From murali.chalam at gmail.com Thu Oct 1 10:06:01 2009 From: murali.chalam at gmail.com (Murali V) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 10:06:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0909271543i594ecb3bq397c238881b4199e@mail.gmail.com> References: <5af37bb0909271543i594ecb3bq397c238881b4199e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4eab87870909302136k5210cfc9y1e90f48806746348@mail.gmail.com> Clever of putting which side you had backed. A cat on the wall strategy. Regards, V Murali On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:13 AM, yasir ~يا سر wrote: > context: India loses to Pakistan. Indian media insult the team > after creating all the hype in the first instance, amid heavy revenues. > > correction: its Star sports not zeeits be-izzati not bisti - ie dissin, > disrespect, dishonour > > Not being a sports watcher. for a good games sake I was actually backing the > other side. > > talk about media independence, what would stalin do, > to the team and the media   :D > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho0htLmu2HM > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 chandni.parekh at gmail.com Thu Oct 1 10:31:34 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 10:31:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Film Screenings in October In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Chandni Parekh sent a message to the members of Vikalp at Prithvi group on Facebook. -------------------- Subject: Film Screenings in October And I'm back. Here's a listing of documentary/alternative film screenings in India for the month of October: Film Festival on Mahatma Gandhi's life and contribution curated by Prabodh Parikh, Oct 1-2, Himachal Pradesh Fringe Festival, Oct 3, Delhi Chinh India Kids Film Festival, Oct 3-9, Delhi 'The Holy Wives' by Ritesh Sharma, Oct 4, Bangalore 'Amelie' by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Oct 4, Bombay, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad 'Cronaca di un amore' by Michelangelo Antonioni, Oct 7 and 10, Delhi RTI Film Festival 2009, Oct 7-11, Delhi The Mumbai 48 Hour Film Project, Oct 9-10, Bombay Global Cinema Festival, Oct 9-15, Indore Global Festival of Documentary Films, Oct 10-12, Noida 'L'amore in città' by Michelangelo Antonioni, Oct 14 and 17, Delhi The Nigah QueerFest, Oct 23-Nov 1, Delhi CMS VATAVARAN – Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, Oct 27-31, Delhi 'Professione: reporter' by Michelangelo Antonioni, Oct 28 and 31, Delhi 11th Mumbai Film Festival, Oct 29-Nov 5 Details on the group homepage: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46819848804 - Chandni PS: You might want to keep visiting the group homepage. It's updated with information on new screenings very often. -------------------- From bawazainab79 at gmail.com Thu Oct 1 11:37:25 2009 From: bawazainab79 at gmail.com (Zainab Bawa) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:37:25 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fingerprints, databases and mobile phones In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Jeebesh, Thanks for sending the links. The Indian Express article however sounds too good to be true. Some of the claims it makes sound ridiculous at best. Cheers, Zainab On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 10:47 AM, Jeebesh wrote: > dear All, > > Two news items that could be given some thought. > > “If any agency wants to confirm the identify of a person, it would > have to just take the fingerprint of the person on a cell phone and > send it across to a central database and receive authentication within > seconds.”. > > http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/27/stories/2009092755850900.htm > > > " If all goes according to plan, then starting next month, your bank > and insurance accounts, your travel details and even telephone and > Internet usage will all be available to a bunch of high-level > officials in the top-most government security enforcement agencies." > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-11-central-agencies-can-monitor-your-bank-account-travel-and-tax-details/522026/ > > > Read more below. > > Jeebesh > > ------------------ > http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/27/stories/2009092755850900.htm > > NEW DELHI: The recently constituted Unique Identification Authority of > India (UIDAI) headed by Nandan Nilekani, former co-Chairman of the IT > major Infosys, would aim at devising a system through which the > identity of a person could be established through just a call from a > mobile phone. > > Explaining the project at a lecture here, Mr. Nilekani said that since > its objective was to help the poor in particular to access the > benefits of various government schemes with greater ease, the aim was > to develop a system whereby the identity of a person could be > established through just a call from a mobile phone. > > “If any agency wants to confirm the identify of a person, it would > have to just take the fingerprint of the person on a cell phone and > send it across to a central database and receive authentication within > seconds.” > > Instead of a card, the UIDA would only provide a number to every > citizen linked to a person’s demographic and biometric information. At > the time of the issue of the number, the Authority would seek certain > basic information such as the name, date of birth, place of birth, > gender, and the address of the individuals and take their photograph > and fingerprints. > > The database would be developed in partnership with the government and > private agencies, such as mobile service providers, cooking gas > outlets, passport offices, NREGA and PDS authorities. “The moment a > person comes in contact with any of the partner agencies, their > details would be collected and the unique identification number would > be issued. Once a person gets the number, he or she would have to just > quote it on approaching another service provider.” > > The aim of the project was to be provide a robust system to eliminate > duplicate and fake identities, apart from verification and > authentication of the identity in an easy manner, Mr. Nilekani said. > The system would be developed in such a way that whenever a partner > agency sends the data of an individual for registration, the central > database would perform a search on key demographic and biometric > attributes so that there was no duplication. > > Noting that the present situation of multiple databases gave > individuals “an incentive” to provide different personal information > to different agencies, he said that since the mechanism for de- > duplication in the UID system would ensure that the residents would > have only one chance to be in the database, the individuals would > provide accurate data. “The incentives for giving correct information > would become especially powerful as benefits and entitlements would be > linked to UID.” > > Giving the lecture at the 67th foundation day celebrations of the > Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. Nilekani said the > UIDAI planned to start issuing the identification numbers in 12 to 18 > months and cover 600 million citizens over the next four years. > > While the largest such database currently available anywhere in the > world covered only 120 million people, the one being set up in India > would cover 10 times more than that figure, he said. “It is certainly > a gigantic task with several technological challenges. But, we will do > it.” > > ------------------------ > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-11-central-agencies-can-monitor-your-bank-account-travel-and-tax-details/522026/ > > > Maybe this is the price you are required to pay to keep yourself and > the country secure from terrorists. If all goes according to plan, > then starting next month, your bank and insurance accounts, your > travel details and even telephone and Internet usage will all be > available to a bunch of high-level officials in the top-most > government security enforcement agencies. > > The National Intelligence Grid, which the government intends to > establish by the end of this month, will ensure that designated > officers in 11 Central security and intelligence agencies—such as the > Intelligence Bureau, National Investigating Agency and the Directorate > of Revenue Intelligence—would have complete access to nearly 20 > databases held by public authorities, including nationalised banks and > insurance companies, railways and airlines, immigration and income tax > department. > > The idea is to let the law enforcement agencies get quicker and > comprehensive access to all information related to suspected criminals > and terrorists at one place over a highly secure network. > Investigating officers often lose crucial time trying to get > information from other departments, thereby benefiting the criminals. > > The NATGRID, it is hoped, would not just speed up investigation of > cases but also help in pre-empting crimes by acting on suspicious > activities of people under watch. For purposes of easy use, each of > the 20-odd databases would remain separate entities and would not be > merged into a single master database. > > Eventually, the intention is to bring relevant databases held even in > private hands, like banks or transport companies, under the ambit of > NATGRID. The main data centre for NATGRID would be located in the > Multi-Agency Centre which has been reactivated after the Mumbai > attacks last year > > Sources in the government played down concerns on privacy, saying > security agencies could even otherwise access these databases for > investigation purposes. “All that is sought to be done is ensure that > relevant information is accessed and acted upon timely in the > interests of national security,” a source said. > > Additionally, they pointed out that similar measures have been taken > in other countries as well, especially in the United States following > 9/11. > > “It would not have been done if it wasn’t considered to be completely > necessary. A system of checks and balances would obviously be put in > place so that information is not misused in any way,” the source said. > > The complete NATGRID network would be delivered in three phases over > the next two years. The first phase is ready to be initiated and is > awaiting the final approval of Home Minister P Chidambaram, government > sources 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: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- Zainab Bawa Ph.D. Student and Independent Researcher Gaining Ground ... http://zainab.freecrow.org http://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories-of-the-internet/transparency-and-politics From vivek at sarai.net Thu Oct 1 13:23:01 2009 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:23:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Thom Gunn: Pleasure, Eroticism, Domestic Stability Message-ID: <4AC45FDD.7000000@sarai.net> Fascinating, longish essay on the poetry of Thom Gunn, a Brit poet who replanted himself on the west coast, wrote often strictly formal poems but on sometimes radical themes--see below. Vivek http://www.poetryfoundation.org/journal/article.html?id=236878 Sex, Drugs, and Thom Gunn by Tom Sleigh : Poetry Magazine [article/magazine] The life and work of a true servant of eros. by Tom Sleigh A year before Thom Gunn died in 2004, he told me about going to visit a sex club—he wrote about such experiences, so I don’t think there’s any reason not to speak about them. Since I’m straight, he described it with all the precision of someone describing the more technical aspects of going rafting down the Colorado River—the club had two floors, one for gays, one for straights, and if you were gay you could pay a little more and descend among the straights, but if you were straight, you couldn’t ascend to be among the gays. There were little tents to go into when you’d found someone, and of course there was more. I like to check myself on stories told to me by friends, and when I went online to find out more for this essay, I found a place in San Francisco called the Power Exchange that answered to some of what I remember him saying. But not all. There are different floors, but there’s a bottom floor with a dungeon and bondage room, for a total of three floors, not two. And there was no mention of tents, but rather theme playrooms: among others, an ancient Egyptian room, a boxing ring, and a series of cubicles that would seem to form a maze called Asshole Alley. There is different pricing, but not as straightforwardly gay/straight as I remember. And of course, it’s possible he was talking about a different club altogether. What I’m certain of is this: Regardless of the no drugs or alcohol policies, Thom talked about the drugs people were on: Viagra, obviously, but more to the point, speed (methamphetamine), PCP (AKA angel dust), and ecstasy, though it was Thom’s impression that more straights were into that. * * * That sex and drugs go together should be no surprise to anyone, and in Thom Gunn’s poems they become dual aspects of eros: on the one hand, drugs and sex can open us up to vistas of human freedoms and discoveries; and, on the other, they can lead to darker recognitions about the world and ourselves. Gunn’s poems explore both aspects in a way that is compassionate, nuanced, and wide-ranging in scope. So let’s start with Gunn’s attitude toward drugs. I had long known that he used them—for that matter, so had I, speed, heroin, marijuana, a lot of psychedelics—and drug use was one of the bonds of our friendship. I don’t mean that we did drugs together, for we weren’t friends in that way. But I mean the psychological predisposition behind our drug use, the kinds of assumptions we shared about what drugs could teach you, how they opened up avenues of self-knowledge and wide-ranging spiritual and social understandings that would ordinarily be closed to you. You always took drugs for pleasure, of course, but part of that pleasure was the possibilities they gave you to test what it meant to be a human being. You might say that Gunn disagreed with Samuel Johnson when Johnson said that you didn’t need to experience evil in order to shun it—though Gunn never thought of drugs as evil: rather, drugs were part of the pleasure of people who have a romance with experience and, for better and worse, take seriously the choices and obsessions that such a romance involves you in, willy-nilly. In a Jefferson Airplane song that was something of a psychedelic anthem, Gracie Slick’s exhortatory, I’m-verging-on-ecstatic, sandpaper growl spoke to the feeling of transformative power that drugs held for a certain kind of user: One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small, and the ones that Mother gives you don’t do anything at all. Go ask Alice when she’s ten feet tall. These lyrics convey a disinterested, deeply curious fascination with the nuances of human personality as it’s illuminated by drugs. In Gunn’s poem “Listening to Jefferson Airplane,” the physical phenomenon of the music, as it “comes and goes on the wind,” is mirrored by its psychological effect as it “comes and goes on the brain.” In that sense, you could say that using drugs at a concert was a kind of laboratory to learn about human behavior and the workings of your own mind; hanging out with friends and the subtle and not-so-subtle transformations that you and they underwent was one of the things about drugs that Gunn most liked and that these lines, in both the song and his poem, point to. And along with his attitude toward drugs, there was an ethos about erotic play that he wrote about in an essay, “My Life up to Now,” in which he discusses what his experiences in the sixties and early seventies had meant to him: a communitarian ethos of pleasure and of how pleasure and social equality were based on the freedom to give our sexual natures and desires full expression. As Gunn wrote of the Geysers, a hot-springs area in Sonoma County north of San Francisco: Everyone walked around naked, swimming in the cool stream by day and at night staying in the hot baths until early in the morning. Heterosexual and homosexual orgies sometimes overlapped: there was an attitude of benevolence and understanding on all sides that could be extended, I thought, into the rest of the world. When I remember that small, changing society of holidays and weekends, I picture a great communal embrace. For what is the point of a holiday if we cannot carry it back into working days? There is no good reason why that hedonistic and communal love of the Geysers could not be extended to the working life of the towns. Unless it is that human beings contain in their emotions some homeostatic device by which they must defeat themselves just as they are learning their freedom. This was before AIDS, of course—but I remember even after the Plague, as it came to be called, had claimed many of Gunn’s friends, he still insisted that he believed deeply in those values; and he once told me that he doubted he could really trust or be good friends with anybody who didn’t share them. Not that he didn’t have a profound understanding of the workings of the less savory aspects of sexual self-knowledge and becoming—and his image of a homeostatic device of the emotions displays a profound pessimism at the heart of his generous, radically visionary view of sexual pleasure as a revolutionary force. But a force also accompanied by depression, paranoia, self-suspicion, self-alienation, jealousy, and despair. His poetic sequence “The Menace” deals with all these emotions, in which “in a theatre of reflection/I encounter again/the exemplary figure” who is “inducted by himself/into an army of fantasy” and is at once: guard father executioner angel of death delivering doctor judge cop castrator the-one-who-wants-to-get-me As a form of paranoid projection, “the menace” “leaps from the night/fully armed, a djinn/of human stature” whose “hands hang heavy/gloved for obscure purpose,” and the lovers, in the course of the poem, give their bodies, too: “his arms/were our arms, his sperm ours./His terror became/our play.” In these lines, the menace goes from being a djinn to a threatening, heavy-gloved figure, to a composite figure of both their bodies, in which, during sexual play, they become one inside the body of love, their sperm and arms fusing into the act of making love, both love as sexual pleasure as well as the founding of a new identity. And so “the-one-who-wants-to-get-me” starts out as a paranoid projection and by poem’s end has metamorphosed into “a cheerful man in workclothes” who “stumbles off grinning/‘Bye babe gotta get to the job.’” The menace as a projection of the speaker’s paranoid consciousness becomes assimilated into the dailiness of domestic routine. This transformation of terror into play and the consoling rhythms of domesticity suggest that however much our sexuality is tied in to our darker emotions, “the great communal embrace” of the Geysers has the power to remake the way we envision our desires as we project them onto others and experience their projections onto us. At the same time, the communality of the embrace stands apart from the “tea for two, you for me, me for you” trope of monogamous, exclusive, heterosexual love. In fact, as Gunn says, such an embrace brought back from holiday would change “the working life of the towns.” The subversiveness of the notion and the political implications of that subversion are wide sweeping. If the basis of democracy is the body and bodily pleasure, as the image of a communal embrace at least partly suggests, then why shouldn’t sexual hedonism become one of the central values of the democratic contract? And why shouldn’t drugs be one of the tools that help the body politic to achieve that contract’s fulfillment? Certainly Gunn is speaking as poet and not prophet (orgies fueled by poppers in the Bank of America bank vault come to mind!), but the ideal of this embrace exists as an abiding conviction and underwrites all Gunn’s poetry. For the poet, “the passages of joy,” in Samuel Johnson’s phrase, are not only erogenous but civic as well. And lest this seem too utopian, not to say soft-headed, a conviction, I want to again stress that Gunn was all too aware, even at the height of his “belief in the possibilities of change,” that “we all continue to carry the same baggage: in my world, Christian does not shed his burden, only his attitude to it alters.” But as he also says, his life “insists on continuities.” And so even though the “great sweep of the acid years” has been denounced by conservatives and liberals alike for its embrace of drugs and hedonism, I deeply admire Gunn’s faithfulness to that vision: “everything that we glimpsed—the trust, the brotherhood, the repossession of innocence, the nakedness of spirit—is still a possibility and will continue to be so.” At the same time, his need for domesticity is an inherent part of that vision, as suggested by how “the-one-who-wants-to-get-me,” in all its erotic thrill and chill, becomes the ordinary man whom Gunn sleeps next to, his body cupping “the fine warm back,/broad fleshed shoulder blades.” So just as Gunn puts a premium on sexual freedom, he evinces an equal need for domestic stability. And while Gunn speaks about the dangers of using a poet’s biography to narrow the meanings of his poems in a way that diminishes them, I think it’s instructive that his home life also reflected his communitarian spirit: he lived in a group house, with housemates, in which each in turn cooked dinner on assigned nights of the week. It was a remarkably stable arrangement and lasted from 1971, when Gunn bought the house on Cole Street in the Haight, until his death in 2004. During that time, Gunn had many lovers and sexual partners, but he also spent thirty-three years with the same housemates. Sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll—as Gunn says in his poem “Transients and Residents,” “I like loud music, bars, and boisterous men”—aren’t necessarily incompatible with personal loyalty, homebodiness, and domestic stability. Of course, I’m betraying typical heterosexual, basically monogamous biases/hangups here: whoever said that domestic life and sexual freedom are opposed? Well, to take an extreme, let’s look at this quote from Pat Robertson, host of the Christian Right’s 700 Club. As he said in the Washington Post, August 23, 1993: “The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.” While this is inadvertently comic, and easy and obvious a target though Robertson is, it should be noted that his particular brand of paranoia, in its fear of same-sex eroticism as a destroyer of hubby’s happy home, is one that’s shared, in a much more tamped-down style, by a lot of straight men and women, particularly if children are involved. On the other hand, one wonders what Robertson would make of Family Day in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where gay couples wheel baby carriages down Commercial Street amid a generally party-hearty atmosphere, and where, as far as one can tell, no knife-wielding, capitalist-hating, depraved lesbos are slitting their babies’ soft little throats and dancing to old Black Sabbath tracks at a witches’ coven. But I bring up these issues not to debate the merits of monogamy, patriarchy, or black magic, whether practiced by gays or straights, but to stress the depth of Gunn’s social and poetic commitments: as Keats would say, Gunn proved them “on his pulses”; and in his life and in his work he shows how pleasure and eroticism and domestic stability were, for him, a seamless continuum. This is no common perception. As a matter of fact, when you survey literary tropes associated with love poetry in English going all the way back to Thomas Wyatt, it turns out to be a highly original one, at least as far as literature is concerned. Wrack my brains as I might, I can’t come up with a single straight writer of the twentieth century or, for that matter, any century who develops this trope such that all three of these qualities seem mutually entailing. When I mentioned this to an extremely well-read, female straight friend, she, too, was unable to come up with a single name; and though she did suggest Rumi, we both agreed that he fudged the issue by making the beloved synonymous with God. Several other names, Edna St. Vincent Millay, late Yeats, were quickly dismissed. And after a moment or two of silence, my friend said, “Actually, it’s kind of sad.” Sad that eroticism and pleasure and domestic stability are seen as antithetical, at least as a poetic convention for straight writers. And so it’s no exaggeration to say that Gunn’s development of this trope of seamless connection among eroticism, pleasure, and domestic stability is one of the deep sources of his originality. As regards Gunn’s originality, I think my friend also meant that it was sad because of the limited repertoire of roles that straight people feel are available to them, as well as the constraint on feeling that these roles impose on the conventions of heterosexual love poems. I don’t for a moment think Gunn is advocating that heteros expand the range of those roles—he never expressed any sentiment about other people’s sexual desires, except to say, quite sensibly, that everyone should do whatever turns them on. Which is simply to say, again, that Gunn’s vision, his “community of the carnal heart,” is the vision of a poet and not a social reformer: it isn’t a poet’s duty to preach, or to do anything at all but write the poems that come his or her way. But it’s one of the inadvertent pleasures in reading Gunn to discover in his imagination a passion to propose new forms of human relation, at least as far as the straight world is concerned, through the practice of his art. This is what I mean when I say that Gunn’s vision is socially radical in its implications. It isn’t just Pat Robertson and his fear of slinky witches dancing around in the latest from Victoria’s Secret: it’s the conflicted and conflicting ways gay and straight conceive of their sexual freedoms and constraints when you compare Gunn’s version of community through sexual connection, and the typical conventions that surround heterosexual passion as it gets expressed through love poetry in English for the past five hundred years. Gunn writes very movingly of the vicissitudes of his particular kind of domesticity in “The Hug,” a poem addressed to his longtime partner, Mike Kitay. In the poem, their “grand passion” has grown so familial that when he wakes to find his partner hugging him from behind, he says: It was not sex, but I could feel The whole strength of your body set, Or braced, to mine, And locking me to you As if we were still twenty-two When our grand passion had not yet Become familial. My quick sleep had deleted all Of intervening time and place. I only knew The stay of your secure firm dry embrace. The dryness of the embrace marks the transition from sexual to domestic love, from the physical joy of sex to the physical joy of being held by someone with whom a life has been shared. Now, what heterosexual male poet would celebrate such a transition? Presumably, that poet would say how sexual attraction was attendant on the hug; or else the poet would lament the passing of such passion. But Gunn does neither—or if there is a touch of melancholy, it is balanced by an equal sense of triumph. To make the point even clearer, and to ground it in the differences between Gunn’s version of domestic love and the hetero “tea for two” version, allow me once again to resort to biography. Bill Schuessler—a friend whom Gunn and Kitay met in 1967, the Summer of Love—moved in with them in 1971. According to Schuessler, “It was the happiest time in my life, really. It was a wonderful time to be alive in San Francisco. But it was more than that: I was wildly in love with Mickey [Kitay]. And Thom became almost like a father figure to me because he was always looking out for me. Which was incredibly strange—or nice—given that Mickey was his lover. It sounds like incest, but we all got along together.” The sexual mores that govern how we act out our carnal fates are obviously beyond the bounds of this essay, but how many straight households, how many Elizabeth Barretts and Robert Brownings, could adjust to the addition of a third wheel, with or without a night out at the Power Exchange, with or without a handy supply of mood-inducing drugs? * * * I remember the last time I visited Thom at his house on Cole Street. We talked for a long time about how the Haight had changed and was changing ever more rapidly into a well-to-do neighborhood, and about how he himself was changing, taking long naps, finding it difficult to write. And later, when we walked to get lunch, he told me little spicy stories about people whom he knew that certain houses or shops reminded him of, back in the day, before the neighborhood had gone upscale. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt that sported an image of Bluto (Popeye’s rival in the Popeye comic strip and cartoons), black motorcycle boots, black jeans, and an earring that gave him an air of piratical suavity and grace. He spoke about how the last time he’d been to a sex club, everybody had been speeding their brains out, and how it hadn’t been much fun. But he said it in such a way that you knew that this was all part of the adventure, part of his lifelong romance with experience that would end a few months later with him pronounced dead, according to the autopsy report, from “acute polysubstance abuse.” Whatever you make of his death, Thom was a true servant of eros. And in keeping with that devotion, his New Jerusalem was an open one in its generous conviction that the ecstatic could become a communal property, open to anyone, an apocalyptic city of carnal fulfillment and desire, in which his work will forever be one of the cornerstones. This piece is excerpted from a longer essay, which will appear in its entirety in At the Barriers: On the Poetry of Thom Gunn, edited by Joshua Weiner, published by the University of Chicago Press this summer. From daisyhasan at yahoo.co.uk Thu Oct 1 19:34:42 2009 From: daisyhasan at yahoo.co.uk (Daisy Hasan) Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 14:04:42 +0000 (GMT) Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: Invitation to Anjum Hasan's Book Release in Delhi Message-ID: <974526.59804.qm@web25402.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Dear All,   Forwarding an invite on behalf of Anjum Hasan. Apologies for cross posting Cheers, Daisy Dear friends,   Here comes my new novel Neti, Neti, launching in Delhi on October 4 (7 pm at Haze Blues and Jazz Bar, 8 Basant Lok, Community Centre, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, 110 057) . There will be a performance by the Blues band, Soulmate.     Perhaps you'll be in Delhi on that day, pass this on to friends, put it on your FaceBook, put it on your blog, send good vibrations Delhi-wards, or, most most importantly, read the novel.    So please see the attachment and thanks for your support! A little about the book below.   Cheers, Anjum   About Neti, Neti   Twenty-five-year-old Sophie Das has moved from Shillong to Bangalore in search of work, fun and liberty. Neti, Neti follows Sophie and her free-spirited friends through offices, pubs, call centres, night streets, shopping malls, rock concerts, and the homes of Bangalore’s newly rich, as Sophie starts to feel more and more alienated in the money-mad city.   A horrific murder sends her back to her hometown, where her Hamlet-quoting father and increasingly religious mother are chasing their separate dreams. Will Sophie be able to pull back from the brink and find herself a home?   'Anjum Hasan is one of the most suggestive and subtle Indian writers of her generation, unusually aware of the weight, meaning, and resonances of words. Whether as a novelist, poet, or essayist, she displays an unexpected combination of shrewd noticing and poetic insight about how small-town imaginings and cosmopolitan sophistication flow in and out of each other.'  Amit Chaudhuri From sonia.jabbar at gmail.com Thu Oct 1 22:26:00 2009 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:26:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Gore Vidal Interview Message-ID: >From The Times September 30, 2009 Gore Vidal: ŒWe¹ll have a dictatorship soon in the US¹ The grand old man of letters Gore Vidal claims America is Œrotting away¹ ‹ and don¹t expect Barack Obama to save it Tim Teeman A conversation with Gore Vidal unfolds at his pace. He answers questions imperiously, occasionally playfully, with a piercing, lethal dryness. He is 83 and in a wheelchair (a result of hypothermia suffered in the war, his left knee is made of titanium). But he can walk (³Of course I can²) and after a recent performance of Mother Courage at London¹s National Theatre he stood to deliver an anti-war speech to the audience. How was his friend Fiona Shaw in the title role? ³Very good.² Where did they meet? Silence. The US? ³Well, it wasn¹t Russia.² What¹s he writing at the moment? ³It¹s a little boring to talk about. Most writers seem to do little else but talk about themselves and their work, in majestic terms.² He means self-glorifying? ³You¹ve stumbled on the phrase,² he says, regally enough. ³Continue to use it.² Vidal is sitting in the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, where he has been coming to stay for 60 years. He is wearing a brown suit jacket, brown jumper, tracksuit bottoms; his white hair twirled into a Tintin-esque quiff and with his hooded eyes, delicate yet craggy features and arch expression, he looks like Quentin Crisp, but accessorised with a low, lugubrious growl rather than camp lisp. He points to an apartment opposite the hotel where Churchill stayed during the Second World War, as Downing Street was ³getting hammered by the Nazis. The crowds would cheer him from the street, he knew great PR.² In a flash, this memory reminds you of the swathe of history Vidal has experienced with great intimacy: he was friends with JFK, fought in the war, his father Gene, an Olympic decathlete and aeronautics teacher, founded TWA among other airlines and had a relationship with Amelia Earhart. (Vidal first flew and landed a plane when he was 10.) He was a screenwriter for MGM in the dying days of the studio system, toyed with being a politician, he has written 24 novels and is hailed as one of the world¹s greatest essayists. He has crossed every boundary, I say. ³Crashed many barriers,² he corrects me. Last year he famously switched allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama during the Democratic nomination process for president. Now, he reveals, he regrets his change of heart. How¹s Obama doing? ³Dreadfully. I was hopeful. He was the most intelligent person we¹ve had in that position for a long time. But he¹s inexperienced. He has a total inability to understand military matters. He¹s acting as if Afghanistan is the magic talisman: solve that and you solve terrorism.² America should leave Afghanistan, he says. ³We¹ve failed in every other aspect of our effort of conquering the Middle East or whatever you want to call it.² The ³War on Terror² was ³made up², Vidal says. ³The whole thing was PR, just like Œweapons of mass destruction¹. It has wrecked the airline business, which my father founded in the 1930s. He¹d be cutting his wrists. Now when you fly you¹re both scared to death and bored to death, a most disagreeable combination.² His voice strengthens. ³One thing I have hated all my life are LIARS [he says that with bristling anger] and I live in a nation of them. It was not always the case. I don¹t demand honour, that can be lies too. I don¹t say there was a golden age, but there was an age of general intelligence. We had a watchdog, the media.² The media is too supine? ³Would that it was. They¹re busy preparing us for an Iranian war.² He retains some optimism about Obama ³because he doesn¹t lie. We know the fool from Arizona [as he calls John McCain] is a liar. We never got the real story of how McCain crashed his plane [in 1967 near Hanoi, North Vietnam] and was held captive.² Vidal originally became pro-Obama because he grew up in ³a black city² (meaning Washington), as well as being impressed by Obama¹s intelligence. ³But he believes the generals. Even Bush knew the way to win a general was to give him another star. Obama believes the Republican Party is a party when in fact it¹s a mindset, like Hitler Youth, based on hatred ‹ religious hatred, racial hatred. When you foreigners hear the word Œconservative¹ you think of kindly old men hunting foxes. They¹re not, they¹re fascists.² Another notable Obama mis-step has been on healthcare reform. ³He f***ed it up. I don¹t know how because the country wanted it. We¹ll never see it happen.² As for his wider vision: ³Maybe he doesn¹t have one, not to imply he is a fraud. He loves quoting Lincoln and there¹s a great Lincoln quote from a letter he wrote to one of his generals in the South after the Civil War. ŒI am President of the United States. I have full overall power and never forget it, because I will exercise it¹. That¹s what Obama needs ‹ a bit of Lincoln¹s chill.² Has he met Obama? ³No,² he says quietly, ³I¹ve had my time with presidents.² Vidal raises his fingers to signify a gun and mutters: ³Bang bang.² He is referring to the possibility of Obama being assassinated. ³Just a mysterious lone gunman lurking in the shadows of the capital,² he says in a wry, dreamy way. Vidal now believes, as he did originally, Clinton would be the better president. ³Hillary knows more about the world and what to do with the generals. History has proven when the girls get involved, they¹re good at it. Elizabeth I knew Raleigh would be a good man to give a ship to.²The Republicans will win the next election, Vidal believes; though for him there is little difference between the parties. ³Remember the coup d¹etat of 2000 when the Supreme Court fixed the selection, not election, of the stupidest man in the country, Mr Bush.² Vidal says forcefully that he wished he¹d never moved back to the US to live in Hollywood, from his clifftop home in Ravello, Italy, in 2000. His partner of 53 years, Howard Austen, who died in 2003, collated a lifetime¹s-span of pictures of Vidal, for a new book out this autumn, Gore Vidal: Snapshots in History¹s Glare (an oddly clunky title). The cover shows what a beautiful young man Vidal was, although his stare is as hawkish as it is today. He observes presidential office-holders balefully. ³The only one I knew well was Kennedy, but he didn¹t impress me as a good president. It¹s like asking, ŒWhat do I think of my brother?¹ It¹s complicated. I¹d known him all my life and I liked him to the end, but he wrecked his chances with the Bay of Pigs and Suez crises, and because everyone was so keen to elect Bobby once Jack had gone, lies started to be told about him ‹ that he was the greatest and the King of Camelot.² Today religious mania has infected the political bloodstream and America has become corrosively isolationist, he says. ³Ask an American what they know about Sweden and they¹d say ŒThey live well but they¹re all alcoholics¹. In fact a Scandinavian system could have benefited us many times over.