who have turned wild and constructed a world of inequality and horror. We have to put a stop to this." Against such a stark backdrop, the global challenge being presented to the potato by its champions could hardly be tougher. And yet, already the potato is quietly going about its business, often in places that one might not normally associate with it. Indeed, around the world it is the third most-produced crop for human consumption, after rice and wheat. Take China. Already the world's largest producer of potatoes, the country has set aside large areas of additional agricultural land in an effort to increase their cultivation. India has told food experts it wants to double potato production in the next five to 10 years while Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are also working to increase the area under cultivation for potatoes. Belarus currently leads the world in potato consumption, with each inhabitant eating an average of 376lb a year. In the north-east Indian state of Nagaland, which borders Burma, local authorities are working with NGOs to develop quick-maturing potatoes that can be grown between the region's two rice harvests. It is seen as an additional source of food rather than a replacement and the NGOs are working with the communities to educate people about the benefits of the potato and how to grow it. (Could the chip butty become a Nagaland delicacy?) In Peru, where the potato was first cultivated, a doubling in the price of wheat in the past year has led to the launch of a government programme to encourage bakers to use potato flour rather than wheat flour to make bread. As part of the scheme, potato bread is being given to schoolchildren, soldiers and even prisoners in a hope that it will catch on. At the moment, there is a shortage of mills that are able to make potato flour. "We have to change people's eating habits," Ismael Benavides, Peru's agriculture minister, told Reuters. "People got addicted to wheat when it was cheap." Meanwhile, in Latvia, a sharp increase in the price of bread in the first two months of the year saw sales fall by up to 15 per cent. To make up for the Latvians' shortfall in calories, sales of potatoes increased by around 20 per cent during the same period. The potato was first cultivated 7,000 years ago high in the Andes close to Lake Titicaca. There are at least 5,000 varieties of potato, of which more than 3,000 are found in the mountains. Ranging in colour from plaster-board white through yellow to aubergine purple, the tuber retains huge practical and cultural significance in South America. It was taken to Europe by the Spanish, who apparently first encountered it in 1532. Documentary evidence suggests that by 1573, potatoes were already being sold in the markets in Seville. It arrived in India some time afterwards, possibly brought by the Portuguese who seized Goa. Known in Hindi as aloo it is the basis of a number of famous Indian dishes, such as the potato and cauliflower curry aloo gobi. Experts say the potato has great nutritional value. It is a source of complex carbohydrates which release their energy slowly and have just 5 per cent of the fat content of wheat. They have more protein than corn and nearly double the amount of calcium. They also contain iron, potassium, zinc and vitamin C, and were eaten by sailors in previous centuries as a guard against scurvy. And yet, for all its nutritional wonders and easy-to-grow charms, the potato seems to suffer from an image problem. It may have to do with the awfulness of the Irish famine, when the crop failed as a result of potato blight and perhaps a million people starved, their fate and suffering exacerbated by the continued export of other foods to England. Perhaps, too, it is linked to the early aversion Europeans had to the potato; when it was first brought back from the New World it was used mainly as a feed for cattle. "The thing is that in the West we take the potato for granted," said Paul Stapleton, a spokesman for the International Potato Centre, a non-profit group based in Peru that has been working with governments around the world to develop faster-maturing strains of potato. "We just go to the supermarket and buy a bag or else we'll have fish and chips on a Friday night on the way back from the pub." Speaking yesterday from Lima, Mr Stapleton said he believed potatoes could help solve not just the current food crisis but also the challenges of feeding a world with a population that is growing by 600 million people every 10 years. "It can help with the current crisis and with the population that is coming," he said. "There are no more areas to plant rice or wheat. What is going to happen as the population increases? Either we are going to increase yields of what we are already growing or use marginal land. The potato is perfect for that." Analysts say that while the price of other foods has increased sharply, one factor that has helped potatoes remain affordable for the world's poorer people is that it is not a global commodity that attracts the sort of professional investment that was so damned by the UN's food envoy, Mr Ziegler. Around 17 per cent of the 600 million tons of wheat produced every year are traded internationally compared to just 5 per cent of potatoes. As a result, potato prices are driven mainly by local tastes rather than international demand, they say. In such circumstances, the scientists in Lima believe it is in the developing world that the potato will reach new heights. From Kenya and Uganda to Nepal and Bangladesh, they envisage increased cultivation of potatoes and a situation where farmers will grow them either as cash crops to sell in the market or else to feed their families. "The countries themselves are looking at the potato as a good option for both food security and also income generation," said the centre's director, Pamela Anderson. Confronted by such a challenge, could this really be the time of the potato? The root of civilisation The potato was first cultivated 7,000 years ago by the Incas in Peru and the name is thought to have derived from the Indian word batata. The Incas revered them and buried them with their dead. Spanish conquistadors in search of gold discovered the vegetables in Peru in 1532. They used them on their ships to prevent scurvy. It was not long before farmers in the Basque region began to grow them and the potato spread across Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. It wasn't a smooth path, however. Most people knew more of the potato's disadvantages – the crop hails from the same family as deadly nightshade – than they did of its considerable benefits. The Orthodox Church in Russia rejected it outright as it was not mentioned in the Bible. Potatoes arrived in England towards the end of the 16th century. Although popular legend has it that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the crop to England, it is more likely that English pirates stole it as booty from Spanish ships. The nutritious vegetable caused a population explosion in Europe, especially in Ireland. But the failure of the Irish crop in 1845 led to a devastating famine. In 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. By Claire Ellicott From vivek at sarai.net Tue Apr 22 11:45:25 2008 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:45:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On Perverting the English Language Message-ID: <480D827D.1020102@sarai.net> A wonderful essay by the Vietnamese / American poet and writer, Linh Dinh, on English: http://poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2008/04/tongued_1.html#more Vivek From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 22 12:07:30 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:37:30 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi, the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons go to enrich themselves. While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, it distributes poverty uniformaly. Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel vehicles. ! Regards, ----- Original Message ----- From: "S. Jabbar" Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > Tapas, > > Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > really think > the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > > I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > discovered they had > many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > to install > a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an > outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > through their > website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > someone sent > me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > exorbitant, at > least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > interest. He > was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > subsidy for the > urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > to be profitable in > the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > > My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My > love of > the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > Spiti. Next > time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > it is easy to see > the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > It is > disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > continue to > produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > aren't they > subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > heavily when > entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > and made to > clean up the rock faces at the very least. > > And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > if all > the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > REVA, I > believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > > > Best > sj > > > On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > > > Sonia, > > Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > > not > go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > large > > section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > (West Bengal), > > helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > > A little over a decade > > ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > opposition it was encountering in > > Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > > take over the small local > port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > > the state > government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > > police, > to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > > etc. > > I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > > despite > all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > > that > time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > are > > nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > administrative > > structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > whose block Tata is now > > the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > state governments and political > > parties across the spectrum in India, > from Gujarat to West Bengal. > > I used to > > think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > been rather unsure > > of that since I saw what they were up to in > Gopalpur. > > A side note - there is > > a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > suggestion to the state and > > central governments in India: if you want > to emulate China, don't beat about > > the bush; just turn the whole > country into one big Shanghai. > > Another side > > note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > of their newsletters, > > they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > of months later, they realised > > that Apple wasn't that green after all. > I think they need to be more careful > > with their assessment of > corporations and governments. > > Tapas > > > On 21/04/2008, > > S. Jabbar wrote: > > From the Greenpeace campaign for > > the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > > the TATA environmental record > > that great... > > > > > > Why Save the turtles? > > > > > > Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > > turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > > navigation system that guides > > them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > > back to the precise coast on > > which they were born. > > > > Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > > at Dhamra threatens a > > nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > > suites for the remaining > > Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > > swims all the way here from > > places as far away as Australia and the > > Philippines. > > > > When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > > logical that Tata > > would reconsider its decision to build the port at > > Dhamra, and build it in > > an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > > seems especially logical when > > it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > > > After > > all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > > player, > > while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > > > > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > The Tata > > > > brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > genuinely> > > improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > that> > > flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > our winter > > > > baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > Tata cars> > > that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > > > > And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > > different side to the same Tata. A > > Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > > Tata that looks the other way when > > confronted with evidence. A Tata that > > cares nothing for the community, and > > even less for nature. > > > > The port > > Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > > Ridley > > turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > > > > vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > from 15 > > > > million to 35 million. > > > > When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > > concerned citizens that it would > > abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > > presence and the ecological > > significance of the area were ever > > unearthed.¹ > > > > > > The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > > The perfunctory > > EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > > printed on. Another > > nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > > from mechanized > > fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > > death toll, the > > Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > > ensuring that this > > area is never safe for turtles again. > > > > Will this > > willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > > Orissa? > > > > > > Not if you can help it. > > > > Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > > by clicking here > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To > > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Apr 22 14:09:30 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:09:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal edge of global capitalism. I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, anti-national, terrorist. Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as the G- Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There could be incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and run a well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op ed pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with itself. It may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. You read it first, here. best Shuddha On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > Hi, > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons > go to enrich themselves. > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > vehicles. ! > > Regards, > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "S. Jabbar" > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list list at sarai.net> > >> Tapas, >> >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I >> really think >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. >> >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I >> discovered they had >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted >> to install >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them >> through their >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally >> someone sent >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was >> exorbitant, at >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost >> interest. He >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. >> subsidy for the >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product >> to be profitable in >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? >> >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My >> love of >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and >> Spiti. Next >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation >> it is easy to see >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. >> It is >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to >> continue to >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why >> aren't they >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed >> heavily when >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems >> and made to >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. >> >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced >> if all >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor >> REVA, I >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. >> >> >> Best >> sj >> >> >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: >> >>> Sonia, >> >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need >>> not >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a >> large >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur >> (West Bengal), >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). >> >> A little over a decade >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular >> opposition it was encountering in >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, >>> take over the small local >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, >>> the state >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in >>> police, >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, >>> etc. >> >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way >>> despite >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at >>> that >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs >> are >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their >> administrative >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on >> whose block Tata is now >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by >> state governments and political >>> parties across the spectrum in India, >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. >> >> I used to >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have >> been rather unsure >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in >> Gopalpur. >> >> A side note - there is >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My >> suggestion to the state and >>> central governments in India: if you want >> to emulate China, don't beat about >>> the bush; just turn the whole >> country into one big Shanghai. >> >> Another side >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one >> of their newsletters, >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple >> of months later, they realised >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. >> I think they need to be more careful >>> with their assessment of >> corporations and governments. >> >> Tapas >> >> >> On 21/04/2008, >>> S. Jabbar wrote: >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find >>> the TATA environmental record >>> that great... >>> >>> >>> Why Save the turtles? >>> >>> >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built >>> navigation system that guides >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, >>> back to the precise coast on >>> which they were born. >>> >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port >>> at Dhamra threatens a >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon >>> suites for the remaining >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that >>> swims all the way here from >>> places as far away as Australia and the >>> Philippines. >>> >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only >>> logical that Tata >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at >>> Dhamra, and build it in >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It >>> seems especially logical when >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. >>> >>> After >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international >>> player, >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social >>> >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. >> The Tata >>> >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have >> genuinely> >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt >> that> >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms >> our winter >>> >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the >> Tata cars> >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ >>> >>> >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a >>> different side to the same Tata. A >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A >>> Tata that looks the other way when >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that >>> cares nothing for the community, and >>> even less for nature. >>> >>> The port >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive >>> Ridley >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the >>> >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range >> from 15 >>> >>> million to 35 million. >>> >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised >>> concerned citizens that it would >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle >>> presence and the ecological >>> significance of the area were ever >>> unearthed.¹ >>> >>> >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. >>> The perfunctory >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's >>> printed on. Another >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality >>> from mechanized >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual >>> death toll, the >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, >>> ensuring that this >>> area is never safe for turtles again. >>> >>> Will this >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in >>> Orissa? >>> >>> >>> Not if you can help it. >>> >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan >>> by clicking here >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _________________________________________ >>> 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. >>> To unsubscribe: >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>> 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. >> To >>> unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >> list >> 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From asitredsalute at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 14:43:27 2008 From: asitredsalute at gmail.com (Asit asitreds) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:43:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] resolution in support og save niyamagiri struggle in orissa Message-ID: RESOLUTION We the members of National Adivasi Alliance , Himalaya Swaraj Abhiyan , Tamilnadu Core Team, SADED, CSDS, Rastriya Guni Mission and Simmenpuu Foundation fully support the Niyamagiri struggle against Vedanta. Under the neo liberal regime, the third world rulers are selling their natural resources cheaply to the National and International big business for super profits, as a result millions of Farmers,adivasi and Dalits are forcibly evicted from their habitats and loose their livelihoods. More then 30 villages of Dongria Kondhs who are classified as primitive tribes and other adivasis will be evicted from Niyamagiri for the profit of one private company. The adivasi don't consider their habitats as resources to be marketed but as sacred to be revered and protected The Niyamagiri are held by the adivasi as sacred and they don't want to give it up at any cost. Niyamgiri is also the source of two important rivers. Bansdhara and Nagabali which is important source of water for four district of Orissa. We call upon the central and state govt to desist from any mining activity in Niyamagiri and recognize the local adivasis right over their habitats and commons. We urge the govt of Orissa to cancel the mou with Vedanta and not indulge in any backdoor transaction of handing it over to sterlite owned by Vedanta. Date-16/4/2008 Kaushani Uttrakhand Signed Rakesh Bhatt Vijay Kumar Bhuwan Pathak Shankar Lal Rajulamma Ghanshyam V. S. Roy David Kai Vara Narendra Baster Kari Bottas Y. David Gopal K. Ramesh Naidu J. P. Raju Martin Jagannathan Anthony Swamy Bhawar Da Bai Asha Kachru Pankaj Paliwal Anil Joshi Rajendra Sandeep Kholya Manoj Sinal Sandeep Marmi Satya Patnaik Sirpa Rovaniemi N Rajendra Prasad From aman.am at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 16:11:14 2008 From: aman.am at gmail.com (Aman Sethi) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:11:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> No one who has covered the Tatas for any length of time actually believes in their warm cuddly image - a examination of their work in Lohandiguda in Chattisgarh reveals that local policemen - under the instigation of Tata Steel- might even have resorted to rape to throw villagers off their lands. However, on the question of the Reva - a few things. a) the Reva is actually a rather expensive car - at about 4 lakhs on-road in Mumbai. While it may be true that this is due to a poorly structured subsidy regime( i dont know the details) , the Reva website informs us that "Under the Income Tax Act, the REVA qualifies for an 80% depreciation on a Written Down Value (WDV) basis, as compared to 20% for other cars. This means an unbelievable excess tax saving of over 21% of the cost of the car in the first year itself.In cash flow terms this means that the REVA makes the most car sense. " So there are govt incentives for it. b)I am not sure how much more sense an electric car makes. Electricity is also subsidised in India - the slab system means that industrial rates of power are substantially higher than domestic rates. Further, electricity production can be as ecologically devastating as other forms of energy. Electric vehicles tend to follow the "not in my backyard" concept of pollution. In fact, calling the car a REVA - ie narmada might actually be rather perverse given that the sardar sarovar dam is allegedly supposed to provide 3.4 crore units of electricitya day (i . The nuclear deal is being pushed allegedly to meet our electricity crunch; the Teesta project in the nort east is supposed ot provide electricity and a major reason for Indian meddling in Nepal is allegedly to gain control of their hydro power. And finally, Tata Power is India's largest private power utility - so by buying the Reva, you actually buying into the Tata dream machine all over again. If you drive a Reva in Mumbai or West Delhi - chances are u are using Tata electricity. c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non-polluting. We could call it the Never In good humour a. On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 2:09 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other > corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian > history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal > edge of global capitalism. > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered > why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, > anti-national, terrorist. > > Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as the G- > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational > attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There could be > incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and run a > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op ed > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting > thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which > means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person > defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, > exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, > there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, > the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will > demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, > or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with itself. It > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > You read it first, here. > > best > > Shuddha > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons > > go to enrich themselves. > > > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > vehicles. ! > > > > Regards, > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > list at sarai.net> > > > >> Tapas, > >> > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > >> really think > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > >> > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > >> discovered they had > >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > >> to install > >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an > >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > >> through their > >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > >> someone sent > >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > >> exorbitant, at > >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > >> interest. He > >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > >> subsidy for the > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > >> to be profitable in > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > >> > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My > >> love of > >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > >> Spiti. Next > >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > >> it is easy to see > >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > >> It is > >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > >> continue to > >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > >> aren't they > >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > >> heavily when > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > >> and made to > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > >> > >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > >> if all > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > >> REVA, I > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > >> > >> > >> Best > >> sj > >> > >> > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > >> > >>> Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > >>> not > >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > >> large > >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > >> (West Bengal), > >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > >> > >> A little over a decade > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > >> opposition it was encountering in > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > >>> take over the small local > >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > >>> the state > >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > >>> police, > >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > >>> etc. > >> > >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > >>> despite > >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > >>> that > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > >> are > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > >> administrative > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > >> whose block Tata is now > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > >> state governments and political > >>> parties across the spectrum in India, > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > >> > >> I used to > >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > >> been rather unsure > >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > >> Gopalpur. > >> > >> A side note - there is > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > >> suggestion to the state and > >>> central governments in India: if you want > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > >> country into one big Shanghai. > >> > >> Another side > >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > >> of their newsletters, > >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > >> of months later, they realised > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > >> I think they need to be more careful > >>> with their assessment of > >> corporations and governments. > >> > >> Tapas > >> > >> > >> On 21/04/2008, > >>> S. Jabbar wrote: > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > >>> the TATA environmental record > >>> that great... > >>> > >>> > >>> Why Save the turtles? > >>> > >>> > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > >>> navigation system that guides > >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > >>> back to the precise coast on > >>> which they were born. > >>> > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > >>> at Dhamra threatens a > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > >>> suites for the remaining > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > >>> swims all the way here from > >>> places as far away as Australia and the > >>> Philippines. > >>> > >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > >>> logical that Tata > >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > >>> seems especially logical when > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > >>> > >>> After > >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > >>> player, > >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > >>> > >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > >> The Tata > >>> > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > >> genuinely> > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > >> that> > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > >> our winter > >>> > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > >> Tata cars> > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > >>> different side to the same Tata. A > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > >>> Tata that looks the other way when > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > >>> even less for nature. > >>> > >>> The port > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > >>> Ridley > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > >>> > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > >> from 15 > >>> > >>> million to 35 million. > >>> > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > >>> concerned citizens that it would > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > >>> presence and the ecological > >>> significance of the area were ever > >>> unearthed.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > >>> The perfunctory > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > >>> printed on. Another > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > >>> from mechanized > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > >>> death toll, the > >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > >>> ensuring that this > >>> area is never safe for turtles again. > >>> > >>> Will this > >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > >>> Orissa? > >>> > >>> > >>> Not if you can help it. > >>> > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > >>> by clicking here > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> _________________________________________ > >>> 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. > >>> To unsubscribe: > >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >>> 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. > >> To > >>> unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 16:27:03 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:27:03 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] MEDICAL CAMPS FOR DR BINAYAK SEN'S RELEASE Message-ID: <3457ce860804220357l64dc7ab7ld12d49c8346ffc36@mail.gmail.com> PRESS RELEASE 19 April 2008 MEDICAL CAMPS FOR DR BINAYAK SEN'S RELEASE The Kerala Swatantra Matsyathoyilali Federation (KSMTF) and Free Dr Binayak Sen Campaign have decided to hold free medical camps in Kerala in a unique show of support for the release of well known health and human rights activist Dr Binayak Sen. On 14th May 2007, almost a year ago, Dr Sen was arrested by the Chattisgarh police under the draconian 'Unlawful Activities Prevention Act' on false charges of being a 'Maoist'. Almost a year later now Dr Sen continues to be in jail and hearings of the case against him in the Chattisgarh High Court have commenced. In the meanwhile Dr Sen, who has already lost 15 kilos in just ten months of imprisonment and is in poor health, languishing in jail for the sole crime of working with the poor and defending democratic rights. " The arrest of Dr Sen is a case of high handed behaviour of the BJP ruled Chattisgarh government against an internationally renowned doctor with three decades of public service" said T.Peter, President, KSMTF, C.Sarat Chandran, film maker and Satya Sivaraman of the Free Dr Binayak Sen Campaign in a statement. An alumnus of the Christian Medical College and of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr Sen is a respected physician much honoured for his self-sacrificing commitment to social causes. In December 2007, the Indian Academy of Social Sciences conferred on him the R. R. Keithan Gold Medal, as an "indefatigable defender of human rights and Gandhian social activist of rare courage and dedication". Currently, he has been nominated for the Jonathan Mann Award 2008, the highest international award for health professionals excelling in human rights activities. KSMTF plans to join health and human rights activists around India who are campaigning for Dr Sen's release through a series of Free Binayak Sen Medical Camps to arouse public awareness about his case. Over 125 men, women and children attended the first Free Binayak Sen Medical Camp held in New Delhi at the Jai Hind basti, a colony of ragpickers and domestic workers. Other camps are planned every month for the rest of 2008 in Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Kolkata. The medical camps are also part of an effort to take forward Dr Sen's innovative public health work to new areas and highlight the issues of nutrition, child health and the link between socio-economic rights and health. India has one of the worst health indicators in the world, even lower than that of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the areas of infant and maternal mortality. T.Peter President, KSMTF Ph: 9447429243 Satya Sivaraman Free Dr Binayak Sen Campaign Ph:09818514952 C.Sarat Chandran Film Maker 09446426433 From chandrika.media at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 16:27:16 2008 From: chandrika.media at gmail.com (chandrika media) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:27:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 53 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: unsubscrive On 22/04/2008, reader-list-request at sarai.net wrote: > > 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. On Perverting the English Language (Vivek Narayanan) > 2. Re: Olive Ridley turtles (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) > 3. Turtles, Tatas and Reva (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:45:25 +0530 > From: Vivek Narayanan > Subject: [Reader-list] On Perverting the English Language > To: sarai list > Message-ID: <480D827D.1020102 at sarai.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed > > A wonderful essay by the Vietnamese / American poet and writer, Linh > Dinh, on English: > http://poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2008/04/tongued_1.html#more > > Vivek > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:37:30 +0500 > From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > To: "S. Jabbar" > Cc: sarai list , Tapas Ray > > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" > > Hi, > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with port and > integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at Singur made any > citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons go to enrich themselves. > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding it > difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged scootys and two > wheelers are trying their best to find market, the hyped one lakh car > manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor farmers and farm labour at > Singur is the new tryst with destiny in the nation, the capitalism makes > rich make more of wealth with unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has > one unique feature, it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away prices > combined with state oppression and undisguised force to equip themselves of > the lands, this mini car again will be richmens' toy when it comes in to > market. The emission levels of tata vehicles are so high, that no authority > seems to have courage to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the > diesel vehicles. ! > > Regards, > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "S. Jabbar" > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > > > Tapas, > > > > Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > > really think > > the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > > responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > > > > I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > > discovered they had > > many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > > to install > > a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an > > outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > > through their > > website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > > someone sent > > me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > > exorbitant, at > > least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > > interest. He > > was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > > situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > > subsidy for the > > urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > > themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > > to be profitable in > > the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > > > > My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My > > love of > > the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > > Spiti. Next > > time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > > highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > > it is easy to see > > the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > > It is > > disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > > continue to > > produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > > aren't they > > subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > > heavily when > > entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > > and made to > > clean up the rock faces at the very least. > > > > And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > > if all > > the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > > REVA, I > > believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > > > > > > Best > > sj > > > > > > On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > > > > > Sonia, > > > > Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > > > not > > go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > > large > > > section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > > (West Bengal), > > > helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > > > > A little over a decade > > > ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > > opposition it was encountering in > > > Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > > plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > > > take over the small local > > port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > > > the state > > government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > > > police, > > to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > > > etc. > > > > I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > > > despite > > all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > > > that > > time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > > are > > > nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > > administrative > > > structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > > whose block Tata is now > > > the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > > state governments and political > > > parties across the spectrum in India, > > from Gujarat to West Bengal. > > > > I used to > > > think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > > been rather unsure > > > of that since I saw what they were up to in > > Gopalpur. > > > > A side note - there is > > > a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > > suggestion to the state and > > > central governments in India: if you want > > to emulate China, don't beat about > > > the bush; just turn the whole > > country into one big Shanghai. > > > > Another side > > > note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > > of their newsletters, > > > they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > > of months later, they realised > > > that Apple wasn't that green after all. > > I think they need to be more careful > > > with their assessment of > > corporations and governments. > > > > Tapas > > > > > > On 21/04/2008, > > > S. Jabbar wrote: > > > From the Greenpeace campaign for > > > the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > > > the TATA environmental record > > > that great... > > > > > > > > > Why Save the turtles? > > > > > > > > > Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > > > turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > > > navigation system that guides > > > them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > > > back to the precise coast on > > > which they were born. > > > > > > Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > > > at Dhamra threatens a > > > nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > > > suites for the remaining > > > Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > > > swims all the way here from > > > places as far away as Australia and the > > > Philippines. > > > > > > When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > > > logical that Tata > > > would reconsider its decision to build the port at > > > Dhamra, and build it in > > > an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > > > seems especially logical when > > > it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > > > > > After > > > all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > > > player, > > > while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > > > > > > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > > The Tata > > > > > > brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > > genuinely> > > > improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > > that> > > > flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > > our winter > > > > > > baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > > Tata cars> > > > that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > > > > > > > And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > > > different side to the same Tata. A > > > Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > > > Tata that looks the other way when > > > confronted with evidence. A Tata that > > > cares nothing for the community, and > > > even less for nature. > > > > > > The port > > > Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > > > Ridley > > > turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > > > > > > vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > > from 15 > > > > > > million to 35 million. > > > > > > When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > > > concerned citizens that it would > > > abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > > > presence and the ecological > > > significance of the area were ever > > > unearthed.¹ > > > > > > > > > The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > > > The perfunctory > > > EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > > > printed on. Another > > > nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > > > from mechanized > > > fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > > > death toll, the > > > Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > > > ensuring that this > > > area is never safe for turtles again. > > > > > > Will this > > > willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > > > Orissa? > > > > > > > > > Not if you can help it. > > > > > > Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > > > by clicking here > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > 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. > > To > > > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > List archive: > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:09:30 +0530 > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > To: radhikarajen at vsnl.net > Cc: sarai list , Tapas Ray > > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; delsp=yes; > format=flowed > > Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other > corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian > history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal > edge of global capitalism. > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered > why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, > anti-national, terrorist. > > Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as the G- > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational > attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There could be > incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and run a > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op ed > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting > thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which > means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person > defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, > exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, > there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, > the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will > demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, > or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with itself. It > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > You read it first, here. > > best > > Shuddha > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons > > go to enrich themselves. > > > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > vehicles. ! > > > > Regards, > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > list at sarai.net> > > > >> Tapas, > >> > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > >> really think > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > >> > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > >> discovered they had > >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > >> to install > >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an > >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > >> through their > >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > >> someone sent > >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > >> exorbitant, at > >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > >> interest. He > >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > >> subsidy for the > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > >> to be profitable in > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > >> > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My > >> love of > >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > >> Spiti. Next > >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > >> it is easy to see > >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > >> It is > >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > >> continue to > >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > >> aren't they > >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > >> heavily when > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > >> and made to > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > >> > >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > >> if all > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > >> REVA, I > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > >> > >> > >> Best > >> sj > >> > >> > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > >> > >>> Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > >>> not > >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > >> large > >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > >> (West Bengal), > >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > >> > >> A little over a decade > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > >> opposition it was encountering in > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > >>> take over the small local > >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > >>> the state > >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > >>> police, > >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > >>> etc. > >> > >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > >>> despite > >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > >>> that > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > >> are > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > >> administrative > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > >> whose block Tata is now > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > >> state governments and political > >>> parties across the spectrum in India, > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > >> > >> I used to > >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > >> been rather unsure > >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > >> Gopalpur. > >> > >> A side note - there is > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > >> suggestion to the state and > >>> central governments in India: if you want > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > >> country into one big Shanghai. > >> > >> Another side > >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > >> of their newsletters, > >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > >> of months later, they realised > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > >> I think they need to be more careful > >>> with their assessment of > >> corporations and governments. > >> > >> Tapas > >> > >> > >> On 21/04/2008, > >>> S. Jabbar wrote: > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > >>> the TATA environmental record > >>> that great... > >>> > >>> > >>> Why Save the turtles? > >>> > >>> > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > >>> navigation system that guides > >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > >>> back to the precise coast on > >>> which they were born. > >>> > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > >>> at Dhamra threatens a > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > >>> suites for the remaining > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > >>> swims all the way here from > >>> places as far away as Australia and the > >>> Philippines. > >>> > >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > >>> logical that Tata > >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > >>> seems especially logical when > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > >>> > >>> After > >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > >>> player, > >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > >>> > >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > >> The Tata > >>> > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > >> genuinely> > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > >> that> > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > >> our winter > >>> > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > >> Tata cars> > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > >>> different side to the same Tata. A > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > >>> Tata that looks the other way when > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > >>> even less for nature. > >>> > >>> The port > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > >>> Ridley > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > >>> > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > >> from 15 > >>> > >>> million to 35 million. > >>> > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > >>> concerned citizens that it would > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > >>> presence and the ecological > >>> significance of the area were ever > >>> unearthed.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > >>> The perfunctory > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > >>> printed on. Another > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > >>> from mechanized > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > >>> death toll, the > >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > >>> ensuring that this > >>> area is never safe for turtles again. > >>> > >>> Will this > >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > >>> Orissa? > >>> > >>> > >>> Not if you can help it. > >>> > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > >>> by clicking here > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> _________________________________________ > >>> 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. > >>> To unsubscribe: > >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >>> 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. > >> To > >>> unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > reader-list mailing list > reader-list at sarai.net > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > End of reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 53 > ******************************************* > -- चन्द्रिका सम्पादक-दख़ल भित्ति पत्रिका dakhalkiduniya.blogspot.com From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Apr 22 17:43:24 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:43:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Aman, You wrote - "Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non- polluting.We could call it the Never" I totally agree. My enthusiasm for the Reva needed your note of temperence. And better never than nano. : ) And I think that you are right in saying that cities worth living in need to be smaller so that they can be gotten around in cycles and rickshaws. Delhi, in the 19th century was apparently such a city. Now, if a city like Delhi could be redesigned (speculatively, and in good humour, as a heuristic exercise) we could begin by erasing what is erroneously called 'Lutyens' Delhi off the map, it's too much space for too few people.That could leave maybe a few bungalows (maybe just 3 or 4) to double as libraries, themed discotheques and chess clubs. Wonder how much that would shrink the city. Maybe not much, but it could be a beginning, then we could demolish the memorials by the riverbank, all of them, and collect all the ashes of all the national leaders and put them in a reasonably sized urn in the corner of a former underground parking lot converted into municipal storage space, and also get rid of the eyesore called the Akshardham temple. And then invite the decent, hardworking people who once used to live on the riverbank to return. If there are architects and urban planners on the Reader List listening in, perhaps someone from amongst them could begin proposing alternative maps for the future of our cities - as sketchbook scenarios, with no (political) limits on what can be imagined. In case the architects and the urban planners are too shy to reveal their speculative selves, or even if they are not, maybe the rest of us could also respond. Any takers? best Shuddha On 22-Apr-08, at 4:11 PM, Aman Sethi wrote: Shuddhabrata Sengupta shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 19:37:29 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:37:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Aman, You're right about the not in my backyard business. That's why in my initial enthusiasm with Tata BP Solar I had asked whether they could design a solar powered battery charger that could tank up a Reva. It shouldn't be that hard to design esp if they can make solar powered water pumps for irrigation. But I got no response. Maybe someone with engineering skills on the sarai list can team up with Reva and start a revolution. Incidentally, I stubbornly rode a bicycle from 1994-98 and only had to give up because my lungs rebelled and I began breaking out in hives every evening. That was '98. I can't imagine biking from Jangpura to Qutb today even if I were paid. For all the talk of bikes and bicycle lanes we'd seriously need to address Delhi's insatiable appetite for latesht-model cars before advocating the old atlas or hero. For my part I can't wait for the metro. Best sj On 4/22/08 4:11 PM, "Aman Sethi" wrote: > No one who has covered the Tatas for any length of time actually believes in > their warm cuddly image - a examination of their work in Lohandiguda in > Chattisgarh reveals that local policemen - under the instigation of Tata > Steel- might even have resorted to rape to throw villagers off their > lands. However, on the question of the Reva - a few things. a) the Reva is > actually a rather expensive car - at about 4 lakhs on-road in Mumbai. While > it may be true that this is due to a poorly structured subsidy regime( i dont > know the details) , the Reva website informs us that "Under the Income Tax > Act, the REVA qualifies for an 80% depreciation on a Written Down Value (WDV) > basis, as compared to 20% for other cars. This means an unbelievable excess > tax saving of over 21% of the cost of the car in the first year itself.In cash > flow terms this means that the REVA makes the most car sense. " So there are > govt incentives for it. b)I am not sure how much more sense an electric car > makes. Electricity is also subsidised in India - the slab system means > that industrial rates of power are substantially higher than domestic rates. > Further, electricity production can be as ecologically devastating as other > forms of energy. Electric vehicles tend to follow the "not in my backyard" > concept of pollution. In fact, calling the car a REVA - ie narmada might > actually be rather perverse given that the sardar sarovar dam is allegedly > supposed to provide 3.4 crore units of electricitya day (i . The nuclear deal > is being pushed allegedly to meet our electricity crunch; the Teesta project > in the nort east is supposed ot provide electricity and a major reason for > Indian meddling in Nepal is allegedly to gain control of their hydro power. > And finally, Tata Power is India's largest private power utility - so by > buying the Reva, you actually buying into the Tata dream machine all over > again. If you drive a Reva in Mumbai or West Delhi - chances are u are using > Tata electricity. c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it > should not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of > bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and > rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle > could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and > non-polluting. We could call it the Never In good humour a. On Tue, Apr 22, > 2008 at 2:09 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear > Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > Many thanks Sonia, for > bringing our attention to the Tata versus > Turtle question. I share all your > concerns about the hype around the > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in > general. I think they (and other > corporations, including those based in > India, or with an Indian > history) need to be recognized for their high level > of Corporate > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the > lethal > edge of global capitalism. > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a > while, and have always wondered > why more of them are not around. And why > they attract neither > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another > name for the > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite > circles > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of > luddite, > anti-national, terrorist. > > Apparently, in a city like London, > the quietly humming engineering > success that is the Reva is not such an > embarassment. London has a > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion > charge' aimed at > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and > using more > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as > the G- > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > 'charging > points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > think, if, instead > the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > of new cars in india, > there would be some sensible and rational > attention to alternatives like the > Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > (at city driving speeds) and green. How > would that be? There could be > incentives passed on to the consumer if they > drove Revas in the form > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption > from cumpolsory - > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by > rotation, - which > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol > guzzlers). > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about > the > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > when she > sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > That is not the way things > crumble. Powerful automobile industry > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have > the government, every > political party, and the media in their pockets, in > India, and run a > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when > the Nanon > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op > ed > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > Indian's' > right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > called the 'elitist' > calumny of green activists. The interesting > thing is, no one had actually > said anything against the Nano. Which > means, the car-lobby had press > releases, op-eds and first person > defences of the little car all ready, in > case there was aopposition. > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days > after the launch of the > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, > but the somewhat > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was > unleashed anyway, > exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > As > India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > increases, > the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > increase. If all > those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, > there will be a demand > for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, > the industry that propels this > demand will grow greedy. It will > demand access to more energy, more fuel, > just as it does in the US, > or France, or Japan. It will push India into > aggressive acquisitions > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas > guzzling car is > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with > itself. It > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the > first > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > You read it first, here. > > > best > > Shuddha > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net > wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' > adventures with > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then > misadventure at > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the > industrial barons > > go to enrich themselves. > > > > While huble REVA is > good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > it difficult to make itself > affordable, electircally charged > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their > best to find market, the > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry > bellies of poor > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with > destiny in > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth > with > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes > got the land at throw away > > prices combined with state oppression and > undisguised force to > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again > will be > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > to > see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > vehicles. ! > > > > > Regards, > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > To: Tapas Ray > , sarai list > list at sarai.net> > > > >> > Tapas, > >> > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. > I > >> really think > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising > their corporate > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > > >> > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > >> > discovered they had > >> many products oriented towards the individual > consumer. I wanted > >> to install > >> a solar powered inverter in my > apartment this summer. Try finding an > >> outlet— it was near impossible. > So I got in touch with them > >> through their > >> website. No response. So I > wrote off an angry email and finally > >> someone sent > >> me a number of a > distributor. I called him. The price was > >> exorbitant, at > >> least > 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > >> interest. He > >> > was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > >> > situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > >> subsidy for > the > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > >> to > be profitable in > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they > do it? > >> > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel > vehicles. My > >> love of > >> the mountains often takes me to places like > Ladakh, Lahaul and > >> Spiti. Next > >> time you are there remember to look > at the hillsides along the > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because > there is no vegetation > >> it is easy to see > >> the effect of Diesel > trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > >> It is > >> disgusting that > companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > >> continue to > >> produce > sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > >> aren't they > >> > subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > >> heavily > when > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > >> > and made to > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > >> > >> And > then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > >> if all > > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > >> > REVA, I > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > >> > >> > >> > Best > >> sj > >> > >> > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" > wrote: > >> > >>> Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for forwarding > this release. I agree with you that one need > >>> not > >> go starry-eyed > about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > >> large > >>> section > of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > >> (West Bengal), > >>> > helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > >> > >> A little over a > decade > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > >> opposition it > was encountering in > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > >> plan to set up > an integrated steel plant, > >>> take over the small local > >> port and turn > it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > >>> the state > >> government (of > Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > >>> police, > >> to carry out > its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > >>> etc. > >> > >> I > believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > >>> despite > >> > all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > >>> that > > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > >> > are > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > >> > administrative > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > > >> whose block Tata is now > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this > by > >> state governments and political > >>> parties across the spectrum in > India, > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > >> > >> I used to > >>> think that > the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > >> been rather unsure > >>> > of that since I saw what they were up to in > >> Gopalpur. > >> > >> A side > note - there is > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > >> > suggestion to the state and > >>> central governments in India: if you want > > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > >> > country into one big Shanghai. > >> > >> Another side > >>> note, this one > about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > >> of their newsletters, > >>> > they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > >> of months later, they > realised > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > >> I think they need > to be more careful > >>> with their assessment of > >> corporations and > governments. > >> > >> Tapas > >> > >> > >> On 21/04/2008, > >>> S. Jabbar > wrote: > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > >>> > the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > >>> the TATA environmental > record > >>> that great... > >>> > >>> > >>> Why Save the turtles? > >>> > > >>> > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, > in-built > >>> navigation system that guides > >>> them, when it¹s time for > them to reproduce, > >>> back to the precise coast on > >>> which they were > born. > >>> > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > >>> > at Dhamra threatens a > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > > >>> suites for the remaining > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species > that > >>> swims all the way here from > >>> places as far away as Australia > and the > >>> Philippines. > >>> > >>> When you consider these two facts > together, it seems only > >>> logical that Tata > >>> would reconsider its > decision to build the port at > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > >>> an area > that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > >>> seems especially logical when > > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > >>> > >>> After > >>> all, Tata has > grown from a national giant into an international > >>> player, > >>> while > constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > >>> > >>> > upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > >> The Tata > > >>> > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > >> > genuinely> > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata > salt > >> that> > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that > warms > >> our winter > >>> > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our > communications, to the > >> Tata cars> > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > >>> > >>> > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > >>> different side > to the same Tata. A > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > >>> Tata > that looks the other way when > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > >>> even less for nature. > >>> > > >>> The port > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect > the Olive > >>> Ridley > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley > turtles nesting in the > >>> > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings > is believed to range > >> from 15 > >>> > >>> million to 35 million. > >>> > > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > >>> concerned citizens that > it would > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > >>> presence and the > ecological > >>> significance of the area were ever > >>> unearthed.¹ > >>> > > >>> > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > >>> > The perfunctory > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper > it's > >>> printed on. Another > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with > turtle mortality > >>> from mechanized > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming > in addition to this annual > >>> death toll, the > >>> Tata port could be the > final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > >>> ensuring that this > >>> area is > never safe for turtles again. > >>> > >>> Will this > >>> willful destruction > be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > >>> Orissa? > >>> > >>> > >>> Not > if you can help it. > >>> > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to > Ratan > >>> by clicking here > >>> > >>> > > >>> > >>> > >>> > > >>> _________________________________________ > >>> 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. > >>> To unsubscribe: > >>> > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >>> 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. > >> To > >>> unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >> list > >> 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> ___________________________ > ______________ 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. To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From virtuallyme at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 19:42:00 2008 From: virtuallyme at gmail.com (Rohan DSouza) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:42:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva Message-ID: <79e82f610804220712p779353fan193f067074d27524@mail.gmail.com> hi shudhabrata, agree with you on the need (and also the lack) of push in the form of subsidies for the reva. if and when that happens, would also, apart from of course ridding the scenery from smoke, pave the way for public discussion and debate on the sources of electricty and the need for cleaner and renewable ones. rgds, rohan From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > To: radhikarajen at vsnl.net > Cc: sarai list , Tapas Ray > > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; delsp=yes; > format=flowed > > Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other > corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian > history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal > edge of global capitalism. > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered > why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, > anti-national, terrorist. > > Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as the G- > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational > attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There could be > incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and run a > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op ed > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting > thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which > means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person > defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, > exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, > there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, > the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will > demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, > or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with itself. It > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > You read it first, here. > > best > > Shuddha > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons > > go to enrich themselves. > > > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > vehicles. ! > > > > Regards, > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > list at sarai.net> > > > >> Tapas, > >> > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > >> really think > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > >> > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > >> discovered they had > >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > >> to install > >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try finding an > >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > >> through their > >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > >> someone sent > >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > >> exorbitant, at > >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > >> interest. He > >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of the > >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > >> subsidy for the > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product > >> to be profitable in > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > >> > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My > >> love of > >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > >> Spiti. Next > >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > >> it is easy to see > >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > >> It is > >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > >> continue to > >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > >> aren't they > >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > >> heavily when > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > >> and made to > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > >> > >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced > >> if all > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor > >> REVA, I > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > >> > >> > >> Best > >> sj > >> > >> > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > >> > >>> Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need > >>> not > >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled over a > >> large > >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > >> (West Bengal), > >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > >> > >> A little over a decade > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > >> opposition it was encountering in > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > >>> take over the small local > >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > >>> the state > >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > >>> police, > >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > >>> etc. > >> > >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > >>> despite > >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at > >>> that > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these SEZs > >> are > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > >> administrative > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > >> whose block Tata is now > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > >> state governments and political > >>> parties across the spectrum in India, > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > >> > >> I used to > >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > >> been rather unsure > >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > >> Gopalpur. > >> > >> A side note - there is > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > >> suggestion to the state and > >>> central governments in India: if you want > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > >> country into one big Shanghai. > >> > >> Another side > >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > >> of their newsletters, > >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > >> of months later, they realised > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > >> I think they need to be more careful > >>> with their assessment of > >> corporations and governments. > >> > >> Tapas > >> > >> > >> On 21/04/2008, > >>> S. Jabbar wrote: > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > >>> the TATA environmental record > >>> that great... > >>> > >>> > >>> Why Save the turtles? > >>> > >>> > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > >>> navigation system that guides > >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > >>> back to the precise coast on > >>> which they were born. > >>> > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > >>> at Dhamra threatens a > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > >>> suites for the remaining > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > >>> swims all the way here from > >>> places as far away as Australia and the > >>> Philippines. > >>> > >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > >>> logical that Tata > >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > >>> seems especially logical when > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > >>> > >>> After > >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > >>> player, > >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of social > >>> > >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > >> The Tata > >>> > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > >> genuinely> > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > >> that> > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > >> our winter > >>> > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > >> Tata cars> > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > >>> different side to the same Tata. A > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > >>> Tata that looks the other way when > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > >>> even less for nature. > >>> > >>> The port > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive > >>> Ridley > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the > >>> > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > >> from 15 > >>> > >>> million to 35 million. > >>> > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > >>> concerned citizens that it would > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > >>> presence and the ecological > >>> significance of the area were ever > >>> unearthed.¹ > >>> > >>> > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > >>> The perfunctory > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > >>> printed on. Another > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > >>> from mechanized > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > >>> death toll, the > >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > >>> ensuring that this > >>> area is never safe for turtles again. > >>> > >>> Will this > >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > >>> Orissa? > >>> > >>> > >>> Not if you can help it. > >>> > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > >>> by clicking here > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> _________________________________________ > >>> 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. > >>> To unsubscribe: > >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >>> List archive: > >>> > >> ___________________________ > From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 19:43:57 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:43:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Shuddha, I'm reminded of this delightful architectural exercise to build the George W. Bush Library. Of course, my submission would have been a small doll's house to house the current incumbent's collection... Check it out, it's pretty funny. Here's the url for the actual sketches : http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i26/26b01401.htm Sj -------------------- The Back-of-the-Envelope Design Contest We asked readers to sketch their own visions for the George W. Bush Library By SCOTT CARLSON Campus Architecture For millennia, great and not-so-great leaders have celebrated themselves in monuments. The ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the pyramids, the Forbidden City, the Louvre, and Monticello all convey their builders' legacies, as did the many lavish palaces of Saddam Hussein. Modern U.S. presidents have only their presidential libraries. Now that the George W. Bush era is almost over, the world needs a place to archive the legacy of the 43rd president. That place will be Southern Methodist University, in a building designed by Robert A.M. Stern. The building will probably cost $500-million. We thought that Chronicle readers would have their own ideas about how that building should be designed, and we invited people to send in designs on the backs of envelopes. About 120 people sent in sketches that were good, bad, serious, humorous, abstract, or really angry. Their designs took the form of toilets, bunkers, crosses, and W's, some crudely drawn and some very elegant. A sampling of those designs is displayed on these pages. We invite readers to take a look at some of the designs we have posted here and to vote for the best one. You can scroll through the designs and choose the one you like the most, then go to the Forum poll and vote (Forums require a free chronicle account.) So as not to prejudice the voting, we will not fully identify contributors until the voting ends. If you felt your vote didn't count in 2000, it will certainly count here. The winning designer will get an iPod Touch. Hail to the chief. The envelopes, please ... On 4/22/08 5:43 PM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" wrote: > Dear Aman, You wrote - "Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and > it should not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of > bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw > pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could be a > cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non- polluting.We could > call it the Never" I totally agree. My enthusiasm for the Reva needed your > note of temperence. And better never than nano. : ) And I think that you > are right in saying that cities worth living in need to be smaller so that > they can be gotten around in cycles and rickshaws. Delhi, in the 19th > century was apparently such a city. Now, if a city like Delhi could be > redesigned (speculatively, and in good humour, as a heuristic exercise) we > could begin by erasing what is erroneously called 'Lutyens' Delhi off the > map, it's too much space for too few people.That could leave maybe a few > bungalows (maybe just 3 or 4) to double as libraries, themed discotheques > and chess clubs. Wonder how much that would shrink the city. Maybe not > much, but it could be a beginning, then we could demolish the memorials by > the riverbank, all of them, and collect all the ashes of all the national > leaders and put them in a reasonably sized urn in the corner of a former > underground parking lot converted into municipal storage space, and also get > rid of the eyesore called the Akshardham temple. And then invite the decent, > hardworking people who once used to live on the riverbank to return. If > there are architects and urban planners on the Reader List listening in, > perhaps someone from amongst them could begin proposing alternative maps for > the future of our cities - as sketchbook scenarios, with no (political) > limits on what can be imagined. In case the architects and the urban > planners are too shy to reveal their speculative selves, or even if they are > not, maybe the rest of us could also respond. Any takers? best Shuddha On > 22-Apr-08, at 4:11 PM, Aman Sethi wrote: Shuddhabrata > Sengupta shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net _______ > __________________________________ 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. To > unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List > archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Apr 22 19:48:27 2008 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:18:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Of Graduates, Legislators and Pakistan Supreme Court Message-ID: <771125.19772.qm@web57211.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Of Graduates, Legislators and Pakistan Supreme Court April 21, 2008 - 7 member bench of Pakistan's Supreme Court (as currently constituted) struck down the condition that only 'graduates' could become Legislators. The bench was headed by current Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. This requirement was introduced into Pakistan's Representation of Peoples Act by the self-styled Chief Executive Musharraf in 2002 by means of a 'Chief Executive Order". On July 11, 2002, a 5 member bench of Pakistan's Supreme Court dismissed a petition of challenge againsty that Order and upheld the requirement of being "graduate" for Legislators. The 'dismissive' of the petition and unanimously so, bench of 2002 included the currently deposed Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. During the hearings he had reportedly observed "... the Government was spending only 2.3 per cent of the GDP on the education but it was expecting everybody to be a graduate". His own observation did not somehow seem to tilt his final word in favour of the petition. Chaudhry has much to answer for including his taking of the oath of a Justice under one of Musharraf's PCOs. Had this repealment of what was was an 'idiotic' condition in the eyes of many and perhaps most people have anything to do with the undercurrents of confrontation between the "in-chair" Chief Justice Dogar and the "deposed' Chief Justice Chaudhary? Kshmendra Kaul --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From tapasrayx at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 20:01:26 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:31:26 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <480DDB9F.5010507@gmail.com> References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> <480DDB9F.5010507@gmail.com> Message-ID: I had sent this only to Shuddha by clicking 'Reply'. Should have clicked 'Reply All'. Tapas ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tapas Ray Date: 22 Apr 2008 08:35 Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta Aman, Sonia, Shuddha, Radhika and others, Aman is spot on. An electric car simply shifts the point of pollution from the car exhaust to the power plant. It does nothing to reduce our dependence on energy. In fact, by looking like a "green alternative", it probably encourages well-meaning people to use more energy. Interested parties can then make huge profits building and operating nuclear and hydrocarbon-based power plants, large river dams, etc., with various environmental consequences, of which we are probably only partially aware. And of course, Country A invades Country B to "promote democracy", and arms manufacturers have a field day. One could argue on these lines for other areas of life, too, such as health care. It relies, very profitably for the pharmaceuticals industry, on an unimaginably large and rapidly expanding variety of complex drugs, each with its own set of negative consequences ("side effects"), which have to be dealt with through the use of other drugs, which in turn have their own side effects, and so on. And then there are the space-age technologies being used in diagnostics and treatment - again very profitably for their manufacturers and with some negative consequences for the patient's health. Apart from other things, this approach to health care puts it beyond the reach of the vast majority of people in these times of market-driven life. The same goes for agriculture. As Vandana Shiva has shown, the technology and profit-driven Green Revolution led to various extremely negative consequences and in fact contributed to the bloodbath we saw for several years in Punjab not so long ago. The answer probably has to be "low-tech". In transport, as Aman points out, it means bicycles, rickshaws, etc., and good old walking. Also public transport that relies on renewable and non-polluting energy sources. But changes like these entail deep-going changes in other areas. As Shuddha notes, it means a different kind of plan for cities. In the USA, for instance, the growth of spread-out suburbia and exurbia has to do with the car industry. Therefore, such changes would mean reversing the developmentalism we have bought into so enthusiastically, and confronting corporate interests. The trouble is, the force that once claimed such confrontations as its raison d'etre - the Left - is as much enamoured of this developmentalism, and has bought such a comfortable peace with these corporate interests, that there is no force of any consequence willing or able to work for the changes we need. It's probably upto us to create such a force. Just my two-bit. Tapas Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear Aman, > > You wrote - "Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not > be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non- polluting.We could call it the Never" > From aman.am at gmail.com Tue Apr 22 20:55:25 2008 From: aman.am at gmail.com (Aman Sethi) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:55:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> <480DDB9F.5010507@gmail.com> Message-ID: <995a19920804220825r5176b4ach93a90d08031765fb@mail.gmail.com> Hmm, And on further persual - it seems that the govt of india does offer a REva subsidy - that website says : The Government of India in its effort to encourage and popularize new and environment friendly technologies towards reducing vehicular pollution and thus consequently improving quality of urban air, has announced a Central Subsidy of upto Rs. 75,000 for each REVA Electric Car. The beneficiaries of this subsidy are Public Institutions included Government organisation and departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Educational institutions, Hospitals, Tourism and Archaeological sites. Based on the specific requirements of the public institutions as per the direction of the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES), REVA has introduced a modified range of models named the "REVA Eco" which is eligible for the subsidy. Some of our esteemed customers who have availed this benefit include : ISRO, APEDA, ITPO, KSRTC, BMTC, KSDL, NSTL Vizag, Maharishi Educational Society, Nerlikar Hospital. etc. Best a. On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 8:01 PM, Tapas Ray wrote: > I had sent this only to Shuddha by clicking 'Reply'. Should have > clicked 'Reply All'. > > Tapas > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Tapas Ray > Date: 22 Apr 2008 08:35 > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > Aman, Sonia, Shuddha, Radhika and others, > > Aman is spot on. An electric car simply shifts the point of pollution > from the car exhaust to the power plant. It does nothing to reduce our > dependence on energy. In fact, by looking like a "green alternative", > it probably encourages well-meaning people to use more energy. > Interested parties can then make huge profits building and operating > nuclear and hydrocarbon-based power plants, large river dams, etc., > with various environmental consequences, of which we are probably only > partially aware. And of course, Country A invades Country B to > "promote democracy", and arms manufacturers have a field day. > > One could argue on these lines for other areas of life, too, such as > health care. It relies, very profitably for the pharmaceuticals > industry, on an unimaginably large and rapidly expanding variety of > complex drugs, each with its own set of negative consequences ("side > effects"), which have to be dealt with through the use of other drugs, > which in turn have their own side effects, and so on. And then there > are the space-age technologies being used in diagnostics and treatment > - again very profitably for their manufacturers and with some negative > consequences for the patient's health. Apart from other things, this > approach to health care puts it beyond the reach of the vast majority > of people in these times of market-driven life. > > The same goes for agriculture. As Vandana Shiva has shown, the > technology and profit-driven Green Revolution led to various extremely > negative consequences and in fact contributed to the bloodbath we saw > for several years in Punjab not so long ago. > > The answer probably has to be "low-tech". In transport, as Aman > points out, it means bicycles, rickshaws, etc., and good old walking. > Also public transport that relies on renewable and non-polluting > energy sources. But changes like these entail deep-going changes in > other areas. As Shuddha notes, it means a different kind of plan for > cities. In the USA, for instance, the growth of spread-out suburbia > and exurbia has to do with the car industry. > > Therefore, such changes would mean reversing the developmentalism we > have bought into so enthusiastically, and confronting corporate > interests. The trouble is, the force that once claimed such > confrontations as its raison d'etre - the Left - is as much enamoured > of this developmentalism, and has bought such a comfortable peace with > these corporate interests, that there is no force of any consequence > willing or able to work for the changes we need. It's probably upto us > to create such a force. > > Just my two-bit. > > Tapas > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > Dear Aman, > > > > You wrote - "Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not > > be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non- polluting.We could call it the Never" > > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From difusion at medialab-prado.es Mon Apr 21 15:17:29 2008 From: difusion at medialab-prado.es (Difusion Medialab-Prado) Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:47:29 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Reminder: Interactivos?08: Vision Play> Call for Submissions (Madrid, Spain) Message-ID: <480C62B1.8010808@medialab-prado.es> Open Call> Interactivos?08: Vision Play *3rd International Workshop - Seminar >From May 30 through June 14, 2008 at Medialab-Prado (Madrid / Spain) Projects and Papers' Submission Deadline: April 25* *Open call for collaborators: May 9-28* With Simone Jones, Alvaro Cassinelli, Julian Oliver, Daniel Canogar & Pablo Valbuena. *The workshop aims to use open hardware and open code tools to create prototypes for exploring image technologies and mechanisms of perception.