² Instead, America has ³no intellectual class² and is ³rotting away at a funereal pace. We¹ll have a military dictatorship fairly soon, on the basis that nobody else can hold everything together. Obama would have been better off focusing on educating the American people. His problem is being over-educated. He doesn¹t realise how dim-witted and ignorant his audience is. Benjamin Franklin said that the system would fail because of the corruption of the people and that happened under Bush.² Vidal adds menacingly: ³Don¹t ever make the mistake with people like me thinking we are looking for heroes. There aren¹t any and if there were, they would be killed immediately. I¹m never surprised by bad behaviour. I expect it.² While materially comfortable, Vidal¹s was not a happy childhood. Of his actress and socialite mother Nina, he says: ³Give her a glass of vodka and she was as tame as could be. Growing up is going to be difficult if the one person you hate is your mother. I felt trapped. I was close to my grandparents and my father was a saint.² His parents¹ many remarriages means that even today he hasn¹t met all his step-siblings. He wrote his first novel, Williwaw, at 19. In 1948, he was blacklisted by the media after writing The City and the Pillar, one of the earliest novels to deal graphically with homosexual desire. ³You¹ll be amazed to know it is still going strong,² he says. The ³JT² it is dedicated to is James ³Jimmy² Trimble, Vidal¹s first love and, he once said, the love of his life. ³That was a slight exaggeration. I said it because there wasn¹t any other. In the new book there are wonderful pictures of him from our schooldays. He was a great athlete.² Here his voice softens, and he looks emotional, briefly. ³We were both abandoned in our dormitory at St Alban¹s [boarding school]. He was killed at the Battle of Iwo Jima [in 1945] because of bad G2 [intelligence].² Vidal says Trimble¹s death didn¹t affect him. ³No, I was in danger of dying too. A dead man can¹t grieve a dead man.² Has love been important to him? ³Don¹t make the error that schoolteacher idiots make by thinking that gay men¹s relationships are like heterosexual ones. They¹re not.² He ³wouldn¹t begin to comment² on how they are different. In 1956 he was hired by MGM, collaborated on the screenplay for Ben Hur and continued to write novels, most notoriously Myra Breckenridge about a transsexual. It is his satires, essays and memoirs ‹ Live From Golgotha, Palimpsest and most recently, Point to Point Navigation ‹ which have fully rounded our vision of this thorny contrarian, whose originality springs simply, and naturally, from having deliberately unfixed allegiances and an enduring belief in an American republic and railing sadness at how that ideal has been corrupted. Vidal became a supportive correspondent of Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 killing 168 people. The huge loss of life, indeed McVeigh¹s act of mass murder, goes unmentioned by Vidal. ³He was a true patriot, a Constitution man,² Vidal claims. ³And I was torn, my grandfather [the Democrat Senator Thomas Gore] had bought Oklahoma into the Union.² McVeigh claimed he had done it as a protest against tyrannical government. The writer Edmund White took the correspondence as the basis for a play, Terre Haute (the jail McVeigh was incarcerated in before he was executed in 2001), imagining an encounter between the bomber and Vidal charged with desire. ³He¹s a filthy, low writer,² Vidal says of White. ³He likes to attack his betters, which means he has a big field to go after.² Had he wanted to meet McVeigh? ³I am not in the business of meeting people,² Vidal says. ³That play implies I am madly in love with McVeigh. I looked at his [White¹s] writing and all he writes about is being a fag and how it¹s the greatest thing on Earth. He thinks I¹m another queen and I¹m not. I¹m more interested in the Constitution and McVeigh than the loving tryst he saw. It was vulgar fag-ism.² Vidal says that he hates labels and has said he believes in homosexual acts rather than homosexual people. He claims his relationship with Austen was platonic (though they reputedly met at a legendary New York bath-house). He was once quoted as saying that he¹d had sex with a 1,000 men by the time he was 25. It must have been a little strange for Austen, Vidal¹s life companion, to source those pictures of Trimble, his first, perhaps only, love. Vidal puts on a scornful, campy voice. ³People ask [of he and Austen], ŒHow did you live together so long?¹ The only rule was no sex. They can¹t believe that. That was when I realised I was dealing with a public too stupid by half. They can¹t tell the difference between ŒThe Sun rose in the East¹ and ŒThe Sun is made of yeast¹.² Was sex important to Vidal? ³It must have been yes.² He is single now. ³I¹m not into partnerships,² he says dismissively. I don¹t even know what it means.² He ³couldn¹t care less² about gay marriage. ³Does anyone care what Americans think? They¹re the worst-educated people in the First World. They don¹t have any thoughts, they have emotional responses, which good advertisers know how to provoke.² You could have been the first gay president, I say. ³No, I would have married and had nine children,² he replies quickly and seriously. ³I don¹t believe in these exclusive terms.² Impaired mobility doesn¹t bother him ‹ he ³rose like a miracle² on stage at the National ‹ and he doesn¹t dwell on mortality either. ³Either you accept there is such a thing or you¹re so dumb that you can¹t grasp it.² Is he in good health? ³No, of course not. I¹m diabetic. It¹s odd, I¹ve never been fat and I don¹t like candy, which most Americans are hooked on.² There is a trace of thwarted ambition about him. ³I would have liked to have been president, but I never had the money. I was a friend of the throne. The only time I envied Jack was when Joe [Kennedy, JFK¹s father] was buying him his Senate seat, then the presidency. He didn¹t know how lucky he was. Here¹s a story I¹ve never told. In 1960, after he had spent so much on the presidential campaign, Joe took all nine children to Palm Beach to lecture them. He was really angry. He said, ŒAll you read about the Kennedy fortune is untrue. It¹s non-existent. We¹ve spent so much getting Jack elected and not one of you is living within your income¹. They all sat there, shame-faced. Jack was whistling. He used to tap his teeth: they were big teeth, like a xylophone. Joe turned to Jack and he says, ŒMr President, what¹s the solution?¹ Jack said, ŒThe solution is simple. You all gotta work harder¹.² Vidal guffaws heartily. Hollywood living proved less fun. ³If there was a social whirl, you can be sure I would not be part of it.² He does a fabulous impression of Katharine Hepburn complaining about playing the matriarch in Suddenly Last Summer, which he wrote. ³I hate this script,² he recalls Hepburn saying . ³I¹m far too healthy a person to know people like this.² Vidal snorts. ³She had Parkinson¹s. She shook like a leper in the wind.² I ask what he wants to do next. ³My usual answer to ŒWhat am I proudest of?¹ is my novels, but really I am most proud that, despite enormous temptation, I have never killed anybody and you don¹t know how tempted I have been.² That wasn¹t my question, I say. ³Well, given that I¹m proudest that I haven¹t killed anybody, I might be saving something up for someone.² A perfect line: we both laugh. Is he happy? ³What a question,² he sighs and then smiles mischievously. ³I¹ll respond with a quote from Aeschylus: ŒCall no man happy till he is dead¹.² From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 2 09:59:58 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 09:59:58 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: What is Happening in Pricol ? by Deepankar Bhattacharyya, Gen Secretary, CPI(ML)Liberation In-Reply-To: <1f9180970910012128q4facb33fy7db25bafb129829b@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910012128q4facb33fy7db25bafb129829b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910012129t54e71a57kbfc5c52c06603b22@mail.gmail.com> What is Happening in Pricol? The unfortunate death of the Vice President of the Human Resources Development Department of Pricol Ltd is regrettable indeed. Coming one year after the Graziano incident in Greater Noida in which the local head of an Italian firm had reportedly been beaten to death by sacked employees, it has evoked a lot of passionate comments and demands from the corporate world. Even as workers are being arrested in large numbers and leaders are being framed, employers are demanding a ban on trade union struggles and sections of the corporate media are advocating labour reforms to give a completely free hand to employers. A single day’s tragic incident is now being deliberately sought to be used to prejudice public opinion against the Pricol workers and suppress the truth of the nearly one thousand days of their united and determined struggle. Among other basic things, a key demand of Pricol workers has been for the recognition of their unions which enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of workers while the management has been constantly pressurizing workers to withdraw from the road of struggle and sever ties with the ‘Marxist-Leninist’/’Maoist’ leadership. In this long struggle of Pricol workers, the government of Tamil Nadu has repeatedly censured the Pricol management. The state government has issued three advices, passed one government order (GO) prohibiting the continuance of lockout, passed three GOs ordering references, passed two orders under section 10B of the Industrial Disputes Act (ID Act) 1947. On 30th of July 2009 the state Labour Minister, while replying to a calling attention motion moved on the floor of the assembly by AIADMK, PMK, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), catalogued the various unfair labour practices indulged in by Pricol Ltd, and stated that the workers had given up their indefinite fast which had been continuing for the 15th day as their demands were accepted by the government.  He further assured that the government would not let the workers down. Have things completely changed in a few months and more particularly on a single day with the unfortunate death of an executive? In the heat and passion generated by this tragic incident, can we allow rational reasoning to become a casualty? Mr George's Unfortunate Death was Neither Preplanned Nor the Result of Conspiracy Mr Kumarasami addressed the general body meeting and one office bearers' meeting on 19 and 20 September 2009.  As a practising labour lawyer in the Madras High Court for nearly three decades and AICCTU's national and state president, he is conducting all the Pricol cases in Madras High Court as well as the Supreme Court.  Going to Coimbatore basically to reassure the workers not to worry about the delay, as the Pricol case would be coming up for hearing on the 29th of September before the Madras High Court,  he categorically cautioned the workers not to get provoked by any vindictive action of the management. He also proposed a padayatra from Coimbatore to Chennai to highlight the demand for a trade union recognition Act and several other burning issues of the toiling people. It was also planned to celebrate the 1000th day of the struggle to positively counter the frustration being caused by the delay in legal struggles and the recalcitrant attitude of the management. Can by any stretch of the imagination these proposals to impart a stronger mass political dimension to the protracted struggle of Pricol workers be construed to be part of any conspiracy, ‘Maoist’ or otherwise? In this connection it would not be out of place to remember that just the other day, Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways called his pilots who formed a union 'terrorists'.  And he withdrew the terrorist label and embraced them as prodigal sons as soon as they returned to work, leaving aside the issue of union for the time being. It Will Be Better If the TN Police Consults the TN Labour Department on Pricol Ltd: Pricol’s track record in the arena of industrial relations has been notorious. Rampant violation of labour laws, court verdicts and government orders has been the trademark of the Pricol management. ·There are vindictive transfers. ·There is refusal to engage in collective bargaining in good faith with the majority union. ·There are illegal partial lockouts. ·There are break-in-service orders. ·There are stoppages of increments. ·More than 1000 employees are terminated. ·There is illegal deduction of wages and incentives running into crores of rupees. ·The management has promised to pay all these withheld dues if the workers leave the unions. ·There is employment of apprentices and contract labour contrary to certified standing orders and the Contract Labour (Abolition and Regulation) Act, 1970. ·Now there is the recent dismissal of 44 workers without any domestic enquiry. In almost all these issues the state government has intervened under sections 10 (1), 10(3) and 10 B of the ID act 1947. In fact Comrade Kumarasami was trying to get the Labour Minister convene a meeting at the earliest to resolve the simmering discontent and this fact is known to the Labour Department. The management does not want Comrade Kumarasami to defend the Pricol workers in the High Court as well as the Supreme Court on the 29th of September and other subsequent dates. This is the main reason for implicating Comrade Kumarasami, the national president of a centrally recognised trade union. Respect Industrial Democracy, Stop Witch Hunt Against Pricol Workers If lawyers and TU leaders who defend and guide the workers are framed in conspiracy cases as during British days, the government will only be sending a loud message: “No healthy, strong collective bargaining will be allowed. Industrial relations are back to the pre-1926 colonial days." Should we allow the unfortunate death of Mr. George to be turned into a weapon for witch-hunt of workers and suppression of trade union rights – instead of treating it as a poignant issue for remedial action? Let the unfortunate incident motivate all parties to take remedial measures that will help resolve the real underlying issues. With the Trade Unions Act coming into force from 1926, the country had gradually moved away from lawlessness to the rule of law by instituting a system of collective bargaining.  If employers like Pricol Ltd. are allowed to violate the law and make use of an unfortunate death to go in for a witch-hunt, implicating leaders in false cases, and suppressing basic trade union rights, will that not be only sending out the message that there is no place for laws and effective trade unions in independent India in the days of globalisation? TN government and central government should not act on the basis of one-sided corporate hue and cry. TN government should come to the aid of Pricol workers, their families and their leaders, as it has promised on the floor of the assembly.  We appeal to all trade unions and progressive and democratic sections of society who believe in the dignity of labour and rights of workers to support the struggle of Pricol workers and express solidarity by calling upon the TN government to stop the ongoing witch hunt and force the arbitrary Pricol management to respect industrial democracy and implement government orders. - Deepankar Bhattacharyya -- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 2 11:00:20 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 11:00:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: What is Happening in Pricol ? by Deepankar Bhattacharyya, Gen Secretary, CPI(ML)Liberation- An important CORRECTION relating to the AUTHOR Message-ID: <1f9180970910012230r54e8940av4fba6c46fbdbac42@mail.gmail.com> Dear friends, The document posted under this topic was actuallt part of few documents released to the press by the AICCTU leadership and was not authored by Deepankar Bhattacharyya. My sincere apologies for the error. Venu. What is Happening in Pricol? The unfortunate death of the Vice President of the Human Resources Development Department of Pricol Ltd is regrettable indeed. Coming one year after the Graziano incident in Greater Noida in which the local head of an Italian firm had reportedly been beaten to death by sacked employees, it has evoked a lot of passionate comments and demands from the corporate world. Even as workers are being arrested in large numbers and leaders are being framed, employers are demanding a ban on trade union struggles and sections of the corporate media are advocating labour reforms to give a completely free hand to employers. A single day’s tragic incident is now being deliberately sought to be used to prejudice public opinion against the Pricol workers and suppress the truth of the nearly one thousand days of their united and determined struggle. Among other basic things, a key demand of Pricol workers has been for the recognition of their unions which enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of workers while the management has been constantly pressurizing workers to withdraw from the road of struggle and sever ties with the ‘Marxist-Leninist’/’Maoist’ leadership. In this long struggle of Pricol workers, the government of Tamil Nadu has repeatedly censured the Pricol management. The state government has issued three advices, passed one government order (GO) prohibiting the continuance of lockout, passed three GOs ordering references, passed two orders under section 10B of the Industrial Disputes Act (ID Act) 1947. On 30th of July 2009 the state Labour Minister, while replying to a calling attention motion moved on the floor of the assembly by AIADMK, PMK, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), catalogued the various unfair labour practices indulged in by Pricol Ltd, and stated that the workers had given up their indefinite fast which had been continuing for the 15th day as their demands were accepted by the government.  He further assured that the government would not let the workers down. Have things completely changed in a few months and more particularly on a single day with the unfortunate death of an executive? In the heat and passion generated by this tragic incident, can we allow rational reasoning to become a casualty? Mr George's Unfortunate Death was Neither Preplanned Nor the Result of Conspiracy Mr Kumarasami addressed the general body meeting and one office bearers' meeting on 19 and 20 September 2009.  As a practising labour lawyer in the Madras High Court for nearly three decades and AICCTU's national and state president, he is conducting all the Pricol cases in Madras High Court as well as the Supreme Court.  Going to Coimbatore basically to reassure the workers not to worry about the delay, as the Pricol case would be coming up for hearing on the 29th of September before the Madras High Court,  he categorically cautioned the workers not to get provoked by any vindictive action of the management. He also proposed a padayatra from Coimbatore to Chennai to highlight the demand for a trade union recognition Act and several other burning issues of the toiling people. It was also planned to celebrate the 1000th day of the struggle to positively counter the frustration being caused by the delay in legal struggles and the recalcitrant attitude of the management. Can by any stretch of the imagination these proposals to impart a stronger mass political dimension to the protracted struggle of Pricol workers be construed to be part of any conspiracy, ‘Maoist’ or otherwise? In this connection it would not be out of place to remember that just the other day, Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways called his pilots who formed a union 'terrorists'.  And he withdrew the terrorist label and embraced them as prodigal sons as soon as they returned to work, leaving aside the issue of union for the time being. It Will Be Better If the TN Police Consults the TN Labour Department on Pricol Ltd: Pricol’s track record in the arena of industrial relations has been notorious. Rampant violation of labour laws, court verdicts and government orders has been the trademark of the Pricol management. ·There are vindictive transfers. ·There is refusal to engage in collective bargaining in good faith with the majority union. ·There are illegal partial lockouts. ·There are break-in-service orders. ·There are stoppages of increments. ·More than 1000 employees are terminated. ·There is illegal deduction of wages and incentives running into crores of rupees. ·The management has promised to pay all these withheld dues if the workers leave the unions. ·There is employment of apprentices and contract labour contrary to certified standing orders and the Contract Labour (Abolition and Regulation) Act, 1970. ·Now there is the recent dismissal of 44 workers without any domestic enquiry. In almost all these issues the state government has intervened under sections 10 (1), 10(3) and 10 B of the ID act 1947. In fact Comrade Kumarasami was trying to get the Labour Minister convene a meeting at the earliest to resolve the simmering discontent and this fact is known to the Labour Department. The management does not want Comrade Kumarasami to defend the Pricol workers in the High Court as well as the Supreme Court on the 29th of September and other subsequent dates. This is the main reason for implicating Comrade Kumarasami, the national president of a centrally recognised trade union. Respect Industrial Democracy, Stop Witch Hunt Against Pricol Workers If lawyers and TU leaders who defend and guide the workers are framed in conspiracy cases as during British days, the government will only be sending a loud message: “No healthy, strong collective bargaining will be allowed. Industrial relations are back to the pre-1926 colonial days." Should we allow the unfortunate death of Mr. George to be turned into a weapon for witch-hunt of workers and suppression of trade union rights – instead of treating it as a poignant issue for remedial action? Let the unfortunate incident motivate all parties to take remedial measures that will help resolve the real underlying issues. With the Trade Unions Act coming into force from 1926, the country had gradually moved away from lawlessness to the rule of law by instituting a system of collective bargaining.  If employers like Pricol Ltd. are allowed to violate the law and make use of an unfortunate death to go in for a witch-hunt, implicating leaders in false cases, and suppressing basic trade union rights, will that not be only sending out the message that there is no place for laws and effective trade unions in independent India in the days of globalisation? TN government and central government should not act on the basis of one-sided corporate hue and cry. TN government should come to the aid of Pricol workers, their families and their leaders, as it has promised on the floor of the assembly.  We appeal to all trade unions and progressive and democratic sections of society who believe in the dignity of labour and rights of workers to support the struggle of Pricol workers and express solidarity by calling upon the TN government to stop the ongoing witch hunt and force the arbitrary Pricol management to respect industrial democracy and implement government orders. - Deepankar Bhattacharyya -- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From lalitambardar at hotmail.com Fri Oct 2 20:32:30 2009 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 15:02:30 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Shopian's sordid saga In-Reply-To: <137320.34557.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: Message-ID: It is disgusting. While the so called leaders of the ‘movement’ enjoy their glamorous lives, it is the common Kashmiri who is suffering the ignominy. Truth & Justice must prevail & at the earliest. Twenty years ago before the advent of pan Islamism inspired violence, this couldn’t have been imagined. It was against Kashmiri ethos, when indifference was shown when the Kashmiri Pandit women were targeted in the most inhuman manner then. It is not surprising that ‘daughter of the soil’ – Rukhsana choose to strike back. Azadi for whom …….???... Azadi from what…???? L A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:09:31 -0700 > From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com > To: reader-list at sarai.net; sonia.jabbar at gmail.com > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Shopian's sordid saga > > UPDATING WITH THE LATEST (gossip?) > > ".... Aasiya was a virgin" > > "No hymen rupture, rectal prolapse found on teenager’s body" > > AHMED ALI FAYYAZ > > SRINAGAR, Sep 30: Quoting sources associated with the process of post mortem at Shopian yesterday, Early Times had exclusively reported in today’s issue: “The team also collected vaginal parts of both the bodies in full to find whether the deceased women had been sexually assaulted before their death occurred during the night intervening May 29th and 30th. Even as the perfunctory examination of unmarried Aasiya’s hymen, according to sources, did not conclusively establish a sexual assault, members of the expert team preserved the same carefully for a subsequent microscopic analysis that would lead to the final opinion”. > > In hours of this newspaper hitting the stands and thousands of readers learning all over the world through its online edition that all from media to politics were perhaps in for a possible shock, major news agencies and television channels today carried reports to suggest that rape did not appear to have taken place on the two young women found dead in Rambiara of Shopian on May 30th this year. > > Even as the conclusive evidence would be available only after a detailed biological and microscopic analysis by the team of forensic experts of CFSL and doctors of AIIMS in a few days, discovery of 17-year-old Aasiya’s hymen having turned out to be “intact” and without any marks of violation is not only to change entire course of the investigation but also potential enough to turn a many faces red in the institutions of media and politics. Both have been approvingly reporting and asserting in absence of any scientific evidence that the married Neelafar and unmarried Aasiya had been raped and murdered. > > Even after Justice Sunil Hali’s big question on the “one-track investigation” of Jammu & Kashmir Police’s Special Investigating Team (SIT), none of the investigators had bothered to move to the characters who could have been involved in fudging of the vaginal swab, then believed to have been obtained from the dead bodies of the two women and swapped by unidentified persons. > > SIT’s only subject of investigation appeared to be identification of the agency---Army, CRPF, J&K Police---that was “responsible” and to search how many of the personnel had committed the “rape-cum-murder”. The flow of emotion was so strident that media skipped the adjective of “alleged” and Chief Minister himself has been apologizing since June for the “misleading report”--- of prima facie cause of death---he got from Police and disclosed at a news conference. One wonders what SIT was doing even after SSP Pulwama, Kifayat Hyder, had written to IGP Kashmir in his confidential letter in August that Dr Nighat Shaheen had collected the smear from a number of living patients at District Hospital of Pulwama and not from the two dead bodies at District Hospital of Shopian. > > While the country’s eminent intellectuals had, in their columns, questioned Omar Abdullah government’s order to place under suspension Dr Nighat Shaheen who publicly claimed credit for her “bold disclosure” of having confirmed the “horrible gang rape”, leaders of most of the political parties had gone to the extent of threatening strike in case the gynecologist was not reinstated with honour. Significantly, there have been no jingoistic voices after Majlis-e-Mushawarat of Shopian broke away from the Hurriyat and extended full cooperation to the fresh investigation being conducted by CBI. The victims’ family has not only cooperated with the new probe but also expressed satisfaction publicly on the way CBI had launched the exercise and conducted the exhumation and post mortem. > > Informed sources today revealed that the post mortem had, well on the spot, convinced the MMS- nominated doctor that Aasiya’s hymen was “intact” and there was not even a rectal prolpase---prima facie suggestion that the women had not been sexually assaulted. The CFSL experts have, nevertheless, reserved their final opinion and made it clear to many interested in the process that a “conclusive scientific opinion” could be framed only after a thorough biological and microscopic analysis in New Delhi. > > Sources said that during its hearing of the PIL tomorrow, CBI’s Srinagar-based assistant solicitor general Anil Bhan would appear before the Division Bench of J&K High Court, comprising Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Mr Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, to inform that the investigation had been taken over by the federal agency. A thin team of CBI, including an SSP and Dy SP and Jammu-based Special Public Prosecutor Mr Bhat, are also expected to be present. DB has been monitoring the investigation, first conducted by SIT and lately assigned to CBI. > > http://www.earlytimes.in/earlytimes1/newsdet.aspx?q=44465 > > > > --- On Sun, 9/27/09, S. Jabbar wrote: > > > From: S. Jabbar > Subject: [Reader-list] Shopian's sordid saga > To: "Sarai" > Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009, 8:53 PM > > > Shopian case: Doc sent fictitious slides for forensic lab, CBI > Agencies Posted online: Sunday , Sep 27, 2009 at 1733 hrs > > Srinagar : > > In a new twist to the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian, a > doctor who prepared the vaginal slides of the victims has told the CBI that > no samples from the duo had ever been taken. The doctor, who was a part of > the second postmortem team from Pulwama district hospital, was questioned by > the CBI team camping here during which she told the investigators that no > vaginal swab was ever taken of the two victims ­ Neelofar (22) and Aasiya > (17), official sources said. > > The doctor broke down during the questioning and narrated the entire > sequence of events to the CBI officials, the sources said. > > The sources claimed that the doctor had taken samples from gloves used in > the gynaecological ward of the district hospital and prepared a slide which > showed presence of semen. > > The CBI conducted searches at the hospital late last night and seized > various pairs of gloves and records available at the hospital, they said. > > While the CBI was officially tightlipped about the case, sources said the > lady doctor informed the CBI that she had done this as public pressure was > mounting. > > The CBI team which searched the hospital last night was accompanied by the > doctor, they said. > > The exhumation of bodies was expected to be undertaken tomorrow and the > family members had also given permission for the same. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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/> _________________________________________________________________ cricket and news. Logon to MSN Video for the latest clips http://www.exploremyway.com From aliens at dataone.in Fri Oct 2 20:51:03 2009 From: aliens at dataone.in (aliens at dataone.in) Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:21:03 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] BIGGEST POLITICAL FRAUD Message-ID: Dear All, It Took some decades for TATA,RELIANCE,BAJAJ,INFOSYS,WIPRO,ADITYA GROUP and many more corporate houses in India to Become Billion Dollar Companies But For our YSR Family & co it Took Just 4.5 Years to become Emperor for 78000 crore corrupted Kingdom Andhra Pradesh Annual Budget for 2008-2009 is 1,00,000 Crores.............YSR Family Market Capitalization is 78000 Crores ...........1 Family ==1 State ... The share Value of NTPC (23000MW capacity) is Rs. 290........The share Value of Sandoor Power (22.50 MW Capacity) is Rs. 675........It’s the time for Financial Institutions & Market experts to learn from YSR Family & Co The Market Capitalization of Jagathi Publications (Mother of Saakshi paper & Yet to be start Indira Television) before yet to start the Production is 3600 crores........It’s the Magic of Yuvaraja If we call the 7800 Crores fraud in Satyam as India’s Biggest Financial scam ....what is the name we can use for 78000 crore scam Done by YSR Family & Co......No body can dare to name it In 1956 power generation capacity of AP is 213 MW........It took 53 years to increase the Capacity to 12500 MW..........In Bihar Still it is 4000 MW only ...........But Athena Energy (One More Company from YSR's family & Started 2 yrs back) is planning to Generate 14000 MW with in 7years .....again it’s the Magic of YSR Family & Co........Corporate World Should learn lessons from YSR & Family for reaching this much heights within short time...... In Raghuram cements YS Jagan share was 45 crores when he brought.....Within Few years it was renamed as Bharathi Cements and the share value increased to 6500 Crores.......What an idea Sarji !!!!!!!!! One can guess why YSR was dearest one for congress high command who feeding plenty of money. But poor people of AP committed suicide after YSR accidental death does not know the real facts. The ever Biggest Fraud In Indian Economy & Politics From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 2 21:43:57 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 21:43:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: (fwded)Michael Moore Film Reviewed: Brian Jones ======== CAPITALISM, WE'RE THROUGH =========================================== In-Reply-To: <1f9180970910020911t72b2ea1ncb10fd4e0857e4d7@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910020911t72b2ea1ncb10fd4e0857e4d7@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910020913w49cb5e78ud8e6da977ef7da62@mail.gmail.com> Subject: (fwded)Michael Moore Film Reviewed: Brian Jones ======== CAPITALISM, WE'RE THROUGH =========================================== To: foil-l at insaf.net View original article here: http://socialistworker.org/2009/10/02/through-with-capitalism Review: Brian Jones ======== CAPITALISM, WE'RE THROUGH =========================================== For people without health care or who are losing their jobs, the love affair with the free market is already over--the question is when they'll find somebody new. October 2, 2009 IN FRANCE, you pay nothing to go to college. In Britain, the National Health Service is free. And in Sweden, any woman who gives birth receives two years of paid maternity leave. Meanwhile, in the richest country on the planet, the United States, college graduates are buried in debt, medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy, and if you have children--well, you're on your own. It shouldn't come as any surprise that the former countries have formidable labor unions and even independent labor parties. In the latter, we have no such labor party. But we do have Michael Moore. His new film, /Capitalism: A Love Story/, is at turns, infuriating, hilarious, shocking and inspiring. He could have made a film just about the financial crisis, or just about the foreclosures, or just about Wall Street, but he didn't. Moore made a film about the whole damn system. His work is both an expression of a new consciousness and a catalyst for its development. Millions of people will find, in this film, confirmation of their own ideas, frustrations and aspirations. Crucially, Moore reminds us of the high hopes that were invested in the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Obama talked about "redistribution," and for that, the right wing labeled him a "socialist," which only made him /more/ popular, and made left young people curious about "the S word." But this isn't a film about socialism. It's a film about capitalism. And yes, it's a love story. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IN MANY ways, /Capitalism/ plays like a long-delayed sequel to /Roger and Me/, the film that put Moore on the map precisely 20 years ago//. Like /Roger/, /Capitalism/ makes clever use of vintage propaganda reels and home movies, and casts Moore as a barnstorming muckraker, pounding on the doors of power with cameras rolling. The love story begins with Moore's own home movies, through which we experience his nostalgia for the middle-class lifestyle his family enjoyed, based on the once-thriving automobile industry in Flint, Mich. In exchange for their loyal service, workers could count on jobs for life, family wages and a good pension. But that social contract was shredded in the 1970s, and Moore runs down the numbers on-screen with graphs that explain our pain--workers' growing productivity vs. their stagnating wages vs. the corporations' skyrocketing profits. Moore tours us around the "heartland"--foreclosures in Cleveland, evictions in Peoria, young people incarcerated for profit in Wilkes-Barre--and asks what all of these things have in common. The answer: each is an example of how the free market works against human needs. We are shown a leaked Citigroup memo that boasts of the results of Wall Street's unbridled profiteering. America has become a "plutonomy," the memo gloats, where 1 percent of the population effectively owns and controls everything that goes on. The memo warns about a lingering danger--everyone else still has 99 percent of the vote--and asks: "Is there a backlash building?" Enter Barack Obama. On virtually every issue that matters, Obama has deeply disappointed his supporters. /Capitalism/, however, takes us back to a moment when the Obama campaign mobilized the very backlash Citigroup foresaw. Moore shows us the faces of people--particularly African Americans--living through a moment of extraordinary change: Election Night 2008. We see the tears of joy, the dancing in the streets, and we remember the feeling that things were changing for the better in this country. Enter Goldman Sachs. Moore shows how "Government Sachs" alums worked in the Bush administration /and/ in the Obama administration to manipulate the financial crisis to their advantage--at our expense. Anyone who's seen the trailer in theaters or on television will know that Moore shows up on Wall Street with empty sacks "get the money back for the American people." It's pure shtick, but the point still lands--these people wrecked the economy and were rewarded with trillions of /our/ dollars. While Moore is happy to skewer Democrats and Republicans alike for corruption and corporate cronyism, he leaves the question more open regarding Obama. Viewers may be shocked to see and hear the footage of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt arguing that jobs, homes, education and, yes, health care should be guaranteed to all Americans under a new bill of rights. We should keep in mind that FDR was speaking in a context of a labor movement that was organizing near-insurrections in several American cities, and was on the brink of forming its own political party. One gets the feeling that the intended audience for this film isn't only those who are questioning capitalism, but also Barack Obama personally. Moore seems to be saying to the president: "You don't have to be a corporate tool, you could be an FDR." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BUT THERE'S another, more radical dimension of the film that mainstream reviewers have missed: Moore points to solutions beyond what Obama may or may not do. He points to what /we/ could do to replace capitalism. "There's got to be a rebellion," says a man in the process of being evicted from his home in Illinois, "between the people that have nothing and the people that have it all." But what would that rebellion look like? What is the alternative to the free market? Here, Moore turns our attention to the arena that does the most to define our lives--the workplace. Most workplaces, he says, are "dictatorships," with zero democracy. But is democracy possible at work? /Capitalism/ takes us inside the Republic Windows & Doors factory in Chicago, where workers staged an old-fashioned occupation of the plant when it faced closure without workers getting promised severance pay. Inside the occupied factory, we see workers meeting, discussing and making decisions together. Moore shows us a worker-owned robotics plant, where employees make collective, democratic decisions about their work. Moore is introducing the audience to a fundamental idea of socialism--workers' democracy. There's much more to the case for socialism than this film takes up. But Moore is expressing something basic about what's wrong with the system we live under, and what could replace it. "Capitalism is evil," he says, "and you cannot regulate evil. You have to eliminate it and replace it with something else...with democracy." For people without health care, who are losing their jobs and losing their homes, the love affair with the free market is already over. They may not know what the solution is, but many are ready to discuss the fact that capitalism itself is the problem. In other words, being ready to break up isn't the same thing as finding someone new. But millions of people are starting to look. If you're reading these lines, chances are you're already on your way. Go ahead and make the breakup official--get yourself to the nearest socialist meeting. And while you're at it, bring three of four of your friends with you. Angry people, meet America's new socialist movement. Socialist movement, angry people. You're meant for each other. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Columnist: Brian Jones Brian Jones is a teacher, actor and activist in New York City. His commentary and writing have been featured on GritTV [1], SleptOn.com [2] and the /International Socialist Review/ [3]. Jones has also lent his voice to several audiobooks, including Noam Chomsky's /Hegemony or Survival/ [4], Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's /Voices of a People's History of the United States/ [5] and Zinn's one-man play /Marx in Soho/ [6] (forthcoming from Haymarket Books). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Review: Movies /Capitalism: A Love Story/ [7], written and directed by Michael Moore. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Material on this Web site is licensed by SocialistWorker.org, under a Creative Commons (by-nc-nd 3.0) [8] license, except for articles that are republished with permission. Readers are welcome to share and use material belonging to this site for non-commercial purposes, as long as they are attributed to the author and SocialistWorker.org. [1] http://grittv.org [2] http://slepton.com [3] http://www.isreview.org [4] http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHegemony-Survival-Americas-Dominance-American%2Fdp%2F1559279419%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1226338910%26sr%3D8-1&tag=socialistwork-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325 [5] http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FReadings-Voices-Peoples-History-United%2Fdp%2F1583227520%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1226338931%26sr%3D8-1&tag=socialistwork-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325 [6] http://www.marxinsoho.com/ [7] http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/ [8] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0 -- From lalitambardar at hotmail.com Fri Oct 2 23:47:01 2009 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 18:17:01 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Compromise and surrender of principle: A response to an article by Ramachandra Guha In-Reply-To: <929214.67398.qm@web57203.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: Message-ID: In response to an observation over absence of any mention of the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits in one of his articles on Kashmir in Hindustan Times, Mr. Ramachandra Guha conveniently advised to read his book where in as he claimed he had also ‘commented’ upon the ‘expulsion’ of Pandits & that the ‘issue’ wasn’t relevant to the article. Any comment on the ongoing pan Islamism inspired secessionist movement in Kashmir minus even any remote reference to the forced exodus of the minority Hindu Pandits, rendering them refugees in their own country does suit some. But that is –analysing history selectively. Needless to say, his casual approach towards the largest ever post partition ‘displacement’ of a ‘community’ was no inducement to buy his book…… “Reply ramguha at ........... to me I suggest you read my book '……………………’where the Kashmir dispute is discussed at great length (and the expulsion of the Pandits also commented upon and strongly deplored). The issue was irrelevant to my article, however.” “To Mr. Ramachandra Guha, I am submitting herewith the original text of the letter to the editor (‘hope you have seen its edited version in today's HT) for your ref.. One would have expected a more serious analysis of the prevailing pan Islamic terrorist violence in Kashmir, from a history scholar of your stature………..” Regards all LA ------------------------------------------------ > Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:29:02 -0700 > From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com > To: reader-list at sarai.net; aiindex at gmail.com > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Compromise and surrender of principle: A response to an article by Ramachandra Guha > > Dear Harsh > > Thank you for sharing this very informative and educative article. > > If you come across a response to this from Ramchandra Guha please do share that too. Marieme Helie Lucas has pointed out in Guha's article "a number of conceptual and factual errors." > > On a personal note it was gratifying to see that the "Secular" model of France somewhat mirrors my own (uneducated) perspectives on what a "Secular India" should be. > > Thanks again > > Kshmendra > > > --- On Tue, 9/29/09, Harsh Kapoor wrote: > > > From: Harsh Kapoor > Subject: [Reader-list] Compromise and surrender of principle: A response to an article by Ramachandra Guha > To: "sarai list" > Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 2:08 PM > > > sacw.net > 28 September 2009 > > Compromise and surrender of principle: > A response to the article by Ramachandra Guha, ’The Beauty of > Compromise: an excess of secularism may be as problematic as bigotry’ > (in The Telegraph, 26 September 2009) > > by Marieme Helie Lucas > > The information about French secularism, past and present, that one > can draw from English speaking media leads to much misunderstanding > and biased opinions. On the one hand one cannot blame writers who have > no direct access to primary sources and have to rely on secondary > ones. On the other hand, the propagation of biased information and > thus of erroneous conclusions in the English language serve the > interests of Muslim fundamentalists in France, and for that reason > alone, it needs to be addressed. > > The article by Ramachandra Guha shows bias at several levels: it > overlooks the different definitions of secularism, it presents > erroneous interpretations as facts, it under-evaluates the rise of > Muslim fundamentalism as a political -not a religious- phenomenon and > it accepts a cultural definition of women’s rights. > > All of these tend to give credibility to the assertions of Muslim > fundamentalists that combat French secularism. > [. . .] > > FULL TEXT AT: http://www.sacw.net/article1150.html > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > 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/> _________________________________________________________________ More than messages–check out the rest of the Windows Live™. http://www.microsoft.com/india/windows/windowslive/ From pkray11 at gmail.com Sat Oct 3 04:48:23 2009 From: pkray11 at gmail.com (prakash ray) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 04:48:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] An interactive session with students from Pakistan Message-ID: <98f331e00910021618n263ad1cau4d06fcb8ceda1a15@mail.gmail.com> A delegation of 38 students from various universities and institutes in Pakistan will interact with the students of JNU and other educational institutes of Delhi on 3rd Oct at 9.30pm in Sutlej Hostel, JNU. All are requested to join. Call 9873313315 (prakash) for details. Prakash From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Sat Oct 3 07:02:10 2009 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 07:02:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Protest against Koodankulam N-plant Message-ID: <3457ce860910021832j570464c4re3fabc913712691f@mail.gmail.com> *Protest against Koodankulam N-plant * *Date:03/10/2009* *URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100358700300.htm* Special Correspondent Thiruvananthapuram: Fish workers and anti-nuclear activists took out a protest demonstration in the city on Friday as part of a nation-wide agitation against the Koodankulam nuclear plant under construction in Tamil Nadu. The protest was organised by the National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM). The protesters said that the nuclear plant would lead to pollution in the near shore areas, affecting fish stocks. They alleged that this would impact on the health of fish-eating people in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Surendranath, a prominent anti-nuclear activist, inaugurated a dharna in front of the Secretariat. He said the nuclear energy plant at Koodankulam would trigger cancer and genetic disorders in the area. He proposed a State-wide awareness programme to highlight the dangers of nuclear energy and the proposed Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. Addressing the dharna, T. Peter, president of the Kerala Swatantra Malsyathozhilali Federation, said the discharge of sea water after cooling the nuclear reactor would affect fish stocks and impact on the livelihood of fish workers. “The traditional fishing community has always lived and worked with deep respect for the marine ecology and environment. We can never accept a destructive technology like nuclear power,” he said. He appealed to fish consumers in Kerala to join the protest. A.S.K. Nair, scientist, said the scientific community was yet to come up with a safe nuclear waste management system. Citing the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in the erstwhile Soviet Union and Three Mile Island in the United States, he warned that a similar accident would threaten the lives of the people in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and Kerala for generations. A pressnote issued here said a protest rally was taken in Delhi also. From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 3 10:44:32 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:14:32 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Press | Call for accreditation : 22nd International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam , 19 / 29 November 2009 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC11FF86649560-84C-167C5@webmail-d077.sysops.aol.com> The 22nd edition of IDFA takes place November 19 - 29 2009. •The pass provides you with access to all IDFA screenings (including the industry screenings), talk shows, debates and masterclasses. •A press pass does not provide access to the FORUM, Docs for Sale, IDFAcademy, or the opening or award ceremony of the festival. Access to these events is limited and is only accessible when permission has been granted in advance. •At the Press Desk, you can get information about the festival and arrange for interviews with filmmakers and other guests. Accredited journalists will also have access to a number of computers reserved for them. •You will receive a festival information package including the IDFA catalogue. •There will be 6 viewing booths available for holders of Press Passes. •The administration fee for a Press Pass is € 50. •The Press Department will assess the application and inform you if your request is accepted. They will send you the invoice for the administration costs •The festival does not reimburse journalists for any travel or lodging expenses incurred. •Accredited journalists are expected to announce or cover IDFA in their publications and send copies to IDFA’s Press Department after the festival. This will serve as criteria for press accreditation in future years. Journalists who are requesting accreditation for IDFA for the first time must provide t he following: •Information on the medium you report for: name, type of media (newspaper, TV programme, etc.), address, circulation, URL •When you work for a website, please inform us on the amount of visitors (unique hits) of your website •A description of your plans during IDFA •A recent publication you wrote •A letter from your employer or client confirming your assignment to cover IDFA •IDFA could ask for an official press card If you are a freelancer or have not yet received a concrete assignment, we ask you to inform us of your plans in writing by 15 October. Journalists who have received IDFA accreditation in the past: •Information on the medium you report for: name, type of media (newspaper, TV programme, etc.), address, circulation, URL •Your most recent publication about IDFA Even when you have not received accreditation for the festival, you can still go to the Press Desk for interview appointments, information and press materials. For more information, please see the general accreditation guidelines at http://www.idfa.nl/industry/Festival/guest_services.aspx . or go directly to the accreditation form at http://www.idfa.nl/industry/MyIDFA.aspx . If you have any questions, please contact our Press Office Laura van Halsema: laura at idfa.nl Eva Janssen: eva at idfa.nl From ish at sarai.net Sat Oct 3 15:27:56 2009 From: ish at sarai.net (ish at sarai.net) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:27:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Video + sound art on Delhi Message-ID: <0a8b5cda086e23dad5847bfca793b0ea@sarai.net> Hi , Some of my works were show cased at the 1st Habitat Summit @ IHC from 24-26 sep,2009. These works span across various mediums are typically meant to be installed in 2 rooms as they are synergious to each other. Here are some web links of the works show cased at the event: = in between days Video = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb38zVVTm9w = photographs = http://www.flickr.com/photos/42979622 at N03/show/ = sound art = http://soundcloud.com/i98t 'In Between Days' is a post-modern sonic+visual interpretation of the streets of Delhi by 'diF'(konrad Bayer + Ish S). The video's composition style has a animated approach to it. Here a split screen reflective effect is used to bring out other hidden spaces and activities of the city which are basically over looked in plain video and perception. The visuals impress upon the way the city is randomly constructing itself while bringing forth an objective image of the city in light of a larger philosophical dystopian quotient. For the 'sound design' unconventional material like car horns and construction sounds are used by 'diF' to compose the tracks, as these tracks in some ways represent the 'urban utopia/Dystopia of materialism hitting a brick wall. On the track 'Blue Hour' car horns which are the most common sound/noise in urban Delhi's Soundscape are carefully manipulated to create a beautiful trumpet like sound which is juxtaposed with a piano (signifying materialistic utopia). The drums with glitchy highs are always going in and out of equilibrium of the Rhythm which in turn reflects upon a personal unbalanced experience of excessive cars and traffic jams in Delhi. more sound and music related material can be found at: http://soundreasons.in best ISh http://soundreasons.in http://sarai.net From ish at sarai.net Sat Oct 3 15:41:54 2009 From: ish at sarai.net (ish at sarai.net) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:41:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Video + sound art on Delhi Message-ID: <8978214723edd936cdc952b70493c1db@sarai.net> Hi , Some of my works were exibited at the 1st Habitat Summit @ IHC from 24-26 sep,2009. These works span across various mediums are typically meant to be installed in 2 rooms as they are synergious to each other. Here are some web links of the works show cased at the event: = in between days Video = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb38zVVTm9w = photographs = http://www.flickr.com/photos/42979622 at N03/show/ = sound art = http://soundcloud.com/i98t 'In Between Days' is a post-modern sonic+visual interpretation of the streets of Delhi by 'diF'(konrad Bayer + Ish S). The video's composition style has a animated approach to it. Here a split screen reflective effect is used to bring out other hidden spaces and activities of the city which are basically over looked in plain video and perception. The visuals impress upon the way the city is randomly constructing itself while bringing forth an objective image of the city in light of a larger philosophical dystopian quotient. For the 'sound design' unconventional material like car horns and construction sounds are used by 'diF' to compose the tracks, as these tracks in some ways represent the 'urban utopia/Dystopia of materialism hitting a brick wall. On the track 'Blue Hour' car horns which are the most common sound/noise in urban Delhi's Soundscape are carefully manipulated to create a beautiful trumpet like sound which is juxtaposed with a piano (signifying materialistic utopia). The drums with glitchy highs are always going in and out of equilibrium of the Rhythm which in turn reflects upon a personal unbalanced experience of excessive cars and traffic jams in Delhi. more sound and music related material can be found at: http://soundreasons.in best ISh http://soundreasons.in http://sarai.net From lalitambardar at hotmail.com Sat Oct 3 15:50:46 2009 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 10:20:46 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Protest against Koodankulam N-plant In-Reply-To: <3457ce860910021832j570464c4re3fabc913712691f@mail.gmail.com> References: <3457ce860910021832j570464c4re3fabc913712691f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Waste water from the plant being discharged in to the sea without any treatment.....????... Is that what is being alleged? If true then it is a very serious issue. What is the response from the Environment Ministry? Health ‘concerns’ in the areas in the vicinity of the plant may find answers in the prevailing situation in the existing plants say in Kalpakam in the neighbourhood. Regards all L A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 07:02:10 +0530 > From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Subject: [Reader-list] Protest against Koodankulam N-plant > > *Protest against Koodankulam N-plant * > > *Date:03/10/2009* *URL: > http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/03/stories/2009100358700300.htm* > Special Correspondent > > Thiruvananthapuram: Fish workers and anti-nuclear activists took out a > protest demonstration in the city on Friday as part of a nation-wide > agitation against the Koodankulam nuclear plant under construction in Tamil > Nadu. The protest was organised by the National Alliance of Anti-nuclear > Movements (NAAM). > > The protesters said that the nuclear plant would lead to pollution in the > near shore areas, affecting fish stocks. They alleged that this would impact > on the health of fish-eating people in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. > > Surendranath, a prominent anti-nuclear activist, inaugurated a dharna in > front of the Secretariat. He said the nuclear energy plant at Koodankulam > would trigger cancer and genetic disorders in the area. He proposed a > State-wide awareness programme to highlight the dangers of nuclear energy > and the proposed Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. > > Addressing the dharna, T. Peter, president of the Kerala Swatantra > Malsyathozhilali Federation, said the discharge of sea water after cooling > the nuclear reactor would affect fish stocks and impact on the livelihood of > fish workers. > > “The traditional fishing community has always lived and worked with deep > respect for the marine ecology and environment. We can never accept a > destructive technology like nuclear power,” he said. He appealed to fish > consumers in Kerala to join the protest. A.S.K. Nair, scientist, said the > scientific community was yet to come up with a safe nuclear waste management > system. Citing the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in the erstwhile Soviet > Union and Three Mile Island in the United States, he warned that a similar > accident would threaten the lives of the people in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and > Kerala for generations. > > A pressnote issued here said a protest rally was taken in Delhi also. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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/> _________________________________________________________________ Feel the heat of news, the thrill of sports, the dazzle of Bollywood and much more on MSN India http://in.msn.com From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 3 17:25:08 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 04:55:08 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "The backwards forward" - by Nadeem Paracha Message-ID: <734594.8772.qm@web57202.mail.re3.yahoo.com> This would be pertinent to Muslims all over the world and not just Paklistan   Kshmendra     "The backwards forward"  Posted by Nadeem F. Paracha in Featured Articles on 10 1st, 2009     There is an informative debate show on a local private channel called Alif. The show is mostly about the various philosophies of Islam and their place in Pakistan and rest of the Muslim world. A moderator usually invites up to four intellectuals every week, with two of them usually being ‘moderate’ in outlook while the other two guests hold a more conservative view on the discussed topic.   Even though it is one of the more academically sound Islamic programmes compared to the myopic disasters viewers are bombarded with in this respect, Alif almost always ends up hitting an intellectual dead-end.   The reason for this is the common consensus Muslim scholars of all shades have had on the traditional version of Islamic history. So no mater how diverse their views and interpretations of what constitutes Islamic philosophy and law, they all usually end up with almost exactly the same agreement on Islamic traditions that emerged some time in the late ninth and early tenth centuries, after which the ‘gates of ijtihad’ were said to be closed.   However, many modern Islamic scholars have now started to point out that the roots of political and social problems that the Muslim communities started to face after Muslim imperialism began its decline after the eighteenth century can be traced to the laws, politics and social bearings constructed from the pitfalls of the consensus reached among various Islamic schools of thought on what constitutes Islamic history and tradition.   They believe that this history and the traditions that it cemented stopped being investigated critically and thus ended up creating gaping misconceptions and leaps of logic about what Islam meant and how it was practiced during the Prophet’s time. In other words, the history of early Islam that is taught to every Muslim child and is taken as the primary source by almost all Muslim scholars and historians was never put to any serious intellectual test and modern investigative methods.   On the other hand, western historians, while investigating the theological history of early Christianity, tried to a understand the ‘historical Jesus’ in place of the ‘theological Jesus’ whom they discovered (and claim) was different from his historical self.   The theological Jesus, they figured, had very little to do with the actual events in history and was more a creation of Christian priests and scholars who appeared almost two generations after Jesus. According to these historians, the theological version of Jesus was formed for political and evangelical reasons in which the person of Jesus was exaggerated and his personality molded according to social and political norms and nuances of the time when early Christian priests were formulating the personality of Jesus through their exegeses of the Bible and the Gospels.   Early Islamic history has hardly ever been treated and investigated in this manner. Some early attempts were made between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries, but these attempts were largely the work of Christian apologists who failed to take an unbiased and objective view of the subject and generated their work more as a way to pitch the ‘authenticity of Christian history’ against that of Islam.   However, in the twentieth century, small groups of secular European academics and scholars picked up the pieces and started to investigate early Islamic history using the academic methods historians and anthropologists use to study non-theological history. So far the results have been startling, and many progressive Muslim scholars and historians too have agreed to some of what the rigorous investigations and secular study of early Islamic history has generated.   The most controversial among the investigators was the late Dr John Wansbrough, a leading historian and researcher at London’s prestigious SOAS institute. Though controversial, Wansbrough triggered an academic wave in which a number of respected historians and scholars started studying early Islamic history with the same academic and investigative tools with which historians study the historical context of the Bible and with which general history is studied and its authenticity determined. Wansbrough was at once criticised by Muslim academia for undermining the importance of primary Muslim sources in his study.   Other leading historians in this respect have been Prof. Patricia Crone, Martin Hinds, Michael Cook and Prof. G R. Hawting – people whose critical look at early Islamic history has been largely respected by a number of modern Islamic scholars.   The meeting point where these western academics and many progressive Muslim scholars have managed to reach is the fact that almost all early Islamic history is based on just a single complete biography written on the life of the Prophet. It appeared in 750 CE (by Ibn Ishaq), or  about a century and a half after the demise of the Prophet. In fact, this biography has only survived in the writings of Ibn Hisham, who wrote a biography of the Prophet in early ninth Century.   Modern western and Muslim scholars now believe that the accuracy of these biographies is unascertainable because instead of any written documents, Ishaq and Hisham used memorised accounts of the life of Prophet Muhammad (hadiths) as sources. Historians now view the hadiths with caution, insisting that they cannot be taken as accurate historical sources because they first started to be documented more than a century after the Prophet’s demise.   The reason why early biographers of the Prophet, and early Islamic lawmakers who used hadith accounts to formulate the shariah, could not use any tangible written documents (other than the Qu’ran) was that even a hundred years after the demise of the Prophet there were almost no documented Muslim sources at all about early Islam. Ibn Ishaq’s biography is the only surviving source (written 130 years after the Prophet).   Modern Muslim and western scholarship studying Islam believes that Islam’s progressive evolution was mutated and it became increasingly static after ulema started to compare the human condition of their time with a rather romanticised version of Islam’s early history that was constructed purely on memorised accounts. Accounts that were first put to writing more than a century after the Prophet are likely to have gone through various lapses.   Scholars like Wansbrough, Crone, Hinds, Prof. Ziauddin Sardar, Mohammad Arkoun, and authors such as Irshan Manji, Sumanto Al Qurtuby, and Rashad Khalifa believe most of these memorised accounts of the Prophet and of life under the first four Caliphs were documented more than a century after the Prophet’s demise and then ‘projected back to the time of the Prophet.’   The reason to do so were largely political because at the time Islam was a rapidly expanding imperialist force and needed a politico-religious anchor, especially in the conquered lands that had different (or opposing) faiths as dominant religions. This tradition was carried across all major stages of Muslim imperialism and the Islamic doctrines were further expanded through scholarly assumptions about life under the Prophet and the ‘rightly guided Caliphs.’ The hadith remained the primary source.   At the decline of Muslim imperialism some time in the late eigteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries, the narratives on which much of Islamic history, philosophy and law were constructed during the imperial phase started to seem static, especially in the face of former Muslim powers coming under waves of western imperialism.   Islamic Scholars and leaders appealed for a return to the basics in an attempt to reform Islam and Muslim societies that they now thought had been ‘adulterated’ by their long imperialist exposure to the rituals of other religions.   The hadith still played the primary role in this respect, but many reformist scholars and leaders now chose the more conservative hadiths to transform Islamic law into a harsher article of faith and legislation, believing these would help Muslim societies ‘retain their true identities’ under western imperialism.   That said, there were also reformists who found Imperialist Islamic dictates to have become static and decadent and they wanted to ‘modernise’ Islam by trying to adopt modern western laws and technology.   But since both these strains of Muslim reformists continued appealing to the nostalgia of Islamic imperialism’s heyday, and to the more mythical narratives of ‘perfect Islam’ under the four ‘Rightly Guided Caliphs,’ the historical and legislative doctrines of Islam based on the conservative reformists’ views managed to bag a more attentive audience in Muslim societies. It is out of these doctrines that concepts like Political Islam would eventually emerge. A concept whose more retarded strains are what we now call Islamic militancy and ‘Islamo-fascism.’   Interestingly, Islamic reformists too continued to draw their legislative, political and historical conclusions from eighth- and ninth-century hearsay accounts as if modern society was still responding to medieval impulses.   Consequently, even today many Muslim historians and lawmakers carry on defining the shariah and Islamic history using a history constructed from memorised and backwardly projected accounts of the Prophet.   Most progressive Muslim scholars however, have pleaded for a more investigative look at Islam’s early history without the use of eighth- and ninth-century perspectives. To do that they beseech the need to be much more cautious about memorised accounts based on simple hearsay. They say that the hadith should be used watchfully and, perhaps, only when it supports or expands the teachings of the Qur’an and not as a legislative response to the political and social dynamics of modernity that can only leave Muslim societies hanging in a limbo between mythical historical narratives and modern material impulses.   Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com.   http://blog.dawn.com:91/dblog/2009/10/01/the-backwards-forward/     From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 3 18:16:10 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 05:46:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "The backwards forward" - by Nadeem Paracha (II) Message-ID: <230434.40106.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> In the earlier posted article by Nadeem Paracha, he writes:   " Most progressive Muslim scholars however, have pleaded for a more investigative look at Islam’s early history without the use of eighth- and ninth-century perspectives. To do that they beseech the need to be much more cautious about memorised accounts based on simple hearsay. They say that the hadith should be used watchfully and, perhaps, only when it supports or expands the teachings of the Qur’an and not as a legislative response to the political and social dynamics of modernity that can only leave Muslim societies hanging in a limbo between mythical historical narratives and modern material impulses." http://blog.dawn.com:91/dblog/2009/10/01/the-backwards-forward/   In April '09 conversations with KM Venugopalan I had ventured the following comments:   """"""Most commentators on Islam including Muslims do wrong when they try to read the Quran in combination with the Hadith. The Hadith are sectarian and indeed political and may not always be in-line with the Quranic word, which makes some doubly suspect""""""   """""""What the Muslims need to do is to go back to the basics. Study the Quran and the Quran alone and understand it along the lines .......:   - Self-declaratory by Allah. A generalised commentary on  Creator and the Creations and expectations of Creator from Creations - Advisories for Mohammed alone - Advisories for everyone - Advisories for specific times - Advisories valid in perpetuity for ever after - Commentaries of the times before Mohammed that may or may not be advisories  in perpetuity for ever after   Once they agree on a common understanding they will find much in the Hadeeth and Rivaayat from the different sects that need to be discarded. They will find quite unimportant some of the difference they quarrel over. They will find a new understanding of what a true Muslim is that will not make them suspect in the eyes of everyone else.""""""""   For those who might be interested in further readings, some Hyper Text leads from Paracha's article are given below.   Kshmendra     - "Open the Gates of Ijtihad" - by Claude Salhani http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=2579&lan=en&sid=1&sp=1   - Book review of "Quranic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation - by John Wansbrough" http://i-epistemology.net/attachments/893_ajiss-23-1-stripped%20-%20Book%20Reviews%20-%20Quranic%20Studies%20-%20Sources%20and%20Methods%20of%20Scriptural%20Interpretation.pdf   - "Rethinking Islam" - by  Ziauddin Sardar (earlier posted by Sonia Jabbar in Apr '08) http://www.ziauddinsardar.com/ri.htm   - "Between Two Masters: Qur'an or Science?" - by  Ziauddin Sardar http://www.ziauddinsardar.com/articles.htm   - "What is Political Islam?" - by  Charles Hirschkind http://www.merip.org/mer/mer205/hirschk.htm   - "The earliest biography of Muhammad, by ibn Ishaq" http://web.archive.org/web/20040625103910/http://www.hraic.org/hadith/ibn_ishaq.html#last_illness   - " What do we actually know about Mohammed?" - by Patricia Crone http://www.opendemocracy.net/content/articles/PDF/3866.pdf   - "Shariah, Law and Islam : Legalism vs. Value-Orientation" by Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/writings/islamic/shariah_value.doc     From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 08:29:30 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:59:30 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Film Festivals Schedule 3rd - 12th October 2009 , New Delhi In-Reply-To: References: <8CC101675AC1F90-1AA8-2277A@webmail-d028.