* Core themes: *image technologies from their origins to the present*: perspective, lenses, anamorphosis, panoramas, optical toys, magic lanterns, effects, optical illusions, etc., as well as *projects that expand conventional notions of projection and screen*: augmented reality, the use of projections on three-dimensional surfaces and physical objects, immersion environments, etc. A maximum of *10 projects *to be developed will be selected. Medialab-Prado will cover lodging at a youth hostel and flight expenses for the authors of the selected projects and papers (one person per project or paper). More information and call guidelines: www.medialab-prado.es/interactivos Online Project Submissions: http://medialab-prado.es/article/convocatoria_interactivos08_juegos_de_la_vision Online Paper Submissions: http://medialab-prado.es/article/interactivos08__juegos_de_la_vision_convocatoria_de_comunicaciones For further information please contact us at *interactivos08 at medialab-prado.es* In collaboration with Hangar and SonarMática08. -- Nerea García Garmendia Medialab Prado Área de Las Artes, Ayuntamiento de Madrid Plaza de las Letras Alameda, 15 28014 Madrid Tfno. +34 914 202 754 difusion at medialab-prado.es www.medialab-prado.es From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Apr 22 17:23:35 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:23:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <7062F0D2-ACBE-475F-B3E7-1FF5AA50FC15@sarai.net> > Dear Aman, You wrote, > c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not > be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles > and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw > pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could > be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non-polluting. > We could call it the Never I totally agree. My enthusiasm for the Reva needed your note of temperence. And the cities need to be smaller so that they can be gotten around in cycles and rickshaws. Delhi, in the 19th century was apparently such a city. Now, if a city like Delhi could be redesigned (speculatively, and in good humour) we could begin by erasing what is erroneously called 'Lutyens' Delhi off the map, it's too much space for too few people.That could leave maybe a few bungalows (maybe just 3 or 4) to double as libraries, themed discotheques and chess clubs. Wonder how much that would shrink the city. Maybe not much, but it could be a beginning, then we could demolish the memorials by the riverbank, all of them, and collect all the ashes of all the national leaders and put them in a reasonably sized urn in the corner of a former underground parking lot converted into municipal storage space, and also get rid of the eyesore called the Akshardham temple. And then invite the decent, hardworking people who once used to live on the riverbank to return. If there are architects and urban planners on the Reader List listening in, perhaps someone from amongst them could begin proposing alternative maps for the future of our cities - as sketchbook scenarios, with no (political) limits on what can be imagined. In case the architects and the urban planners are too shy to reveal their speculative selves, or even if they are not, maybe the rest of us could also respond. Any takers? best Shuddha On 22-Apr-08, at 4:11 PM, Aman Sethi wrote: > No one who has covered the Tatas for any length of time actually > believes in their warm cuddly image - a examination of their work in > Lohandiguda in Chattisgarh reveals that local policemen - under the > instigation of Tata Steel- might even have resorted to rape to throw > villagers off their lands. > > However, on the question of the Reva - a few things. > > a) the Reva is actually a rather expensive car - at about 4 lakhs > on-road in Mumbai. While it may be true that this is due to a poorly > structured subsidy regime( i dont know the details) , the Reva website > informs us that "Under the Income Tax Act, the REVA qualifies for an > 80% depreciation on a Written Down Value (WDV) basis, as compared to > 20% for other cars. This means an unbelievable excess tax saving of > over 21% of the cost of the car in the first year itself.In cash flow > terms this means that the REVA makes the most car sense. " So there > are govt incentives for it. > > b)I am not sure how much more sense an electric car makes. > Electricity is also subsidised in India - the slab system means that > industrial rates of power are substantially higher than domestic > rates. Further, electricity production can be as ecologically > devastating as other forms of energy. Electric vehicles tend to > follow the "not in my backyard" concept of pollution. In fact, > calling the car a REVA - ie narmada might actually be rather perverse > given that the sardar sarovar dam is allegedly supposed to provide > 3.4 crore units of electricitya day (i . The nuclear deal is being > pushed allegedly to meet our electricity crunch; the Teesta project in > the nort east is supposed ot provide electricity and a major reason > for Indian meddling in Nepal is allegedly to gain control of their > hydro power. And finally, Tata Power is India's largest private power > utility - so by buying the Reva, you actually buying into the Tata > dream machine all over again. If you drive a Reva in Mumbai or West > Delhi - chances are u are using Tata electricity. > > c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should not > be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of bicycles > and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists and rickshaw > pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the ideal vehicle could > be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, cheap and non-polluting. > We could call it the Never > > In good humour > a. > > > On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 2:09 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > wrote: >> Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, >> >> Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus >> Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the >> Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other >> corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian >> history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate >> Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal >> edge of global capitalism. >> >> I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered >> why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither >> support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the >> river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles >> in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, >> anti-national, terrorist. >> >> Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering >> success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a >> thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at >> discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more >> public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as the G- >> Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion >> charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many >> 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now >> think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch >> of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational >> attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe >> (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There could be >> incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form >> of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - >> 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which >> could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). >> >> But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the >> Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore >> based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does >> when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. >> >> That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry >> lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every >> political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and run a >> well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon >> was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, op ed >> pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little >> Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was >> called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting >> thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which >> means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person >> defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. >> It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the >> car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat >> pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, >> exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. >> >> As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles >> increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also >> increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the Nano, >> there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at affordable prices, >> the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will >> demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, >> or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions >> of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is >> already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with itself. It >> may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first >> Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to >> keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. >> >> You read it first, here. >> >> best >> >> Shuddha >> >> >> On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: >> >>> Hi, >>> >>> the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with >>> port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at >>> Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial barons >>> go to enrich themselves. >>> >>> While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding >>> it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged >>> scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the >>> hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor >>> farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with destiny in >>> the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with >>> unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, >>> it distributes poverty uniformaly. >>> >>> Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away >>> prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to >>> equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be >>> richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of >>> tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage >>> to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel >>> vehicles. ! >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "S. Jabbar" >>> Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am >>> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles >>> To: Tapas Ray , sarai list >> list at sarai.net> >>> >>>> Tapas, >>>> >>>> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I >>>> really think >>>> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate >>>> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. >>>> >>>> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I >>>> discovered they had >>>> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted >>>> to install >>>> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try >>>> finding an >>>> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them >>>> through their >>>> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally >>>> someone sent >>>> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was >>>> exorbitant, at >>>> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost >>>> interest. He >>>> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness of >>>> the >>>> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. >>>> subsidy for the >>>> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced >>>> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the product >>>> to be profitable in >>>> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? >>>> >>>> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. My >>>> love of >>>> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and >>>> Spiti. Next >>>> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the >>>> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation >>>> it is easy to see >>>> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. >>>> It is >>>> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to >>>> continue to >>>> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why >>>> aren't they >>>> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed >>>> heavily when >>>> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems >>>> and made to >>>> clean up the rock faces at the very least. >>>> >>>> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have rejoiced >>>> if all >>>> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW poor >>>> REVA, I >>>> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. >>>> >>>> >>>> Best >>>> sj >>>> >>>> >>>> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: >>>> >>>>> Sonia, >>>> >>>> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one need >>>>> not >>>> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled >>>> over a >>>> large >>>>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur >>>> (West Bengal), >>>>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). >>>> >>>> A little over a decade >>>>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular >>>> opposition it was encountering in >>>>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its >>>> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, >>>>> take over the small local >>>> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, >>>>> the state >>>> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in >>>>> police, >>>> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, >>>>> etc. >>>> >>>> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way >>>>> despite >>>> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for at >>>>> that >>>> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these >>>> SEZs >>>> are >>>>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their >>>> administrative >>>>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on >>>> whose block Tata is now >>>>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by >>>> state governments and political >>>>> parties across the spectrum in India, >>>> from Gujarat to West Bengal. >>>> >>>> I used to >>>>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have >>>> been rather unsure >>>>> of that since I saw what they were up to in >>>> Gopalpur. >>>> >>>> A side note - there is >>>>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My >>>> suggestion to the state and >>>>> central governments in India: if you want >>>> to emulate China, don't beat about >>>>> the bush; just turn the whole >>>> country into one big Shanghai. >>>> >>>> Another side >>>>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one >>>> of their newsletters, >>>>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple >>>> of months later, they realised >>>>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. >>>> I think they need to be more careful >>>>> with their assessment of >>>> corporations and governments. >>>> >>>> Tapas >>>> >>>> >>>> On 21/04/2008, >>>>> S. Jabbar wrote: >>>>> From the Greenpeace campaign for >>>>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find >>>>> the TATA environmental record >>>>> that great... >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Why Save the turtles? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley >>>>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built >>>>> navigation system that guides >>>>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, >>>>> back to the precise coast on >>>>> which they were born. >>>>> >>>>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port >>>>> at Dhamra threatens a >>>>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon >>>>> suites for the remaining >>>>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that >>>>> swims all the way here from >>>>> places as far away as Australia and the >>>>> Philippines. >>>>> >>>>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only >>>>> logical that Tata >>>>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at >>>>> Dhamra, and build it in >>>>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It >>>>> seems especially logical when >>>>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. >>>>> >>>>> After >>>>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international >>>>> player, >>>>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of >>>>> social >>>>> >>>>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. >>>> The Tata >>>>> >>>>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have >>>> genuinely> >>>>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt >>>> that> >>>>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms >>>> our winter >>>>> >>>>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the >>>> Tata cars> >>>>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a >>>>> different side to the same Tata. A >>>>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A >>>>> Tata that looks the other way when >>>>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that >>>>> cares nothing for the community, and >>>>> even less for nature. >>>>> >>>>> The port >>>>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the >>>>> Olive >>>>> Ridley >>>>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting >>>>> in the >>>>> >>>>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range >>>> from 15 >>>>> >>>>> million to 35 million. >>>>> >>>>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised >>>>> concerned citizens that it would >>>>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle >>>>> presence and the ecological >>>>> significance of the area were ever >>>>> unearthed.¹ >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. >>>>> The perfunctory >>>>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's >>>>> printed on. Another >>>>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality >>>>> from mechanized >>>>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual >>>>> death toll, the >>>>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, >>>>> ensuring that this >>>>> area is never safe for turtles again. >>>>> >>>>> Will this >>>>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in >>>>> Orissa? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Not if you can help it. >>>>> >>>>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan >>>>> by clicking here >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _________________________________________ >>>>> 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. >>>>> To unsubscribe: >>>>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>>>> 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. >>>> To >>>>> unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>>> 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. >>>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- >>>> list >>>> 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. >>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> >> Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> The Sarai Programme at CSDS >> Raqs Media Collective >> shuddha at sarai.net >> www.sarai.net >> www.raqsmediacollective.net >> >> >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Tue Apr 22 11:57:47 2008 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (cologneOFF) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:27:47 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_call=3A_CologneO?= =?iso-8859-1?q?FF_IV_-_extended_deadline?= Message-ID: <20080422082748.6CD63C22.904938AF@192.168.0.3> Call for entries: extended deadline: Friday, 1 August 2008 --------------------------- CologneOFF IV - 4th edition of Cologne Online Film Festival http://coff.newmediafest.org is planned to be launched in October/November 2008 under the festival theme: Here We Are! - "memory" and "identity" in an experimental context ---------------------------------------------------- Entry ---------------------------------------------------- VideoChannel - video project environments http://videochannel.newmediafest.org invites artists and directors for submitting videos/films, i.e. narratives and documentations (max 15 min.) experimenting with new concepts of transforming artistic contents into moving images, new forms of representing und new technologies extended deadline: 1 August 2008 All entry details and the submission form can be found on netEX - networked experience http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=238 ---------------------------------------------------- About CologneOFF ---------------------------------------------------- CologneOFF - Cologne Online Film Festival http://coff.newmediafest.org was founded in 2006 by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne. He is directing and curating this new type of film & video festival taking place simultaneously online and physical space in cooperation with partner festivals The first 3 festival editions CologneOFF I - "Identityscapes" - 2006 CologneOFF II - "Image vs Music" - 2006 CologneOFF III - "Toon! Toon! - art cartoons and animates narriatives" - 2007 were presented between 2006 and 2008 in cooperation with festivals in New Dehli/India, Rotterdam/NL, Maracaibo/Venezuela, Rosario/Argentina, Lyon/France, Belgrade/Serbia, Szeczin/Poland, Brussels/Belgium, Istanbul/Turkey, Guadalajara/Mexico, Athens/Greece, Sarajevo/Bosnia-Hercegovia and others More info on http://coff.newmediafest.org ------------------------------------------- This call is released by netEX - networked experience http://www.nmartproject.net/netex . info (at) nmartproject.net _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From tapasrayx at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 08:48:50 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:18:50 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <995a19920804220825r5176b4ach93a90d08031765fb@mail.gmail.com> References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> <480DDB9F.5010507@gmail.com> <995a19920804220825r5176b4ach93a90d08031765fb@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <480EAA9A.7070300@gmail.com> Like the electric car, biofuels are supposed to be another "green technology". But they are turning out to be hugely problematic. As we have seen in the media, food prices are rising globally, and this has even led to rioting in some places. Talking about this yesterday, the newly elected President of Paraguay (a former Bishop who was influenced by liberation theology) criticised neighbouring Brazil for "putting cars before people", i.e., for diverting agricultural resources from food crops to biofuels. Even the World Bank - a great promoter of technological fixes - recognises the risks: http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2008/0,,contentMDK:21501336~pagePK:64167689~piPK:64167673~theSitePK:2795143,00.html Tapas Aman Sethi wrote: > Hmm, > And on further persual - it seems that the govt of india does offer a > REva subsidy - that website says : > From justjunaid at rediffmail.com Wed Apr 23 09:20:49 2008 From: justjunaid at rediffmail.com (junaid) Date: 23 Apr 2008 03:50:49 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Letter from a Kashmiri Prisoner in Delhi Message-ID: <20080423035049.24524.qmail@f4mail-235-245.rediffmail.com> http://www.combatlaw.org/information.php?article_id=1127&issue_id=39Prison pleasLetter from TiharA Kashmiri youth, Parveez Ahmad, narrates how policeturned him from a gentleman to 'bomb-man' in a letterfrom his confinement in Tihar Central Jail, Delhi.Combat Law is in possession of his letter. It is beingreproduced hereSubj: Save my career, as I am innocent.ith due reverence and respect, I am writing thisletter with the hope that I will get justice withoutdelay. I want your kind attention towards the realfact of my arrest, interrogation and torture, which istotally different and contradictory to that ofpolice's statement. All the allegations and sectionsthey have charged upon me are baseless. All theconfessions I have made before them were all undercompulsions and force. As I could not tolerate thetorture and electric shocks. I am still frightened ofthat treatment. Those electric shocks are stillbreaking my sleep.Being citizen of India I keep faith in Indian law andjudiciary. And hope no discrimination will be doneagainst me. Though my faith in law and being a citizenof India has scattered badly by the role of police.But still I have not left the rope of hope. To restorethe faith, it is essential to give me justice, throughfare trial, and save my career. To prove my innocenceyour goodself is requested to see my past record.Which will reveal you how clear my past and presentis. Though I am concerned about the condition of J&K.Now I want your kind attention towards the followinglines which will reveal your goodself the whole story.As I have done my M. Sc (Zoology) from the Universityof Pune and now am seeking admission to Ph.D for whichI was going to Pune.* On September 12, 2006, I left home for Pune byflight (Spice Jet). Srinagar - Delhi & Delhi-Pune. Onreaching Delhi, when I was approaching for Spice-Jetcounter to collect my boarding pass, some seven toeight persons held me firmly and took away my luggageand whatever I had in my pockets. They took me toLodhi Colony special cell office. where they tortureand interrogated me severely. They beat me upruthlessly and gave me electric shocks. Later, I cameto know that they were from the special cell ofpolice. Led by inspector Sharma ji.* On the same day they forced me to call one of myfriends to give his SIM card to their contact personalready in Pune.* ON September 13, 2006, they made my I Card withthe name of Iqbal and took me to Pune by Spice-Jetflight. On reaching Pune, one police team was alreadythere but in civil dress. I can reveal all thedetails, their names, where they kept me in Pune, andhow they mentally tortured me.* On September 14, 2006 evening after receivingfew calls they took me to one shop in Pune andcollected some 10 lakh rupees from that shopkeeper.* On September 15, 2006 they took me back toDelhi, and kept me again in Lodhi Colony Special Celllock up where they tortured me very badly andseverely. I was unconscious and half dead.* On September 16, 2006 they took me to someunknown place and kept me there for almost one month.I was not able to walk and move as they kept mehandcuffed in one room. The details of that very placeand persons will be revealed in the court. What theydid with me there, will also be revealed.* During that duration they neither informed myparents nor took me into police remand or judicialcustody. Instead, they forced me to lie to my parentsthat I got a job in Maharashtra.* After one month on October 15, 2006 they took meto hospital for medical, which was just a formality,as I was already instructed not to say anything aboutmy ailment, torture and muscular spasm. Even doctorswrote the medical report without examining me. I wasshocked to see the collusion between police anddoctors. I could not understand what was going on. AsI was seeing that for the first time in my life.* On the same day October 15, 2006 in the eveningthey took me to a lady magistrate for taking me intopolice remand. That too was a joke, as I was in theircustody for more than one month. Before presenting mebefore that magistrate they threatened me of direconsequences If I narrated the true story. I was madeto narrate my story their way. The story was likethis. I was coming from Mumbai by Golden Templeexpress to Nizamuddin. To hand over rupees 10 lakh andthree Kg of RDX to some Tariq at Azadpur Mandi. Butthat Tariq did not come. Meanwhile police party caughthold of me. The magistrate did not ask me anything.* During my stay in their custody they compelledme to file so many (rail) reservation forms in my ownhand writing and signature. They took away my attachebag. On asking where they were taking my bag, theytold me that my final verification was being done.Soon you would be released. I got very tense and wasconfused, and smelled something fishy. I thought theywould finish me in an encounter. So I could not sleepall those nights. If they have really sent any personto Delhi from Mumbai, then that was Ram Gopal who waslooking after me in that police flat, may be aconstable. That police office (Flat) is near anairport, as I could hear sounds of aeroplanes. Onemetro track is also nearby which I saw from one smallpore of window. Through the bathroom window, I saw apublic school in the neighbourhood. The name of thatpublic school was ITL Public School, next to thispolice flat. In that flat the staff was changing every24 hours. The staff comprised of Anil Tyagi, RamGopal, Gurmeet, Raju (Pahalwan), Mangal (Bihari),Pravesh, Pandit and others whose name I don't know butI can identify them. They kept me as an animal,handcuffed and feetcuffed tied to the iron rods ofwindow, 24 hours. Because of which I was not able tomake any free movement or walk in that very room. Theonly time they were releasing me when I was going tobathroom. For the whole month I could no see sun. Inthat very police flat there was one more personarrested (rather kidnapped) in other room. He too wasforced to make calls to his relatives.* After staying few for days in that flat, I wasmade to cell my parents and saying that I was alrightand got a job. One evening my parents called me upwith weeping words that they heard news of my arrest,as somebody had informed them. I could not tell themthat I was in police custody since the day I lefthome. I was forced to assure my parents that I wasalright. I was happy. Also that I thanked God thatatleast my parents came to know. Later policethreatened me not to disclose news of my arrest beforemy parents and assured me of releasing before Eid.Whenever my parents were calling me I was lying tothem that I was not getting travel reservationconfirmed. They (my parents) were insisting on me toleave my job and come back to home. I was weeping forthe whole day and night. I became very weak and lazy.Inspector Sharma ji told Anil Tyagi to provide meQuran and other books so that I would not loose myconcentration. They were constantly assuring me ofreleasing me before Eid. But they were lying anddeceiving me as well as my parents.* After taking me into police remand officially,they kept me at Lodhi Colony office for days. I wasthinking perhaps they would release me now, asDeepawali as well as Eid were approaching after fewdays. But there was some thing worst to come. Mycareer was going to be spoilt it and my image wasgoing to change from gentleman to bombman, fromstudent to a terrorist.Am I not Indian, if I am Kashmiri. Why thisdiscrimination. When tall claims are being made by theGovt. of India, by media, that before Law all citizensare equal. Whether of Kashmir or Kerala. ...they mademe a scape-goat, to get compliments from their seniorsand public. And public too took me as a terrorist* Finally the day came when my whole career waswiped. I was mentally shocked and astonished. OnOctober 20, 2006, when I was watching TV in InspectorBadrish Dutt?s room, suddenly SI Vinay Tyagi told methat one press person was downstairs and wanted tomeet me. He advised me to speak in his presence. After10-20 minutes, suddenly everything changed altogether.Every personnel was trying to catch hold of me andcome close to me. I was just confused to see what wasgoing on. Especially, SI Vinay Tyagi and HavaldarSatish held me firmly. Suddenly they opened the gateand I was just shocked to see the mob of more then 50photographers. They started taking my photographs andshooting me for 10-15 minutes. I understood that theyhave now ruined my career and life. I looked towardsinspector Sharma ji. He by his gesture posed as he hadarrested me and presented me before media as a hardcore terrorist. Now I realised fully what actuallytheir plan of keeping me in their custody was. Theyactually wanted to show me before media and tell thatthey have arrested a persons (terrorist) who arrivedin Delhi to explode bombs on the occasion ofDeepawali, which is just shame upon them. How they(police) were befooling their public. And media washelping them in propagating such fake arrests. When Icould not celebrate my Eid at home, with my parents,what I have to do with the Deepawali. After thosefalse and baseless allegations I wept like a widow.Now I realised that I no more could contact myparents. As they (police) have turned me into a don. I am still thinking why they ruined my careerMy faith in Indian democracy and law has shatteredbadly and I am now very disappointed in jail on therole of police. I am finding no hope, then to appealbefore your goodself to provide me fare trial and giveme justice. So that I can restart my normal life* Am I really a terrorist? When I have never everseen how that RDX looks like.* Am I not an Indian, if I am a Kashmiri.* Why this discrimination. When tall claims arebeing made by the Govt. of India, by media, thatbefore law all citizens are equal. Whether of Kashmiror Kerala.* Why they made me a scape-goat, to getcompliments from their seniors and public. And publictoo took me as a terrorist. Who had arrived in Delhion Deepawali to disrupt the celebrations? Whole of thepolice party and the special cell people know verywell that they arrested me on September 12, 2006 atDelhi airport. Are they trying to prove that aeroplaneauthority were allowing to carry explosives in theirflights. My faith in Indian democracy and law has shatteredbadly and I am very disappointed about the role ofpolice. I have no hope, than to appeal before yourgoodself to provide me fare trial and give me justice.So that I can restart my normal life with my oldparents. So that my faith in law is restore.Jail no. 01, Ward no. 01Barrack no. 02TiharPARVEEZ AHMADS/O. SANAULLAH RADOOR/O. NOOR BAGH -ASOPORE BARAMULLAJ & KPIN - 193201. From sadan at sarai.net Wed Apr 23 11:34:28 2008 From: sadan at sarai.net (sadan at sarai.net) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:34:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <7062F0D2-ACBE-475F-B3E7-1FF5AA50FC15@sarai.net> References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> <7062F0D2-ACBE-475F-B3E7-1FF5AA50FC15@sarai.net> Message-ID: Dear Suddha, You wrote, "And the cities need to be smaller so that they can be gotten around in cycles and rickshaws. Delhi, in the 19th century was apparently such a city." While I agree with the spirit with which you wrote these lines and elaborated your aspirational city of Delhi. There are obvious dangers when we talk speculatively about eradications of places and architectures and memories. Many a times these talks are appropriated and our aspirations are diverted to something else. This is certainly not a caution that we should not aspire or not speculate the romance of small (remember small is beautiful by Schumacher). But I am thinking something beyond these speculations and aspirational city.This is about the politics around the size, the scale of the city. There has been so much of talk about expanding city and shrinking nature. When we talk about small city, are we also not talking on the same line, maybe in opposit diracetion? The romance should continue but instead of Lutyen's Delhi the axe will fall on the migrant city. We can still think of Gandhian dream of transforming villages into towns so that there will be no (need of) migrant city.But,... If we change our track, we can pose questions which will inform us that a large number of people can stay in Delhi only by moving out to Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Fardiabad etc. In earlier discourses, city was perceived as sites of libration and I still believe that despite all the politics of urban governance and dangers of getting uprooted, people make choice to move to the city. Small city can not accomodate so many people. On 5:23 pm 04/22/08 Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > > Dear Aman, > > You wrote, > > > c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should > > not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of > > bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists > > and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the > > ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, > > cheap and non-polluting. We could call it the Never > > I totally agree. My enthusiasm for the Reva needed your note of > temperence. > > And the cities need to be smaller so that they can be gotten around > in cycles and rickshaws. Delhi, in the 19th century was apparently > such a city. > > Now, if a city like Delhi could be redesigned (speculatively, and in > good humour) we could begin by erasing what is erroneously called > 'Lutyens' Delhi off the map, it's too much space for too few > people.That could leave maybe a few bungalows (maybe just 3 or 4) to > double as libraries, themed discotheques and chess clubs. Wonder how > much that would shrink the city. Maybe not much, but it could be a > beginning, then we could demolish the memorials by the riverbank, all > of them, and collect all the ashes of all the national leaders and > put them in a reasonably sized urn in the corner of a former > underground parking lot converted into municipal storage space, and > also get rid of the eyesore called the Akshardham temple. And then > invite the decent, hardworking people who once used to live on the > riverbank to return. > > If there are architects and urban planners on the Reader List > listening in, perhaps someone from amongst them could begin proposing > alternative maps for the future of our cities - as sketchbook > scenarios, with no (political) limits on what can be imagined. In > case the architects and the urban planners are too shy to reveal > their speculative selves, or even if they are not, maybe the rest of > us could also respond. Any takers? > > best > > Shuddha > > On 22-Apr-08, at 4:11 PM, Aman Sethi wrote: > > > No one who has covered the Tatas for any length of time actually > > believes in their warm cuddly image - a examination of their work > > in Lohandiguda in Chattisgarh reveals that local policemen - under > > the instigation of Tata Steel- might even have resorted to rape to > > throw villagers off their lands. > > > > However, on the question of the Reva - a few things. > > > > a) the Reva is actually a rather expensive car - at about 4 lakhs > > on-road in Mumbai. While it may be true that this is due to a > > poorly structured subsidy regime( i dont know the details) , the > > Reva website informs us that "Under the Income Tax Act, the REVA > > qualifies for an 80% depreciation on a Written Down Value (WDV) > > basis, as compared to 20% for other cars. This means an > > unbelievable excess tax saving of over 21% of the cost of the car > > in the first year itself.In cash flow terms this means that the > > REVA makes the most car sense. " So there are govt incentives for > > it. > > b)I am not sure how much more sense an electric car makes. > > Electricity is also subsidised in India - the slab system means > > that industrial rates of power are substantially higher than > > domestic rates. Further, electricity production can be as > > ecologically devastating as other forms of energy. Electric > > vehicles tend to follow the "not in my backyard" concept of > > pollution. In fact, calling the car a REVA - ie narmada might > > actually be rather perverse given that the sardar sarovar dam is > > allegedly supposed to provide 3.4 crore units of electricitya day > > (i . The nuclear deal is being pushed allegedly to meet our > > electricity crunch; the Teesta project in the nort east is > > supposed ot provide electricity and a major reason for Indian > > meddling in Nepal is allegedly to gain control of their hydro > > power. And finally, Tata Power is India's largest private power > > utility - so by buying the Reva, you actually buying into the Tata > > dream machine all over again. If you drive a Reva in Mumbai or > > West Delhi - chances are u are using Tata electricity. > > c) Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, and it should > > not be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of > > bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists > > and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the > > ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, > > cheap and non-polluting. We could call it the Never > > > > In good humour > > a. > > > > > > On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 2:09 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > wrote: > >> Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > >> > >> Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > >> Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around > >> the Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and > >> other corporations, including those based in India, or with an > >> Indian history) need to be recognized for their high level of > >> Corporate Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of > >> the lethal edge of global capitalism. > >> > >> I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always > >> wondered why more of them are not around. And why they attract > >> neither support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another > >> name for the river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered > >> in polite circles in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded > >> some kind of luddite, anti-national, terrorist. > >> > >> Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > >> success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > >> thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > >> discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > >> public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as > >> the G- Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high > >> congestion charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London > >> will have many 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently > >> 'charged' up. Now think, if, instead the pornographic excess that > >> surrounds the launch of new cars in india, there would be some > >> sensible and rational attention to alternatives like the Reva, > >> which are inexpensive, safe (at city driving speeds) and green. > >> How would that be? There could be incentives passed on to the > >> consumer if they drove Revas in the form of tax cuts, lesser > >> parking charges, (or exemption from cumpolsory - 'off road' rules > >> for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which could be then > >> applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > >> But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about > >> the Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the > >> Bangalore based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way > >> as she does when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not > >> likely. > >> That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > >> lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > >> political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and > >> run a well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when > >> the Nanon was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier > >> than thou, op ed pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending > >> the 'little Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own > >> against what was called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. > >> The interesting thing is, no one had actually said anything > >> against the Nano. Which means, the car-lobby had press releases, > >> op-eds and first person defences of the little car all ready, in > >> case there was aopposition. It was all timed to be unleashed, a > >> few days after the launch of the car. The launch happened, there > >> was no criticism, but the somewhat pointless counter-attack in > >> defence of the Nano was unleashed anyway, exposing the workings > >> of a well oiled machine. > >> As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > >> increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > >> increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the > >> Nano, there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at > >> affordable prices, the industry that propels this demand will > >> grow greedy. It will demand access to more energy, more fuel, > >> just as it does in the US, or France, or Japan. It will push > >> India into aggressive acquisitions of energy assets elsewhwere in > >> the world. The gas guzzling car is already tied into a logic of > >> nationalism intoxicated with itself. It may not take long for > >> this intoxication to thicken into the first Indian Imperialist > >> misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to keep the > >> Tata-Mittal machine running. > >> You read it first, here. > >> > >> best > >> > >> Shuddha > >> > >> > >> On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > >> > >>> Hi, > >>> > >>> the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures > >>> with port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure > >>> at Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial > >>> barons go to enrich themselves. > >>> > >>> While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > >>> it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > >>> scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, > >>> the hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of > >>> poor farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with > >>> destiny in the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of > >>> wealth with unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one > >>> unique feature, it distributes poverty uniformaly. > >>> > >>> Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > >>> prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > >>> equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > >>> richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > >>> tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have > >>> courage to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the > >>> diesel vehicles. ! > >>> > >>> Regards, > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > >>> From: "S. Jabbar" > >>> Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > >>> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > >>> To: Tapas Ray , sarai list >>> list at sarai.net> > >>> > >>>> Tapas, > >>>> > >>>> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > >>>> really think > >>>> the large corporations who go to town advertising their > >>>> corporate responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > >>>> > >>>> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > >>>> discovered they had > >>>> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I > >>>> wanted to install > >>>> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try > >>>> finding an > >>>> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > >>>> through their > >>>> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > >>>> someone sent > >>>> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > >>>> exorbitant, at > >>>> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > >>>> interest. He > >>>> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness > >>>> of the > >>>> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > >>>> subsidy for the > >>>> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they > >>>> priced themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for > >>>> the product to be profitable in > >>>> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > >>>> > >>>> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel vehicles. > >>>> My love of > >>>> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > >>>> Spiti. Next > >>>> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > >>>> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no > >>>> vegetation it is easy to see > >>>> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > >>>> It is > >>>> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > >>>> continue to > >>>> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > >>>> aren't they > >>>> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > >>>> heavily when > >>>> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > >>>> and made to > >>>> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > >>>> > >>>> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have > >>>> rejoiced if all > >>>> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW > >>>> poor REVA, I > >>>> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Best > >>>> sj > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Sonia, > >>>> > >>>> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one > >>>>> need not > >>>> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled > >>>> over a > >>>> large > >>>>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > >>>> (West Bengal), > >>>>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > >>>> > >>>> A little over a decade > >>>>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > >>>> opposition it was encountering in > >>>>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > >>>> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > >>>>> take over the small local > >>>> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > >>>>> the state > >>>> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > >>>>> police, > >>>> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > >>>>> etc. > >>>> > >>>> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > >>>>> despite > >>>> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained for > >>>>> at that > >>>> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, these > >>>> SEZs > >>>> are > >>>>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > >>>> administrative > >>>>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > >>>> whose block Tata is now > >>>>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > >>>> state governments and political > >>>>> parties across the spectrum in India, > >>>> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > >>>> > >>>> I used to > >>>>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > >>>> been rather unsure > >>>>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > >>>> Gopalpur. > >>>> > >>>> A side note - there is > >>>>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > >>>> suggestion to the state and > >>>>> central governments in India: if you want > >>>> to emulate China, don't beat about > >>>>> the bush; just turn the whole > >>>> country into one big Shanghai. > >>>> > >>>> Another side > >>>>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > >>>> of their newsletters, > >>>>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > >>>> of months later, they realised > >>>>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > >>>> I think they need to be more careful > >>>>> with their assessment of > >>>> corporations and governments. > >>>> > >>>> Tapas > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On 21/04/2008, > >>>>> S. Jabbar wrote: > >>>>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > >>>>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > >>>>> the TATA environmental record > >>>>> that great... > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Why Save the turtles? > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > >>>>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > >>>>> navigation system that guides > >>>>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > >>>>> back to the precise coast on > >>>>> which they were born. > >>>>> > >>>>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > >>>>> at Dhamra threatens a > >>>>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > >>>>> suites for the remaining > >>>>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > >>>>> swims all the way here from > >>>>> places as far away as Australia and the > >>>>> Philippines. > >>>>> > >>>>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > >>>>> logical that Tata > >>>>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > >>>>> Dhamra, and build it in > >>>>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > >>>>> seems especially logical when > >>>>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > >>>>> > >>>>> After > >>>>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > >>>>> player, > >>>>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of > >>>>> social > >>>>> > >>>>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > >>>> The Tata > >>>>> > >>>>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > >>>> genuinely> > >>>>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata > >>>> salt that> > >>>>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > >>>> our winter > >>>>> > >>>>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > >>>> Tata cars> > >>>>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > >>>>> different side to the same Tata. A > >>>>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > >>>>> Tata that looks the other way when > >>>>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > >>>>> cares nothing for the community, and > >>>>> even less for nature. > >>>>> > >>>>> The port > >>>>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the > >>>>> Olive > >>>>> Ridley > >>>>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting > >>>>> in the > >>>>> > >>>>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > >>>> from 15 > >>>>> > >>>>> million to 35 million. > >>>>> > >>>>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > >>>>> concerned citizens that it would > >>>>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > >>>>> presence and the ecological > >>>>> significance of the area were ever > >>>>> unearthed.¹ > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > >>>>> The perfunctory > >>>>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > >>>>> printed on. Another > >>>>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > >>>>> from mechanized > >>>>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > >>>>> death toll, the > >>>>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > >>>>> ensuring that this > >>>>> area is never safe for turtles again. > >>>>> > >>>>> Will this > >>>>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > >>>>> Orissa? > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Not if you can help it. > >>>>> > >>>>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > >>>>> by clicking here > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> _________________________________________ > >>>>> 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. > >>>>> To unsubscribe: > >>>>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >>>>> 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. > >>>> To > >>>>> unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-lis > t > >>>> 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. > >>>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > >>>> list > >>>> 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. > >>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-li > st > >>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > >> > >> Shuddhabrata Sengupta > >> The Sarai Programme at CSDS > >> Raqs Media Collective > >> shuddha at sarai.net > >> www.sarai.net > >> www.raqsmediacollective.net > >> > >> > >> _________________________________________ > >> 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. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-lis > t > >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.ne > t/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From abshi at vsnl.com Wed Apr 23 13:10:56 2008 From: abshi at vsnl.com (abshi at vsnl.com) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:40:56 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Jnanapravaha: Announcing Art, Criticism, and Theory - ACT In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jnanapravaha Date: 23 Apr 2008 11:57 Subject: Announcing Art, Criticism, and Theory - ACT To: to.jnanapravaha at gmail.com Art, Criticism and Theory An initiative of Jnanapravaha(Mumbai). The Course: This one semester course in ideas and concepts, deals with visual theory and visual art production in the various spheres of our cultural life, through the disciplines of art, photography and architecture. The course encourages a discursive engagement with the cultural space we occupy, as practitioners, researchers and professionals, in the areas of art and culture. The main objective of the course is to develop analytical and descriptive skills critical to writing about art. The course will be based on structured readings, organized thematically, leading into discussions, presentations and papers. Engaging with the visual form and structure and writing about it in a sustained manner will be the thrust of this programme. Thematic workshops by art practitioners / theorists / critics / historians will be designed as modules to encourage writing studios driven by research ideas and critical concepts that individuals have pursued or conceptualized in the sphere of art criticism and theory, or practice. Course Structure: The course is divided over 4 modules: Critical Concepts / Art and Ideology / Ways of Seeing / Writing Art. Critical Concepts: A set of 10-12 key critical concepts like Representation, Narrative, History, Museum, Market, Modernism, Beauty, etc. will be discussed at an introductory level. Art and Ideology: Certain structures of thought that have often been observed in various art practices too, including Marxism, Feminism, Orientalism, Gandhian thought, will be briefly discussed, through selected readings or texts. Ways of Seeing: It will focus on a specific way of understanding 'the visual'; the concept of value, beauty and form, etc. that contributes to the attributes of the visual object. This module will include thematic workshops. Writing Art: It will focus on specific texts that concern art, its production, and theory. It will include conversation sessions between the artist and the critic. Those participating in the course will be producing 3 essays and a final dissertation, as a key process for learning to write on, and discuss art. Teaching: The course will be conducted at, and coordinated by Jnanapravaha (Mumbai); various individuals working, teaching and practicing or writing in the world of art, culture and theory will be invited to conduct some of the teaching sessions and/or workshops. The proposed faculty includes the likes of Jitish Kallat, Abhay Sardesai, George Jose, Shilpa Phadke, Prabodh Parekh and Kaiwan Mehta. Duration and Timings: The course will run for 14 – 16 weeks every year. It will commence on August 26, 2008, and run on every Tuesday and Thursday between 6:00 and 8:30 pm. Venue: The course will be conducted in the premises of Jnanapravaha (Mumbai) at Queens Mansion, 3rd Floor, A. K. Nayak Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Fee and Admissions: The total fee for the course, including reading material and library reference fee, will be Rs. 10,000/- per participant. The admissions to the course for this year will close on July 7, 2008. The application requesting admission should be accompanied by two writing samples produced as original work by the applicant, along with a resume. The writing sample could be a previously written assignment paper, or a professionally produced text by the applicant. The course is open to graduates from any discipline. All correspondence, including the application has to be conducted via emails at to.jnanapravaha at gmail.com From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 13:58:58 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:58:58 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] FISHER PEOPLE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE FORCES RESPONSIBLE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE Message-ID: <3457ce860804230128x3cbdaefekc883b6859287a009@mail.gmail.com> FISHER PEOPLE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE FORCES RESPONSIBLE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE The conference ended with a resolution with the seven questions:- 1. What are the industries which contribute heavily to the climate change that you recommend for immediate closure or phased out or stopped and why? 2. What are the industries which cause climate change that you recommend to be controlled and regulated and why? 3. What are the forms of energy production which cause climate change that you recommend to be stopped, controlled and regulated and why? 4. What are the forms of agricultural practices and production that you recommend in this context and why? 5. What are the forms of consumption practices and lifestyle pattern responsible and why? 6. What do you suggest as a plan of action in the context of shrinking coastal land and sea intrusion damaging houses of fisher families? 7. Is it justice that the marginalized people becoming climate refugees as a result of climate change should pay the damages and why? Resolution of Nagercoil conference of fisher people unlike other resolutions concluded with questions as a resolution to International and national government, industry and civil society organizations on the following aspects like the polluting industries, chemical farming practices, non-renewable energy sectors, carbon emitting life style and the need for taxing the polluters to pay the price for ecologically affected fisher people and other marginalized communities. ........................................................................... Ensuring justice for climate refugees http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/21/stories/2008042151100200.htm Special Correspondent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speakers call for change in consumption pattern to save ozone layer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Speakers at a conference organised by fishworkers' organisations in South India at Nagercoil on Friday highlighted the impact of climate change on the livelihood of marginalised sections of society and the need for government intervention to tackle the emerging threats. The meeting decided to launch a protest movement against the failure to rehabilitate the families displaced by heavy sea erosion. Fisherfolk from the coastal areas in South India participated in the conference organised by Tamilnadu Fisher workers Union (TFU), Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) and Voices from the Margins (VFM). T. Peter Dass, president, Tamilnadu Fish workers Union (TFU) pointed out that climate change was responsible for the worsening sea erosion all along the coast. Inaugurating the workshop, M.Pakkirisamy, district revenue officer, said that sea level was rising over the last decade at an unimaginable rate of increase. Sea level is expected raise five meters over the next 50 years and it is going to affect the coastal communities. He stressed the need to change the consumption pattern to prevent further depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere. K.P. Sasi, activist filmmaker, said the government was yet to come up with a strategy to minimise carbon emission. He called for a change in the production process in the industrial, agriculture and energy sectors to achieve this objective. "There has been no action to address the problems of the people affected by climate change and marginalized people who are becoming refugees as a result of ecological impacts thrust upon them." Dr. A.D. Shobana Raj, ecological researcher, highlighted the depletion of coastal areas caused by heavy sea erosion. "Almost 80 per cent of the water resources in the coastal area have become saline and people are facing water crisis because of the intrusion of sea water. As many as 132 coastal sea weeds have disappeared over the last 10 years. If the global temperature rises 2 degree Celsius, it will impact on micro organisms, leading to several contagious diseases affecting coastal people," he pointed out. Dr. S.P.Udayakumar, social activist, called for a drastic change in energy consumption pattern. "The solution for climate change lies in shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Our transportation pattern should move towards effective and efficient public transport system rather than promoting cars which will lead to increase in carbon emission and vehicular pollution," he said. Sathya Sivaraman, journalist and filmmaker stressed the need for a system to identify polluters. "The United States is responsible for 25 per cent of carbon emission and it should take the responsibility to compensate the victims of carbon emission and climate change. Carbon emitting industries should be changed and if this is not possible all such industries should be closed." Calling for an end to chemical farming practices, polluting industries and carbon-emitting life style, T.Peter, president, KSMTF, said fisher people were the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. He exhorted the coastal communities to launch a mass movement demanding steps to tackle the threats. In the concluding session, S.M.Prithiviraj, convener, Voices from the Margins, explained how heavy sea erosion, changes in pattern of fish catch, reduction in fish wealth, and loss of working days as a result of climate change and tidal waves had affected the livelihood of the fishermen community in south India. ........................................................................... Peter Dass, Tamilnadu Fishworkers Union (TFU) T.Peter, Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation (KSMTF) S.M.Prithiviraj,Voices from the Margins(VFM) From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Wed Apr 23 14:04:20 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:34:20 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: References: <995a19920804220341n7611dc0ncbf3a68b46146e40@mail.gmail.com> <"E260577E -F700-411E-8978-72869CA9A630"@sarai.net> <480DDB9F.5010507@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, Tapas, your thoughts gave me real time to use my grey cells. It also made me aware of the citizens and their perception of the growing Ondia, bursting at seams with population, and more importantly the cities and their rapid growth with citizens deprived of their earning by farms, agriculture, artisan works, moving to hope with greener pastures of better earning chances of cities. To illustrate, I came across a farmer who had about 8 acres of land in the Devanahalii, now taken over by KIADB for the "international airport, at a throw away price, seeking job in Bangalore as construction worker in any job.! When I asked him what did he do with his compensation, the answer was more perplexing and he said, part of it went to his lawyers to fight for his land, part went as bribes to get his efforts to regain land, whatever left was used for marrying his daughters in simple weddings and now with no land and no other skills in life with his village life, he is In Bangalore ready to work any job with any MNCs even as attender for meagre 2000/-, then one MNC has taken him as gardner, providing him food from canteen of MNC and work of gardening in the manicured , landscaped garden.! As to Reva, it made me admire at the technology, but with cities suffering from acute power shortage, charging the batteries is big task as my neighbour finds it.! Yours faithfully, purchased a two wheeler Honda activa, but was disgusted at the way the workers at the plant were beaten up in their peaceful protest for better working conditions, by the connivance of the "General manager" of the factory with strong political connections, his father being the CM of the state, it was my conscious that made me opt for humble bicycle with gears at a cost of 4800/-, be happy with it. No doubt the activa was better in mileage and comfort but at what cost to my fellow citizens and farmers who have given up lands for the factories. ? It makes me wonder at the barons of industry as to why can they not start their factory away from the cities in undeveloped areas, barren ones and make those areas good for human habitation, give opportunities for the citizens to earn the livelihood with grace and dignity, like the Mitapur which came up with Tata Chemicals, like the Jamshedpur which came up with its own school, colony in earlier generation of the tatas. ? Why this craving for Singur which is the outskirts of Kolkatta. ? With farmers gone modern with modern methods of farming wheat in Punjab, now the same farmers using excess of chemical fertilisers have made their lands useless, are willing to sell and migrate to Canada, even illegally.! The lopsided policies and lack of vision in the governance has made all inclusive growth only a slogan of exploitation,? First it was Garibi hatao, and garib got hataod, not garibi, then it was dalit welfare and quotas and the dalit shifted the base to regional setups,India shined so bright that the real work at ground level was ignored and now it is India burning because of the overshine rubbing friction between divided citizens of India on caste, region and faith. ? ----- Original Message ----- From: Tapas Ray Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:03 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Turtles, Tatas and Reva To: sarai list > I had sent this only to Shuddha by clicking 'Reply'. Should have > clicked 'Reply All'. > > Tapas > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Tapas Ray > Date: 22 Apr 2008 08:35 > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > Aman, Sonia, Shuddha, Radhika and others, > > Aman is spot on. An electric car simply shifts the point of pollution > from the car exhaust to the power plant. It does nothing to reduce our > dependence on energy. In fact, by looking like a "green alternative", > it probably encourages well-meaning people to use more energy. > Interested parties can then make huge profits building and operating > nuclear and hydrocarbon-based power plants, large river dams, etc., > with various environmental consequences, of which we are probably only > partially aware. And of course, Country A invades Country B to > "promote democracy", and arms manufacturers have a field day. > > One could argue on these lines for other areas of life, too, such as > health care. It relies, very profitably for the pharmaceuticals > industry, on an unimaginably large and rapidly expanding variety of > complex drugs, each with its own set of negative consequences ("side > effects"), which have to be dealt with through the use of other drugs, > which in turn have their own side effects, and so on. And then there > are the space-age technologies being used in diagnostics and treatment > - again very profitably for their manufacturers and with some negative > consequences for the patient's health. Apart from other things, this > approach to health care puts it beyond the reach of the vast majority > of people in these times of market-driven life. > > The same goes for agriculture. As Vandana Shiva has shown, the > technology and profit-driven Green Revolution led to various extremely > negative consequences and in fact contributed to the bloodbath we saw > for several years in Punjab not so long ago. > > The answer probably has to be "low-tech". In transport, as Aman > points out, it means bicycles, rickshaws, etc., and good old walking. > Also public transport that relies on renewable and non-polluting > energy sources. But changes like these entail deep-going changes in > other areas. As Shuddha notes, it means a different kind of plan for > cities. In the USA, for instance, the growth of spread-out suburbia > and exurbia has to do with the car industry. > > Therefore, such changes would mean reversing the developmentalism we > have bought into so enthusiastically, and confronting corporate > interests. The trouble is, the force that once claimed such > confrontations as its raison d'etre - the Left - is as much enamoured > of this developmentalism, and has bought such a comfortable peace with > these corporate interests, that there is no force of any consequence > willing or able to work for the changes we need. It's probably > upto us > to create such a force. > > Just my two-bit. > > Tapas > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > > Dear Aman, > > > > You wrote - "Our utopian city should not be one full of REVAs, > and it should not > > be one full of Nanos either .. it should ideally be full of > bicycles and public transport ..and roads designed for cyclists > and rickshaw pullers rather than automobile users - perhaps the > ideal vehicle could be a cross between the Nano and Reva - small, > cheap and non- polluting.We could call it the Never" > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Wed Apr 23 14:10:11 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:40:11 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: <79e82f610804220712p779353fan193f067074d27524@mail.gmail.com> References: <79e82f610804220712p779353fan193f067074d27524@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, it is not subsidy that is needed, it is the change in the mindset of citizens of the nation, the mind to be sharing and caring at the starting point of their own homes first. A person having the car, driving with single passenger in the car is the ultimate show of vanity, let charity begin at home, mohalla, locality by sharing the car, pooling together the resources and care and share for each other. In cities when one sees a single person in huge cars, is it not criminal wste of scarce national resources. ? System can also address the public transport system in more humane and practical methods such as good management. Chennai has one of the best transport system with buses with good frequency where as Delhi and bangalore are at the worst in management of public fleets of buses, is my thoughts. Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rohan DSouza Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 7:43 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva To: reader-list at sarai.net > hi shudhabrata, > > agree with you on the need (and also the lack) of push in the form of > subsidies for the reva. if and when that happens, would also, > apart from of > course ridding the scenery from smoke, pave the way for public > discussionand debate on the sources of electricty and the need for > cleaner and > renewable ones. > > rgds, > rohan > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > > To: radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > Cc: sarai list , Tapas Ray > > > > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; delsp=yes; > > format=flowed > > > > Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > > > Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > > Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the > > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other > > corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian > > history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate > > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal > > edge of global capitalism. > > > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered > > why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither > > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the > > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles > > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, > > anti-national, terrorist. > > > > Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > > success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as > the G- > > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > > 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > > think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > > of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational > > attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > > (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There > could be > > incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form > > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from > cumpolsory - > > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which > > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > > > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the > > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > > when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > > > That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > > political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and > run a > > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon > > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, > op ed > > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > > Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > > called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting > > thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which > > means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person > > defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. > > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the > > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat > > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed > anyway,> exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > > > As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > > increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > > increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the > Nano,> there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at > affordable prices, > > the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will > > demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, > > or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions > > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is > > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with > itself. It > > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first > > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > > > You read it first, here. > > > > best > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial > barons> > go to enrich themselves. > > > > > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with > destiny in > > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > > > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > > vehicles. ! > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > > list at sarai.net> > > > > > >> Tapas, > > >> > > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > > >> really think > > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > > >> > > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > > >> discovered they had > > >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > > >> to install > > >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try > finding an > > >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > > >> through their > > >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > > >> someone sent > > >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > > >> exorbitant, at > > >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > > >> interest. He > > >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness > of the > > >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > > >> subsidy for the > > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the > product> >> to be profitable in > > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > > >> > > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel > vehicles. My > > >> love of > > >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > > >> Spiti. Next > > >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > > >> it is easy to see > > >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > > >> It is > > >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > > >> continue to > > >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > > >> aren't they > > >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > > >> heavily when > > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > > >> and made to > > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > > >> > > >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have > rejoiced> >> if all > > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW > poor> >> REVA, I > > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > > >> > > >> > > >> Best > > >> sj > > >> > > >> > > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > > >> > > >>> Sonia, > > >> > > >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one > need> >>> not > > >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled > over a > > >> large > > >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > > >> (West Bengal), > > >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > > >> > > >> A little over a decade > > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > > >> opposition it was encountering in > > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > > >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > > >>> take over the small local > > >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > > >>> the state > > >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > > >>> police, > > >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > > >>> etc. > > >> > > >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > > >>> despite > > >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained > for at > > >>> that > > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, > these SEZs > > >> are > > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > > >> administrative > > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > > >> whose block Tata is now > > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > > >> state governments and political > > >>> parties across the spectrum in India, > > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > > >> > > >> I used to > > >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > > >> been rather unsure > > >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > > >> Gopalpur. > > >> > > >> A side note - there is > > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > > >> suggestion to the state and > > >>> central governments in India: if you want > > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > > >> country into one big Shanghai. > > >> > > >> Another side > > >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > > >> of their newsletters, > > >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > > >> of months later, they realised > > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > > >> I think they need to be more careful > > >>>with their assessment of > > >> corporations and governments. > > >> > > >> Tapas > > >> > > >> > > >> On 21/04/2008, > > >>> S. Jabbar wrote: > > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > > >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > > >>> the TATA environmental record > > >>> that great... > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> Why Save the turtles? > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > > >>> navigation system that guides > > >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > > >>> back to the precise coast on > > >>> which they were born. > > >>> > > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > > >>> at Dhamra threatens a > > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > > >>> suites for the remaining > > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > > >>> swims all the way here from > > >>> places as far away as Australia and the > > >>> Philippines. > > >>> > > >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > > >>> logical that Tata > > >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > > >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > > >>> seems especially logical when > > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > >>> > > >>> After > > >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > > >>> player, > > >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of > social> >>> > > >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > > >> The Tata > > >>> > > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > > >> genuinely> > > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > > >> that> > > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > > >> our winter > > >>> > > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > > >> Tata cars> > > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > > >>> different side to the same Tata. A > > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > > >>> Tata that looks the other way when > > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > > >>> even less for nature. > > >>> > > >>> The port > > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect > the Olive > > >>> Ridley > > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles > nesting in the > > >>> > > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > > >> from 15 > > >>> > > >>> million to 35 million. > > >>> > > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > > >>> concerned citizens that it would > > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > > >>> presence and the ecological > > >>> significance of the area were ever > > >>> unearthed.¹ > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > > >>> The perfunctory > > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > > >>> printed on. Another > > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > > >>> from mechanized > > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > > >>> death toll, the > > >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > > >>> ensuring that this > > >>> area is never safe for turtles again. > > >>> > > >>> Will this > > >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > > >>> Orissa? > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> Not if you can help it. > > >>> > > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > > >>> by clicking here > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> _________________________________________ > > >>> 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. > > >>> To unsubscribe: > > >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > >>> 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From rajeshr at csds.in Wed Apr 23 14:10:56 2008 From: rajeshr at csds.in (Rajesh Ramakrishnan) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:10:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Medieval Christendom's First Ethnic Cleansing: The Expulsion of Jews From England in 1290 Message-ID: 'Medieval Christendom's First Ethnic Cleansing: The Expulsion of Jews >From England in 1290.' A talk by Professor Ira Katznelson Tuesday, 29th April, at 3 PM in the Seminar Room, CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi – 110 054 All are invited ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ira I. Katznelson is Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, Columbia University. He is an Americanist whose work has straddled comparative politics and political theory, as well as political and social history. His research interests include: American politics, comparative politics, political theory, urban politics, European studies, race relations, class formation, ethnicity and religion, education, urban geography, identities and interests, social movements, and political parties. Professor Katznelson was President of the American Political Science Association for 2005-2006. Previously, he served as President of the Politics and History Section of APSA, President of the Social Science History Association, and Chair of the Russell Sage Foundation Board of Trustees. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. His most recent books are When Affirmative Action Was White (2005), and Desolation and Enlightenment: Political Knowledge after Total War, Totalitarianism, and the Holocaust (2003). Other books include Black Men, White Cities (1973), City Trenches (1981), Schooling for All (with Margaret Weir, 1985), Marxism and the City (1992), and Liberalism's Crooked Circle (1996). From rohitism at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 14:12:31 2008 From: rohitism at gmail.com (Rohit Shetti) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:12:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva In-Reply-To: References: <79e82f610804220712p779353fan193f067074d27524@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: www.thestoryofstuff.com I think watching this short semi-animation film would add a lot of perspective to this discussion. Please do check it out. regards, Rohit On 4/23/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > Hi, > > it is not subsidy that is needed, it is the change in the mindset of > citizens of the nation, the mind to be sharing and caring at the starting > point of their own homes first. A person having the car, driving with single > passenger in the car is the ultimate show of vanity, let charity begin at > home, mohalla, locality by sharing the car, pooling together the resources > and care and share for each other. In cities when one sees a single person > in huge cars, is it not criminal wste of scarce national resources. ? > System can also address the public transport system in more humane and > practical methods such as good management. Chennai has one of the best > transport system with buses with good frequency where as Delhi and bangalore > are at the worst in management of public fleets of buses, is my thoughts. > Regards. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Rohan DSouza > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 7:43 pm > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > hi shudhabrata, > > > > agree with you on the need (and also the lack) of push in the form of > > subsidies for the reva. if and when that happens, would also, > > apart from of > > course ridding the scenery from smoke, pave the way for public > > discussionand debate on the sources of electricty and the need for > > cleaner and > > renewable ones. > > > > rgds, > > rohan > > > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > > Subject: [Reader-list] Turtles, Tatas and Reva > > > To: radhikarajen at vsnl.net > > > Cc: sarai list , Tapas Ray > > > > > > Message-ID: > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; delsp=yes; > > > format=flowed > > > > > > Dear Sonia, Tapas, Radhikarajen, and everyone else, > > > > > > Many thanks Sonia, for bringing our attention to the Tata versus > > > Turtle question. I share all your concerns about the hype around the > > > Nano, and Tata diesel guzzlers in general. I think they (and other > > > corporations, including those based in India, or with an Indian > > > history) need to be recognized for their high level of Corporate > > > Irresponsibility and contribution to the sharpening of the lethal > > > edge of global capitalism. > > > > > > I have been a fan of the Reva for a while, and have always wondered > > > why more of them are not around. And why they attract neither > > > support, nor subsidies. Is it because 'Reva' is another name for the > > > river 'Narmada' - a name that is no longer uttered in polite circles > > > in Delhi and Mumbai, in case you were branded some kind of luddite, > > > anti-national, terrorist. > > > > > > Apparently, in a city like London, the quietly humming engineering > > > success that is the Reva is not such an embarassment. London has a > > > thriving Reva market. London has a 'congestion charge' aimed at > > > discouraging people from driving cars into the city and using more > > > public transport. The Reva (marketed successfully in London as > > the G- > > > Wiz) is one of the vehicles exempt from the very high congestion > > > charge. Also, from the spring of this year, London will have many > > > 'charging points' where Revas can be conveniently 'charged' up. Now > > > think, if, instead the pornographic excess that surrounds the launch > > > of new cars in india, there would be some sensible and rational > > > attention to alternatives like the Reva, which are inexpensive, safe > > > (at city driving speeds) and green. How would that be? There > > could be > > > incentives passed on to the consumer if they drove Revas in the form > > > of tax cuts, lesser parking charges, (or exemption from > > cumpolsory - > > > 'off road' rules for certain days of the week, by rotation, - which > > > could be then applied on to diesel and petrol guzzlers). > > > > > > But, do we hear, or see, as much about the Reva, as we do about the > > > Nano. Does Barkha Dutt drool at the mouth interviewing the Bangalore > > > based engineers who dreamed up the Reva in the same way as she does > > > when she sits face to face with Ratan Tata? Not likely. > > > > > > That is not the way things crumble. Powerful automobile industry > > > lobbies, which include the Tatas, have the government, every > > > political party, and the media in their pockets, in India, and > > run a > > > well oiled PR machine. I noticed, some time ago, that when the Nanon > > > was launched, within a few days, gushing and holier than thou, > > op ed > > > pieces appeared in several newspapers, defending the 'little > > > Indian's' right to an cchota-sa car of their own against what was > > > called the 'elitist' calumny of green activists. The interesting > > > thing is, no one had actually said anything against the Nano. Which > > > means, the car-lobby had press releases, op-eds and first person > > > defences of the little car all ready, in case there was aopposition. > > > It was all timed to be unleashed, a few days after the launch of the > > > car. The launch happened, there was no criticism, but the somewhat > > > pointless counter-attack in defence of the Nano was unleashed > > anyway,> exposing the workings of a well oiled machine. > > > > > > As India's dependence on the diesel and petrol powered automobiles > > > increases, the demand for this kind of polluting energy will also > > > increase. If all those who will buy the Nano, have to drive the > > Nano,> there will be a demand for a lot more gas, and at > > affordable prices, > > > the industry that propels this demand will grow greedy. It will > > > demand access to more energy, more fuel, just as it does in the US, > > > or France, or Japan. It will push India into aggressive acquisitions > > > of energy assets elsewhwere in the world. The gas guzzling car is > > > already tied into a logic of nationalism intoxicated with > > itself. It > > > may not take long for this intoxication to thicken into the first > > > Indian Imperialist misadventures, as Indian troops go marching to > > > keep the Tata-Mittal machine running. > > > > > > You read it first, here. > > > > > > best > > > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > On 22-Apr-08, at 12:07 PM, radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote: > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > the releases regarding the ridley turtles, Tatas' adventures with > > > > port and integreted steel plant and port, then misadventure at > > > > Singur made any citizens think of the lengths the industrial > > barons> > go to enrich themselves. > > > > > > > > While huble REVA is good electricity powered vehicle is finding > > > > it difficult to make itself affordable, electircally charged > > > > scootys and two wheelers are trying their best to find market, the > > > > hyped one lakh car manufactured over the hungry bellies of poor > > > > farmers and farm labour at Singur is the new tryst with > > destiny in > > > > the nation, the capitalism makes rich make more of wealth with > > > > unequal distribution of wealth, socialism has one unique feature, > > > > it distributes poverty uniformaly. > > > > > > > > Tatas for all practical purposes got the land at throw away > > > > prices combined with state oppression and undisguised force to > > > > equip themselves of the lands, this mini car again will be > > > > richmens' toy when it comes in to market. The emission levels of > > > > tata vehicles are so high, that no authority seems to have courage > > > > to see the smoke bellowing out of the exhausts of the diesel > > > > vehicles. ! > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "S. Jabbar" > > > > Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53 am > > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Olive Ridley turtles > > > > To: Tapas Ray , sarai list > > > list at sarai.net> > > > > > > > >> Tapas, > > > >> > > > >> Thanks for your mail detailing Tata's Gopalpur activities. I > > > >> really think > > > >> the large corporations who go to town advertising their corporate > > > >> responsibility ought to be exposed for what they are. > > > >> > > > >> I was really excited about Tata BP solar at first when I > > > >> discovered they had > > > >> many products oriented towards the individual consumer. I wanted > > > >> to install > > > >> a solar powered inverter in my apartment this summer. Try > > finding an > > > >> outlet— it was near impossible. So I got in touch with them > > > >> through their > > > >> website. No response. So I wrote off an angry email and finally > > > >> someone sent > > > >> me a number of a distributor. I called him. The price was > > > >> exorbitant, at > > > >> least 20,000 Rs. more than a regular inverter! I rapidly lost > > > >> interest. He > > > >> was a nice guy so we had a long chat about the ridiculousness > > of the > > > >> situation, how things were overpriced and there was no govt. > > > >> subsidy for the > > > >> urban consumer and no Tata subsidy either. Surely if they priced > > > >> themselvesreasonably they would have enough demand for the > > product> >> to be profitable in > > > >> the long run. Surely they know this, so why don't they do it? > > > >> > > > >> My other grouse is about their smoke belching diesel > > vehicles. My > > > >> love of > > > >> the mountains often takes me to places like Ladakh, Lahaul and > > > >> Spiti. Next > > > >> time you are there remember to look at the hillsides along the > > > >> highways,particularly on corners. Because there is no vegetation > > > >> it is easy to see > > > >> the effect of Diesel trucks. The rocks are black with deposits. > > > >> It is > > > >> disgusting that companies like the Tatas have been allowed to > > > >> continue to > > > >> produce sub-standard engines in their trucks and buses . Why > > > >> aren't they > > > >> subjected to emission norms? They really ought to be taxed > > > >> heavily when > > > >> entering the high Himalayas with their very fragile eco systems > > > >> and made to > > > >> clean up the rock faces at the very least. > > > >> > > > >> And then the much touted one lakh Nano. How I would have > > rejoiced> >> if all > > > >> the R&D had gone into producing a one lakh electric car! BTW > > poor> >> REVA, I > > > >> believe they don't get any support from the Go I. > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> Best > > > >> sj > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> On 4/21/08 8:16 PM, "Tapas Ray" wrote: > > > >> > > > >>> Sonia, > > > >> > > > >> Thanks for forwarding this release. I agree with you that one > > need> >>> not > > > >> go starry-eyed about Tata. Look at the way it has steamrolled > > over a > > > >> large > > > >>> section of people unwilling to give up their land in Singur > > > >> (West Bengal), > > > >>> helped by an obliging state government and CPI(M). > > > >> > > > >> A little over a decade > > > >>> ago, as a journalist, I covered the popular > > > >> opposition it was encountering in > > > >>> Gopalpur-on-Sea (Orissa) for its > > > >> plan to set up an integrated steel plant, > > > >>> take over the small local > > > >> port and turn it into a large one, etc. Predictably, > > > >>> the state > > > >> government (of Orissa) was bending over backwards, sending in > > > >>> police, > > > >> to carry out its wishes. There were clashes, roads were dug up, > > > >>> etc. > > > >> > > > >> I believe the company has had - or is going to have - its way > > > >>> despite > > > >> all that resistance ... perhaps more than it had bargained > > for at > > > >>> that > > > >> time, because later there was talk of an SEZ. As we know, > > these SEZs > > > >> are > > > >>> nothing but militarised outposts - considering the way their > > > >> administrative > > > >>> structure has been planned - of global capitalism, on > > > >> whose block Tata is now > > > >>> the new kid, and is duly revered for this by > > > >> state governments and political > > > >>> parties across the spectrum in India, > > > >> from Gujarat to West Bengal. > > > >> > > > >> I used to > > > >>> think that the Tata group is an enlightened one, but have > > > >> been rather unsure > > > >>> of that since I saw what they were up to in > > > >> Gopalpur. > > > >> > > > >> A side note - there is > > > >>> a parallel between our SEZs and Shanghai. My > > > >> suggestion to the state and > > > >>> central governments in India: if you want > > > >> to emulate China, don't beat about > > > >>> the bush; just turn the whole > > > >> country into one big Shanghai. > > > >> > > > >> Another side > > > >>> note, this one about Greenpeace: Some months ago, in one > > > >> of their newsletters, > > > >>> they were talking about "green Apple". A couple > > > >> of months later, they realised > > > >>> that Apple wasn't that green after all. > > > >> I think they need to be more careful > > > >>>with their assessment of > > > >> corporations and governments. > > > >> > > > >> Tapas > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> On 21/04/2008, > > > >>> S. Jabbar wrote: > > > >>> From the Greenpeace campaign for > > > >>> the Olive Ridley Turtles. Not that I find > > > >>> the TATA environmental record > > > >>> that great... > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> Why Save the turtles? > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> Consider thisŠ Olive Ridley > > > >>> turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built > > > >>> navigation system that guides > > > >>> them, when it¹s time for them to reproduce, > > > >>> back to the precise coast on > > > >>> which they were born. > > > >>> > > > >>> Now consider something elseŠ The proposed Tata port > > > >>> at Dhamra threatens a > > > >>> nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon > > > >>> suites for the remaining > > > >>> Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that > > > >>> swims all the way here from > > > >>> places as far away as Australia and the > > > >>> Philippines. > > > >>> > > > >>> When you consider these two facts together, it seems only > > > >>> logical that Tata > > > >>> would reconsider its decision to build the port at > > > >>> Dhamra, and build it in > > > >>> an area that¹s less ecologically sensitive. It > > > >>> seems especially logical when > > > >>> it¹s Tata we¹re talking about. > > > >>> > > > >>> After > > > >>> all, Tata has grown from a national giant into an international > > > >>> player, > > > >>> while constantly stating its commitment to the principles of > > social> >>> > > > >>> upliftment, environmental justice and sustainable development. > > > >> The Tata > > > >>> > > > >>> brand is ubiquitous, present in hundreds of products that have > > > >> genuinely> > > > >>> improved the lives of generations of Indians; from the Tata salt > > > >> that> > > > >>> flavours our daily bread, the Tata BP solar geyser that warms > > > >> our winter > > > >>> > > > >>> baths, the Tata Telecom that manages our communications, to the > > > >> Tata cars> > > > >>> that Œdrive a billion dreams.¹ > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> And yet, in Orissa, we¹re witnessing a > > > >>> different side to the same Tata. A > > > >>> Tata that shuts its ears to reason. A > > > >>> Tata that looks the other way when > > > >>> confronted with evidence. A Tata that > > > >>> cares nothing for the community, and > > > >>> even less for nature. > > > >>> > > > >>> The port > > > >>> Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect > > the Olive > > > >>> Ridley > > > >>> turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles > > nesting in the > > > >>> > > > >>> vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range > > > >> from 15 > > > >>> > > > >>> million to 35 million. > > > >>> > > > >>> When confronted by Greenpeace Tata promised > > > >>> concerned citizens that it would > > > >>> abandon the port Œif evidence of turtle > > > >>> presence and the ecological > > > >>> significance of the area were ever > > > >>> unearthed.¹ > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> The evidence was submitted , but this promise wasn¹t kept. > > > >>> The perfunctory > > > >>> EIA carried out in this area isn't worth the paper it's > > > >>> printed on. Another > > > >>> nesting season has passed us by, with turtle mortality > > > >>> from mechanized > > > >>> fishing agonizingly high. Coming in addition to this annual > > > >>> death toll, the > > > >>> Tata port could be the final nail in the turtle¹s coffin, > > > >>> ensuring that this > > > >>> area is never safe for turtles again. > > > >>> > > > >>> Will this > > > >>> willful destruction be the legacy that Tata leaves behind in > > > >>> Orissa? > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> Not if you can help it. > > > >>> > > > >>> Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan > > > >>> by clicking here > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> _________________________________________ > > > >>> 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. > > > >>> To unsubscribe: > > > >>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > >>> 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > > list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From atreyee.m at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 17:10:26 2008 From: atreyee.m at gmail.com (atreyee majumder) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:10:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 55 (on bicycle dreams) In-Reply-To: <1944bc230804222221m56f8add9mbe87ee893f1f2607@mail.gmail.com> References: <1944bc230804222221m56f8add9mbe87ee893f1f2607@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1944bc230804230440j40788057rbf213f453616f07a@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: atreyee majumder Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 10:51 AM Subject: Re: reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 55 (on bicycle dreams) To: reader-list at sarai.net Dear all, When I first came to Delhi a few years back, to visit a friend, I remember that it struck me to be most curious that kids drove their parents' spare cars to college/shopping malls/pubs etc. Sort of like teenie-bopper Hollywood movies. This was the beginning of the automobile explosion in the big cities of India. Kids in the National Law School campus increasingly came back from summer breaks with car keys in their pockets. Postcolonial Big Cities which form the crucial nerve-centres in our not-so-networked parts of the world, as points of contact with the networked worlds, so as to appropriate whatever comes our way- money, download speeds, BPO jobs, jazz bars, intellectual stimulation, Iron Maiden, Russell Peters and what have you. It is naive then to imagine that in our parts of the world jazz bars and download speeds will remain satisfactory- within cycling distance. Of course, with the caveat of some fairly self-sufficient microcosms- like some universities- I know for a fact, cycling lifestyles are common at the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore and the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi. But I must go back to my primary argument- that the euphoria of appropriating one's personal share of the modern pie, is inevitably a reality in our parts of the world. The automobile euphoria being one more manifestation of the same. Where your car is bound to symbolise not just your tax returns, but also your ability to penetrate the modern world, a little deeper. That you can stay till the last drink at the jazz bar, not worrying about having missed the last trip on the metro. My take would be that euphoria over the automobile is not much different from the euphoria over one's own portable computer, one's own source of portable telecommunication, one's own portable music system. Similarly, the Nano appeals to the just-about-income-tax-bracket-person's ticket to mobility/modernity. Just like affordable air tickets. This is a euphoria that we probably can't wish away with bicycle daydreams. As we don't live in Western Europe, where a Jazz Bar is bicycling distance away. And we need our BPO jobs to pay up laptop instalments. Like the power-hungry Reva, our network fantasies also have considerable hidden costs in terms of jacking up demands for key, manufacturing industries. Which, in turn, claim land, air, water, minerals, traditional livelihoods. And we rise up in leftist outrage. Rarely reflecting that these industries expand to feed our modern hungers. Not to say that our modern hungers are immoral or anything( I am neither moral, nor Gandhian). But, admitting to the very real titillations of modernities sort of rudely shake me out of bicycle daydreams. Hence, this post. Apologies for sounding obtuse. Atreyee From mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 17:43:13 2008 From: mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com (mahmood farooqui) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:43:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Rahul Gandhi Equality Forum (RGEF) In-Reply-To: <920872.73071.qm@web94015.mail.in2.yahoo.com> References: <920872.73071.qm@web94015.mail.in2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jayaseelan Murugan Date: 2008/4/23 Subject: Rahul Gandhi Equality Forum (RGEF) To: dn234 at cam.ac.uk, srinath.raghavan at gmail.com, kkunhikrishnan at gmail.com, cudayb at gmail.com, chitta at gmail.com, amritareach at gmail.com, chandrachoodan at gmail.com, upendrankye at gmail.com, rkbhonsle at gmail.com, rdhavan at gmail.com, anilmalhotra1960 at gmail.com, rekchowdhary at gmail.com, nandanunni at gmail.com, saionton at gmail.com, i4u24hrs at gmail.com, darshan207 at gmail.com, sumitra100 at gmail.com, erudelhi at gmail.com, piyusroy at gmail.com, subachandran at gmail.com, mehreen.tft at gmail.com, sudheenkulkarni at gmail.com, nilakar at gmail.com, akvenkat at gmail.com, mahesh.uppal at gmail.com, imman.kumar at gmail.com, office.bjpanda at gmail.com, sanjoyha at gmail.com, kazmisma at gmail.com, sanjoy.majumder at bbc.co.uk, kavitakhanna108 at gmail.com, dastkarihaat at gmail.com, deepakkumar.mallick at gmail.com, aravinthabros at gmail.com, ilapatnaik at gmail.com, umashashikant at gmail.com, parthobhowmick at gmail.com, jpgandhi at gmail.com, jmurali at gmail.com, mriduladitya at gmail.com, sathiyam54 at gmail.com, reshmiguhabose at gmail.com, shreya.doctor at gmail.com, gitamathai at yahoo.com, pmahakul at gmail.com, editor.epilogue at gmail.com, mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com, ssynghal at gmail.com, prabhuvaa at gmail.com, devdutt.pattanaik at gmail.com, sureshl.india at gmail.com, sibasankar at gmail.com Respected Reader, Mr. Rahul Gandhi declared, "I am blind to religion and I am blind to caste!" After reading his noble statement of EQUALITY, RAHUL GANDHI EQUALITY FORUM (RGEF) In Tamil: Rahul Gandhi Samaththuva Manram was started setting *2* realistic objectives for you, if you are also interested in EQUALITY: (1) sharing with others some learning and some wisdom, employing gentle sessions of a good sense of humour, songs, songs with dances, dramas and orations, with the only aim: to spread the vital message containing the educational need for the social spirit of EQUALITY in our hearts and minds to urgently usher in a fresh and new era of EQUALITY and (2) cooperating with willing individuals with the objective of further enhancing the political strength of Mr. Rahul Gandhi, a compassionate human being, who works politically for EQUALITY. Some hints: YOUR GOOD HEART + GOOD BRAIN = GOOD FORUM. ECOLOGICAL BALANCE + BIOLOGICAL JUSTICE = NOBLE LIFE. WOMAN = MAN. MAN = WOMAN. EDUCATE AND LEGISLATE. The other names of RGEF are Movement Protecting Goodness (MPG), Movement for the Rights of the Poor (MRP), MOVEMENT FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WORLD and SONIA GANDHI PEACE BRIGADE. If you have the inclination to allow me to cooperate with you, kindly call (0)9444673161 or e-mail mpgmrp at yahoo.co.in and please tell me, your chosen way of nation-building under the banner of RGEF. If possible, kindly meet me in person also. Please find me standing in the corridor of Kamaraj Bhavan Second Floor at the Congress Grounds in Teynampet in Chennai between 4 pm and 5 pm on any Saturday! Thanking you, I remain, Sincerely yours in Goodness, Murugan Jayaseelan. - ------------------------------ Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Here is the solution. From vivek at sarai.net Wed Apr 23 20:06:29 2008 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:06:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Phalanx 2 Message-ID: <480F496D.4030206@sarai.net> The second issue of PHALANX, a provocative and very wide-ranging forum for debate on different topics, edited out of Bangalore, is now live. The editors are also asking for "candid responses". The link is: http://phalanx.in/index.html Enjoy, Vivek From ayishaa at gmail.com Wed Apr 23 21:18:08 2008 From: ayishaa at gmail.com (Ayisha Abraham) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:18:08 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] please forward In-Reply-To: <74b8cec50804230028i553c4739g194fbdb11b56bd77@mail.gmail.com> References: <74b8cec50804230025k5ee4f2c8r70f45e542f7d83b7@mail.gmail.com> <74b8cec50804230028i553c4739g194fbdb11b56bd77@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <7357da570804230848q78e7a55fr5d6be92cc5c8c576@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bengaluru artist-residency Date: Apr 23, 2008 12:58 PM Subject: Fwd: please forward To: Bengaluru artist-residency , dhanya_rajaram at yahoo.co.in, kvrao_68 at yahoo.co.uk, raghuraokv at yahoo.co.uk, redsurya at rediffmail.com, storzch at yahoo.co.in, ayesha abraham , prabhavati , smitha cariappa , surekha Surekha Call For Applications bar1 Artists residency supported by India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) The Bengaluru Artist Residency Programme group (bar1) invites applications for an interdisciplinary artist residency in Bangalore City from the 1st of July to the 30th of September 2008. Please see attached document for detailed information. Bengaluru Artist Residency One (bar1) Bar1 is a non-profit arts organisation founded by artists for artists to foster the exchange of ideas and experiences through guest residencies in Bengaluru. Bengaluru Artist Residency One is registered as a Public Charitable Trust. Please visit www.bar1.org In the past, we have been affiliated to the Artist Residency Gaesteatelier Krone in Aarau, Switzerland. Currently, we are in partnership with Pro Helvetia, Delhi (the Swiss Arts Council, India). The India-India residency programme has been made possible by the exclusive support of India Foundation for the Arts (IFA). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ - -- Ayisha Abraham 002 Serena # 2 Lloyd Road Cooke Town Bangalore 560005 tele: 91-80-25464058 From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Wed Apr 23 13:22:48 2008 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (soundNET) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:52:48 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_call=3A_SoundLAB?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_VI_-_soundPOOL?= Message-ID: <20080423095248.8144C1C9.5893F0F2@192.168.0.3> Call for proposals Deadline: 30 November 2008 ------------------------------------------------ SoundLAB - sonic art project environments http://soundlab.newmediafest.org released a new call for its 6th edition to be launched in March 2009 - SoundLAB VI - soundPOOL - sound compositions - a challenge for imagination - SoundLAB is looking for its 6th edition sound compositions which represent a real challenge for human imagination All details, the complete call, the regulations and entry form can be found here http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=242 ------------------------------------------------ SoundLAB IV - "memoryscapes" http://soundlab.newmediafest.org/blog/?page_id=20 incorporating sound works by 144 soundartists - previously also presented in Palestine, Poland, Italy and Argentina and on FILE Hipersonica Festival 2007 Sao Paulo/Brazil, was participating recently in FILE - Electronic Language Festival Rio 2008 http://www.file.org.br 26 February - 29 March 2008 ------------------------------------------------ Visit also SoundLAB I -V on SoundLAB - sonic art project environments http://soundlab.newmediafest.org corporate part of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne www.nmartproject.net directed by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne. ----------------------------------------------- Released by netEX - networked experience http://netex.nmartproject.net info (at) nmartproject.net _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From kokopeli at gmail.com Thu Apr 24 01:12:48 2008 From: kokopeli at gmail.com (Sujata & Samantak) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:12:48 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Dr. Binayak Sen wins the prestigious Jonathan Mann Award 2008!!! Indian Government holds this great doctor as a prisoner In-Reply-To: <7933e0c90804230954q448499c9mf66687e5df0fbf5@mail.gmail.com> References: <570327210804220919h1b2cdf76qe0af71819f647ee3@mail.gmail.com> <7933e0c90804230954q448499c9mf66687e5df0fbf5@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <556b1d6b0804231242m7fe4b555kd75833cbf278a694@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, I think this ought to interest at least some of the folks who are members of this list. Apologies if found irrelevant or intrusive. Samantak Dr. Binayak Sen has won the prestigious Jonathan Mann award for Global Health and Human Rights!! This is in recognition of his lifetime of work in the fields of public health and human rights in Chhattisgarh. This comes as a great boost for the 'Free Binayak Sen' campaign at a vital time. His trial begins in less than 10 days and the one year anniversary of his illegal arrest is on May 14 2008. People's movement all around the World are protesting his illegal detention on May 14th. For more details, please write to : Srinadhm(at)gmail.com / Somu(at)aidindia.org Excerpts below, including a strong support statement from eminent members of the global medical fraternity. Let us send a loud and clear message demanding justice. http://petitions.aidindia.org/Binayak_Dec_2007/ and http://www.freebinayaksen.org/ BBC Report: Jailed rights activist wins award http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7361046.stmIn Solidarity, AID's Free Binayak Sen Campaign Team Jailed Indian Doctor Wins 2008 Jonathan Mann Award http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/9833 April 21, 2008 [image: Dr. Binayak Sen, with boy]The Global Health Council announced April 21 that the winner of the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights is Dr. Binayak Sen of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Sen, who helped establish a hospital serving poor mine workers in the region, founded a health and human rights organization that supports community health workers in 20 villages, and is an officer of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has been imprisoned in Raipur for nearly a year without trial as a result of allegations that he violated state antiterrorism laws. Sen denies committing any crime. The Global Health Council and several prominent global health organizations have issued a statement of support for Sen, requesting that Indian authorities find the means to allow the doctor to receive his award in person on May 29 at the 35th Annual International Conference on Global Health in Washington, D.C. View full statement of support from global health organizations on behalf of Dr. Sen: - View statement of support . - View press release . - View more information about Dr. Sen's work . - View website, People's Union for Civil Liberties: http://www.pucl.org/. - View more information on the Council's global health awards . --------------------------------------------------- PR: To: NATIONAL EDITORS Contact: Laura Barnitz of Global Health Council, +1-202-833-5900, x3204. lbarnitz at globalhealth.org WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Global Health Council is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights is Dr. Binayak Sen of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Sen, a physician who helped establish a hospital serving poor mine workers in the region, is an officer of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), a leading human rights organization in India. He has been imprisoned in Raipur for nearly a year without trial as a result of allegations that he violated state antiterrorism laws. Sen denies committing any crime. The Global Health Council and several prominent global health organizations have issued a statement of support for Sen (See link below.), requesting that Indian authorities assure the restoration of due process, and find the means to allow the doctor to receive his award in person in Washington, DCon May 29th, 2008, at the 35th Annual International Conference on Global Health. This 58-year-old pediatrician was selected by an international jury of public health professionals for this prestigious award because of his years of service to poor and tribal communities in India, his effective leadership in establishing self-sustaining health care services where none existed, and his unwavering commitment to civil liberties and human rights. In addition to working with the PUCL, Sen and his wife, Dr. Ilina Sen, are the founders of Rupantar, a community-based nongovernmental organization that has trained, deployed and monitored the work of community health workers spread throughout 20 villages. Rupantars activities include initiatives to counter alcohol abuse and violence against women, and to promote food security. Dr. Sen's accomplishments speak volumes about what can be achieved in very poor areas when health practitioners are also committed community leaders, said Dr. Nils Daulaire, president of the Global Health Council. He staffed a hospital created by and funded by impoverished mine workers, and he has spent his lifetime educating people about health practices and civil liberties -- providing information that has saved lives and improved conditions for thousands of people. His good works need to be recognized as a major contribution to India and to global health; they are certainly not a threat to state security. Large areas of Chhattisgarh are embroiled in an armed conflict involving rebels, the state government and law enforcement, and armed civilian militias. Sen was detained on May 14, 2007, and accused of passing notes from a rebel leader he was treating in jail to someone outside the prison. Sen denies committing any crime and says his activities in the jail were supervised by prison authorities. Many organizations and prominent persons have protested Sens arrest and his long imprisonment without trial. He was recently released from a period of solitary confinement and has reportedly suffered health problems resulting from his nearly year-long imprisonment. The Mann Award is presented annually at the Global Health Councils international conference to a practitioner who makes significant contributions toward practical work in the field and in difficult circumstances; highlights the linkage of health with human rights; works predominantly in developing countries and with marginalized people; and demonstrates serious and long-term commitment. For the Statement of Support on Behalf of Dr. Binayak Sen issued by global health and human rights organizations, see * http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/9833*. For information about the Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights, see *http://www.globalhealth.org/conference/view_top.php3?id=746*. *The Global Health Council is the worlds largest membership alliance dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world. The Council serves and represents public health organizations and professionals working in more than 140 countries on six continents. *www.globalhealth.org Laura Barnitz, Global Health Council 202.833.5900, x3204 or lbarnitz at globalhealth.org http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080421/pl_usnw/jailed_indian_pediatrician_wins2008_jonathan_mann_award_for_global_health_and_human_rights ------------------------------ From rashneek at gmail.com Thu Apr 24 09:54:36 2008 From: rashneek at gmail.com (rashneek kher) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:54:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Finally an unbaised report on exodus of Pandits Message-ID: <13df7c120804232124u247b88b9te9f15dc9f4f13809@mail.gmail.com> Findings of a five year survey by a Rekha Chowdary dispels myths created by separatists... The report highlights how displacement and uncertainty about the future has generated a new mindset among pandits. *Many pandits have begun redefining their history as that of an "oppressed" community. This present exodus is not an isolated phenomenon but a continuous process which has been taking place over the centuries, they now claim. *Militancy has also brought about a change in inter-community relations. Pandits now view Kashmiri Muslims with greater suspicion. They are also sceptical about the increasing role of religion in politics and the increasing space being given to fundamentalist forces in the Valley. read the complete report here http://kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/2008/04/kashmiri-pandits-blame-govt-for-exodus.html Best Regards -- Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com From bordaeok at yahoo.co.in Tue Apr 22 18:53:16 2008 From: bordaeok at yahoo.co.in (Anandamoy Banerji) Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:53:16 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Fw: Ananda Moy Banerji , Exhibition invitation Message-ID: <957387.42392.qm@web94603.mail.in2.yahoo.com> _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Wed Apr 23 14:58:25 2008 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (Cinematheque) Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:28:25 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Slowtime=3F_-_Qu?= =?iso-8859-1?q?icktime_as_an_artistic_medium?= Message-ID: <20080423112826.7DEADF31.1A3C23FA@192.168.0.3> Cinematheque - streaming media environments http://cinema.nmartproject.net completed recently the 6 months lasting program on Cinema_C, entitled: Slowtime? - Quicktime as an artistic medium presenting from November 2007 until April 2008 each month a new program featuring another 13 artists' Quicktimes. The complete online program including 76 Quicktime videos offers the visitor a variety of aspects how Quicktime is used by artists as a streaming medium. Cinema_C can be entered here ---> http://cinema.nmartproject.net/blog/?page_id=14 ------------------------------------------------- Cinematheque is corporate part of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne - www.nmartproject.net - Cinema_C and its Quicktime program were realized in the framework of NewMediaFest2007 - http://2007.newmediafest.org ------------------------------------------------- Released by netEX - networked experience http://netex.nmartproject.net . info (at) nmartproject.net _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From kj.impulse at gmail.com Thu Apr 24 11:04:24 2008 From: kj.impulse at gmail.com (Kavita Joshi) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:04:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [DFA NewsLetter] Invitation: Persistence Resistance Film Festival, Delhi Message-ID: <821019d70804232234r1092221cp8eca0259ff539918@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Posted by: "Magic Lantern Foundation" Dear friends, We write to invite you to "Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary political films"; that will screen over 100 films from 28th to 30th April, at IIC, Delhi. The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the emerging aesthetics of political filmmaking. The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries in an attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the present day scenario of neo-liberal globalisation. Simultaneously the festival will present films in multiple ways of seeing, interacting and engaging by creating installations, outdoor screenings and small intimate screening spaces along with regular auditorium screenings. Additionally, over three evenings we explore the linkages between art, literature, theatre, comics, animation, censorship with films. The full schedule can be downloaded / viewed here http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org/PersistenceFest/PR_Mainpage.html Please note that entry is free, and open to all. With best wishes, Gargi Sen Ranjan De Priyanka Mukherjee - --------- Magic Lantern Foundation W: http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please DO NOT REPLY to the sender. To contact the MODERATOR: delhifilmarchive [at] gmail.com To UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email to delhifilmarchive-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com More OPTIONS are on the web: http://groups.google.com/group/delhifilmarchive Our WEBSITE: www.delhifilmarchive.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Thu Apr 24 17:43:58 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:13:58 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Are You An EU "Troublemaker"? Message-ID: Proposal to create EU-wide "troublemakers" database http://www.statewatch.org/news/2008/apr/04eu-troublemakers.htm - to "prevent individuals or groups who are considered to pose a potential threat to the maintenance of public law and order and/or security from travelling to the location of the event" - and to put in place: "The necessary arrangements for a quick and efficient implementation of the potential expulsion measures" - EU Security Handbook: "The scope of the manual is now such that it applies to the security (both from a public order point of view as well as counter-terrorism) of all major international events, be it political, sporting, social, cultural or other."At the Article 36 Committee meeting (high-level EU interior ministry officials) on 22-23 October 2007 a proposal from the German government was on the agenda concerning the options for "sharing information on violent troublemakers at large events" (EU doc no: 15079/07). It was agreed that the Council's (the governments) working party on the SIS/SIRENE (Schengen Information System) should examine the possibility of "using the SIS for this exchange of information". On 4 December 2007 under the heading: "Troublemakers" at the SIS/SIRENE Working Party: "The Presidency explained that at its meeting on 22 and 23 October 2007, CATS had instructed the SIS/SIRENE group to examine the possibility of using SIS for the exchange of information on troublemakers. COM argued that although the alerts pursuant to Article 99 were not designed to this end, this kind of alerts could prove helpful in locating troublemakers. However, some delegations argued that this type of alerts neither met the legal (Art. 99 regards extremely serious criminal offences or serious threats) nor the operational needs (there was no possibility of arresting persons) referred to by CATS. Since this question had already been discussed some years previously in this forum, the Council Secretariat was asked to retrieve any documents issued between 2000 and 2003 on this subject." (EU doc no: 16585/07) Article 99 (for the SIS) concerns the surveillance of people suspected of extremely serious criminal offences. See: Schengen Information System Article 99 report On 14 March 2008 the Council Presidency circulated a paper to the SIS/SIRENE Working Party on the Subject of: "Troublemakers" (EU doc 7544/08) The paper refers to the Conclusions of the special Justice and Home Affairs Council on 13 July 2001 (EU doc no: 10916/01) following the Gothenburg protests on 14-16 June 2001) and to Conclusions on the development of SIS II (EU doc no: EU doc 9808/03) where "a certain interest exists" in a new category in the SIS on "violent troublemakers". These Conclusions also referred to the need for a "feasibility study" (which has not been done) and for Council working parties to discuss the issue and bring foward proposals "when they find sufficient support". The only indirectly related development was the Council Resolution on security at European Council meetings and other comparable events on 3 November 2003, See: EU doc no: 13815/03 In effect four and a half years past before "troublemakers" were put back on the agenda again by the German government in October 2007 in the wake of the Heiligendamm G8 Summit (see below). The Council Presidency paper says that the SIS/SIRENE Working Party discussed the issue on 29 January 2008 (though no "Outcomes"/Minutes of this meeting have yet been produced) and: "several delegations reflected the idea that the persons enviaged could be inserted under Article 99. Other delegations raised doubts about the usefulness of Article 99 alerts for violent troublemakers since arrest cannot be carried out under this Article." The Presidency paper says that data would concern: "persons to be barred from certain events, such as European summits or similar venues, international sports or cultural events or other mass gatherings because they are a threat to public order and public security at such events." But: "This proposal begs questions as the right of free movement, other civil liberties and data protection, as these persons should therefore not be permanently visible or included in the SIS, requiring a very careful management of such alerts." On 18 March 2008 at the SIS/SIRENE Working Party, under the heading: Troublemakers the above document was discussed and: "After some discussion, it was concluded that before undertaking any feasibility study as referred to in the Annex to the Council Conclusions on SIS II (7178/4/03 REV 4 SIRIS 28 CATS 16 ASIM 16 COMIX 141, point II.2, page 6) on the possible creation of a new type of SIS-alert, attention should be given to the definition of ?troublemakers? and the exact goals. To that end, the Presidency of the SIS/SIRENE WP would establish contacts with the Presidency of the WP on Police Cooperation." From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Thu Apr 24 17:45:56 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:15:56 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Rahul Gandhi Equality Forum (RGEF) In-Reply-To: References: <920872.73071.qm@web94015.mail.in2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: HI, EQUALITY ANDRrAHUL, WHAT AN IRONY OF THE NAME AND OBJECTIVE ? RAHUL, PAMPERED AND LOST, WHO DOES NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND AND PERCIEVE THE BASICS OF EQUALITY USING THE z CATEGORY SECURITY WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE EVEN TO MPS, and sycophancy at its height want equality in this persons name and forum, my sincere suggestion is use the name of Thiruvalluvar, who with his wise words inspires every one to be humane, not vote banks. ! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: mahmood farooqui Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 5:43 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Rahul Gandhi Equality Forum (RGEF) To: sarai list > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Jayaseelan Murugan > Date: 2008/4/23 > Subject: Rahul Gandhi Equality Forum (RGEF) > To: dn234 at cam.ac.uk, srinath.raghavan at gmail.com, > kkunhikrishnan at gmail.com,cudayb at gmail.com, chitta at gmail.com, > amritareach at gmail.com,chandrachoodan at gmail.com, > upendrankye at gmail.com, rkbhonsle at gmail.com, > rdhavan at gmail.com, anilmalhotra1960 at gmail.com, rekchowdhary at gmail.com, > nandanunni at gmail.com, saionton at gmail.com, i4u24hrs at gmail.com, > darshan207 at gmail.com, sumitra100 at gmail.com, erudelhi at gmail.com, > piyusroy at gmail.com, subachandran at gmail.com, mehreen.tft at gmail.com, > sudheenkulkarni at gmail.com, nilakar at gmail.com, akvenkat at gmail.com, > mahesh.uppal at gmail.com, imman.kumar at gmail.com, > office.bjpanda at gmail.com,sanjoyha at gmail.com, kazmisma at gmail.com, > sanjoy.majumder at bbc.co.uk,kavitakhanna108 at gmail.com, > dastkarihaat at gmail.com,deepakkumar.mallick at gmail.com, > aravinthabros at gmail.com, ilapatnaik at gmail.com, > umashashikant at gmail.com, parthobhowmick at gmail.com, jpgandhi at gmail.com, > jmurali at gmail.com, mriduladitya at gmail.com, sathiyam54 at gmail.com, > reshmiguhabose at gmail.com, shreya.doctor at gmail.com, > gitamathai at yahoo.com,pmahakul at gmail.com, > editor.epilogue at gmail.com, mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com, > ssynghal at gmail.com, prabhuvaa at gmail.com, devdutt.pattanaik at gmail.com, > sureshl.india at gmail.com, sibasankar at gmail.com > > > Respected Reader, > Mr. Rahul Gandhi declared, "I am blind to religion and I am blind > to caste!" > After reading his noble statement of EQUALITY, > RAHUL GANDHI EQUALITY FORUM (RGEF) > In Tamil: Rahul Gandhi Samaththuva Manram > was started setting *2* realistic objectives for you, if you are also > interested in EQUALITY: (1) sharing with others some learning and some > wisdom, employing gentle sessions of a good sense of humour, > songs, songs > with dances, dramas and orations, with the only aim: to spread the > vitalmessage containing the educational need for the social spirit > of EQUALITY in > our hearts and minds to urgently usher in a fresh and new era of > EQUALITYand > (2) cooperating with willing individuals with the objective of > furtherenhancing the political strength of Mr. Rahul Gandhi, a > compassionate human > being, who works politically for EQUALITY. > > Some hints: > YOUR GOOD HEART + GOOD BRAIN = GOOD FORUM. > ECOLOGICAL BALANCE + BIOLOGICAL JUSTICE = NOBLE LIFE. > WOMAN = MAN. MAN = WOMAN. > EDUCATE AND LEGISLATE. > > The other names of RGEF are > Movement Protecting Goodness (MPG), > Movement for the Rights of the Poor (MRP), > MOVEMENT FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WORLD and > SONIA GANDHI PEACE BRIGADE. > > If you have the inclination to allow me to cooperate with you, > kindly call > (0)9444673161 or e-mail mpgmrp at yahoo.co.in and please tell me, > your chosen > way of nation-building under the banner of RGEF. If possible, > kindly meet me > in person also. Please find me standing in the corridor of Kamaraj > BhavanSecond Floor at the Congress Grounds in Teynampet in Chennai > between 4 pm > and 5 pm on any Saturday! > > Thanking you, > I remain, > Sincerely yours in Goodness, > Murugan Jayaseelan. > > > - ------------------------------ > Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Here is the > solution. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From abhijit8086 at yahoo.com Thu Apr 24 18:11:42 2008 From: abhijit8086 at yahoo.com (Abhijit) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:41:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] The painter in Taare Zameen Par Message-ID: <188523.58767.qm@web36903.mail.mud.yahoo.com> There was this beautiful painting shown in the film Taare Zameen Par, towards the end. It was a landscape painting in fantastic bold colours. Blues, maroons, deep bold long strokes, as much as I can remember. It was wonderful and it was only shown as a glimpse. I wish it was allowed to fill the whole screen for a few seconds for us to savour that majestic imagery. It was an important object the film was about. The child's talents as an artist and they had chosen a trully apt painting too. Ever since I have been curious about this painting and where I can see it again. I was also curious about who was the painter and where can one see more of his paintings. Sadly, the Taare Zameen Par website doesnt showcase either the painting or the name of the painter. The Wikipedia entry on the film too makes no reference to it, not even in the trivia. And no film reviewer or critic talks about it. At last I came across this page http://manyavatars.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/01/08/The-real-star-of-Taare-Zameen-Par.html which mentions a painter by the name Samir Mondal. By googling his name - I found more about him. Thought I will share. http://www.google.co.in/search?q=%22Samir+Mondal%22&btnG=Search&hl=en So, was he the painter of that landscape painting ? Regards, Abhijit --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Thu Apr 24 23:24:56 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:54:56 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] British Citizen Beaten For Hours at ZIA Airport Message-ID: This is what army rule looks like. Welcome to the terrordome... Rizwan Hossain Beaten Mercilessly at ZIA Airpprt http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2008/04/21/justice-for-rizwan-hossain/ Rizwan Hossain is a well known tv host among the Londoni Bangladeshis for his work for Islamic charities. The statement below speaks for itself and tells a story of despicable brutality unleashed upon him by 5 air force officers at ZIA International Airport. An ISPR release said today that an investigative commission has been formed. The chance of anything happening is slightly brightened because of the fact that Rizwan is a British citizen. As with other similar cases, this news was completely blacked out in Bangladeshi media. From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 10:20:17 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:20:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] WWII Message-ID: History belongs to the victor...until someone starts digging... >From a review in the Spectator. I¹d like to get hold of this book. ---------------------- Were we any better than the Nazis? Sam Leith Wednesday, 23rd April 2008 Sam Leith on Nicholson Baker's new account of World War 2 In July 1940, Hitler issued what Nicholson Baker calls Œa final appeal to reason¹. ŒThe continuation of this war,¹ he said in a speech, Œwill only end with the complete destruction of one of the two warring parties . . . I see no reason that should compel us to continue this war.¹ ŒIt¹s too tantalising, since there¹s no shadow of a doubt we will reject any such suggestion,¹ Frances Partridge wrote in her diary afterwards, adding the savagely deflating rider: ŒNow I suppose Churchill will again tell the world that we are going to die on the hills and on the seas, and then we shall proceed to do so.¹ If this fascinating and upsetting book is the story of anything, it is above all the story of Winston Churchill telling the world that we are going to die on the hills and on the seas, and of people then doing so ‹ and dying, too, in the forests and in the valleys, the ghettos and in the cities, in the air and in tunnels under the ground. Human Smoke is not a conventional history. Rather, it is, as Simon Winchester describes it, Œa meticulously curated catalogue of text¹. Relying principally on primary sources ‹ diaries, public speeches and documents, and newspaper reports ‹ Baker has assembled a series of prose snapshots in chronological order. The first is from 1892, but the bulk deal with the beginning of the second world war, up to the end of 1941. ŒWas it a ³good war²? Did waging it help anyone who needed help?¹ Baker asks in his afterword. ŒThose were the basic questions that I hoped to answer when I began writing.¹ Many of this book¹s readers will suspect that its author had a pretty good idea what answer he expected when first he sat down. Baker ostentatiously smothers his usual sharp and puckish style in favour of neutral-sounding reportage: ŒWinston Churchill published a newspaper article. It was 8 February, 1920.¹ But this book could scarcely be an angrier or more polemical argument for pacifism. It achieves its effects pointillistically. The editorialising is there in the selection and juxtaposition of facts, quotes and stories rather than in the author¹s voice. Since Winston Churchill is still widely regarded as the man without whose doughty stand against Nazi Evil we would all be speaking German, he is Baker¹s biggest target. And, boy, does he go to town. The Churchill presented here is infantile, capricious, egomaniacal and sybaritic ‹ a ruthless militarist excited by war, careless of the lives of his own and enemy civilians alike, and intoxicated by his own rhetoric. ŒHis real tyrant is the glittering phrase,¹ the Australian Prime Minister noted, Œso attractive to his mind that awkward facts may have to give way.¹ After the declaration of war in 1939, Churchill enthused disgustingly: ŒThe glory of Old England . . . instant and fearless at the call of honour, thrilled my being.¹ Baker quotes Gandhi¹s view that Churchillism and Hitlerism differ in degree more than they differ in kind. The standard squawk of protest will be that Baker is indulging the unforgivable sin of Œmoral equivalence¹. I don¹t think he is ‹ though he wades in exceptionally deep waters. He is indulging, we can say, in Œmoral comparison¹. He is interested above all in trying to find a way to step to one side of the endless rhetorical circles by which ends justify means, and the means of the other side justify making your means your ends. He is interested in the self-affirming pathology of violence, and in the ways that a war, waged by all means deemed necessary by its leaders, became on both sides a racist war of extermination. Beyond any doubt, there were crazed symmetries, because both sides believed that the answer to violence was more violence. Canting references to Œpeace-loving¹ nations driven to take up arms by intolerable aggression were belied by the bloodthirsty reality. ŒPeace offensive¹ is a term used with great pungency here; as is talk of the Œmoral effect¹ on civilians of indiscriminate bombing. The one common enemy Churchill and Hitler had were people who didn¹t want to kill at all. Pacifists and humanitarians were regarded on both sides as a pernicious threat ‹ to be suppressed in print and interned in person. The two chief evils Human Smoke addresses in most detail are both things that the Allies took the lead on: bombardment and blockade. Both were methods of war aimed at civilians. Both caused incredible suffering. Both were sold on a series of lies. Both did not work. The response in both cases was to step them up. As refugees and civilian populations in Belgium, Poland, Norway and Holland faced starvation, Churchill refused to let food relief through the blockade. He told Parliament that fats would be used by the enemy to make bombs, potatoes used to make fuel, and that ‹ less plausibly ‹ Œthe plastic materials now so largely used in the construction of aircraft are made of milk¹. In October 1941, Herbert Hoover asked: Is the Allied cause any further advanced today because of this starvation of children? Are Hitler¹s armies any less victorious than if those children had been saved? Are Britain¹s children better fed today because these millions of former allied children have been hungry or died? Can you point to one benefit that has been gained from this holocaust? The record of the bombing was similar. In 1941 it was estimated that only one in five British bombers placed its payload Œwithin 75 square miles of its assigned target¹. ŒNot more than one per cent¹ of bombs hit their military targets ‹ so targets were selected in order that the bombs that missed would hit civilians rather than be Œwasted¹. And what were the results? By May 1941, there had been Œno collapse of civilian morale, no revolutionary unrest, no industrial taproot cut¹. What was needed? Why, more and bigger bombs, more dead civilians. Was it a war fought to prevent the persecution of Jews? It was not. Jewish refugees were not welcomed in any great numbers anywhere, and when war started, the vast majority of those summarily interned were just those refugees. British propagandists, where they were to show images of suffering, were instructed to concentrate on Œindisputably innocent people . . . not with violent political opponents. And not with the Jews.¹ As things got worse for Germany, they got exponentially worse for its Jewish population. Rations in the ghettos plummeted, furs were expropriated in the dead of winter and Jewish families evicted from their homes to make way for Aryans dispossessed by the bombing. This book asks huge questions, and hints at answers. Did Roosevelt actively court the attack on Pearl Harbor to bring America into the war? Did Churchill have a hand in the fact that nobody in Coventry was warned about the devastating imminent bombardment? The one it moves tentatively towards is: did the second world war accelerate or even bring about the Final Solution? These are serious questions ‹ but by not engaging with secondary sources, and not offering a narrative line or a direct argument about causation or motive, Baker sidesteps a degree of responsibility. He meticulously cites his sources, but does rather less by way of testing them. And by arranging the dots so that the reader irresistibly joins them up ‹ there are many deft touches of tendentious colour ‹ the author is able to have his cake and eat it. It makes this reader, at least, uneasy. Narrative history, arguably, imposes an artificial order on a sequence of chaotic and irrational events. Baker¹s method, therefore, can be seen enshrining in its formal structure a deliberate challenge to the idea that the history of the second world war made any sense. But it also runs the risk of inviting the reader to impose an occult order: it is, to follow the analogy of painting, a form of historical impressionism. Narrative history makes its judgments explicit, and thereby leaves them open to challenge. Baker offers unanswerable evidence, though, that the prosecution of the war by the Allies was in many details as bestial as that by the Nazis, and sometimes a good deal worse. We are invited to shake our heads at the idiotic rhetoric, the exterminatory hatred, the savage and callous tit-for-tat, the determination at every turn to escalate on the logic that if violence wasn¹t working you simply needed more of it and nastier. But by stopping in 1941, Baker avoids arguing about what did bring the war to an end. And what would have happened if the war had not been fought at all? Could it have been any worse? Would an even greater holocaust have taken place ‹ albeit at a more leisurely pace? Or would nonviolence, widely and determinedly practised, have prevailed? Baker does not pretend to know. Nor can we. But his book makes a strong case, and makes it originally and with astonishing attack and verve, that history having given the fight-fire-with-fire mob their chance, we should just for once try fighting fire with water. ŒOur way of passive resistance has never yet been tried out,¹ said the Labour MP George Lansbury in 1939, Œbut war has been tried through all the centuries and has absolutely failed.¹ Right on. From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 13:43:52 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:43:52 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Human Smoke review II Message-ID: Don¹t believe everything you read. This is what I tell myself everyday and yet... A friend directed me to this review that has quite solidly trashed the first one I posted! John Lukacs on Nicholson Baker¹s ŒHuman Smoke¹ http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20080418_john_lukacs_on_nicholson_ bakers_human_smoke/ Posted on Apr 18, 2008 By John Lukacs This book is bad. To review a bad book is more difficult‹more precisely: more wearisome‹than to review a good book. A bad book is bad for many more reasons‹more precisely: in many more instances and ways‹than how and why another book is good. There is a deeper reason for this difficulty. This is that in our perception of every human act the why? is already implicit in the how? Our dislike of any expression by a human being, including a book, instantly rises out of the why. Why did this person do, or write, or say this? Yet this normal reaction must be controlled, or tempered, by Samuel Johnson¹s plain and wise and classic admonition: ³Intentions must be gathered from acts.² So, in this case of Nicholson Baker¹s ³Human Smoke,² I must try my best to separate my discussion of the how from the why. That is: the written evidence from an imputation of its author¹s motives. ³Human Smoke² pretends to be a history of the origins of the Second World War. To begin with, its time frame and, consequently, its proportions are senseless. Its first item, on its first page, relates something from August 1892. There follow three pages, Baker-lite items, about the First World War; then 27 pages until Hitler¹s assumption of power; then another 99 pages, 1933 to September 1939, about the origins of the Second World War‹which is Baker¹s main subject. So he declared in the subtitle of his book: ³The Beginning of World War II, the End of Civilization.² Yet after ³the End of Civilization² come 336 pages about the history of the war, ending with the curious date of Dec. 31, 1941, more than three weeks after Pearl Harbor. How (and why) was Dec. 31, 1941, the End of Civilization? And now to the main how question. What do all of these pages contain? Most of them are clippings from newspapers. I quote Baker from his afterword: ³The New York Times is probably the single richest resource for the history and prehistory of the war years. ...² George Orwell once wrote that nothing is very accurately printed in a newspaper: a reasonable maxim by a deeply honest Englishman. What would Orwell think of Nicholson Baker? Baker¹s villains are Hitler, and Churchill, and Roosevelt. Orwell admired Churchill. Really, there is no arguable equivalence here. Some of Baker¹s newspaper clippings are interspersed with clippings from published books. They are sequential in time, but many of them make little sense. Some of them, and Baker¹s presentations of many of them, are full of inaccuracies and errors. To list them would fill something like a 10,000-word review. Yes, it is more difficult to review a bad book than a good one. Besides‹or not so besides‹many of these items are badly written. In many instances Baker presents them with his comments, and then ends them with a repeated thumping of a muffled gong: ³It was June 17, 1940²; or ³It was January 2, 1941.² Sometimes his very dates are wrong. Worse than that: Perhaps one way to review this book is to write a parody of Baker¹s method and style. Here is one‹very random‹sample: On Page 334, Nicholson Baker writes: ³The United States sent its first Lend-Lease boatload of food to England. Lord Woolton, minister of food, was waiting for it on the dock. ŒCheese!¹ he said. He ate some Wisconsin cheddar from an opened crate. ŒAnd very good cheese, too,¹ he added. ³There were four million eggs on the boat, as well, and nine thousand tons of flour. It was May 31, 1941.² John Lukacs writes: ³Nicholson Baker¹s book was published by Simon & Schuster. The New York Times printed a long interview with this celebrated writer, written by Charles McGrath, who visited him in his home. Nicholson Baker ate a grilled cheese sandwich. It was February 29, 2008.² On Page 35 there is a snippet of an American¹s interview with Ernst Hanfstaengl, then Hitler¹s social secretary, on April 1, 1933: ³Hanfstaengel [his name is misspelled] sipped his wine. He was an ardent booster for Aryanism, but he was a dark-haired man, not particularly Nordic-looking‹except that, as he had been heard to say, his underarm hair was blond.² Whence ³The Beginnings of World War II, and the End of Civilization²? I have just finished writing a small book about one of Churchill¹s speeches (on May 13, 1940, his ³Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat² speech) and about its then reception. There are six and a half lines about that speech in Baker¹s book, with three major mistakes about its reception. In his afterword, on Page 474: ³The title [of this book] comes from Franz Halder, one of Hitler¹s restive but compliant generals. General Halder told an interrogator that when he was imprisoned in Auschwitz late in the war, he saw flakes of smoke blow into his cell. Human smoke, he called it.² Halder was never in Auschwitz, imprisoned or not. But, now, about the why. Why did Baker write this badly jumbled, half-baked book? Now I must say something in his favor. He is a pacifist. But pacifist, too, is an often inaccurate word. He writes, and thinks, that the Second World War was not A Good War, that it was a disaster, that indeed it was the End of Civilization. I have often quoted the old Irish biddy whom her neighbors had asked if the gossip about the young widow at the end of the street was true. And she said: ³It is not true; but it is true enough.² I have also said that historians ought to face the opposite problem: that this or that may be true; but also not true enough. That war is awful is true. It is also true that Churchill and Roosevelt wanted‹more: they chose‹war to destroy Hitler. Especially Churchill thought that Hitler¹s winning the war‹more precisely: his ruling all of Europe‹would mean something like the end of Western civilization. He was not very wrong. It is true that Hitler did not want to conquer the British Empire. It is true that he did not want‹he couldn¹t‹to invade the United States and the Western Hemisphere. What he wanted (and he said this often) was for Britain and the United States to accept his domination of Europe, including his conquest of most of Central and Eastern Europe. But what did that mean? After conquering Poland, he would have gone into Soviet Russia, defeated it, establishing German, and National Socialist, rule over most of Eurasia. And what would have happened then? Not only to the strategic interests but to the British and American peoples¹ state of mind? It is true that in 1940 Churchill chose to fight Hitler¹s Germany with every possible means at his disposal (and those few and ineffective bombing raids were the only means at his disposal then). It is also true that Roosevelt wanted to get into the war against Hitler‹if necessary, through the back door of inducing Japan to attack America. But, beneath and beyond all of this: Hitler had to be resisted. Resistance, truly, is a conservative word. It also means: if necessary, fighting. A fair amount of Baker¹s snippets deal with the Germans¹ humiliation and persecution and eventual murdering of Jews. I do not for a moment think‹this belongs to the why question‹that Baker did this to cover himself. His concern with what happened to the Jews of Europe seems authentic and honest. Now: It is true that Jews hoped for Churchill and Roosevelt to go to war against Hitler. But in 1939 and 1940, Churchill and Roosevelt decided to fight Hitler not because of the Jews. It is true that until about August-September 1941, the policy of the Germans was to force the Jews to emigrate: It was expulsion, not yet mass extermination. But thereafter this was no longer possible. It is also true that this final decision to proceed to extermination occurred only after‹and, in some ways, perhaps even because of‹the full coming of the war between the United States and Germany. But Baker never asks the questions: How much have Jews contributed to the British and American decision to war against Germany? And: Had Churchill and Roosevelt not gone to war, what would have happened to the millions of European and Russian Jews? The Jews did not cause the war; and the war did not go on because of the Jews. True, millions of Jews perished because of the war; but it was a war Hitler started, wishing that he would not have to fight Britain and the United States. He did and he lost. And Western civilization survived‹even with a portion of Europe falling under Soviet domination for a while. Millions died in the war; other millions survived. What now matters, in the long run, is what we know of that war. We live forward; but we can only think backward, Kierkegaard once said. Knowledge, all knowledge, depends on memory; and history is the memory of mankind. All kinds of comfortable, and uncomfortable, truths‹and half-truths‹are latent within history, potential arguments for all kind of purposes; but they are seldom enough. What happened and what could have happened are not separable in our memories, in our minds. And why and how are not separable either. John Lukacs is the author of more than 20 books on topics in European history, including ³Five Days in London: May 1940,² ³The Hitler of History,² and ³The Last European War.² Currently professor of history emeritus at Chestnut Hill College, he has also taught at Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Budapest. His new book, ³Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Dire Warning‹Churchill¹s First Speech as Prime Minister,² will be published by Basic Books in May. From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Fri Apr 25 16:04:12 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:34:12 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Human Smoke review II In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi, Behen Sonia, the review posted by you, authored byJohn Lukacs has a ring of sublime truth in the words. War of any kind is disaster for mankind, with death and injuries ruling the roost. Here the words of Dr. Sarvepally Radhakrishnan, in his book, is reverberating in the minds,with gist of the words, as man has learned to fly like a bird, live in water like fish, but yet to learn to live as a human." The human nature with good and bad co-existing, when taken over by bad, reduces the humans into brutes seeking to dominate the others in the society.! Even in democratic rule of law, it is often seen the brute side of humans duly elected with brutal strength of muscle and money power, thus the elected choosing to be brutal and dominating the society and its citizens. ! The clash of good vs. bad can be a moral and ethical non-violent war of the kind of sathyagriha ( where the sathyagrihis only suffer the agony and pain ) or many times the war can become a kind of hidden war, target being humans of different faiths as now we see where the bomb blasts take place, (but unfortunately in these hidden warriors acts of terror) bomb does not distinguish the humans on the faith of the humans while delivering death and injuries. ! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: "S. Jabbar" Date: Friday, April 25, 2008 1:44 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Human Smoke review II To: sarai list > Don¹t believe everything you read. > This is what I tell myself everyday and yet... A friend directed > me to this > review that has quite solidly trashed the first one I posted! > > John Lukacs on Nicholson Baker¹s ŒHuman Smoke¹ > http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/20080418_john_lukacs_on_nicholson_ > bakers_human_smoke/ > Posted on Apr 18, 2008 > > By John Lukacs > > This book is bad. To review a bad book is more difficult‹more > precisely:more wearisome‹than to review a good book. A bad book is > bad for many more > reasons‹more precisely: in many more instances and ways‹than how > and why > another book is good. There is a deeper reason for this > difficulty. This is > that in our perception of every human act the why? is already > implicit in > the how? Our dislike of any expression by a human being, including > a book, > instantly rises out of the why. Why did this person do, or write, > or say > this? Yet this normal reaction must be controlled, or tempered, by > SamuelJohnson¹s plain and wise and classic admonition: ³Intentions > must be > gathered from acts.² > > So, in this case of Nicholson Baker¹s ³Human Smoke,² I must try my > best to > separate my discussion of the how from the why. That is: the written > evidence from an imputation of its author¹s motives. > > > ³Human Smoke² pretends to be a history of the origins of the > Second World > War. To begin with, its time frame and, consequently, its > proportions are > senseless. Its first item, on its first page, relates something > from August > 1892. There follow three pages, Baker-lite items, about the First > World War; > then 27 pages until Hitler¹s assumption of power; then another 99 > pages,1933 to September 1939, about the origins of the Second > World War‹which is > Baker¹s main subject. So he declared in the subtitle of his book: ³The > Beginning of World War II, the End of Civilization.² Yet after > ³the End of > Civilization² come 336 pages about the history of the war, ending > with the > curious date of Dec. 31, 1941, more than three weeks after Pearl > Harbor. How > (and why) was Dec. 31, 1941, the End of Civilization? > > And now to the main how question. What do all of these pages > contain? Most > of them are clippings from newspapers. I quote Baker from his > afterword:³The New York Times is probably the single richest > resource for the history > and prehistory of the war years. ...² George Orwell once wrote > that nothing > is very accurately printed in a newspaper: a reasonable maxim by a > deeplyhonest Englishman. What would Orwell think of Nicholson > Baker? Baker¹s > villains are Hitler, and Churchill, and Roosevelt. Orwell admired > Churchill.Really, there is no arguable equivalence here. > > Some of Baker¹s newspaper clippings are interspersed with > clippings from > published books. They are sequential in time, but many of them > make little > sense. Some of them, and Baker¹s presentations of many of them, > are full of > inaccuracies and errors. To list them would fill something like a > 10,000-word review. Yes, it is more difficult to review a bad book > than a > good one. Besides‹or not so besides‹many of these items are badly > written.In many instances Baker presents them with his comments, > and then ends them > with a repeated thumping of a muffled gong: ³It was June 17, > 1940²; or ³It > was January 2, 1941.² Sometimes his very dates are wrong. Worse > than that: > Perhaps one way to review this book is to write a parody of > Baker¹s method > and style. Here is one‹very random‹sample: > > On Page 334, Nicholson Baker writes: ³The United States sent its first > Lend-Lease boatload of food to England. Lord Woolton, minister of > food, was > waiting for it on the dock. ŒCheese!¹ he said. He ate some > Wisconsin cheddar > from an opened crate. ŒAnd very good cheese, too,¹ he added. > > ³There were four million eggs on the boat, as well, and nine > thousand tons > of flour. It was May 31, 1941.² > > John Lukacs writes: > > ³Nicholson Baker¹s book was published by Simon & Schuster. The New > YorkTimes printed a long interview with this celebrated writer, > written by > Charles McGrath, who visited him in his home. Nicholson Baker ate > a grilled > cheese sandwich. It was February 29, 2008.² > > On Page 35 there is a snippet of an American¹s interview with > Ernst Hanfstaengl, then Hitler¹s social secretary, on April 1, 1933: > ³Hanfstaengel[his name is misspelled] sipped his wine. He was an > ardentbooster for Aryanism, but he was a dark-haired man, not > particularlyNordic-looking‹except that, as he had been heard to > say, his underarm hair > was blond.² Whence ³The Beginnings of World War II, and the End of > Civilization²? > > I have just finished writing a small book about one of Churchill¹s > speeches(on May 13, 1940, his ³Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat² > speech) and about its > then reception. There are six and a half lines about that speech > in Baker¹s > book, with three major mistakes about its reception. > > In his afterword, on Page 474: ³The title [of this book] comes from > Franz Halder, one of Hitler¹s restive but compliant generals. > General Halder > told an interrogator that when he was imprisoned in Auschwitz late > in the > war, he saw flakes of smoke blow into his cell. Human smoke, he > called it.² > Halder was never in Auschwitz, imprisoned or not. > > But, now, about the why. Why did Baker write this badly jumbled, > half-baked > book? Now I must say something in his favor. He is a pacifist. But > pacifist,too, is an often inaccurate word. He writes, and thinks, > that the Second > World War was not A Good War, that it was a disaster, that indeed > it was the > End of Civilization. > > I have often quoted the old Irish biddy whom her neighbors had > asked if the > gossip about the young widow at the end of the street was true. > And she > said: ³It is not true; but it is true enough.² I have also said that > historians ought to face the opposite problem: that this or that > may be > true; but also not true enough. > > That war is awful is true. It is also true that Churchill and > Rooseveltwanted‹more: they chose‹war to destroy Hitler. Especially > Churchill thought > that Hitler¹s winning the war‹more precisely: his ruling all of > Europe‹wouldmean something like the end of Western civilization. > He was not very wrong. > > It is true that Hitler did not want to conquer the British Empire. > It is > true that he did not want‹he couldn¹t‹to invade the United States > and the > Western Hemisphere. What he wanted (and he said this often) was > for Britain > and the United States to accept his domination of Europe, > including his > conquest of most of Central and Eastern Europe. But what did that > mean?After conquering Poland, he would have gone into Soviet > Russia, defeated it, > establishing German, and National Socialist, rule over most of > Eurasia. And > what would have happened then? Not only to the strategic interests > but to > the British and American peoples¹ state of mind? > > It is true that in 1940 Churchill chose to fight Hitler¹s Germany > with every > possible means at his disposal (and those few and ineffective > bombing raids > were the only means at his disposal then). It is also true that > Rooseveltwanted to get into the war against Hitler‹if necessary, > through the back > door of inducing Japan to attack America. But, beneath and beyond > all of > this: Hitler had to be resisted. Resistance, truly, is a > conservative word. > It also means: if necessary, fighting. > > A fair amount of Baker¹s snippets deal with the Germans¹ > humiliation and > persecution and eventual murdering of Jews. I do not for a moment > think‹thisbelongs to the why question‹that Baker did this to cover > himself. His > concern with what happened to the Jews of Europe seems authentic > and honest. > Now: It is true that Jews hoped for Churchill and Roosevelt to go > to war > against Hitler. But in 1939 and 1940, Churchill and Roosevelt > decided to > fight Hitler not because of the Jews. It is true that until about > August-September 1941, the policy of the Germans was to force the > Jews to > emigrate: It was expulsion, not yet mass extermination. But > thereafter this > was no longer possible. It is also true that this final decision > to proceed > to extermination occurred only after‹and, in some ways, perhaps > even because > of‹the full coming of the war between the United States and > Germany. But > Baker never asks the questions: How much have Jews contributed to the > British and American decision to war against Germany? And: Had > Churchill and > Roosevelt not gone to war, what would have happened to the > millions of > European and Russian Jews? The Jews did not cause the war; and the > war did > not go on because of the Jews. True, millions of Jews perished > because of > the war; but it was a war Hitler started, wishing that he would > not have to > fight Britain and the United States. > > He did and he lost. And Western civilization survived‹even with a > portion of > Europe falling under Soviet domination for a while. Millions died > in the > war; other millions survived. What now matters, in the long run, > is what we > know of that war. We live forward; but we can only think backward, > Kierkegaard once said. Knowledge, all knowledge, depends on > memory; and > history is the memory of mankind. All kinds of comfortable, and > uncomfortable, truths‹and half-truths‹are latent within history, > potentialarguments for all kind of purposes; but they are seldom > enough. What > happened and what could have happened are not separable in our > memories, in > our minds. And why and how are not separable either. > > John Lukacs is the author of more than 20 books on topics in European > history, including ³Five Days in London: May 1940,² ³The Hitler of > History,²and ³The Last European War.² Currently professor of > history emeritus at > Chestnut Hill College, he has also taught at Columbia University, the > University of Pennsylvania and the University of Budapest. His new > book,³Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Dire Warning‹Churchill¹s > First Speech as > Prime Minister,² will be published by Basic Books in May. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From arshad.mcrc at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 17:56:05 2008 From: arshad.mcrc at gmail.com (arshad amanullah) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:56:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Now even Amitabh Bachchan blogs Message-ID: <2076f31d0804250526h49d01eccr96dc81e46edc83f5@mail.gmail.com> Now even Amitabh Bachchan blogs: http://blogs.bigadda.com/ From aarti.mundkur at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 18:30:06 2008 From: aarti.mundkur at gmail.com (Aarti Mundkur) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:30:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] invite to jusdicial 90's workshop Message-ID: <4811D5D6.3090202@gmail.com> Please find attached an invitation to the Judicial 90's workshop on the 10th and 11th of May 2008, organized by Alternative Law Forum and Christ College of Law, Bangalore. Apologies for cross posting. Warm regards, Aarti Mundkur for ALF __________ Alternative Law Forum 4, Ground Floor 3rd Cross Vasanthanagar Bangalore 560 052 Ph: +91 80 2235 6845/ 2237 0028 From aarti.mundkur at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 19:07:39 2008 From: aarti.mundkur at gmail.com (Aarti Mundkur) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:07:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Invite to a workshop on the Judicial 90's Message-ID: <4811DEA3.8000205@gmail.com> Dear All, Apologies. The invite and the schedule are below Warm Regards Aarti The Alternative Law Forum and Christ College of Law, Bangalore Invite you to a Workshop on *The Judicial Nineties* May 10th & 11th, 2008 at the Christ College of Law, Christ College Campus, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560029 There has been a sense that the judiciary has increasingly narrowed the field on issues of socio economic rights and distributive justice. Often, this is referred to as the Court's 'conservative turn', but there is little that is said beyond this, except to imply its direct linkage to the post-liberalization period in Indian history. One of the important tasks of the contemporary is to provide an account of this shift within a larger political economy narrative that seeks to locate the precise manners in which these changes are taking place via the emergence of a judicial sovereignty that does not merely adjudicate any longer but actively produces the context and conditions for a free-market friendly environment. Ranging from questions of rehabilitation to the violent reordering of urban space, the judiciary has played an active role in redefining ideas of access and entitlement. While the eighties were marked by the emergence of ‘social action litigation’ that sought to radically redefine ideas of entitlement and equality, by the mid-nineties, most social movements who relied on using the courts as spaces of social justice were repeatedly disappointed by the complicity of the courts with the neo liberal project. All the extremely violent developments and transitions that are taking place in this period are unfolding very much within the law, backed by new regimes of property, and often in the name of the law. Thus the violent reordering of cities in India has seen encroachers removed to restore the land to the legal owners, and water privatized after lawful agreements are entered into between the government and private parties. The Court has proactively determined socio-economic policy and in doing so has re-written the idea of the social. In older formulations like Partha Chatterjee’s idea of the political there was an acknowledgement of the porous spaces between the legal/illegal that allowed people to participate in democratic politics. This is effectively being destroyed by the judiciary and along with it the compact of political society. There is a newfound romance of the idea of the legal and with it, new forms of illegality and subjectivities that are being produced by the Court. In this space there is very little room for the kind of negotiations that characterized the ways in which large sections of the population accessed basic services. Perhaps talking of the complicity of the courts with the neo liberal project is too generous a reading, and instead we should say that the law and judiciary are the neo liberal project. If this is so then is there a need to re-evaluate the relationship between social movements and the judicial process – do we now abandon the site of legal intervention? Registration: If you are interested in attending the Workshop, please send an email to Aarti Mundkur at aarti at altlawforum.org or call her at 080-22356845 Schedule May 10, 2008 Welcome: John Thaliath, Christ College of Law 9:30 am – 9:40 am Introduction: Mayur Suresh, Alternative Law Forum 9:40 am – 10:00 am Keynote: Upendra Baxi 10:00 am – 11:00 am Tea Break (11:00 am – 11:15 am) Supreme, But not Infallible 11:15 am – 1:30 pm Speakers: Aditya Nigam, Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Sitaramam Kakarala, Usha Ramanathan Lunch (1:30 pm - 2:30 pm) Judicial Imagination and the City Beautiful 2:30 pm - 4:30pm Speakers: Nivedita Menon, Awadhendhra Sharan, Shrimoyee Ghosh Tea Break (4:30 – 4:45 pm) Law of Terror and Terror of Law 4:45 pm – 6:45 pm Speakers: Nitya Ramakrishnan, Ujjwal Kumar Singh, D. Nagasaila May 11, 2008 Keynote A.G. Noorani 9:30 am – 10:30 am Tea Break (10:45 – 11:00) Law and Labour in the Time of Global Capital 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Speakers: Mukul Sinha, NGR Prasad, Mihir Desai Lunch (1:00 pm - 2:00 pm) Contestations & Power: The Court and Social Justice 2:00 pm - 4:30pm Speakers: Shankar Gopalakrishnan, Arun Thiruvengadam, K. Balagopal Tea Break (4:30 pm – 4:45 pm) Concluding Discussion: Initiated by Prof. Upendra Baxi 4:45 pm – 5:30pm Film Screening: The Advocate, by Deepa Dhanraj 5:45 pm – 7:45 pm Dinner at Venue 8:00 pm From ramanchima at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 22:53:33 2008 From: ramanchima at gmail.com (Raman Chima) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:53:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] When the Lights Went Out - A Film Festival on Free Speech and Censorship at NLSIU Bangalore Message-ID: <2fbb8fe0804251023ydda6b87g214ff4478bb3d834@mail.gmail.com> When the Lights Went Out (May 17th and 18th, National Law School of India University, Bangalore) When the Lights Went Out is the Annual Film Festival of Law and Society Committee of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on socio-legal affairs. 2008-09 will see the first edition of this film festival with a short-film making competition on the theme, "Freedom of Speech and Censorship". This year's Competition will be called "Blank Reel". There will be a workshop involving movie screenings, talks, discussions, interactive sessions providing filmmakers, film lovers and people from civil society come together on a platform to assess the positive impact that films can have on our society. The theme this year: Freedom of Speech and Censorship Freedom of speech supposedly represents the cornerstone of modern liberal democratic political systems. However, what place does it really have in the world? Enshrined as a Fundamental Right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, freedom of speech in India in embroiled in rather curious frames of discourse more apparently concerned with its "reasonable" regulation than with its actual substantive worth. Somehow clearly surviving the transformation of the Indian State from the British Raj to our (theoretically) constitutional Republic, the regulation of how speech and expression takes place in the public sphere in India is something strangely not well understood. What value do we really place on freedom of speech and expression? Do we really believe in any intrinsic value of freedom of speech, or is it merely something that has worth with respect to the established political system? The situation is not very different in other countries. While freedom of speech and expression get curtailed on numerous occasions; often very flimsy reasons are given for such curtailment of an important right. Is there an inherent right of freedom of speech and expression and if there is then how important is this right? Is it up to governments to curtail these rights or is there something so inherently fundamental that these rights exist despite borders and difference in laws? Is the measure of a society truly related to the extent to which it is willing to tolerate even that speech which it considers offensive and disturbing? Hate speech, public order, and national security among others comprise the somewhat surprisingly nebulous categories of exceptions that appear to justify the curtailing of our right of freedom of speech and expression from interference by the State. The films and discussions that this festival will explore will look at the tensions concerning freedom of speech and expression in India and elsewhere. These issues extend to, but are not limited to exploring the tensions that have arisen concerning freedom of speech and cultural/moral policing, the pervasive reach of the State, or even the very manner in which we choose to conceive what freedom of speech means to us at a basic level. Thus we see this festival as comprising of three separate aspects all revolving around this theme: A short filmmaking competition A series of documentary screenings Interactive discussion sessions and lectures. The Film Making Competition (Blank Reel): The short-film making competition is open to all students from India and abroad enrolled either in schools or in undergraduate programs. Original entries are invited on the theme described above. The discussion of theme is not exhaustive and entrants are encouraged to come up with interesting and innovative subjects for their movies. The duration of the movies is 10 minutes or less. It can be in the form of a documentary or on a purely fictional subject. Animated entries are also allowed. Besides that entrants can also enter their films for the "Moments" award. To be eligible for this award, the duration of the movie should be two minutes or less. The film can deal with any social problem and should have a social message to deliver in the end. The entrants are encouraged to come up with original ideas and deliver these social messages through interesting visual imagery or good use of sound effects. The films in this category should be eye-catching and unique to make an impression on the minds of the viewers in such a short span of time. Note that this does not have to relate to the theme. Prizes: There will be first and second cash prize awarded for the "Blank Reel" category. The best entry in the Moments category will also be awarded a cash prize. Certificates will be given to all participants. Selected entries will be screened on both days of the event. The participants will be informed beforehand if their movies are being screened. If desired, panels may also be set up to discuss these movies. Selection Process: There will be a screening process and only short-listed entries will be screened at the festival. The crew of the selected entries will be informed as to the fact of their selection by e-mail. The short-listing will be done by a panel of judges drawn from the discipline of films and civil society. The winner of the final award would be decided after the screening has taken place for general public and the winners will be decided by a different panel; constituting of big names from the discipline of films. In case of any dispute the decision of the Law and Society Committee will be final. Screenings: The event will be held over a period of two days, 17th and 18th May. Each day will have two sessions. Each session will comprise of some movies in the competitive category, non-competitive documentaries/fictional movies relevant to the theme and a panel discussion on the movies screened and the issues therein. The event will provide entrants with a unique opportunity for showcasing their talent in front of an audience and also eminent personalities from the world of cinema. The venue for the screenings, discussions, lectures etc. is tentatively scheduled to be held at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. Submissions: All entries should be in format that allows it to be played on a DVD player. Three copies of the DVD must be sent. Entrants can send in their movies for both categories of awards but multiple entries in the same category are not allowed. The movies can be in any language. Entries in languages other than English should carry English subtitles. The entries have to be received latest by 7 p.m. 13th May, 2008 at the NLSIU campus. The entries can be submitted by hand/post/courier. The entries should be addressed to "When the Lights went out", Law and Society Committee, National Law School of India University, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore – 560072. The entries should be clearly marked as "Blank Reel" or "Moments" depending upon the category into which they are being entered. The Law and Society Committee will not be responsible for any loss of entries or any damage caused to them when sent by post or courier. All entries should be accompanied by a certificate declaring the names and addresses and respective contributions to the movie of the entire crew involved with the production of the film and that they are enrolled in any school or undergraduate program in India. Entries without this certificate will be disqualified. If at any stage of the competition or after the awards are given out, it is found that any or all of the members of the crew of the film do not satisfy the eligibility criteria, the entry will be disqualified. The entry should also be accompanied with the e-mail address and the phone number of one contact person. Once the entry is received in the proper form, an email will be sent by the Committee, acknowledging receipt. The entrants are also advised to send in a short description of their movie and preferably a poster of their movie which can be used for publicity purposes. Note: This is not mandatory, however the Law and Society Committee can at any point of time write a short description of the movie and use snapshots from the movie for publicity purposes. The Law and Society Committee will be free to use the entries for spreading awareness or for purely academic purposes, but not for commercial purposes. The participants will be duly acknowledged in case of such use. Any change in the rules is at the discretion of the Law and Society Committee. The decision of the Committee in case of any dispute will be final and binding. Note: More information about the competition, prizes, the movies to be screened at the festival, the speakers and the judges will be made available shortly on the National Law School website. www.nls.ac.in For any information/clarifications contact (0) 9886524208 or send in an email to lawandsociety at nls.ac.in with a subject titled clarifications – "When the Lights Went Out". From logos.theword at gmail.com Fri Apr 25 16:10:39 2008 From: logos.theword at gmail.com (Logos Theatre) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:10:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Lilac/Thunder - The Waste Land -'08 In-Reply-To: <33bc2ee60804250328x3ce94953y404ce28e188ea1be@mail.gmail.com> References: <33bc2ee60804250322l3c8995b8t7f409dd6238147e8@mail.gmail.com> <33bc2ee60804250328x3ce94953y404ce28e188ea1be@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <33bc2ee60804250340u6d30738bv239b4e02c216b1a7@mail.gmail.com> the SpeechMagic initiative presents Lilac/Thunde - The Waste Land -'08 - an interdisciplinary performance based on The Waste Land, which tries to find correspondences between images in the real city (in this case Bangalore), and the Unreal City of the text. Uses spatial arrangement, sound, Spoken Word and theatre of images/theatre of space. An attempt to combine poetry with performance, sound and image. Designed by theStillDancer. *On: Saturday, April 26th, 2008, 7 PM At: 1, Shanti Road (http://1shantiroad.khojworkshop.org) Contact: 9880966313 * -- Logos Theatre In the beginning was the word No. 126, 3rd Main Road, Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore 560046 -------------------------------------------------------- If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is 't to leave betimes? Let be. -- Logos Theatre In the beginning was the word No. 126, 3rd Main Road, Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore 560046 -------------------------------------------------------- If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is 't to leave betimes? Let be. -- Logos Theatre In the beginning was the word No. 126, 3rd Main Road, Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore 560046 -------------------------------------------------------- If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is 't to leave betimes? Let be. From sen.gargi at gmail.com Sat Apr 26 09:41:32 2008 From: sen.gargi at gmail.com (Gargi Sen) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:41:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Reminder about film festival in New Delhi In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Dear all, I write to remind you about the film festival: Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary political films. THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE is up at: Dates: April 28-30 Venue: India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi 110003 Entry Free If you are in in India and New Delhi on those days I look forward to meeting you at the festival. Gargi Sen From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Sat Apr 26 14:41:39 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:41:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam Message-ID: I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, Ibn Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and have been amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal brotherhood. I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through centuries of debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did their views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue from the Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic brotherhood eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do with the politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some resources please. Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I found his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. Thanks & regards Sj ------------------------ Rethinking Islam By Professor Ziauddin Sardar Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for much too long. This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so uncomfortable with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well over a century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics and sages have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi and Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have singularly failed to undertake. Why? The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the Muslim world and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit of Islam. Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, Islam seems to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that we have internalised all those historic and contemporary western representations of Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that the West has been projecting on our collective personality. But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that is all but alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to point a finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign policies and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my opinion not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always imposed; sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an open invitation. We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very profound reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our sacred texts ­ the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our absolute frame of reference ­ has been frozen in history. One can only have an interpretative relationship with a text ­ even more so if the text is perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the text is never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can hardly have any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and ossified context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts that have not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and system of ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives apart from the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh thinking have not been possible because there is no context within which they can actually take place. The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of ijtihad¹, has had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In particular, it has produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical catastrophes: the elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam with the State. Let me elaborate. Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic law¹, to be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The only thing that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the Qur¹an. The Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the divine will in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal opinion of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before the Abbasid period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh assumed its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of Muslim society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was in its expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim imperialism of that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not from the Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and could easily be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world into Daral Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not by this stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could not be modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the faults lay and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. Thus fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division between those who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those who were framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ phase of Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah as divine, we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or impose the Shari`ah ­ the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution of fiqh come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed ­ that is, fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a medieval feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this or that school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all our problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for a group with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An outmoded body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is shunned and outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the believers themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people themselves have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the Shari`ah is nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that provide Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and values are not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing contexts. As such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than law. It requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly reinterpret the Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever changing fresh eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to epoch ­ which means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be reformulated with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in Islam is the text of the Qur¹an itself ­ its concepts providing the anchor for ever changing interpretations. Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that is to say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral perspective on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just perspective within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human problems. But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine Shari`ah, then Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly what the Islamic movements ­ in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood ­ have reduced Islam to. Which brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this ideology within a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, and you have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of action of a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a totalitarian order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a small one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political ideology not only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also debunks most of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists rediscover a Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and mock the future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so vividly in the Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is paralysed and meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim politics into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be justified as ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in revolutionary Iran. The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall process of reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an absurd state that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies towards humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. From the subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through mercy and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves because all questions have been answered for them by the classical `ulamas, far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand name of Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting for sin. The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim (scholar) itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early Islam, an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early classifications of knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its classification was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all learned men, scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were closed during the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious knowledge and the `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in Islam, has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally means consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of Prophet Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the whole Muslim community ­ then, admittedly not very large ­ to the mosque. A discussion would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, the entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit was central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over time the clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the equation ­ and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns supreme in the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has become the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ adepts, those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist Mullahs, in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and circumscribe them with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of reduction. The concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or wrong¹ has been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah consciousness¹ and Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single meaning of ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the concept¹s spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped away, but it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So anyone can now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or reason. Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant from the initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a major source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim consciousness. And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little more than a pious desire. But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and examples of the Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, Fazlur Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual bits of verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a number of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their actions by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been revealed. Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning attributed to this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. In this particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad himself. It was revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped army of the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was concerned about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and promises the enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. Seen in its context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a commentary on what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to justify the most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his beard and cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just obligatory for a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also conform to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols ­ the spirit of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have all been subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into instruments of militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in books like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: The Shape of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim civilisation is now so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by brick¹. It is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. We need to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on truth, on what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual and moral reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, we have to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and concepts as tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires confronting the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to synthesis. Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, to reclaim agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and knowledgeable people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to question what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that much of fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion of an Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we really value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under educated elites, religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary world is usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its ideas and cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the professional domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh century than the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this class to bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of Islam must reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader context. Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete spiritual meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality for all people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so it becomes something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who profess to be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims should become a community in relation to each other, other communities and the natural world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but justice seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement towards synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of Islam ­ as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a domain of peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic mode of knowing, being and doing. June 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many books, and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures Studies. His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Apr 26 15:57:56 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:57:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival ............ Message-ID: <8DD20590-F155-4103-B3C8-5FD9E63F0301@sarai.net> Dear All, A text on outlook about our familiar Kolkata Kommissars doing what they do best. (it was forwarded by Rahul Roy on the vikalp list, so apologies for cross posting to those on Vikalp) regards, Shuddha ----------------------------------------------- http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080428&fname=Film+%28F% 29&sid=1 Shot At Sight CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival ............ Anjali Puri A West Bengal government famously intolerant of 'discordant' voices—from protesters in Nandigram to Taslima Nasreen and Tibetan freedom fighters—has subjected a central government department to an extraordinary tantrum over the inclusion of a documentary film on the Singur agitation in a festival of Indian Panorama films. With graphic footage of lathicharging cops abusing and attacking villagers, and interviews with peasants, social activists and economists, Ladly Mukhopadhay's 40-minute film, Whose Land is it Anyway? is a critique of the Left Front government's acquisition of 1,000 acres of land for a Tata small car factory in Singur, and its handling of the agitation that followed in 2006-07. The Left's cultural commissars woke up late to the documentary's inclusion in the film festival. The film, cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification in December '06, was selected for inclusion in the Indian Panorama by an independent jury of filmmakers. It was screened at the International Film Festival in Goa last November, along with other Panorama films and found mention in press reports. For some reason, these events seem to have escaped the attention of the Left Front which only appears to have woken up to the film's inclusion in the prestigious list when it travelled last month to Nandan, the state government's film centre in Calcutta (and a regular haunt of film buff-CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya), as part of a festival of Indian Panorama films. The Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) in Delhi, a wing of the Union I&B ministry which organises international and other film festivals, (including Whose Land...) sent synopses of all the Panorama films to Nandan, in advance of the Calcutta festival. Even from a cursory reading of the synopsis, it's pretty clear that Whose Land... is far from being a paean for the state government's actions in Singur. However, it appears that this, too, went unnoticed by the cultural commissars of the Left Front. It was only after the screening on March 26 that hell broke loose. Nandan took the extraordinary step of "suspending" the rest of the festival. And its ceo Nilanjan Chatterjee followed up that very afternoon with an officious fax demanding explanations from a startled DFF. His phraseology ("I am directed", etc) suggested that he was writing at the behest of his political bosses. In his fax, Nilanjan took the DFF to task for "the content of a film (that) directly violates the ethical principles of centre-state relationship". "I am directed to state that it is highly objectionable to include such a controversial film in the Indian Panorama package," he stated. "As such," he continued, "I am directed to request you to kindly state the reason for the inclusion of such a film in the said package". And then came the clincher: "I am further directed to inform you that all the screenings earmarked on 27 March, 2008, will remain suspended till a satisfactory reply is received from your office." By the time the DFF replied with a statement narrating the facts of the case, the threat had been executed. Calcutta audiences were deprived of watching even Panorama films that did not offend the Left Front government—as punishment for watching one that did. Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Apr 26 16:53:04 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:53:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> Dear Sonia, Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during their brief ascendancy in Damascus). But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned with different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and got involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the back of free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or that claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. Remembered, because we are forgotten. However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of re- opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism in the twentieth century. I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off the list) regards Shuddha On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, > Ibn > Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and > have been > amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal > brotherhood. > > I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through > centuries of > debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of > faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did > their > views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue > from the > Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic > brotherhood > eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do > with the > politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some > resources > please. > > Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I > found > his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. > > Thanks & regards > Sj > ------------------------ > > Rethinking Islam > By Professor Ziauddin Sardar > > Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been > comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old > interpretations for > much too long. > > This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so > uncomfortable > with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well > over a > century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned > struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last > century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new > Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics > and sages > have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi > and > Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have > singularly failed to undertake. Why? > > The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the > Muslim world > and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit > of Islam. > Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and > intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, > Islam seems > to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that > we have > internalised all those historic and contemporary western > representations of > Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now > actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that > the West > has been projecting on our collective personality. > > But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that > is all but > alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly > America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to > point a > finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign > policies > and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my > opinion > not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always > imposed; > sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an > open > invitation. > > We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very > profound > reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our > sacred > texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our > absolute > frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only have an > interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the text is > perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the > text is > never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can > hardly have > any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic > interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and > ossified > context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts > that have > not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong > emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and > system of > ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives > apart from > the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh > thinking have > not been possible because there is no context within which they can > actually > take place. > > The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of > ijtihad¹, has > had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In > particular, it has > produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical > catastrophes: the > elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the > consequent > removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam > with the > State. Let me elaborate. > > Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic > law¹, to > be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The > only thing > that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the > Qur¹an. The > Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the > divine will > in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually > consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal > opinion > of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before > the Abbasid > period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh > assumed > its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of > Muslim > society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was > in its > expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim > imperialism of > that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not > from the > Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and > could easily > be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world > into Daral > Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not > by this > stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could > not be > modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the > faults lay > and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. > Thus > fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division > between those > who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those > who were > framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ > phase of > Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah > as divine, > we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. > > What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or > impose the > Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the > contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution > of fiqh > come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed > that is, > fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was > formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a > medieval > feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of > Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this > or that > school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, > becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all > our > problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for > a group > with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its > territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An > outmoded > body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is > shunned and > outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. > > The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the > believers > themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people > themselves > have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive > receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the > Shari`ah is > nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that > provide > Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and > values are > not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing > contexts. As > such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than > law. It > requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly > reinterpret the > Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever > changing fresh > eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to > epoch which > means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be > reformulated > with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in > Islam is the > text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor for ever > changing interpretations. > > Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that > is to > say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral > perspective > on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made > answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just > perspective > within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human > problems. > But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine > Shari`ah, then > Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly > what the > Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and > Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam > to. Which > brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this > ideology within > a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, > and you > have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from > Iran, Saudi > Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous > assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of > action of > a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where > morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of > emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a > totalitarian > order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a > small > one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political > ideology not > only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also > debunks most > of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists > rediscover a > Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and > mock the > future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so > vividly in the > Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is > paralysed and > meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. > > The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim > politics > into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be > justified as > ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in > revolutionary Iran. > > The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall > process of > reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive > process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an > absurd state > that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies > towards > humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. > From the > subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through > mercy > and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes > repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves > because all questions have been answered for them by the classical > `ulamas, > far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand > name of > Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting > for sin. > > The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim > (scholar) > itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early > Islam, > an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself > described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early > classifications of > knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- > Ghazali and > Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its > classification > was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all > learned men, > scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, > constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were > closed during > the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious > knowledge and the > `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. > > Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in > Islam, > has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally > means > consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of > Prophet > Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the > Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the > whole Muslim > community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A > discussion > would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, > the > entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit > was > central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over > time the > clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the > equation > and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not > surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns > supreme in > the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has > become > the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ > adepts, > those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist > Mullahs, > in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and > circumscribe them > with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. > > Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of > reduction. The > concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been > reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or > wrong¹ has > been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like > Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah > consciousness¹ and > Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single > meaning of > ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the > concept¹s > spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped > away, but > it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So > anyone can > now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or > reason. > Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant > from the > initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal > struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but > evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a > major > source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim > consciousness. > And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little > more than a > pious desire. > > But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant > compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and > examples of the > Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, > Fazlur > Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: > almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual > bits of > verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a > number > of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their > actions > by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts > of the > unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been > revealed. > Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning > attributed to > this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. > In this > particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad > himself. It was > revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped > army of > the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was > concerned > about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and > promises the > enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. > Seen in its > context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a > commentary on > what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to > justify the > most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his > beard and > cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just > obligatory for > a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also > conform > to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols the > spirit > of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his > humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have > all been > subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. > > The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless > reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into > instruments of > militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in > books > like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: > The Shape > of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim > civilisation is now > so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by > brick¹. It > is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. > We need > to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on > truth, on > what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual > and moral > reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, > we have > to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and > concepts as > tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. > > The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires > confronting > the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to > synthesis. > Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, > to reclaim > agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and > knowledgeable > people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to > question > what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that > much of > fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion > of an > Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we > really > value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under > educated elites, > religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary > world is > usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its > ideas and > cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the > professional > domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh > century than > the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this > class to > bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. > > Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and > considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of > Islam must > reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader > context. > Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and > accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete > spiritual > meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality > for all > people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so > it becomes > something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has > argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who > profess to > be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims > should become > a community in relation to each other, other communities and the > natural > world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but > justice > seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement > towards > synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of > Islam > as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a > domain of > peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic > mode of > knowing, being and doing. > > > > June 2002 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------ > ---- > > Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many > books, > and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures > Studies. > His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions > Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Sat Apr 26 17:40:04 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:40:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Shuddha, Thanks for your quick reply, particularly as you¹re elsewhere. Yes, the rigour of the Islamic philosopher¹s thought and the atmosphere of the times seems akin to the great ferment in India when the Prasangika Madhyamik exponents argued their way through against the Samkhyas and nihilists and Chittamatrins and finally the Svatantrika Madhyamiks to come out on top. Unlike Islam, independent Buddhist thought seems to have floursihed under the patronage of kings: Ashoka, the Kushans, and various rulers through the run of its long journey from India, through Gandhara, C.Asia, Tibet, China and Japan to Ceylon, SE Asia and Indonesia. I had no idea about Ram Mohun Roy¹s interest in the Mutazalites. I find that really interesting. And why Patna? Maybe you can direct me to an English translation of his commentaries. I¹m not sure about the Mongol flirtation with Mahayana Buddhism. I seem to recall their coming into the fold pretty late, around the 13th c., though I may be wrong. I seem to recall the biographies of Chengiz and Taimur describing them as animists and therefore considered the worst ŒBarbarians¹ by Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists alike! Found some wonderful stuff on the net, but these are confined to the works of Ibn Arabi etc. Unfortunately, the Al Farabi¹s treatise on politics, which seems to centre around human happiness (how utterly wonderful!) is not available online and the only English translation is some 60$ or more at places like Amazon. I really need to see this work and I wonder whether someone can direct me to a library in Delhi that would have his, On the Perfect State. Apart from this particular work, I wonder whether there is a volume that can connect the dots for me and answer my fundamental questions as to how the Asharites won the day or how even within the Sufi tradition it was not the ideas of the Œdrunken Sufis¹ like al-Bistami, al Hallaj and Rabia that grew and prospered but the more Orthodox silsilas that relied on the Quran, Sunna and Sharia. Look forward to your reading list. Best, sj On 4/26/08 4:25 PM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" wrote: > Dear Sonia,  > > > > Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and the > Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by the lucidity > and the passion with which free thought, reason and a robust universalist > humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that time, and in these hands). The > only other comparable thread (to my knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika > tradition centreing on Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts > from somewhere between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when > you speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life > time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result of a > very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his earliers works > which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the Mutazila tradition). > However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what I understand, also became a > little rigid and intolerant (during their brief ascendancy in Damascus).  > > > > But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to do with > the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned with different > aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and got involved in > secterian political conflict that had very little to do with their original > philosophical orientations. I still hold a candle for the somewhat ruthless > independence maintained by the Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of > the politics of the Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke > the back of free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last > citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at least in a > token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that time, so that > remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the collapse of Moorish Spain on > the west. These two developments, which exhausted and scattered the Islamicate > intelligentsia, led to the 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) > and the rise of dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized > clergy to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > > > > What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a result of > its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the Islamic world, had > they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those that did, within heterodox, > not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have still flourished. Instead, they > allied themselves to this or that claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many > of today's intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there > was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had sought > refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of freedom and > solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson for all of us today. > We could all become like the Mutazila. Remembered, because we are forgotten. > > > > However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the current > turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, which people like > Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, Fatima Mernissi and several > others represent, points to a kind of re-opening of the gates of Itjehad. I > think that is as exciting a development (though it doesnt get the press it > deserves) as the renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical > Buddhism in the twentieth century. > > > > I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so I would > hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy to carry this > conversation forward in the future (either on or off the list) > > > > regards > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > >> >> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, Ibn >> >> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and have been >> >> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal >> >> brotherhood.   >> >> >> >> I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through centuries of >> >> debate.  I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of >> >> faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did their >> >> views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue from the >> >> Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic brotherhood >> >> eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood?  I imagine it had to do with the >> >> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some resources >> >> please. >> >> >> >> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar.  I found >> >> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. >> >> >> >> Thanks & regards >> >> Sj >> >> ------------------------ >> >> >> >> Rethinking Islam >> >> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar >> >> >> >> Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been >> >> comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for >> >> much too long. >> >> >> >> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so uncomfortable >> >> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well over a >> >> century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned >> >> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last >> >> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new >> >> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics and sages >> >> have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi and >> >> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have >> >> singularly failed to undertake. Why? >> >> >> >> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the Muslim world >> >> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit of Islam. >> >> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and >> >> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, Islam seems >> >> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that we have >> >> internalised all those historic and contemporary western representations of >> >> Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now >> >> actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that the West >> >> has been projecting on our collective personality. >> >> >> >> But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that is all but >> >> alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly >> >> America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to point a >> >> finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign policies >> >> and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my opinion >> >> not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always imposed; >> >> sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an open >> >> invitation. >> >> >> >> We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very profound >> >> reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our sacred >> >> texts ­ the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our absolute >> >> frame of reference ­ has been frozen in history. One can only have an >> >> interpretative relationship with a text ­ even more so if the text is >> >> perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the text is >> >> never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can hardly have >> >> any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic >> >> interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and ossified >> >> context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts that have >> >> not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong >> >> emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and system of >> >> ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives apart from >> >> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh thinking have >> >> not been possible because there is no context within which they can actually >> >> take place. >> >> >> >> The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of ijtihad¹, has >> >> had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In particular, it has >> >> produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical catastrophes: the >> >> elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent >> >> removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam with the >> >> State. Let me elaborate. >> >> >> >> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic law¹, to >> >> be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The only thing >> >> that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the Qur¹an. The >> >> Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the divine will >> >> in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually >> >> consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal opinion >> >> of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before the Abbasid >> >> period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh assumed >> >> its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of Muslim >> >> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was in its >> >> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim imperialism of >> >> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not from the >> >> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and could easily >> >> be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world into Daral >> >> Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not by this >> >> stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could not be >> >> modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the faults lay >> >> and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. Thus >> >> fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division between those >> >> who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those who were >> >> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ phase of >> >> Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah as divine, >> >> we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. >> >> >> >> What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or impose the >> >> Shari`ah ­ the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the >> >> contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution of fiqh >> >> come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed ­ that is, >> >> fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was >> >> formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a medieval >> >> feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of >> >> Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this or that >> >> school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, >> >> becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all our >> >> problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for a group >> >> with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its >> >> territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An outmoded >> >> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is shunned and >> >> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. >> >> >> >> The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the believers >> >> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people themselves >> >> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive >> >> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the Shari`ah is >> >> nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that provide >> >> Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and values are >> >> not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing contexts. As >> >> such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than law. It >> >> requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly reinterpret the >> >> Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever changing fresh >> >> eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to epoch ­ which >> >> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be reformulated >> >> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in Islam is the >> >> text of the Qur¹an itself ­ its concepts providing the anchor for ever >> >> changing interpretations. >> >> >> >> Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that is to >> >> say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral perspective >> >> on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made >> >> answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just perspective >> >> within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human problems. >> >> But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine Shari`ah, then >> >> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly what the >> >> Islamic movements ­ in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and >> >> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood ­ have reduced Islam to. Which >> >> brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this ideology within >> >> a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, and you >> >> have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from Iran, Saudi >> >> Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous >> >> assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of action of >> >> a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where >> >> morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of >> >> emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a totalitarian >> >> order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a small >> >> one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political ideology not >> >> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also debunks most >> >> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists rediscover a >> >> Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and mock the >> >> future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so vividly in the >> >> Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is paralysed and >> >> meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. >> >> >> >> The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim politics >> >> into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be justified as >> >> ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in >> >> revolutionary Iran. >> >> >> >> The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall process of >> >> reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive >> >> process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an absurd state >> >> that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies towards >> >> humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. From the >> >> subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through mercy >> >> and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes >> >> repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves >> >> because all questions have been answered for them by the classical `ulamas, >> >> far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand name of >> >> Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting for sin. >> >> >> >> The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim (scholar) >> >> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early Islam, >> >> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself >> >> described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early classifications of >> >> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and >> >> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its classification >> >> was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all learned men, >> >> scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, >> >> constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were closed during >> >> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious knowledge and the >> >> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. >> >> >> >> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in Islam, >> >> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally means >> >> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of Prophet >> >> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the >> >> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the whole Muslim >> >> community ­ then, admittedly not very large ­ to the mosque. A discussion >> >> would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, the >> >> entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit was >> >> central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over time the >> >> clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the equation ­ >> >> and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not >> >> surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns supreme in >> >> the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has become >> >> the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ adepts, >> >> those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist Mullahs, >> >> in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and circumscribe them >> >> with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. >> >> >> >> Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of reduction. The >> >> concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been >> >> reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or wrong¹ has >> >> been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like >> >> Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah consciousness¹ and >> >> Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single meaning of >> >> ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the concept¹s >> >> spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped away, but >> >> it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So anyone can >> >> now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or reason. >> >> Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant from the >> >> initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal >> >> struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but >> >> evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a major >> >> source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim consciousness. >> >> And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little more than a >> >> pious desire. >> >> >> >> But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant >> >> compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and examples of the >> >> Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, Fazlur >> >> Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: >> >> almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual bits of >> >> verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a number >> >> of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their actions >> >> by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts of the >> >> unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been revealed. >> >> Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning attributed to >> >> this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. In this >> >> particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad himself. It was >> >> revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped army of >> >> the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was concerned >> >> about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and promises the >> >> enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. Seen in its >> >> context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a commentary on >> >> what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to justify the >> >> most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his beard and >> >> cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just obligatory for >> >> a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also conform >> >> to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols ­ the spirit >> >> of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his >> >> humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have all been >> >> subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. >> >> >> >> The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless >> >> reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into instruments of >> >> militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in books >> >> like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: The Shape >> >> of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim civilisation is now >> >> so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by brick¹. It >> >> is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. We need >> >> to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on truth, on >> >> what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual and moral >> >> reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, we have >> >> to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and concepts as >> >> tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. >> >> >> >> The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires confronting >> >> the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to synthesis. >> >> Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, to reclaim >> >> agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and knowledgeable >> >> people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to question >> >> what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that much of >> >> fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion of an >> >> Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we really >> >> value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under educated elites, >> >> religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary world is >> >> usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its ideas and >> >> cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the professional >> >> domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh century than >> >> the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this class to >> >> bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. >> >> >> >> Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and >> >> considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of Islam must >> >> reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader context. >> >> Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and >> >> accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete spiritual >> >> meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality for all >> >> people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so it becomes >> >> something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has >> >> argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who profess to >> >> be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims should become >> >> a community in relation to each other, other communities and the natural >> >> world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but justice >> >> seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement towards >> >> synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of Islam ­ >> >> as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a domain of >> >> peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic mode of >> >> knowing, being and doing. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> June 2002 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> ---- >> >> >> >> Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many books, >> >> and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures Studies. >> >> His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions >> >> Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. >> >> _________________________________________ >> >> 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. >> >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list  >> >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > From jeebesh at sarai.net Sat Apr 26 20:16:48 2008 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh Bagchi) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:46:48 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Critical writings on art. Message-ID: Some interesting writings from new generation of art theorists and critics from Sweden. http://thinklink.philosophy.se/ From pranesh.prakash at gmail.com Sat Apr 26 22:31:47 2008 From: pranesh.prakash at gmail.com (Pranesh Prakash) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:31:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Socio-Legal Scholarship on University Campuses | Monday, May 12, 2008 | NLSIU, Bangalore Message-ID: <4785f1e20804261001x6ec95173jc18d878f9b37ff46@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, I'm appending below an invitation to a workshop being conducted in NLSIU, Bangalore (in Nagarbhavi) on "Encouraging Socio-Legal Scholarship on University Campuses". Please go through the attached concept note and reply to lawandsociety at nls.ac.in if you wish to attend. If you have any queries or clarifications, please do feel free to mail us at that address, or call any of the numbers listed below (after 13:30 hrs, please). Cheers, Pranesh Dear Sir/Madam, The Law and Society Committee, National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is organizing a workshop on the 12th of May at the NLSIU campus, on *'Encouraging Socio-Legal Scholarship on University Campuses'*. Please find attached the concept note for the workshop which outlines the basic ideas and themes that will be the subject of discussion. We would like to extend an invitation to members of the faculty and interested students in your institution to attend the same. Our aim is to engage law and social science institutions in a dialogue involving the challenges to socio-legal scholarship, and to discuss the possibilities of creating a network of young scholars, academicians and activists. This network will provide a common platform for conversations on socio-legal issues. A discussion of this nature will be incomplete without the perspectives that an institution such as yours can provide. We therefore look forward to your participation in this event. For any additional details, please contact any of the members of the Committee. Sincerely, Kalyani Ramnath Convenor, Law and Society Committee NLSIU *Organisers:* Kalyani (+919880192436) Aishwarya (+919886947147) Vivek (+919986154594) Nirupama (+919886290069) Cyril (+919886267185) Bipin (+919845251066) Srijoni (+919886580824) Sarayu (+919886294076) From tapasrayx at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 00:07:51 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:37:51 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 55 (on bicycle dreams) In-Reply-To: <1944bc230804230440j40788057rbf213f453616f07a@mail.gmail.com> References: <1944bc230804222221m56f8add9mbe87ee893f1f2607@mail.gmail.com> <1944bc230804230440j40788057rbf213f453616f07a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4813767F.1000207@gmail.com> Atreyee, Not obtuse at all, and even if you were, so what? What is obtuse for one could well be acute for another ;) Jokes apart, if I understand you correctly, you are in good company (or bad, if you ask some mainstream "Marxists"): Baudrillard has remarked somewhere ... I am trying to remember where, and hoping I am not making this up ... that in this phase of modernity, it is really signs that one consumes, not commodities. He was talking about the West, of course. The thing about us postcolonials (who are like that only) is that we have appropriated THEIR signs. Now that's not embarrassing in itself, because they are known to appropriate OUR signs, too - look at the "Eastern spiritualism" of hippies and their various mutants, and paraphernalia to be found in the possession of even some fairly mainstream people in the West today. But it all leads to a terribly confused state of affairs. Which can be fun. Anyway, the thing is that the part-pre-modern postcolonial world is trying to turn part-post/late-Western-modern. Trying very hard. Even getting cheerleaders for cricket matches. Now cheerleading itself is a sign today - while watching some November 2006 US TV broadcasts in the last few days, I have seen commercials from companies that coach school students in cheerleading and for playing in school bands. So you purchase cheer ... or the sign of it. Just as in Japan, the elderly can purchase the services of folks who visit them and act like children, grandchildren, etc. Quite a witch's brew, right? No wonder our BPO kids are so mixed up, and not just about night and day. (Talking about BPOs, the last item in one of the old broadcasts I was watching was about a film about an American falling in love with a beautiful Indian BPO worker. After they showed clips from the film, when the anchors were engaged in chitchat, the sports anchor joked about Indian BPO workers not "understanding us". So there's confusion not only about day/night but also accents.) So, we need those cars and highways and computers and fibre-optic internet backbones and things, so that signs can circulate faster and faster, in a blur. But then "over there", the signs are changing - somewhat like traffic lights. They are changing to "Sustainable". That's the mantra today. So you have oil companies spending millions of dollars on "green" ad campaigns - what Greenpeace calls "greenwash". And then you have cities like Berlin pushing high-tech public bicycle programmes. Through all this, what remains constant, not negotiable, is the commitment to "development" and "growth" in a totally early-modern sense, and all that this implies for human life, both spiritual and physical, for non-human life, and for the earth as a whole. Just a few random thoughts, for whatever they are worth. Tapas atreyee majumder wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: atreyee majumder > Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 10:51 AM > Subject: Re: reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 55 (on bicycle dreams) > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > > Dear all, > > When I first came to Delhi a few years back, to visit a friend, I remember > that it struck me to be most curious that kids drove their parents' spare > cars to college/shopping malls/pubs etc. Sort of like teenie-bopper > Hollywood movies. This was the beginning of the automobile explosion in the > big cities of India. Kids in the National Law School campus increasingly > came back from summer breaks with car keys in their pockets. Postcolonial > Big Cities which form the crucial nerve-centres in our not-so-networked > parts of the world, as points of contact with the networked worlds, so as to > appropriate whatever comes our way- money, download speeds, BPO jobs, jazz > bars, intellectual stimulation, Iron Maiden, Russell Peters and what have > you. It is naive then to imagine that in our parts of the world jazz bars > and download speeds will remain satisfactory- within cycling distance. > > Of course, with the caveat of some fairly self-sufficient microcosms- like > some universities- I know for a fact, cycling lifestyles are common at the > Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore and the Indian Statistical > Institute, Delhi. But I must go back to my primary argument- that the > euphoria of appropriating one's personal share of the modern pie, is > inevitably a reality in our parts of the world. The automobile euphoria > being one more manifestation of the same. Where your car is bound to > symbolise not just your tax returns, but also your ability to penetrate the > modern world, a little deeper. That you can stay till the last drink at the > jazz bar, not worrying about having missed the last trip on the metro. > > My take would be that euphoria over the automobile is not much different > from the euphoria over one's own portable computer, one's own source of > portable telecommunication, one's own portable music system. Similarly, > the Nano appeals to the just-about-income-tax-bracket-person's ticket to > mobility/modernity. Just like affordable air tickets. This is a euphoria > that we probably can't wish away with bicycle daydreams. As we don't live in > Western Europe, where a Jazz Bar is bicycling distance away. And we need our > BPO jobs to pay up laptop instalments. Like the power-hungry Reva, our > network fantasies also have considerable hidden costs in terms of jacking up > demands for key, manufacturing industries. Which, in turn, claim land, air, > water, minerals, traditional livelihoods. And we rise up in leftist outrage. > Rarely reflecting that these industries expand to feed our modern hungers. > > Not to say that our modern hungers are immoral or anything( I am neither > moral, nor Gandhian). > > But, admitting to the very real titillations of modernities sort of rudely > shake me out of bicycle daydreams. Hence, this post. > > Apologies for sounding obtuse. > > Atreyee > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From pkray11 at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 02:11:12 2008 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:11:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival Message-ID: <98f331e00804261341n431c32e5m3e0aedf455166e@mail.gmail.com> Dear Sudhha, I am unable to understand your response to the report published in Outlook. Are you offended because the Nandan authorities objected to a film which is cleared by the "Censor Board" or the film was screened at IIFF, Goa? Do you believe that one should not raise questions related to Centre-State relationship? Do you think that the Nandan authorities have no right to ask the DFF the basis for the inclusion of a particular film? Do you think that every article published in Outlook on the Left should be taken care of? If yes, why you or Rahul did not posted articles supporting the Centre on the Nuclear Deal? As far as I know, you and Rahul and almost all the members of Vikalp and Sarai are quite critical to the censorship and the activities of DFF. I request you and others to see things in a perspective. I do not think that the blind attack against the Left is going to serve any purpose. Why did you or the writer of the article not speak when some filmmakers and artists boycotted the Kolkata Film Festival? Then also, the city was deprived of watching films because of such mindless opposition. Regards, Prakash K Ray From tapasrayx at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 18:48:28 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:18:28 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 55 (on bicycle dreams) In-Reply-To: <1944bc230804230440j40788057rbf213f453616f07a@mail.gmail.com> References: <1944bc230804222221m56f8add9mbe87ee893f1f2607@mail.gmail.com> <1944bc230804230440j40788057rbf213f453616f07a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <48147D24.2090307@gmail.com> Here are some more bicycle dreams. This one is from Washington, DC, and comes with a bizarre twist: apparently there are "Washington-area bike-sharing consultants". Wonder if President Bush has one on his staff. Enjoy. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/27/america/bike.php But "studies showed that many bikes would get stolen in a day or within a few weeks," said Paul DeMaio, a Washington-area bike-sharing consultant. "In Amsterdam, they would often find them in the canals." atreyee majumder wrote: > Dear all, > > When I first came to Delhi a few years back, to visit a friend, I remember From kirdarsingh at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 20:50:33 2008 From: kirdarsingh at gmail.com (kirdar singh) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:50:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> References: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> Message-ID: <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight between Babylon and Ankara.) KS (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear Sonia, > > Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by > the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a > robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that > time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my > knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on > Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere > between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you > speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life > time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result > of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his > earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the > Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what > I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during their > brief ascendancy in Damascus). > > But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to > do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned > with different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and > got involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to > do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a > candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the > Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the > Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the back of > free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last > citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at > least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that > time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the > collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which > exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the > 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of > dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy > to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > > What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a > result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the > Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those > that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have > still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or that > claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's > intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there > was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had > sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of > freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson > for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. > Remembered, because we are forgotten. > > However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the > current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, > which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, > Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of re- > opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a > development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the > renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism > in the twentieth century. > > I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so > I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy > to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off > the list) > > regards > > Shuddha > > > On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > > > I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, > > Ibn > > Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and > > have been > > amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal > > brotherhood. > > > > I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through > > centuries of > > debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of > > faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did > > their > > views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue > > from the > > Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic > > brotherhood > > eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do > > with the > > politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some > > resources > > please. > > > > Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I > > found > > his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. > > > > Thanks & regards > > Sj > > ------------------------ > > > > Rethinking Islam > > By Professor Ziauddin Sardar > > > > Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been > > comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old > > interpretations for > > much too long. > > > > This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so > > uncomfortable > > with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well > > over a > > century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned > > struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last > > century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new > > Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics > > and sages > > have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi > > and > > Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have > > singularly failed to undertake. Why? > > > > The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the > > Muslim world > > and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit > > of Islam. > > Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and > > intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, > > Islam seems > > to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that > > we have > > internalised all those historic and contemporary western > > representations of > > Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now > > actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that > > the West > > has been projecting on our collective personality. > > > > But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that > > is all but > > alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly > > America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to > > point a > > finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign > > policies > > and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my > > opinion > > not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always > > imposed; > > sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an > > open > > invitation. > > > > We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very > > profound > > reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our > > sacred > > texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our > > absolute > > frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only have an > > interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the text is > > perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the > > text is > > never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can > > hardly have > > any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic > > interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and > > ossified > > context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts > > that have > > not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong > > emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and > > system of > > ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives > > apart from > > the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh > > thinking have > > not been possible because there is no context within which they can > > actually > > take place. > > > > The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of > > ijtihad¹, has > > had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In > > particular, it has > > produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical > > catastrophes: the > > elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the > > consequent > > removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam > > with the > > State. Let me elaborate. > > > > Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic > > law¹, to > > be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The > > only thing > > that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the > > Qur¹an. The > > Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the > > divine will > > in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually > > consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal > > opinion > > of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before > > the Abbasid > > period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh > > assumed > > its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of > > Muslim > > society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was > > in its > > expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim > > imperialism of > > that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not > > from the > > Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and > > could easily > > be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world > > into Daral > > Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not > > by this > > stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could > > not be > > modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the > > faults lay > > and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. > > Thus > > fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division > > between those > > who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those > > who were > > framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ > > phase of > > Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah > > as divine, > > we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. > > > > What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or > > impose the > > Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the > > contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution > > of fiqh > > come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed > > that is, > > fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was > > formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a > > medieval > > feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of > > Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this > > or that > > school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, > > becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all > > our > > problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for > > a group > > with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its > > territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An > > outmoded > > body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is > > shunned and > > outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. > > > > The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the > > believers > > themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people > > themselves > > have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive > > receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the > > Shari`ah is > > nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that > > provide > > Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and > > values are > > not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing > > contexts. As > > such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than > > law. It > > requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly > > reinterpret the > > Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever > > changing fresh > > eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to > > epoch which > > means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be > > reformulated > > with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in > > Islam is the > > text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor for ever > > changing interpretations. > > > > Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that > > is to > > say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral > > perspective > > on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made > > answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just > > perspective > > within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human > > problems. > > But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine > > Shari`ah, then > > Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly > > what the > > Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and > > Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam > > to. Which > > brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this > > ideology within > > a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, > > and you > > have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from > > Iran, Saudi > > Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous > > assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of > > action of > > a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where > > morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of > > emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a > > totalitarian > > order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a > > small > > one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political > > ideology not > > only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also > > debunks most > > of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists > > rediscover a > > Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and > > mock the > > future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so > > vividly in the > > Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is > > paralysed and > > meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. > > > > The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim > > politics > > into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be > > justified as > > ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in > > revolutionary Iran. > > > > The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall > > process of > > reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive > > process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an > > absurd state > > that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies > > towards > > humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. > > From the > > subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through > > mercy > > and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes > > repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves > > because all questions have been answered for them by the classical > > `ulamas, > > far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand > > name of > > Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting > > for sin. > > > > The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim > > (scholar) > > itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early > > Islam, > > an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself > > described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early > > classifications of > > knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- > > Ghazali and > > Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its > > classification > > was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all > > learned men, > > scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, > > constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were > > closed during > > the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious > > knowledge and the > > `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. > > > > Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in > > Islam, > > has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally > > means > > consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of > > Prophet > > Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the > > Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the > > whole Muslim > > community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A > > discussion > > would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, > > the > > entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit > > was > > central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over > > time the > > clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the > > equation > > and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not > > surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns > > supreme in > > the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has > > become > > the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ > > adepts, > > those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist > > Mullahs, > > in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and > > circumscribe them > > with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. > > > > Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of > > reduction. The > > concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been > > reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or > > wrong¹ has > > been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like > > Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah > > consciousness¹ and > > Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single > > meaning of > > ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the > > concept¹s > > spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped > > away, but > > it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So > > anyone can > > now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or > > reason. > > Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant > > from the > > initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal > > struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but > > evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a > > major > > source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim > > consciousness. > > And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little > > more than a > > pious desire. > > > > But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant > > compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and > > examples of the > > Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, > > Fazlur > > Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: > > almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual > > bits of > > verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a > > number > > of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their > > actions > > by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts > > of the > > unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been > > revealed. > > Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning > > attributed to > > this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. > > In this > > particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad > > himself. It was > > revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped > > army of > > the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was > > concerned > > about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and > > promises the > > enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. > > Seen in its > > context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a > > commentary on > > what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to > > justify the > > most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his > > beard and > > cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just > > obligatory for > > a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also > > conform > > to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols the > > spirit >> of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his > > humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have > > all been > > subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. > > > > The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless > > reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into > > instruments of > > militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in > > books > > like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: > > The Shape > > of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim > > civilisation is now > > so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by > > brick¹. It > > is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. > > We need > > to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on > > truth, on > > what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual > > and moral > > reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, > > we have > > to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and > > concepts as > > tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. > > > > The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires > > confronting > > the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to > > synthesis. > > Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, > > to reclaim > > agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and > > knowledgeable > > people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to > > question > > what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that > > much of > > fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion > > of an > > Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we > > really > > value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under > > educated elites, > > religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary > > world is > > usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its > > ideas and > > cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the > > professional > > domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh > > century than > > the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this > > class to > > bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. > > > > Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and > > considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of > > Islam must > > reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader > > context. > > Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and > > accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete > > spiritual > > meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality > > for all > > people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so > > it becomes > > something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has > > argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who > > profess to > > be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims > > should become > > a community in relation to each other, other communities and the > > natural > > world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but > > justice > > seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement > > towards > > synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of > > Islam > > as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a > > domain of > > peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic > > mode of > > knowing, being and doing. > > > > > > > > June 2002 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------ > > ---- > > > > Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many > > books, > > and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures > > Studies. > > His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions > > Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From tapasrayx at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 21:41:16 2008 From: tapasrayx at gmail.com (Tapas Ray) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:11:16 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> References: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4814A5A4.1040609@gmail.com> hello! i'm a little confused. what exactly is the problem you see in shuddha's post? do you think that as someone with a hindu name, he should not have read so much about islamic thought, or if he did, should not have mentioned that in public? just curious. tapas kirdar singh wrote: > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > KS > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > wrote: >> Dear Sonia, >> >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 23:58:54 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:58:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <4814A5A4.1040609@gmail.com> References: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> <4814A5A4.1040609@gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804271128k1189a7e7o184b5d46b3d4fb7b@mail.gmail.com> Shuddha's crime that his name sounds Hindu, but Garcia Lorca was homosexual and yet incorporated Islamic terminology in his poems. Borges too used efficiently the litrary phrases in his famous style of writing. I dont know how many more in Latin American literature are benefited by the use of Islamic sounds. Even in Paris there was groups led by Paul Gaugin called Nabis and thier first painting was indeed titled ' Talisman' and who led a strange mystic life... It is only in India that this kind of wrting is seen a Muslim specific only, and in Paskistan anything Hindi would be seen as Hidnu specific only... Besides that Shuddha Laments ............. which exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy The main thrust of the scholarly piece is that Islam is urgently in need to restore its true glory by reincoporating its mystical, logical and intellecual past. In fact all the religions are are pain the ass if they dont behave the way it should be... On Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 9:41 PM, Tapas Ray wrote: > hello! i'm a little confused. what exactly is the problem you see in > shuddha's post? do you think that as someone with a hindu name, he > should not have read so much about islamic thought, or if he did, should > not have mentioned that in public? > > just curious. > > tapas > > > > kirdar singh wrote: > > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > > > KS > > > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > wrote: > >> Dear Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by > > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 00:54:18 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:24:18 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Sajek: Life Is Not Ours Message-ID: Another day in paradise... http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2008/04/27/sajek Bengali settlers attacked and burnt 7 villages of indigenous Jumma peoples throughout the 4 kilometre long area from Nursery Para to Gangaram Mukh areas of Sajek union under Baghaichari upazila (sub-district) in Rangamati district in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) on 20 April 2008 at night. Jumma residents allege the Bangladesh Army actively supported the settler operation. From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 09:11:21 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:11:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: KS, I asked some perfectly serious questions and received an appropriate response from Shuddha, to which I replied; and thus began, what I considered, a very interesting discussion. I have not been able to find answers to my questions in the books I've been reading and so I put them up to the Sarai list hoping someone would enlighten me. Shuddha responded and I had hoped that others might join in, at least to point me to some books. I am grateful to Radhikrajen for suggesting a library in Bangalore. How tiresome, then, to read your childish post. You are on a flight between Babylon and Ankara (how fascinating, thanks for letting us know as this has everything to do with the subject under discussion) and so you don't have the time or the wherewithal to send me references, but have energy enough to throw e-spitballs at Shuddha. How bizarre. Does one charitably assume its the airline food that's making you dyspeptic or are you congenitally prone to making strange connections where none exist? What does ijtehad— reasoned debate within Islam— have anything at all to do with yogis? And I asked for 'Islamic scholars' as opposed to 'Muslim scholars'. Some of the finest scholars on Islam are non-Muslim: Arberry, Arnold, Schimmel, Armstrong, Massignon and Hodgson to name a few. Unfortunate that you think Shuddha, and by extension anyone else, must necessarily become 'Maulvi Shuddh' to engage in the study and discussion of Islam. If you had a problem with the content of Shuddha's response to me then it would have been useful for all concerned if you'd posted your criticism (even if barbed and loaded with insults), otherwise you only come across as downright silly. Ijtehad in Islam? I think we need it desperately within the Sarai List first. sonia On 4/27/08 8:50 PM, "kirdar singh" wrote: > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > KS > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > wrote: >> Dear Sonia, >> >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by >> the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a >> robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that >> time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my >> knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on >> Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere >> between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you >> speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life >> time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result >> of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his >> earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the >> Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what >> I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during their >> brief ascendancy in Damascus). >> >> But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to >> do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned >> with different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and >> got involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to >> do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a >> candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the >> Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the >> Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the back of >> free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last >> citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at >> least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that >> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the >> collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which >> exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the >> 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of >> dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy >> to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. >> >> What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a >> result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the >> Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those >> that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have >> still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or that >> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's >> intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there >> was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had >> sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of >> freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson >> for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. >> Remembered, because we are forgotten. >> >> However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the >> current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, >> which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, >> Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of re- >> opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a >> development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the >> renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism >> in the twentieth century. >> >> I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so >> I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy >> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off >> the list) >> >> regards >> >> Shuddha >> >> >> On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: >> >>> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, >>> Ibn >>> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and >>> have been >>> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal >>> brotherhood. >>> >>> I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through >>> centuries of >>> debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of >>> faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did >>> their >>> views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue >>> from the >>> Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic >>> brotherhood >>> eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do >>> with the >>> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some >>> resources >>> please. >>> >>> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I >>> found >>> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. >>> >>> Thanks & regards >>> Sj >>> ------------------------ >>> >>> Rethinking Islam >>> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar >>> >>> Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been >>> comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old >>> interpretations for >>> much too long. >>> >>> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so >>> uncomfortable >>> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well >>> over a >>> century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned >>> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last >>> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new >>> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics >>> and sages >>> have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi >>> and >>> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have >>> singularly failed to undertake. Why? >>> >>> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the >>> Muslim world >>> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit >>> of Islam. >>> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and >>> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, >>> Islam seems >>> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that >>> we have >>> internalised all those historic and contemporary western >>> representations of >>> Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now >>> actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that >>> the West >>> has been projecting on our collective personality. >>> >>> But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that >>> is all but >>> alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly >>> America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to >>> point a >>> finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign >>> policies >>> and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my >>> opinion >>> not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always >>> imposed; >>> sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an >>> open >>> invitation. >>> >>> We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very >>> profound >>> reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our >>> sacred >>> texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our >>> absolute >>> frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only have an >>> interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the text is >>> perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the >>> text is >>> never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can >>> hardly have >>> any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic >>> interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and >>> ossified >>> context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts >>> that have >>> not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong >>> emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and >>> system of >>> ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives >>> apart from >>> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh >>> thinking have >>> not been possible because there is no context within which they can >>> actually >>> take place. >>> >>> The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of >>> ijtihad¹, has >>> had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In >>> particular, it has >>> produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical >>> catastrophes: the >>> elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the >>> consequent >>> removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam >>> with the >>> State. Let me elaborate. >>> >>> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic >>> law¹, to >>> be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The >>> only thing >>> that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the >>> Qur¹an. The >>> Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the >>> divine will >>> in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually >>> consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal >>> opinion >>> of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before >>> the Abbasid >>> period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh >>> assumed >>> its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of >>> Muslim >>> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was >>> in its >>> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim >>> imperialism of >>> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not >>> from the >>> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and >>> could easily >>> be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world >>> into Daral >>> Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not >>> by this >>> stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could >>> not be >>> modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the >>> faults lay >>> and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. >>> Thus >>> fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division >>> between those >>> who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those >>> who were >>> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ >>> phase of >>> Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah >>> as divine, >>> we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. >>> >>> What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or >>> impose the >>> Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the >>> contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution >>> of fiqh >>> come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed >>> that is, >>> fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was >>> formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a >>> medieval >>> feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of >>> Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this >>> or that >>> school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, >>> becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all >>> our >>> problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for >>> a group >>> with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its >>> territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An >>> outmoded >>> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is >>> shunned and >>> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. >>> >>> The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the >>> believers >>> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people >>> themselves >>> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive >>> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the >>> Shari`ah is >>> nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that >>> provide >>> Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and >>> values are >>> not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing >>> contexts. As >>> such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than >>> law. It >>> requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly >>> reinterpret the >>> Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever >>> changing fresh >>> eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to >>> epoch which >>> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be >>> reformulated >>> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in >>> Islam is the >>> text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor for ever >>> changing interpretations. >>> >>> Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that >>> is to >>> say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral >>> perspective >>> on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made >>> answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just >>> perspective >>> within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human >>> problems. >>> But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine >>> Shari`ah, then >>> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly >>> what the >>> Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and >>> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam >>> to. Which >>> brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this >>> ideology within >>> a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, >>> and you >>> have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from >>> Iran, Saudi >>> Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous >>> assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of >>> action of >>> a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where >>> morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of >>> emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a >>> totalitarian >>> order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a >>> small >>> one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political >>> ideology not >>> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also >>> debunks most >>> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists >>> rediscover a >>> Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and >>> mock the >>> future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so >>> vividly in the >>> Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is >>> paralysed and >>> meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. >>> >>> The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim >>> politics >>> into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be >>> justified as >>> ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in >>> revolutionary Iran. >>> >>> The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall >>> process of >>> reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive >>> process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an >>> absurd state >>> that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies >>> towards >>> humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. >>> From the >>> subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through >>> mercy >>> and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes >>> repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves >>> because all questions have been answered for them by the classical >>> `ulamas, >>> far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand >>> name of >>> Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting >>> for sin. >>> >>> The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim >>> (scholar) >>> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early >>> Islam, >>> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself >>> described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early >>> classifications of >>> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- >>> Ghazali and >>> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its >>> classification >>> was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all >>> learned men, >>> scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, >>> constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were >>> closed during >>> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious >>> knowledge and the >>> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. >>> >>> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in >>> Islam, >>> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally >>> means >>> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of >>> Prophet >>> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the >>> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the >>> whole Muslim >>> community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A >>> discussion >>> would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, >>> the >>> entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit >>> was >>> central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over >>> time the >>> clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the >>> equation >>> and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not >>> surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns >>> supreme in >>> the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has >>> become >>> the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ >>> adepts, >>> those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist >>> Mullahs, >>> in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and >>> circumscribe them >>> with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. >>> >>> Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of >>> reduction. The >>> concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been >>> reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or >>> wrong¹ has >>> been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like >>> Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah >>> consciousness¹ and >>> Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single >>> meaning of >>> ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the >>> concept¹s >>> spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped >>> away, but >>> it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So >>> anyone can >>> now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or >>> reason. >>> Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant >>> from the >>> initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal >>> struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but >>> evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a >>> major >>> source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim >>> consciousness. >>> And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little >>> more than a >>> pious desire. >>> >>> But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant >>> compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and >>> examples of the >>> Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, >>> Fazlur >>> Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: >>> almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual >>> bits of >>> verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a >>> number >>> of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their >>> actions >>> by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts >>> of the >>> unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been >>> revealed. >>> Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning >>> attributed to >>> this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. >>> In this >>> particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad >>> himself. It was >>> revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped >>> army of >>> the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was >>> concerned >>> about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and >>> promises the >>> enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. >>> Seen in its >>> context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a >>> commentary on >>> what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to >>> justify the >>> most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his >>> beard and >>> cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just >>> obligatory for >>> a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also >>> conform >>> to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols the >>> spirit >>> of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his >>> humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have >>> all been >>> subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. >>> >>> The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless >>> reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into >>> instruments of >>> militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in >>> books >>> like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: >>> The Shape >>> of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim >>> civilisation is now >>> so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by >>> brick¹. It >>> is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. >>> We need >>> to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on >>> truth, on >>> what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual >>> and moral >>> reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, >>> we have >>> to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and >>> concepts as >>> tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. >>> >>> The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires >>> confronting >>> the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to >>> synthesis. >>> Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, >>> to reclaim >>> agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and >>> knowledgeable >>> people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to >>> question >>> what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that >>> much of >>> fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion >>> of an >>> Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we >>> really >>> value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under >>> educated elites, >>> religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary >>> world is >>> usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its >>> ideas and >>> cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the >>> professional >>> domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh >>> century than >>> the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this >>> class to >>> bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. >>> >>> Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and >>> considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of >>> Islam must >>> reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader >>> context. >>> Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and >>> accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete >>> spiritual >>> meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality >>> for all >>> people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so >>> it becomes >>> something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has >>> argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who >>> profess to >>> be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims >>> should become >>> a community in relation to each other, other communities and the >>> natural >>> world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but >>> justice >>> seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement >>> towards >>> synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of >>> Islam >>> as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a >>> domain of >>> peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic >>> mode of >>> knowing, being and doing. >>> >>> >>> >>> June 2002 >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> ------ >>> ---- >>> >>> Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many >>> books, >>> and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures >>> Studies. >>> His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions >>> Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. >>> _________________________________________ >>> 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. >>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> >> >> Shuddhabrata Sengupta >> The Sarai Programme at CSDS >> Raqs Media Collective >> shuddha at sarai.net >> www.sarai.net >> www.raqsmediacollective.net >> >> >> >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Mon Apr 28 11:05:27 2008 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:35:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <625922.11789.qm@web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi , I understood the problem with you is being citizens of India, either Hindu or Non-Hindu, You all studied in wrong schools. You would like to live Indian style, either in or out of INDIA but you just hate HINDUISM. You can insult anything,anybody and You commit all mistakes or support them knowingly or unknowingly, but no body should say anything. Damn you. What a ............. Regards, Dhatri. "S. Jabbar" wrote: KS, I asked some perfectly serious questions and received an appropriate response from Shuddha, to which I replied; and thus began, what I considered, a very interesting discussion. I have not been able to find answers to my questions in the books I've been reading and so I put them up to the Sarai list hoping someone would enlighten me. Shuddha responded and I had hoped that others might join in, at least to point me to some books. I am grateful to Radhikrajen for suggesting a library in Bangalore. How tiresome, then, to read your childish post. You are on a flight between Babylon and Ankara (how fascinating, thanks for letting us know as this has everything to do with the subject under discussion) and so you don't have the time or the wherewithal to send me references, but have energy enough to throw e-spitballs at Shuddha. How bizarre. Does one charitably assume its the airline food that's making you dyspeptic or are you congenitally prone to making strange connections where none exist? What does ijtehad— reasoned debate within Islam— have anything at all to do with yogis? And I asked for 'Islamic scholars' as opposed to 'Muslim scholars'. Some of the finest scholars on Islam are non-Muslim: Arberry, Arnold, Schimmel, Armstrong, Massignon and Hodgson to name a few. Unfortunate that you think Shuddha, and by extension anyone else, must necessarily become 'Maulvi Shuddh' to engage in the study and discussion of Islam. If you had a problem with the content of Shuddha's response to me then it would have been useful for all concerned if you'd posted your criticism (even if barbed and loaded with insults), otherwise you only come across as downright silly. Ijtehad in Islam? I think we need it desperately within the Sarai List first. sonia On 4/27/08 8:50 PM, "kirdar singh" wrote: > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > KS > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > wrote: >> Dear Sonia, >> >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by >> the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a >> robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that >> time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my >> knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on >> Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere >> between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you >> speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life >> time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result >> of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his >> earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the >> Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what >> I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during their >> brief ascendancy in Damascus). >> >> But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to >> do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned >> with different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and >> got involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to >> do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a >> candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the >> Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the >> Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the back of >> free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last >> citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at >> least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that >> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the >> collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which >> exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the >> 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of >> dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy >> to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. >> >> What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a >> result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the >> Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those >> that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have >> still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or that >> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's >> intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there >> was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had >> sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of >> freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson >> for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. >> Remembered, because we are forgotten. >> >> However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the >> current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, >> which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, >> Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of re- >> opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a >> development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the >> renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism >> in the twentieth century. >> >> I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so >> I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy >> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off >> the list) >> >> regards >> >> Shuddha >> >> >> On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: >> >>> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, >>> Ibn >>> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and >>> have been >>> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal >>> brotherhood. >>> >>> I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through >>> centuries of >>> debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of >>> faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did >>> their >>> views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue >>> from the >>> Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic >>> brotherhood >>> eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do >>> with the >>> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some >>> resources >>> please. >>> >>> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I >>> found >>> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. >>> >>> Thanks & regards >>> Sj >>> ------------------------ >>> >>> Rethinking Islam >>> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar >>> >>> Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been >>> comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old >>> interpretations for >>> much too long. >>> >>> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so >>> uncomfortable >>> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well >>> over a >>> century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned >>> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last >>> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new >>> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics >>> and sages >>> have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi >>> and >>> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have >>> singularly failed to undertake. Why? >>> >>> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the >>> Muslim world >>> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit >>> of Islam. >>> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and >>> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, >>> Islam seems >>> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that >>> we have >>> internalised all those historic and contemporary western >>> representations of >>> Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now >>> actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that >>> the West >>> has been projecting on our collective personality. >>> >>> But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that >>> is all but >>> alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly >>> America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to >>> point a >>> finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign >>> policies >>> and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my >>> opinion >>> not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always >>> imposed; >>> sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an >>> open >>> invitation. >>> >>> We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very >>> profound >>> reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our >>> sacred >>> texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our >>> absolute >>> frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only have an >>> interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the text is >>> perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the >>> text is >>> never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can >>> hardly have >>> any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic >>> interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and >>> ossified >>> context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts >>> that have >>> not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong >>> emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and >>> system of >>> ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives >>> apart from >>> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh >>> thinking have >>> not been possible because there is no context within which they can >>> actually >>> take place. >>> >>> The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of >>> ijtihad¹, has >>> had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In >>> particular, it has >>> produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical >>> catastrophes: the >>> elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the >>> consequent >>> removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam >>> with the >>> State. Let me elaborate. >>> >>> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic >>> law¹, to >>> be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The >>> only thing >>> that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the >>> Qur¹an. The >>> Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the >>> divine will >>> in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually >>> consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal >>> opinion >>> of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before >>> the Abbasid >>> period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh >>> assumed >>> its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of >>> Muslim >>> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was >>> in its >>> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim >>> imperialism of >>> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not >>> from the >>> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and >>> could easily >>> be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world >>> into Daral >>> Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not >>> by this >>> stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could >>> not be >>> modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the >>> faults lay >>> and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. >>> Thus >>> fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division >>> between those >>> who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those >>> who were >>> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ >>> phase of >>> Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah >>> as divine, >>> we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. >>> >>> What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or >>> impose the >>> Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the >>> contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution >>> of fiqh >>> come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed >>> that is, >>> fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was >>> formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a >>> medieval >>> feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of >>> Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this >>> or that >>> school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, >>> becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all >>> our >>> problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for >>> a group >>> with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its >>> territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An >>> outmoded >>> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is >>> shunned and >>> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. >>> >>> The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the >>> believers >>> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people >>> themselves >>> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive >>> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the >>> Shari`ah is >>> nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that >>> provide >>> Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and >>> values are >>> not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing >>> contexts. As >>> such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than >>> law. It >>> requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly >>> reinterpret the >>> Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever >>> changing fresh >>> eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to >>> epoch which >>> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be >>> reformulated >>> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in >>> Islam is the >>> text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor for ever >>> changing interpretations. >>> >>> Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that >>> is to >>> say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral >>> perspective >>> on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made >>> answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just >>> perspective >>> within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human >>> problems. >>> But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine >>> Shari`ah, then >>> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly >>> what the >>> Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and >>> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam >>> to. Which >>> brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this >>> ideology within >>> a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, >>> and you >>> have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from >>> Iran, Saudi >>> Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous >>> assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of >>> action of >>> a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where >>> morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of >>> emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a >>> totalitarian >>> order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a >>> small >>> one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political >>> ideology not >>> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also >>> debunks most >>> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists >>> rediscover a >>> Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and >>> mock the >>> future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so >>> vividly in the >>> Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is >>> paralysed and >>> meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. >>> >>> The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim >>> politics >>> into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be >>> justified as >>> ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in >>> revolutionary Iran. >>> >>> The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall >>> process of >>> reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive >>> process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an >>> absurd state >>> that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies >>> towards >>> humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. >>> From the >>> subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through >>> mercy >>> and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes >>> repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves >>> because all questions have been answered for them by the classical >>> `ulamas, >>> far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand >>> name of >>> Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting >>> for sin. >>> >>> The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim >>> (scholar) >>> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early >>> Islam, >>> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself >>> described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early >>> classifications of >>> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- >>> Ghazali and >>> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its >>> classification >>> was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all >>> learned men, >>> scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, >>> constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were >>> closed during >>> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious >>> knowledge and the >>> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. >>> >>> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in >>> Islam, >>> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally >>> means >>> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of >>> Prophet >>> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the >>> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the >>> whole Muslim >>> community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A >>> discussion >>> would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, === message truncated === --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From kj.impulse at gmail.com Sun Apr 27 14:44:49 2008 From: kj.impulse at gmail.com (Kavita Joshi) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:44:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [DFA NewsLetter] reminder: Invitation: Persistence Resistance Film Festival, Delhi Message-ID: <821019d70804270214g74dc49f3j36053704e9e2b5cf@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Posted by: "Magic Lantern Foundation" Dear friends, We write to invite you to "Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary political films"; that will screen over 100 films from 28th to 30th April, at IIC, Delhi. The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the emerging aesthetics of political filmmaking. The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries in an attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the present day scenario of neo-liberal globalisation. Simultaneously the festival will present films in multiple ways of seeing, interacting and engaging by creating installations, outdoor screenings and small intimate screening spaces along with regular auditorium screenings. Additionally, over three evenings we explore the linkages between art, literature, theatre, comics, animation, censorship with films. The full schedule can be downloaded / viewed here http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org/PersistenceFest/PR_Mainpage.html Please note that entry is free, and open to all. With best wishes, Gargi Sen Ranjan De Priyanka Mukherjee - --------- Magic Lantern Foundation W: http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please DO NOT REPLY to the sender. To contact the MODERATOR: delhifilmarchive [at] gmail.com To UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email to delhifilmarchive-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com More OPTIONS are on the web: http://groups.google.com/group/delhifilmarchive Our WEBSITE: www.delhifilmarchive.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 12:53:49 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:53:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <625922.11789.qm@web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: "The mind of this country, taught to aim at low objects, eats upon itself." Ralph Waldo Emerson On 4/28/08 11:05 AM, "we wi" wrote: > Hi , I understood the problem with you is being citizens of India, > either Hindu or Non-Hindu, You all studied in wrong schools. You would > like to live Indian style, either in or out of INDIA but you just hate > HINDUISM. You can insult anything,anybody and You commit all mistakes or > support them knowingly or unknowingly, but no body should say anything. Damn > you. What a ............. Regards, Dhatri. "S. Jabbar" > wrote: KS, I asked some perfectly serious > questions and received an appropriate response from Shuddha, to which I > replied; and thus began, what I considered, a very interesting discussion. I > have not been able to find answers to my questions in the books I've been > reading and so I put them up to the Sarai list hoping someone would enlighten > me. Shuddha responded and I had hoped that others might join in, at least to > point me to some books. I am grateful to Radhikrajen for suggesting a library > in Bangalore. How tiresome, then, to read your childish post. You are on a > flight between Babylon and Ankara (how fascinating, thanks for letting us know > as this has everything to do with the subject under discussion) and so you > don't have the time or the wherewithal to send me references, but have energy > enough to throw e-spitballs at Shuddha. How bizarre. Does one charitably > assume its the airline food that's making you dyspeptic or are you > congenitally prone to making strange connections where none exist? What does > ijtehad— reasoned debate within Islam— have anything at all to do with > yogis? And I asked for 'Islamic scholars' as opposed to 'Muslim scholars'. > Some of the finest scholars on Islam are non-Muslim: Arberry, Arnold, > Schimmel, Armstrong, Massignon and Hodgson to name a few. Unfortunate that you > think Shuddha, and by extension anyone else, must necessarily become 'Maulvi > Shuddh' to engage in the study and discussion of Islam. If you had a problem > with the content of Shuddha's response to me then it would have been useful > for all concerned if you'd posted your criticism (even if barbed and loaded > with insults), otherwise you only come across as downright silly. Ijtehad in > Islam? I think we need it desperately within the Sarai > List first. sonia On 4/27/08 8:50 PM, "kirdar singh" wrote: > Very > interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > can guide > me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > guide her. I > can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > of a mujtahid in > Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > Farabites, move away > you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new > Baghdad... > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a > flight > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > KS > > (sorry, just couldn't help > break the serious silence on this issue > from the other Sarai fellows who are > as usual spellbound). > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata > Sengupta > wrote: >> Dear Sonia, >> >> Thanks for your post. I have been > studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And > have always been struck by >> the lucidity and the passion with which free > thought, reason and a >> robust universalist humanism finds its expression in > Islam (at that >> time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread > (to my >> knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on >> > Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere >> > between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you >> speak them > as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life >> time's work of > rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result >> of a very early > exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his >> earliers works which > are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the >> Mutazila tradition). > However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what >> I understand, also became a > little rigid and intolerant (during their >> brief ascendancy in Damascus). >> > >> But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to >> do > with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned >> with > different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and >> got > involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to >> do with > their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a >> candle for the > somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the >> Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, > who steered clear of the politics of the >> Caliphate. Perhaps the last and > crucial factor that broke the back of >> free thought was the sudden onslaught > of the Mongols on the last >> citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. > Incidentally, the Mongols (at >> least in a token manner, were flirting with > Mahayana Buddhism at that >> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one > hand, and the >> collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two > developments, which >> exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, > led to the >> 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise > of >> dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy >> > to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. >> >> What it does make > me think about is the fragility of thought as a >> result of its contact with > power. The most interesting trends in the >> Islamic world, had they stuck out > and remained autonomous (and those >> that did, within heterodox, not orthodox > Sufism, survived) could have >> still flourished. Instead, they allied > themselves to this or that >> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of > today's >> intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, > there >> was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had >> > sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of >> freedom > and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson >> for all of us > today. We could all become like the Mutazila. >> Remembered, because we are > forgotten. >> >> However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, > and the >> current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim > world, >> which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq > Ramadan, >> Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of > re- >> opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a >> > development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the >> renewal of > serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism >> in the twentieth > century. >> >> I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in > Delhi, so >> I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be > happy >> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off >> > the list) >> >> regards >> >> Shuddha >> >> >> On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, > S. Jabbar wrote: >> >>> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers > like Al Farabi, >>> Ibn >>> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of > the 8th c. and >>> have been >>> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason > in Islam and 2. Universal >>> brotherhood. >>> >>> I wonder if there are > Islamic scholars who can guide me through >>> centuries of >>> debate. I¹d > like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of >>> faith‹ I know > something of the debates of the Asharites but how did >>> their >>> views come > to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue >>> from the >>> Greek > philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic >>> brotherhood >>> > eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do >>> with > the >>> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some >>> > resources >>> please. >>> >>> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by > Ziauddin Sardar. I >>> found >>> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite > wonderful. >>> >>> Thanks & regards >>> Sj >>> ------------------------ >>> > >>> Rethinking Islam >>> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar >>> >>> Serious > rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been >>> comfortably > relying, or rather falling back, on age-old >>> interpretations for >>> much > too long. >>> >>> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, > so >>> uncomfortable >>> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been > suggesting for well >>> over a >>> century that we need to make a serious > attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned >>> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. > At the beginning of the last >>> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad > Abduh led the call for a new >>> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable > intellectuals, academics >>> and sages >>> have added to this plea - not least > Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi >>> and >>> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is > one thing Muslim societies have >>> singularly failed to undertake. Why? >>> > >>> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the >>> > Muslim world >>> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and > spirit >>> of Islam. >>> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, > cultural and >>> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane > values, >>> Islam seems >>> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it > seems to me that >>> we have >>> internalised all those historic and > contemporary western >>> representations of >>> Islam and Muslims that have > been demonising us for centuries. We now >>> actually wear the garb, I have to > confess, of the very demons that >>> the West >>> has been projecting on our > collective personality. >>> >>> But to blame the West, or a notion of > instrumental modernity that >>> is all but >>> alien to us, would be a lazy > option. True, the West, and particularly >>> America, has a great deal to > answer for. And Muslims are quick to >>> point a >>> finger at the injustices > committed by American and European foreign >>> policies >>> and hegemonic > tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my >>> opinion >>> not an > insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always >>> imposed; >>> > sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an >>> > open >>> invitation. >>> >>> We have failed to respond to the summons to > Ijtihad for some very >>> profound >>> reasons. Prime amongst these is the > fact that the context of our >>> sacred >>> texts the Qur¹an and the examples > of the Prophet Muhammad, our >>> absolute >>> frame of reference has been > frozen in history. One can only have an >>> interpretative relationship with a > text even more so if the text is >>> perceived to be eternal. But if the > interpretative context of the >>> text is >>> never our context, not our own > time, then its interpretation can >>> hardly have >>> any real meaning or > significance for us as we are now. Historic >>> interpretations constantly > drag us back to history, to frozen and >>> ossified >>> context of long ago; > worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts >>> that have >>> not even > existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong >>> emotional > attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and >>> system of >>> > ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives >>> apart > from >>> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh >>> > thinking have >>> not been possible because there is no context within which > they can >>> actually >>> take place. >>> >>> The freezing of interpretation, > the closure of Œthe gates of >>> ijtihad¹, has >>> had a devastating effect > on Muslim thought and action. In >>> particular, it has >>> produced what I > can only describe as three metaphysical >>> catastrophes: the >>> elevation of > the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the >>> consequent >>> removal > of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam >>> with the >>> > State. Let me elaborate. >>> >>> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly > translated as ŒIslamic >>> law¹, to >>> be divine. Yet, there is nothing > divine about the Shari`ah. The >>> only thing >>> that can legitimately be > described as divine in Islam is the >>> Qur¹an. The >>> Shari`ah is a human > construction; an attempt to understand the >>> divine will >>> in a particular > context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually >>> consists of fiqh or > jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal >>> opinion >>> of classical > jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before >>> the Abbasid >>> period > when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh >>> assumed >>> > its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of >>> > Muslim >>> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history > was >>> in its >>> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of > Muslim >>> imperialism of >>> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for > example, derive not >>> from the >>> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the > world was simple and >>> could easily >>> be divided into black and white: > hence, the division of the world >>> into Daral >>> Islam and Daral Harb. > Furthermore, as the framers of law were not >>> by this >>> stage managers of > society, the law became merely theory which could >>> not be >>> modified - > the framers of the law were unable to see where the >>> faults lay >>> and > what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. >>> Thus >>> > fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division >>> between > those >>> whowere governing and set themselves apart from society and > those >>> who were >>> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a > Œgolden¹ >>> phase of >>> Muslim history also came into play. When we > describe the Shari`ah >>> as divine, >>> we actually provide divine sanctions > for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. >>> >>> What this means in reality is that > when Muslim countries apply or >>> impose the >>> Shari`ah the demands of > Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the >>> contradictions that were inherent > in the formulation and evolution >>> of fiqh >>> come to the fore. That is why > wherever the Shari`ah is imposed >>> that is, >>> fiqhi legislation is > applied, out of context from the time when it was >>> formulated and out of > step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a >>> medieval >>> feel. We can see > that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of >>> Afghanistan. When > narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this >>> or that >>> school of > thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, >>> becomes the > norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all >>> our >>> problems > becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for >>> a group >>> > with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its >>> > territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An >>> > outmoded >>> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism > is >>> shunned and >>> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. >>> >>> > The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the >>> > believers >>> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given > people >>> themselves >>> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers > thus become passive >>> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In > reality, the >>> Shari`ah is >>> nothing more than a set of principles, a > framework of values, that >>> provide >>> Muslim societies with guidance. But > these sets of principles and >>> values are >>> not a static given but are > dynamically derived within changing >>> contexts. As >>> such, the Shari`ah is > a problem-solving methodology rather than >>> law. It >>> requires the > believers to exert themselves and constantly >>> reinterpret the >>> Qur¹an > and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever >>> changing fresh >>> > eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to >>> epoch > which >>> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be >>> > reformulated >>> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant > in >>> Islam is the >>> text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the > anchor for ever >>> changing interpretations. >>> >>> Islam is not so much a > religion but an integrative worldview: that >>> is to >>> say, it integrates > all aspects of reality by providing a moral >>> perspective >>> on every > aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made >>> answers to > all human problems; it provides a moral and just >>> perspective >>> within > which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human >>> problems. >>> > But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine >>> Shari`ah, > then >>> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is > exactly >>> what the >>> Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami > (both Pakistani and >>> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have > reduced Islam >>> to. Which >>> brings me to the third metaphysical > catastrophe. Place this >>> ideology within >>> a nation state, with divinely > attributed Shari`ah at its centre, >>> and you >>> have an ŒIslamic state¹. > All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from >>> Iran, Saudi >>> Arabia, the > Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous >>> assumption. But > once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of >>> action of >>> a vested > group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where >>> morality, > reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of >>> emotions. > Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a >>> totalitarian >>> order > where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a >>> small >>> > one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political >>> ideology > not >>> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also >>> > debunks most >>> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when > Islamists >>> rediscover a >>> Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to > disdain the present and >>> mock the >>> future. All we are left with is > messianic chaos, as we saw so >>> vividly in the >>> Taliban regime, where all > politics as the domain of action is >>> paralysed and >>> meaningless pieties > become the foundational truth of the state. >>> >>> The totalitarian vision > of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim >>> politics >>> into a > metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be >>> justified as >>> > ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in >>> > revolutionary Iran. >>> >>> The three metaphysical catastrophes are > accentuated by an overall >>> process of >>> reduction that has become the > norm in Muslim societies. The reductive >>> process itself is also not new; > but now it has reached such an >>> absurd state >>> that the very ideas that > are supposed to take Muslims societies >>> towards >>> humane values now > actually take them in the opposite direction. >>> From the >>> subtle beauty > of a perennial challenge to construct justice through >>> mercy >>> and > compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes >>> repeated > by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves >>> because all > questions have been answered for them by the classical >>> `ulamas, >>> far > better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand >>> name of >>> > Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting >>> for > sin. >>> >>> The process of reduction started with the very notion of > `alim >>> (scholar) >>> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an > authority? In early >>> Islam, >>> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or > knowledge, which was itself >>> described in a broad sense. We can see that in > the early >>> classifications of >>> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, > al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- >>> Ghazali and >>> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the > definition of knowledge and its >>> classification >>> was a major > intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all >>> learned men, >>> > scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, >>> > constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were >>> closed > during >>> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious >>> > knowledge and the >>> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. >>> > >>> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in >>> > Islam, >>> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma > literally >>> means >>> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the > practice of >>> Prophet >>> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity > of Muslims. When the >>> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would > call the >>> whole Muslim >>> community then, admittedly not very large to the > mosque. A >>> discussion >>> would ensue; arguments for and against would be > presented. Finally, === message truncated === > --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > now. _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From kuhutanvir at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 13:00:55 2008 From: kuhutanvir at gmail.com (Kuhu Tanvir) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] new play in Delhi Message-ID: *THE FIRST CITY THEATRE FOUNDATION* presents LINE Based on the play by Israel Horovitz Directed by Neel Chaudhuri & Mallika Taneja May 3 and 4, Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre | 7 PM Tickets priced at Rs. 300, 200, 100 and 50 *About the play*: One by one a group of unacquainted people come together to form a line for some unnamed, upcoming event. Gradually, the struggle for first place begins, and as they lie, cheat, wrestle and push to gain the lead spot an extraordinary panorama of human frailty is made explosively and hilariously real. As, in the end, are the deviousness, the competitiveness, and the pettiness of the small, wasting battles with which we litter our lives. *Cast:* **Tarun Sharma, Neel Chaudhuri, Keshav Palita, Kriti Pant, Momo Ghosh *TICKET BOOKING OPEN* To book tickets, call: 011-46070317, 9811924725 | email: theatre at firstcitydelhi.com Tickets will also be available at The Habitat Centre On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM, wrote: > 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. Re: Rethinking Islam (we wi) > 2. [DFA NewsLetter] reminder: Invitation: Persistence Resistance > Film Festival, Delhi (Kavita Joshi) > 3. Re: Rethinking Islam (S. Jabbar) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:35:27 -0700 (PDT) > From: we wi > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Message-ID: <625922.11789.qm at web45515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hi , > > I understood the problem with you is being citizens of India, either > Hindu or Non-Hindu, You > all studied in wrong schools. You would like to live Indian style, > either in or out of INDIA but you just hate HINDUISM. You can insult > anything,anybody and You commit all mistakes or support them knowingly or > unknowingly, but no body should say anything. Damn you. What a > ............. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > > > "S. Jabbar" wrote: > KS, > > I asked some perfectly serious questions and received an appropriate > response from Shuddha, to which I replied; and thus began, what I > considered, a very interesting discussion. I have not been able to find > answers to my questions in the books I've been reading and so I put them > up > to the Sarai list hoping someone would enlighten me. Shuddha responded and > I had hoped that others might join in, at least to point me to some books. > I am grateful to Radhikrajen for suggesting a library in Bangalore. > > How tiresome, then, to read your childish post. You are on a flight > between > Babylon and Ankara (how fascinating, thanks for letting us know as this > has > everything to do with the subject under discussion) and so you don't have > the time or the wherewithal to send me references, but have energy enough > to > throw e-spitballs at Shuddha. How bizarre. Does one charitably assume its > the airline food that's making you dyspeptic or are you congenitally prone > to making strange connections where none exist? > > What does ijtehadâ€" reasoned debate within Islamâ€" have anything at all > to do > with yogis? And I asked for 'Islamic scholars' as opposed to 'Muslim > scholars'. Some of the finest scholars on Islam are non-Muslim: Arberry, > Arnold, Schimmel, Armstrong, Massignon and Hodgson to name a few. > Unfortunate that you think Shuddha, and by extension anyone else, must > necessarily become 'Maulvi Shuddh' to engage in the study and discussion > of > Islam. > > > If you had a problem with the content of Shuddha's response to me then it > would have been useful for all concerned if you'd posted your criticism > (even if barbed and loaded with insults), otherwise you only come across > as > downright silly. > > Ijtehad in Islam? I think we need it desperately within the Sarai List > first. > > sonia > > > > > On 4/27/08 8:50 PM, "kirdar singh" wrote: > > > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > > > KS > > > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > wrote: > >> Dear Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by > >> the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a > >> robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that > >> time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my > >> knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on > >> Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere > >> between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you > >> speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life > >> time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result > >> of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his > >> earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the > >> Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what > >> I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during their > >> brief ascendancy in Damascus). > >> > >> But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to > >> do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned > >> with different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and > >> got involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to > >> do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a > >> candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the > >> Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the > >> Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the back of > >> free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last > >> citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at > >> least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that > >> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the > >> collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which > >> exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the > >> 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of > >> dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy > >> to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > >> > >> What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a > >> result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the > >> Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those > >> that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have > >> still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or that > >> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's > >> intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there > >> was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had > >> sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of > >> freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson > >> for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. > >> Remembered, because we are forgotten. > >> > >> However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the > >> current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, > >> which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, > >> Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of re- > >> opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a > >> development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the > >> renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism > >> in the twentieth century. > >> > >> I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so > >> I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy > >> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off > >> the list) > >> > >> regards > >> > >> Shuddha > >> > >> > >> On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > >> > >>> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, > >>> Ibn > >>> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and > >>> have been > >>> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal > >>> brotherhood. > >>> > >>> I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through > >>> centuries of > >>> debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of > >>> faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did > >>> their > >>> views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue > >>> from the > >>> Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic > >>> brotherhood > >>> eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do > >>> with the > >>> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some > >>> resources > >>> please. > >>> > >>> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I > >>> found > >>> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. > >>> > >>> Thanks & regards > >>> Sj > >>> ------------------------ > >>> > >>> Rethinking Islam > >>> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar > >>> > >>> Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been > >>> comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old > >>> interpretations for > >>> much too long. > >>> > >>> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so > >>> uncomfortable > >>> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well > >>> over a > >>> century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned > >>> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last > >>> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new > >>> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics > >>> and sages > >>> have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi > >>> and > >>> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have > >>> singularly failed to undertake. Why? > >>> > >>> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the > >>> Muslim world > >>> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit > >>> of Islam. > >>> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and > >>> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, > >>> Islam seems > >>> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that > >>> we have > >>> internalised all those historic and contemporary western > >>> representations of > >>> Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now > >>> actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that > >>> the West > >>> has been projecting on our collective personality. > >>> > >>> But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that > >>> is all but > >>> alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly > >>> America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to > >>> point a > >>> finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign > >>> policies > >>> and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my > >>> opinion > >>> not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always > >>> imposed; > >>> sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an > >>> open > >>> invitation. > >>> > >>> We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very > >>> profound > >>> reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our > >>> sacred > >>> texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our > >>> absolute > >>> frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only have an > >>> interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the text is > >>> perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the > >>> text is > >>> never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can > >>> hardly have > >>> any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic > >>> interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and > >>> ossified > >>> context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts > >>> that have > >>> not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong > >>> emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and > >>> system of > >>> ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives > >>> apart from > >>> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh > >>> thinking have > >>> not been possible because there is no context within which they can > >>> actually > >>> take place. > >>> > >>> The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Å'the gates of > >>> ijtihad¹, has > >>> had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In > >>> particular, it has > >>> produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical > >>> catastrophes: the > >>> elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the > >>> consequent > >>> removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam > >>> with the > >>> State. Let me elaborate. > >>> > >>> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as Å'Islamic > >>> law¹, to > >>> be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The > >>> only thing > >>> that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the > >>> Qur¹an. The > >>> Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the > >>> divine will > >>> in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually > >>> consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal > >>> opinion > >>> of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before > >>> the Abbasid > >>> period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh > >>> assumed > >>> its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of > >>> Muslim > >>> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was > >>> in its > >>> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim > >>> imperialism of > >>> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not > >>> from the > >>> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and > >>> could easily > >>> be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world > >>> into Daral > >>> Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not > >>> by this > >>> stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could > >>> not be > >>> modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the > >>> faults lay > >>> and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. > >>> Thus > >>> fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division > >>> between those > >>> who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those > >>> who were > >>> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Å'golden¹ > >>> phase of > >>> Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah > >>> as divine, > >>> we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. > >>> > >>> What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or > >>> impose the > >>> Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the > >>> contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution > >>> of fiqh > >>> come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed > >>> that is, > >>> fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was > >>> formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a > >>> medieval > >>> feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of > >>> Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this > >>> or that > >>> school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, > >>> becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all > >>> our > >>> problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for > >>> a group > >>> with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its > >>> territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An > >>> outmoded > >>> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is > >>> shunned and > >>> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. > >>> > >>> The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the > >>> believers > >>> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people > >>> themselves > >>> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive > >>> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the > >>> Shari`ah is > >>> nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that > >>> provide > >>> Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and > >>> values are > >>> not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing > >>> contexts. As > >>> such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than > >>> law. It > >>> requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly > >>> reinterpret the > >>> Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever > >>> changing fresh > >>> eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to > >>> epoch which > >>> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be > >>> reformulated > >>> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in > >>> Islam is the > >>> text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor for ever > >>> changing interpretations. > >>> > >>> Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that > >>> is to > >>> say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral > >>> perspective > >>> on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made > >>> answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just > >>> perspective > >>> within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human > >>> problems. > >>> But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine > >>> Shari`ah, then > >>> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly > >>> what the > >>> Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and > >>> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam > >>> to. Which > >>> brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this > >>> ideology within > >>> a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, > >>> and you > >>> have an Å'Islamic state¹. All contemporary Å'Islamic states¹, from > >>> Iran, Saudi > >>> Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous > >>> assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of > >>> action of > >>> a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where > >>> morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of > >>> emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a > >>> totalitarian > >>> order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a > >>> small > >>> one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political > >>> ideology not > >>> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also > >>> debunks most > >>> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists > >>> rediscover a > >>> Å'golden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and > >>> mock the > >>> future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so > >>> vividly in the > >>> Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is > >>> paralysed and > >>> meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. > >>> > >>> The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim > >>> politics > >>> into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be > >>> justified as > >>> Å'Islamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in > >>> revolutionary Iran. > >>> > >>> The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall > >>> process of > >>> reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive > >>> process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an > >>> absurd state > >>> that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies > >>> towards > >>> humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. > >>> From the > >>> subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through > >>> mercy > >>> and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes > >>> repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves > >>> because all questions have been answered for them by the classical > >>> `ulamas, > >>> far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand > >>> name of > >>> Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting > >>> for sin. > >>> > >>> The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim > >>> (scholar) > >>> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early > >>> Islam, > >>> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself > >>> described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early > >>> classifications of > >>> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- > >>> Ghazali and > >>> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its > >>> classification > >>> was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all > >>> learned men, > >>> scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, > >>> constituted the `ulama. But after the Å'gates of ijtihad¹ were > >>> closed during > >>> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious > >>> knowledge and the > >>> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. > >>> > >>> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in > >>> Islam, > >>> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally > >>> means > >>> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of > >>> Prophet > >>> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the > >>> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the > >>> whole Muslim > >>> community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A > >>> discussion > >>> would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, > > === message truncated === > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > now. > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:44:49 +0530 > From: "Kavita Joshi" > Subject: [Reader-list] [DFA NewsLetter] reminder: Invitation: > Persistence Resistance Film Festival, Delhi > To: delhifilmarchive at googlegroups.com, > impulseworkshops at googlegroups.com > Message-ID: > <821019d70804270214g74dc49f3j36053704e9e2b5cf at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Posted by: "Magic Lantern Foundation" > > Dear friends, > > We write to invite you to "Persistence Resistance: a festival of > contemporary > political films"; that will screen over 100 films from 28th to 30th > April, at IIC, Delhi. > > The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse > nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of > subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the > emerging aesthetics of political filmmaking. > > The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries > in an attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the > present day scenario of neo-liberal globalisation. > > Simultaneously the festival will present films in multiple ways of > seeing, interacting and engaging by creating installations, outdoor > screenings and small intimate screening spaces along with regular > auditorium screenings. > > Additionally, over three evenings we explore the linkages between art, > literature, theatre, comics, animation, censorship with films. > > The full schedule can be downloaded / viewed here > http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org/PersistenceFest/PR_Mainpage.html > > Please note that entry is free, and open to all. > > With best wishes, > Gargi Sen > Ranjan De > Priyanka Mukherjee > > - --------- > Magic Lantern Foundation > W: http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org > > - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ > Please DO NOT REPLY to the sender. > > To contact the MODERATOR: delhifilmarchive [at] gmail.com > > To UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email to > delhifilmarchive-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com > > More OPTIONS are on the web: > http://groups.google.com/group/delhifilmarchive > > Our WEBSITE: www.delhifilmarchive.org > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:53:49 +0530 > From: "S. Jabbar" > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam > To: we wi , > Message-ID: > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > "The mind of this country, taught to aim at low objects, eats upon > itself." > Ralph Waldo Emerson > > > > On 4/28/08 11:05 AM, "we wi" wrote: > > > Hi , > > I understood the problem with you is being citizens of India, > > either Hindu or Non-Hindu, You > all studied in wrong schools. You would > > like to live Indian style, either in or out of INDIA but you just hate > > HINDUISM. You can insult anything,anybody and You commit all mistakes > or > > support them knowingly or unknowingly, but no body should say anything. > Damn > > you. What a ............. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > > > "S. Jabbar" > > wrote: > KS, > > I asked some perfectly serious > > questions and received an appropriate > response from Shuddha, to which I > > replied; and thus began, what I > considered, a very interesting discussion. I > > have not been able to find > answers to my questions in the books I've been > > reading and so I put them up > to the Sarai list hoping someone would enlighten > > me. Shuddha responded and > I had hoped that others might join in, at least to > > point me to some books. > I am grateful to Radhikrajen for suggesting a library > > in Bangalore. > > How tiresome, then, to read your childish post. You are on a > > flight between > Babylon and Ankara (how fascinating, thanks for letting us know > > as this has > everything to do with the subject under discussion) and so you > > don't have > the time or the wherewithal to send me references, but have energy > > enough to > throw e-spitballs at Shuddha. How bizarre. Does one charitably > > assume its > the airline food that's making you dyspeptic or are you > > congenitally prone > to making strange connections where none exist? > > What does > > ijtehadâ€" reasoned debate within Islamâ€" have anything at all to do > with > > yogis? And I asked for 'Islamic scholars' as opposed to 'Muslim > scholars'. > > Some of the finest scholars on Islam are non-Muslim: Arberry, > Arnold, > > Schimmel, Armstrong, Massignon and Hodgson to name a few. > Unfortunate that you > > think Shuddha, and by extension anyone else, must > necessarily become 'Maulvi > > Shuddh' to engage in the study and discussion of > Islam. > > > If you had a problem > > with the content of Shuddha's response to me then it > would have been useful > > for all concerned if you'd posted your criticism > (even if barbed and loaded > > with insults), otherwise you only come across as > downright silly. > > Ijtehad in > > Islam? I think we need it desperately within the Sarai > > List > first. > > sonia > > > > > On 4/27/08 8:50 PM, "kirdar singh" wrote: > > > Very > > interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > > can guide > > me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > > guide her. I > > can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > > of a mujtahid in > > Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > > Farabites, move away > > you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new > > Baghdad... > > > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a > > flight > > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > > > KS > > > > (sorry, just couldn't help > > break the serious silence on this issue > > from the other Sarai fellows who are > > as usual spellbound). > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata > > Sengupta > > wrote: > >> Dear Sonia, > >> > >> Thanks for your post. I have been > > studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And > > have always been struck by > >> the lucidity and the passion with which free > > thought, reason and a > >> robust universalist humanism finds its expression in > > Islam (at that > >> time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread > > (to my > >> knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on > >> > > Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from somewhere > >> > > between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when you > >> speak them > > as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life > >> time's work of > > rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result > >> of a very early > > exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his > >> earliers works which > > are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the > >> Mutazila tradition). > > However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what > >> I understand, also became a > > little rigid and intolerant (during their > >> brief ascendancy in Damascus). > >> > > > >> But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to > >> do > > with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned > >> with > > different aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and > >> got > > involved in secterian political conflict that had very little to > >> do with > > their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a > >> candle for the > > somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the > >> Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, > > who steered clear of the politics of the > >> Caliphate. Perhaps the last and > > crucial factor that broke the back of > >> free thought was the sudden onslaught > > of the Mongols on the last > >> citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. > > Incidentally, the Mongols (at > >> least in a token manner, were flirting with > > Mahayana Buddhism at that > >> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one > > hand, and the > >> collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two > > developments, which > >> exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, > > led to the > >> 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise > > of > >> dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy > >> > > to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > >> > >> What it does make > > me think about is the fragility of thought as a > >> result of its contact with > > power. The most interesting trends in the > >> Islamic world, had they stuck out > > and remained autonomous (and those > >> that did, within heterodox, not orthodox > > Sufism, survived) could have > >> still flourished. Instead, they allied > > themselves to this or that > >> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of > > today's > >> intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, > > there > >> was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had > >> > > sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of > >> freedom > > and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson > >> for all of us > > today. We could all become like the Mutazila. > >> Remembered, because we are > > forgotten. > >> > >> However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, > > and the > >> current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim > > world, > >> which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq > > Ramadan, > >> Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind of > > re- > >> opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a > >> > > development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the > >> renewal of > > serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism > >> in the twentieth > > century. > >> > >> I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in > > Delhi, so > >> I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be > > happy > >> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on or off > >> > > the list) > >> > >> regards > >> > >> Shuddha > >> > >> > >> On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, > > S. Jabbar wrote: > >> > >>> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers > > like Al Farabi, > >>> Ibn > >>> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of > > the 8th c. and > >>> have been > >>> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason > > in Islam and 2. Universal > >>> brotherhood. > >>> > >>> I wonder if there are > > Islamic scholars who can guide me through > >>> centuries of > >>> debate. I¹d > > like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of > >>> faith‹ I know > > something of the debates of the Asharites but how did > >>> their > >>> views come > > to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue > >>> from the > >>> Greek > > philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic > >>> brotherhood > >>> > > eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do > >>> with > > the > >>> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some > >>> > > resources > >>> please. > >>> > >>> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by > > Ziauddin Sardar. I > >>> found > >>> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite > > wonderful. > >>> > >>> Thanks & regards > >>> Sj > >>> ------------------------ > >>> > > > >>> Rethinking Islam > >>> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar > >>> > >>> Serious > > rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been > >>> comfortably > > relying, or rather falling back, on age-old > >>> interpretations for > >>> much > > too long. > >>> > >>> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, > > so > >>> uncomfortable > >>> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been > > suggesting for well > >>> over a > >>> century that we need to make a serious > > attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned > >>> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. > > At the beginning of the last > >>> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad > > Abduh led the call for a new > >>> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable > > intellectuals, academics > >>> and sages > >>> have added to this plea - not least > > Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi > >>> and > >>> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is > > one thing Muslim societies have > >>> singularly failed to undertake. Why? > >>> > > > >>> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the > >>> > > Muslim world > >>> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and > > spirit > >>> of Islam. > >>> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, > > cultural and > >>> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane > > values, > >>> Islam seems > >>> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it > > seems to me that > >>> we have > >>> internalised all those historic and > > contemporary western > >>> representations of > >>> Islam and Muslims that have > > been demonising us for centuries. We now > >>> actually wear the garb, I have to > > confess, of the very demons that > >>> the West > >>> has been projecting on our > > collective personality. > >>> > >>> But to blame the West, or a notion of > > instrumental modernity that > >>> is all but > >>> alien to us, would be a lazy > > option. True, the West, and particularly > >>> America, has a great deal to > > answer for. And Muslims are quick to > >>> point a > >>> finger at the injustices > > committed by American and European foreign > >>> policies > >>> and hegemonic > > tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my > >>> opinion > >>> not an > > insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always > >>> imposed; > >>> > > sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an > >>> > > open > >>> invitation. > >>> > >>> We have failed to respond to the summons to > > Ijtihad for some very > >>> profound > >>> reasons. Prime amongst these is the > > fact that the context of our > >>> sacred > >>> texts the Qur¹an and the examples > > of the Prophet Muhammad, our > >>> absolute > >>> frame of reference has been > > frozen in history. One can only have an > >>> interpretative relationship with a > > text even more so if the text is > >>> perceived to be eternal. But if the > > interpretative context of the > >>> text is > >>> never our context, not our own > > time, then its interpretation can > >>> hardly have > >>> any real meaning or > > significance for us as we are now. Historic > >>> interpretations constantly > > drag us back to history, to frozen and > >>> ossified > >>> context of long ago; > > worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts > >>> that have > >>> not even > > existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong > >>> emotional > > attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and > >>> system of > >>> > > ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives > >>> apart > > from > >>> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh > >>> > > thinking have > >>> not been possible because there is no context within which > > they can > >>> actually > >>> take place. > >>> > >>> The freezing of interpretation, > > the closure of Å'the gates of > >>> ijtihad¹, has > >>> had a devastating effect > > on Muslim thought and action. In > >>> particular, it has > >>> produced what I > > can only describe as three metaphysical > >>> catastrophes: the > >>> elevation of > > the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the > >>> consequent > >>> removal > > of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam > >>> with the > >>> > > State. Let me elaborate. > >>> > >>> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly > > translated as Å'Islamic > >>> law¹, to > >>> be divine. Yet, there is nothing > > divine about the Shari`ah. The > >>> only thing > >>> that can legitimately be > > described as divine in Islam is the > >>> Qur¹an. The > >>> Shari`ah is a human > > construction; an attempt to understand the > >>> divine will > >>> in a particular > > context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually > >>> consists of fiqh or > > jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal > >>> opinion > >>> of classical > > jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before > >>> the Abbasid > >>> period > > when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh > >>> assumed > >>> > > its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of > >>> > > Muslim > >>> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history > > was > >>> in its > >>> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of > > Muslim > >>> imperialism of > >>> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for > > example, derive not > >>> from the > >>> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the > > world was simple and > >>> could easily > >>> be divided into black and white: > > hence, the division of the world > >>> into Daral > >>> Islam and Daral Harb. > > Furthermore, as the framers of law were not > >>> by this > >>> stage managers of > > society, the law became merely theory which could > >>> not be > >>> modified - > > the framers of the law were unable to see where the > >>> faults lay > >>> and > > what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. > >>> Thus > >>> > > fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division > >>> between > > those > >>> whowere governing and set themselves apart from society and > > those > >>> who were > >>> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a > > Å'golden¹ > >>> phase of > >>> Muslim history also came into play. When we > > describe the Shari`ah > >>> as divine, > >>> we actually provide divine sanctions > > for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. > >>> > >>> What this means in reality is that > > when Muslim countries apply or > >>> impose the > >>> Shari`ah the demands of > > Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the > >>> contradictions that were inherent > > in the formulation and evolution > >>> of fiqh > >>> come to the fore. That is why > > wherever the Shari`ah is imposed > >>> that is, > >>> fiqhi legislation is > > applied, out of context from the time when it was > >>> formulated and out of > > step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a > >>> medieval > >>> feel. We can see > > that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of > >>> Afghanistan. When > > narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this > >>> or that > >>> school of > > thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, > >>> becomes the > > norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all > >>> our > >>> problems > > becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for > >>> a group > >>> > > with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its > >>> > > territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An > >>> > > outmoded > >>> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism > > is > >>> shunned and > >>> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. > >>> > >>> > > The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the > >>> > > believers > >>> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given > > people > >>> themselves > >>> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers > > thus become passive > >>> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In > > reality, the > >>> Shari`ah is > >>> nothing more than a set of principles, a > > framework of values, that > >>> provide > >>> Muslim societies with guidance. But > > these sets of principles and > >>> values are > >>> not a static given but are > > dynamically derived within changing > >>> contexts. As > >>> such, the Shari`ah is > > a problem-solving methodology rather than > >>> law. It > >>> requires the > > believers to exert themselves and constantly > >>> reinterpret the > >>> Qur¹an > > and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever > >>> changing fresh > >>> > > eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to > >>> epoch > > which > >>> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be > >>> > > reformulated > >>> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant > > in > >>> Islam is the > >>> text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the > > anchor for ever > >>> changing interpretations. > >>> > >>> Islam is not so much a > > religion but an integrative worldview: that > >>> is to > >>> say, it integrates > > all aspects of reality by providing a moral > >>> perspective > >>> on every > > aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made > >>> answers to > > all human problems; it provides a moral and just > >>> perspective > >>> within > > which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human > >>> problems. > >>> > > But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine > >>> Shari`ah, > > then > >>> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is > > exactly > >>> what the > >>> Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami > > (both Pakistani and > >>> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have > > reduced Islam > >>> to. Which > >>> brings me to the third metaphysical > > catastrophe. Place this > >>> ideology within > >>> a nation state, with divinely > > attributed Shari`ah at its centre, > >>> and you > >>> have an Å'Islamic state¹. > > All contemporary Å'Islamic states¹, from > >>> Iran, Saudi > >>> Arabia, the > > Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous > >>> assumption. But > > once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of > >>> action of > >>> a vested > > group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where > >>> morality, > > reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of > >>> emotions. > > Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a > >>> totalitarian > >>> order > > where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a > >>> small > >>> > > one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political > >>> ideology > > not > >>> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also > >>> > > debunks most > >>> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when > > Islamists > >>> rediscover a > >>> Å'golden¹ past, they do so only in order to > > disdain the present and > >>> mock the > >>> future. All we are left with is > > messianic chaos, as we saw so > >>> vividly in the > >>> Taliban regime, where all > > politics as the domain of action is > >>> paralysed and > >>> meaningless pieties > > become the foundational truth of the state. > >>> > >>> The totalitarian vision > > of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim > >>> politics > >>> into a > > metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be > >>> justified as > >>> > > Å'Islamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in > >>> > > revolutionary Iran. > >>> > >>> The three metaphysical catastrophes are > > accentuated by an overall > >>> process of > >>> reduction that has become the > > norm in Muslim societies. The reductive > >>> process itself is also not new; > > but now it has reached such an > >>> absurd state > >>> that the very ideas that > > are supposed to take Muslims societies > >>> towards > >>> humane values now > > actually take them in the opposite direction. > >>> From the > >>> subtle beauty > > of a perennial challenge to construct justice through > >>> mercy > >>> and > > compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes > >>> repeated > > by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves > >>> because all > > questions have been answered for them by the classical > >>> `ulamas, > >>> far > > better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand > >>> name of > >>> > > Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting > >>> for > > sin. > >>> > >>> The process of reduction started with the very notion of > > `alim > >>> (scholar) > >>> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an > > authority? In early > >>> Islam, > >>> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or > > knowledge, which was itself > >>> described in a broad sense. We can see that in > > the early > >>> classifications of > >>> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, > > al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al- > >>> Ghazali and > >>> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the > > definition of knowledge and its > >>> classification > >>> was a major > > intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all > >>> learned men, > >>> > > scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, > >>> > > constituted the `ulama. But after the Å'gates of ijtihad¹ were > >>> closed > > during > >>> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious > >>> > > knowledge and the > >>> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. > >>> > > > >>> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in > >>> > > Islam, > >>> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma > > literally > >>> means > >>> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the > > practice of > >>> Prophet > >>> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity > > of Muslims. When the > >>> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would > > call the > >>> whole Muslim > >>> community then, admittedly not very large to the > > mosque. A > >>> discussion > >>> would ensue; arguments for and against would be > > presented. Finally, > > === message truncated === > > > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better friend, newshound, and > > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > > now. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > reader-list mailing list > reader-list at sarai.net > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > End of reader-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 68 > ******************************************* > From pawan.durani at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 16:37:00 2008 From: pawan.durani at gmail.com (Pawan Durani) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:37:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival ............ In-Reply-To: <8DD20590-F155-4103-B3C8-5FD9E63F0301@sarai.net> References: <8DD20590-F155-4103-B3C8-5FD9E63F0301@sarai.net> Message-ID: <6b79f1a70804280407s656ea85av75dcaffc1ca3fde0@mail.gmail.com> The Govt must have had some valid reason for not allowing a particular picture. Maybe we need to explore more. On 4/26/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Dear All, > > A text on outlook about our familiar Kolkata Kommissars doing what > they do best. (it was forwarded by Rahul Roy on the vikalp list, so > apologies for cross posting to those on Vikalp) > > regards, > > Shuddha > ----------------------------------------------- > > > > http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080428&fname=Film+%28F% > 29&sid=1 > > Shot At Sight > CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival ............ > Anjali Puri > > A West Bengal government famously intolerant of 'discordant' > voices—from protesters in Nandigram to Taslima Nasreen and Tibetan > freedom fighters—has subjected a central government department to an > extraordinary tantrum over the inclusion of a documentary film on the > Singur agitation in a festival of Indian Panorama films. > > With graphic footage of lathicharging cops abusing and attacking > villagers, and interviews with peasants, social activists and > economists, Ladly Mukhopadhay's 40-minute film, Whose Land is it > Anyway? is a critique of the Left Front government's acquisition of > 1,000 acres of land for a Tata small car factory in Singur, and its > handling of the agitation that followed in 2006-07. > > The Left's cultural commissars woke up late to the documentary's > inclusion in the film festival. > > The film, cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification in > December '06, was selected for inclusion in the Indian Panorama by an > independent jury of filmmakers. It was screened at the International > Film Festival in Goa last November, along > with other Panorama films and found mention in press reports. > > For some reason, these events seem to have escaped the attention of > the Left Front which only appears to have woken up to the film's > inclusion in the prestigious list when it travelled last month to > Nandan, the state government's film centre in Calcutta (and a regular > haunt of film buff-CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya), as part of a festival > of Indian Panorama films. > > The Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) in Delhi, a wing of the Union > I&B ministry which organises international and other film festivals, > (including Whose Land...) sent synopses of all the Panorama films to > Nandan, in advance of the Calcutta festival. > > Even from a cursory reading of the synopsis, it's pretty clear that > Whose Land... is far from being a paean for the state government's > actions in Singur. However, it appears that this, too, went unnoticed > by the cultural commissars of the Left Front. > > It was only after the screening on March 26 that hell broke loose. > Nandan took the extraordinary step of "suspending" the rest of the > festival. And its ceo Nilanjan Chatterjee followed up that very > afternoon with an officious fax demanding explanations from a startled > DFF. His phraseology ("I am directed", etc) suggested that he was > writing at the behest of his political bosses. > > In his fax, Nilanjan took the DFF to task for "the content of a film > (that) directly violates the ethical principles of centre-state > relationship". "I am directed to state that it is highly objectionable > to include such a controversial film in the Indian Panorama package," > he stated. "As such," he continued, "I am directed to request you to > kindly state the reason for the inclusion of such a film in the said > package". And then came the clincher: "I am further directed to inform > you that all the screenings earmarked on 27 March, 2008, will remain > suspended till a satisfactory reply is received from your office." > > By the time the DFF replied with a statement narrating the facts of > the case, the threat had been executed. Calcutta audiences were > deprived of watching even Panorama films that did not offend the Left > Front government—as punishment for watching one that did. > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Apr 28 16:50:19 2008 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:20:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <732394.49419.