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC12B5D3D7629C-1CA8-7B9F@webmail-m025.sysops.aol.com> Akira Kurosawa Retrospective Film Festival Entry free Date Time Venue Film Duration 3rd Oct (Saturday) 3 pm Siri Fort 3 Rashomon 1 hr 28 mins 3rd Oct (Saturday) 5 pm Siri Fort 3 High and Low 2 hr 22 mins 3rd Oct (Saturday) 7.30 pm Siri Fort 3 Doomed 2 hr 23 mins 4th Oct (Sunday) 12 noon Siri Fort 3 Sanjuro 1 hr 36 mins 4th Oct (Sunday) 3 pm Siri Fort 3 Red Beard 3 hrs 5 mins ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Bimal Roy Centenary Film Festival Entry free Date Time Venue Film Duration 10th Oct (Saturday) 11 am Siri Fort 2 Bandini (opening film) 2 hr 37 mins 11th Oct (Sunday) 11 am Siri Fort 2 Parakh 2 hr 30 mins 12th Oct (Monday) 7 pm Siri Fort 2 Sujata 2 hr 41 mins 13th Oct (Tuesday) 7 pm Siri Fort 2 Do Bigha Zameen 2 hr 22 mins 14th Oct (Wednesday) 7 pm Siri Fort 2 Madhumati 2 hrs 30 mins ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------------------------- Children Film Festival on Walt Disney Entry free Date Time Venue Film Duration 12th Oct (Mon) 9 am Siri Fort 2 Finding Nemo 1 hr 40 min 12th Oct 11.30 am Siri Fort 2 Enchanted 1 hr 47 min 13th Oct (Tues) 9 am Siri Fort 2 Pirates 1 2 hr 23 minHRHR 13th Oct 11.30 am Siri Fort 2 Pirates 2 2 hr 31 min 14th Oct (Wed) 9 am Siri Fort 2 Pirates 3 2 hr 49 min 14th Oct 11.30 am Siri Fort 2 Cars 1 hr 57 min ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Canadian Film Festival Date Time Venue Film Duration 10th Oct (Saturday) 6.45 PM Siri Fort 2 Men with Brooms (opening) 1hr 43 mins 11th Oct (Sunday) 6 pm Siri Fort 2 One Week 1 hr 34 mins 12th Oct (Monday) 9 am Siri Fort 3 Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine 85 mins 12th Oct (Monday) 11.30 am Siri Fort 3 Too Colourful for the League 52 mins 12th Oct (Monday) 12.30 pm Siri Fort 3 Hardwood 29 mins 12 Oct (Monday) 2 pm Siri Fort 3 Wate rwalker 86 mins 12 Oct (Monday) 7 p.m. Siri Fort 3 Le Grande Seduction (Eng. Title: Seducing Dr Lewis) 1hr 48 mins ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Segment: FILM FESTIVALS - Children Film Festival by Walt Disney Dates: 12-14th October Venue: Siri Fort II Time and date of the Inaugural film: 12th October 9 a.m. Opening Film: Finding Nemo Synopsis of the films Finding Nemo Director: Andrew Stanton Duration: 1 hr 40 min A clown fish named Marlin living in the Great Barrier Reef loses his son, Nemo, after he ventures into the open sea, despite his father's constant warnings about many of the ocean's dangers. Nemo is abducted by a boat and netted up and sent to a dentist's office in Sydney. So, while Marlin ventures off to try to retrieve Nemo, Marlin meets a fish named Dory, a blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss. The companions travel a great distance, encountering various dangerous sea creatures such as sharks, anglerfish and jellyfish, in order to rescue Nemo from the dentist's office, which is situated by Sydney Harbor. While the two are doing this, Nemo and the other sea animals in the dentist's fish tank plot a way to return to Sydney Harbor to live their lives free again. Enchanted Director: Kevin Lima Duration: 1 hr 47 min The beautiful pr incess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world? Pirates of the Caribbean-The Curse of the Black Pearl Director: Gore Verbinski Duration: 2 hrs 23 min Pirates of the Caribbean is a sweeping action-adventure story set in an era when villainous pirates scavenged the Caribbean seas. This roller coaster tale teams a young man, Will Turner, with an unlikely ally in rogue pirate Jack Sparrow. Together, they must battle a band of the world's most treacherous pirates, led by the cursed Captain Barbossa, in order to save Elizabeth, the love of Will's life, as well as recover the lost treasure that Jack seeks. Pirates of the Caribbean-The Dead Man's Chest Director: Gore Verbinski Duration: 2 hr 31 min Once again thrown into the world of the supernatural, Captain Jack Sparrow finds out that he owes a blood debt to the legendary Davey Jones, Ca ptain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman. With time running out, Jack must find a way out of his debt or else be doomed to eternal damnation and servitude in the afterlife. And as if this weren't enough, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are arrested and sentenced to death unless Will can get Lord Beckett Jack's compass, who are forced to join Jack on yet another misadventure. Pirates of the Caribbean-At World's End Director: Gore Verbinski Duration: 2 hr 49 min Elizabeth, Will and the crew of the Pearl sail off the edge of the map (literally) with the help of mysterious Tia Dalma and the late Captain Barbossa who has been raised by the dead to save Captain Jack Sparrow . He has been condemned to the terrible fate of remaining in the void of Davey Jones' locker for eternity. But rescuing Jack isn't the real meat of this movie - Lord Cutler Beckett has control of the heart of Davey Jones, and with that he controls the sea. The nine pirate lords of the world must unite for a final stand against Beckett, Jones and the East India Trade company Cars Director: John Lasseter Duration: 1 hr 57 min Year: 2006 Lightning McQueen is a young, hotshot rookie race car in the last race of the season. At the end of the race, he finds out he is tied with Chick Hicks and The King. On the way to the tie-breaker race in Los Angeles, California, some hot punk cars get him lost in a little town called Radiator Springs on the old Route 66 road, which has been long forgotten many years ago. Scared to death, he tears up the town's main road and is sentenced to community service by Doc Hudson. During this time, he meets a funny, but lovable tow truck named Mater and a beautiful Porsche Carrera named Sally. He also meets some other cars, whom which he finds to be quite odd. All he wants to do is get out of this town and back into the big city, but as the week until the race goes on, the town folk help him discover that life isn't just about trophies, fame, and sponsorships and McQueen learns about family and friendship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Segment: FILM FESTIVALS - Canadian Sports Film Festival Dates: 10-12th October Venue: Siri Fort II & III Time and date of the Inaugural film: 10th October 6.45 p.m. Opening Film: Men with Brooms Synopsis of the Canadian films Feature Films Men with Brooms Duration: 1 hr 43 min Paul Gross stars as the leader of a recently reunited curling team from a small Canadian town. This offbeat comedy follows the team as they work through their respective life issues and struggle to win the championship for the sake of their late coach. Written by Alea Intrica and directed by Paul Gross. One=2 0Week Duration: 1 hr 34 min When a young man is confronted with his mortality, he takes a cross-country road trip on a vintage motorcycle. One Week tells the story of Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson), in his mid-twenties, who flees from the confines of his life - an impending marriage, a job he's not entirely happy with and a recent diagnosis - in order to attempt to live more fully. What starts off as an ill-defined venture soon morphs into a quest for the West Coast. La Grande Seduction (Eng title: Seducing Dr Lewis) Duration: 1 hr and 49 mins In the little harbour village of Sainte-Marie-La-Maudeme, the vanishing fish stocks have plummeted a once thriving community into decline, forcing the fishermen to rely on government welfare. When a small company considers buiding a factory on the island, the inhabitants see an opportunity for the village to be restored to greatness. But the factory cannot be built without a resident doctor. Seeking to attract the young Dr. Lewis, Germain spearheads the transformation of the village. It's the beginning of the seduction. While sometimes ruthless and often clumsy, even the most disillusioned villagers rally to the cause. Together and with great dedication they try to convince the doctor that Sainte-Marie-La-Maudeme is the ideal place to be. Documentaries Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine Duration: 85 min 0D Garry Kasparov is arguably the greatest chess player who has ever lived. In 1997 he played a chess match against IBM's computer Deep Blue. Kasparov lost the match. This film shows the match and the events surrounding it from Kasparov's perspective. It delves into the psychological aspects of the game, paranoia surrounding it and suspicions that have arisen around IBM's true tactics. It consists of interviews with Kasparov, his manager, chess experts, and members of the IBM Deep Blue team, as well as original footage of the match itself. Hardwood Duration: 29 min Hardwood is a personal journey by director Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrottter Mel Davis, who explores how his father's decisions affected his life and those of his extended family. Elegantly structured into three chapters entitled "love," "recollection" and "redemption," Davis uses personal interviews, archival footage and home movies to delve into his father's past in the hope of finding a new direction for his own. At its core, Hardwood is about the power of redemption and the healing of the bonds between fathers and sons. Waterwalker Duration: 86 min Canoeist and painter Bill Mason explores the Canadian wilderness to the north of Lake Superior. The filmmaker and artist begins on Lake Superior, then explores winding and sometimes tortuous river waters to the meadowlands of the river's sou rce. When Hockey Came to Belfast Duration: 50 min When Hockey Came to Belfast is the striking story of how Canadian ice hockey is transcending religious lines. Bringing Northern Irish youth together in a shared love of the game, the rink gives boys and girls a haven from the turf warfare that pervades their lives. Too Colourful for the League Duration: 52 min Too Colourful for the League is a (made-for-TV) documentary examining the struggle of blacks in hockey from the 30's to the present day and the campaign to have Herb Carnegie elected into the Hall of Fame. Carnegie was a black superstar in the 40's and 50's who never played in the NHL because of the league's unacknowledged color bar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Akira Kurosawa's movies Red Beard: 1965 Language : Japanese Cast: This Akira Kurosawa film tells the tale of young Dr. Yasumoto, a recent medical graduate assigned to a rural clinic for his post-graduate medical training. Yasumoto is condescending and arrogant--he is livid that he, who aspires to join the team of physicians caring for the Japanese Shogunate, should have to train in Dr. Niide's spartan clinic serving the impoverished local population. He finds Dr. Niide, known as 'Red Beard', a demanding taskmaster with a brusque manner and intense devotio n to his patients. Niide requires nothing less than a monastic lifestyle of his interns. However, gradually Yasumoto is changed by his exposure to Red Beard. He learns the true meaning of being a doctor, seeing patients as real people who are suffering and as individuals whose lives he can improve and heal with his care. Ikiru English title: Doomed 1952 Language: Japanese Cast: Kanji Watanabe is a longtime bureaucrat in a city office who, along with the rest of the office, spends his entire working life doing nothing. He learns he is dying of cancer and wants to find some meaning in his life. He finds himself unable to talk with his family, and spends a night on the town with a novelist, but that leaves him unfulfilled. He next spends time with a young woman from his office, but finally decides he can make a difference through his job... After Watanabe's death, co-workers at his funeral discuss his behavior over the last several months and debate why he suddenly became assertive in his job to promote a city park, and resolve to be more like Watanabe Rashomon 1950 Language: Cast: In 12th century Japan, a samurai and his wife are attacked by the notorious bandit Tajomaru, and the samurai ends up dead. Tajomaru is captured shortly afterward and is put on trial, but his story and the wife's are so completely different that a psychic is brou ght in to allow the murdered man to give his own testimony. He tells yet another completely different story. Finally, a woodcutter who found the body reveals that he saw the whole thing, and his version is again completely different from the others. Tengoku to Jigoku (High and Low) (1963) An executive mortgages all he owns to stage a coup and gain control of the National Shoe Company, with the intent of keeping the company out of the hands of incompetent and greedy executives. He needs the same money, though, to pay the ransom that will possibly save a child's life. His resolution of that dilemma -- the certain loss of the company vs. the probable loss of the child -- makes for one distinct drama, and an ensuing elaborate police procedure makes for a second. Sanjuro (1962) In Japan circa Eighteenth Century, nine young men decide to present an accusation of corruption in their clan to the local superintendent. However, the group is betrayed, but the ronin Sanjûrô Tsubaki (Toshirô Mifune) saves them from the superintendent's men. The uncle of the leader of the rebel clansmen, the Chamberlain Mutsuta (Yûnosuke Itô), is kidnapped, and his wife and daughter are detained and made prisoner of the superintendent, and he tries to force Mutsuta to write a fake confession letter declaring being corrupt. Sanjûrô helps the group to rescue the Chamberlain and hi s family. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Bimal Roy Centenary Film Festival Synopsis of films Bandini Year: 1963 Language: Hindi | Black & White Cast: Nutan, Dharmendra, Ashok Kumar Set in the women's ward of a gloomy prison, the film reveals the tragic circumstances that forced Kalyani to commit a heinous crime for which she is serving a prison sentence. The young prison doctor, a man with progressive views, would like to marry her but Kalyani cannot make her decision. She cares for the freedom fighter who had made a deep impression on her youthful, romantic mind. He promised to marry her and then disappeared until their fateful meeting in a public hospital where she discovers him by accident as a married man. Kalyani's moral dilemma and her struggle for social legitimacy make a poignant tale of profound significance in a culture where gender justice remains a distant dream. Do Bigha Zameen 1953 Language: Hindi | Black & White | 142 mins Cast: Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy Sambhu Mahato, like thousands from the Indian rural society, is a poor peasant. For generations, like others, he has tilled the soil. After years of drought, the peasants celebrate the monsoon. Sambhu's joy is short-lived. The powerful village zamindar, waiting to grab his land, puts up a fabricated case in the moffus sil court. This ancestral land is their only source of livelihood. Sambhu is ordered to settle his earlier loans from the zamindar in just three months. Failure to do this will cost him the land. The zamindar's unreasonable demand only strengthens Sambhu's determination to save the land. He heads for Calcutta where thousands migrate to earn. The great city overwhelms them. One misfortune follows another. Sambhu lives in a basti with poor migrants. An old rickshaw-puller takes him under his wings and teaches him important lessons to pull the vehicle. Son, Kanhaiya, contributes from his earnings as a shoe shine boy. Sambhu's wife, Parvati, works as construction labour. With all this help, Sambhu is confident of victory but a serious accident dries up his hard earned funds. In another accident Kanhaiya looses his shoe shine box. They grow desperate as time draws near to pay the zamindar's loan. After days of illness, when Sambhu resumes work, he is stunned to find the unconscious body of his wife, Parvati - knocked down by a speeding car. Kanhaiya tries his hand at pickpocket and the poor landless peasant's family reunites once again in the vast metropolis only to realize that their beloved land has gone forever. Madhumati 1958 Language: Hindi | Black & White Cast: Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, Johny Walker Landslide forces Devendra (Dilip Kumar) and his doctor friend to take r efuge in an abandoned country mansion. In that unlit mysterious place Devendra recalls his previous life and experiences in the same hill station. He remembers how he had fallen in love with the beauty of the hills and with lovely Madhumati, the daughter of a tribal chieftain. Ugranarayan, the dissolute owner of the timber estate where Anand (or Devendra) had worked as the manager abducts Madhumati. The incident drove her to commit suicide. Inconsolable, Anand too commits suicide. As the flashback comes to an end, Devendra's chauffeur brings news that the road is clear but the train his wife was traveling in had met with an accident. Devendra rushes to the station. His wife, Radha, who resembles his lost love, Madhumati, is unharmed and safe with their child. Sujata 1959 Language: Hindi | Black & White Cast: Sunil Dutt, Nutan, Shashikala, Lalita Pawar Sujata, a little infant, is discovered after the outbreak of an epidemic in a Harijan colony. She is adopted by the kind Upendranath Choudhury and his wife, Charu. Sujata becomes a lively companion for their only daughter, Rama. She grows up into a sensitive and charming young woman. Adhir, the nephew of a relative, is being considered a prospective bridegroom for Rama. Adhir, on the other hand, falls in love with the serene Sujata. This puts the Brahmin family in a terrible quandary. At that point Charu, the foster mother, decides to20reveal Sujata's real identity, to make it public that she is born of low caste parents. Unable to bear the torment and strife in her foster family, Sujata decides to leave. Strange circumstances prove that she is as much a daughter as the biological one - and, it is only Sujata's blood that can save her foster mother. In the end, all caste prejudices are thrown aside for a happy ending. Parakh 1960 Language: Hindi | Black & White Cast: Sadhana, Vasanta Chowdhury, Motilal, Durga Khote, Leela Chitnis The postmaster of Radhanagar, a remote village, receives a. cheque of 5 lakh from one Sir J.C. Roy. The cheque comes with strict conditions. That it should be given to the most honest man of that village. The simple postmaster spends a sleepless night worrying what to do with the cheque. Finally he decides to call a meeting of five village elders and put matters in their hand. The men fail to reach an agreement. Overnight, the peace and quiet of the village is shattered. Greed forces all the powerful men to proclaim their honesty. The poor villagers are confused by the spirit of sacrifice and social service displayed by all the candidates. Only the schoolmaster, Rajat, an active social worker and very popular, does not indulge in such acts of sham bravado. Some try to spread nasty rumors about Rajat. But in the end it's the fair and honest schoolmaster who is rewarded. 0D From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Sun Oct 4 08:50:50 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 08:50:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [indiathinkersnet] And now, the news read from the police station-fwd Post by Nivedita Menon In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1f9180970910032020ja1404d4l7c6134c4478a5ca9@mail.gmail.com> --- http://kafila.org/2009/09/27/3387/#comment-7341 (And now, the news read from the police station) I am absolutely appalled by the new levels of unethical reporting reached every day. I could bear it if it were a race to the bottom that we see in the English media, because at some point we could have heard the thud of crashing skulls. But it appears the bottom is bottomless… Take this "news story" on the front page of the Indian Express yesterday: Shadowy Kerala outfit preaches hate in Dalit ghettos It begins – "Police in Kerala have stumbled upon a shadowy extremist Dalit outfit that they suspect is working clandestinely to radicalise Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in the state." The rest of the story is based on two other widely disparate sources: a) "top police sources" and b) "police sources". The "so-called Dalit Human Rights Movement", is "reputedly", "learnt to be", "believed to have been", and "reportedly" carrying out various "shadowy" activities, including – now this is really serious – "spreading anti-mainstream propaganda". And this mainstream would be the same patriarchal, misogynist, communal, casteist, capitalist, anti-poor, heterosexist sludge of slow-flowing poison we all wallow in playfully? One word against it, and I'll personally take you out – the police wont have time to get to you, samjhe? There have been attacks on two men, one died and the other survived. The police, using their finely honed skills of detection, immediately arrested seven "DHRM activists", but "declined to provide further details" to our intrepid reporter, Shaju Philip, as he courageously pursued the story from room to room of the police station. Wouldn't it be easier to just provide us with the link to the hi-tech and well-maintained website of the the Thiruvananthapuram City Police? But old newspapers do have their uses. Hmm, it's a tough call. (Click here for earlier fulminations on Cops and Reporters) Posted in Bad ideas, Media politics | Tags: Dalit Human Rights Movement, Kerala Police, shaju philip __._,_.___ Messages in this topic ( 1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other [image: Yahoo! Groups] Change settings via the Web(Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest| Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity Visit Your Group New business? Get new customers. List your web site in Yahoo! Search. Y! Messenger Group get-together Host a free online conference on IM. Yahoo! Groups Mom Power Find wholesome recipes and more. Go Moms Go! . __,_._,___ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 11:01:12 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:31:12 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Innovation Tournament : Wipro-Knowledge@ Wharton Innovation Tournament Message-ID: <8CC12CB04F316F5-3570-36D8@webmail-d016.sysops.aol.com> Overview Wipro Technologies and Knowledge at Wharton have teamed up to conduct a global "Innovation Tournament" which will solicit, judge and select the most innovative managerial "tools" that companies can use to improve their business by increasing revenues, reducing expenditures and improving customer experience. Based on the newly released book, Innovation Tournaments, by Wharton professors Karl Ulrich and Christian Terwiesch, this tournament is designed to identify innovative managerial tools that organizations can use to increase efficiencies, cut costs and/or streamline operations. (For the purpose of this contest, a "tool" is defined as a method, approach, template, process or software.) The tournament is open to all individuals and/or groups from around the world who wish to submit a tool for consideration. The Innovation Tournament is structured in three phases as follows: Phase I: Participants will submit tools via this website in one of the following formats: Word document, PowerPoint presentation, PDF file or Excel spreadsheet. These submissions will be reviewed and judged by a panel of experts determined by the Wharton School and including key members of the Wharton faculty, the Knowledge at Wharton team and the Wipro Council for Industry Research. From these submissions, 25 leading tools will be chosen based on the judging criteria. All entries must be received by November 6, 2009, in order to be considered. Phase II: A live, online webinar event will be hosted by Wipro Technologies and Knowledge at Wharton, during which the 25 leading tools will be presented with two minutes allotted to each. From these 25 presentations, the top 10 finalists will be selected and those individuals/groups will advance to the final phase of the tournament. Additionally, following the webinar, these top 10 finalists will be assigned a "mentor" who will provide two hours or more of advice and consultation (via e-mail, by telephone or in person) to help the finalists refine their idea for presentation at a live event at Wharton, on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Phase III: A presentation by each finalist will take place at a live event at the University of Pennsylvania, during which the Innovation Tournament winners will be selected by a panel of judges. The judges will determine, using a neutral balloting format, the top three presentations/tools, and those finalists will receive prizes. Finalists must be present in Philadelphia for this event to be considered for the top awards. Additionally, finalists will be interviewed for a podcast about their tool, and these podcasts will be made available on the Knowledge at Wharton and Wipro Technologies' websites. (Knowledge at Wharton will own the rights to these audio recordings.) Questions? Email us at knowledge at wharton.upenn.edu with "Innovation Tournament" in the subject line. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- Process and Entry Format The challenge for the Innovation Tournament contestants is as follows: Create or identify a managerial tool that can be used by companies to increase revenues, reduce expenditures and improve customer experience. The tool may consist of a particular method, approach, template, process and/or software. The tool must be freely available or implemented via commonly available, general-purpose software (for example, Excel). Submissions of proprietary tools, or tools available only for a fee, will not be considered. The tool should be applicable to a wide variety of businesses, as opposed to applied only to a narrow sector. The tool should be articulated in the form of the file formats previously noted (Word document, PowerPoint presentation, PDF file or Excel spreadsheet) and have fewer than 10 pages (preferably fewer than five pages) and submitted in English. This description may include hyperlinks to web resources. Full credit and substantial recognition will be given to the originating party for the tools that win the tournament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Tool Categories Tools for the Innovation Tournament should apply to a wide variety of areas which could increase revenue, decrease costs or improve the customer experience across an organization. Some suggested topic areas for consideration by entrants could apply to the following subject categories: Supply Chain Optimization Customer Experience Social Computing Sustainable IT (Green IT) Cloud Computing Information Management & Business Analytics Unified Communications Compliance and Risk Management These categories are offered as broad suggestions which could apply universally to many organizations and/or their clients and are strategic initiatives that many organizations are focusing on in this business climate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Rules and Regulations Eligibility The tournament is open to all individuals and/or groups from around the world who wish to enter. Employees or consultants of Wipro Technologies and their families and faculty and staff of the Wharton School or Knowledge at Wharton are not eligible to enter. Students at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School are eligible to enter. All entries must be the original work of the tournament participant(s). All entries must be received by November 6, 2009, in order to be considered. All entries must include contact information (email and phone number) for the individual and/or groups entering the tournament. Acceptable Entries All entries must be presented in the following file formats: Word document, PowerPoint presentation, PDF file or Excel spreadsheet. Entries cannot be more than 10 pages and preferably fewer than five pages. The entries may include supporting information such as hyperlinks, web resources and other visuals that help to articulate the concept of that particular tool. Tools may include but are not limited to ideas, methods, approaches, templates and/or software that help organizations increase operational effectiveness by reducing costs, streamlining operations, eliminating operational inefficiencies or deploying resources in a new way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ Confidentiality All reasonable efforts will be made to ensure a level of confidentiality of ideas presented in the early phases of the Innovation Tournament. However, as this program progresses and semi-finalists begin to present their ideas, neither Wipro nor Knowledge at Wharton can guarantee any degree of confidentiality. Additionally, finalists will be asked to agree to be interviewed for publicity and editorial coverage purposes on Knowledge at Wharton and, in doing so, will be speaking about their ideas to a general audience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Judges and Mentors Judges for the Innovation Tournament will be selected from The University of Pennsylvania community, Wharton School faculty and Knowledge at Wharton staff. As a sponsoring company, only employees of Wipro Council for Industry Research will be eligible to judge. Their agencies and family members will not be judges for this event. Questions? Email us at knowledge at wharton.upenn.edu with "Innovation Tournament" in the subject line. From newsletter at pavilionmagazine.org Sun Oct 4 02:21:21 2009 From: newsletter at pavilionmagazine.org (Pavilion) Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 23:51:21 +0300 Subject: [Reader-list] Solidarity with Abahlali base Mjondolo and the Kennedy Road settlement under attack Message-ID: Dear all Apologies for the mass mail but as sometime hosts and publishers of writing by members of the South African shack dwellers' movement, Abahlali base Mjondolo, PAVILION - journal for politics and culture - toghether with MUTE magazine would like to publicly express its solidarity with the group and residents of Durban's Kennedy Road shack settlement as they undergo violent state-backed attacks and mass displacement. Abahlali have been an inspiration to workers and (other) activists far beyond their local and national borders and we urge our readers to spread the word about recent events in Kennedy Road. Please do what you can to help, whether by donations, protests, signing the petition (link below) or whatever else you think may be effective in raising awareness about and opposition to the situation. For more information visit the Abahlali website [http:// www.abahlali.org] *Here is a brief report based on an email from a member of Abahlali:* On Saturday 26 September, Abahlali baseMjondolo, the shack dwellers movement, was attacked in the Kennedy Road settlement, Durban, by an armed mob chanting ethnic slogans and backed, fully, by the ANC. Kennedy Road, as Mute readers may know, is one of the poorest shack settlements in Durban. Local police appear to be entirely complicit in these attacks, as do local members of the African National Congress. Many residents of the settlement were beaten and two were killed. As the community defended itself spontaneously two of the attackers were also killed - with their own weapons. The police refused to intervene and then arrested eight of the local Abahlali leaders in the settlement on murder charges. Most of those who were arrested were in fact away from Kennedy Road at a dance performance in another part of the city at the time. The others, including S'bu Zikode, one of the shack dwellers movement’s elected leaders, had their homes destroyed and had to flee the settlement. ANC politicians and the police were present while the houses were destroyed. The settlement is now controlled by an armed pro-ANC group who have the full backing of the police and the party. Abahlali are banned from the settlement, which they were elected to lead, on the pain of death. At least a thousand people have fled and many are sleeping rough. This will all be terribly familiar to those who know something about the struggles of popular movements in places like Brazil, Mexico or Nigeria. For South Africans this is very familiar from the 1980s when the apartheid state employed these tactics. But no one expected to see this in South Africa after apartheid. It came out of the blue. Kennedy Road’s residents and their supporters are shocked and don't have the resources to deal with the situation – they are struggling with basic things like accommodation and food for the displaced. They are also struggling with the organised propaganda from the state. The media has been told that the settlement has been 'liberated from criminals'. The ANC are openly celebrating the 'liberation' of Kennedy Road and are threatening to arrest S'bu Zikode too. They are calling the movement 'criminals' and, at the same time, saying that the human rights entrenched in the post-apartheid order are giving criminals a free ride and that police need to be given permission to shoot to kill. The ANC’s ‘criminals’ are your ‘terrorists’ - people who are defined as being outside of the protection given to those that count. *Please have a look at the Abahlali website – http://www.abahlali.org – and share the information there widely.* There is a particularly strong statement from Bishop Phillip - who struggled with Steven Biko and who has, in the face of this attack, decided to cross the river into open opposition to the state once more. *You can sign up to a petition addressed to President Joseph Zuma reminding him and those involved in the violence that the world is watching, here:* http://www.thepetitionsite.com/9/an-open-letter-to-jacob-zuma *Info on Abahlali on the Mute website:* Richard Pithouse of Abahlali’s 2006 article ‘Thinking Resistance in the Shanty Town': http://www.metamute.org/en/Thinking-Resistance-in-the-Shanty-Town An archive and short history of Abahlali is hosted in Mute's Public Library: http://www.metamute.org/en/A-Short-History-of-Abahlali-baseMjondolo --- To unsubscribe click this link To forward this message click this link From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 13:31:27 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:01:27 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Participate and support international youth film festival In-Reply-To: <8CC12DFDE615934-383C-2FD41@webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CC12DFDE615934-383C-2FD41@webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC12E0029DA794-383C-2FD55@webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com> INDIA INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FIL FESTIVAL      FREE OF COST AND OPEN TO ALL    First India International Youth Film is a presentation of Faces society registered as cultural and educational practitioner.    The objective of the first International Youth Film Festival is to cultivate & promote the art & science of the film through education and cross cultural awareness and to showcase future cinema in India where lengthy stories can be told in a shorter period of time with feasible technology and optimum finance in an effort to provide opportunities to young film makers specially students to exhibit digital stories, experimental/innovative films, music videos, documentaries, slide shows, short films on the issues that they care about like Human rights, Environment, Health, Religion & Peace, Violence against Women & other neglected issues.    It will be a pleasure if you send some of the movies those have been made by the students or independent young film makers .    The movies may fall in all categories like animation, documentaries, short film, slide show, music video for competitive category.    We are organizing Youth Film Festival in collaboration with Film Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India.    We are further seeking collaboration with your august organization. Send the DVDs of the movies for the desired categories before 25 Oct.2009.    For more information, you can visit us at : www.iiyouthfilmfestival.com or mail us at: iiyfilmfestival at gmail.com    LAST DATE TO SUBMIT YOUR FILM IS 25 OCTOBER 2009    M.MALIK  (Festival Director)      From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 13:30:27 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:00:27 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Participate and support international youth film festival In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC12DFDE615934-383C-2FD41@webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com> INDIA INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FIL FESTIVAL FREE OF COST AND OPEN TO ALL First India International Youth Film is a presentation of Faces society registered as cultural and educational practitioner. The objective of the first International Youth Film Festival is to cultivate & promote the art & science of the film through education and cross cultural awareness and to showcase future cinema in India where lengthy stories can be told in a shorter period of time with feasible technology and optimum finance in an effort to provide opportunities to young film makers specially students to exhibit digital stories, experimental/innovative films, music videos, documentaries, slide shows, short films on the issues that they care about like Human rights, Environment, Health, Religion & Peace, Violence against Women & other neglected issues. It will be a pleasure if you send some of the movies those have been made by the students or independent young film makers . The movies may fall in all categories like animation, documentaries, short film, slide show, music video for competitive category. We are organizing Youth Film Festival in collaboration with Film Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India. We are further seeking collaboration with your august organization. Send the DVDs of the movies for the desired categories before 25 Oct.2009. For more information, you can visit us at : www.iiyouthfilmfestival.com or mail us at: iiyfilmfestival at gmail.com LAST DATE TO SUBMIT YOUR FILM IS 25 OCTOBER 2009 M.MALIK (Festival Director) From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 16:04:57 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:34:57 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Modernity through the eyes of SIN : Call for Speakers In-Reply-To: <8CBE9427A5DDE38-1114-1B8D@webmail-dg02.sysops.aol.com> References: <94a4c3c70908110805j6d76bfe5n28883457bf3fbd1e@mail.gmail.com> <8CBE8C1F70BD21D-C24-3FA@MBLK-M35.sysops.aol.com> <94a4c3c70908120133k2aebbbdbi2f716830f6a92fd9@mail.gmail.com> <8CBE9427A5DDE38-1114-1B8D@webmail-dg02.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC12F573D7EA8D-4294-1EEE7@webmail-d029.sysops.aol.com> Dear All    BIM Trichy Alumni Association has been organizing events in various cities on topics that explore inter-disciplinary space  (POLIS – June 09 on Politics, Music, Poetry and Cinema), Money (Feb 2008 on Money and economics, sociology, art and philosophy), Ganges ( Oct 2006 on cultural symbols) etc.    Our next event is on exploring the concept of Modernity. I am enclosing a brief write up on the proposed event. We are looking for speakers for this event. As you may see in the write-up, we need 4 speakers (one each for 4 different topics – those who would like to relate Modernity and sin to music, history, paintings and art of conversation.    I would request you to call me if you are interested or if you know someone who might be interested.         Regards    Abhishek Kumar    99105 58913 (abhishekkumar76 at gmail.com)              Modern Times    Sin – In thought word & action         Modernity has always meant a break from the past. Curiously though the ways of past often re-appear in future as modern and hold generations in thrall however Modernity still remains an arrogant and ignorant derision of past by an over-confident present.     A modern life is characterized primarily by its outlook towards family, society, money, religion, sex and God. This outlook is evocatively captured in various forms of art, history, music, philosophy ad most interestingly in general day to day conversation.    Modern Times, the event, shall condense and contemporise, centuries of modernity and primitivism and create a heady concoction of Modern Times with art, history, music and art of conversation as ingredients.    A riveting story of changing times and their remaining the same    ·         A journey through the modernity of Indo, Roman and Islamic cultures    ·         Impressions of Sin on canvas through the ages – Modern and Primitive    ·         Masti with Modernity – A coffee-table chat a la Koffee with Karan         Anchored by ________with western music as prop         India International Centre    40, Max Mueller Marg, Delhi 3    6th March 2010, Saturday              A BIM Trichy Alumni Association Presentation                                 From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 4 18:28:33 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:58:33 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Swiss Scholarships in the area of Graphic & Applied Arts and Music (Application Deadline:31st October 2009) Message-ID: <8CC130983857BE1-4294-1F9BF@webmail-d029.sysops.aol.com> There are different scholarships programmes to which Indian students can apply, and we encourage you to do so if your profile fits within the requirements. This page consists of four different sections: the first one provides information on scholarships provided by the Swiss government; the second one on funding sources from the two Swiss Institutes of Technology; the third and forth on funding and schemes offered by Swiss Universities, respectively Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences. Scholarships provided by the Swiss Government The Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research is offering scholarships to international students for studying and carrying out research in Swizerland, the so-called ESKAS scholarships. For 2009, up to 20 scholarships can be awarded to Indian nationals. ESK AS scholarships, State Secretariat for Education and Research Other scholarships offered by the Swiss Government Scholarship programme - Young Researchers, Commission for Research Partnership with Developing Countries KFPE Exchange programme, Commission for Research Partnership with Developing Countries KFPE Announcing Swiss Government scholarships for academic year 2010-11 - Last date for submission of application 31st October 2009. Information sheet (60 Kb, pdf) Application form (680 Kb, pdf) Medical certificate (16 Kb, pdf) Funding possibilities from Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) Information for prospective students and students Scholarships available for international students Masters students is the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme Funding possibilities from Swiss Universities Bern University Excellence Master Grants (63 Kb, pdf) FOR COMPLETE DETAILS KINDLY LOG IN : http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/asia/vind/embnd/ste/schol.html From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Oct 4 21:06:28 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 21:06:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song Message-ID: <47e122a70910040836p304548d1x46dc64be8ed9d895@mail.gmail.com> Dear All Freedom means different for different people. For a bird, it means differently if held in hands. The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively sensitizes the soul. the song is: Athe travtohan janavar Athe travtohan janavar Phare bagas te kari guftar Athe travtohan janavar Chavi yavun te vure shehjar Athe travtohan janavar Ye chu nagman hund tandar Athe travtohan janavar Janavar chu vanan zaar Athe travtohan janavar Mate haitav ami sund baar Athe travtohan janavar ( below: a word to word translation ) Release the bird from your hands Release the bird from your hands, It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. Release the bird from your hands It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. Release the bird from your hands It is a conglomeration of songs, Release the bird from your hands. This bird is singing a sad number, Release the bird from your hands. Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, Release the bird from your hands. …………………………. In a line from another folk song, it is again about a bird, perhaps, who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo Zaar mein totas van te lo lo What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the complexities of Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, poet, or a bird is not defined. The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning inside the heart, but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. With love and regards Inder salim -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From a at 3kta.net Sun Oct 4 20:24:03 2009 From: a at 3kta.net (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Andr=E9_Rangel?=) Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 15:54:03 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?GreenRay=40LuxFr=E1gil?= Message-ID: <49517A30-9E1F-41E6-9E4A-E0F1C78CDA40@3kta.net> Hi, We published last week at http://3kta.net/greenray the images and video from the installation we designed to celebrate the GreenRay thematic party at LuxFrágil that happened last 22nd September in Lisbon. Greetings,  ANDRÉ RANGEL PhD Student, UCP 2008 MFA, UCP 2002 http://andrerangel.pt ........................................................................ ...... Art Director - 3kta Custom Software and Intermedia Concepts http://3kta.net ........................................................................ ...... CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and may be privileged. If you are not a named recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to another person, use it for any purpose or store or copy the information in any medium. From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon Oct 5 10:32:01 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:02:01 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Drishti Media : An Introduction Message-ID: <8CC13901B7FB971-4CFC-18BAE@webmail-d083.sysops.aol.com> ABOUT DRISHTI Our journey started in 1992 when two young professionals Shabnam Virmani and Stalin K. armed with degrees in films and development communication came together. Their effort was to challenge the mainstream media that portrayed the marginalised and the poor as victims and objects of pity. Such a portrayal was a gross misrepresentation and often offensive. It failed to capture the success, strength and struggles of the marginalised. To address this situation, they along with Mr. Gagan Sethi of JanVikas, Ahmedabad collectively started taking small steps to form an organisation named Drishti. In 1993 Drishti was registered under Society’s Registration Act. Drishti believed that the inherent problems of representation within media could be challenged by a new generation of media professionals. Drishti’s objective was to create alternative media space and it’s first intervention in 1992 was a film for a non-profit organisation, SEVA Rural called “Kali Kem Mari”. This was followed by another film in 1992 “Ek Potlu Beek Nu” (A Bundle Full of Fear), which was a dramatized narrative of five village women and their struggle for gender justice. The women field workers of Mahila Samakhya who had experienced violence and raised their voice against it, wrote the script and acted in this film. This process laid the cornerstone for Drishti’s future work. In 1999, this belief i n DRISHTI was consolidated and strengthened through our work in Community Radio. We believe that the medium of radio, if democratized and entrusted in the hands of local communities, can become a true vehicle of cultural expression and affirmation. The capacities of the communities is built to own, control and create their own media based on a sound developmental perspective. DRISHTI has set up two community radio units, one in Kutch with Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) and one in the Dangs district of Gujarat in collaboration with Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). DRISHTI has been at the forefront of a movement to democratize India's airwaves and fight for the community's right to run and manage their own Community Radio Stations along with other organizations and individuals. This struggle culminated in a major victory, as the new Community Radio Policy was announced by the Government of India, in December 2006. Communities can now apply for setting up and manage their own radio stations through NGOs. In an effort to broaden the base of our media work, Drishti has also designed campaigns and events. Our first encounter with campaigns was to design and implement a fair on environment at Kutch in 1995 and was followed by several such campaigns. One of the milestones was the 2001 World Conference in Durban that highlighted caste discrimination through art and music. Our work in film making, radio production with communitie s, creating campaigns and holding trainings have come together to strengthen and create the present avatar of Drishti. Presently three clear streams have emerged in our work, Community Radio, Community Video and Nazariya. In a natural progression from our Community Radio experience DRISHTI extended it’s work into the realm of Community Video. The Camera can prove to be one of the most effective and revolutionary tools through which marginalized communities are empowered to change their lives. The Community Video Programme, partners with organisations in the grassroots to set up Community Video Units. Here community members are trained to create and control a media of their own. This media empowers community voices and can prove to be a vital trigger of social change. In July 2006 Drishti partnered with Video Volunteers an organisation based in the United States to set up 6 Community Video Units with NGO’s doing intensive work in the grassroots. The Community Video Programme has trained more than 70 community members to creat videos and lead change locally. The Community Radio Programme through its long history of gestation in Drishti is one of our strongest programmes today. Over the next three years, DRISHTI plans to support the setting up of three Community Radio Stations (CRS) in collaboration with NGO partners. Drishti will also launch a Community Radio Station for the youth of Ahmedabad. Our third stream is Nazar iya. Here, Drishti aims to bring in an alternative perception into our society by screening documentaries, short films and short fictions that reflect a broader reality of people. Nazariya was started in September 2005 and since its inception has set up 26 film clubs in educational institutes of Ahmedabad, two film clubs in public spaces and organized seven film festivals in Ahmedabad, Baroda and Rajkot. Nazariya reaches out to unreached audiences with a meaningful, innovative and explorative perception of filmmaking and viewing. It seeks to sensitize young people towards social issues and encourages them to take actions as socially responsible citizens. These three streams of Drishti together culminate to form a pool of media experiences through which we aim to… … build empowered communities and promote Human Rights values to realize a just and equitable society, using the media and arts. COMMUNITY VIDEO The Community Video Unit (CVU) is a unique space for local communities to voice their stories of joy, strife or tribulations. Here communities create, control and disseminate their stories through the medium of videos. It comprises of 6 – 8 community members who are trained as full time Community Video Producers. They produce a ‘Video Film’ on different social issues in every 2months. These films are screened in around 25 bastis or villages on widescreen projectors to up to 10,000 people . Every film sparks debates, discussions and ultimately actions towards a positive change. Drishti collaborates with different non-profit organizations in India to set up a Community Video Unit, within communities they work. HOW TO START? It generally takes a period of six to eight months to set up a Community Video Unit (CVU). The process is as follows: •You write to us expressing your interest or send us a proposal. •We review the proposal and get back to you with information on a tentative budget and how the CVU works. •You organize to allocate your funds and resources and agree to launch the CVU. •You send us a tentative list of 40 villages or slum areas where the CVU is expected to run. •We come for a site assessment and mutually identify/shortlist 25 villages or slum areas where the CVU will work, taking into account some predefined criteria. •We eventually finalize plans and sign a Memorandum of Understanding, committing both parties to the process. •We mutually hire 6-8 community members as your Community Video Producers based on some predetermined criteria. •You purchase and/or allocate all the equipment necessary from our equipment list. •We recruit a full time Video Trainer for your CVU, and conduct an intensive one to two months-‘Training of Trainers’ to ensure that the person is trained in all aspects of Community Media. He will work on-site for 18 months. Finally the training of the Community Producers starts, and the CVU begins work! For further info Log on to www.drishtimedia.org or Contact : 44, Smit-Sagar (Mrugaya) Society Nr. Rahul Towers Anand Nagar Cross Road 100 ft. Road Satellite Ahmedabad-380051 INDIA drishtiad1 at gmail.com 079-26930452, 079-26930590 From jeebesh at sarai.net Mon Oct 5 11:44:46 2009 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 11:44:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation for People's Audit of SEZs in Tamil Nadu 24th-26th October, 2009 Message-ID: <68CEF036-3D66-4D40-A734-AEA50A782ADC@sarai.net> From: Dear Friends and Colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to a People’s Audit of SEZs in Tamil Nadu between October 24-26th, 2009. As you may know, there are 139 SEZs notified and in various stages of approvals in Tamil Nadu with the state aggressively pursuing the agenda of industrialization. In addition, the state industrial corporations SIPCOT and TIDCO are aggressively acquiring lands creating land banks for industrial estates and SEZs. An estimated over 25,000 hectares have already been acquired by these corporations and much more are in pipeline. These People’s Audits are being conducted in several states in the country, wherein an eminent panel of social scientists, economists, retired bureaucrats, journalists and other esteemed individuals will critically examine issues emerging around SEZs/industrial estates, of land acquisition; displacement; corruption; environmental impact; compensation, employment generation, livelihood loss and labour rights as well as questions of development and economic growth. In Tamil Nadu this exercise will be undertaken for the following districts: Kanchipuram, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvallur, Madurai, Thirunelveli, Krishnagiri and Vellore. On 24th and 25th October, panel members will travel to various parts of Tamil Nadu to hear the testimonies of people: Group 1 : Tirumangalam(Madurai), Nanguneri(Tirunelveli) Group 2 : Sriperumbudur(Kanchipuram), Cheyyar(Thiruvannamalai), Ranipettai(Vellore), Hosur (Krishnagiri) Group 3 : Panapakkam (Vellore), Thervoy (Thiruvallur), Athipattu(Thiruvallur) On 26th October, the participants will gather in Chennai for public meeting where findings of the People’s audit will be presented. Your participation and engagement would prove extremely valuable in critically examining the unfolding political economy of SEZs/ industrial estates and in articulating the development needs of the State. We hope that you will join us in this process and since this is a largely people’s initiative we are requesting participants to find support for travel to Chennai. We will make all necessary arrangements for your food and stay within the area and travel from Chennai to different parts of Tamil Nadu. This effort has been jointly initiated by the Sirapu Porulaathara Mandala Edirappu Iyyakkam (Movement Against Special Economic Zones in TN) and its member organisations-Thervoy Grama Makkal Munnetra Nala Sangam, Walaja Unriya Vyvasaigal Nala Sangam, Tamil Nadu Vyvasaigal Inamanamgulam Kilai, Madurai Mavatta Vyvasaigal Nala Sangam, Vyvasa Thozhilar Nala Sangam, Amaipusara Thozhilar Koottamaippu. Supported by National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Unorganised Workers Federation, Dalit Land Rights Federation (Mannurimai Koottamaippu); Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum and many other TN based peoples’ movement and organisations. Brief Background: The SEZ Act was enacted in India in 2005 and since, 1046 SEZs have already been approved in the country with many in various stages of approval, land acquisition or completion as the case may be. SEZs have invited controversy and peasant resistance in many quarters and have become bones of contention between the state, the developers and ordinary citizens. To recap some of the features of the law: the Special Economic Zone Act 2005 deems SEZs as “public purpose.” The definition of manufacturing in the Act includes manufacturing and production processes, and includes agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, floriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, poultry, sericulture, viticulture, mining and services. This comprehensive inclusion of all types of economic activities within the purview of SEZs, comes with no restrictions on the maximum size and numbers of SEZs and a requirement of only 50% of the proposed land to be dedicated to economic activity. SEZs do not have any local body representation; nor adequate representation of labour and environmental concerns in their administrative structure. The Act contains provisions like section 31(9) that further remove accountability mechanisms from the Zone Authority: “No act or proceeding of an Authority shall be invalidated merely by reason of—a) any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of, the Authority; or b) any defect in the appointment of a person acting as a Member of the Authority; or c) any irregularity in the procedure of the Authority not affecting the merits of the case.” What has been the impact of this radical legislation? Given the potentially large scale implications and the nature of "development" envisaged by the SEZ Act in the country, the NAPM, the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India Centre for Human Rights Lawyers Network, National Centre for Advocacy Studies and several other groups and organisations from across the states and SEZ areas met early last month to initiate a national People’s Audit on SEZs process in India. The People’s Audits will seek to examine the impact of the projects against stated objectives, as well as the impact of the law on the people of the area, and the political economy of the country. People’s Audits of SEZs are being conducted in several states including Maharashtra, Goa, Guajarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, West Bengal and Delhi with the first of the series held in Maharashtra on September 15, 2009 the detailed documentation for which is available at:http://sez.icrindia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=8&Itemid=35 Looking forward to your kind participation in this process. Warm Regards, Campaign Against Special Economic Zones (Sirapu Porulaathara Mandala Edirappu Iyyakkam) On Behalf of the Organisers. Madhumita Dutta (09444390240); Chandrika Ramanujam (09444455385); K Sarvanan (09941408181); Anbuvendan (09841112523); S Perumal (09443396786) From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon Oct 5 17:19:41 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:49:41 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] "Breath and the Performer" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC13C90F406529-227C-2D9B8@webmail-d048.sysops.aol.com> Dear Friends, As part of 'The Art of the Performer', a series of weekend workshops in aid of Jamghat, we are presenting Breath and teh Performer, an intensive workshop on breath Jamghat (www.jamghat.in), a non-profit organization, works for the rehabilitation of street children and has always been involved in theatre for creating awareness and raising funds. Till November, I am facilitating a workshop every weekend on different aspects of performance, and also how performance skills are useful to professionals, trainers, facilitators, educators, counsellors, etc. The workshops are open to actors, dancers, performance artists, musicians, those engaged in the fine arts, teachers, facilitators, counsellors, psychologists, and anyone interested in the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of being human. Details of the workshop follow : "Breath and the Performer" Date: October 10th and 11h (Saturday and Sunday) Time: 12: 00 to 18 : 00 (both days) Age : 18 years and above Contact: Amit - 9818705715 Address: F-2 First Floor Lado Sarai New Delhi-30 Fees: 2000/- (Includes cost of materials, lunch and tea. Need based discounts available) This workshop will focus on the role of breath in performance and in life. Breath is the most fundamental life process, and yet the one that weare most disconnected with. This workshop will attempt to reconnect us with our inner selves by working with the breath; and thus develop presence, the voice, awareness of the body and space, develop our ability to deal with stress and with our emotions, resolve inner and outer conflicts, and be more mindful, present and engaged human beings. Areas to be explored include: Breath and the Self Breath and movement Breath and the voice Breath and emotions - the navarasaas Facilitator's profile: Arka Mukhopadhyay has been a poet, director/ performance maker, performer, Spoken Word artist, storyteller and performance artist; and is now researching into actor training processes and paratheatre. He founded and was the artistic director of Logos Theatre. He has taught drama at the Mallya Aditi International School, Bangalore and has performed, conducted workshops and has been a visiting artist/ teacher at prestigious institutions including International School of Singapore, Millenia Institute, Singapore, Dunman High School, Singapore, Chrishtu Jayanti College, Bangalore, School Vivekananda, Bangalore, Bombay International School, Icfai Business School, Pune, Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, The International School, Bangalore, The High Range School, Munnar, Pearly Dew School, Shillong, The American Embassy School, Delhi, Christ University, Bangalore, Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, Holy Cross College, Trichy, IP College for Women, Delhi, Jamia Milia Islamia University (as a visiting fellow), Delhi, JNU, Delhi, LSR College, Delhi, Pondicherry University Dept. of Performing Arts and IIT, Delhi (as an invited performer at the conference 'Writing The Future' organized by the IIT and the Asia Pacific Writing Partnership). He has performed at the Festival for Alternative Expressions in Theatre 2009 in Zagreb, Croatia and was also one of the invited guests at the lit up festival 2009 in Singapore. He has performed all over India, as well as in Singapore and Zagreb. He was one of the invited workshop facilitators (on performance poetry for children) at the prestigious Kalaghoda Festival, 2008 in Bombay. His poetry has been published in various national and international journals, such as Drunken Boat, Quay, New Quest, The Battered Suitcase and the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore; and he is the winner of the TFA Creative Writing Award, 2008. His workshop, 'Selves, Masks, Performance', has been delivered numerous times to both the general public, as well as with schools, businesses and theatre groups. He regularly works with educational institutions - both schools and colleges, performing and conducting workshops for both students and faculty members. He is deeply committed to theatre education and theatre-in-education. As a part of this, he has taken up an individual project, 'Shakespeare and Me' which is a Shakespeare-in-schools initiative meant to carry Shakespeare's work to children of not only privileged urban backgrounds but also the urban and rural disadvantaged, in multiple languages and through their own contexts. He especially intends to take this project to children living under conditions of conflict and oppression, in order to help them transcend these situations through the power of Shakespeare's words. His workshops for teachers have included performative strategies for teaching Shakespeare, as well as the teacher as storyteller. His interest in working with children from non-privileged backgrounds have seen him working on dramatic expression with children from a village in Tamil Nadu (at the Udavi School, managed by Auroville), street children in Bangalore (at Bosco Mane, a centre for rescued street children), and underprivileged urban children and young adults at Sukrupa, an educational facility in Bangalore. He has worked on theatre in conflict (through Theatre Of The Oppressed) with Sri Lankan Tamil people as part of a course on gender, diversity and conflict at Visthar, an NGO in Bangalore, and has facilitated a workshop on theatre in conflict for a group of community workers and activists from all over South East Asia at the same space, has co-facilitated a workshop for The Action North-East Trust in Assam, and has facilitated a workshop for the Serbian Cultural Centre, Zagreb, where the text of Macbeth was explored through movement, gesture and song, in both English and Serbo-Croat, with the aim of re-living and negotiating the experience of the Balkans war. His other work includes a workshop on body, self and presence with Ritanjali Night School in Delhi (with a group of adolescent boys who work as casual labourers, shop assistants, etc.), and work on learning through movement with young children of labourers at the Jaindera slum near Delhi through ISCA, a Delhi based NGO. For more details on Jamghat contact: *Priyanka* *Programme Head* *Phone*- +91 11 29522112 *Mobile*- + 91 9811656740 *Web *:- www.jamghat.in From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Oct 5 19:45:28 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 07:15:28 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910040836p304548d1x46dc64be8ed9d895@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <376748.54402.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Inder   Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.      The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you.   - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)     - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)    - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants      - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir   - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses.    - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir"   - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.   Kshmendra --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "reader-list" Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM Dear All Freedom means different for different people. For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively sensitizes the soul. the song is: Athe travtohan janavar Athe travtohan janavar Phare bagas te kari guftar Athe travtohan janavar Chavi yavun te vure shehjar Athe travtohan janavar Ye chu nagman hund tandar Athe travtohan janavar Janavar chu vanan zaar Athe travtohan janavar Mate haitav ami sund baar Athe travtohan janavar ( below: a word to word translation ) Release the bird from your hands Release the bird from your hands, It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. Release the bird from your hands It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. Release the bird from your hands It is a conglomeration of songs, Release the bird from your hands. This bird is singing a sad number, Release the bird from your hands. Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, Release the bird from your hands. …………………………. In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo Zaar mein totas van te lo lo What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the complexities of Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, poet, or a bird is not defined. The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning inside the heart, but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. With love and regards Inder salim -- 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 kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Oct 5 19:51:50 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 07:21:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Reversing 800 years of history - Islamabad Diary by Ayaz Amir Message-ID: <492008.2489.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "Reversing 800 years of history"   Friday, September 25, 2009 By Ayaz Amir All the great Muslim rulers of our past whom we look upon as our heroes were either Turks or Afghans, from Mahmud Ghaznavi to the last of the Mughals -- Caucasians all of them, who, in successive waves of invasion and conquest from the colder climates of the north, made themselves masters of Hindustan. For 800 years -- from 1192 AD. when Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain (in present-day Haryana) to the establishment of British rule in Bengal in the 18th century -- every ruler of Hindustan of any note or merit was of Caucasian origin. In all this vast expanse of history, the lands which now constitute Pakistan could produce only one ruler of indigenous origin who could lay claim to any ability: Ranjit Singh, Maharajah of Punjab. We, the inhabitants of Pakistan, may claim in moments of (misplaced) exaltation that we are descended from those early warriors. But this is a false claim. We are now more sub-continental than Central Asian. Just as empires and nations rise and fall, races too do not remain the same over time. The Mughals were a hardy people when they marched into India under Babar. After 200 years of unbroken rule their dynasty -- descended from the great Taimur -- had become degenerate and soft. We may name our missiles Ghori and Abdali -- although Abdali is somewhat inappropriate, considering that Ahmed Shah Abdali in his repeated invasions brought much suffering to Punjab -- but this is a throwback to a past far removed from our present. Comfortable thought or not, Ranjit Singh's kingdom of Punjab is more relevant to our present-day conditions than those distant days of glory and conquest. The challenge thus posed is a daunting one. For 800 years we have produced no ruler of native ability. But if Pakistan is to come into its own, if it is to throw off the mantle of failure of the past 60 years and forge a new future for itself, then its native sons and daughters have to create something new: capacity and ability where none have existed before -- except in the solitary example of the one-eyed king of Lahore, Maharajah Ranjit Singh. We are going to get no infusion of fresh blood from beyond the high mountains. No Ghaznavi or Ghori is coming to rescue us or establish a new kingdom. We are on our own. It is for us to make something of Pakistan or disfigure it. The kingdom of heaven is here; redemption is here; salvation is here. The very enormity of this challenge should teach us some tolerance. We expect miracles from our rulers -- the Ayub Khans, the Yahya Khans, the Ishaq Khans, the Zardaris, the Gilanis and no doubt the Sharifs -- without pausing to reflect that what we expect from them is nothing less than a reversal of history. We expect them to be the heralds of a miracle: the creation and expression of native talent and ability. Not that it can't be done or will never happen. But at least we should be aware of the extent of the challenge. We have to create something wholly new, something which in Punjab, the Frontier, Balochistan, Sindh, has not existed except in the dim annals of pre-history. There may have been native rulers of ability in times past but we know little of them and even if they did exist they did so before the advent of Muslim rule in India. And even if we pride ourselves on our Muslim past, let us not forget that by the time the British arrived in India and set about establishing their empire, the Muslims of the sub-continent had declined to an inferior position. They were no longer a master race. So much so, that they were reduced to demanding from the British special safeguards, such as separate electorates, to protect their status and position. Consider the irony of this. Once the Muslims, a tiny minority, had ruled India. Now they were afraid -- or their leading lights were afraid -- that they would be swamped by the Hindu majority, fearful that in a united India what they considered to be their just rights would be denied them, that they would not be able to hold their heads above the water. This philosophy of fear -- and there is no point in denying that it was that -- was dictated by circumstances. After Ottoman defeat in the First World War, Turkish nationalism found expression in the idea of a Turkish republic confined to the Turkish heartland: the Anatolian plateau. The idea of empire was no longer feasible. Mustafa Kemal realised this, his vision clearer and sharper than most of his countrymen. In India, Muslim nationalism found expression in the idea of Pakistan. Jinnah's greatness lay in helping achieve this idea. But there was one vital difference between Turkey and Pakistan. The Anatolian plateau was the solid centre of the Ottoman Empire, what the Turks called their true home. The centre of the Muslim empire throughout the 800 years of Muslim dominance in India was central India, around Delhi. But Indian partition and the birth of Pakistan meant retreating from this centre and creating a new nexus of existence on the western and eastern marches of the sub-continent. Pakistan thus arose on what used to be not the centre but the peripheries of Muslim power in India. This was a new challenge: of creating a new locus of existence where none had existed before. Muslim kingdoms had existed in South India. They had of course existed in North India. But there had never been an independent Muslim kingdom in the areas now constituting Pakistan. And, to repeat the point made earlier, there was in Pakistan no tradition of outstanding native ability: no native ruler of Multan or Lahore, Peshawar or Bannu, Hyderabad or Thatta, Quetta or Kalat, who could be cited as some kind of a role model. We had roads and bridges, canals and waterworks, a judicial and an administrative system, the trappings of democracy, the concept of elections and political parties, but, apart from the one example of Ranjit Singh, no tradition of native ability. The idea of being Turkish had always existed in the Turkish mind. The Muslim faith was part of this idea but it wasn't the whole of it. Pakistan was a wholly new invention and it was a reflection of the difficulties besetting the idea of Pakistan that our leading figures declared, very early on, that Islam was the basis of our nationhood. Indeed, we made religion a fallback position, seeking refuge in its dialectics when more attention should have been paid to temporal problems. The discontent arising in East Pakistan was proof that temporal problems needed a temporal solution. Today it is the same in Balochistan whose grievances are crying out for something more than the usual palliatives. The fight against the Taliban may yet prove our salvation. It is putting us through a formative experience. We were not willing to take on this fight, using all the mental resources at our disposal to avoid it. But this struggle has been forced on us by circumstances. The Taliban had become a domestic headache. To this was added external pressure from the American presence in Afghanistan, forcing the Pakistan army to shed indecision and adopt a decisive course of action. What does the idea of Talibanism tell us? That it is a foreign importation and as such alien to our soil and condition. Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar just don't fit into the idea of Pakistan. But thanks to our own misunderstandings and follies we had allowed this alien concept to take root in our soil. Hopefully things are changing. Pakistan has to be an autonomous concept, sufficient unto itself and free of alien viruses. The struggle is not over. The idea of Pakistan is yet in the making but it will come into its own, never to falter or indeed wither, when we realise that the historic task before us is to turn the mediocrity of our ruling class, including the confusion that often besets the military mind, into a vision springing from the needs of our own society. Email: winlust at yahoo.com   http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=199842   From indersalim at gmail.com Tue Oct 6 01:33:57 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 01:33:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <20CBD33F59F64147A9DB324DA97236C3016257C8E882@HERMES7.ds.leeds.ac.uk> References: <47e122a70910040836p304548d1x46dc64be8ed9d895@mail.gmail.com> <376748.54402.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <20CBD33F59F64147A9DB324DA97236C3016257C8E882@HERMES7.ds.leeds.ac.uk> Message-ID: <47e122a70910051303g6c0a2473o298ebb4e48a0c59@mail.gmail.com> Thanks dear Kshmendra and dear Anananya i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor in apple orchids.  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue how this is surname in Kashmir.  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of the world.". Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is political in nature at the same time. Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, even. A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible future for those who dissent... As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is migratory, or migrated since... with love inder salim On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir wrote: > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > best wishes, > Ananya > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > School of English, University of Leeds > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > ________________________________ > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > Dear Inder > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "reader-list" > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > Dear All > Freedom means different for different people. > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > sensitizes the soul. > the song is: > > Athe travtohan janavar > Athe travtohan janavar > Phare bagas te kari guftar > Athe travtohan janavar > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > Athe travtohan janavar > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > Athe travtohan janavar > Janavar chu vanan zaar > Athe travtohan janavar > Mate haitav ami sund baar > Athe travtohan janavar > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > Release the bird from your hands > Release the bird from your hands, > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > Release the bird from your hands > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > Release the bird from your hands > It is a conglomeration of songs, > Release the bird from your hands. > This bird is singing a sad number, > Release the bird from your hands. > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > Release the bird from your hands. > …………………………. > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > complexities of > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > poet, or a bird is not defined. > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > inside the heart, > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > With love and regards > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > 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 lalitambardar at hotmail.com Tue Oct 6 01:42:40 2009 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 20:12:40 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] National Meet on the Status of Muslims, Oct 3-5, Delhi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Miniscule minority of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits was subjected to ethnic cleansing in Kashmir valley by the Kashmiri pan Islamists seeking secession of Kashmir from India on the grounds that Kashmir was an unfinished agenda of the two nation theory based partition of India. The ongoing Islamic insurgency in Kashmir has lead to the biggest ever human displacement since the partition. The civil society in general & the rights groups are conspicuously silent even as the Kashmiri Pandits continue to live as refugees in their own country for the past two decades. Why…????.... Regards all LA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:05:17 +0530 > From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Subject: [Reader-list] National Meet on the Status of Muslims, Oct 3-5, Delhi > > See the mailer from Anhad at > http://psychologynews.posterous.com/national-meet-on-the-status-of-muslims-oct-3 > > Excerpts: > > Anhad is organizing a National Meet on the Status of Muslims to document the > continuing ways of discrimination, exclusion, persecution of Muslims in > India today, to document overt as well as low intensity violence and the > insecurity that they live with, and to prepare a charter of demands for the > present government. We also plan to develop a strategy paper for voluntary > organizations who are working for the minority rights. > > During the three day meet senior activists, academicians, grass root workers > and victims would present and listen to testimonies and reports, and reflect > on these conditions. > > *Panelists: *** > > Admiral Ramdas, Ahmad Saeed Malihabadi, Asghar Ali Engineer, Colin > Gonsalves, Gagan Sethi, Ghanshyam Shah, Hanif Lakdawala, Harsh > Mander, Justice > Bhargava, Kavita Srivastava, Mahesh Bhat, Prashant Bhushan, Ram Puniyani, > Rooprekha Verma, Sandeep Pandey, Shahid Latif, Tarun Tejpal, Uma > Chakravarty, Zafar Agha, Zahid Ali Khan, Zoya Hasan > > > > *Speakers: * > Abu Zafar, Ajit Sahi, Amit Sengupta, Apoorvanand, Arshad Ajmal, Ashish > Khaitan, Avinash Kumar, Azam Khan, Aziz Mubaraki, Baharul Islam, Farah > Naqvi , Harinder Baweja, Hozzefa Ujjaini, Iftikhar Gilani, Irfan > engineer, Jawed Naqvi, Jyoti Punwani, Manisha Sethi, Manoj Jha, Mehmood > bhai, Minakshi Ganguly, Mohd Azam Khan, Mohd Shuaib, Nagma Nadaf, Naseem > Ansari , Nihal Ahmad Ansari, Nishat Hussain, Noorjahan, Poornima > Joshi, Rajendra > Y J? Clifton ( to be confirmed), Rajiv Yadav, Rashida Khan, Sarwar Raza, > Shafeeq Mahajir, Shahnawaz Alam, Shesh Narain Singh, Sohail > Hashmi, Vidyadhar > Gadgil , Vineet Tiwari, Vrinda Grover, Yogesh Diwan, Yusuf Shaikh, Zaheer > Ali Khan, Zakia Soman > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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/> _________________________________________________________________ Newsmakers and happenings from around the world – just one click away on MSN India http://in.msn.com From yasir.media at gmail.com Tue Oct 6 04:54:31 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 04:24:31 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <4eab87870909302136k5210cfc9y1e90f48806746348@mail.gmail.com> References: <5af37bb0909271543i594ecb3bq397c238881b4199e@mail.gmail.com> <4eab87870909302136k5210cfc9y1e90f48806746348@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910051624w217d9642w2a32867c45f104dd@mail.gmail.com> ... and here's geo tv (pk) after pk lost to nz the song is the indian singer-actress, wait isn't she pakistan in after she married mohsin... i think they went their own ways having enough of visa problems .... !!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcXaEKqtWNY On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Murali V wrote: > Clever of putting which side you had backed. A cat on the wall strategy. > > Regards, > V Murali > > On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:13 AM, yasir ~يا سر > wrote: > > context: India loses to Pakistan. Indian media insult the team > > after creating all the hype in the first instance, amid heavy revenues. > > > > correction: its Star sports not zeeits be-izzati not bisti - ie dissin, > > disrespect, dishonour > > > > Not being a sports watcher. for a good games sake I was actually backing > the > > other side. > > > > talk about media independence, what would stalin do, > > to the team and the media :D > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho0htLmu2HM > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to 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 yasir.media at gmail.com Tue Oct 6 05:11:42 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 04:41:42 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Reversing 800 years of history - Islamabad Diary by Ayaz Amir In-Reply-To: <492008.2489.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <492008.2489.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910051641r13e4ee3aya88e31eba6dbe6c7@mail.gmail.com> yea, its a pretty brutal problem. i am wondering whether a cornberwas turned, in fact i still think so., despite a half-cynical lamentation i read in another paper. sob, sob. y On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 7:21 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > "Reversing 800 years of history" > > > > Friday, September 25, 2009 > > By Ayaz Amir > > > > All the great Muslim rulers of our past whom we look upon as our heroes > were either Turks or Afghans, from Mahmud Ghaznavi to the last of the > Mughals -- Caucasians all of them, who, in successive waves of invasion and > conquest from the colder climates of the north, made themselves masters of > Hindustan. > > For 800 years -- from 1192 AD. when Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj > Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain (in present-day Haryana) to the > establishment of British rule in Bengal in the 18th century -- every ruler > of Hindustan of any note or merit was of Caucasian origin. In all this vast > expanse of history, the lands which now constitute Pakistan could produce > only one ruler of indigenous origin who could lay claim to any ability: > Ranjit Singh, Maharajah of Punjab. > > We, the inhabitants of Pakistan, may claim in moments of (misplaced) > exaltation that we are descended from those early warriors. But this is a > false claim. We are now more sub-continental than Central Asian. Just as > empires and nations rise and fall, races too do not remain the same over > time. The Mughals were a hardy people when they marched into India under > Babar. After 200 years of unbroken rule their dynasty -- descended from the > great Taimur -- had become degenerate and soft. > > We may name our missiles Ghori and Abdali -- although Abdali is somewhat > inappropriate, considering that Ahmed Shah Abdali in his repeated invasions > brought much suffering to Punjab -- but this is a throwback to a past far > removed from our present. Comfortable thought or not, Ranjit Singh's kingdom > of Punjab is more relevant to our present-day conditions than those distant > days of glory and conquest. > > The challenge thus posed is a daunting one. For 800 years we have produced > no ruler of native ability. But if Pakistan is to come into its own, if it > is to throw off the mantle of failure of the past 60 years and forge a new > future for itself, then its native sons and daughters have to create > something new: capacity and ability where none have existed before -- except > in the solitary example of the one-eyed king of Lahore, Maharajah Ranjit > Singh. > > We are going to get no infusion of fresh blood from beyond the high > mountains. No Ghaznavi or Ghori is coming to rescue us or establish a new > kingdom. We are on our own. It is for us to make something of Pakistan or > disfigure it. The kingdom of heaven is here; redemption is here; salvation > is here. > > The very enormity of this challenge should teach us some tolerance. We > expect miracles from our rulers -- the Ayub Khans, the Yahya Khans, the > Ishaq Khans, the Zardaris, the Gilanis and no doubt the Sharifs -- without > pausing to reflect that what we expect from them is nothing less than a > reversal of history. We expect them to be the heralds of a miracle: the > creation and expression of native talent and ability. > > Not that it can't be done or will never happen. But at least we should be > aware of the extent of the challenge. We have to create something wholly > new, something which in Punjab, the Frontier, Balochistan, Sindh, has not > existed except in the dim annals of pre-history. There may have been native > rulers of ability in times past but we know little of them and even if they > did exist they did so before the advent of Muslim rule in India. > > And even if we pride ourselves on our Muslim past, let us not forget that > by the time the British arrived in India and set about establishing their > empire, the Muslims of the sub-continent had declined to an inferior > position. They were no longer a master race. So much so, that they were > reduced to demanding from the British special safeguards, such as separate > electorates, to protect their status and position. > > Consider the irony of this. Once the Muslims, a tiny minority, had ruled > India. Now they were afraid -- or their leading lights were afraid -- that > they would be swamped by the Hindu majority, fearful that in a united India > what they considered to be their just rights would be denied them, that they > would not be able to hold their heads above the water. > > This philosophy of fear -- and there is no point in denying that it was > that -- was dictated by circumstances. After Ottoman defeat in the First > World War, Turkish nationalism found expression in the idea of a Turkish > republic confined to the Turkish heartland: the Anatolian plateau. The idea > of empire was no longer feasible. Mustafa Kemal realised this, his vision > clearer and sharper than most of his countrymen. In India, Muslim > nationalism found expression in the idea of Pakistan. Jinnah's greatness lay > in helping achieve this idea. > > But there was one vital difference between Turkey and Pakistan. The > Anatolian plateau was the solid centre of the Ottoman Empire, what the Turks > called their true home. The centre of the Muslim empire throughout the 800 > years of Muslim dominance in India was central India, around Delhi. But > Indian partition and the birth of Pakistan meant retreating from this centre > and creating a new nexus of existence on the western and eastern marches of > the sub-continent. Pakistan thus arose on what used to be not the centre but > the peripheries of Muslim power in India. > > This was a new challenge: of creating a new locus of existence where none > had existed before. Muslim kingdoms had existed in South India. They had of > course existed in North India. But there had never been an independent > Muslim kingdom in the areas now constituting Pakistan. And, to repeat the > point made earlier, there was in Pakistan no tradition of outstanding native > ability: no native ruler of Multan or Lahore, Peshawar or Bannu, Hyderabad > or Thatta, Quetta or Kalat, who could be cited as some kind of a role model. > > We had roads and bridges, canals and waterworks, a judicial and an > administrative system, the trappings of democracy, the concept of elections > and political parties, but, apart from the one example of Ranjit Singh, no > tradition of native ability. The idea of being Turkish had always existed in > the Turkish mind. The Muslim faith was part of this idea but it wasn't the > whole of it. Pakistan was a wholly new invention and it was a reflection of > the difficulties besetting the idea of Pakistan that our leading figures > declared, very early on, that Islam was the basis of our nationhood. > > Indeed, we made religion a fallback position, seeking refuge in its > dialectics when more attention should have been paid to temporal problems. > The discontent arising in East Pakistan was proof that temporal problems > needed a temporal solution. Today it is the same in Balochistan whose > grievances are crying out for something more than the usual palliatives. > > The fight against the Taliban may yet prove our salvation. It is putting us > through a formative experience. We were not willing to take on this fight, > using all the mental resources at our disposal to avoid it. But this > struggle has been forced on us by circumstances. The Taliban had become a > domestic headache. To this was added external pressure from the American > presence in Afghanistan, forcing the Pakistan army to shed indecision and > adopt a decisive course of action. > > What does the idea of Talibanism tell us? That it is a foreign importation > and as such alien to our soil and condition. Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar > just don't fit into the idea of Pakistan. But thanks to our own > misunderstandings and follies we had allowed this alien concept to take root > in our soil. > > Hopefully things are changing. Pakistan has to be an autonomous concept, > sufficient unto itself and free of alien viruses. The struggle is not over. > The idea of Pakistan is yet in the making but it will come into its own, > never to falter or indeed wither, when we realise that the historic task > before us is to turn the mediocrity of our ruling class, including the > confusion that often besets the military mind, into a vision springing from > the needs of our own society. > > Email: winlust at yahoo.com > > http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=199842 > > > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 akmalik45 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 6 08:33:06 2009 From: akmalik45 at yahoo.com (A.K. Malik) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 20:03:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] National Meet on the Status of Muslims, Oct 3-5, Delhi In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <226152.50622.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Hi LA, You would find lots of sympathisers for minor atrocities on Muslim minority people but rarely any one for others or majority and that too is a meek one. Why not treat and react for all citizens wronged equally. ( By the way even up to 49.9% it will remain minority). What is being done to Hindu minority in Kashmir is any body's guess.Even the Central Govt is not doing anything to rehabilitate them.By the way I am not a communal person but want equality for all irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Regards, (A.K.MALIK) --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > From: Lalit Ambardar > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] National Meet on the Status of Muslims, Oct 3-5, Delhi > To: chandni.parekh at gmail.com, "reader-list at sarai.net" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:42 AM > > Miniscule minority of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits was subjected > to ethnic cleansing in Kashmir valley by the Kashmiri pan > Islamists seeking secession of Kashmir from India on the > grounds that Kashmir was an unfinished agenda of the two > nation theory based partition of India. The ongoing Islamic > insurgency in Kashmir has lead to the biggest ever human > displacement since the partition. The civil society in > general & the rights groups are conspicuously silent > even as the Kashmiri Pandits continue to live as refugees in > their own country for the past two decades. Why…????.... > > Regards all > LA > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:05:17 +0530 > > From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > Subject: [Reader-list] National Meet on the Status of > Muslims, Oct 3-5, Delhi > > > > See the mailer from Anhad at > > http://psychologynews.posterous.com/national-meet-on-the-status-of-muslims-oct-3 > > > > Excerpts: > > > > Anhad is organizing a National Meet on the Status of > Muslims to document the > > continuing ways of discrimination, exclusion, > persecution of Muslims in > > India today, to document overt as well as low > intensity violence and the > > insecurity that they live with, and to prepare a > charter of demands for the > > present government. We also plan to develop a strategy > paper for voluntary > > organizations who are working for the minority > rights. > > > > During the three day meet senior activists, > academicians, grass root workers > > and victims would present and listen to testimonies > and reports, and reflect > > on these conditions. > > > > *Panelists: *** > > > > Admiral Ramdas, Ahmad Saeed Malihabadi, Asghar Ali > Engineer, Colin > > Gonsalves, Gagan Sethi, Ghanshyam Shah, Hanif > Lakdawala, Harsh > > Mander, Justice > > Bhargava, Kavita Srivastava, Mahesh Bhat, Prashant > Bhushan, Ram Puniyani, > > Rooprekha Verma, Sandeep Pandey, Shahid Latif, Tarun > Tejpal, Uma > > Chakravarty, Zafar Agha, Zahid Ali Khan, Zoya Hasan > > > > > > > > *Speakers: * > > Abu Zafar, Ajit Sahi, Amit Sengupta, Apoorvanand, > Arshad Ajmal, Ashish > > Khaitan, Avinash Kumar, Azam Khan, Aziz Mubaraki, > Baharul Islam, Farah > > Naqvi , Harinder Baweja, Hozzefa Ujjaini, Iftikhar > Gilani, Irfan > > engineer, Jawed Naqvi, Jyoti Punwani, Manisha Sethi, > Manoj Jha, Mehmood > > bhai, Minakshi Ganguly, Mohd Azam Khan, Mohd Shuaib, > Nagma Nadaf, Naseem > > Ansari , Nihal Ahmad Ansari, Nishat Hussain, > Noorjahan, Poornima > > Joshi, Rajendra > > Y J? Clifton ( to be confirmed), Rajiv Yadav, Rashida > Khan, Sarwar Raza, > > Shafeeq Mahajir, Shahnawaz Alam, Shesh Narain Singh, > Sohail > > Hashmi, Vidyadhar > > Gadgil , Vineet Tiwari, Vrinda Grover, Yogesh Diwan, > Yusuf Shaikh, Zaheer > > Ali Khan, Zakia Soman > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to 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/> >     >          >            >   > _________________________________________________________________ > Newsmakers and happenings from around the world – just > one click away on MSN India > http://in.msn.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 rohitrellan at aol.in Tue Oct 6 09:56:06 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:26:06 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] PSBT Call for Proposals 2009 In-Reply-To: <1431FFB23400453D900A0C709BD7E5E7@psbt.local> References: <1431FFB23400453D900A0C709BD7E5E7@psbt.local> Message-ID: <8CC145441AB8B0E-890-9AE7@webmail-d090.sysops.aol.com> PSBT invites proposals from filmmakers exploring India’s Diversity:  its celebrations, challenges and opportunities.   We seek proposals for films that will meaningfully engage with diversities in its myriad manifestations embracing issues such as (but not limited to) the environment, religion, the arts, culture, rituals, economic systems, personal and social histories, knowledge systems, livelihoods, sexualities etc. They could explore these in contexts such as personal quests, national identity, political action, people's movements, globalisation, issues of equity, etc. Diversities can be a window to our varied histories, an understanding of the unfolding present and a lens for imagining new futures. While celebrating and applauding them, we also seek explorations that enquire into processes and forces that both nurture and threaten them.     While there is an increasing recognition of pluralism and diversity and their absolute indispensability to human and social existence, is there a shrinking of space for their expression? What do these diversities mean in terms of our everyday lives and experiences and the larger wholes we are part of? What is the impact of globalisation and transnational developments on diversities? What is the relationship between diversity and identity? How have these diversities shaped our histories, cultures, polities and continue to impact them in contemporary times? How do these m ultiple diversities interact with each other, respond to and evolve with changing times and forces that may either challenge or resurrect them? Have we forgotten to acknowledge some diversities in our need for a formal notion of uniformity? How do we ensure they are preserved before we exhume them?   We look forward to innovative and creative proposals that articulate varied diversities in their many manifestations.   The duration of the films will be 26 minutes. Budgets will average Rs 4 lakh and ordinarily range from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh. Proposals must be received by 15 October 2009 using the Preliminary Proposal Submission Format, available on our website.  Filmmakers can submit ONLY ONE proposal.   Proposals prominently marked REGULAR COMMISSIONING PROPOSAL, must be sent ONLY by POST or COURIER to: PSBT A 86, Basement Nizamuddin East New Delhi 110 013 Public Service Broadcasting Trust A 86, Nizamuddin East New Delhi 110 013 India 91-11-24355941 / 41826115 www.psbt.org From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Tue Oct 6 15:51:59 2009 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 15:51:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Muslim group condemns OIC for appointing envoy in Kashmir Message-ID: <6353c690910060321x14c0fce4keb3c5108b4bd32b@mail.gmail.com> Muslim group condemns OIC for appointing envoy in KashmirLink - http://twocircles.net/2009oct05/muslim_group_condemns_oic_appointing_envoy_kashmir.html *By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,* New Delhi: All India Muslim Unity Front staged a demonstration in New Delhi today to protest the move of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to appoint a special envoy in Jammu and Kashmir. While terming the move as “blatant interference in the internal affairs of India”, the Front condemned OIC and suggested it “to take care of Muslims in other parts of the world like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan where they are in worse condition.” The protestors were shouting slogans against OIC and reiterating that Kashmir is an integral part of India. “Down with OIC,” “Stop meddling in the internal affairs of India” and “Kashmir is our integral part” were some of the slogans. They were holding placards with anti-OIC slogans. Talking to TwoCircles.net Muhammad Yunus Siddiqi, president, All India Muslim Minority Front, said “OIC was established for welfare of Muslims. Besides India, Muslims are facing problems in other countries also like Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine. They are also facing problems in Europe. OIC should take care of Muslims in those places. Muslims in India are living peacefully.” “Kashmir is our issue. OIC must not take interest in it. Kashmir is an integral part of India,” said Siddiqi. He said he has appealed to OIC to take care of Muslim refugees in Palestine, Afghanistan and Lebanon. They should ask for withdrawal of foreign armies from Iraq. Addressing the gathering Subhash Chowdhary, chairman, Non-Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM), co-organizer of the demonstration, accused OIC for adopting double standards while raking up the Kashmir issue time and again. “Why is OIC silent on the decades old repression of the great Baloch people by the Pakistan army and their demand for an independent sovereign state?” he asked. The NASYM chairman said if OIC was “so concerned about the oppression of different Muslim groups, what role it has played to mitigate the oppression of the Kurd people. The parameter of oppressions can only be gauged by the influx of refugees. The OIC must tell the world what it has done for millions of Palestinian people who have become stateless and live life of a refugee in several countries. Millions of Kurd people, Afghans and also Iraqi people are refugees in several nations but Kashmir does not have any such problem.” From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 6 16:42:36 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 04:12:36 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910051303g6c0a2473o298ebb4e48a0c59@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <662271.89987.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Inder   1. Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens.   I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html.   I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/.   As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html   Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973   2. I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota".   My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'.   Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed.   I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot.   It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes.   "Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?)   3. One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine.   4. Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention.   I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry.   Kshmendra   --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" Cc: "reader-list" Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM Thanks dear Kshmendra and dear Anananya i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor in apple orchids.  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue how this is surname in Kashmir.  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of the world.". Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is political in nature at the same time. Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, even. A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible future for those who dissent... As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is migratory, or migrated since... with love inder salim On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir wrote: > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > best wishes, > Ananya > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > School of English, University of Leeds > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > ________________________________ > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > Dear Inder > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "reader-list" > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > Dear All > Freedom means different for different people. > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > sensitizes the soul. > the song is: > > Athe travtohan janavar > Athe travtohan janavar > Phare bagas te kari guftar > Athe travtohan janavar > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > Athe travtohan janavar > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > Athe travtohan janavar > Janavar chu vanan zaar > Athe travtohan janavar > Mate haitav ami sund baar > Athe travtohan janavar > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > Release the bird from your hands > Release the bird from your hands, > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > Release the bird from your hands > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > Release the bird from your hands > It is a conglomeration of songs, > Release the bird from your hands. > This bird is singing a sad number, > Release the bird from your hands. > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > Release the bird from your hands. > …………………………. > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > complexities of > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > poet, or a bird is not defined. > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > inside the heart, > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > With love and regards > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > 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 Tue Oct 6 18:03:10 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:03:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <662271.89987.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <47e122a70910051303g6c0a2473o298ebb4e48a0c59@mail.gmail.com> <662271.89987.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910060533v5bd0ad1cw7a34404f7533d147@mail.gmail.com> Dear Kshmendra ji The links to support the evidence of Parrot ( the green bird ) in Kashmir obviously confirms that you have not seen a parrot personally. Let us be honest and say that we both have not seen a Tota in kashmir, Be sure, all kashmiris will follow to what i am saying, except these few research based projects to see a tota in kashmir. Different shaded birds, some light greens even, are still flying in kashmiri forests, and thanks for the link. Hope the forests live for ever and the birds too. This summer bird parrot is always welcome in kashmir, but... Besides that, metaphorically the absence of this green bird is not a good news for organizations like Al Qaeda who see tota as Islamic bird. about sound ' sodras '. I am not etymologist, which i feel becomes a slippery game after some time. but for large bodies of water, we have Dal, or Wular, so not sure why Sodur is used, and why it means sea. Lal Ded obviously is one of the greatest inspiration behind all the meaningful poety in the valley. and her well known verse ( vaakh ) on hindu muslim unity is well known jem. She obviously thought of reconcillation between these two drifting identities was urgently addressed by saints even, which is also need of the time, and that is why i see ' present' in the folk. That is not bereft of well known conflict: kashmir conflict. let me digress a little : I am not saying that Kasshmir was a heaven before 1947, or before Maharaja or was a firdos during Yousuf shah check's rule, but something terrible happened in 1947 which politician at the helm could not grasp. Sheikh was a real hero of the hour, but he was ditched by Nehru and later by Indira, who also changed into a mere adminstrator, a corrupt on, in his later years. Many things happened in between, but let us see a cmmon denominator between Sri Lanka's treatment of Tamils ( now defeated LTTE ), and West Pakistan's treatment of East Pakistan ( now bangladesh ), and India's treatment of MUF in 1989 assembly elections which directly resulted in violence with active support of unemployed American mujahadeens in pakistan and local humiliated groups. There never was islamic agenda in Kashmir. Kashmiri pandits were loyal to Maharaja but Sheikh prevented KPs in 1947, wjhich goes to his credit, and what is extra ordinary about Sheikh that he never gave imporatnce to Jinnah, so Kashmir deserved a free state in 1947 which India could have supported, but alas. So, when violence is loathed by one and all, for real reasons, which is not serving even the radicals in kashmir, how will the very angry and humiliated Kashmiris vent their anger, India has done very badly during these last two decades. Sad that security forces were tempted to do what they did and are still doing. What militans did is shameful too, but, how to balance violence with violence. So, Kashmiris, will discover a culture, of thier own, which will include a renewed understanding of their folk, even if it means distortion, who cares, may be that too is aesthetics, a new one But, what it means, in the end, is question i cant answer even. with love and regrds inder salim On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Inder > > 1. > Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens. > > I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html. > > I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/. > > As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html > > Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973 > > 2. > I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota". > > My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'. > > Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed. > > I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot. > > It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes. > > "Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?) > > 3. > One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine. > > 4. > Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention. > > I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" > Cc: "reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM > > Thanks dear > Kshmendra > and dear > Anananya > > i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... > > Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it > existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor > in apple orchids. > >  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there > is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in > kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in > kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue > how this is surname in Kashmir. > >  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the > miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this > "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... > > i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of > humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a > world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of > the world.". > > Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached > to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is > why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is > limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly > a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about > Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the > present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a > possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is > political in nature at the same time. > Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover > our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of > responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, > even. > > A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad > and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our > stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and > performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. > It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is > why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical > uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible > future for those who dissent... > > As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the > language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in > the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us > convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is > migratory, or migrated since... > > with love > inder salim > > > > > On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir > wrote: > > > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > > best wishes, > > Ananya > > > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > > School of English, University of Leeds > > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > > Dear Inder > > > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > > > Kshmendra > > > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > From: Inder Salim > > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > To: "reader-list" > > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > > > Dear All > > Freedom means different for different people. > > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > > sensitizes the soul. > > the song is: > > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Phare bagas te kari guftar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Janavar chu vanan zaar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Mate haitav ami sund baar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > > > Release the bird from your hands > > Release the bird from your hands, > > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > > Release the bird from your hands > > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > > Release the bird from your hands > > It is a conglomeration of songs, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > This bird is singing a sad number, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > …………………………. > > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > > complexities of > > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > > poet, or a bird is not defined. > > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > > inside the heart, > > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > > > With love and regards > > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > 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/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 6 19:44:06 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 07:14:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song Message-ID: <460674.72964.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Ananya   No apologies needed. You are at liberty to 'deconstruct' whatever you want to and leave it at that, or "reconstruct", or just "destruct".   I am intrigued though. What was my "construct" that you set about to "deconstruct". Just intrigued, dont need an answer.   a) Parrots and Parakeets are the same birds. Of, course that is a generalised identification since there are many varieties.   b) Your aversion to  the 'colonial commentator' Lawrence is un-understandable. Maybe you have information why Lawrence's recordings in "The Valley of Kashmir" are not to be treated as authentic? Or maybe you are dismissive of all "colonial" commentators?   Let us together damn Lawrence. In the earlier mail to Inder I have given references from Dr Bakshi Jehangir (not colonial) and Dar & Dar (not colonial).   Here are three photographs of the "parakeets" documented as having been sighted in Kashmir. Please look at them and then decide whether or not they are "tota":   - Alexanderine Parakeet http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/parakeet_a01.html   - Rose-ringed Parakeet http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/parakeetr.html   - Slaty-headed Parakeet http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/parakeets.html   c) I would not know how birds are designated as being indigenous or not. In Kashmir only a few birds are found the year round such as the Sparrow, Mynah, Crow, Eagle (open to correction). "Totas" (Parrots/Parakeets) are known to be 'alitudinal migrants'. Depending on the season, they migrate between higher and lower altitudes. For the 'totas" of Kashmir if this "altitudinal migration"  is within the Kashmir Valley, then I guess they could be called "indigenous". But, dont take my word for this deduction.   d) Confirmation of the "tota" or "shoga" being present in Kashmir is from sightings.       My mention of the surnames was to present an additional dimension for consideration. You are free to reject it.       Perhaps you are aware that Kashmir has a fascinating tradition of 'accquired surnames'. Apart from the 'takhallus' (nom de plume of writers) and Titles Bestowed, most such 'accquired surnames' trace their roots to nicknames. The nicknames come from not foreign but indigenous recognitions such as Place of Birth; Place of Residence; Characteristic Landmark at Place of Residence; Occupation; Pronounced Physical Characteristic; Physical Deformity etc    e) Nowhere have I seen anything that suggest that 'Tuti-namah' was not written (compiled) by Ziya al-Din Nakshabi. If I were sure that it is based on 'Suka Saptiti' or for that matter knew that 'Suka Saptiti' is written by Chintamani Bhatta, my sentence (the grammatical construction of which you were taken by) would have been framed differently. I would have simply said " "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) was written by a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. It was plagiarised by Ziya al-Din Nakshabi for his collection of 52 stories called Tuti-nama (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani)".    But I did not write that, did I? I did not write it because I can neither make such statements by quoting 'authority' nor confirm it by my own research. That is why the usage in my sentence of "said to be based on" and "credited to".   You should know (I Presume) that it is not only the 'provenance' of such 'works'  (compilations?) as Gita, Bible and Quran alone but also many not so dated works that defy confirmation of 'provenance'.   If you want anecdotal references which led me to 'construct' my sentence in the manner I did, I shall present them to you. (one is given below in the Bibliography of Nakshabi)   As I wrote earlier, Ziya al-Din Nakshabi is said to have written (compiled?) the Tuti-nama. Whether or not he based it on Suka Saptiti, Nakshabi is said to be the first person to translate Sanskrit 'works' into Persian.   Another well know work by Nakshabi is Ladhdhat al-nisā’  (The Enjoyment of Women) which is said to be a translation of 'Kok-Shastra' (through Hindi??? suspect) which in turn is based on Koka Pandit's "Ratirahasya" (on the Art of Love) in Sanskrit.   It is mentioned (weblink below) that " At one point in the text it is said that Nakhshabī translated the treatise from Hindi into Persian, and at another point it states the Ziyā’ Nakhshabī transcribed the copy and illustrated it himself."     http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/arabic/diet5.html with illustrations said to be in the Kashmir Miniature School   AND   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/arabic/bioN.html Bibliography   f) You seem to have over-reacted. The 'claim and counter claim' had nothing to do with Kashmir. Kashmir was not the topic. The topic was some lines of poetry (incidentally in Kashmiri) where one of the protagonists the "parrot" was declared (in the commentary) as not belonging to Kashmir.   Kshmendra   --- On Mon, 10/5/09, Ananya Jahanara Kabir wrote: From: Ananya Jahanara Kabir Subject: RE: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "'Kshmendra Kaul'" , "reader-list" , "Inder Salim" Cc: "bazaz002 at umn.edu" Date: Monday, October 5, 2009, 9:38 PM The further questions to be asked, then, are: a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. best wishes, Ananya Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow School of English, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, UK www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/   From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 To: reader-list; Inder Salim Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song Dear Inder   Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.      The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you.   - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)     - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)    - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants      - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir   - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses.    - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir"   - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.   Kshmendra --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "reader-list" Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM Dear All Freedom means different for different people. For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively sensitizes the soul. the song is: Athe travtohan janavar Athe travtohan janavar Phare bagas te kari guftar Athe travtohan janavar Chavi yavun te vure shehjar Athe travtohan janavar Ye chu nagman hund tandar Athe travtohan janavar Janavar chu vanan zaar Athe travtohan janavar Mate haitav ami sund baar Athe travtohan janavar ( below: a word to word translation ) Release the bird from your hands Release the bird from your hands, It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. Release the bird from your hands It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. Release the bird from your hands It is a conglomeration of songs, Release the bird from your hands. This bird is singing a sad number, Release the bird from your hands. Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, Release the bird from your hands. …………………………. In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo Zaar mein totas van te lo lo What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the complexities of Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, poet, or a bird is not defined. The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning inside the heart, but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. With love and regards Inder salim -- 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 tarunbhartiya at gmail.com Tue Oct 6 20:22:32 2009 From: tarunbhartiya at gmail.com (Tarun Bhartiya) Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 15:52:32 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] On tota Message-ID: On tota a raghuveer sahai's poem from memory mein tota hota to kya hota to to to to to ta ta ta ta ta tota hota bol ke patthe Sita Ram From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed Oct 7 08:57:30 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:27:30 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] National Essay Competition on Human Rights Message-ID: <8CC15153CAAF86B-A864-1161C@webmail-d040.sysops.aol.com> RULES OF THE CENTRE FOR CRIMINOLOGY & JUSTICE, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES – HURT FOUNDATION NATIONAL ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION TOPICS Participants are required to write an essay on one of the following topics: 1. Human Rights in the Present Global Meltdown 2. Terrorism: Its implication for Human Rights. PRIZES: The following cash prizes will be awarded to students whose essays have been allotted the highest marks: 1st Prize – Rs.5, 000/- 2nd Prize – Rs.3, 000/- 3rd Prize – Rs.1, 500/- DEADLINE: The entries must be submitted on or before 15th October, 2009 ELIGIBILITY: 1. Participation is restricted to students currently studying in social work Colleges/departments in India only. All Participants must be currently enrolled as BSW/MSW students. 2. Individuals alone are eligible to participate. An essay co-authored by two more students will not be accepted. PRESENTATION RULES: 1. Entries must be in English only. 2. The essay should comprise of not less than 1500 words and not more than 2000 words. 3. The essay should be typed on A4-size paper and must adhere to the following requirements: Font type – Times New Roman, Font size – 12, 1.5 spaced, One inch margin on each side, printed on one side of the paper. 4. The use of footnotes/endnotes is not permitted. 5. Proper references in the APA reference=2 0style should be given. Any instance of plagiarism would render the entry “null and void”. 6. The identity of the student or the college, university, institution etc. should not be revealed in the text of the essay in any manner whatsoever. SUBMISSION DETAILS: 1. Four hard copies of each entry along with a soft copy on a CD, must be sent in an envelope by registered post or courier to: National Essay Competition Centre of Criminology and Justice, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai. 2. Each entry shall be enclosed with a photocopy of the student’s college identity card. 3. Participants must also submit a short bio-data containing the following information: Full name, Class, College name, College postal address, College Telephone number, Personal contact number, Personal e-mail Id & Postal Address. 4.The organizers will not be responsible for any loss or non-delivery of the entries. 5. MISCELLANEOUS: 1. Each essay must be the original and previously unpublished work of the participant 2. The essay should not have been submitted in any other competition and/or publication simultaneously. 3. All entries shall be deemed to be the property of the ‘Centre for Criminology & Justice, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences – HURT Foundation National Essay Writing Competition’, which reserves the right of publication of the same i n any periodical, journal, book, electronic resources or in any other manner as it may deem appropriate. 4. The organizers’ decision as regards the interpretation of rules or any other matter related to the competition shall be final. 5. In the event of any situation arising which is not contemplated in the Rules, the organizers’ decision on the same shall be final. The organizers reserve the right to vary, alter, or repeal any of the above rules if so required and as they deem appropriate. 6. The decision of the judges shall be final and binding on all concerned From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed Oct 7 10:22:18 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:52:18 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Crew Positions | Right Here Right Now - An Urban Comedy in English Hindi Message-ID: <8CC1521152D9B33-49B0-834@webmail-d035.sysops.aol.com> Hi , Production Manager - 1 postion Answers to: The Producer Responsible for: Day-to-day logistics and money disbursement The PM is the producer's delegate and is closely concerned with preproduction and production. He or she is a business manager who is based in an office and takes care of all the arrangements for the shoot. These include: - being the contact person for the outside world - monitoring cash flow - booking rented equipment to the specifications of camera and sound people - making up ( with the director) a shooting schedule - arranging for rushes to get to and from the laboratory - making transport arrangements and negotiating air and other travel - locating hotels, restaurants, and facilities near the shoot - incubating contingency plans - hustling and preparing the way ahead The PM's work lightens the load for the rest of the crew and helps them keep up the pace of shooting without distractions. Personality Traits: The good PM is - organised, methodical and an able negotiator - trained in computerised scheduling and budgeting | MS EXCEL is a must - A compulsive list keeper - Socially adept and diplomatic - able to multitask - able to delegate and juggle shifting priorities - able to make quick and accurate decisions involving time, effort and money - not intimidated by officialdom Good PMs often become producers, especially if they have developed the requisite contacts, cultural20interests, and knowledge of the film industry. PAID POSiTION | STARTS NOV 16 | Apply with CV to shiladityabora at gmail.com | subject line: PM "name" "location" ------------------------------------------------------- Assistant Director - 3 positions Answers to: The Production Manager Responsible for: All the legwork and logistical planning of the production. There will first, second and third ADs Job role: - Scheduling for shoots - Arranging locations and permits - Help in casting - Getting the right people to the right place - Coordinating props, wardrobe, hairdressing, and make-up personnel - Contacting - Reminding - Rehearsing Actors Personailty Traits: Organized, have a good business mind, a voice tha can wake the dead, and a nature both firm and diplomatic Stipend- Yes | Starts Nov 16 | Apply with CV to shiladityabora at gmail.com | subject line: AD "name" "location" ------------------------------------------------------- Art Director - 1 position Answers to: The Director Responsible for : Designing everything in the film's environment so it effectively interprets the script. This means overseeing props and costumes, as well as designing all aspects of sets and locations. Will have to do his or her own sketching. Personality Traits: A good Art Director is - A design, fine arts or architecture background - The ability to sketch or paint fluently - A lively eye for fashion, tastes and social=2 0distinctions - A strong grasp pf the emotional potenial of color and its combinations - Ability to translate the script into a series of settings with costumes, all of which heighten and intensify the underlying intentions of the script - Managerial abilities and good communication skills Paid Position | starts Nov 16 | Apply with CV to shiladityabora at gmail.com | subject line: Art "name" "location" ------------------------------------------------------- Right Here Right Now Theme: A movie about the interlocking lives and loves of six characters. Clearly the forties saw its youth obsessing over nationalism; the sixties youth did so over Marxist views and the new millennium showcases a new breed that obsesses over love and career. This is a film about “Generation – Y” - About how we fall in and out of love in a country where thousands of people pass by each other every day, where strangers meet, where relationships come together and fall apart. The men and women of the story are driven by desire, searching for love and identity. These new-age kids are in no hurry to settle down and get married. They love the excitement of the dating game and the pursuit of a perfect lover and partner, in the underlying hope of eventually finding true love and happiness. U.S.P: This is a fast, racy, roller-coaster comedy, which showcases the youth of our country, like it has never been seen before on scree n. It will be punched with new age music that will resonate throughout the film, setting the pulse of this fast new generation that lives fearlessly for only themselves…for the pleasure of the moment - right here, right now. The film will be an exciting, young and fresh perspective on this fast growing metropolitan phenomenon… the world of “Generation Right Here, Right Now” Regards, Shiladitya Bora From raviv at sarai.net Mon Oct 5 18:40:18 2009 From: raviv at sarai.net (Ravi Vasudevan) Date: Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:40:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] post doctoral fellowship at Jamia Message-ID: <4AC9F03A.4020609@sarai.net> *JAMES BEVERIDGE MEDIA RESOURCE CENTRE* *AJK Mass Communication Research Centre* *Jamia Millia Islamia* CALL FOR PROPOSALS *Margaret Beveridge Senior Research Fellowships.* ** *The JB MRC, AJK MCRC invites Applications for the Margaret Beveridge Senior Research Fellowships. * ** The Margaret Beveridge Senior Research Fellowships are awarded to a senior scholar with the expectation that the Fellowship would lead to an original manuscript that can be considered for publication as either book chapter or monograph. It is expected that the material sources during the research period will contribute to building the MRC archives. We especially invite proposals in the area of Documentary Films and Asian Cinema. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: 1. The application and research proposal should be in English. 2. The applicant should have a PhD in a film, media or cultural studies related topic or have at least 10 years of scholarly experience, strong theoretical knowledge of media and cultural studies and at least 3 major academic publications. 3. The proposed research should have a strong theoretical component that engages with the debates in the broad disciplines of Film, Photography, Media or Cultural Studies. 4. The applicant must be residing in India and should have an account in a bank operating in India. 5. The applicant must be PAN card holders or should have applied for a PAN at the time of being awarded the Fellowship. *CONDITIONS FOR THE AWARD OF THE FELLOWSHIPS*: 1. The Fellowship will carry will carry a monthly award of Rs 15,000/- 2. The Fellowship will run for a period of 12 months October 1-September 30, 2009. 3. The award will be payable to the Fellow through cheque or electronic transfer. Fellowship recipients cannot be recipients of any other grant or fellowship during the same period. 4. The fellows will be required to submit bi-monthly progress reports on their research work to the JB MRC and present their research findings in a seminar at the end of the fellowship period. They will also have to submit a final research paper/report of their work to the JB MRC. 5. The primary materials collected as part of the grant must be submitted to the JB MRC at the end of the fellowship period. This should preferably be in a digital form: as CDs, DVDs, scans, digital images etc. 6. The copyright for the research work and the primary material generated in the course of the research will be shared by the JB MRC and the research fellow. The JB MRC may undertake the publication of certain research findings as monographs. The fellow is free to publish the material elsewhere, but the support of the JB MRC will have to be acknowledged in any such publications and prior notification given to the JB MRC. *HOW TO APPLY:* Applications should be marked *Margaret Beveridge Senior Research Fellowships.* Proposal to be sent through post or in person to: Shohini Ghosh Professor on Sajjad Zaheer Chair Project Coordinator James Beveridge Media Resource Centre AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi - 110025 (Electronic applications will not be accepted) The application should include the following: 1. A cover letter clearly mentioning the name, email address, telephone number and postal address 2. Research Proposal (Typed in double space) 3. Publication Samples 4. Work plan 5. CV 6. Two letters of recommendation Deadline: September 20, 2009. Inquiries: mrc.jamia at gmail.com or 011-26981717, Ext-4109 ABOUT JB MRC: The James Beveridge Media Resource Centre, which has been set up with a grant from the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), is devoted to the study, research and contemplation of contemporary media praxis with a special focus on Asian Cinemas and Documentary Films. It houses curated film collections in addition to journals, books, monographs and catalogues. Locating itself at the intersection of theory and practice, it conducts courses, offers fellowships, organizes public lectures, conferences, seminars, workshops and special screenings. It works towards complementing the hands-on learning experience at the AJK MCRC by creating an intellectually vibrant space for theoretical engagement, research and study. Shohini Ghosh Sajjad Zaheer Professor Project Coordinator James Beveridge Media Resource Centre AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Milla Islamia (The JB MRC is supported by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust) _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Wed Oct 7 14:23:53 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 01:53:53 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0910051624w217d9642w2a32867c45f104dd@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <240750.38430.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Yasir   The singer is Salma Agha who is very much a Pakistani. You are mixing her up with Reena Roy who married Mohsin Khan.   Salma did sing for and act in Indian movies.   Kshmendra  --- On Tue, 10/6/09, yasir ~يا سر wrote: From: yasir ~يا سر Subject: Re: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket To: "Sarai Reader-list" Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 4:54 AM ... and here's geo tv (pk) after pk lost to nz the song is the indian singer-actress, wait isn't she pakistan in after she married mohsin... i think they went their own ways having enough of visa problems .... !!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcXaEKqtWNY On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Murali V wrote: > Clever of putting which side you had backed. A cat on the wall strategy. > > Regards, > V Murali > > On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:13 AM, yasir ~يا سر > wrote: > > context: India loses to Pakistan. Indian media insult the team > > after creating all the hype in the first instance, amid heavy revenues. > > > > correction: its Star sports not zeeits be-izzati not bisti - ie dissin, > > disrespect, dishonour > > > > Not being a sports watcher. for a good games sake I was actually backing > the > > other side. > > > > talk about media independence, what would stalin do, > > to the team and the media   :D > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho0htLmu2HM > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to 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 chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 16:23:14 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:23:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Positions for Senior Fellows and Professors | CSSS In-Reply-To: <151f29c00910061118y35c68fb6o6fec24f94be6838f@mail.gmail.com> References: <151f29c00910061118y35c68fb6o6fec24f94be6838f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vasudha Dhingra Date: Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 11:48 PM Subject: [Opportunity757] Positions for Senior Fellows and Professors | CSSS To: * CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES, CALCUTTA * Applications are invited for positions of Professors and Senior Fellows in Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Cultural Studies and Development Studies (with specialization in health, environment, education and gender issues) at the Centre. Applicants must have a proven record of significant research publications. Pay scales for Professors are Rs.16,400-450-20,900-500-22,400/- (likely to be revised). Central University allowances are applicable. Appointments may be either temporary (for a period of three years) or permanent. Selections need not be restricted to applicants only. Applications with detailed curriculum vitae comprising academic qualifications, research and teaching experiences, list of publications and a brief description of current research, along with names of three referees, may be sent to the Registrar, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, R-1 Baishnabghata Patuli township, Kolkata – 700094. Email to: *surajit at cssscal.org, info at cssscal.org* Last date for receipt of applications: *10 November 2009* -- Thanks and regards, Vasudha Dhingra PhD candidate, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences building, Second Floor, University of Delhi, North Campus, New Delhi - 110007 Mobile: +919711883191 From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 16:25:02 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:25:02 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Atlas Corps Fellowships Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Altaf Makhiawala Date: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 3:34 AM Subject: [Opportunity754] Atlas Corps Fellowships (comes highly recommended) To: Opportunities Fellows*Atlas Corps* *Washington, DC* Atlas Service Corps seeks nonprofit leaders from around the world to apply for their 2010-2011 fellowship positions in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD and Bogota, Colombia. Expenses are paid in this prestigious fellowship program, including a living stipend, health insurance, and training. Applicants must have 3 or more years of experience in the nonprofit sector, a college degree, fluency in English (and Spanish if applying to volunteer in Colombia), and a commitment to returning to their home country after one year. Candidates from outside the U.S. are placed at outstanding host organizations in Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD including Ashoka, Asian American LEAD, CentroNía, Grameen Foundation, and Population Action International. Candidates from the U.S. are placed at organizations in Bogota like Global Humanitaria and Oxfam GB. In addition to volunteering full time at their host organizations, Fellows are enrolled in a management development training program and join a growing network of nonprofit leaders from around the world. *To Apply:* For more details about eligibility requirements and the application process, please visit: http://www.atlascorps.org/apply.html and watch a short video about the application process here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx63RKbqoKY. The deadline to apply is November 10, 2009. -- Altaf Makhiawala Rotary World Peace Fellow Department of Peace Studies University of Bradford, UK From cometmediafdn at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 18:13:11 2009 From: cometmediafdn at gmail.com (Comet Media Foundation) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:13:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <460674.72964.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <460674.72964.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Dear Inder, Ananya and Kshmendra, I'm tossing myself right into your conversation because Zia-ud-din Nakshabi once did me a great favour or let's say I did myself a favour by relying on his work so I have to defend him. Kshemendra 1. Why are you getting after my man Zia, calling him a plagiarist? He lived in the 14th century, when such concepts did not exist and he must have thought he was sharing his delight and augmenting the reputation of the works he was translating, re-contextualising and re-telling for a wide Farsi-culture-influenced Central Asian public. Incidentally, it's my reading that he cut the Tota's tales from 70 to 52 because he couldn't explain the cultural practices / references in some of them to his readers, and with some other stories, he was afraid of getting into trouble with the ulema. Apart from his literary work Zia was a hakim and contributed to the incorporation of Indian ingredients into the Unnani tibb. Call him a self-censoring coward or a bad translator, but such a prayog-karta and rasik (man of science and art) cannot be labelled a plagiarist! 2. The two weblinks you gave to the US National Library of Medicine are nonsense. Even if he could do calligraphy and miniature paintings (though it's not inconceivable) Zia could not have been painting in the18th century! And if the word Kashmir in this ahistorical citation got you excited, let me tell you he hung about in the shadow of then new Qutub Minar the whole time he lived in India, in a mango garden and house of a nobleman patron in the Mehrauli area who gave him the leisure to carry out his research and do his compilations and translations. 3. Please write 'shuka' and not 'suka' when referring to the Shuka Saptati (Seventy Tales of a Parrot). "Spashta uchcharan etc..." or at least as far as we can take it Romanic letters. Inder Salim Can I speculate about sodur / sodras ? I think it is the metaphysical concept of sudoor (सुदूर) -- a faraway, unknown, desirable and inaccessible place -- that Lalleshwari was yearning for. Think of it as the sea, the cloud-filled sky, the turbulent Wular in the monsoons. The pre-fix 'su' indicates a positive attitude to the place, not a fearful one as in the English notion of the 'unknown'. Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Ami shudoorer-o-piyashi" or "I'm a seeker after the sudoor". Ananya Sharp, sharp! Slam on and provocate without inihibitions! They say in my mother tongue, "Beshi katha, baaje katha", so I'll try to stop my rotten kathas at this point. With love to all Jatasundari Devi (writing sneakily from some friends' office mail ID to avoid detection) From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed Oct 7 22:07:26 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:37:26 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Atelier Youth Theatre Week 2009 In-Reply-To: <8CC1583584DB15E-29D4-4905@webmail-d024.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CC1583584DB15E-29D4-4905@webmail-d024.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC1583965A36F1-29D4-496A@webmail-d024.sysops.aol.com> Background:    We introduce ourselves as the founders of Atelier Theatre Group, which has been doing this successful campus event for the last 2 years under the name “Atelier Youth Theatre Week”. This initiative is backed by the Govt. of Delhi and is supported by National School of Drama.      Atelier Theatre Society is proud to announce the 3RD ANNUAL YOUTH THEATRE WEEK, DELHI UNIVERSITY’S BIGGEST AND THE ONLY THEATRE EVENT FROM NOVEMBER 15-21, 2009.    Keeping the spirit of theatre alive, Atelier Theatre Society invites you to join in the celebrations of the 3RD ANNUAL YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL. AYTW’09 is the biggest and only theatre event which promotes campus theatre in Delhi is being officially supported by Delhi Government and National School of Drama.    What makes it all special is that this event would be staging 5 Professional Groups and 25 College Teams; involves all 83 colleges under Delhi University (and many more private institutions in Delhi NCR area); has an approximate reach to about 3 lakh students as per the scheduled processes; and a final gala theatre week over a period of 7 days in Delhi University campuses. Further, Mr. Saurabh Shukla (amongst others) aka KALLU MAMA of SATYA fame will be present for AYTW 2009 on the festival on the Stage Play Days i.e 18th, 19th and 20th Nov. at Sri Ram Center, MANDI HOUSE, New Delhi.  C2 ATELIER INVITES ENTRIES FOR AYTW09    Whether you are a professional troupe, or an amateur group, or a college group, everyone is invited to take part in AYTW’09. If you are interested in taking part in AYTW’09, log on to www.atelierexpressions.com and download the entry form, and e-mail the same to . Or, call us at the following number for details: +91 9711171135    MEDIA PARTNERS:    Print Partners: Hindustan Times  Radio Partners: Fever 104 FM  TV Partners: Dilli Aaj Tak  Online partners: buzzintown.com  Outdoor partners: Pioneer  Multiplex partners: PVR Cinemas  Magazine partners: First City  Video Partners: AAFT  Web Techno Partners : Indus Graphics    HIGHLIGHTS: AYTW’09:    Festival being organized for the 3rd consecutive year  First & Only event in the D.U. campus which covers all colleges  Officially supported by Principals and Cultural Departments of all colleges  Supported by Delhi Government and National School of Drama  Attended by a huge number of college students, general public and theatre personalities in Delhi  The fiesta will kick off with a professional performance by leading Theatre groups in the campus followed by theatre performances by 25 college teams    Venue 1: Sri Ram Center (Mandi House)  Venue 2: Delhi College of Arts & Commerce (Chanakyapuri, South Campus)  Ven ue 3: Sri Ram College of Commerce (North Campus)    All in all, bringing Professionals closer to Youth.        From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 22:32:51 2009 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 22:32:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Capacity-building a must to eliminate Maoists Message-ID: <6353c690910071002m56d08607s944bf430bddcd054@mail.gmail.com> ***Capacity-building a must to eliminate Maoists* *India must raise a new agency to fight the last stage of counter-insurgency, write Sushant K Singh & Nitin Pai * No security force — not even the Army — has the capacity to carry out these tasks on the necessary scale. Even if financial resources are expended to create this capacity it would fundamentally distract them from their core competence. The solution, therefore, is to create a new form of civilian capacity with the specific purpose of tackling counter-insurgency at the fundamental level. Civilian capacity is both relatively cost-effective and better suited to delivering governance and development. Placing counter-insurgency management under civilian command will accord greater legitimacy for the mission — it will not be seen as an ‘occupation’ by Central security forces — and facilitate eventual handover of the area to the local administration. If India is to break from the vicious cycles of the past — where insurgencies are never quite extinguished — the Central Government must create a new, dedicated statutory organisation to engage in the endgame of counter-insurgency. We shall use the acronym CIMPCOR, or Civilian Military Partnership for Conflict Resolution to describe it. It will enable the Government to extend its non-military authority and lay the foundations for the rule of law and basic governance in areas cleared of Maoists. *Mandate: * CIMPCOR’s mandate should be to fill the gap between emergency humanitarian assistance and longer-term development assistance. It should be charged with the responsibility to put in place the building blocks for sustainable development, by building basic infrastructure, delivering basic public services and unleashing economic freedom. It should have institutional mechanisms to partner with the security forces, the local political and community leaders and specialist Government agencies engaged in agriculture, education, power, telecommunications and water resources development. *Governance: * Administratively, CIMPCOR should be placed under a revamped Home Ministry — but with senior-level staff drawn from various Ministries and the Planning Commission. At the present time the Home Ministry has too much on its plate to be able to devote its resources towards internal security, leave alone development in conflict situations. The case of the National Disaster Management Authority — which remains a fledgling years after its formation — suggests that merely creating a new specialised agency is not the full answer: The Ministry must re-orient itself towards the new priorities. If this is not possible for any reason, the next best alternative is to place CIMPCOR as an autonomous agency under the Prime Minister’s Office. *Staffing: * CIMPCOR’s staffing could be drawn from three streams: First, a core staff charged with building and maintaining the capacity to engage in short to medium-term interventions anywhere in India. Second, its deployable resources could be ‘lend-leased’ from the armed forces, Central paramilitary forces, Government departments, NGOs and some public-sector units (banks, for instance). Third, it could draw from a reserve of individual specialists — with expertise in various domains and experience in various regional contexts — employed through a system of call-down contracts. To ensure co-ordination with the security forces engaged in the Hold stage, CIMPCOR should have adequate representation of serving and retired security forces personnel at all levels. To use the ‘Rotterdam principle’, CIMPCOR “should be as civilian as possible and as military as necessary.” Where circumstances dictate that the security forces play a key role in executing development tasks — like the road through the Red Corridor — their role would be clearly defined, with the transition process identified. In any case, the responsibility for carrying out the development work should rest with CIMPCOR. If insurgencies in general and Maoism in particular are the biggest threats to internal security, then it must follow that CIMPCOR must be staffed and led by exemplary individuals — from Government and private sectors. *Readiness: * In terms of operational readiness, CIMPCOR should be capable of deploying planning teams within 10 days and project execution teams within two months. It must have the capability to conduct assessments; design, implement and evaluate development programmes; provide local administration; manage contractors and funding agencies; and provide consultation and training to State Government departments to facilitate early transition to local control. Its role should be catalytic — by providing staff and trainers — in rejuvenating State Governments’ agencies and personnel. *Deployment terms: * CIMPCOR’s deployment could vary from six months to two years, but should be capped — perhaps at no more than three years. This is important: For a long-term deployment of CIMPCOR would undermine the very purpose of creating an institution; the aim being to facilitate a quick and smooth return to normalcy, without affecting the development goals while preserving the military success achieved by the security forces against the insurgents. An exit strategy should be written into CIMPCOR’s charter, mandating the transfer of responsibilities to the State Government to start within one year of its deployment. There are several areas in India where CIMPCOR is needed today. In the future, it is conceivable that as India’s global role expands in tandem with its economic and geopolitical interests, CIMPCOR might even have to be deployed in foreign contexts. Investing in a robust, competent and professional final-stage counter-insurgency force is not only be timely, but will be forward-looking as well. In his book *The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done about It, * economist Paul Collier has shown that only economic growth decisively reduces the risk of a return to civil war. This does not mean that insurgencies are only about economics but that an upward growth trajectory makes a recurrence of war less probable. Indeed, Mr Collier found that the higher the post-war growth rate was, the harder it was to shatter the peace. Thus, growth and development, alongside security for the population, has to be the utmost priority of any counter-insurgency campaign. If the struggle against Maoists is not to be Sisyphean, India cannot be flippant about the endgame of counter-insurgency. It can be said with confidence that given political will and leadership, India’s security forces are competent enough to succeed against the Maoists in the military space. Without adequate capacity to rebuild the lives, livelihoods, communities and societies ravaged by the Maoists and the war to eliminate them, successes will be ephemeral. India needs CIMPCOR now. *- Courtesy: Pragati — The Indian National Interest Review* From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 22:51:45 2009 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 22:51:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Induwar laid to rest with police honours Message-ID: <6353c690910071021n235f6a84vf2b933844d5032b@mail.gmail.com> Induwar laid to rest with police honours ------------------------------ STAFF WRITER 19:44 HRS IST *Ranchi, Oct 7 (PTI)* The mortal remains of the slain Jharkhand Inspector Francis Induwar was today laid to rest with full police honours. Buglers sounded the last post as the body, draped in the tricolour was taken to the Tungri Toli burial ground here. Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan and the Inspector General of Police, Rezi Dung Dung, were among the mourners present at the Christian burial. The body was earlier taken to a church where father Ignes Topno led a mass. Induwar, who joined the police services in 1989, was brutally beheaded by the Maoists after being kept in captivity from September 30. The body of Induwar, who was promoted to inspector rank in March this year, was thrown by Maoists near Raisha Ghati near here in Khunti district yesterday morning. From yasir.media at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 23:33:05 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 23:03:05 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <240750.38430.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <5af37bb0910051624w217d9642w2a32867c45f104dd@mail.gmail.com> <240750.38430.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910071103s3cbc45agcf405b587382366c@mail.gmail.com> You are absolutely right. I remember salma from the indian film masoom. best On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > Dear Yasir > > The singer is Salma Agha who is very much a Pakistani. You are mixing her > up with Reena Roy who married Mohsin Khan. > > Salma did sing for and act in Indian movies. > > Kshmendra > > --- On *Tue, 10/6/09, yasir ~يا سر * wrote: > > > From: yasir ~يا سر > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket > To: "Sarai Reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 4:54 AM > > > ... and here's geo tv (pk) after pk lost to nz > the song is the indian singer-actress, wait isn't she pakistan in after she > married mohsin... i think they went their own ways having enough of visa > problems .... !!! > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcXaEKqtWNY > > > > On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Murali V > > wrote: > > > Clever of putting which side you had backed. A cat on the wall strategy. > > > > Regards, > > V Murali > > > > On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:13 AM, yasir ~يا سر > > > > wrote: > > > context: India loses to Pakistan. Indian media insult the team > > > after creating all the hype in the first instance, amid heavy revenues. > > > > > > correction: its Star sports not zeeits be-izzati not bisti - ie dissin, > > > disrespect, dishonour > > > > > > Not being a sports watcher. for a good games sake I was actually > backing > > the > > > other side. > > > > > > talk about media independence, what would stalin do, > > > to the team and the media :D > > > > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho0htLmu2HM > > > _________________________________________ > > > 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/> > > > From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 7 23:39:09 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 23:39:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: References: <460674.72964.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910071109i51020c8ap876213561a2a9709@mail.gmail.com> Thanks dear Jatasundri devi ji suberbly reflected piece, and ' sodur' too eloquently intrepreted . it is infact because of these liberated meanings hidden inside each word, that we are hopeful of some change, and that is why i am not even afraid of ' plagiarism ' , . or if i go by oscar wilde, then only genius is privileged to plagiarize. times are too ripe to delve into anything that strikes the mind, and that is why this man called Zia-ud-din Nakshabi sahib was too brave and too conscious about the the times he lived in, and yet he ventured into the unknown. who cares about the sources, as long as the person 'haunted' churns out something interesting. the post, as we know started with BIRD NOT FREE in kashmiri folk and the discussioin veered into Tote Name and other nauances around parraot and other details. That is what really is the reward of veturing, because i never expected such a response. thanks again. love and regards inder salim On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 6:13 PM, Comet Media Foundation wrote: > Dear Inder, Ananya and Kshmendra, > > I'm tossing myself right into your conversation because Zia-ud-din Nakshabi > once did me a great favour or let's say I did myself a favour by relying on > his work so I have to defend him. > > Kshemendra > > 1. Why are you getting after my man Zia, calling him a plagiarist? He lived > in the 14th century, when such concepts did not exist and he must have > thought he was sharing his delight and augmenting the reputation of the > works he was translating, re-contextualising and re-telling for a wide > Farsi-culture-influenced Central Asian public. > Incidentally, it's my reading that he cut the Tota's tales from 70 to 52 > because he couldn't explain the cultural practices / references in some of > them to his readers, and with some other stories, he was afraid of getting > into trouble with the ulema. Apart from his literary work Zia was a hakim > and contributed to the incorporation of Indian ingredients into the Unnani > tibb. Call him a self-censoring coward or a bad translator, but such a > prayog-karta and rasik (man of science and art) cannot be labelled a > plagiarist! > > 2. The two weblinks you gave to the US National Library of Medicine are > nonsense. Even if he could do calligraphy and miniature paintings (though > it's not inconceivable) Zia could not have been painting in the18th century! > And if the word Kashmir in this ahistorical citation got you excited, let me > tell you he hung about in the shadow of then new Qutub Minar the whole time > he lived in India, in a mango garden and house of a nobleman patron in the > Mehrauli area who gave him the leisure to carry out his research and do his > compilations and translations. > > 3. Please write 'shuka' and not 'suka' when referring to the Shuka Saptati > (Seventy Tales of a Parrot). "Spashta uchcharan etc..." or at least as far > as we can take it Romanic letters. > > Inder Salim > Can I speculate about sodur / sodras ? I think it is the metaphysical > concept of sudoor (सुदूर) -- a faraway, unknown, desirable and inaccessible > place -- that Lalleshwari was yearning for. Think of it as the sea, the > cloud-filled sky, the turbulent Wular in the monsoons. The pre-fix 'su' > indicates a positive attitude to the place, not a fearful one as in the > English notion of the 'unknown'. Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Ami > shudoorer-o-piyashi" or "I'm a seeker after the sudoor". > > Ananya > Sharp, sharp! Slam on and provocate without inihibitions! > > They say in my mother tongue, "Beshi katha, baaje katha", so I'll try to > stop my rotten kathas at this point. > > With love to all > > Jatasundari Devi (writing sneakily from some friends' office mail ID to > avoid detection) > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From yasir.media at gmail.com Thu Oct 8 06:13:57 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 05:43:57 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0910071103s3cbc45agcf405b587382366c@mail.gmail.com> References: <5af37bb0910051624w217d9642w2a32867c45f104dd@mail.gmail.com> <240750.38430.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <5af37bb0910071103s3cbc45agcf405b587382366c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910071743v5ac8728ega980c812d367d43b@mail.gmail.com> sorry again, it was Nikaah. On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 11:03 PM, yasir ~يا سر wrote: > You are absolutely right. I remember salma from the indian film masoom. > best > > > On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > >> Dear Yasir >> >> The singer is Salma Agha who is very much a Pakistani. You are mixing her >> up with Reena Roy who married Mohsin Khan. >> >> Salma did sing for and act in Indian movies. >> >> Kshmendra >> >> --- On *Tue, 10/6/09, yasir ~يا سر * wrote: >> >> >> From: yasir ~يا سر >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket >> To: "Sarai Reader-list" >> Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 4:54 AM >> >> >> ... and here's geo tv (pk) after pk lost to nz >> the song is the indian singer-actress, wait isn't she pakistan in after >> she >> married mohsin... i think they went their own ways having enough of visa >> problems .... !!! >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcXaEKqtWNY >> >> >> >> On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Murali V > >> wrote: >> >> > Clever of putting which side you had backed. A cat on the wall strategy. >> > >> > Regards, >> > V Murali >> > >> > On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 4:13 AM, yasir ~يا سر >> > >> > wrote: >> > > context: India loses to Pakistan. Indian media insult the team >> > > after creating all the hype in the first instance, amid heavy >> revenues. >> > > >> > > correction: its Star sports not zeeits be-izzati not bisti - ie >> dissin, >> > > disrespect, dishonour >> > > >> > > Not being a sports watcher. for a good games sake I was actually >> backing >> > the >> > > other side. >> > > >> > > talk about media independence, what would stalin do, >> > > to the team and the media :D >> > > >> > > >> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho0htLmu2HM >> > > _________________________________________ >> > > 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/> >> >> >> > From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Thu Oct 8 08:02:12 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:02:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [Secular Perspective] Fwd: National Meet on Status of Muslims: Recommendations- Released by ANHAD In-Reply-To: <21fc17440910071913i2acf35ftc0268e4444eee3da@mail.gmail.com> References: <21fc17440910071913i2acf35ftc0268e4444eee3da@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910071932m6cc8c9fclb7322946895a3df7@mail.gmail.com> National Meet on the Status of Muslims in Contemporary India  Delhi 3 to 5 Oct 2009 Summary of Findings and Recommendations A national meet was organised on the theme ‘What it Means to be a Muslim in India Today’ by Anhad in collaboration with Siasat and other organisations Delhi from 3 to 5 Oct 09. A large number of individuals as well as representatives of organisations participated and spoke about their experiences and problems late into the evenings. A detailed report is under preparation. However, this is a very brief summary of some of the major findings and recommendations that emerged from the hearings. Overall The predominant finding of the meet was that there is an intense, almost universal sentiment of fear and growing despair among Muslim citizens of the country. Many of those who testified in the meet went so far as to declare that they felt reduced to second class citizenship. They shared their mounting disillusionment with all institutions of governance, and more so with the police and judiciary, as well as with political parties and to some extent the media. There is on the one hand the constant dread of being profiled as a terrorist, or of a loved one being so profiled, with the attendant fears of illegal and prolonged detention, denial of bail, torture, unfair and biased investigation and trial, and extra-judicial killings. There is on the other hand the lived experience of day to day discrimination, in education, employment, housing and public services, which entrap the community in hopeless conditions of poverty and want. This is fostered in a situation of pervasive communal prejudice in all institutions of the state, especially the police, civil administration and judiciary; and also the political leadership of almost all parties; large segments of the print and visual media; and the middle classes, and the systematic manufacture of hate and divide by communal organisations. It was repeatedly emphasised that this is not simply a problem of victimhood of or injustice to a particular community. It is a grave challenge to the basic values of the Indian Constitution, including democracy, secularism, fraternity and the rule of law. Major Findings 1.      The pervasive sense of insecurity reported from various corners of the country derived greatly from the prejudice, illegality and impunity with which police forces across the country deal with the challenges of terror. This is a regular pattern that occurs after every terror attack, and sometimes even when there have been no actual terror episodes but the state authorities claim that there was a conspiracy which they detected and prevented. Testimonies from many states in the country outline this chilling pattern, of Muslim, mostly male youth, usually with no criminal records, being illegally picked up by men in plain clothes, and taken blind-folded in unmarked vehicles to illegal locations like farm houses which are not police stations. There they are tortured to coerce them to confess to terror crimes. Many men testified in the meet to brutal and terrifying torture. A few are killed in extra-judicial killings or ‘encounters’. The rest are ultimately produced after several days of illegal detention before magistrates, who ignore injuries that suggest torture. They are then officially remanded to extended police custody, and ultimately charged with a range of crimes of terror and treason. Many are charged with multiple crimes of terror, sometimes 20 or even 50, in many states, making it impossible for the youth charged with these grave crimes to defend themselves. Even if the legal justice system worked efficiently, it would take many years, sometimes decades, for these cases to be heard and concluded against each of the individuals. For all these years, the youth would continue to be held in detention. Almost no one who bears a Muslim identity is exempt from the fear that they, or members of their families, can be subjected to the same allegations of terror links, and to similar processes of detention, torture, encounter killings or prolonged, multiple and biased trails. It was noted that completely different standards are applied in the cases of the Hindutva terror organisations which have come to light. 2.      The testimonies underlined the aspirations of the people of the community to participate in economic and social development in the country, as equal partners as people of other communities. Many women and men who testified in the national meet spoke of the importance to them of modern and high quality schooling and higher education, and sought much higher levels of public investment in their education. There was careful and thoughtful analysis of the design and implementation of measures announced by the central government to address the low social and economic indicators documented by the Sachar Committee. It was pointed out that the per capita levels of investment for the community are still low. The scheme for investment in districts with high minority population, at best cover 30 per cent of the total population. The programmes are for area development rather than programmes focussed on the minorities; therefore they prove blunt instruments as much of the expenditure is on general infrastructure and little to directly benefit deprived people of the community. They are not consulted about their priorities. The scholarship programme is welcome, but also suffers from infirmities of procedure and targets which limit its impact. Financial institutions including nationalised banks are still reluctant to extend credit to Muslims. 3.      There were many testimonies about open prejudice and bias of public institutions towards Muslims, but it was confirmed that these prejudices are equally evident outside government as well. There were also reports of profiling against Muslims by the criminal justice system even beyond terror crimes, reflected in disproportionately high Muslim populations in jails. Many sensitive and senior positions in both central and state government departments, including in the home, education, social welfare and information departments, continue to be held by officials with sympathies with communal ideologies and organisations, and the UPA government has done little to identify and replace them. In particular, sections of the media were examined for their role in reinforcing communal stereotypes, as well as for uncritically broadcasting the police version in terror-related arrests and encounter killings. Textbooks often show similar bias, and this is particularly dangerous because for millions of poor and especially rural children, the textbook is the only source of the printed word which they can access. 4.      People reported from many parts of India of difficulties in getting homes on rent or on sale in non- Muslim localities, or admissions in schools and institutions of higher education. People spoke in many corners of the country of systematic efforts to destroy and boycott the livelihoods of Muslims. Sustained decentralised hate campaigns are organised which portray Muslim men as predators against Hindu girls, and people who slaughter the cow which is sacred to the Hindu community, and vigilante groups supported tacitly by the police target Muslims for these alleged social violations. There were reports, again from many corners of the country, about ejection from cemetery and waqf lands. The latter are valued at billions of rupees, and if managed with efficiency and integrity, could yield large resources for education and livelihoods for the community. Recommendations 1.      There should be a high-powered judicial commission headed by a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appointed to examine all cases of terror across the country. Those that seem doubtful or fabrications should be handed over to a Special Investigation Team appointed and supervised by the high-powered judicial commission. It should complete its task in one year, so that prolonged detention of persons against whom there is little convincing evidence is not prolonged further. 2.      In cases in which it is obvious that false cases were framed and evidence fabricated, the police officers should be prosecuted (tampering with evidence in cases which can result in capital punishment is itself a capital crime). Victims who were detained and ultimately found innocent should be paid compensation by the state for the suffering and lost years of their lives. 3.      There is a perceived slowdown in investigating and prosecuting cases of alleged terror activities by right wing Hindutva organisations. These investigations should be resumed, and placed under the leadership of officers of impeccable secular credentials and integrity. 4.      There should be a concerted drive to recruit much larger numbers of Muslims to all levels of the police, civil administration and judiciary. For this, all the recommendations of the Sachar Committee for affirmative action should be notified in 6 months, and implemented in 3 years. 5.      The UPA government must immediately redeem its pledge and enact the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, but not in its present form. It must incorporate the major elements suggested by civil society groups. Communal violence, is by its very nature, a targeted crime and a mass crime, perpetrated on a community of persons. As such these crimes do not find themselves reflected in the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and other extant penal laws. Because of their nature as `targeted mass crimes’, they need to be recognized as such, drawing upon the concepts of genocide and crimes against humanity. 6.      When persons in positions of official power deliberately fail to prevent the eruption of communal violence, or to stop its continuation, the responsibility for the eruption, or continuance, in the penal law as is stands, does not provide for prosecuting or punishing them. ‘Command responsibility’ has to be built into the law if the perpetrators of violence are to be drawn into a legal scheme of punishment and deterrence. The law should explicitly recognize and punish communal crimes that result not just from active participation or abetment of state authorities, but also crimes of omission, or what may be described as ‘culpable inaction’. 7.      Any proposed law on communal violence must use the concepts of restoration, reparation and compensation, depending on the scale and nature of mass communal violence, which includes rescue, relief (including establishing relief camps for as long as affected people feel insecure), compensation, restitution, rehabilitation including assistance of soft loans and land allocations to rebuild livelihoods and shelters to levels not less than before the violence and in conformity with the wishes of the affected persons, and the reconstruction of places of worship destroyed in the violence. It should also contain internationally accepted norms for the internally displaced. These should be inviolable, legally enforceable rights of the victim-survivor, and extended according to national framework/policy of entitlements for victim-survivors of communal violence, rather than leave it to discretion at the state level. 8.      Strong action should be taken under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code against organisations which indulge in hate campaigns and communal propaganda. The requirement of prior sanction of the state government before a complaint in registered under this Act should be waived. 9.      A law against communal discrimination on the lines of the SC ST Act should be enacted to recognise specific crimes of discrimination against minorities and punish these severely. Such crimes of communal discrimination would include organising social and economic boycott, communal propaganda, propagating communal stereotypes in textbooks and the media, and denial of housing and employment on communal considerations. The Act would contain provisions for compensation, and punishment of public officials. 10.  Officials who carry communal prejudices should be identified, and removed from sensitive positions in which their decisions have bearing on minorities, such as in the departments of home, education, welfare, information, and in financial institutions. 11.  The Prime Minister should nominate a 10 member committee to undertake a nationwide campaign against the communalisation of society, akin to the literacy campaign and temple entry campaigns of the past. The features of discrimination in everyday life have not been sufficiently acknowledged, let alone studied, by government, even in the otherwise laudable Sachar Committee. This committee should also study and document these social processes of discrimination, some of which came to light in the national meet. 12.  The Prime Minster’s 15 point program should be given statutory status. The government should constitute a high-level Empowered Committee in the Prime Ministers’ Office with senior non-officials who have worked on this issue constituting at least half the membership, to monitor implementation of measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of Muslims, including implementation in letter and spirit the recommendations of the Sachar Committee. 13.  Allocations should be sufficient to cover the large deprived population, in a Minority Sub Plan - like the Tribal Sub Plan and the Special Component Plan – which is proportionate to the population of the communities. The Plans should be not to simply develop districts with high minority population, but directly benefit them with high quality education at all levels, health care, and support for livelihoods and employment. 14.  The Committee should be empowered also to ensure the Waqf properties are managed in ways that their incomes are converged with public investment to ensure further topping up of resources for the development and benefit of the deprived members of the community, with special focus on children, youth and women. We should build institutional mechanisms to use Waqf property incomes also to protect human rights. Members of Jury: Ahmad Saeed Malihabadi, Asghar Ali Engineer, Admiral Ramdas, Colin Gonsalves, Gagan Sethi, Ghanshyam Shah, Hanif Lakdawala, Harsh Mander, Kavita Srivastava, Mahesh Bhatt, Prashant Bhushan, Ram Punyani, Rooprekha Verma, Sukumar Murlidhran, Tarun Tejpal, Uma Chakravarthy, Zafar Agha, Zahid Ali Khan, Zoya Hassan --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Secularperspective" group. To post to this group, send email to secularperspective at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to secularperspective+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.in/group/secularperspective?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- -- From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu Oct 8 11:48:19 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:18:19 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Films Screening Schedule - CMS VATAVARAN 2009 (Oct 27 - 31, 2009), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi In-Reply-To: <200910071557.a2d4accf29c23f@rly-mg08.mx.aol.com> References: <200910071557.a2d4accf29c23f@rly-mg08.mx.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC15F643B391C9-2658-195D6@webmail-m066.sysops.aol.com> Dear Friends   Films screening schedule of 5th CMS VATAVAVARAN 2009 – Environment and Wildlife Film Festival (Oct 27-31, 2009) is available on www.cmsvatavaran.org. 106 nominated Indian and International films will be screened in the festival. This year we are also organizing a panorama of feature film on environment at 07.00 pm onward…Following films will be screened:   27 Oct (Tuesday) – INAUGURAL FILM "Home": 01.33.00/ English/Yann Arthus-Bertrand/ FRANCE. Inaugural Ceremony is from 06.30 pm onward…   28 Oct (Wednesday) – Age of Stupid: 01.32.00/ English/ Franny Armstrong/ UK   29 Oct (Thursday) – Disneynature: Earth/01:30:00/English/Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield/ USA   30 Oct (Friday) – Award Nite (Entry by invitation or registration)   31st Oct (Saturday) - Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya: 01.56.56/ Hindi/ Girish Girija Joshi/ for Gemini Motion Pictures/ Category - Films for Children   ALL ARE WELCOME…contact Pratiksha Gogoi (delegates at cmsvatavaran.org) for assistance.   Regards   Alka Tomar Festival Director   From ysaeed7 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 8 12:39:10 2009 From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com (Yousuf) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:09:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] plz send a postcard to BOMBAY Message-ID: <937706.57930.qm@web51404.mail.re2.yahoo.com> A Postcard from Bombay for Raj Citizens' Collective Against Censorship You would have heard of the recent little mess, where a Karan Johar apologised to Raj Thackeray for calling the city 'Bombay.' As pragmatic types pointed out, he was being a sensible businessman - why risk getting your film screenings attacked by goons in one of the most lucrative territories in the country? Really, what this adds up to is intimidation with the threat of violence. I call it terrorism. Your mileage may differ, but perhaps you agree that it is not something that should be condoned (as our state seems to be doing) or ignored. Here's a thought. Send Mr Thackeray a postcard. I'll try to get his postal address. (If you have it, post it in the comments. Or if you have the MNS HQ* address, that should do.) Address it to him in Bombay, not Mumbai. Don't be abusive. Send a message of peace. I suggest a simple line-drawing of Gandhi (some references below which you can use to guide you; please add more in the comments). Sign it 'best wishes from Bombay' (Is this going to make him change his mind? I'll wager not. Publicity means too much to him. Why not try and turn that around and give him lots more bad publicity?) * Update: Here's the MNS address. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 2nd Floor, Matoshri Towers, Padmabai Thakkar Road, Shivaji Park, Mahim, BOMBAY 400016. Maharashtra, INDIA Tel: +91 22 24333599 / 24333699 / 24333799 Fax: +91 22 24333899 URL : www.manase.org e-mail ID : writetous at manase.org From deeps.anappara at gmail.com Thu Oct 8 14:51:59 2009 From: deeps.anappara at gmail.com (Deepa A) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 10:21:59 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Elite Extravagance by Nagraj Adve (Himal Southasian) Message-ID: >From *Himal Southasian's *latest issue on climate change: http://himalmag.com/Elite-extravagance_nw3585.html Elite Extravagance The international climate discussions will go nowhere until class and capitalism are understood as central to the issue. By Nagraj Adve Much is made of the fact – most of all by the Indian government – that the country’s average per capita emissions, roughly 1.2 to 1.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, are lower than the global average, and considerably lower than that of the US or Europe. But the fact is, there is no ‘India’; the government is merely hiding behind the poor. A report by the government sanctioned Committee on Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganised Sector revealed in 2008 that a jaw-dropping 836 million people in India consume less than INR 20 a day, of which 444 million ‘marginally poor’ people consume less than INR 15. Needless to say, at INR 15-20 a day one cannot contribute much to global warming, however hard one might try. In a tragic irony, such people are contributing nothing to the problem but are already its victims: poor women suffering the consequences of drought that has plagued parts of Bundelkhand since the mid-1990s, Kui Adivasis in Orissa who have lost their cattle and kharif crop, small-scale and marginal farmers and agricultural labourers who are increasingly being affected by erratic rainfall over the last 15 years, and others. It is the country’s abysmal poverty that drags down ‘India’s’ average emissions, and hides the fact that the elites – whose wealth or access to it will cushion global warming’s impacts on them – contribute significantly. Workshops on calculating one’s carbon footprint being conducted by Soumya Dutta, a scientist and activist, show that even an average middle-class person in Delhi emits over four tonnes of CO2 every year – two times what is acceptable given Earth’s absorption capacity. He calculates that those taking a car emit over 11 times as much as those who travel by bus over the same distance. A train traveller from Delhi to Bombay emits 30 kg of CO2; someone flying between the two cities emits 180 kg. The Earth’s oceans, forests, soils, rocks, etc currently absorb roughly 15 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, but the ability is depleting annually. Meanwhile, humanity is pumping about 35 billion tonnes into the atmosphere each year, 29 from burning fossil fuels and the remaining six from deforestation and land-use changes. As such, if we wish not to worsen future warming, the world needs to urgently halt the excess 20 billion tonnes of CO2 it is emitting each year, to say nothing of other greenhouse gases. Although this figure of 15 billion tonnes includes oceanic absorption that is several times the natural long-term rate of the carbon cycle – worsening ocean acidification and consequent harm to marine species, and humans in the medium term – let us accept it, for our current purposes, at face value. If one were to then divide this figure by the world’s population, it would imply that each person on this planet is entitled to emit some two tonnes of CO2 a year. Consumption derives not merely from what one earns, but also from that to which one has access. Practically every upper-middle-class family in India now has one member living abroad, and regularly burns up what George Monbiot in Heat refers to as “love miles”. Every parent from Delhi who visits an offspring in the US emits 2,740 kg of CO2 flying back and forth – more than a year’s acceptable emissions. And the very rich in India, whose lifestyles the visual media and Page 3 writers regularly laud, have emission rates that easily approach European or US levels. *Externalising impact* Many of the high-income, high-emission lifestyles exploded in India during the 1990s, catalysed by policy directives in the interests of large capital. For instance, cheap flights, easily financed cars, air-conditioned malls, high-income jobs in private banks and other multinational companies – these were hardly accidental developments. Simultaneously, the near-zero employment growth that took place through the 1990s, the longer working hours and faster work required of factory workers even when employment grew this decade, the increasing contractualisation of work, stagnating real wages, the fall in agricultural incomes and the agrarian crises – all of these only accentuated the enormous disparities in incomes and consumption. Though the Indian government’s submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in August stated that “each human being has an equal right to the common atmospheric resource,” New Delhi as well as state governments undermine this principle internally in practice. After all, the actual consequences of their policies are disparate incomes and consumption, differential energy access and use, and vastly unequal carbon emissions. There is no doubt that industrialised countries bear an overwhelming responsibility for historical emissions, which is germane because about a quarter of carbon-dioxide emissions stays in the air for hundreds of years. But nationalist responses (based on the ‘low averages’ argument) to what India’s stance should be at the upcoming summit in Copenhagen miss the essential fact that class and industrial capitalism are central to understanding – and tackling – global warming. This is a systemic problem: it is revealing that CO2 levels in the atmosphere, which had inched up by merely 20 parts per million (ppm) over the 8,000 years prior to the Industrial Revolution, have shot up by 110 ppm since, much of this in the past 50 years. People are correct to point fingers at China, now the world’s largest emitter. But we also studiously ignore the obvious fact that this took place because so much of world manufacturing shifted to China, driven by capital’s inherent drive for cheap input costs of energy and labour power, and for profits, by externalising environmental costs. Those many who view global warming purely in terms of nation states have not defined the problem correctly. It is therefore hardly surprising that little progress has been made in climate negotiations over the past 15 years. Little of significance – given the scale and urgency of the problem – will also emerge from Copenhagen in December, since each major nation state is merely jockeying for atmospheric space, sections of industry are hoping to make money from carbon offsets, and small island nations are watching desperately but helplessly. However, certain things follow if we are to focus on the huge disparities in carbon emissions and the systemic nature of the problem. The only way we can bring world emissions to levels the Earth can absorb is by urgently enforcing reduced emissions by the elite, whether in India, all of Southasia or overseas. Reduced elite consumption enlarges the space for higher emissions by the poor and future generations. But given the job losses due to falling consumption in the developed world during the ongoing economic crisis, experienced by migrant workers in towns such as Surat and Moradabad, we need to think through the question of consumption and employment. A starting point in our context would be making agriculture viable, since 650 million people are dependent on it. Linked to this would be an industrialisation strategy that highlights people’s basic needs and eschews production for wasteful consumption by elites. Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to force the issue fast enough to prevent dangerous levels of warming. Whether we are able to or not, due to the lag in the oceans warming up, a further warming of 0.6 degrees Celsius is automatically built in, beyond the 0.8 degree average warming we are currently experiencing. James Hansen, one of the world’s foremost climatologists, has pointed to even further warming in the pipeline due to additional slow ‘feedbacks’. Basically, an accumulated warming of the globe seem unavoidable. In addition to the struggle for a more just and sustainable development trajectory, we need to identify current impacts better, anticipate future trends, and prepare for them in advance. This calls for, more than anything else, a class-based worldwide analysis of climate change. Not doing so will have huge implications for the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor, in Southasia and beyond. *Nagraj Adve is an activist with the Delhi Platform, a non-funded organisation working on global warming.* From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Thu Oct 8 22:37:14 2009 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 22:37:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Another barbaric beheading by Maoists Message-ID: <6353c690910081007h1e62ed58g5e3343e31830db1@mail.gmail.com> *Another barbaric beheading by Maoists* 8 Oct 2009, 2048 hrs IST Link - http://www.timesnow.tv/articleshow/4329220.cms There have been reports of another barbaric beheading by the Maoists. The district Collector has confirmed to TIMES NOW that there is a beheading of a suspected local police informer at Irupdhodri village, Kurkeda taluk in Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra. Francis Induwar, police inspector of Jharkhand, was kidnapped on September 30 by the Maoists from Hembrom Bazaar in Khunti district, about 70 km from Ranchi. But days later he was killed by Maoists who demanded release of their three arrested leaders, including Kobad Ghandy, in exchange for the officer. The body of Induwar, who was promoted to inspector rank in March this year, was thrown by Maoists near Raisha Ghati near Ranchi in Khunti district on October 7. Police said a poster pasted on a tree on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway under the Bundu police station stated that the body was that of the police officer. Induwar has become the 339th policeman to be killed in Naxal violence in Jharkhand between January 2003 and October this year. The state's 20 of the 24 districts are Maoist-infested. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that there had been no demand from the Maoists for any swap of the arrested Naxalites, but termed the beheading as not acceptable. "The cold blooded murder is simply not acceptable. I condemn it," he said. Maoist leader Ghandy was arrested by Delhi Police on September 21 and is presently in police custody, while Chhatradhar Mahato, a Maoist-backed tribal leader, was nabbed by West Bengal CID sleuths from Lalgarh on September 26. Another Maoist leader Bhushan Yadav, facing several Naxal-related cases, was arrested by the West Bengal police on October 2 from Chinsura in Hooghly district and has since been handed over to the Jharkhand police. From kuhutanvir at gmail.com Thu Oct 8 23:35:43 2009 From: kuhutanvir at gmail.com (Kuhu Tanvir) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 23:35:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Papers: Wide Screen Issue 2 Message-ID: Dear All, Please forward to all interested researchers, practitioners, and students General Call for Papers. Second Issue of Wide Screen, a peer reviewed open access journal of screen studies. Issue 2, Vol 1 2009 Wide Screen encompasses a broad range of perspectives and approaches and we invite papers on film studies reflecting the journal's aims. We welcome papers on (not limited to): Film Theory Film Practice Film Criticism Film Audience Film Policy Film and Culture Research Methods We also invite comment articles, interviews, book reviews and film reviews. The details about various sections and their policies are defined here: http://widescreenjournal.org/index.php/journal/about/editorialPolicies#sectionPolicies Send an abstract of your paper (preferably 500 words) to kuhutanvir at gmail.com or kishorebudha at gmail.com by *October 30, 2009. * We adhere to a strict double blind review policy, which is defined here: http://widescreenjournal.org/index.php/journal/about/editorialPolicies#peerReviewProcess To access the first issue of Wide Screen, go to: http://widescreenjournal.org/index.php/journal From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 9 07:37:40 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:07:40 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?OSIAN=E2=80=99s_CINEFANto_be_held_from_24?= =?utf-8?q?-30_October_this_year?= In-Reply-To: <8CC1698007A0F65-581C-10FD7@webmail-m079.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CC1698007A0F65-581C-10FD7@webmail-m079.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC169C698AC811-581C-115F8@webmail-m079.sysops.aol.com> Osian’s Cinefan, one of the world’s leading festivals of Contemporary Indian, Asian and Arab Cinema will be held at the Siri Fort Complex and Alliance Française in New Delhi. The Festival will be a reflective insight into the multitudes of cultures & ideas with a focus on India organized by Osian’s Connoisseurs of Art in association with the Government of the NCT of Delhi. For the first time in eleven years, India will be in the spotlight at the Festival. With Osian’s entering the world of learning and education with OLE, the programming lineup of the Festival has altered profoundly providing a radical platform for OLE. The role of learning and education will henceforth be taken up in an explicit manner. The NewStream Cinema Section, takes this concept further and will showcase and explore exhaustively films that have dared to redefine mainstream cinema. Film makers from India and those associated with the films will interact with the