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Sonai & Shuddha Please continue with your conversation (in public) without getting diverted by comments that do not contribute to this (fpr me at least) fascinating subject. Thanks Kshmendra Kaul "S. Jabbar" wrote: Hi Shuddha, Thanks for your quick reply, particularly as you¹re elsewhere. Yes, the rigour of the Islamic philosopher¹s thought and the atmosphere of the times seems akin to the great ferment in India when the Prasangika Madhyamik exponents argued their way through against the Samkhyas and nihilists and Chittamatrins and finally the Svatantrika Madhyamiks to come out on top. Unlike Islam, independent Buddhist thought seems to have floursihed under the patronage of kings: Ashoka, the Kushans, and various rulers through the run of its long journey from India, through Gandhara, C.Asia, Tibet, China and Japan to Ceylon, SE Asia and Indonesia. I had no idea about Ram Mohun Roy¹s interest in the Mutazalites. I find that really interesting. And why Patna? Maybe you can direct me to an English translation of his commentaries. I¹m not sure about the Mongol flirtation with Mahayana Buddhism. I seem to recall their coming into the fold pretty late, around the 13th c., though I may be wrong. I seem to recall the biographies of Chengiz and Taimur describing them as animists and therefore considered the worst ŒBarbarians¹ by Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists alike! Found some wonderful stuff on the net, but these are confined to the works of Ibn Arabi etc. Unfortunately, the Al Farabi¹s treatise on politics, which seems to centre around human happiness (how utterly wonderful!) is not available online and the only English translation is some 60$ or more at places like Amazon. I really need to see this work and I wonder whether someone can direct me to a library in Delhi that would have his, On the Perfect State. Apart from this particular work, I wonder whether there is a volume that can connect the dots for me and answer my fundamental questions as to how the Asharites won the day or how even within the Sufi tradition it was not the ideas of the Œdrunken Sufis¹ like al-Bistami, al Hallaj and Rabia that grew and prospered but the more Orthodox silsilas that relied on the Quran, Sunna and Sharia. Look forward to your reading list. Best, sj On 4/26/08 4:25 PM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" wrote: > Dear Sonia, > > > > Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and the > Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been struck by the lucidity > and the passion with which free thought, reason and a robust universalist > humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that time, and in these hands). The > only other comparable thread (to my knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika > tradition centreing on Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts > from somewhere between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely when > you speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's life > time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as a result of a > very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his earliers works > which are in Persian, are actually commentaries on the Mutazila tradition). > However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what I understand, also became a > little rigid and intolerant (during their brief ascendancy in Damascus). > > > > But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point out, to do with > the politics of the caliphates, different schools got aligned with different > aspirants to the different caliphatic expressions, and got involved in > secterian political conflict that had very little to do with their original > philosophical orientations. I still hold a candle for the somewhat ruthless > independence maintained by the Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of > the politics of the Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke > the back of free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last > citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at least in a > token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at that time, so that > remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the collapse of Moorish Spain on > the west. These two developments, which exhausted and scattered the Islamicate > intelligentsia, led to the 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) > and the rise of dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized > clergy to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > > > > What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a result of > its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the Islamic world, had > they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those that did, within heterodox, > not orthodox Sufism, survived) could have still flourished. Instead, they > allied themselves to this or that claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many > of today's intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there > was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had sought > refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of freedom and > solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object lesson for all of us today. > We could all become like the Mutazila. Remembered, because we are forgotten. > > > > However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the current > turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, which people like > Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, Fatima Mernissi and several > others represent, points to a kind of re-opening of the gates of Itjehad. I > think that is as exciting a development (though it doesnt get the press it > deserves) as the renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical > Buddhism in the twentieth century. > > > > I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in Delhi, so I would > hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be happy to carry this > conversation forward in the future (either on or off the list) > > > > regards > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > >> >> I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al Farabi, Ibn >> >> Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and have been >> >> amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. Universal >> >> brotherhood. >> >> >> >> I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through centuries of >> >> debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in favour of >> >> faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but how did their >> >> views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue from the >> >> Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic brotherhood >> >> eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had to do with the >> >> politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some resources >> >> please. >> >> >> >> Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin Sardar. I found >> >> his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. >> >> >> >> Thanks & regards >> >> Sj >> >> ------------------------ >> >> >> >> Rethinking Islam >> >> By Professor Ziauddin Sardar >> >> >> >> Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been >> >> comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for >> >> much too long. >> >> >> >> This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so uncomfortable >> >> with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well over a >> >> century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned >> >> struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last >> >> century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new >> >> Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics and sages >> >> have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi and >> >> Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have >> >> singularly failed to undertake. Why? >> >> >> >> The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the Muslim world >> >> and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit of Islam. >> >> Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and >> >> intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, Islam seems >> >> to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that we have >> >> internalised all those historic and contemporary western representations of >> >> Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now >> >> actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that the West >> >> has been projecting on our collective personality. >> >> >> >> But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that is all but >> >> alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly >> >> America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to point a >> >> finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign policies >> >> and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my opinion >> >> not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always imposed; >> >> sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an open >> >> invitation. >> >> >> >> We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very profound >> >> reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our sacred >> >> texts ­ the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our absolute >> >> frame of reference ­ has been frozen in history. One can only have an >> >> interpretative relationship with a text ­ even more so if the text is >> >> perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the text is >> >> never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can hardly have >> >> any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic >> >> interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and ossified >> >> context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts that have >> >> not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong >> >> emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and system of >> >> ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives apart from >> >> the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh thinking have >> >> not been possible because there is no context within which they can actually >> >> take place. >> >> >> >> The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of ijtihad¹, has >> >> had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In particular, it has >> >> produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical catastrophes: the >> >> elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent >> >> removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam with the >> >> State. Let me elaborate. >> >> >> >> Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ŒIslamic law¹, to >> >> be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The only thing >> >> that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the Qur¹an. The >> >> Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the divine will >> >> in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually >> >> consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal opinion >> >> of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before the Abbasid >> >> period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh assumed >> >> its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of Muslim >> >> society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was in its >> >> expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim imperialism of >> >> that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not from the >> >> Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and could easily >> >> be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world into Daral >> >> Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not by this >> >> stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could not be >> >> modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the faults lay >> >> and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. Thus >> >> fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division between those >> >> who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those who were >> >> framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ phase of >> >> Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah as divine, >> >> we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh. >> >> >> >> What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or impose the >> >> Shari`ah ­ the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the >> >> contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution of fiqh >> >> come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed ­ that is, >> >> fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was >> >> formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a medieval >> >> feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban of >> >> Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this or that >> >> school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, >> >> becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all our >> >> problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for a group >> >> with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its >> >> territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An outmoded >> >> body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is shunned and >> >> outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. >> >> >> >> The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the believers >> >> themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people themselves >> >> have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive >> >> receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the Shari`ah is >> >> nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that provide >> >> Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and values are >> >> not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing contexts. As >> >> such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than law. It >> >> requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly reinterpret the >> >> Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever changing fresh >> >> eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to epoch ­ which >> >> means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be reformulated >> >> with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in Islam is the >> >> text of the Qur¹an itself ­ its concepts providing the anchor for ever >> >> changing interpretations. >> >> >> >> Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that is to >> >> say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral perspective >> >> on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made >> >> answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just perspective >> >> within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human problems. >> >> But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine Shari`ah, then >> >> Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly what the >> >> Islamic movements ­ in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and >> >> Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood ­ have reduced Islam to. Which >> >> brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this ideology within >> >> a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, and you >> >> have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from Iran, Saudi >> >> Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous >> >> assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of action of >> >> a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where >> >> morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of >> >> emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a totalitarian >> >> order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a small >> >> one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political ideology not >> >> only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also debunks most >> >> of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists rediscover a >> >> Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and mock the >> >> future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so vividly in the >> >> Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is paralysed and >> >> meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. >> >> >> >> The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim politics >> >> into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be justified as >> >> ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in >> >> revolutionary Iran. >> >> >> >> The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall process of >> >> reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive >> >> process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an absurd state >> >> that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies towards >> >> humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. From the >> >> subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through mercy >> >> and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes >> >> repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves >> >> because all questions have been answered for them by the classical `ulamas, >> >> far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand name of >> >> Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting for sin. >> >> >> >> The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim (scholar) >> >> itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early Islam, >> >> an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself >> >> described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early classifications of >> >> knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and >> >> Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its classification >> >> was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all learned men, >> >> scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, >> >> constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of ijtihad¹ were closed during >> >> the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious knowledge and the >> >> `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. >> >> >> >> Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in Islam, >> >> has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally means >> >> consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of Prophet >> >> Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the >> >> Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the whole Muslim >> >> community ­ then, admittedly not very large ­ to the mosque. A discussion >> >> would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, the >> >> entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit was >> >> central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over time the >> >> clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the equation ­ >> >> and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not >> >> surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns supreme in >> >> the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has become >> >> the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively Œreligious¹ adepts, >> >> those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist Mullahs, >> >> in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and circumscribe them >> >> with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. >> >> >> >> Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of reduction. The >> >> concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been >> >> reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or wrong¹ has >> >> been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even despots like >> >> Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah consciousness¹ and >> >> Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single meaning of >> >> ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the concept¹s >> >> spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped away, but >> >> it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So anyone can >> >> now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or reason. >> >> Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant from the >> >> initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including personal >> >> struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but >> >> evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ and a major >> >> source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim consciousness. >> >> And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little more than a >> >> pious desire. >> >> >> >> But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant >> >> compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the sayings and examples of the >> >> Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, Fazlur >> >> Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now the norm: >> >> almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual bits of >> >> verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a number >> >> of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their actions >> >> by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the hearts of the >> >> unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been revealed. >> >> Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning attributed to >> >> this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur¹an. In this >> >> particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad himself. It was >> >> revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped army of >> >> the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was concerned >> >> about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and promises the >> >> enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. Seen in its >> >> context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a commentary on >> >> what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to justify the >> >> most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his beard and >> >> cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just obligatory for >> >> a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also conform >> >> to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols ­ the spirit >> >> of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his >> >> humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have all been >> >> subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. >> >> >> >> The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless >> >> reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into instruments of >> >> militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in books >> >> like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: The Shape >> >> of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim civilisation is now >> >> so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by brick¹. It >> >> is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. We need >> >> to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on truth, on >> >> what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual and moral >> >> reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, we have >> >> to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and concepts as >> >> tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. >> >> >> >> The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires confronting >> >> the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to synthesis. >> >> Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, to reclaim >> >> agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and knowledgeable >> >> people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to question >> >> what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that much of >> >> fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion of an >> >> Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we really >> >> value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under educated elites, >> >> religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary world is >> >> usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its ideas and >> >> cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the professional >> >> domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh century than >> >> the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this class to >> >> bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. >> >> >> >> Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and >> >> considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of Islam must >> >> reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader context. >> >> Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and >> >> accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete spiritual >> >> meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality for all >> >> people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so it becomes >> >> something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has >> >> argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who profess to >> >> be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims should become >> >> a community in relation to each other, other communities and the natural >> >> world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but justice >> >> seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement towards >> >> synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of Islam ­ >> >> as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a domain of >> >> peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic mode of >> >> knowing, being and doing. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> June 2002 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> ---- >> >> >> >> Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many books, >> >> and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures Studies. >> >> His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions >> >> Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. >> >> _________________________________________ >> >> 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. >> >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> >> List archive: >> > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > _________________________________________ 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Mon Apr 28 17:24:40 2008 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:54:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804271128k1189a7e7o184b5d46b3d4fb7b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <109253.7521.qm@web53604.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Inder, Kirdar Sahib,I suppose , was being facetious. Anyways, could you please post the names of the works using Islamic imagery by the writers you have cited? Thanks Rahul --- inder salim wrote: > Shuddha's crime that his name sounds Hindu, but > Garcia Lorca was > homosexual and yet incorporated Islamic terminology > in his poems. > Borges too used efficiently the litrary phrases in > his famous style of > writing. I dont know how many more in Latin American > literature are > benefited by the use of Islamic sounds. Even in > Paris there was groups > led by Paul Gaugin called Nabis and thier first > painting was indeed > titled ' Talisman' and who led a strange mystic > life... > > It is only in India that this kind of wrting is > seen a Muslim > specific only, and in Paskistan anything Hindi would > be seen as Hidnu > specific only... > > Besides that Shuddha Laments > ............. which exhausted and scattered the > Islamicate > intelligentsia, led to the'closure of the gates of > 'Itjehad' > (interpretation) and the rise of dogma and clerics, > which Islam (which > never had a centralized clergy > > The main thrust of the scholarly piece is that Islam > is urgently in > need to restore its true glory by reincoporating its > mystical, > logical and intellecual past. > > In fact all the religions are are pain the ass if > they dont behave the > way it should be... > > > > > On Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 9:41 PM, Tapas Ray > wrote: > > hello! i'm a little confused. what exactly is the > problem you see in > > shuddha's post? do you think that as someone with > a hindu name, he > > should not have read so much about islamic > thought, or if he did, should > > not have mentioned that in public? > > > > just curious. > > > > tapas > > > > > > > > kirdar singh wrote: > > > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are > Islamic scholars who > > > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi > Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > > > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in > the sorely needed role > > > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... > Hail Mutazilites, Hail > > > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the > New Age Islamic > > > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > > > > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since > I am in a flight > > > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > > > > > KS > > > > > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious > silence on this issue > > > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual > spellbound). > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata > Sengupta > > > wrote: > > >> Dear Sonia, > > >> > > >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn > Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > > >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have > always been struck by > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Mon Apr 28 19:32:11 2008 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:02:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804271128k1189a7e7o184b5d46b3d4fb7b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <249181.87251.qm@web53610.mail.re2.yahoo.com> > In fact all the religions are are pain the ass if > they dont behave the > way it should be... Hi Inder, 1. What do you mean by "way it should be"? 2.Is there any way to determine an absolute "the way it should be"? 3.If all religions would behave in "the way it should be", would that mean all religions should be similiar,or do you mean all religions should conform to some checklist? P.S. If you are an atheist and you meant by this that religions should subjugate themselves to social mores,then theres nothing to explain.But please do examine this from the point view of a theist and let me know your thoughts. Thanks Rahul --- inder salim wrote: > Shuddha's crime that his name sounds Hindu, but > Garcia Lorca was > homosexual and yet incorporated Islamic terminology > in his poems. > Borges too used efficiently the litrary phrases in > his famous style of > writing. I dont know how many more in Latin American > literature are > benefited by the use of Islamic sounds. Even in > Paris there was groups > led by Paul Gaugin called Nabis and thier first > painting was indeed > titled ' Talisman' and who led a strange mystic > life... > > It is only in India that this kind of wrting is > seen a Muslim > specific only, and in Paskistan anything Hindi would > be seen as Hidnu > specific only... > > Besides that Shuddha Laments > ............. which exhausted and scattered the > Islamicate > intelligentsia, led to the'closure of the gates of > 'Itjehad' > (interpretation) and the rise of dogma and clerics, > which Islam (which > never had a centralized clergy > > The main thrust of the scholarly piece is that Islam > is urgently in > need to restore its true glory by reincoporating its > mystical, > logical and intellecual past. > > In fact all the religions are are pain the ass if > they dont behave the > way it should be... > > > > > On Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 9:41 PM, Tapas Ray > wrote: > > hello! i'm a little confused. what exactly is the > problem you see in > > shuddha's post? do you think that as someone with > a hindu name, he > > should not have read so much about islamic > thought, or if he did, should > > not have mentioned that in public? > > > > just curious. > > > > tapas > > > > > > > > kirdar singh wrote: > > > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are > Islamic scholars who > > > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi > Shuddhabrata Sengupta to > > > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in > the sorely needed role > > > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... > Hail Mutazilites, Hail > > > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the > New Age Islamic > > > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > > > > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since > I am in a flight > > > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > > > > > KS > > > > > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious > silence on this issue > > > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual > spellbound). > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata > Sengupta > > > wrote: > > >> Dear Sonia, > > >> > > >> Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn > Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > > >> the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have > always been struck by > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From kaksanjay at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 19:31:26 2008 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:31:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend Message-ID: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. Sanjay Kak ------------------------------------------- Memories of a Naxalite Friend Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 by Jyoti Punwani Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known to recover from it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. Already weakened by the sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too late. Within 24 hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends was informed on the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been cremated. Better this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged torture. For that was the fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an indicator of the ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of course, meant isolating herself from all those who would have given up everything to nurse her. There was another way she could have recovered, even while underground. Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself the break her body so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party (CPI-Maoist), it might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. Yet, days before her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was probably an inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, was a senior Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical student outfit in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of Adivasi women in Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she too would be implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went underground some years ago. When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the belle of the ball in Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of energy, bright eyes sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, near-backless cholis and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, professors included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The Bangladesh war was just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism had come to Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. Anu, majoring in Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading radicals to talk about the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that proclaimed 'Beyond Pity' and urging students to get involved with the crisis in the countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a student's role must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social work'. Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers such as Girish Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, on the link between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced us to that feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. Those were the days of 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was blossoming at Dadar's Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the Marathi literary scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still making waves. Forum Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just been founded. Anu, by then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all this. With her wide range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human rights organisation she and few others founded after Emergency with the city's intellectual ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting lawlessly with Naxalites even though they rejected its laws. Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with George Fernandes as with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's mentor, the cream of Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and vice-president. It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the type who writes books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, she left the life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions of contract workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of Adivasis in the forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed cadres were needed. In her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about the drastic change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless Nagpur sun; living in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew shudders from Nagpur's elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study circles, 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, actually did so. Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face flat; he was a Doon School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his family estate in Coorg to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had never seen deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us feel guilty for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the few occasions she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as if she had never left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, the same ability to connect, even with management types, the same readiness to indulge in women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed unnaturally detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take every opportunity she could to meet them. I realise why now. Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have been worse than an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time she had for Party work, it would have also made it impossible for her family to have accepted what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In order not to endanger her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When her father died, she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her harsh decision never to have children, though her parents would have willingly brought them up. That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the life she had chosen. The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat to the country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others. jyoti.punwani at gmail.com From sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk Mon Apr 28 23:09:47 2008 From: sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk (sabitha t p) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:39:47 +0000 (GMT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend Message-ID: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Hi all, What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress (as well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror to describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing the deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look out for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as Naxalism. The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of its responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable personages such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave mortals in Chhatisgarh and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to dissenting reaction to it. I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my father -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of brave socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to make a difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears like the vast majority of us. Sabitha. -------------------------------------------------------------- See all evil, hear all evil, speak out. --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote: > From: Sanjay Kak > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend > To: "Sarai Reader List" > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > Sanjay Kak > > ------------------------------------------- > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > by Jyoti Punwani > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known > to recover from > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. > Already weakened by the > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too > late. Within 24 > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends > was informed on > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been > cremated. Better > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged > torture. For that was the > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an > indicator of the > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of > course, meant > isolating herself from all those who would have given up > everything to nurse > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even > while underground. > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself > the break her body > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party > (CPI-Maoist), it > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. > Yet, days before > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was > probably an > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, > was a senior > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical > student outfit > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of > Adivasi women in > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she > too would be > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went > underground some years ago. > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the > belle of the ball in > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of > energy, bright eyes > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, > near-backless cholis > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, > professors > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The > Bangladesh war was > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism > had come to > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. > Anu, majoring in > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading > radicals to talk about > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that > proclaimed 'Beyond > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the > crisis in the > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > student's role > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social > work'. > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers > such as Girish > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, > on the link > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced > us to that > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. > Those were the days of > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was > blossoming at Dadar's > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the > Marathi literary > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still > making waves. Forum > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just > been founded. Anu, by > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all > this. With her wide > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human > rights organisation > she and few others founded after Emergency with the > city's intellectual > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the > Protection of Democratic > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting > lawlessly with Naxalites > even though they rejected its laws. > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with > George Fernandes as > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's > mentor, the cream of > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and > vice-president. > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the > type who writes > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, > she left the > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions > of contract > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of > Adivasis in the > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed > cadres were needed. In > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about > the drastic > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless > Nagpur sun; living > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew > shudders from Nagpur's > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study > circles, > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, > actually did so. > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face > flat; he was a Doon > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his > family estate in Coorg > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had > never seen > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu > make us feel guilty > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the > few occasions > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as > if she had never > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, > the same ability > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness > to indulge in > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed > unnaturally > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take > every opportunity > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have > been worse than > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time > she had for Party > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family > to have accepted > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In > order not to endanger > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When > her father died, > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her > harsh decision never > to have children, though her parents would have willingly > brought them up. > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the > life she had chosen. > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the > biggest threat to the > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and > who gave up a > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 23:40:43 2008 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:10:43 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Here Come's Cowboy Ambassador Moriarty Message-ID: http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2008/04/29/james-moriarty/ "Moriarty was to prove very much an American cowboy in a Nepali china shop." Read "cowboy" as euphemism for stoking conflict, murder and mayhem. As the results favouring the Maoists come in from Nepal, Mr Moriarty - their implacable opponent - must be wondering where he went wrong. The US pumped millions of dollars into building up Nepal's security forces. Military exchange programs got expanded, and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) saw its numbers swell from a pre-2001 figure of 35,000 to 100, 000 in 2005 and a projected 150,000 by this year. US military advisers swarmed the place, and the compliant RNA did their bidding from sabotaging peace talks to murdering people in cold blood. From kokopeli at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 23:41:14 2008 From: kokopeli at gmail.com (Sujata & Samantak) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:41:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> References: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, I agree entirely with Sabitha. What's perhaps worse is the way the "Naxalite threat" is being used to terrorise and harass wholly innocent individuals - such as Dr. Binayak Sen and others whose cases are less dramatic and also less publicised - who happen to protest against the excesses committed by our increasingly neo-con rulers. Two days ago, Dr. Debal Deb, a respected ecologist who has published papers in Nature and Current Science and so on, was out surveying sacred groves in Bankura when he and his companions were picked up by police on suspicion of being Naxalites/terrorists (as Sabitha says the two words have become nearly synonymous in the lexicon of the State). They were, fortunately, let off after a few hours of questioning, but when this can happen to someone with considerable clout and connections - what hope for lesser mortals? My respects to Anuradha Ghandy. Samantak 2008/4/28 sabitha t p : > Hi all, > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress (as > well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror to > describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing the > deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look out > for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as Naxalism. > The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of its > responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable personages > such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave mortals in Chhatisgarh > and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to dissenting > reaction to it. > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my father > -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of brave > socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to make a > difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears like the > vast majority of us. > > Sabitha. > -------------------------------------------------------------- > See all evil, hear all evil, speak out. > > --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote: > > > From: Sanjay Kak > > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend > > To: "Sarai Reader List" > > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > > Sanjay Kak > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > > > by Jyoti Punwani > > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known > > to recover from > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. > > Already weakened by the > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too > > late. Within 24 > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends > > was informed on > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been > > cremated. Better > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged > > torture. For that was the > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an > > indicator of the > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of > > course, meant > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up > > everything to nurse > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even > > while underground. > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself > > the break her body > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party > > (CPI-Maoist), it > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. > > Yet, days before > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was > > probably an > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, > > was a senior > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical > > student outfit > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of > > Adivasi women in > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she > > too would be > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went > > underground some years ago. > > > > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the > > belle of the ball in > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of > > energy, bright eyes > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, > > near-backless cholis > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, > > professors > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The > > Bangladesh war was > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism > > had come to > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. > > Anu, majoring in > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading > > radicals to talk about > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that > > proclaimed 'Beyond > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the > > crisis in the > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > > student's role > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social > > work'. > > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers > > such as Girish > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, > > on the link > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced > > us to that > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. > > Those were the days of > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was > > blossoming at Dadar's > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the > > Marathi literary > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still > > making waves. Forum > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just > > been founded. Anu, by > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all > > this. With her wide > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human > > rights organisation > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the > > city's intellectual > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the > > Protection of Democratic > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting > > lawlessly with Naxalites > > even though they rejected its laws. > > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with > > George Fernandes as > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's > > mentor, the cream of > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. > > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and > > vice-president. > > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the > > type who writes > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, > > she left the > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions > > of contract > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of > > Adivasis in the > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed > > cadres were needed. In > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about > > the drastic > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless > > Nagpur sun; living > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew > > shudders from Nagpur's > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study > > circles, > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From > > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, > > actually did so. > > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face > > flat; he was a Doon > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his > > family estate in Coorg > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had > > never seen > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu > > make us feel guilty > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the > > few occasions > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as > > if she had never > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, > > the same ability > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness > > to indulge in > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed > > unnaturally > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take > > every opportunity > > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have > > been worse than > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time > > she had for Party > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family > > to have accepted > > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In > > order not to endanger > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When > > her father died, > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her > > harsh decision never > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly > > brought them up. > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the > > life she had chosen. > > > > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the > > biggest threat to the > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and > > who gave up a > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > > To unsubscribe: > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > > > Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to > http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: From monica at sarai.net Tue Apr 29 03:36:41 2008 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:36:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Sarai Reader 07, and more Message-ID: <2389DA45-B98C-4D42-8781-94709812A02B@sarai.net> Sarai releases 3 publications online. -------------------------------------------- SARAI READER 07: FRONTIERS http://www.sarai.net/publications/readers/sarai-reader-07-frontiers -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- SENSOR - CENSUS - SENSOR: Investigating Circuits of Information, Registering Changes of State http://www.sarai.net/publications/occasional/sensor-census-censor -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- WORKING QUESTIONS The Sarai CSDS Fellowship Programme - 2002-2007 http://www.sarai.net/publications/occasional/working-questions --------------------------------------------- Publication Details ---------------------------------------------- SARAI READER 07: FRONTIERS ---------------------------------------------- Editors: Monica Narula, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Jeebesh Bagchi, Ravi Sundaram Associate Editor: Smriti Vohra Design: Mrityunjay Chatterjee Editorial Collective: Monica Narula, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Jeebesh Bagchi, Ravi Sundaram, Ravi S. Vasudevan, Awadhendra Sharan + Geert Lovink ISBN 81-901429-9-2 600 pages, 14.5 cm x 21 cm Paperback: Rs 350, US$ 20, € 20 "Frontiers considers limits, edges, borders and margins of all kinds as the sites for declarations, occasions for conversation, arguments, debates, recounting and reflection. Our book suggests that you consider the frontier as the skin of our time and our world, and we invite you to get under the skin of contemporary experience in order to generate a series of crucial (and frequently unsettling) narrative and analytical possibilities. For us, the frontier is a threshold waiting to be crossed, a space rife with the seductive aura of transgression. We are not talking only of actual, physical borders (though of course we are interested in literal and political borders) that are usually the residues of war, but also of the borders between different temporal registers, between languages, between different modes of action, between different bodies of thought and conviction, between the exception and the rule. Looked at this way, a border is more than a constellation of fixed markers circumscribing a domain. We have always viewed the Sarai Reader as hospitable to new and unprecedented ideas, as a space of refuge where wayward reflections can meet half-forgotten agendas. We hope our text this year sets the stage for a productive encounter with the demand for an account of the boundaries, parameters and verges of our times." -------------------------------------------- SENSOR - CENSUS - SENSOR -------------------------------------------- Investigating Circuits of Information, Registering Changes of State Produced and designed at the Sarai Media Lab, Delhi Colloquium Design: Shuddhabrata Sengupta Assisted by Taha Mehmood Documentation Editor: Smriti Vohra Print Design: Mrityunjay Chatterjee This colloquium is an activity of Towards A Culture Of Open Networks, a collaborative initiative of Sarai-CSDS, Delhi (www.sarai.net); Waag Society, Amsterdam (www.waag.org); and t0, Vienna (www.t0.or.at). The initiative is supported by the EU-India Economic and Cross-Cultural Programme under its Media, Communication and Culture Dimension. http://www.opencultures.net ISBN: 978-81-905853-7-8 November 2007, Delhi, India Price: Rs 150, US$ 12, € 10 ---------------------------------------- WORKING QUESTIONS ---------------------------------------- Independent Research & Interdisciplinary Practice The Sarai CSDS Fellowship Programme - 2002-2007 Editors: Debjani Sengupta, Vivek Narayanan Editor (Hindi): Mahmood Farooqui Editorial Coordinator: Shuddhabrata Sengupta Editorial Coordinator (Hindi): Ravikant Interviews: Smriti Vohra Design and Layout: Amitabh Kumar 312 pages, Paperback: Rs. 250, US$ 20. Euro 15 ISBN 978-81-905853-8-5 December 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------- All Publications: Produced and designed at the Sarai Media Lab, Sarai-CSDS, Delhi Published by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054, India Tel: (+91) 11 2396 0040 Fax: (+91) 11 2392 8391 email: dak at sarai.net, www,sarai.net Any part of these books may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publishers for educational and non- commercial use only. The editors, contributors and publishers, however, would like to be informed. Monica Narula Raqs Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Apr 29 07:28:16 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:28:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam Message-ID: Dear Sonia, dear all, thanks for the ongoing correspondence on the matter of rethinking Islam. I think rethinking Islam is as important as rethinking Hinduism, or Sikhism, Buddhism, Environmental Thought, Automobile Engineering, Anarchism, aesthetics, cooking, Communism, transport, biology, quantum physics, sexuality and gardening. That's my list for the moment, on other days it expands and contracts to include or evade other categories. In other words I think rethinking Islam is crucial, in a world where the word 'Islam' (like many other words, including all the words in the above list) is deployed by people that I would both, happily agree with, and totally argue against, but in either case have questions for. I like questions. I enjoy the way they turn, rise and fall. I would like to thank Sardar Master Gyani Kirdar Saheb for the honorific of Maulavi that he has bestowed upon me, of which I am entirely undeserving. The word, Maulvi, (which in Persian, derives from the root Maula, in Araibic, which in turn is related to Ma'al, or property connotes a certain degree of mastery, it signifies some one who has property, or as we say in Hindustani, 'jaagir') and I have none; least of all in the matter of Islamic theology, exegesis, fiqh or history. Islam is not my property, not my jaagir, neither is 'Hindusim' or any other belief system. I am curious. I have questions. I try and pursue these questions. I recognize in Sonia's post a similar desire to ask questions. I respond to her questions, with some speculations of my own. I do not 'know' Islam, in the same way as I do not 'know' the history of science fiction in the erstwhile Soviet Union, or travel literature in the Bengali language, or the internal debates within the Mahayana tradition.These are areas I have interests in and questions about. To be curious, or interested, is not necessarily to be a master, Kirdar ji, nevertheless, in his generosity, mistakes my curiosity for mastery. Perhaps all you gyani and guni jan have some answers. Since I don't, I will stick to what I know best, which is the act of asking questions. So, here are some more questions. If the textual substance of any body of knowledge, say scripture, is considered immaculate and perfect, how then does one explain an inconsistency within the corpus of the text? And I am doing this in order to try and be responsive and responsible to Kshemendra's request to keep the discussion going in a workmanlike manner. So, In the specific history of Islamic exegesis, this is a problem to do with the abrogation, or annulment of certain quranic injunctions, by others, which means, certain commandments and injunctions are thought of as being cancelled by others, as if God changes his mind. Typically for instance, the ecumenical spirit of the Treaty of Medina, which is the first inter communal constitutional document in human history, which spells out a charter of tolerance (between Jews, the recent Muslims, Christians, and others) and a very significant move towards an acknowledgment of the need to 'iive with difference' gets cancelled, by later, so called, 'second' Meccan injunctions of a more intolerant nature, that govern the relations between believers and others. When faced with questions of this nature, we need to ask - "Are we given to understand that the truth of revelation consists in the cancellation of tolerance by subsequent intolerance. Is God, first tolerant, and then intolerant towards the same people." We are also asked to think about the limits and boundaries of tolerance. It was problems like these that led the Muta'zilities to think in terms of trying to analyse human agency in what had hitherto been seen as divinely inspired revelation. They were pious, but intended to try and not impose consistencies between pefection and inconstancy.They reasoned that If god was perfect, he could not be inconsistent, and if there was inconsistence, it meant that the corpus of the quran, needed to be seen as a result of the interaction between divine perfection and imperfect, contingent, human understanding. The quran, or for that matter, any scripture, any philosophy, needed interpretation, analysis and criticism, in order to continue to be seen as relevant in the domain of changing human affairs. I think this holds true, not just for quranic exegesis, but of all matters where we are faced with the claim of unchagning authority in the light of radically changing circumstances. It is from matters such as these that I try and derive a personal ethics of scepticism. I am aware of a great deal of work being done, for instance, by some interesting young Sikh theologians, primarily in Canada and the United States, who are working quite closely on matters of exegetical enquiry in the Sikh tradition, fbut whose work will never be accepted or tolerated by the 'panthic' leadership, who want to present a sanitized Sikhi to their adherents. Of the current state of Hinduism, the less said the better, because the entire tradition of philosophical debate within the Sanskrit tradition has actually been sought to be extinguished by the custodians of the Hindutva, who are more busy hunting and inventing enemies (including their minions on this list) than they are in serious enquiry and reflection on what they claim to have inherited. Similarly, though there has been a lively tradition of debate within contemporary Catholic theology, with interesting contributions by feminist theologians, the current Pope is a hard core theological reactionary, and is in the course of doing lasting damage to the liberty of intellectual inquiry within the Catholic tradition. Of course, in Marxism, things are in a mess, because the lasting influence of Stalinist, Maoist and Social Democratic orthodoxy means that very few self confessed Marxists are even remotely prepared to reflect critically on their convictions. Had the gentleman known as Karl Heinrich Marx been alive today, he would have been thrown out of the vast majority of so called 'leftist' organizations because of his 'irresponsible and subversive' persistence on asking questions about matters that the parties concerned considered settled a hundred years ago. If you look at some one like Ram Mohan Roy, his interest, in the early nineteenth century, while a young student in a madrassah at Patna (in the Mutazilite legacy is an interesting case in point about how a person utilizes the accidents of their personal life to build a corpus of enqiry. yes, In nineteenth century Hindustan it was perfectly normal for a nominal Hindu to be educated in a madrassah) But it would be considered odd today. I think this is a tragedy. My personal opinion is that the more curious we are about the histories of those considered to be 'other' the more interesting our examination of ourselves becomes. That is why, I am interested in Muslims who are interested in their 'kaffir' inheritance, in Christians who can talk to Jews, in observant Jews who feel more at home with Muslims that they do with the custodians of Jewish orthodoxy and in atheists like myself (who have come to maturity within a Marxist tradition) but who are nevertheless passionately interested in entering into dialogues with those who profess to have religious experiences of all kinds. Perhaps this is a personal perversino, perhaps not. Whatever it may be, it helps me insulate myself from the danger of taking what I think, what I have grown to believe, what I know, too seriously. it reminds me, forever, that there is always something in the other that i do not know. That zone of uncertainty keeps me open and vulnreable to the presence of others, and I think it keeps others, reciprocally, open to me. That is why, despite the occasional torrents of abuse on this list, it is still interesting, and worhtwhile, to have conversations on this list, especially with people with whom one does not necessarily agree. To end, Sonia asked, why Patna, what was Ram Mohan Roy doing in Patna. Well, because, he happened to be living there (his father was a minor official in Patna) during his late adolescence, and because Patna was the last refuge of a remarkable school of comparative religion which had its core in dissident Shi'a enquiry, who doffed a distant hat to the mutazilite legacy and who also produced a later medieval classic of comparative religious anthropology called the 'Dabistan-e-Mazahib' which Ram Mohan Roy was clearly familiar with. I am not aware of sources in English that go into this question of Roy's affinity with these people in great detail, there are two major biographies in English, one by Iqbal Singh, the other by Mary Carpenter, and both evade this question. The Bengali sources, with which I am more familiar point to these contacts tangentially, and crucially, the earliest manuscripts, (the Perso-Arabic works of Roy) are either textually corrupt or have been lost. There are some Bengali scholars, like the Radical Humanist (and lapsed Brahmo) Shib Narain Ray, who touch upon this in their essays (in Bengali) but then, they are hardly read and commented upon, and a great deal more research needs to be done. I wish someone would do it, because I would learn a lot from it. regards Shuddha Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Apr 29 07:35:04 2008 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:35:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Sanjay, many thanks for forwarding the tribute to Anuradha Ghandy by Jyoti Punwani. One does not have to agree with Naxalism of any variety to be moved by the example of the kind of life that this text points to. What is important for me in it is that it suggests that the strength of one's convictions do not have to automatically translate into making other people feel guilty about their life choices, or about patronizing them. The world would be a better and more interesting place if we had more people like Anuradha Ghandy in our midst. thanks, Shuddha On 28-Apr-08, at 7:31 PM, Sanjay Kak wrote: > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > Sanjay Kak > > ------------------------------------------- > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > by Jyoti Punwani > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known to > recover from > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. Already > weakened by the > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too late. > Within 24 > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends was > informed on > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been cremated. > Better > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged torture. For that > was the > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an indicator of the > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of course, > meant > isolating herself from all those who would have given up everything > to nurse > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even while > underground. > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself the break > her body > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party (CPI- > Maoist), it > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. Yet, days > before > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was probably an > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, was a senior > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical student > outfit > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of Adivasi > women in > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she too would be > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went underground some > years ago. > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the belle of the > ball in > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of energy, bright eyes > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, near-backless > cholis > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, professors > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The Bangladesh > war was > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism had > come to > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. Anu, > majoring in > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading radicals to > talk about > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that proclaimed > 'Beyond > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the crisis in the > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > student's role > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social work'. > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers such as > Girish > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, on the link > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced us to that > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. Those were the > days of > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was blossoming at Dadar's > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the Marathi > literary > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still making > waves. Forum > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just been founded. > Anu, by > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all this. With > her wide > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human rights > organisation > she and few others founded after Emergency with the city's > intellectual > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of > Democratic > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting lawlessly with > Naxalites > even though they rejected its laws. > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with George > Fernandes as > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's mentor, the cream of > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. Playwright Vijay > Tendulkar and > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and vice- > president. > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the type > who writes > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, she > left the > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions of contract > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of Adivasis in the > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed cadres were > needed. In > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about the drastic > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless Nagpur > sun; living > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew shudders from > Nagpur's > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study circles, > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From Mumbai's Leftists, > only Anu > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, actually did so. > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face flat; he > was a Doon > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his family estate > in Coorg > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had never seen > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us > feel guilty > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the few > occasions > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as if she > had never > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, the same > ability > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness to > indulge in > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed unnaturally > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take every > opportunity > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have been > worse than > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time she had > for Party > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family to have > accepted > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In order not to > endanger > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When her > father died, > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her harsh > decision never > to have children, though her parents would have willingly brought > them up. > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the life she > had chosen. > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat > to the > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who > gave up a > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From asitredsalute at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 10:19:22 2008 From: asitredsalute at gmail.com (Asit asitreds) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:19:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] debate on narmada and land question Message-ID: romSachin Singh tomedha at narmada.org, Octave , octave at bol.net.in, dateTue, Apr 29, 2008 at 9:24 AMsubjectRehabilitation Options for NBA mailed-byyahoo.comsigned-byyahoo.com hide details 9:24 AM (53 minutes ago) Reply Dear Friend, 1. The issue of "rehabilitation" is a serious political issue and we all must support the need for people to be rehabilitated, though we also understand that the state will not rehabilitated the dispossesed. 2. I am convinced that the best path possible for the NBA can be through launching a struggle for capturing "CEILING SURPLUS LAND" and un-utilised government lands to rehabilitate the thousands of families who have lost their lands and homes due to submergence. 3. As we all know that lakhs of hectares of land is still in the hands of the big landlords and the government. This land is in their hands despite all forms of legislations and constitutional provisions stating, "land to the tiller". This huge ceiling surplus land is the single most powerful source of power for perpetuating all kinds of barbaric feudal, castist and gender discriminations. This power and control over land allows the perpetuation of a inhuman and violent practices meted out on the weaker sections of society, especially women, adivasis, children and the disabled. 4. M.P., U.P., Rajasthan, Maharastra, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar are at the forefront of caste oppression and inequal land holdings. Since the NBA has a good presence in several parts of M.P. with allied organisations spread across the country, I am convinced that it can start a good struggle for capturing ceiling surplus land. In this way, the regular "homage to martyrs" such as Birsa Munda and Bhagat Singh, as done by the NBA will also bear fruit in actual practice. 5. In this struggle for capturing ceiling surplus land NBA will be able to build a huge mass base consensus cutting across political affiliations and ideologies and will effectively take up a democratic rights on behalf of the most discriminated against - while at the same time also manage to rehabilitate those huge number of people whose homes and farms have been destroyed because of submergence. This is a challenging task but the NBA has the advantage of a mass organisation which has already been politicised. This mass base is also not under any more illusions about how much justice they can expect through appeals to the government. I am convinced that the "people" who constitute this mass base would be more than willing to launch a democratic struggle for land rights by evicting the landlords from the illegal ceiling surplus lands and reclaiming that which is legally their right. Regards, Sachin Merely doing good to the evil may be equivalent to doing evil to the good. From mrsg at vsnl.com Tue Apr 29 11:33:34 2008 From: mrsg at vsnl.com (MRSG) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:33:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend References: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <000901c8a9bf$2b5a6050$0201a8c0@MRAY> It was so sad to know that Anuradha is no more. I met her in early 80s when she would come to Delhi for human rights meetings. I still remeber her courage in an Andhra village when we went as a joint fact finding team (PUDR, CPDR, APCLC) and got surrounded by angry landowners. Hope her selfless sacrifice will someday make this wasteland called India little greener. M Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sujata & Samantak" To: Cc: "sarai readerlist" ; "nitin" ; "JOY" ; "Debraj Mookerjee" ; Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 11:41 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend > Dear All, > I agree entirely with Sabitha. What's perhaps worse is the way the > "Naxalite > threat" is being used to terrorise and harass wholly innocent > ndividuals - > such as Dr. Binayak Sen and others whose cases are less dramatic and also > less publicised - who happen to protest against the excesses committed by > our increasingly neo-con rulers. > Two days ago, Dr. Debal Deb, a respected ecologist who has published > papers > in Nature and Current Science and so on, was out surveying sacred groves > in > Bankura when he and his companions were picked up by police on suspicion > of > being Naxalites/terrorists (as Sabitha says the two words have become > nearly > synonymous in the lexicon of the State). They were, fortunately, let off > after a few hours of questioning, but when this can happen to someone with > considerable clout and connections - what hope for lesser mortals? > My respects to Anuradha Ghandy. > Samantak > > 2008/4/28 sabitha t p : > >> Hi all, >> What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress >> (as >> well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror >> to >> describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing >> the >> deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look >> out >> for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as Naxalism. >> The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of its >> responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable personages >> such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave mortals in >> Chhatisgarh >> and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to dissenting >> reaction to it. >> I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my father >> -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of brave >> socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to make >> a >> difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears like >> the >> vast majority of us. >> >> Sabitha. >> -------------------------------------------------------------- >> See all evil, hear all evil, speak out. >> >> --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote: >> >> > From: Sanjay Kak >> > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend >> > To: "Sarai Reader List" >> > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM >> > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. >> > Sanjay Kak >> > >> > ------------------------------------------- >> > >> > Memories of a Naxalite Friend >> > >> > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 >> > >> > by Jyoti Punwani >> > >> > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known >> > to recover from >> > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. >> > Already weakened by the >> > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too >> > late. Within 24 >> > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends >> > was informed on >> > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been >> > cremated. Better >> > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged >> > torture. For that was the >> > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. >> > >> > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an >> > indicator of the >> > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of >> > course, meant >> > isolating herself from all those who would have given up >> > everything to nurse >> > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even >> > while underground. >> > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself >> > the break her body >> > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party >> > (CPI-Maoist), it >> > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. >> > >> > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. >> > Yet, days before >> > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was >> > probably an >> > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, >> > was a senior >> > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical >> > student outfit >> > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of >> > Adivasi women in >> > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she >> > too would be >> > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went >> > underground some years ago. >> > >> > >> > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the >> > belle of the ball in >> > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of >> > energy, bright eyes >> > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, >> > near-backless cholis >> > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, >> > professors >> > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The >> > Bangladesh war was >> > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism >> > had come to >> > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. >> > Anu, majoring in >> > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading >> > radicals to talk about >> > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that >> > proclaimed 'Beyond >> > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the >> > crisis in the >> > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a >> > student's role >> > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social >> > work'. >> > >> > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers >> > such as Girish >> > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, >> > on the link >> > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced >> > us to that >> > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. >> > Those were the days of >> > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was >> > blossoming at Dadar's >> > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the >> > Marathi literary >> > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still >> > making waves. Forum >> > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just >> > been founded. Anu, by >> > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all >> > this. With her wide >> > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human >> > rights organisation >> > she and few others founded after Emergency with the >> > city's intellectual >> > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the >> > Protection of Democratic >> > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting >> > lawlessly with Naxalites >> > even though they rejected its laws. >> > >> > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with >> > George Fernandes as >> > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's >> > mentor, the cream of >> > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. >> > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and >> > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and >> > vice-president. >> > >> > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the >> > type who writes >> > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, >> > she left the >> > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions >> > of contract >> > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of >> > Adivasis in the >> > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed >> > cadres were needed. In >> > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about >> > the drastic >> > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless >> > Nagpur sun; living >> > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew >> > shudders from Nagpur's >> > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study >> > circles, >> > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From >> > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu >> > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, >> > actually did so. >> > >> > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face >> > flat; he was a Doon >> > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his >> > family estate in Coorg >> > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had >> > never seen >> > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu >> > make us feel guilty >> > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the >> > few occasions >> > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as >> > if she had never >> > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, >> > the same ability >> > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness >> > to indulge in >> > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed >> > unnaturally >> > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take >> > every opportunity >> > she could to meet them. I realise why now. >> > >> > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have >> > been worse than >> > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time >> > she had for Party >> > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family >> > to have accepted >> > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In >> > order not to endanger >> > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When >> > her father died, >> > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her >> > harsh decision never >> > to have children, though her parents would have willingly >> > brought them up. >> > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the >> > life she had chosen. >> > >> > >> > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the >> > biggest threat to the >> > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and >> > who gave up a >> > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. >> > >> > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. >> > To unsubscribe: >> > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> > List archive: >> > >> >> >> Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to >> http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php >> _________________________________________ >> 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. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 12:30:06 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:30:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Thanks for the post, Shuddha. A quick reply as I must dash off this morning. Your question about textual inconsistencies in works considered to be immaculate I¹m sure will spark off a huge debate‹ not all savoury. Spot on about curiosity. Many of us are born into traditions we accept at face value or don¹t bother to examine because we can¹t be bothered etc. My studies of various traditions over the years has brought me if nothing else great excitement and food for thought and further whetted, what seems to be insatiable curiosity about history and philosophy and the history of various philosophic traditions. Before somebody jumps down my throat I wish to preface the following 3 brief observations with a disclaimer that I too, like M. Shuddha, am a mere student and not an authority, and I should be happy to be corrected if wrong. The first is regarding practice within Islam. The Qur¹an was revealed over a period of 21 years and many practices seem to have changed or been added over the course of its development. Few Muslims know, for instance, that the Qiblah‹ or the direction of prayer‹ which is considered so basic and fundamental, was towards Jerusalem, and that only in 624 AD, a full 14 years after the beginning of the revelations did the Prophet change it towards the Kaaba in Mecca. The decision had less to do with religion than politics. It appears that the early Muslims had wanted to align their religion with the Judaeo-Christian tradition, wanted it to appear as a worthy successor to an illustrious lineage than a new, Œstand alone¹ religion. It was only when problems arose with the Jews of Medina that the act of praying towards Mecca became a Œtradition.¹ There appear to be many such examples including your illustration of the Treaty of Mecca. Like Sardar stresses in the essay I posted earlier, traditions only remain relevant if they are dynamic, changing with the exigencies of the times. Perhaps a contemporary Ijtehad needs to take a good look at spirit of the Treaty of Mecca. To follow the thread of our earlier converstaion about Buddhism and Ijtehad, the Tibetan Gelug tradition that strictly follows the Prasangika Madhyamik school has the following criterion to judge the authenticity of a work or teaching of the Buddha: 1. The teacher of the work must me able to follow the link from his teacher all the way back to the Buddha himself (quite in the way families trace their lineage backward through Œx begat y begat z¹) 2. The work should have been subject to the analysis and commentaries of the Nalanda masters. 3. In practice, one of the 84 Mahasiddhas should have put the teaching through the rigours of meditative practice. And most importantly, 4. If, in spite of the criteria cited above, the work cannot stand up to the rigour of logic, debate and commonsense it ought to be discarded. And finally Patna-- it seems felicitous that Ram Mohun Roy spent his childhood there and that even in the 19th and early 20th c., Bihar (Vihara of old) was a place of learning and not the Gangland of today. Rahul Sankrityayana spent time there too and there is a museum, I believe, dedicated to him in Patna‹ Sankrityayana being the Hindi writer and inveterate traveller who mastered the tripitaka and then traveled to Tibet a few times, making the journey on foot and muleback to bring back to India bag-loads of ancient Buddhist texts which he translated from the Tibetan back into Sanskrit, completing the circle of the texts that traveled from Nalanda to Tibet. That R.M.R studied at a madrassahat Patna is fascinating and points to the quality of education in those institutions, underscoring the need to challenge the present stranglehold of the ill-educated. Thanks for the reference to the Dabistan. I found this translation within a few seconds of doing a search. Jai Google! Jai www! Best sj On 4/29/08 7:28 AM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" wrote: > Dear Sonia, dear all,  > > > > thanks for the ongoing correspondence on the matter of rethinking Islam.  > > > > I think rethinking Islam is as important as rethinking Hinduism, or Sikhism, > Buddhism, Environmental Thought, Automobile Engineering, Anarchism, > aesthetics, cooking, Communism, transport, biology, quantum physics, sexuality > and gardening. That's my list for the moment, on other days it expands and > contracts to include or evade other categories. In other words I think > rethinking Islam is crucial, in a world where the word 'Islam' (like many > other words, including all the words in the above list) is deployed by people > that I would both, happily agree with, and totally argue against, but in > either case have questions for. I like questions. I enjoy the way they turn, > rise and fall. > > > > I would like to thank Sardar Master Gyani Kirdar Saheb for the honorific of > Maulavi that he has bestowed upon me, of which I am entirely undeserving. The > word, Maulvi, (which in Persian, derives from the root Maula, in Araibic, > which in turn is related to Ma'al, or property connotes a certain degree of > mastery, it signifies some one who has property, or as we say in Hindustani, > 'jaagir') and I have none; least of all in the matter of Islamic theology, > exegesis, fiqh or history. Islam is not my property,  not my jaagir, neither > is 'Hindusim' or any other belief system. I am curious. I have questions. I > try and pursue these questions. I recognize in Sonia's post a similar desire > to ask questions. I respond to her questions, with some speculations of my > own. I do not 'know' Islam, in the same way as I do not 'know' the history of > science fiction in the erstwhile Soviet Union, or travel literature in the > Bengali language, or the internal debates within the Mahayana tradition.These > are areas I have interests in and questions about. To be curious, or > interested, is not necessarily to be a master, Kirdar ji, nevertheless, in his > generosity, mistakes my curiosity for mastery.  > > > > Perhaps all you gyani and guni jan have some answers. Since I don't, I will > stick to what I know best, which is the act of asking questions. > > > > So, here are some more questions. > > > > If the textual substance of any body of knowledge, say scripture, is > considered immaculate and perfect, how then does one explain an inconsistency > within the corpus of the text? And I am doing this in order to try and be > responsive and responsible to Kshemendra's request to keep the discussion > going in a workmanlike manner. So, In the specific history of Islamic > exegesis, this is a problem to do with the abrogation, or annulment of certain > quranic injunctions, by others, which means, certain commandments and > injunctions are thought of as being cancelled by others, as if God changes his > mind. Typically for instance, the ecumenical spirit of the Treaty of Medina, > which is the first inter communal constitutional document in human history, > which spells out a charter of tolerance (between Jews, the recent Muslims, > Christians, and others) and a very significant move towards an acknowledgment > of the need to 'iive with difference' gets cancelled, by later, so called, > 'second' Meccan injunctions of a more intolerant nature, that govern the > relations between believers and others. When faced with questions of this > nature, we need to ask - "Are we given to understand that the truth of > revelation consists in the cancellation of tolerance by subsequent > intolerance. Is God, first tolerant, and then intolerant towards the same > people." We are also asked to think about the limits and boundaries of > tolerance. It was problems like these that led the Muta'zilities to think in > terms of trying to analyse human agency in what had hitherto been seen as > divinely inspired revelation. They were pious, but intended to try and not > impose consistencies between pefection and inconstancy.They reasoned that  If > god was perfect, he could not be inconsistent, and if there was inconsistence, > it meant that the corpus of the quran, needed to be seen as a result of the > interaction between divine perfection and imperfect, contingent, human > understanding. The quran, or for that matter, any scripture, any philosophy, > needed interpretation, analysis and criticism, in order to continue to be seen > as relevant in the domain of changing human affairs.  > > > > I think this holds true, not just for quranic exegesis, but of all matters > where we are faced with the claim of unchagning authority in the light of > radically changing circumstances. It is from matters such as these that I try > and derive a personal ethics of scepticism. I am aware of a great deal of work > being done, for instance, by some interesting young Sikh theologians, > primarily in Canada and the United States, who are working quite closely on > matters of exegetical enquiry in the Sikh tradition, fbut whose work will > never be accepted or tolerated by the 'panthic' leadership, who want to > present a sanitized Sikhi to their adherents. Of the current state of > Hinduism, the less said the better, because the entire tradition of > philosophical debate within the Sanskrit tradition has actually been sought to > be extinguished by the custodians of the Hindutva, who are more busy hunting > and inventing enemies (including their minions on this list)  than they are in > serious enquiry and reflection on what they claim to have inherited. > Similarly, though there has been a lively tradition of debate within > contemporary Catholic theology, with interesting contributions by feminist > theologians, the current Pope is a hard core theological reactionary, and is > in the course of doing lasting damage to the liberty of intellectual inquiry > within the Catholic tradition. Of course, in Marxism, things are in a mess, > because the lasting influence of Stalinist, Maoist and Social Democratic > orthodoxy means that very few self confessed Marxists are even remotely > prepared to reflect critically on their convictions. Had the gentleman known > as Karl Heinrich Marx been alive today, he would have been thrown out of the > vast majority of so called 'leftist' organizations because of  his > 'irresponsible and subversive' persistence on asking questions about matters > that the parties concerned considered settled a hundred years ago. > > > > If you look at some one like Ram Mohan Roy, his interest, in the early > nineteenth century, while a young student in a madrassah at Patna (in the > Mutazilite legacy is an interesting case in point about how a person utilizes > the accidents of their personal life to build a corpus of enqiry. yes, In > nineteenth century Hindustan it was perfectly normal for a nominal Hindu to be > educated in a madrassah) But it would be considered odd today. I think this is > a tragedy. My personal opinion is that the more curious we are about the > histories of those considered to be 'other' the more interesting our > examination of ourselves becomes. That is why, I am interested in Muslims who > are interested in their 'kaffir' inheritance, in Christians who can talk to > Jews, in observant Jews who feel more at home with Muslims that they do with > the custodians of Jewish orthodoxy and in atheists like myself (who have come > to maturity within a Marxist tradition) but who are nevertheless passionately > interested in entering into dialogues with those who profess to have religious > experiences of all kinds. Perhaps this is a personal perversino, perhaps not. > Whatever it may be, it helps me insulate myself from the danger of taking what > I think, what I have grown to believe, what I know, too seriously. it reminds > me, forever, that there is always something in the other that i do not know. > That zone of uncertainty keeps me open and vulnreable to the presence of > others, and I think it keeps others, reciprocally, open to me. That is why, > despite the occasional torrents of abuse on this list, it is still > interesting, and worhtwhile, to have conversations on this list, especially > with people with whom one does not necessarily agree.  > > > > To end, Sonia asked, why Patna, what was Ram Mohan Roy  doing in Patna. Well, > because, he happened to be living there (his father was a minor official in > Patna) during his late adolescence, and because Patna was the last refuge of a > remarkable  school of comparative religion which had its core in dissident > Shi'a enquiry, who doffed a distant hat to the mutazilite legacy and who also > produced a later medieval classic of comparative religious anthropology called > the 'Dabistan-e-Mazahib' which Ram Mohan Roy was clearly familiar with. I am > not aware of sources in English that go into this question of Roy's affinity > with these people in great detail, there are two major biographies in English, > one by Iqbal Singh, the other by Mary Carpenter, and both evade this question. > The Bengali sources, with which I am more familiar point to these contacts > tangentially, and crucially, the earliest manuscripts, (the Perso-Arabic works > of Roy) are either textually corrupt or have been lost. There are some Bengali > scholars, like the Radical Humanist (and lapsed Brahmo) Shib Narain Ray, who > touch upon this in their essays (in Bengali) but then, they are hardly read > and commented upon, and a great deal more research needs to be done. I wish > someone would do it, because I would learn a lot from it.  > > > > regards > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 12:33:26 2008 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:33:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Forgot the Dabistan url in the last post: http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D15501050%26ct%3D0 On 4/29/08 7:28 AM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" wrote: > Dear Sonia, dear all,  > > > > thanks for the ongoing correspondence on the matter of rethinking Islam.  > > > > I think rethinking Islam is as important as rethinking Hinduism, or Sikhism, > Buddhism, Environmental Thought, Automobile Engineering, Anarchism, > aesthetics, cooking, Communism, transport, biology, quantum physics, sexuality > and gardening. That's my list for the moment, on other days it expands and > contracts to include or evade other categories. In other words I think > rethinking Islam is crucial, in a world where the word 'Islam' (like many > other words, including all the words in the above list) is deployed by people > that I would both, happily agree with, and totally argue against, but in > either case have questions for. I like questions. I enjoy the way they turn, > rise and fall. > > > > I would like to thank Sardar Master Gyani Kirdar Saheb for the honorific of > Maulavi that he has bestowed upon me, of which I am entirely undeserving. The > word, Maulvi, (which in Persian, derives from the root Maula, in Araibic, > which in turn is related to Ma'al, or property connotes a certain degree of > mastery, it signifies some one who has property, or as we say in Hindustani, > 'jaagir') and I have none; least of all in the matter of Islamic theology, > exegesis, fiqh or history. Islam is not my property,  not my jaagir, neither > is 'Hindusim' or any other belief system. I am curious. I have questions. I > try and pursue these questions. I recognize in Sonia's post a similar desire > to ask questions. I respond to her questions, with some speculations of my > own. I do not 'know' Islam, in the same way as I do not 'know' the history of > science fiction in the erstwhile Soviet Union, or travel literature in the > Bengali language, or the internal debates within the Mahayana tradition.These > are areas I have interests in and questions about. To be curious, or > interested, is not necessarily to be a master, Kirdar ji, nevertheless, in his > generosity, mistakes my curiosity for mastery.  > > > > Perhaps all you gyani and guni jan have some answers. Since I don't, I will > stick to what I know best, which is the act of asking questions. > > > > So, here are some more questions. > > > > If the textual substance of any body of knowledge, say scripture, is > considered immaculate and perfect, how then does one explain an inconsistency > within the corpus of the text? And I am doing this in order to try and be > responsive and responsible to Kshemendra's request to keep the discussion > going in a workmanlike manner. So, In the specific history of Islamic > exegesis, this is a problem to do with the abrogation, or annulment of certain > quranic injunctions, by others, which means, certain commandments and > injunctions are thought of as being cancelled by others, as if God changes his > mind. Typically for instance, the ecumenical spirit of the Treaty of Medina, > which is the first inter communal constitutional document in human history, > which spells out a charter of tolerance (between Jews, the recent Muslims, > Christians, and others) and a very significant move towards an acknowledgment > of the need to 'iive with difference' gets cancelled, by later, so called, > 'second' Meccan injunctions of a more intolerant nature, that govern the > relations between believers and others. When faced with questions of this > nature, we need to ask - "Are we given to understand that the truth of > revelation consists in the cancellation of tolerance by subsequent > intolerance. Is God, first tolerant, and then intolerant towards the same > people." We are also asked to think about the limits and boundaries of > tolerance. It was problems like these that led the Muta'zilities to think in > terms of trying to analyse human agency in what had hitherto been seen as > divinely inspired revelation. They were pious, but intended to try and not > impose consistencies between pefection and inconstancy.They reasoned that  If > god was perfect, he could not be inconsistent, and if there was inconsistence, > it meant that the corpus of the quran, needed to be seen as a result of the > interaction between divine perfection and imperfect, contingent, human > understanding. The quran, or for that matter, any scripture, any philosophy, > needed interpretation, analysis and criticism, in order to continue to be seen > as relevant in the domain of changing human affairs.  > > > > I think this holds true, not just for quranic exegesis, but of all matters > where we are faced with the claim of unchagning authority in the light of > radically changing circumstances. It is from matters such as these that I try > and derive a personal ethics of scepticism. I am aware of a great deal of work > being done, for instance, by some interesting young Sikh theologians, > primarily in Canada and the United States, who are working quite closely on > matters of exegetical enquiry in the Sikh tradition, fbut whose work will > never be accepted or tolerated by the 'panthic' leadership, who want to > present a sanitized Sikhi to their adherents. Of the current state of > Hinduism, the less said the better, because the entire tradition of > philosophical debate within the Sanskrit tradition has actually been sought to > be extinguished by the custodians of the Hindutva, who are more busy hunting > and inventing enemies (including their minions on this list)  than they are in > serious enquiry and reflection on what they claim to have inherited. > Similarly, though there has been a lively tradition of debate within > contemporary Catholic theology, with interesting contributions by feminist > theologians, the current Pope is a hard core theological reactionary, and is > in the course of doing lasting damage to the liberty of intellectual inquiry > within the Catholic tradition. Of course, in Marxism, things are in a mess, > because the lasting influence of Stalinist, Maoist and Social Democratic > orthodoxy means that very few self confessed Marxists are even remotely > prepared to reflect critically on their convictions. Had the gentleman known > as Karl Heinrich Marx been alive today, he would have been thrown out of the > vast majority of so called 'leftist' organizations because of  his > 'irresponsible and subversive' persistence on asking questions about matters > that the parties concerned considered settled a hundred years ago. > > > > If you look at some one like Ram Mohan Roy, his interest, in the early > nineteenth century, while a young student in a madrassah at Patna (in the > Mutazilite legacy is an interesting case in point about how a person utilizes > the accidents of their personal life to build a corpus of enqiry. yes, In > nineteenth century Hindustan it was perfectly normal for a nominal Hindu to be > educated in a madrassah) But it would be considered odd today. I think this is > a tragedy. My personal opinion is that the more curious we are about the > histories of those considered to be 'other' the more interesting our > examination of ourselves becomes. That is why, I am interested in Muslims who > are interested in their 'kaffir' inheritance, in Christians who can talk to > Jews, in observant Jews who feel more at home with Muslims that they do with > the custodians of Jewish orthodoxy and in atheists like myself (who have come > to maturity within a Marxist tradition) but who are nevertheless passionately > interested in entering into dialogues with those who profess to have religious > experiences of all kinds. Perhaps this is a personal perversino, perhaps not. > Whatever it may be, it helps me insulate myself from the danger of taking what > I think, what I have grown to believe, what I know, too seriously. it reminds > me, forever, that there is always something in the other that i do not know. > That zone of uncertainty keeps me open and vulnreable to the presence of > others, and I think it keeps others, reciprocally, open to me. That is why, > despite the occasional torrents of abuse on this list, it is still > interesting, and worhtwhile, to have conversations on this list, especially > with people with whom one does not necessarily agree.  > > > > To end, Sonia asked, why Patna, what was Ram Mohan Roy  doing in Patna. Well, > because, he happened to be living there (his father was a minor official in > Patna) during his late adolescence, and because Patna was the last refuge of a > remarkable  school of comparative religion which had its core in dissident > Shi'a enquiry, who doffed a distant hat to the mutazilite legacy and who also > produced a later medieval classic of comparative religious anthropology called > the 'Dabistan-e-Mazahib' which Ram Mohan Roy was clearly familiar with. I am > not aware of sources in English that go into this question of Roy's affinity > with these people in great detail, there are two major biographies in English, > one by Iqbal Singh, the other by Mary Carpenter, and both evade this question. > The Bengali sources, with which I am more familiar point to these contacts > tangentially, and crucially, the earliest manuscripts, (the Perso-Arabic works > of Roy) are either textually corrupt or have been lost. There are some Bengali > scholars, like the Radical Humanist (and lapsed Brahmo) Shib Narain Ray, who > touch upon this in their essays (in Bengali) but then, they are hardly read > and commented upon, and a great deal more research needs to be done. I wish > someone would do it, because I would learn a lot from it.  > > > > regards > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > From jeebesh at sarai.net Tue Apr 29 13:26:48 2008 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh Bagchi) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:56:48 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: dear Sanjay, Thanks for posting these memories. If we seriously read this as a memory, then what surprises me is the unreflective and euphoric account of so called the "radical" 70s. As a narrative, it marks the 70s as the hotbed of radicalism and then 80s and 90s as a story of personal choices. This makes it as if the milieu of the 70s disintegrated - only - into various disappointments, cynicism, renunciation, dogmatism and silences. This positioning of the "underground" seems to me to mute any possibility of thinking about what went on (then and after), what kind of interventions , and what and how their efficacies played out. Why is sacrifice the main trope of for narrating a life rich in complexity and experience.? Is it possible to think these last 40 years differently? Should we not think hard on the giving up of a life for a "party"? Is Manmohan Singh going to determine how times and biographies are remembered? just wondering. warmly jeebesh > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > Sanjay Kak > > ------------------------------------------- > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > by Jyoti Punwani > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known to > recover from > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. Already > weakened by the > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too late. > Within 24 > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends was > informed on > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been cremated. > Better > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged torture. For that > was the > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an indicator of the > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of course, > meant > isolating herself from all those who would have given up everything > to nurse > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even while > underground. > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself the break > her body > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party (CPI- > Maoist), it > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. Yet, days > before > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was probably an > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, was a senior > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical student > outfit > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of Adivasi > women in > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she too would be > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went underground some > years ago. > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the belle of the > ball in > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of energy, bright eyes > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, near-backless > cholis > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, professors > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The Bangladesh > war was > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism had > come to > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. Anu, > majoring in > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading radicals to > talk about > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that proclaimed > 'Beyond > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the crisis in the > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > student's role > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social work'. > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers such as > Girish > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, on the link > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced us to that > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. Those were the > days of > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was blossoming at Dadar's > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the Marathi > literary > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still making > waves. Forum > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just been founded. > Anu, by > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all this. With > her wide > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human rights > organisation > she and few others founded after Emergency with the city's > intellectual > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of > Democratic > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting lawlessly with > Naxalites > even though they rejected its laws. > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with George > Fernandes as > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's mentor, the cream of > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. Playwright Vijay > Tendulkar and > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and vice- > president. > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the type > who writes > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, she > left the > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions of contract > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of Adivasis in the > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed cadres were > needed. In > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about the drastic > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless Nagpur > sun; living > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew shudders from > Nagpur's > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study circles, > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From Mumbai's Leftists, > only Anu > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, actually did so. > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face flat; he > was a Doon > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his family estate > in Coorg > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had never seen > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us > feel guilty > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the few > occasions > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as if she > had never > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, the same > ability > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness to > indulge in > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed unnaturally > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take every > opportunity > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have been > worse than > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time she had > for Party > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family to have > accepted > what she sawas inevitable—an underground future. In order not to > endanger > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When her > father died, > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her harsh > decision never > to have children, though her parents would have willingly brought > them up. > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the life she > had chosen. > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat > to the > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who > gave up a > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From ravikant at sarai.net Tue Apr 29 12:57:22 2008 From: ravikant at sarai.net (Ravikant) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:57:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] from Kafila: to whom it may conecrn Message-ID: <200804291257.22421.ravikant@sarai.net> Hey where did Kafila go? For those who have been thinking just that. This message comes from the Kafila bloggers- The Kafila Group of Bloggers wishes to inform a) those offended/satisfied by its recent trail of porn links, b) puzzled/thrilled by disappearance of autorickshaws and new First World global cityscape look c) frustrated/vindicated by its complete unavailability over the past few days d) all of the above, that we have been slowly and systematically HACKED but are working on it. We would like to believe that the hackers are a) the Chinese government b) the RSS c) They Who Must Not Be Named. But most probably the hacking is due merely to Search Engine Optimization (only one of us is even remotely near understanding what this means, so most of us continue to be in a state of smug smirkiness about how dangerous we are to all sorts of Forces of Evil.) We hope to be back soon, our impudent little autos intact, so please bear with us. For those who dont really give a damn either way about kafila - consider the fact that this is no worse spam than ads for Cialis. kafila Gr. From image.science at donau-uni.ac.at Tue Apr 29 13:14:00 2008 From: image.science at donau-uni.ac.at (Image Science) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:44:00 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - MediaArtHistories Message-ID: <4816EDE00200007D0000592C@gwgwia.donau-uni.ac.at> CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FIRST INTERNATIONAL MASTER OF MEDIA.ART.HISTORIES (Low residency; English language, open for applications now) The postgraduate program MediaArtHistories at the Department for Image Science offers a two-year low residency leading to an M.A. degree. It conveys the most important developments of contemporary art through a network of renowned international theorists, artists, curators and many others. Artists and programmers give new insights into the latest and most controversial software, interface developments and their interdisciplinary and intercultural praxis. Keywords are: Strategies of Interaction & Interface Design, Social Software, Immersion & Emotion and Artistic Invention. Using online databases and other aids, knowledge of computer animation, net art, interactive, telematic and genetic art as well as the most recent reflections on nano art, CAVE installations, augmented reality and wearables are introduced. Historical derivations that go far back into art and media history are tied in intriguing ways to digital art. Important approaches and methods from Image Science, Media Archaeology and the History of Science & Technology will be discussed. MediaArtHistories MA is based on the international praxis and expertise in Curation, Collecting, Preserving and Archiving and Researching in the Media Arts. What are the conditions necessary for a wider consideration of media art works and of new media in these collections of the international contemporary art scene? And in which way can new Databases and other scientific tools of structuring and visualizing data provide new contexts and enhance our understanding of semantics? Further Information: www.donau-uni.ac.at/dis www.donau-uni.ac.at/mediaarthistories www.virtualart.at www.mediaarthistory.org/pub/mediaarthistories.html www.donau-uni.ac.at/telelectures FACULTY Erkki HUHTAMO, UCLA; Lev MANOVICH, UC, San Diego; Christiane PAUL, Whitney Museum; Jens HAUSER, Paris; Gerfried STOCKER, Ars Electronica Linz; Christa SOMMERER & Laurent MIGNONNEAU, Art University Linz; Paul SERMON, Manchester, UK; Jasdan JOERGES, Micromovie, Berlin; Steve DIETZ, Director of ISEA 2006; Oliver GRAU, Danube University; Edward SHANKEN, UCLA; KNOWBOTIC RESEARCH, HGKZ, Zuerich; Frieder NAKE, University Bremen; Machiko KUSAHARA, Waseda University; Monika FLEISCHMANN, Fraunhofer Institute; Margit ROSEN, MA, ZKM; Miklos PÉTÉRNAK, Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest; Sylvia GRACE BORDA, University of British Columbia; Martina LEEKER, University Bayreuth; Slavko KACUNKO, University Osnabrueck; Irina ARISTARKHOVA, Penn State University / Singapore DANUBE UNIVERSITY - located in the UNESCO world heritage Wachau is the first public university in Europe which specializes in advanced continuing education offering low-residency degree programs for working professionals and lifelong learners. Students come twice a year for 2 week blocks to Monastery Göttweig in Austria. With its new modular courses the DEPARTMENT FOR IMAGE SCIENCE at Danube University offers an educational program internationally unique. Without interrupting the career students have the opportunity to learn through direct, hands-on experience, social learning in small groups and contacts with labs and industry. They gain key qualifications for the contemporary art and media marketplace. The Center in Monastery Göttweig, where most MediaArtHistories courses take place, is housed in a 14th century building, remodeled to fit the needs of modern research in singular surroundings. International experts analyze the image worlds of art, science, politics and economy and elucidate how they originated, became established and how they have stood the test of time. The innovative approach at the Department for Image Science is reinforced by praxis-oriented study. APPLICATIONS for the next course start will be accepted until May 7th, 2008 (rolling admissions). Module dates: May 17 - May 27, 2008 Market of Media Art / -Management Preservation of Digital Art Sources of Digital Art and Early Forms of Computer Graphics Historicizing Art and Technology Cybernetics in MediaArtHistory Gender aspects of Media Art Excursion Ars Electronica Center November 24 - December 7, 2008 Introduction to Interfacedesign Locative Media: Augmented Space Digital Tools and their programming >From Telematic Images to Micromovies Immersion & Emotion Design & Function of Knowledge Space Medial performance, theater und opera May 4 - May 15, 2009 Strategy of networks Ambient Intelligence Planning festivals Exhibiting & Curating Media Art Exhibiting, Curation and Collection Digital Art Archiving and Preservation interdisciplinary and intercultural work November 2 - November 12, 2009 MediaArtHistories & Media Archaeology Media Theory and Theory of multimedia-based systems Theory of perception Visualization Art & Science - History of Science Spaces of interaction and their planning Social Software Contact: Sabine Weber, MSc Department for Image Science Danube University Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Str. 30, A-3500 Krems Tel: +43(0)2732 893-2569 sabine.weber at donau-uni.ac.at www.donau-uni.ac.at/dis From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 13:30:53 2008 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:30:53 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] ActionAlert: Anti-coastal corridor struggle in AP Message-ID: <4816D5B5.4030207@gmail.com> From: Chakradhar *Dear all, * *Add your name,Copy the following text and email to **cs at ap.gov.in* Also senta copy to me at samalochana at gmail.com *Chakri* To *Chief Secretary* Government of Andhra Pradesh India Dear Sir, Sub: This is in reference to the proposed coastal corridor regarding. We oppose the government's plan to set up industrial coastal corridor in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. We feel it is against the right to life guaranteed by Indian constitution as it affects livelihoods of the marginalised sections in a big way. The coastal corridor will prove determinant to marine life due to the pollution caused by petro- chemical industries which are coming up as part of coastal corridor. Setting up coastal corridor in the paddy rich coastal districts will sound death knell to food security of Andhra Pradesh. In this context we make following demands 1. Scrap SEZ act and G.O number 34 unconditionally. 2. Don't acquire agricultural and coastal lands for industrial coastal corridor. 3. Don't pollute the fertile delta lands and destroy enormous marine life. With warm regards, *********** --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "stolengeneration" group. To post to this group, send email to stolengeneration at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to stolengeneration-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/stolengeneration -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 29 13:40:19 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:10:19 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> References: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear All, I grieve with you all at the sad demise of that good soul Anu, who was as good as any human can be, always caring and sharing the miseries of the humans deprived of good governance. struggling for the rights of the deprived, irrespective of their castes and faiths. Today it has become fashionable to term anyone who questions the misrule and lack of governance in the system to be branded as terrorist, anti-social. With glaring spotlight on the efforts of the humans to get good governance all this can change, but alas, the electronic visual media is in the hands of barons who are more keen on the truth and experience and whatever it takes to give out their version of trp contrived views as news. ! Regards, ----- Original Message ----- From: Sujata & Samantak Date: Monday, April 28, 2008 11:43 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend To: sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk Cc: sarai readerlist , nitin , JOY , Debraj Mookerjee , satchida at hotmail.com > Dear All, > I agree entirely with Sabitha. What's perhaps worse is the way the > "Naxalitethreat" is being used to terrorise and harass wholly > innocent individuals - > such as Dr. Binayak Sen and others whose cases are less dramatic > and also > less publicised - who happen to protest against the excesses > committed by > our increasingly neo-con rulers. > Two days ago, Dr. Debal Deb, a respected ecologist who has > published papers > in Nature and Current Science and so on, was out surveying sacred > groves in > Bankura when he and his companions were picked up by police on > suspicion of > being Naxalites/terrorists (as Sabitha says the two words have > become nearly > synonymous in the lexicon of the State). They were, fortunately, > let off > after a few hours of questioning, but when this can happen to > someone with > considerable clout and connections - what hope for lesser mortals? > My respects to Anuradha Ghandy. > Samantak > > 2008/4/28 sabitha t p : > > > Hi all, > > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate > Congress (as > > well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of > terror to > > describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of > addressing the > > deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but > to look out > > for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as > Naxalism.> The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the > state of its > > responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable > personages> such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave > mortals in Chhatisgarh > > and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to > dissenting> reaction to it. > > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including > my father > > -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community > of brave > > socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want > to make a > > difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their > ears like the > > vast majority of us. > > > > Sabitha. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > See all evil, hear all evil, speak out. > > > > --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote: > > > > > From: Sanjay Kak > > > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend > > > To: "Sarai Reader List" > > > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM > > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > > > Sanjay Kak > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > > > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > > > > > by Jyoti Punwani > > > > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known > > > to recover from > > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. > > > Already weakened by the > > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too > > > late. Within 24 > > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends > > > was informed on > > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been > > > cremated. Better > > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged > > > torture. For that was the > > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > > > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an > > > indicator of the > > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of > > > course, meant > > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up > > > everything to nurse > > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even > > > while underground. > > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself > > > the break her body > > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party > > > (CPI-Maoist), it > > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > > > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. > > > Yet, days before > > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was > > > probably an > > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, > > > was a senior > > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical > > > student outfit > > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of > > > Adivasi women in > > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she > > > too would be > > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went > > > underground some years ago. > > > > > > > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the > > > belle of the ball in > > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of > > > energy, bright eyes > > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, > > > near-backless cholis > > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, > > > professors > > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The > > > Bangladesh war was > > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism > > > had come to > > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. > > > Anu, majoring in > > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading > > > radicals to talk about > > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that > > > proclaimed 'Beyond > > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the > > > crisis in the > > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > > > student's role > > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social > > > work'. > > > > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers > > > such as Girish > > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, > > > on the link > > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced > > > us to that > > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. > > > Those were the days of > > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was > > > blossoming at Dadar's > > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the > > > Marathi literary > > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still > > > making waves. Forum > > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just > > > been founded. Anu, by > > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all > > > this. With her wide > > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human > > > rights organisation > > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the > > > city's intellectual > > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the > > > Protection of Democratic > > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting > > > lawlessly with Naxalites > > > even though they rejected its laws. > > > > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with > > > George Fernandes as > > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's > > > mentor, the cream of > > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. > > > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and > > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and > > > vice-president. > > > > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the > > > type who writes > > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, > > > she left the > > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions > > > of contract > > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of > > > Adivasis in the > > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed > > > cadres were needed. In > > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about > > > the drastic > > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless > > > Nagpur sun; living > > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew > > > shudders from Nagpur's > > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study > > > circles, > > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From > > > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu > > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, > > > actually did so. > > > > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face > > > flat; he was a Doon > > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his > > > family estate in Coorg > > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had > > > never seen > > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu > > > make us feel guilty > > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the > > > few occasions > > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as > > > if she had never > > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, > > > the same ability > > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness > > > to indulge in > > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed > > > unnaturally > > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take > > > every opportunity > > > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > > > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have > > > been worse than > > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time > > > she had for Party > > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family > > > to have accepted > > > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In > > > order not to endanger > > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When > > > her father died, > > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her > > > harsh decision never > > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly > > > brought them up. > > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the > > > life she had chosen. > > > > > > > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the > > > biggest threat to the > > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and > > > who gave up a > > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > > > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to > > http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Tue Apr 29 14:02:22 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:32:22 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam In-Reply-To: <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> References: <2E161F93-493C-4FDD-ABC5-A4ABD4BD57CD@sarai.net> <73eb60090804270820n6219a276q4d026d4f1c7ece2d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, by being sarcastic what is it that you have done, one need not be muslim to study islam, one need not be hindu to study the scriptures in hindu philosophy, if that were so most earned works in Vedas would not have come from scholars of the German origin.!Scriptures are universal, interpretations are limited by intellect and perceptions of the person studying them.! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: kirdar singh Date: Sunday, April 27, 2008 8:51 pm Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Rethinking Islam To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta Cc: sarai list > Very interesting... S.Jabbar asked "if there are Islamic scholars who > can guide me..." and quickly jumped in Maulvi Shuddhabrata > Sengupta to > guide her. I can very well see Maulvi Shuddh in the sorely needed role > of a mujtahid in Islam in the times to come... Hail Mutazilites, Hail > Farabites, move away you Yogis... Here comes the New Age Islamic > Ijtehad, Sarai being the new Baghdad... > > (Sorry I'll give you the references later, since I am in a flight > between Babylon and Ankara.) > > KS > > (sorry, just couldn't help break the serious silence on this issue > from the other Sarai fellows who are as usual spellbound). > > > On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 4:53 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta > wrote: > > Dear Sonia, > > > > Thanks for your post. I have been studying Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd and > > the Mutazila for quite some time now. And have always been > struck by > > the lucidity and the passion with which free thought, reason and a > > robust universalist humanism finds its expression in Islam (at that > > time, and in these hands). The only other comparable thread (to my > > knowledge) is the core of the Madhyamika tradition centreing on > > Nagarjuna in Mahayana Buddhism. And I take my comforts from > somewhere> between Mutazila and Madhyamika (which resonates nicely > when you > > speak them as names), Incidentally, someone like Ram Mohan Roy's > life> time's work of rethinking the corpus of Hinduism occurred as > a result > > of a very early exposure to Mutazila reason while in Patna (and his > > earliers works which are in Persian, are actually commentaries > on the > > Mutazila tradition). However, the Mutazila, in their time, from what > > I understand, also became a little rigid and intolerant (during > their> brief ascendancy in Damascus). > > > > But the crucial thing that happenned is as you rightly point > out, to > > do with the politics of the caliphates, different schools got > aligned> with different aspirants to the different caliphatic > expressions, and > > got involved in secterian political conflict that had very > little to > > do with their original philosophical orientations. I still hold a > > candle for the somewhat ruthless independence maintained by the > > Ismaili Nizaris on Alamut, who steered clear of the politics of the > > Caliphate. Perhaps the last and crucial factor that broke the > back of > > free thought was the sudden onslaught of the Mongols on the last > > citadel of the Abbasids in Baghdad. Incidentally, the Mongols (at > > least in a token manner, were flirting with Mahayana Buddhism at > that> time, so that remains another enigma) on the one hand, and the > > collapse of Moorish Spain on the west. These two developments, which > > exhausted and scattered the Islamicate intelligentsia, led to the > > 'closure of the gates of 'Itjehad' (interpretation) and the rise of > > dogma and clerics, which Islam (which never had a centralized clergy > > to speak of before) has not recovered from, not yet. > > > > What it does make me think about is the fragility of thought as a > > result of its contact with power. The most interesting trends in the > > Islamic world, had they stuck out and remained autonomous (and those > > that did, within heterodox, not orthodox Sufism, survived) could > have> still flourished. Instead, they allied themselves to this or > that> claimant to the Caliphate, (not unlike many of today's > > intelligentsia) and when that centre of power was torn down, there > > was little cover for them. They became vulnerable because they had > > sought refuge in the powerful. The glorious and tragic history of > > freedom and solidarity in the Muslim world is a kind of object > lesson> for all of us today. We could all become like the Mutazila. > > Remembered, because we are forgotten. > > > > However, I do think interesting things are happenning now, and the > > current turbulence in the Intellectual currents of the Muslim world, > > which people like Ziauddin Sardar (whom you mention), Tariq Ramadan, > > Fatima Mernissi and several others represent, points to a kind > of re- > > opening of the gates of Itjehad. I think that is as exciting a > > development (though it doesnt get the press it deserves) as the > > renewal of serious and rigorous debate within philosophical Buddhism > > in the twentieth century. > > > > I dont have my books around me at the moment as I am not in > Delhi, so > > I would hesitate to give you precise references, but I would be > happy> to carry this conversation forward in the future (either on > or off > > the list) > > > > regards > > > > Shuddha > > > > > > On 26-Apr-08, at 2:41 PM, S. Jabbar wrote: > > > > > I¹ve been reading some of the works of philosophers like Al > Farabi,> > Ibn > > > Arabi and Ibn Rushd and the Mutazila movement of the 8th c. and > > > have been > > > amazed by two things: 1. The focus on reason in Islam and 2. > Universal> > brotherhood. > > > > > > I wonder if there are Islamic scholars who can guide me through > > > centuries of > > > debate. I¹d like to know when and why reason was trashed in > favour of > > > faith‹ I know something of the debates of the Asharites but > how did > > > their > > > views come to eclipse the Muslim philosophers who took their cue > > > from the > > > Greek philosophers. And then why did the idea of an Islamic > > > brotherhood > > > eclipse the idea of universal brotherhood? I imagine it had > to do > > > with the > > > politics of the Caliphates, but can someone direct me to some > > > resources > > > please. > > > > > > Pasted below is an old but interesting essay by Ziauddin > Sardar. I > > > found > > > his book Desperately seeking Paradise quite wonderful. > > > > > > Thanks & regards > > > Sj > > > ------------------------ > > > > > > Rethinking Islam > > > By Professor Ziauddin Sardar > > > > > > Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been > > > comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old > > > interpretations for > > > much too long. > > > > > > This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so > > > uncomfortable > > > with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for > well> > over a > > > century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at > reasoned> > struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the > beginning of the last > > > century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call > for a new > > > Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics > > > and sages > > > have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin > Nabbi> > and > > > Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have > > > singularly failed to undertake. Why? > > > > > > The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the > > > Muslim world > > > and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit > > > of Islam. > > > Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and > > > intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, > > > Islam seems > > > to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me > that> > we have > > > internalised all those historic and contemporary western > > > representations of > > > Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. > We now > > > actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that > > > the West > > > has been projecting on our collective personality. > > > > > > But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that > > > is all but > > > alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and > particularly> > America, has a great deal to answer for. And > Muslims are quick to > > > point a > > > finger at the injustices committed by American and European > foreign> > policies > > > and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my > > > opinion > > > not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always > > > imposed; > > > sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam > is an > > > open > > > invitation. > > > > > > We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very > > > profound > > > reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our > > > sacred > > > texts the Qur¹an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our > > > absolute > > > frame of reference has been frozen in history. One can only > have an > > > interpretative relationship with a text even more so if the > text is > > > perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the > > > text is > > > never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can > > > hardly have > > > any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic > > > interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and > > > ossified > > > context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts > > > that have > > > not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a > strong> > emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a > worldview and > > > system of > > > ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives > > > apart from > > > the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh > > > thinking have > > > not been possible because there is no context within which > they can > > > actually > > > take place. > > > > > > The freezing of interpretation, the closure of Œthe gates of > > > ijtihad¹, has > > > had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In > > > particular, it has > > > produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical > > > catastrophes: the > > > elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the > > > consequent > > > removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam > > > with the > > > State. Let me elaborate. > > > > > > Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as > ŒIslamic> > law¹, to > > > be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The > > > only thing > > > that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the > > > Qur¹an. The > > > Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the > > > divine will > > > in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah > actually> > consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing > more than legal > > > opinion > > > of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before > > > the Abbasid > > > period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh > > > assumed > > > its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of > > > Muslim > > > society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim > history was > > > in its > > > expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim > > > imperialism of > > > that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not > > > from the > > > Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and > > > could easily > > > be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world > > > into Daral > > > Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not > > > by this > > > stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which > could> > not be > > > modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the > > > faults lay > > > and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and > reformulation.> > Thus > > > fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division > > > between those > > > who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those > > > who were > > > framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a Œgolden¹ > > > phase of > > > Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah > > > as divine, > > > we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by- > gone fiqh. > > > > > > What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or > > > impose the =3E > > Shari`ah the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the > > > contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution > > > of fiqh > > > come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed > > > that is, > > > fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time > when it was > > > formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies > acquire a > > > medieval > > > feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the > Taliban of > > > Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of > this> > or that > > > school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world > or not, > > > becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will > solve all > > > our > > > problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes > necessary for > > > a group > > > with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to > preserve its > > > territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An > > > outmoded > > > body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is > > > shunned and > > > outlawed by appealing to its divine nature. > > > > > > The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the > > > believers > > > themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people > > > themselves > > > have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become > passive> > receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In > reality, the > > > Shari`ah is > > > nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that > > > provide > > > Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and > > > values are > > > not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing > > > contexts. As > > > such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than > > > law. It > > > requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly > > > reinterpret the > > > Qur¹an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever > > > changing fresh > > > eyes. Indeed, the Qur¹an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to > > > epoch which > > > means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be > > > reformulated > > > with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in > > > Islam is the > > > text of the Qur¹an itself its concepts providing the anchor > for ever > > > changing interpretations. > > > > > > Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that > > > is to > > > say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral > > > perspective > > > on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide > ready-made > > > answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just > > > perspective > > > within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human > > > problems. > > > But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine > > > Shari`ah, then > > > Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly > > > what the > > > Islamic movements in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both > Pakistani and > > > Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood have reduced Islam > > > to. Which > > > brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this > > > ideology within > > > a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, > > > and you > > > have an ŒIslamic state¹. All contemporary ŒIslamic states¹, from > > > Iran, Saudi > > > Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this > ridiculous> > assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes > a programme of > > > action of > > > a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a > battlefield where > > > morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the > alter of > > > emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a > > > totalitarian > > > order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration > is a > > > small > > > one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political > > > ideology not > > > only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also > > > debunks most > > > of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists > > > rediscover a > > > Œgolden¹ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and > > > mock the > > > future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so > > > vividly in the > > > Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is > > > paralysed and > > > meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state. > > > > > > The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim > > > politics > > > into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be > > > justified as > > > ŒIslamic¹ by the dictates of political expediency as we > witnessed in > > > revolutionary Iran. > > > > > > The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall > > > process of > > > reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The > reductive> > process itself is also not new; but now it has > reached such an > > > absurd state > > > that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies > > > towards > > > humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. > > > From the > > > subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice > through> > mercy > > > and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the > extremes> > repeated by people convinced they have no duty to > think for themselves > > > because all questions have been answered for them by the classical > > > `ulamas, > > > far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand > > > name of > > > Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to > voting> > for sin. > > > > > > The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim > > > (scholar) > > > itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In > early> > Islam, > > > an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was > itself> > described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early > > > classifications of > > > knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, > al- > > > Ghazali and > > > Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its > > > classification > > > was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all > > > learned men, > > > scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as > theologians,> > constituted the `ulama. But after the Œgates of > ijtihad¹ were > > > closed during > > > the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious > > > knowledge and the > > > `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars. > > > > > > Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal > life in > > > Islam, > > > has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally > > > means > > > consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the > practice of > > > Prophet > > > Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. > When the > > > Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the > > > whole Muslim > > > community then, admittedly not very large to the mosque. A > > > discussion > > > would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. > Finally,> > the > > > entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic > spirit> > was > > > central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over > > > time the > > > clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the > > > equation > > > and reduced ijma to Œthe consensus of the religious scholars¹. Not > > > surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns > > > supreme in > > > the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has > > > become > > > the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively > Œreligious¹> > adepts, > > > those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist > > > Mullahs, > > > in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and > > > circumscribe them > > > with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic. > > > > > > Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of > > > reduction. The > > > concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, > has been > > > reduced to the ideals of a nation state: Œmy country right or > > > wrong¹ has > > > been transpose to read Œmy Ummah right or wrong¹. So even > despots like > > > Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ŒUmmah > > > consciousness¹ and > > > Œunity of the Ummah¹. Jihad has now been reduced to the single > > > meaning of > > > ŒHoly War¹. This translation is perverse not only because the > > > concept¹s > > > spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped > > > away, but > > > it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So > > > anyone can > > > now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral > rhyme or > > > reason. > > > Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant > > > from the > > > initial meaning of jihad. It¹s other connotations, including > personal> > struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social > construction have all but > > > evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as Œpublic interest¹ > and a > > > major > > > source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim > > > consciousness. > > > And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little > > > more than a > > > pious desire. > > > > > > But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is > insignificant> > compared to the reductive way the Qur¹an and the > sayings and > > > examples of the > > > Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, > > > Fazlur > > > Rahman called the Œatomistic¹ treatment of the Qur¹an is now > the norm: > > > almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual > > > bits of > > > verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for > example, a > > > number > > > of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their > > > actions > > > by quoting the following verse: ŒWe will put terror into the > hearts> > of the > > > unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been > > > revealed. > > > Hell shall be their home¹ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning > > > attributed to > > > this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the > Qur¹an.> > In this > > > particular verse, the Qur¹an is addressing Prophet Muhammad > > > himself. It was > > > revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill > equipped> > army of > > > the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was > > > concerned > > > about the outcome of the battle. The Qur¹an reassures him and > > > promises the > > > enemy will be terrified with the Prophet¹s unprofessional army. > > > Seen in its > > > context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a > > > commentary on > > > what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to > > > justify the > > > most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet¹s own appearance, his > > > beard and > > > cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just > > > obligatory for > > > a Œgood Muslim¹ to have a beard, but its length and shape must > also> > conform > > > to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols > the > > > spirit > >> of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his > actions, his > > > humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have > > > all been > > > subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction. > > > > > > The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and > endless> > reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of > Islam into > > > instruments of > > > militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two > decades, in > > > books > > > like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: > > > The Shape > > > of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim > > > civilisation is now > > > so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, Œbrick by > > > brick¹. It > > > is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by > idea.> > We need > > > to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on > > > truth, on > > > what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual > > > and moral > > > reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of > humanity,> > we have > > > to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and > > > concepts as > > > tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality. > > > > > > The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires > > > confronting > > > the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to > > > synthesis. > > > Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, > > > to reclaim > > > agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and > > > knowledgeable > > > people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of > Islam: to > > > question > > > what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare > that> > much of > > > fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion > > > of an > > > Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we > > > really > > > value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under > > > educated elites, > > > religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary > > > world is > > > usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its > > > ideas and > > =3E cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the > > > professional > > > domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh > > > century than > > > the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this > > > class to > > > bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history. > > > > > > Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and > > > considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of > > > Islam must > > > reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader > > > context. > > > Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to > participatory and > > > accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete > > > spiritual > > > meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality > > > for all > > > people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so > > > it becomes > > > something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar > Ibrahim has > > > argued, the Ummah is not Œmerely the community of all those who > > > profess to > > > be Muslims¹; rather, it is a Œmoral conception of how Muslims > > > should become > > > a community in relation to each other, other communities and the > > > natural > > > world¹. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but > > > justice > > > seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement > > > towards > > > synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and > message of > > > Islam > > > as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, > as a > > > domain of > > > peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic > > > mode of > > > knowing, being and doing. > > > > > > > > > > > > June 2002 > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > ------- > > > ------ > > > ---- > > > > > > Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many > > > books, > > > and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and > Futures> > Studies. > > > His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life > (Visions> > Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London. > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list> > List archive: > > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > > Raqs Media Collective > > shuddha at sarai.net > > www.sarai.net > > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > > > > > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 15:30:48 2008 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:00:48 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Dalrymple on Pakistan's "New Deal" Message-ID: I post below yet another article that will sink without a trace in Reader List, because: 1. It doesn't involve India... 2. It involves Pakistan, but isn't negative... For the 0.2% that are interested, here is Dalrymple's latest... A New Deal in Pakistan By William Dalrymple What happened in Khairpur was a small revolution—a middle-class victory over the forces of reactionary feudal landlordism. More astonishingly, it was a revolution that was reproduced across the country. To widespread surprise, the elections in Pakistan were free and fair; and Pakistanis voted heavily in favor of liberal centrist parties opposed to both the mullahs and the army. Here, in a country normally held up in the more Islamophobic right-wing press of Western countries as the epitome of "what went wrong" in the Islamic world, a popular election resulted in an unequivocal vote for moderate, secular democracy. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21194 From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 15:49:37 2008 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:49:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Fishers burn effigy of Kerala finance minister Message-ID: <3457ce860804290319l1addfc8cn8cc88c7925d034c@mail.gmail.com> The Fishers burn effigy of Kerala finance minister Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Swathanthra Malsyathozhilaly Federation has registered its protest against the statement of Dr. Thomas Isaac, the finance minister of Kerala who supported the NABARD proposal for reclaiming the sea for starting industries. KSMTF urged him to withdraw the statement as the move would worsen the problems faced by the fishing community. The reclaimation of the sea will cause serious ecological problems in the already existing volatile sea and seashore, KSMTF stated. Hundreds of fisher people gathered in protest against finance minister in front of the Secretariat. As a symbolic act of the agitation the fishing community burnt the effigy of the finance minister. From mail at shivamvij.com Tue Apr 29 18:23:41 2008 From: mail at shivamvij.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Shivam_Vij?= =?UTF-8?Q?_=E0=A4=B6=E0=A4=BF=E0=A4=B5=E0=A4=AE?= =?UTF-8?Q?=E0=A5=8D_=E0=A4=B5=E0=A4=BF=E0=A4=9C=E0=A5=8D?=) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:23:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: References: <5c5369880804280701g3b6c486ew155671b6999a4f6f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <9c06aab30804290553s32343a79md0639132c9a4272b@mail.gmail.com> I second what Shuddha is saying, and Jeebesh's analysis actually raises more questions than it purports to. But I have some questions for Sabitha. Jyoti Punwani's assertion - "Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us feel guilty for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us" - is indeed very heartening. Those who ally themselves against any kind of oppression in anyway are often mocked at for their personal lifestyles. We saw this some months ago on this list in a Nandigram debate when Shuddha was being 'praised' for his work amongst the poor. You see something like this in the atrocious film Bawandar where the feminist activists from Delhi are being mocked for their penchant for shopping, films and burgers as they fight Bhanwari Devi's case. Anu, we are told, was someone who 'declassed' herself and yet did not have such a patronising attitude. The Naxalite does have a lot of lessons to offer. But the only place where Punwani offers a semblance of an argument for Naxalism - this is a personal obituary - is in the last two lines: "The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat to the country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others." To state the obvious, the naxalites - threat or not - are much bigger than one individual. And that individual's limited personal interactions with friends of the pre-Naxalite life are no barometer to measure Naxalism. And as Jeebesh points out, the narrative has a whole about what she did or did not do in the underground life and years. Which brings me to Sabitha's response. She writes: > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress (as > well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror to > describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing the > deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look out > for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as Naxalism. Firstly, the official Home Ministry policy is to indeed look at 'the deprivation of millions'. See http://mha.nic.in/security/N.M.Division.pdf == "Naxalites operate in a vacuum created by inadequacy of administrative and political institutions. They espouse local demands and take advantage of the prevalent disaffection and injustice among the exploited segments of the population and seek to offer an alternative system of governance which promises emancipation of these segments through the barrel of guns. "The naxal violence continues to be an area of major concern to internal security. The problem cuts across several state boundaries. In order to check the growth of naxalite activities in the country, the Government has addressed the problem both on security and development fronts" == The development ministries have especially marked funds for development in Naxalite areas. Having travelled a bit in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, I can tell you this is not all bunkum. They are also looking at the issue of rights and the Forest Rights Act is a step in that direction. The massive scale of displacement is another story though, and I'm not so naive as to say that the rural poor in the red corridor has no disenchantment with the state - I mean, even the state admits as much. But the labelling of Naxalites as terrorists is I think in line with the definition of terrorists. A terrorist is someone who uses violence to frighten or terrorise with a political aim. The touching obituary of Anu Ghandhy cannot blind us to delete the word violence in discussions of Naxalism. So while I agree with Sabitha that - > The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of its > responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable personages > such as Dr.Binayak Sen But I ponder at the word 'recasting'. The problem with the terrorists-versus-deprivation-of-millions-and-then-see-what-they-did-to-Binayak-Sen line is that we are looking at the state's actions and inactions but not those of the Naxalites. I am not defending the Indian state, just asking why you present this binary to me on a plate, State vs Naxalites, and ask me to take my pick? Is another world that impossible? So while I stand with you in opposing, condemning the fake encounters of the innocent and false cases against Binayak Sen and others, and the brutality of Salwa Judum, here are my questions. Do you support violence? But do you support violence as a means of achieving 'revolution'? And do you support revolution? Are you arguing against universal adult franchise, against multiparty democracy, elections, freedom of speech..? And if the Naxalites indulge in violence, why won't the state seek to repress them, punish them? Are you saying you want an India ruled and run by the Communist Party of India (Maoist)? Do you want to live in a communist state, 17 years after the collapse of the soviet union? Oh, and how many did the cultural revolution kill? And how many will the Indian Maoists kill before we can be freed from the violence of deprivation perpetrated by the Indian state, so that we can replace Gandhi's photographs with Mao's? Are you saying that you support the taking away of individual rights of people who don't want to live under Maoist rule, or those who are not willing to join The Party? > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my father > -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of brave > socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to make a > difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears like the > vast majority of us. Fine, but the Naxalites are much more than that. They use landmines, they exploit deprivation, they put the tribal poor on the frontlines to clash with the police and build their political dreams in safe underground hideouts, (in Jharkhand) they use the gun to support one party or another in elections; in Dantewada they take money from tendu leaves businessmen to allow the business... One Naxalite-turned-Salwa Judum guy in Dantewada told me that amongst other things he had to do amongst the Naxalites was to raid villages and find the riches man in the village, ask him to hand over all his wealth, which would be redistributed amongst the villagers. Should he not agree to do so, he would be killed. In which case he would be killed, half his wealth taken away by the raiding Naxalites and the other half distributed. Tell me Sabitha, is this how you want feudalism ended? I really hope anyone who sides with Naxalites and calls himself or herself a Naxalite 'sympathiser' does so only as a rhetorical retort to the Indian state. And by the way, The Naxalites love it when Manmohan calls them the biggest internal security threat. They take it as a compliment. So if you are a Naxal sympathiser, you should be happily smiling at Manmohan's comment. But let me also say I think Manomohan's threat perception is exaggerated, perhaps deliberately. There is not a single police post in the country that the Naxalites have been able to permanantly capture. The election commission says there is no polling both where they are not able to hold elections because of the naxalites. The naxalites have just filled in the vaccum in places where the Indian state didn't exist, and where it now has an urgent need to enter. And I thank my atheist gods for that. best shivam On 4/29/08, Jeebesh Bagchi wrote: > dear Sanjay, > > Thanks for posting these memories. > > If we seriously read this as a memory, then what surprises me is the > unreflective and euphoric account of so called the "radical" 70s. As > a narrative, it marks the 70s as the hotbed of radicalism and then > 80s and 90s as a story of personal choices. > > This makes it as if the milieu of the 70s disintegrated - only - into > various disappointments, cynicism, renunciation, dogmatism and > silences. This positioning of the "underground" seems to me to mute > any possibility of thinking about what went on (then and after), > what kind of interventions , and what and how their efficacies played > out. Why is sacrifice the main trope of for narrating a life rich in > complexity and experience.? > > Is it possible to think these last 40 years differently? > > Should we not think hard on the giving up of a life for a "party"? Is > Manmohan Singh going to determine how times and biographies are > remembered? > > just wondering. > > warmly > jeebesh > > > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > > Sanjay Kak > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > > > by Jyoti Punwani > > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known to > > recover from > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. Already > > weakened by the > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too late. > > Within 24 > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends was > > informed on > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been cremated. > > Better > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged torture. For that > > was the > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an indicator of the > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of course, > > meant > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up everything > > to nurse > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even while > > underground. > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself the break > > her body > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party (CPI- > > Maoist), it > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. Yet, days > > before > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was probably an > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, was a senior > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical student > > outfit > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of Adivasi > > women in > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she too would be > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went underground some > > years ago. > > > > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the belle of the > > ball in > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of energy, bright eyes > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, near-backless > > cholis > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, professors > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The Bangladesh > > war was > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism had > > come to > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. Anu, > > majoring in > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading radicals to > > talk about > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that proclaimed > > 'Beyond > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the crisis in the > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > > student's role > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social work'. > > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers such as > > Girish > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, on the link > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced us to that > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. Those were the > > days of > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was blossoming at Dadar's > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the Marathi > > literary > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still making > > waves. Forum > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just been founded. > > Anu, by > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all this. With > > her wide > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human rights > > organisation > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the city's > > intellectual > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of > > Democratic > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting lawlessly with > > Naxalites > > even though they rejected its laws. > > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with George > > Fernandes as > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's mentor, the cream of > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. Playwright Vijay > > Tendulkar and > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and vice- > > president. > > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the type > > who writes > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, she > > left the > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions of contract > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of Adivasis in the > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed cadres were > > needed. In > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about the drastic > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless Nagpur > > sun; living > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew shudders from > > Nagpur's > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study circles, > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From Mumbai's Leftists, > > only Anu > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, actually did so. > > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face flat; he > > was a Doon > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his family estate > > in Coorg > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had never seen > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us > > feel guilty > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the few > > occasions > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as if she > > had never > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, the same > > ability > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness to > > indulge in > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed unnaturally > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take every > > opportunity > > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have been > > worse than > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time she had > > for Party > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family to have > > accepted > > what she sawas inevitable—an underground future. In order not to > > endanger > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When her > > father died, > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her harsh > > decision never > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly brought > > them up. > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the life she > > had chosen. > > > > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat > > to the > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who > > gave up a > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From debraj.mookerjee at gmail.com Mon Apr 28 23:53:35 2008 From: debraj.mookerjee at gmail.com (debraj mookerjee) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:53:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> References: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <8b402e3c0804281123n6b48cb6blea2fa2f32ce8b3ee@mail.gmail.com> fortunately, today's reort in the papers about the planning commissions empowered body on the naxalite movement is edifying. seeks to remove the tag of terror and recommends engagement since the naxalite movement is the overt face of simmering dissent that lies under the gloss of the developmental state. the report also seks to have selvah jhudum delegitimised. the report refreshingly foregrounds the importance of dissent and protest in a democracy and advises the governemnt to view the naxalite movement as such, ad not label it terorist -- the nomenclature game sabitha has already underscored. some positive thoughts for people to ponder. 2008/4/28 Sujata & Samantak : > Dear All, > I agree entirely with Sabitha. What's perhaps worse is the way the > "Naxalite threat" is being used to terrorise and harass wholly innocent > individuals - such as Dr. Binayak Sen and others whose cases are less > dramatic and also less publicised - who happen to protest against the > excesses committed by our increasingly neo-con rulers. > Two days ago, Dr. Debal Deb, a respected ecologist who has published > papers in Nature and Current Science and so on, was out surveying sacred > groves in Bankura when he and his companions were picked up by police on > suspicion of being Naxalites/terrorists (as Sabitha says the two words have > become nearly synonymous in the lexicon of the State). They were, > fortunately, let off after a few hours of questioning, but when this can > happen to someone with considerable clout and connections - what hope for > lesser mortals? > My respects to Anuradha Ghandy. > Samantak > > 2008/4/28 sabitha t p : > > Hi all, > > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress > > (as well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror > > to describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing > > the deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look > > out for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as > > Naxalism. The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of > > its responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable > > personages such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave mortals in > > Chhatisgarh and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to > > dissenting reaction to it. > > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my > > father -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of > > brave socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to > > make a difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears > > like the vast majority of us. > > > > Sabitha. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > See all evil, hear all evil, speak out. > > > > --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote: > > > > > From: Sanjay Kak > > > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend > > > To: "Sarai Reader List" > > > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM > > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > > > Sanjay Kak > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > > > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > > > > > by Jyoti Punwani > > > > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known > > > to recover from > > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. > > > Already weakened by the > > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too > > > late. Within 24 > > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends > > > was informed on > > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been > > > cremated. Better > > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged > > > torture. For that was the > > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > > > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an > > > indicator of the > > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of > > > course, meant > > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up > > > everything to nurse > > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even > > > while underground. > > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself > > > the break her body > > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party > > > (CPI-Maoist), it > > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > > > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. > > > Yet, days before > > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was > > > probably an > > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, > > > was a senior > > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical > > > student outfit > > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of > > > Adivasi women in > > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she > > > too would be > > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went > > > underground some years ago. > > > > > > > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the > > > belle of the ball in > > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of > > > energy, bright eyes > > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, > > > near-backless cholis > > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, > > > professors > > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The > > > Bangladesh war was > > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism > > > had come to > > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. > > > Anu, majoring in > > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading > > > radicals to talk about > > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that > > > proclaimed 'Beyond > > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the > > > crisis in the > > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > > > student's role > > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social > > > work'. > > > > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers > > > such as Girish > > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, > > > on the link > > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced > > > us to that > > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. > > > Those were the days of > > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was > > > blossoming at Dadar's > > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the > > > Marathi literary > > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still > > > making waves. Forum > > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just > > > been founded. Anu, by > > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all > > > this. With her wide > > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human > > > rights organisation > > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the > > > city's intellectual > > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the > > > Protection of Democratic > > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting > > > lawlessly with Naxalites > > > even though they rejected its laws. > > > > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with > > > George Fernandes as > > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's > > > mentor, the cream of > > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. > > > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and > > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and > > > vice-president. > > > > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the > > > type who writes > > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, > > > she left the > > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions > > > of contract > > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of > > > Adivasis in the > > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed > > > cadres were needed. In > > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about > > > the drastic > > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless > > > Nagpur sun; living > > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew > > > shudders from Nagpur's > > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study > > > circles, > > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From > > > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu > > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, > > > actually did so. > > > > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face > > > flat; he was a Doon > > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his > > > family estate in Coorg > > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had > > > never seen > > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu > > > make us feel guilty > > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the > > > few occasions > > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as > > > if she had never > > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, > > > the same ability > > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness > > > to indulge in > > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed > > > unnaturally > > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take > > > every opportunity > > > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > > > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have > > > been worse than > > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time > > > she had for Party > > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family > > > to have accepted > > > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In > > > order not to endanger > > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When > > > her father died, > > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her > > > harsh decision never > > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly > > > brought them up. > > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the > > > life she had chosen. > > > > > > > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the > > > biggest threat to the > > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and > > > who gave up a > > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > > > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > > > To unsubscribe: > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > > List archive: > > > > > > > > > Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to > > http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > -- LD-74 Pitam Pura New Delhi - 110088 9312433663 011-64562182 011-27317767 From mitoo at sarai.net Mon Apr 28 14:41:29 2008 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:41:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] LINE- The First City Theatre Foundation Message-ID: <481594C1.7030204@sarai.net> THE FIRST CITY THEATRE FOUNDATION presents *LINE* Based on the play by Israel Horovitz Directed by Neel Chaudhuri & Mallika Taneja May 3 and 4, Stein Auditorium | 7 PM | India Habitat Centre Tickets priced at Rs. 300, 200, 100 and 50 ------------------------------------------------ *About the Play* One by one a group of unacquainted people come together to form a line for some unnamed, upcoming event. Gradually, the struggle for first place begins, and as they lie, cheat, wrestle and push to gain the lead spot an extraordinary panorama of human frailty is made explosively and hilariously real. As, in the end, are the deviousness, the competitiveness, and the pettiness of the small, wasting battles with which we litter our lives. Israel Horovitz's */Line/* is the longest running play in off-Broadway history. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From knutson at uchicago.edu Tue Apr 29 11:40:59 2008 From: knutson at uchicago.edu (Jesse R. Knutson) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:10:59 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Naxalite heroes Message-ID: <20080429011059.AZK77999@m4500-03.uchicago.edu> To respond to Shuddha whose mail is pasted below...Yes all one has to agree with is that the only heroes, even Naxalite ones, are the rich and that the only palatable mode of politics is the asceticism of the nobility. Punwani's piece is nice, especially as it can actually convey something partially meaningful to its mindless and self-satisfied yuppy audience, but it also smacks of age old conservative narrative strategies, like the tale of the prince Buddha who could only really renounce the world because he knew all its pleasures and privileges. What about another kind of story?..One about poor people who receive true education and empowerment in a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist milieu (and not in some liberal ngo), people who reject instinctively the moralism and liberalism of the Indian bourgeoisie whom they regard as cannibals in practice. What about people who turn on their betters reversing the violence inflicted on them, teaching the rich what it means to suffer and be humiliated...Well that would be another story, not of bloated empty complacent 'conviction' but of meaningful revolutionary practice, which is what Anuradha Ghandy actually strove to embody. In solidarity with her, J ORIGINAL MAIL: Dear Sanjay, many thanks for forwarding the tribute to Anuradha Ghandy by Jyoti Punwani. One does not have to agree with Naxalism of any variety to be moved by the example of the kind of life that this text points to. What is important for me in it is that it suggests that the strength of one's convictions do not have to automatically translate into making other people feel guilty about their life choices, or about patronizing them. The world would be a better and more interesting place if we had more people like Anuradha Ghandy in our midst. thanks, Shuddha --------------------------------------- Jesse Knutson Ph.D. Candidate Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago --------------------------------------- From director at alaap.org.pk Tue Apr 29 19:02:06 2008 From: director at alaap.org.pk (director at alaap.org.pk) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:32:06 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] ALFA:The Beginning (Light a candle for peace in Pakistan) Message-ID: <010801c8a9fd$6eb254a0$7501a8c0@alaap01> Dear Friends Greetings from Alaap: Change through Arts Finding the themes, objectives and goals of your organization as similar to ours', we are encouraged to introduce Alaap Lahore Festival of Arts (ALFA-2008), scheduled to be held on June 9-14, 2008 at Al-Hamra Arts Council, Lahore, Pakistan. The Mega Festival is designed to promote the cultural depth of Pakistan as a peace defense against dangerously rising obscurantism. Apart from compiling best talent (senior and young) of virtually all art forms existing in Pakistan, the festival is bringing unprecedented Indian delegation of around 80 celebrated intellectuals, artists and peace activists. Please visit our website (www.alaap.org.pk) to see the details of the event and affiliated Peace Rally on June 14, 2008. We anticipate your support in following areas; a.. Please endorse the Alaap Declaration of Peace and Truth (ADOPT). The document, edited by veteran human rights campaigner, I.A. Rehman, Director Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, includes basic humanist values, rights and freedoms to be agreed upon by all, in a democratic and peaceful Pakistani society. The endorsement and little message from your side shall add into its magnetic field. Please forward the document to the relevant individuals, organizations, institutes and networks. And please tell us about this. b.. The Peace Rally is scheduled on June 14, 2008. Our friends living in different parts of Pakistan, and in the world, are working to organize parallel candle vigils titled, "Light a candle for peace in Pakistan". Please help us in finding the relevant individuals, forums and organizations to organize a Candle Vigil in your city. Can you coordinate this activity? It will take one evening (June 14, 2008) from you and your friends. But it will give enormous strength to the crucial Peace Rally in Lahore, Pakistan. c.. A self-financed organization, Alaap: Change through Arts needs financial support for the event and related Peace Campaign. Please help us in finding the relevant donors or affiliations. Your little donation as individual shall be more important for us. The minimum support we anticipate is your endorsement of ADOPT if it reflects your own ideas and beliefs. Please express your concerns and disagreements as well. It will enrich the related online debate. We anticipate positive response from your side. With best regards, Shiraz Raj Executive Director Alaap: Change Through Arts Flat-8, First Floor, Salim Complex, Q-Block, Model Town, Lahore-Pakistan. Email: director at alaap.org.pk Cell: 092-0300-4181819 Website: www.alaap.org.pk From pankhuree at hotmail.com Tue Apr 29 22:18:36 2008 From: pankhuree at hotmail.com (pankhuree dube) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:48:36 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: References: <73300.52438.qm@web25406.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> <556b1d6b0804281111s4a99e52ete1ba8660e82ba9c1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, I have noticed that "Naxalite" and "Maoist" seem to be the catch-all phrases for the media to describe any kind of rural resistance movement of Adivasis. Is this even an appropriate term? Do the Adivasis fighting in Chattisgarh, led by the mysterious Commander Kosa, call themselves Naxalites or is this a label that has been supplied by the media? PD> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:10:19 +0500> From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net> To: kokopeli at gmail.com> CC: debraj.mookerjee at gmail.com; sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk; nitingulati at yahoo.com; jdc110 at gmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net; satchida at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend> > Dear All, > I grieve with you all at the sad demise of that good soul Anu, who was as good as any human can be, always caring and sharing the miseries of the humans deprived of good governance. struggling for the rights of the deprived, irrespective of their castes and faiths.> > Today it has become fashionable to term anyone who questions the misrule and lack of governance in the system to be branded as terrorist, anti-social. With glaring spotlight on the efforts of the humans to get good governance all this can change, but alas, the electronic visual media is in the hands of barons who are more keen on the truth and experience and whatever it takes to give out their version of trp contrived views as news. !> > Regards,> > ----- Original Message -----> From: Sujata & Samantak > Date: Monday, April 28, 2008 11:43 pm> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fw: memories of a naxalite friend> To: sabitha_tp at yahoo.co.uk> Cc: sarai readerlist , nitin , JOY , Debraj Mookerjee , satchida at hotmail.com> > > Dear All,> > I agree entirely with Sabitha. What's perhaps worse is the way the > > "Naxalitethreat" is being used to terrorise and harass wholly > > innocent individuals -> > such as Dr. Binayak Sen and others whose cases are less dramatic > > and also> > less publicised - who happen to protest against the excesses > > committed by> > our increasingly neo-con rulers.> > Two days ago, Dr. Debal Deb, a respected ecologist who has > > published papers> > in Nature and Current Science and so on, was out surveying sacred > > groves in> > Bankura when he and his companions were picked up by police on > > suspicion of> > being Naxalites/terrorists (as Sabitha says the two words have > > become nearly> > synonymous in the lexicon of the State). They were, fortunately, > > let off> > after a few hours of questioning, but when this can happen to > > someone with> > considerable clout and connections - what hope for lesser mortals?> > My respects to Anuradha Ghandy.> > Samantak> > > > 2008/4/28 sabitha t p :> > > > > Hi all,> > > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate > > Congress (as> > > well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of > > terror to> > > describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of > > addressing the> > > deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but > > to look out> > > for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as > > Naxalism.> The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the > > state of its> > > responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable > > personages> such as Dr.Binayak Sen and lesser but no less brave > > mortals in Chhatisgarh> > > and elsewhere while shifting the focus away from the cause to > > dissenting> reaction to it.> > > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including > > my father> > > -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community > > of brave> > > socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want > > to make a> > > difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their > > ears like the> > > vast majority of us.> > >> > > Sabitha.> > > --------------------------------------------------------------> > > See all evil, hear all evil, speak out.> > >> > > --- On Mon, 28/4/08, Sanjay Kak wrote:> > >> > > > From: Sanjay Kak > > > > Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend> > > > To: "Sarai Reader List" > > > > Date: Monday, 28 April, 2008, 7:31 PM> > > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect.> > > > Sanjay Kak> > > >> > > > -------------------------------------------> > > >> > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend> > > >> > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008> > > >> > > > by Jyoti Punwani> > > >> > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known> > > > to recover from> > > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance.> > > > Already weakened by the> > > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too> > > > late. Within 24> > > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends> > > > was informed on> > > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been> > > > cremated. Better> > > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged> > > > torture. For that was the> > > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape.> > > >> > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an> > > > indicator of the> > > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of> > > > course, meant> > > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up> > > > everything to nurse> > > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even> > > > while underground.> > > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself> > > > the break her body> > > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party> > > > (CPI-Maoist), it> > > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style.> > > >> > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago.> > > > Yet, days before> > > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was> > > > probably an> > > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death,> > > > was a senior> > > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical> > > > student outfit> > > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of> > > > Adivasi women in> > > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she> > > > too would be> > > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went> > > > underground some years ago.> > > >> > > >> > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the> > > > belle of the ball in> > > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of> > > > energy, bright eyes> > > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter,> > > > near-backless cholis> > > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands,> > > > professors> > > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The> > > > Bangladesh war was> > > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism> > > > had come to> > > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country.> > > > Anu, majoring in> > > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading> > > > radicals to talk about> > > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that> > > > proclaimed 'Beyond> > > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the> > > > crisis in the> > > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a> > > > student's role> > > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social> > > > work'.> > > >> > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers> > > > such as Girish> > > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage,> > > > on the link> > > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced> > > > us to that> > > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch.> > > > Those were the days of> > > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was> > > > blossoming at Dadar's> > > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the> > > > Marathi literary> > > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still> > > > making waves. Forum> > > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just> > > > been founded. Anu, by> > > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all> > > > this. With her wide> > > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human> > > > rights organisation> > > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the> > > > city's intellectual> > > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the> > > > Protection of Democratic> > > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting> > > > lawlessly with Naxalites> > > > even though they rejected its laws.> > > >> > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with> > > > George Fernandes as> > > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's> > > > mentor, the cream of> > > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand.> > > > Playwright Vijay Tendulkar and> > > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and> > > > vice-president.> > > >> > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the> > > > type who writes> > > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982,> > > > she left the> > > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions> > > > of contract> > > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of> > > > Adivasis in the> > > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed> > > > cadres were needed. In> > > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about> > > > the drastic> > > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless> > > > Nagpur sun; living> > > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew> > > > shudders from Nagpur's> > > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study> > > > circles,> > > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From> > > > Mumbai's Leftists, only Anu> > > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life,> > > > actually did so.> > > >> > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face> > > > flat; he was a Doon> > > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his> > > > family estate in Coorg> > > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had> > > > never seen> > > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu> > > > make us feel guilty> > > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the> > > > few occasions> > > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as> > > > if she had never> > > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself,> > > > the same ability> > > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness> > > > to indulge in> > > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed> > > > unnaturally> > > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take> > > > every opportunity> > > > she could to meet them. I realise why now.> > > >> > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have> > > > been worse than> > > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time> > > > she had for Party> > > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family> > > > to have accepted> > > > what she saw as inevitable—an underground future. In> > > > order not to endanger> > > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When> > > > her father died,> > > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her> > > > harsh decision never> > > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly> > > > brought them up.> > > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the> > > > life she had chosen.> > > >> > > >> > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the> > > > biggest threat to the> > > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and> > > > who gave up a> > > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others.> > > >> > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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.> > > > To unsubscribe:> > > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list> > > > List archive:> > > > > > >> > >> > > Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to> > > http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php> > > _________________________________________> > > 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.> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list> > > 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.> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-> > list > > 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.> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> _________________________________________________________________ Back to work after baby–how do you know when you’re ready? http://lifestyle.msn.com/familyandparenting/articleNW.aspx?cp-documentid=5797498&ocid=T067MSN40A0701A From indersalim at gmail.com Tue Apr 29 22:41:15 2008 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:41:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Dalrymple on Pakistan's "New Deal" In-Reply-To: <47e122a70804291007y6e80c1a5k232abb7d0a37872d@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70804291007y6e80c1a5k232abb7d0a37872d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70804291011q7ce270e6m2001249261fdd86e@mail.gmail.com> On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:37 PM, inder salim wrote: > Dear Naeem > > I believe, average Indians are quite interested in Pakistan. They > regretted Benezir's untimely death. About Kashmir their stand is well > known. The same must be true in Pakistan, for example when Rajiv > Gandhi was killed, and their stand on kashmir too is well known. > > We are on the LIST to hear what main stream is not interested to > debate. I cherish a lot what is happening on the lilst, in fact, the > choice is so huge that i had to skip some uninteresting subjects. But > some of those which i read even, go unreflected, but dont 'sink' as > you fear. > > The same is true about the average millions of Indians and Pakistanis > whose reflections go unnoticed, because their respective opinions dont > match the agendas of their ruling classes. And if they match it is > because there politicians also work like Jotshis ( hindu ) astrologer > who convince the people about ghosts, stars and coloured stones.... > One can only laugh..... > > Naturally, we suffer. I believe, India is more Right winged than > Pakistan is, even before this latest change of guard. An unhealthy > Pakistan is because a Militiray rule suits Anglo-America forces in > this region. A peaceful region is not good for their own peace. So > unnatural differences are higlighted time and again to keep us hinged > to hate. I quote a friend in Kashmir. " America will issue an > ordinance to Muslims that it is mandatory to pray six times a day, > instead of five" > > Genetically, there is very little variation between Indians, > Pakistanis or Bangladeshis. Cuturally too we are intimately linked. > The administrative chaos is almost similar. I have not been to > Bangladesh but i dont miss it. It is just around. In fact, I dont > know much about the things which surrounded me since childhood, let > alone Delhi where i migrated some 15 years back. I hardly know > anything about the political reprentatives of my area in east Delhi. I > dont vote even. I dont think they are serious about what they say on > the stage. And yet we have a functional democracry, and poople vote > happily. But what they get in the end, we all know. > > Now people in Pakistan have also voted , good news, good also because > secular forces are in power. I doubt this form of secularism beyond a > point. Congress party here always proved my doubts. We know how the > Hindu upper caste controleld the power game in Congress. > > Again, i feel dynasty rule as worse as fundamentalism. I feel > milirary rule as worse as Corporates manipulating every nerve of our > cities. An average man is struggling for a simple life which is > elusive. Sad. > > We are not different. > And if there is anything interesting about this sub-continent, it is > culture, a hope for newness, which needs to be taken seriously. > > We need to take environment, culture and love.... seriously. I dont > think the present dull form of politics is helping us to achieve our > goals. Something within must happen. > > May be you dont agree.... but.. > > with love > inder salim > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 3:30 PM, Naeem Mohaiemen > wrote: > > I post below yet another article that will sink without a trace in > > Reader List, because: > > 1. It doesn't involve India... > > 2. It involves Pakistan, but isn't negative... > > > > For the 0.2% that are interested, here is Dalrymple's latest... > > > > A New Deal in Pakistan > > By William Dalrymple > > What happened in Khairpur was a small revolution—a middle-class > > victory over the forces of reactionary feudal landlordism. More > > astonishingly, it was a revolution that was reproduced across the > > country. To widespread surprise, the elections in Pakistan were free > > and fair; and Pakistanis voted heavily in favor of liberal centrist > > parties opposed to both the mullahs and the army. Here, in a country > > normally held up in the more Islamophobic right-wing press of Western > > countries as the epitome of "what went wrong" in the Islamic world, a > > popular election resulted in an unequivocal vote for moderate, secular > > democracy. > > > > http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21194 > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > > > -- > > From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 01:21:37 2008 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:21:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] JOINT PRESS STATEMENT OF PANUN KASHMIR on Spl. Package announced by the PM In-Reply-To: <6353c690804291203xc2d80b1wc174e05b59bae296@mail.gmail.com> References: <6353c690804291203xc2d80b1wc174e05b59bae296@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6353c690804291251m29e15a4fib2aead55bc2c16ae@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: sanjay moza Date: Apr 30, 2008 12:24 AM Subject: JOINT PRESS STATEMENT OF PANUN KASHMIR * Panun Kashmir* * PRESS BRIEF ISSUED JOINTLY BY DR. AJAY CHRUNGOO ** & DR. AGNISHEKHAR AT JAMMU ON 30TH APRIL, 2008. * § The so-called package announced by the Prime Minister for displaced Kashmiri Hindus is misleading. This package does not address any of the real problems, short term or long term faced by Kashmiri Hindus. § In fact, this package, mischievously projected as an exclusive package for Kashmiri Hindus, incorporates elements which have nothing to do with displaced Kashmiri Hindus. § The way the package was declared in Akhnoor, caused bad feelings against Kashmiri Hindus, rather than acting as a balm on their wounds. Wittingly or unwittingly, the announcement tried to pit the interests of displaced Kashmiri Hindus against aggrieved and devastated border migrants, PoK refugees or internally displaced Hindus of Jammu. § The so-called package trivializes the wholesale religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus and conveys a spirit of abdication of responsibility by the government to reverse the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus. § By reducing the issue of genocide to merely constructing a shelter in Kashmir Valley, that too in hostile environs, the UPA government has displayed lack of vision in confronting the larger challenge of *Jihadi*terrorism. If having a house in Kashmir was the only problem for Kashmiri Hindus then none amongst them would have left Kashmir in 1990. Why did not even a single Kashmiri Hindu family return to the so-called clusters in Budgam and Mattan? § The real issues linked to the permanent return of the Kashmiri Hindus are : tackling of all dimensions of terrorism, decommunalisation of the social milieu in the Valley and creating a viable political and economic dispensation for Kashmiri Hindus, in order to ensure no future refoulment. § The UPA government by announcing this package has demonstrated its inaptitude and abject failure in comprehending the real challenges to the return of Kashmiri Hindus. The Government seems to have completely ignored the concerns and apprehensions, Panun Kashmir raised during the Round Table Conferences and Working Group meetings. § It requires national vision and will to respond to the challenges of religious cleansing of Hindus living in the only Muslim majority state of India. Gimmicks like announcing funds for housing societies in the Valley for Kashmiri Hindus, knowing well that none accepted them during past two decades, will only complicate the issues. In the prelude to coming elections in the State and the Centre, Kashmiri Hindus expected those at the helm to be more clear and forthright in setting an agenda of strategic reconstruction and nation building in the state. § The government has ironically announced availability of funds where there are no takers. It has desisted from announcing the relief, where it was required the most. It should have addressed the issues of forcible and fraudulent grab of Pandit property and shrines, end to the process of acquiring Pandit property for so-called public utility purposes by the State government, compensation and release of rental arrears for Hindu houses occupied by the security forces, waving of loans and income-tax for traders, comprehensive employement package, passing of the Protection of Shrines and Temples Bill, etc. etc. It should have considered the primary demand of setting up a Commission of Inquiry into the core issue of Hindu Exodus and religious cleansing and fixing the responsibility. § The Prime Minister seem to have played into the hands of that section of political elite of Kashmiri Muslims, which irrespective of party affiliations, wants the issue of displacement and religions cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus to be pushed under the carpet. It is this section which has constantly put obstacles to the permanent return of Kashmiri Hindus and addressing their grievances. § We once again emphatically state that only the creation of Panun Kashmir Homeland with a union territory status, north and east of river Jhelum in Kashmir valley, remains the only viable option which can help displaced Hindus to return to Kashmir valley. * (Dr. Agnishekhar) - 09419100035 (Dr.Ajay Chrungoo) - 09419187514 * - ------------------------------ From aadityadar at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 01:35:56 2008 From: aadityadar at gmail.com (Aaditya Dar) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:35:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] announcement Message-ID: Powered by * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified. The Planning Commission had constituted a High Level Group on Services Sector. We request the Public to send us comments/views on the recommendations contained in the Report with a view to enable the Government to take further necessary action in the matter. The comments/views may please be sent preferably through e-mail to the following address: Shri Paul Joseph, Principal Adviser, Planning Commission, Yojana Bhawan, Parliament Street, New Delhi - 110 001. e-mail: p.joseph at nic.in Click the following to access the sent link: rep_ser.pdf (application/pdf Object) * [image: SAVE THIS link] [image: FORWARD THIS link] Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click herefor more information. *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser. http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_ser.pdf --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Development Studies 2007" group. To post to this group, send email to developmentstudies07 at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to developmentstudies07-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/developmentstudies07?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- -- Aaditya : ) "We spend our whole lives in unconscious exercise of the art of expressing our thoughts with the help of words." - van Gogh From getsim2222 at yahoo.co.in Wed Apr 30 07:56:24 2008 From: getsim2222 at yahoo.co.in (simran chadha) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:26:24 +0100 (BST) Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?=28no_subject=29?= Message-ID: <469179.49750.qm@web8701.mail.in.yahoo.com> hi, i'm new to this list, Ravikant introduced me...so pick on him. thot i'll introduce myself else i feel like i'm evesdropping but shivam's questions were on target, i mean before u romanticize terrotists like robin hood figures, do take a look at what the LTTE is all about, not that that makes mahinda rajapakse's hands any less bloodier but this is no raja harishchandra here. take avisit to war torn colombo if the topic bothers u so much and c militancy upfront, believe me u'll think better about the indian state. a question, can someone pl forward some poetry written by the naxalites, esp the female naxalites, am not sure if any exists coz i've never read any but do want to dispel my ignorance have a nice day' simran --------------------------------- Get the freedom to save as many mails as you wish. Click here to know how. From rashneek at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 11:22:41 2008 From: rashneek at gmail.com (rashneek kher) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:22:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Mountain of Cases in Valley of Misery Message-ID: <13df7c120804292252m104eb98btf027cdd838ce3ad4@mail.gmail.com> A Hindustan Times Special delves into how the government is complict in crimes.It lays bare how Yasin Malik with 23 criminal cases(many of them high profile)still manages to get passport.How he escapes trial because of government inaction.Read it all here..... http://kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/2008/04/hindustan-times-special-with-special.html Best Regards -- Rashneek Kher http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com From shuddha at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 05:30:22 2008 From: shuddha at gmail.com (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:30:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] CPI-M turns film critic, kills festival In-Reply-To: <98f331e00804261341n431c32e5m3e0aedf455166e@mail.gmail.com> References: <98f331e00804261341n431c32e5m3e0aedf455166e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <3E03B500-870A-452C-A61B-A326F1F2567D@sarai.net> Dear Prakash, this is to return to the thread about the CPI-M turning film critic and killing a festival. Thank you for your response to my forward of the piece in the Outlook. Let me try and make myself clearer, I hope this will help understand my response to the piece published in the Outlook that you refer to. 1. I am no longer in a place in my political journey where I can be 'offended' by the CPI-M's cultural politics. I am usually amused by it, and sometimes, saddened by it. 2. I find it interesting that a party that has no objection to censorship per se (the censor board's existence) should nevertheless be willing to quibble over the fact that something that is not to its convenience has not been proscribed. I neither endorse nor support the existence of the censor board of the department of film festivals. I do not believe that government departments (any government departments, central, or state, have any business administering or running film festivals or censoring films) In fact I do not think that films should be censored. However, I fail to understand how an organization that sees no problem in the right of the censor board to censor, or of the DFF to hold film festivals, can object (retrospectively) to the screening of a film, and then perform the supremely irrational act of obstructing other, completely unrelated films from being shown, in a fit of pique, merely because it does not like one of the films on the programme. Its a bit like the behaviour of the spoilt rich kid on the street who owns the cricket bat and then runs away with the bat, when during playing cricket in the alley the umpire declares thim 'out', thereby ending the game.In other words, the game can be on, only as long as the rich kid with the bat is playing at the wicket, and only as long as the game is played by the spoilt rich kid's rules. I knew that Alimuddin Street was now being run by some spoilt brats, but I did not know quite how spoilt the brats were. Events like this give you a sense of quite how spoilt (and spoil-sportish) they are. If you agree to the umpire, you agree to his umpiring. You can protest a decision, but do you have the moral right to call off the rest of the game? 3. One can raise as many questions as one likes about centre state relationships. But I cannot see how raising a question about the federal structure of the Indian constitution requires one to prevent films from being shown. These two seem to me to be quite separate activities. After all, there are several anti-CPI (M) newspapers and magazines that are sold on Kolkata's footpaths. These have accreditations and registrations that are granted, no doubt by some government department at the centre ( I believe it is the PIB of the I&B ministry). Does this mean that the next time the CPI-M gets exercised on some centre-state relationship matter, it will endorse the banning of newspapers that happen to be cricital of it, merely because the newspaper in question was registered with some department in Delhi? If this is the case, then the times are even darker in Kolkata than I thought. 4. How exactly does one 'take care' of an article published in a magazine? Honestly, I have no clue about how to take care of other peoples publications. 5. Does an attack on the CPI-M automatically constitute an attack on the 'Left'? Does the CPI-M exhaust our understanding of the left?Does everyone on the 'Left' have to speak with one voice, and does that voice have to emanate only from the bowels of the CPI-M? 6. I did not post articles supporting the Centre on the Nuclear deal, because I do not support the centre's position on the nuclear deal. Nor do I support the CPI-M's position on the nuclear deal. There are more than two possible options here. And one does not have to be blackmailed into supporting one, merely because one does not endorse the other. On this position, at the risk of repetition, my position is very clear (and it has been made clear on this list before). If India voluntarily renounces the military nuclear option, there will be no nuclear deal worth its name. The CPI-M has never mentioned the vo. luntary, unilateral renunciation of the nuclear military option for India. it has merely endorsed the option of retaining the military nuclear option, outside the ambit of US hegemony. I neither support being within the ambit of US hegemony, nor the retention of a nuclear military option, outside the ambit of US hegemony. I endorse solely, and simply, the renunciation of nuclear weapons. 7. My attacks, are neither on the left, nor blind. And I have nothing against blind people. My attacks are on the CPI-M. As I said before, I fail to see how an attack on the CPI-M is an attack on a left wing position. Does a left wing position become one, simply because someone says so? 8. I did speak when filmmakers endorsed the boycott of the Kolkata Film Festival. I supported the boycott. Because I felt that the Government of West Bengal needed to be boycotted. In any case, the decision to not show films was taken by filmmakers themselves. And just as I object to filmmakers being prevented from showing their films, I also object to filmmakers being prevented from not showing their films. i think the prerogative of where, how, to whom and why one shows a work of art, say a film, belongs first of all, to the artist and to the filmmaker. Freedom of speech also means the right to remain silent, when necessary. Hope you understand where I stand on this issue now. best Shuddha On 27-Apr-08, at 2:11 AM, prakash ray wrote: > Dear Sudhha, > > I am unable to understand your response to the report published in > Outlook. Are you offended because the Nandan authorities objected to a > film which is cleared by the "Censor Board" or the film was screened > at IIFF, Goa? Do you believe that one should not raise questions > related to Centre-State relationship? Do you think that the Nandan > authorities have no right to ask the DFF the basis for the inclusion > of a particular film? Do you think that every article published in > Outlook on the Left should be taken care of? If yes, why you or Rahul > did not posted articles supporting the Centre on the Nuclear Deal? > As far as I know, you and Rahul and almost all the members of Vikalp > and Sarai are quite critical to the censorship and the activities of > DFF. I request you and others to see things in a perspective. I do not > think that the blind attack against the Left is going to serve any > purpose. Why did you or the writer of the article not speak when some > filmmakers and artists boycotted the Kolkata Film Festival? Then also, > the city was deprived of watching films because of such mindless > opposition. > > Regards, > Prakash K Ray > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From shuddha at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 05:33:01 2008 From: shuddha at gmail.com (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:33:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Naxalite heroes In-Reply-To: <20080429011059.AZK77999@m4500-03.uchicago.edu> References: <20080429011059.AZK77999@m4500-03.uchicago.edu> Message-ID: <9413F9C0-56BD-4542-9FC7-76C4997178BB@sarai.net> ear Jesse Knutson, Thanks for your response. I found Jyoti Punwani's piece stimulating to read, not because it presented Anuradha Ghandy is a hero, but because it reminisced about a friend. I think that the concrete solidarity of friendship has a more capacious quality than the abstraction of heroism. As Bertholt Brecht once said, 'pity the people who need heroes'. I am suspicious of people who get called heroes and martyrs and would run a mile, especially from 'revolutionary' ones. But Punwani's evocation of the 'revolutionarily' insignificant details of Anuradha's personal life, as a friend, and her affection for her friend, made me take it seriously. It is possible to honour a friendship, even if you have nothing to do with the people who happen to be the friends in question, do not know them personally, and regardless of whether or not you agree with their views or choices. I am not quite sure that the conceptual foundations of a Marxist- Leninist-Maoist milieu and a liberal ngo are fundamentally different, both assume that the 'people' are some plastic entity, an object capable of being acted upon and shaped in the desired, 'revolutionary' or 'reformist' direction by an elite, (some of whom get called 'heroes') either through 'true' education (what is 'untrue' education?), or that higher power called, 'empowerment' ministered to them through the good offices, either of 'professional revolutionaries' or of 'trained social workers'. In either case, knowledge, consciousness, comes from a notional 'outside' and the 'people' once they are adequately filled with this knowledge, become the 'revolutionary' instruments of history (if they are the objects of the 'revolutionary' party's self confessed consciousness raising mission) , or the entitled subjects of a mid day meal, or an inoculation programme I am actually quite interested in the example that you invoke of the prince Siddharth, later known as the Buddha, because in the parable of his transformation - the encounter of someone who has not suffered, with the reality of suffering (poverty, disease, senility, death - the four things that the prince encounters on his chariot ride) - this encounter - is not considered as something to be mocked but to be seen as a generative, productive situation. The anger and resentment of the poor for being poor does not take them (or anyone) outside their condition. But a prince's realization that the reality of suffering might have a relationship to his clinging to a world where there are princes and paupers does require him to make a choice about either being a prince, or not. In this specific case, the prince chooses not to remain a prince. This is not about constructing a hierarchy between the moral valence of being princes and paupers, but about knowing that the state of princehood and paupery are both obstacles, to emancipation. In one case, one chooses to reject the claims of the world, in the second, one is not in a position to reject the claims of the world, because one does not have a world to lose. Proletarians lose their chains by gaining a world, princes lose their chains by losing their world. One might say, that for a proletarian, it is the decision to no longer act as a proletarian (as being bereft of estate) or to insist that she might have claim on the world is something that one might consider to be revolutionary. It is in some way, the mirror (obverse) of the princes act. The proletarian has to make a claim on the world that the prince must reject. But for a revolutionary subjectivity to arise, both the prince and the proletarian must cease to be themselves. It means, that the poor must cease to be, or to identify themselves, to others, or to themselves, as 'the poor'. Maoism, glorifies the state of the poor as the poor. That is why Maoists and Gandhians get along so well. they both love the fact that the poor, are, well, poor. And their romanticization of poverty has a slightly aesthetic ardour. if the poor were to spend hard earned money on mobile phones or decent country liquor, Maoists and Gandhians would get their khadi (or striped cotton) knickers into a twist of moral indignation. Which is why, for instance, Maoists can claim that the worker or proletarian in North America, for instance is no longer a revolutionary subject. And that to be properly revolutionary in the Maoist sense one must bear at least some working resemblance to third world emacietedness. This means having and continuing to love having a sad, hard, life. Maoists and Gandhians love to make everyone, and themselves suffer. The portrait of Anuradha that Jyoti Punwani offers is interesting, because contrary to the standard Maoist script, it seems to suggest that Anuradha was not at all interested in professing, or advocating the vacancy of suffering. She had made a choice to live a certain life, not because it was a hard one, (although it may have been a hard one) but because it was necessary for her to do so in order to practice her politics. She did not moralize to those who did not share her choice. It is possible, hypothetically, that in other circumstances, a particular revolutionary, might decide or come to the realization in the course of their political work, that their task lies in the necessary elimination (through a precise and economical act of pre- meditated violence) of the CEO of a corporation. In order to achieve this aim, that individual, might have to live for a long time, 'undercover' in a highly elite social milieu, waiting for the right time, to make the right move. Let us assume that this requires this individual to live the life of a high society hostess. Would we then say, at some stage, that her decision to live the high life was an act of revolutionary sacrifice, and that she would be right in looking down, or that others would be justified in vicasiously (on her behalf, that is) looking down upon those others who chose not to do as she did, and who refused to take upon themselves the contagion of living the hard life of moving from a society dinner to a cocktail to the races, to another cocktail, waiting for the right moment to bring her revolver out of her handbag. I think we might all realize that to say such a thing would be absurd, maybe even a little pervese. I find it no less absurd when the practical political necessity of choosing a certain other kind of life, as opposed to another, no matter who chooses it, is cast in the mould of 'herosim'. In my view, a Marxist understanding would lie in rejecting the poverty of the poor as a moral ideal or example. Poverty is not a state of grace. From what I remember of Marxism, the emancipation of the working class results in the end of workers as workers, not in making everyone a worker. This too is a certain kind of taking leave of the world a it is. This actually might require a renunciation of resentment. I have yet to see a Maoist politics that is capable of taking leave of resentment. Class struggles may be caused by anger and resentment, but they cannot be fought with anger and resentment, because proletarians cannot afford to delude themselves that the transformation of material conditions and social relations can be achieved by the venting of anger against their so called 'betters'. That results in the replacement of one group of masters with another, and yesterday's bullied become tomorrow's bullies. It doesnt get rid of bullying, or of that obstinate thing called class, which is not a collection of 'bad rich people', but the expression of a social relationship. The difference between a Marxist, and a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist understanding of practice might, I would suggest, consist in the understanding that one comes to the banal, everyday, long haul task of revolutionary practice, not with anger, but with patience, tact, humour and the understanding that the attempt to get rid of class is not the same thing as 'dipping one's hand', as the psycopathic beatitiude of Com. Charu Mazumdar once had it, 'in the blood of the class enemy'. Mind you, I have nothing against the tactical necessity of violence in self defence in situations of class conflict, but to celebrate the idea of 'dipping one's hand in the blood of the class enemy' as so much of the legacy of Maoism in India, does, is to play act in a macabre performance of a slightly sick fetish, not to pursue a serious politics. A few dead policemen do not make a revolution. thanks for the provocation to think aloud about these things regards, Shuddha On 29-Apr-08, at 11:40 AM, Jesse R. Knutson wrote: > > To respond to Shuddha whose mail is pasted below...Yes all one > has to agree with is that the only heroes, even > Naxalite ones, are the rich and that the only palatable mode > of politics is the asceticism of the nobility. Punwani's > piece is nice, especially as it can actually convey something > partially meaningful > to its mindless and self-satisfied yuppy audience, but it also > smacks of age old conservative narrative strategies, like the > tale of the prince Buddha who could only really renounce the > world because he knew all its pleasures and privileges. What > about another kind of story?..One about poor people who > receive true education and empowerment in a > Marxist-Leninist-Maoist milieu (and not in some liberal ngo), > people who reject instinctively the moralism and liberalism of > the Indian bourgeoisie whom they regard as cannibals in > practice. What about people who turn on their betters > reversing the violence inflicted on them, teaching the rich > what it means to suffer and be humiliated...Well that would be > another story, not of bloated empty complacent 'conviction' > but of meaningful revolutionary practice, which is what > Anuradha Ghandy > actually strove to embody. In solidarity with her, J > > ORIGINAL MAIL: > > Dear Sanjay, > > many thanks for forwarding the tribute to Anuradha Ghandy by > Jyoti > Punwani. One does not have to agree with Naxalism of any > variety to > be moved by the example of the kind of life that this text > points to. > What is important for me in it is that it suggests that the > strength > of one's convictions do not have to automatically translate into > making other people feel guilty about their life choices, or > about > patronizing them. The world would be a better and more > interesting > place if we had more people like Anuradha Ghandy in our midst. > > thanks, > > Shuddha > --------------------------------------- > Jesse Knutson > Ph.D. Candidate > Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University > of Chicago > --------------------------------------- > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From rajeshr at csds.in Wed Apr 30 12:43:18 2008 From: rajeshr at csds.in (Rajesh Ramakrishnan) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:43:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Race, Ethnicity, Nationalism and Democracy in the Caribbean Message-ID: Monday, 5th May, 2008 You are invited to a talk on `Race, Ethnicity, Nationalism and Democracy in the Caribbean' by Professor David Traboulay at 3:30 PM at the Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), 29, Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054. David Traboulay is Professor of History at College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Professor Traboulay chaired the History department at CSI from 1976 to 1991. He is currently coordinator of the CSI MA in Liberal Studies Program, a position he has held since 1997. In 1993 he was a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor to Delhi University in India. Prof. Traboulay has written extensively on colonial Latin America, especially on the encounter between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of America. In 1993 he published, Columbus and Las Casas: The Conquest and Christianization of America, 1492-1577. He has published several articles on the culture and politics of India and Latin America. Recently he has completed a book-length manuscript on Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha and a biography of the West Indies cricketer Ramadhin. From aman.am at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 13:37:35 2008 From: aman.am at gmail.com (Aman Sethi) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:37:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Dalrymple on Pakistan's "New Deal" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <995a19920804300107l1ab6e8a2m6420861f2afe4f08@mail.gmail.com> Dear Naeem, I have read all your postings with great interest - from the controversy on the missing relics to the attack on the barrister at Zia airport to your piece on the barricading of public spaces. Please do continue to post; I, for one, appreciate your postings. To be honest, I read this particular post with some hesitance - mainly because of late I have found Dalrymple rather disappointing (compared to his previous work). In some ways he still writes like the gora who has almost gone native and - by virtue of simply hanging around for so long in the subcontinent - can lay bare, for the gora reader, the complexities of this (choose your own set of adjectives) fascinating, rich, colorful, diverse, modern, backward, historical, traditional, loud, oppressed, yet fast empowering area. I am not saying he is a "bad" writer - he is in fact a very good writer - or that his analysis is flawed. I'm merely saying that, as a piece, - and like some of his recent pieces - it is a primarily a compilation of local reporting in sub-continental newspapers structured around his road trip. >From his latest- "As you travel around Pakistan today you can see the effects of the boom everywhere: in vast new shopping malls and smart roadside filling stations, in the cranes of the building sites and the smokestacks of factories, in the expensive new cars jamming the roads and in the ubiquitous cell-phone stores. In 2003 the country had fewer than three million cell phones; today apparently there are 50 million, while car ownership has been increasing at roughly 40 percent a year since 2001. At the same time foreign direct investment has risen from $322 million in 2002 to $3.5 billion in 2006. Pakistan's cities, in particular, are fast changing beyond recognition. As in India, there is a burgeoning Pakistani fashion scene full of ambitious gay designers and amazingly beautiful models. " (yawn) further in the the piece we find more gems of information, such as "February's elections dramatically confirmed this shift. The biggest electoral surprise of all was the success of Nawaz Sharif's conservative faction of the Muslim League, the PML-N. " For Whom? Who was surprised by Nawaz's electoral success? In the run up to the elections, most people who followed the election had the feeling that the PPP would emerge as the largest party (particularly after benazir's death) and that the PML (N) would come in a second. Even before the elections there was talk of Nawaz and Zardari closing ranks - so it clearly wasnt the biggest electoral surprise "On my travels I found a surprisingly widespread consensus that the mullahs should keep to their mosques, and the increasingly unpopular military should return to its barracks." Come on; everyone has been talking about this ever since we heard there would be elections. Everyone had talked about how the parties allied with Musharaf (which includes the religious right and the PML-Q) would get their comeuppance. I am hard pressed to find anyone else who would be surprised by the fact that "ordinary pakistanis" (whoever they are) aren't generally in favour of a situation where no particular supra-powerful institution has control over their daily lives. Of course, towards the closing we are offered a few options: "What sort of country did Pakistanis want? Did they want a Western-style liberal democracy, as envisaged by the poet Iqbal, who first dreamed up the idea of Pakistan, and by the country's eventual founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah? An Islamic republic like Mullah Omar's Afghanistan? Or a military-ruled junta of the sort created by Generals Ayyub Khan, Zia, and Musharraf, who, among them, have ruled Pakistan for thirty-four of its sixty years of existence?" Note that we are offered the choice between a "western style liberal democracy" envisaged and dreamed up by a poet; an islamic republic like Mullah Omar's afghanistan; and a military ruled junta. I wonder which choice the newly re-enfranchised pakistanis shall opt for. Your time starts "Now!" Tick tock "Iqbal or Omar"? Tick Tock "Jinaah or Zia?" Tick Tock "liberal or Islamic?" "and at the buzzer we find you have chosen to throw out the islamists in favour of the secularists. Well done, you have won yourself a New Deal, not to mention a longish article in the NYRB." I shall go out on a limb here - Could we say that coalition politics like we see in india and pakistan (though we are now seeing them in countries like Italy) seems to be a far more sub-continental style of politics than the western style liberal democracy dalrymple talks of? It is true that coalition politics can strictly be understood to be part of the larger whole that is the politics that darlymple and iqbal envisage - but i think there are unique nuances and contours that are flattened with far too much ease in this text. best a. On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 3:30 PM, Naeem Mohaiemen wrote: > I post below yet another article that will sink without a trace in > Reader List, because: > 1. It doesn't involve India... > 2. It involves Pakistan, but isn't negative... > > For the 0.2% that are interested, here is Dalrymple's latest... > > A New Deal in Pakistan > By William Dalrymple > What happened in Khairpur was a small revolution—a middle-class > victory over the forces of reactionary feudal landlordism. More > astonishingly, it was a revolution that was reproduced across the > country. To widespread surprise, the elections in Pakistan were free > and fair; and Pakistanis voted heavily in favor of liberal centrist > parties opposed to both the mullahs and the army. Here, in a country > normally held up in the more Islamophobic right-wing press of Western > countries as the epitome of "what went wrong" in the Islamic world, a > popular election resulted in an unequivocal vote for moderate, secular > democracy. > > http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21194 > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From asitredsalute at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 14:27:25 2008 From: asitredsalute at gmail.com (Asit asitreds) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:27:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Naxalite heroes In-Reply-To: <9413F9C0-56BD-4542-9FC7-76C4997178BB@sarai.net> References: <20080429011059.AZK77999@m4500-03.uchicago.edu> <9413F9C0-56BD-4542-9FC7-76C4997178BB@sarai.net> Message-ID: dear freinds i agree with marxist project is ending the status of workers as workers in fact if i understand marx correctly he said that the working class has to elevate him self to the position of ruling class, regarding heroism,declassing etc ijust want to say that people make history celebreties dont but what makes com anuradha important isthat she betrayed her class and that was a descisive action as an individual.What is out standing about comrade Anuradha is that in today's neo liberal world where history has been pronounced dead where any action of transending capitalism as a total system is ridiculed,when social reality is fragmented in to end less creation of the other and innumerable contending identities fighting for their space in the fashionable post modern world where mutlicultarilism is the in thing. Internationalism and class solidarities are religated to the musuem of history ultimately George Bush, Man Mohan Singh, Bill Gates and Mukesh Ambani has the last laugh because the so caleed new social movements in their anti universalism anti metanarrative of liberation have localised struggles and fashinable micro narratives.Don't talk about transcending capitalism be confined to your neighbourhood. Comrade Anuradha Gandhi's ascetism and the declassing herself is far more meaningful authentic and politically honest then selfstyled,highflying gandhian leaders of the socalled new social movements where media management,networking is the highiest political skill. Marxist never moralised about lifestyle politics and overstress on the notion of the sustainable life style, the frauadelance, deceit and shameless contradiction of the managers of these Gandhian new social movements is glaring while the leaders romaniticised grassroot activism community life simplicity intensinaly romanticising rural life including fudeal culture their agents and managers in the metro politian centres lead a comfortable urban upper middle class life with a salary of a business executive their deception. Their decision is quite obvious in their most unsustainable high energy consuming high tech officers and homes.Their only job is too manage the media book auditoriums guest houses sending invitation and of course indulge in to the most apolitical socialising, groupism and expending empires of their godfathers and godmothers of so called new socialism.The pen ultimate political skill of these jokers is event management and the media falls in for the celebrity factor and the TRP rates.It is needless to say that the class background of the NGO event managers and Jounalists specially the Jounalists of English newspapers and electronic media are same.and both grow up with heavy doses of anti left ideology.Capitalism never had a golden period then these apolitical,anti ideology anti theory new social movements buffons.Any talk of anti imperalism is old fashioned.One should endulge into fragmented depoliticised technical discourses climate change, sex worker rights,governance( without a discussion of the class nature of the state), empowerment, child labour , networking, watersed management, livelyhood generation, capacity building,alternative lifestyles of course with high swining cocktail parties deconstructing the technical dectails of the mega projects without it's politics or historical discussion of development theory and de colonization and of course colluding with grass root level state official to implement reformist depoliticising programmes to legitimise the system the agenda of counter revolution is clear.Here comrade Anuradha Gandhi made a big difference. asit On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 5:33 AM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > ear Jesse Knutson, > > Thanks for your response. > > I found Jyoti Punwani's piece stimulating to read, not because it > presented Anuradha Ghandy is a hero, but because it reminisced about > a friend. I think that the concrete solidarity of friendship has a > more capacious quality than the abstraction of heroism. As Bertholt > Brecht once said, 'pity the people who need heroes'. I am suspicious > of people who get called heroes and martyrs and would run a mile, > especially from 'revolutionary' ones. But Punwani's evocation of the > 'revolutionarily' insignificant details of Anuradha's personal life, > as a friend, and her affection for her friend, made me take it > seriously. It is possible to honour a friendship, even if you have > nothing to do with the people who happen to be the friends in > question, do not know them personally, and regardless of whether or > not you agree with their views or choices. > > I am not quite sure that the conceptual foundations of a Marxist- > Leninist-Maoist milieu and a liberal ngo are fundamentally different, > both assume that the 'people' are some plastic entity, an object > capable of being acted upon and shaped in the desired, > 'revolutionary' or 'reformist' direction by an elite, (some of whom > get called 'heroes') either through 'true' education (what is > 'untrue' education?), or that higher power called, 'empowerment' > ministered to them through the good offices, either of 'professional > revolutionaries' or of 'trained social workers'. In either case, > knowledge, consciousness, comes from a notional 'outside' and the > 'people' once they are adequately filled with this knowledge, become > the 'revolutionary' instruments of history (if they are the objects > of the 'revolutionary' party's self confessed consciousness raising > mission) , or the entitled subjects of a mid day meal, or an > inoculation programme > > I am actually quite interested in the example that you invoke of the > prince Siddharth, later known as the Buddha, because in the parable > of his transformation - the encounter of someone who has not > suffered, with the reality of suffering (poverty, disease, senility, > death - the four things that the prince encounters on his chariot > ride) - this encounter - is not considered as something to be mocked > but to be seen as a generative, productive situation. > > The anger and resentment of the poor for being poor does not take > them (or anyone) outside their condition. But a prince's realization > that the reality of suffering might have a relationship to his > clinging to a world where there are princes and paupers does require > him to make a choice about either being a prince, or not. In this > specific case, the prince chooses not to remain a prince. This is not > about constructing a hierarchy between the moral valence of being > princes and paupers, but about knowing that the state of princehood > and paupery are both obstacles, to emancipation. In one case, one > chooses to reject the claims of the world, in the second, one is not > in a position to reject the claims of the world, because one does not > have a world to lose. Proletarians lose their chains by gaining a > world, princes lose their chains by losing their world. > > One might say, that for a proletarian, it is the decision to no > longer act as a proletarian (as being bereft of estate) or to insist > that she might have claim on the world is something that one might > consider to be revolutionary. It is in some way, the mirror (obverse) > of the princes act. The proletarian has to make a claim on the world > that the prince must reject. But for a revolutionary subjectivity to > arise, both the prince and the proletarian must cease to be > themselves. It means, that the poor must cease to be, or to identify > themselves, to others, or to themselves, as 'the poor'. Maoism, > glorifies the state of the poor as the poor. That is why Maoists and > Gandhians get along so well. they both love the fact that the poor, > are, well, poor. And their romanticization of poverty has a slightly > aesthetic ardour. if the poor were to spend hard earned money on > mobile phones or decent country liquor, Maoists and Gandhians would > get their khadi (or striped cotton) knickers into a twist of moral > indignation. Which is why, for instance, Maoists can claim that the > worker or proletarian in North America, for instance is no longer a > revolutionary subject. And that to be properly revolutionary in the > Maoist sense one must bear at least some working resemblance to third > world emacietedness. This means having and continuing to love having > a sad, hard, life. Maoists and Gandhians love to make everyone, and > themselves suffer. The portrait of Anuradha that Jyoti Punwani offers > is interesting, because contrary to the standard Maoist script, it > seems to suggest that Anuradha was not at all interested in > professing, or advocating the vacancy of suffering. She had made a > choice to live a certain life, not because it was a hard one, > (although it may have been a hard one) but because it was necessary > for her to do so in order to practice her politics. She did not > moralize to those who did not share her choice. > > It is possible, hypothetically, that in other circumstances, a > particular revolutionary, might decide or come to the realization in > the course of their political work, that their task lies in the > necessary elimination (through a precise and economical act of pre- > meditated violence) of the CEO of a corporation. In order to achieve > this aim, that individual, might have to live for a long time, > 'undercover' in a highly elite social milieu, waiting for the right > time, to make the right move. Let us assume that this requires this > individual to live the life of a high society hostess. Would we then > say, at some stage, that her decision to live the high life was an > act of revolutionary sacrifice, and that she would be right in > looking down, or that others would be justified in vicasiously (on > her behalf, that is) looking down upon those others who chose not to > do as she did, and who refused to take upon themselves the contagion > of living the hard life of moving from a society dinner to a cocktail > to the races, to another cocktail, waiting for the right moment to > bring her revolver out of her handbag. I think we might all realize > that to say such a thing would be absurd, maybe even a little > pervese. I find it no less absurd when the practical political > necessity of choosing a certain other kind of life, as opposed to > another, no matter who chooses it, is cast in the mould of 'herosim'. > > In my view, a Marxist understanding would lie in rejecting the > poverty of the poor as a moral ideal or example. Poverty is not a > state of grace. From what I remember of Marxism, the emancipation of > the working class results in the end of workers as workers, not in > making everyone a worker. This too is a certain kind of taking leave > of the world a it is. This actually might require a renunciation of > resentment. I have yet to see a Maoist politics that is capable of > taking leave of resentment. > > Class struggles may be caused by anger and resentment, but they > cannot be fought with anger and resentment, because proletarians > cannot afford to delude themselves that the transformation of > material conditions and social relations can be achieved by the > venting of anger against their so called 'betters'. That results in > the replacement of one group of masters with another, and yesterday's > bullied become tomorrow's bullies. It doesnt get rid of bullying, or > of that obstinate thing called class, which is not a collection of > 'bad rich people', but the expression of a social relationship. The > difference between a Marxist, and a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist > understanding of practice might, I would suggest, consist in the > understanding that one comes to the banal, everyday, long haul task > of revolutionary practice, not with anger, but with patience, tact, > humour and the understanding that the attempt to get rid of class is > not the same thing as 'dipping one's hand', as the psycopathic > beatitiude of Com. Charu Mazumdar once had it, 'in the blood of the > class enemy'. Mind you, I have nothing against the tactical necessity > of violence in self defence in situations of class conflict, but to > celebrate the idea of 'dipping one's hand in the blood of the class > enemy' as so much of the legacy of Maoism in India, does, is to play > act in a macabre performance of a slightly sick fetish, not to pursue > a serious politics. A few dead policemen do not make a revolution. > > thanks for the provocation to think aloud about these things > > regards, > > Shuddha > > > On 29-Apr-08, at 11:40 AM, Jesse R. Knutson wrote: > > > > > To respond to Shuddha whose mail is pasted below...Yes all one > > has to agree with is that the only heroes, even > > Naxalite ones, are the rich and that the only palatable mode > > of politics is the asceticism of the nobility. Punwani's > > piece is nice, especially as it can actually convey something > > partially meaningful > > to its mindless and self-satisfied yuppy audience, but it also > > smacks of age old conservative narrative strategies, like the > > tale of the prince Buddha who could only really renounce the > > world because he knew all its pleasures and privileges. What > > about another kind of story?..One about poor people who > > receive true education and empowerment in a > > Marxist-Leninist-Maoist milieu (and not in some liberal ngo), > > people who reject instinctively the moralism and liberalism of > > the Indian bourgeoisie whom they regard as cannibals in > > practice. What about people who turn on their betters > > reversing the violence inflicted on them, teaching the rich > > what it means to suffer and be humiliated...Well that would be > > another story, not of bloated empty complacent 'conviction' > > but of meaningful revolutionary practice, which is what > > Anuradha Ghandy > > actually strove to embody. In solidarity with her, J > > > > ORIGINAL MAIL: > > > > Dear Sanjay, > > > > many thanks for forwarding the tribute to Anuradha Ghandy by > > Jyoti > > Punwani. One does not have to agree with Naxalism of any > > variety to > > be moved by the example of the kind of life that this text > > points to. > > What is important for me in it is that it suggests that the > > strength > > of one's convictions do not have to automatically translate into > > making other people feel guilty about their life choices, or > > about > > patronizing them. The world would be a better and more > > interesting > > place if we had more people like Anuradha Ghandy in our midst. > > > > thanks, > > > > Shuddha > > --------------------------------------- > > Jesse Knutson > > Ph.D. Candidate > > Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University > > of Chicago > > --------------------------------------- > > _________________________________________ > > 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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta > The Sarai Programme at CSDS > Raqs Media Collective > shuddha at sarai.net > www.sarai.net > www.raqsmediacollective.net > > > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> > From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 16:30:27 2008 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:30:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Non_migrant_KPs_to_boycott_electio?= =?windows-1252?q?ns_=93legally=94?= Message-ID: <4fcaee300804300400m3785c227w4c258f27151f8b67@mail.gmail.com> http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3109&Itemid=1 Non migrant KPs to boycott elections "legally" Kashmir is a disputed territory *Shabir Dar* Srinagar, April 29: Asserting that non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits would launch a "legal election boycott" campaign, chairman of Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS), Sanjay Tickoo on Tuesday said that Kashmir is a "disputed territory" Tickoo told Rising Kashmir that his party will launch a "legal election boycott campaign. "We are going to launch a legal election boycott campaign this time for proving our point," "But" "Our boycott campaign is a bit different and has legal backing as per Indian constitution." Tickoo said that there is a system in Indian constitution, as per the 1969 Act, in section 49-O that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey to the presiding officer that he doesn't want to vote for anyone." Tickoo said that the act also demands a person to register his or her name with the presiding officer. "Law says that if the number of persons who rejected to vote exceeds the number of persons who cast their votes, the polling gets cancelled. This could be used as a referendum against India in international forums, if Kashmiri leaders know it," he said, adding, "He will make people aware about the law, as part of election boycott campaign." Tickoo said that this could be a "legal way" to boycott the elections and the campaign would be a "legal boycott campaign." The KPSS chairman claimed that his ideology is same as that of Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani. "I have a semblance with Geelani sahib in considering Kashmir as a disputed issue," he said. Tickoo said that Kashmir is a "disputed territory" and "India has to accept it. For driving home his point the KPSS chairman said, "Had Kashmir not been a disputed territory, then the office of United Nations Military Observer's Group for India and Pakistan would not have been here at Sonawar. It would have been somewhere in India." Lashing out on New Delhi for what he termed "orchestrating" the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) from Valley in 1990, Tickoo said that New Delhi has always neglected KPs and has done nothing for them in past 60 years. "The migration of KPs was a policy of Indian government. They announced sops for those who wished to migrate. This led to migration of KPs. Government has engineered their migration," he said. Tickoo criticized the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for announcing the rehabilitation package for migrant KPs. "India is trying to divide the Pandit community. That is why we, who are living in Kashmir have been ignored," he said. From radhikarajen at vsnl.net Wed Apr 30 16:50:51 2008 From: radhikarajen at vsnl.net (radhikarajen at vsnl.net) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:20:51 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Non_migrant_KPs_to_boycott_electio?= =?windows-1252?q?ns_=93legally=94?= In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300804300400m3785c227w4c258f27151f8b67@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300804300400m3785c227w4c258f27151f8b67@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, please do not take the PM very seriously, as all his honest and clean packages are drowned in sycophancy and hangers on looting the packages. The example of Vidharbha package in Maharashtra is still shining in the minds of children and widows of farmers who committed suicides thanks to the policy of this governance.Not buying the agriculture produce from the farmers at reasonable prices, removal of public distribution system for distribution of essentials, exporting of wheat and rice and then importing them have led to farmers into the hands of traders sponsored by the kickback political party. Vidharbha package also is for not less than 3470 crores, and farmers got sponsored pumpsets , agricultural equipments which are worth in open market for 1000/- for thrice the amount, and these also under quality, thanks to sycophancy and hangers on being the "manufacturers"., of these agricultural equipments.! PM visited the affected areas with his bindi brigade, had sumptous lunch with hangers on and sycophants when the hungry widows and children waited to meet him in hot Sun were shooed away by the big bindi queen -bee Maggie of kitchen cabinet of mother of all sacrifices. ! So much for the special packages of the PM and his hangers on with "honest"image.! North east area has also seen the special package of this PM along with south being favoured with special package of dredging contracts for the loot in Arabean Sea thanks to obliging the minister of coalition, who wants gas for his sons, in his King Chemicals, Congress has no moral rights to give any more packages as all these packages are looted midway by their hangers on. ! Regards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Wali Arifi Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 4:31 pm Subject: [Reader-list] Non migrant KPs to boycott elections “legally” To: sarai list > http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3109&Itemid=1 > > > Non migrant KPs to boycott elections "legally" > > Kashmir is a disputed territory > > *Shabir Dar* > > Srinagar, April 29: Asserting that non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits > would launch > a "legal election boycott" campaign, chairman of Kashmiri Pandit > SangarashSamiti (KPSS), Sanjay Tickoo on Tuesday said that Kashmir > is a "disputed > territory" > Tickoo told Rising Kashmir that his party will launch a "legal > electionboycott campaign. "We are going to launch a legal election > boycott campaign > this time for proving our point," "But" "Our boycott campaign is a bit > different and has legal backing as per Indian constitution." > Tickoo said that there is a system in Indian constitution, as per > the 1969 > Act, in section 49-O that a person can go to the polling booth, > confirm his > identity, get his finger marked and convey to the presiding > officer that he > doesn't want to vote for anyone." > Tickoo said that the act also demands a person to register his or > her name > with the presiding officer. "Law says that if the number of > persons who > rejected to vote exceeds the number of persons who cast their > votes, the > polling gets cancelled. This could be used as a referendum against > India in > international forums, if Kashmiri leaders know it," he said, > adding, "He > will make people aware about the law, as part of election boycott > campaign." > Tickoo said that this could be a "legal way" to boycott the > elections and > the campaign would be a "legal boycott campaign." > The KPSS chairman claimed that his ideology is same as that of > Hurriyat (G) > chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani. "I have a semblance with Geelani > sahib in > considering Kashmir as a disputed issue," he said. > Tickoo said that Kashmir is a "disputed territory" and "India has > to accept > it. > For driving home his point the KPSS chairman said, "Had Kashmir > not been a > disputed territory, then the office of United Nations Military > Observer'sGroup for India and Pakistan would not have been here at > Sonawar. It would > have been somewhere in India." > Lashing out on New Delhi for what he termed "orchestrating" the > exodus of > Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) from Valley in 1990, Tickoo said that New > Delhi has > always neglected KPs and has done nothing for them in past 60 > years. "The > migration of KPs was a policy of Indian government. They announced > sops for > those who wished to migrate. This led to migration of KPs. > Government has > engineered their migration," he said. > Tickoo criticized the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for announcing the > rehabilitation package for migrant KPs. "India is trying to > divide the > Pandit community. That is why we, who are living in Kashmir have been > ignored," he said. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader- > list > List archive: From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Wed Apr 30 17:45:13 2008 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:15:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] memories of a naxalite friend In-Reply-To: <9c06aab30804290553s32343a79md0639132c9a4272b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <581319.87860.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Shivam For a 'middle-pather' (generally) like me, your piece articulated most of my own understandings, concerns and questions. The summarising comment by you "The naxalites have just filled in the vaccum in places where the Indian state didn't exist....." is very appropiate (to my way of thinking). I would not know about there being an 'urgent need' (for the Naxalites) to enter that "vaccum" other than to serve ideological end-points. That need not neccessarily be redeeming. I would rather see the "vaccum" as a fertile and convienient space invitingly available for a formalised "Naxalite Movement" to enter. Not just only for the Naxalites, in my opinion that particular "vaccum" is 'convienient space invitingly available' for any 'extremist movement' to enter and it is easily done. There are many such "vaccums" in different parts of the country (India) arising out of varied environments. A common linkage between their geneses is lack of, or more aptly described perhaps, total absence of (legal) governance. The recourse to rectification should have been through the Courts of Law. Unfortunately, the 'justice system' itself is corrupted. My analogy for explaining "corrupted" is a music CD that (unstatedly) is supposed to 'deliver' content after the purchase (contract) is done with and the CD either does not allow easy access or 'deliver' promised content as it should but is 'corrupted'. A 'corrupted justice system' has many more serious ailments than just corrupt officers of the Court. (need not explain I think) Even if the justice system were not as 'corrupted' as it is, it cannot be a potent institution in the absence of a supportive 'environment of justice'. That 'environment of justice' has to lie seeped into and resident in every aspect of the citizen's relationships and interactions whether in private or in the public domain (need not explain I think). Those citizens who are placed in situations of biases, prejudices and an exploitative environment mounted against them (proactively or by historically being placed so) have two simple options of choosing to continue to suffer (and hoping for charitable interventions by individual or institutions) or reacting sharply in the declaration of their non-acceptance. What form will that reaction take for those who are of the mind "I will not accept this"? There are many possiblities but what is pertinent here is the pooling in of the resentment and non-acceptance of many individuals affected similarly. In the 'regulated' domain of the economy (India specific comment), which primarlily is the Large and Medium Scale Industrial sector the 'pooled in non-acceptance' is easily expressed by "rail roko", "raasta roko", "pen down strike", "general strike" etc. The participants however have the security of a job which they are unlikely to lose unless they do something totally stupid, and in most cases have powerful Unions running the show of strategised 'strikes' and subsequent negotiatiations addressing their 'demands'. Such of those disaffected who do not have the luxury of such supports (most of the small-scale industry workers, agricultural workers, stigmatised caste groups and the like) are residents of that "vaccum" which offers a 'convienient space invitingly available' for any 'extremist movement' to enter. Does it have to be 'extremist'? I do not see much choice in that if there is the absence of 'legal governance' and an 'envirionment of justice' and a "not corrupted justice system" and if these three elements do not recognise the malaise and intervene speedily, justly, appropiately and effectively then an "extremist movement" taking roots in or entering the "vaccum" should not come as a surprise. It could be the bearers of any kind of an "extremist movement" flag who herald for the "residents" of the "vaccum" the coming of a 'new age' as long as the "residents" collect under the offered flag. The flag could be Naxal-Red, Hindutva-Saffron, Islamist-Green or Christian-White. The flag could be in the name of a "Pappu" or a "Bhaiya" or a "Bhai" In this embracing of an 'extremist movement' must the individual or a collective take recourse to violence? What other option is available? "Extremism" functions on the outskirts of the 'system' both questioning it and attacking it. Any non-violent remedial measures are likely to be only through avenues from within the 'system', in which case it is not an 'extremist movement' any longer. Which brings me to Kanshi Ram, Dalits, BSP and Mayawati. But thats another story. Kshmendra Kaul Shivam Vij शिवम् विज् wrote: I second what Shuddha is saying, and Jeebesh's analysis actually raises more questions than it purports to. But I have some questions for Sabitha. Jyoti Punwani's assertion - "Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us feel guilty for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us" - is indeed very heartening. Those who ally themselves against any kind of oppression in anyway are often mocked at for their personal lifestyles. We saw this some months ago on this list in a Nandigram debate when Shuddha was being 'praised' for his work amongst the poor. You see something like this in the atrocious film Bawandar where the feminist activists from Delhi are being mocked for their penchant for shopping, films and burgers as they fight Bhanwari Devi's case. Anu, we are told, was someone who 'declassed' herself and yet did not have such a patronising attitude. The Naxalite does have a lot of lessons to offer. But the only place where Punwani offers a semblance of an argument for Naxalism - this is a personal obituary - is in the last two lines: "The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat to the country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others." To state the obvious, the naxalites - threat or not - are much bigger than one individual. And that individual's limited personal interactions with friends of the pre-Naxalite life are no barometer to measure Naxalism. And as Jeebesh points out, the narrative has a whole about what she did or did not do in the underground life and years. Which brings me to Sabitha's response. She writes: > What I find appalling in Manmohan Singh and the new corporate Congress (as > well as the new corporate CPI-M) is how they use the language of terror to > describe Naxalites, remaking them as "terrorists", instead of addressing the > deprivation of millions that leaves them with no alternative but to look out > for themselves and join aggressive movements of dissent such as Naxalism. Firstly, the official Home Ministry policy is to indeed look at 'the deprivation of millions'. See http://mha.nic.in/security/N.M.Division.pdf == "Naxalites operate in a vacuum created by inadequacy of administrative and political institutions. They espouse local demands and take advantage of the prevalent disaffection and injustice among the exploited segments of the population and seek to offer an alternative system of governance which promises emancipation of these segments through the barrel of guns. "The naxal violence continues to be an area of major concern to internal security. The problem cuts across several state boundaries. In order to check the growth of naxalite activities in the country, the Government has addressed the problem both on security and development fronts" == The development ministries have especially marked funds for development in Naxalite areas. Having travelled a bit in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, I can tell you this is not all bunkum. They are also looking at the issue of rights and the Forest Rights Act is a step in that direction. The massive scale of displacement is another story though, and I'm not so naive as to say that the rural poor in the red corridor has no disenchantment with the state - I mean, even the state admits as much. But the labelling of Naxalites as terrorists is I think in line with the definition of terrorists. A terrorist is someone who uses violence to frighten or terrorise with a political aim. The touching obituary of Anu Ghandhy cannot blind us to delete the word violence in discussions of Naxalism. So while I agree with Sabitha that - > The recasting of Naxalites as "terrorists" absolves the state of its > responsibility for the brutal police actions against admirable personages > such as Dr.Binayak Sen But I ponder at the word 'recasting'. The problem with the terrorists-versus-deprivation-of-millions-and-then-see-what-they-did-to-Binayak-Sen line is that we are looking at the state's actions and inactions but not those of the Naxalites. I am not defending the Indian state, just asking why you present this binary to me on a plate, State vs Naxalites, and ask me to take my pick? Is another world that impossible? So while I stand with you in opposing, condemning the fake encounters of the innocent and false cases against Binayak Sen and others, and the brutality of Salwa Judum, here are my questions. Do you support violence? But do you support violence as a means of achieving 'revolution'? And do you support revolution? Are you arguing against universal adult franchise, against multiparty democracy, elections, freedom of speech..? And if the Naxalites indulge in violence, why won't the state seek to repress them, punish them? Are you saying you want an India ruled and run by the Communist Party of India (Maoist)? Do you want to live in a communist state, 17 years after the collapse of the soviet union? Oh, and how many did the cultural revolution kill? And how many will the Indian Maoists kill before we can be freed from the violence of deprivation perpetrated by the Indian state, so that we can replace Gandhi's photographs with Mao's? Are you saying that you support the taking away of individual rights of people who don't want to live under Maoist rule, or those who are not willing to join The Party? > I've grown up with Naxalites and Naxal-sympathizers - including my father > -and they're all far from being "terrorists", just a community of brave > socially conscious individuals and public intellectuals who want to make a > difference, who don't want to close their eyes and shut their ears like the > vast majority of us. Fine, but the Naxalites are much more than that. They use landmines, they exploit deprivation, they put the tribal poor on the frontlines to clash with the police and build their political dreams in safe underground hideouts, (in Jharkhand) they use the gun to support one party or another in elections; in Dantewada they take money from tendu leaves businessmen to allow the business... One Naxalite-turned-Salwa Judum guy in Dantewada told me that amongst other things he had to do amongst the Naxalites was to raid villages and find the riches man in the village, ask him to hand over all his wealth, which would be redistributed amongst the villagers. Should he not agree to do so, he would be killed. In which case he would be killed, half his wealth taken away by the raiding Naxalites and the other half distributed. Tell me Sabitha, is this how you want feudalism ended? I really hope anyone who sides with Naxalites and calls himself or herself a Naxalite 'sympathiser' does so only as a rhetorical retort to the Indian state. And by the way, The Naxalites love it when Manmohan calls them the biggest internal security threat. They take it as a compliment. So if you are a Naxal sympathiser, you should be happily smiling at Manmohan's comment. But let me also say I think Manomohan's threat perception is exaggerated, perhaps deliberately. There is not a single police post in the country that the Naxalites have been able to permanantly capture. The election commission says there is no polling both where they are not able to hold elections because of the naxalites. The naxalites have just filled in the vaccum in places where the Indian state didn't exist, and where it now has an urgent need to enter. And I thank my atheist gods for that. best shivam On 4/29/08, Jeebesh Bagchi wrote: > dear Sanjay, > > Thanks for posting these memories. > > If we seriously read this as a memory, then what surprises me is the > unreflective and euphoric account of so called the "radical" 70s. As > a narrative, it marks the 70s as the hotbed of radicalism and then > 80s and 90s as a story of personal choices. > > This makes it as if the milieu of the 70s disintegrated - only - into > various disappointments, cynicism, renunciation, dogmatism and > silences. This positioning of the "underground" seems to me to mute > any possibility of thinking about what went on (then and after), > what kind of interventions , and what and how their efficacies played > out. Why is sacrifice the main trope of for narrating a life rich in > complexity and experience.? > > Is it possible to think these last 40 years differently? > > Should we not think hard on the giving up of a life for a "party"? Is > Manmohan Singh going to determine how times and biographies are > remembered? > > just wondering. > > warmly > jeebesh > > > > Apologies for cross-posting: and in respect. > > Sanjay Kak > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > > > Memories of a Naxalite Friend > > > > Times of India, Mumbai Sunday 20 Apr 2008 > > > > by Jyoti Punwani > > > > Cerebral malaria can be fatal, but people have been known to > > recover from > > it. Anuradha Ghandy, however, didn't stand a chance. Already > > weakened by the > > sclerosis when she walked into the hospital, it was too late. > > Within 24 > > hours, she was gone. By the time her vast circle of friends was > > informed on > > the evening of April 12, the 54-year-old had already been cremated. > > Better > > this than death by 'encounter', after prolonged torture. For that > > was the > > fate we feared this Naxalite could not escape. > > > > That Anu managed to evade arrest for so long, was an indicator of the > > ruthlessness with which she effaced her identity. This, of course, > > meant > > isolating herself from all those who would have given up everything > > to nurse > > her. There was another way she could have recovered, even while > > underground. > > Anu could have followed medical advice and given herself the break > > her body > > so badly needed. For someone so important to the Party (CPI- > > Maoist), it > > might well have allowed it. But that wasn't her style. > > > > Just climbing stairs had become an ordeal five years ago. Yet, days > > before > > her death, she was in some jungle where malaria was probably an > > inevitability. Anuradha Ghandy, I learnt after her death, was a senior > > Maoist leader. Her political career spans the first radical student > > outfit > > in Mumbai (PROYOM) in the '70s, and the armed dalams of Adivasi > > women in > > Bastar. Certain that like her comrades in Chandrapur, she too would be > > implicated in false cases and arrested, Anu went underground some > > years ago. > > > > > > When I first met her in 1970, Anuradha Shanbag was the belle of the > > ball in > > Mumbai's Elphinstone College. A petite bundle of energy, bright eyes > > sparkling behind square glasses, her ready laughter, near-backless > > cholis > > and coquettish ways had everyone eating out of her hands, professors > > included. Elphinstone then was an intellectual hub. The Bangladesh > > war was > > just over, drought and famine stalked Maharashtra. Naxalism had > > come to > > Mumbai, at that time the industrial capital of the country. Anu, > > majoring in > > Sociology, was everywhere—inviting Mumbai's leading radicals to > > talk about > > the reasons for the drought, putting up posters that proclaimed > > 'Beyond > > Pity' and urging students to get involved with the crisis in the > > countryside, defending this stand against those who felt a > > student's role > > must be limited to academics and at the most, 'social work'. > > > > Anu was also the one to question celebrity guest speakers such as > > Girish > > Karnad, whose path-breaking plays had just hit the stage, on the link > > between theatre and society. And it was Anu who introduced us to that > > feminist bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. Those were the > > days of > > 'parallel' cinema. Marathi amateur theatre was blossoming at Dadar's > > Chhabildas Hall. The Dalit Panthers had exploded into the Marathi > > literary > > scene. Adil Jussawala's New Writing In India was still making > > waves. Forum > > Against Rape, Mumbai's first feminist group, had just been founded. > > Anu, by > > then a lecturer at Wilson College, was immersed in all this. With > > her wide > > range of interests, she succeeded in linking the human rights > > organisation > > she and few others founded after Emergency with the city's > > intellectual > > ferment. Among other things, the Committee for the Protection of > > Democratic > > Rights (CPDR), demanded that the State stop acting lawlessly with > > Naxalites > > even though they rejected its laws. > > > > Thanks to Anu's ability to talk as intelligently with George > > Fernandes as > > with Satyadev Dubey, her brother Sunil Shanbag's mentor, the cream of > > Mumbai's intellectuals supported this demand. Playwright Vijay > > Tendulkar and > > reformist Asghar Ali Engineer were CPDR's president and vice- > > president. > > > > It was time for Anu to grow into a successful academic, the type > > who writes > > books and attends international seminars. Instead, in 1982, she > > left the > > life she loved to work in Nagpur. The wretched conditions of contract > > workers in the new industrial areas near Nagpur and of Adivasis in the > > forests of Chandrapur had to be challenged. Committed cadres were > > needed. In > > her subsequent trips to Mumbai, Anu never complained about the drastic > > change in her life: cycling to work under the relentless Nagpur > > sun; living > > in the city's Dalit area, the mention of which drew shudders from > > Nagpur's > > elite; then moving to backward Chandrapur. In Marxist study circles, > > 'declassing oneself' is quite a buzzword. From Mumbai's Leftists, > > only Anu > > and her husband Kobad, both lovers of the good life, actually did so. > > > > Kobad's family home had been a sprawling Worli Sea Face flat; he > > was a Doon > > School product. Anu's lawyer-father may have left his family estate > > in Coorg > > to defend communists in court in the '50s, but she had never seen > > deprivation. Despite her own rough life, neither did Anu make us > > feel guilty > > for our bourgeois luxuries nor did she patronise us. On the few > > occasions > > she would suddenly land up over these 25 years, it was as if she > > had never > > left. She had the same capacity to laugh, even at herself, the same > > ability > > to connect, even with management types, the same readiness to > > indulge in > > women's talk. But with those closest to her, she seemed unnaturally > > detached. Her parents doted on her, yet she didn't take every > > opportunity > > she could to meet them. I realise why now. > > > > Rushing to meet them whenever she came to Mumbai would have been > > worse than > > an indulgence. It would not only have eaten into the time she had > > for Party > > work, it would have also made it impossible for her family to have > > accepted > > what she sawas inevitable—an underground future. In order not to > > endanger > > her family, Anu simply disappeared from their horizon. When her > > father died, > > she couldn't go home. That was also the reason for her harsh > > decision never > > to have children, though her parents would have willingly brought > > them up. > > That was one bond she knew would draw her away from the life she > > had chosen. > > > > > > The 'Naxalite menace', says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat > > to the > > country. But I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who > > gave up a > > life rich in every way to change the lives of others. > > > > jyoti.punwani at gmail.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. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > 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. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From nanhi_kali at yahoo.com Wed Apr 30 19:21:58 2008 From: nanhi_kali at yahoo.com (Nandini Chandra) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:51:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: reply to Shuddha from Jesse Knutson Message-ID: <243085.62298.qm@web90503.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From nanhi_kali at yahoo.com Wed Apr 30 19:47:10 2008 From: nanhi_kali at yahoo.com (Nandini Chandra) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:17:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Reply to Shuddha from Jesse Knutson Message-ID: <513418.87961.qm@web90505.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Forwarding Jesse's reply: Dear Shuddha, First I think the piece had someone like you in mind and that's why it appealed to you. It is a piece about politics written for someone with an utterly depoliticized (you could even call it aestheticized or personalized) consciousness. This is not to insult you or your intelligence, simply to reflect on your consciousness as part of a larger historical problem. I say this because equating the foundations of Marxism-Leninism with those of a liberal ngo is no longer the gesture of a deconstructionist sleight of hand but rather part of a larger now dominant global cultural logic (celebrated by bourgeois intellectuals) in which left and right are equated in an encompassing context of nihilistic impossibility, and by implication affirmation of the status quo. What disturbs me is that anticommunism like this has become so casual. It used to be something one had to argue for. I wont comment on your reading of the Buddha. I had something to say about it. You have something else to say about it. But I disagree with your characterization of Maoism. There are certain fringe Maoist groups whose ideas are like what you present below, but Maoism has from the very beginning been an utterly global phenomenon with significant movements within the U.S.A. itself, including the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers for example. Maoism has always been about transforming the poor into historical agents, and not maintaining them 'as poor.' I also disagree with your characterization of Marxism-Leninism. Yes it is about ultimately creating a classless society in which there is no longer a proletariat. I follow Lenin and Trotsky, however, in holding that only the proletariat and its allies can accomplish this historic task through a protracted class struggle and then through a gradual transition to socialism. I mean to say that the experience of the poor as poor is and has always been incredibly important for the undermining of capitalist society. While I agree with you that Charu Majumdar took things to an extreme which was ultimately not cogent politically, and that one may disagree with some of the strategies of some Indian Maoists, overall the time is ripe for revolutionary insurgency in the backward Indian countryside, or the unevenly 'developing' Indian city. The rage of those who have no stake in the present order is to be celebrated as a productive force. But I too pity us that we need such heroes. --------------------------------------- Jesse Knutson Ph.D. Candidate Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From culetti at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 21:31:39 2008 From: culetti at gmail.com (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Lele_Linge=F1ere?=) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:01:39 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] 5/5/08 DEADLINE EXTENDED: THIRD ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL upload until 5/5/08 Message-ID: <008f01c8aadb$7b1d80f0$715882d0$@com> //////////Español abajo/////////Italiano sotto Third ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) extended its deadline till 5/5/2008 ////jury: The winner will be selected by a formula that combines the Gambling Online and the algorithm DEEP DREDD (www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////rewards: + In this edition you can bet for the prize-winning video and gain some good money to cash or to spend on our favourite website virtual casino: UNIBET + THE  VIDEO WINNER WILL INCREASE HIS/HER ECONOMY IN AT LEAST 500 EUROS. + watch the Bingo conference for the presentation of the festival (spanish) www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=65141081480C642C ////dates: 1 April - 5 May : UPLOAD videos 5 May  -  9 May : BETTING on videos 10 May           : online PRIZING ////requisites: _ fill up the application form _ upload the 1 second video (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _ upload a snapshot of the video //////////English above//////////Italiano sotto El 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) extiende su fecha limite hasta el 5/5/2008 ////jurado: El ganador será elegido por una formula que combinará las apuestas online y el algoritmo DEEP DREDD(www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premios: + En esta edición podréis apostar por el video ganador y llevaros un buen dinero a cobrar o gastar en la web de nuestro casino virtual favorito: UNIBET (www.unibet.es). + EL VIDEO GANADOR AUMENTARÁ SU PATRIMONIO EN POR LO MENOS 500 EUROS. mira la bingo conferencia de presentación www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=65141081480C642C ////fechas: 1 Abril - 5 Mayo : UPLOAD peliculas 5 Mayo – 9 Mayo  : APUESTAS sobre peliculas 10 Mayo           : PREMIACIÓN online ////requisitos _rellenar la ficha de inscripción _subir el vídeo de 1 segundo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _adjuntar un still de la película //////////English & Spanish above Il 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) estende la scadenza per l'invio di video fino al 5/5/2008 ////giuria: Il vincitore verrá selezionato da una formula che combina le scommesse online e l'algoritmo DEEP DREDD (www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premio: + In questa edizione potrete scommettere sul video vincitore e + guadambiarvi un bel malloppo da incassare o spendere nella web del nostro casinó virtuale preferito: UNIBET . + IL VIDEO VINCENTE VEDRÀ LA SUA SITUAZIONE ECONOMICA MIGLIORARE DI 500 EURO. Guarda lo speciale sulla rete spagnola Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja    ////date: 1 Aprile - 5 Maggio : UPLOAD video 5 Maggio – 9 Maggio : SCOMMESSE sui video 10 Maggio            : PREMIAZIONE online ////requisiti _riempire la scheda di iscrizione _uploadare il video i un secondo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _allegare un'immagine del video From aarti.sethi at gmail.com Wed Apr 30 23:08:36 2008 From: aarti.sethi at gmail.com (Aarti Sethi) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:08:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] (no subject) In-Reply-To: <469179.49750.qm@web8701.mail.in.yahoo.com> References: <469179.49750.qm@web8701.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <48c2916d0804301038q1203d5c0l18a4a881b0320d31@mail.gmail.com> i am not sure why a comparison of the violence by the LTTE with that of the Indian state should make us think better of the Indian state? regards A On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 7:56 AM, simran chadha wrote: > hi, > i'm new to this list, Ravikant introduced me...so pick on him. thot i'll > introduce myself else i feel like i'm evesdropping but shivam's questions > were on target, i mean before u romanticize terrotists like robin hood > figures, do take a look at what the LTTE is all about, not that that makes > mahinda rajapakse's hands any less bloodier but this is no raja > harishchandra here. take avisit to war torn colombo if the topic bothers u > so much and c militancy upfront, believe me u'll think better about the > indian state. > a question, can someone pl forward some poetry written by the naxalites, > esp the female naxalites, am not sure if any exists coz i've never read any > but do want to dispel my ignorance > have a nice day' > simran > > > --------------------------------- > Get the freedom to save as many mails as you wish. Click here to know > how. > _________________________________________ > 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. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: From info at respeto-total.com Wed Apr 30 21:24:11 2008 From: info at respeto-total.com (Respeto-Total) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:54:11 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] 5/5/08 DEADLINE EXTENDED: THIRD ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL upload until 5/5/08 Message-ID: <008e01c8aada$a8a112e0$f9e338a0$@com> //////////Español abajo/////////Italiano sotto Third ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) extended its deadline till 5/5/2008 ////jury: The winner will be selected by a formula that combines the Gambling Online and the algorithm DEEP DREDD (www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////rewards: + In this edition you can bet for the prize-winning video and gain some good money to cash or to spend on our favourite website virtual casino: UNIBET + THE  VIDEO WINNER WILL INCREASE HIS/HER ECONOMY IN AT LEAST 500 EUROS. + watch the Bingo conference for the presentation of the festival (spanish) www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=65141081480C642C ////dates: 1 April - 5 May : UPLOAD videos 5 May  -  9 May : BETTING on videos 10 May           : online PRIZING ////requisites: _ fill up the application form _ upload the 1 second video (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _ upload a snapshot of the video //////////English above//////////Italiano sotto El 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) extiende su fecha limite hasta el 5/5/2008 ////jurado: El ganador será elegido por una formula que combinará las apuestas online y el algoritmo DEEP DREDD(www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premios: + En esta edición podréis apostar por el video ganador y llevaros un buen dinero a cobrar o gastar en la web de nuestro casino virtual favorito: UNIBET (www.unibet.es). + EL VIDEO GANADOR AUMENTARÁ SU PATRIMONIO EN POR LO MENOS 500 EUROS. mira la bingo conferencia de presentación www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=65141081480C642C ////fechas: 1 Abril - 5 Mayo : UPLOAD peliculas 5 Mayo – 9 Mayo  : APUESTAS sobre peliculas 10 Mayo           : PREMIACIÓN online ////requisitos _rellenar la ficha de inscripción _subir el vídeo de 1 segundo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _adjuntar un still de la película //////////English & Spanish above Il 3rd ONE SECOND VIDEO FESTIVAL (www.respeto-total.com/tosvf/) estende la scadenza per l'invio di video fino al 5/5/2008 ////giuria: Il vincitore verrá selezionato da una formula che combina le scommesse online e l'algoritmo DEEP DREDD (www.respeto-total.com/osvf/deepdredd/). ////premio: + In questa edizione potrete scommettere sul video vincitore e + guadambiarvi un bel malloppo da incassare o spendere nella web del nostro casinó virtuale preferito: UNIBET . + IL VIDEO VINCENTE VEDRÀ LA SUA SITUAZIONE ECONOMICA MIGLIORARE DI 500 EURO. Guarda lo speciale sulla rete spagnola Cuatro http://www.cuatro.com/videos/index.html?xref=20060131ctoultnot_15.Ves&view=b aja    ////date: 1 Aprile - 5 Maggio : UPLOAD video 5 Maggio – 9 Maggio : SCOMMESSE sui video 10 Maggio            : PREMIAZIONE online ////requisiti _riempire la scheda di iscrizione _uploadare il video i un secondo (.mov .wmv .avi .mpg) _allegare un'immagine del video From zubi_robin123 at yahoo.com Sun Apr 27 16:05:34 2008 From: zubi_robin123 at yahoo.com (indigo_rebellion) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:35:34 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] [infosouth] Need Your Help. Message-ID: I'm a retired cameraman from India now living in Sydney, Australia with my two kids and wife since 2002. I would like to introduce to this group a blog and would request each of you to take a look. The views are radical and not all of them I would second yet I felt someone from this group might be interested to assist. They are in urgent need of a good documentary editor. I enjoyed working with them n know that they are one of India's finest teams. The blog's id is: http://jan-madhyam.blogspot.com/ Salute Zubi -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements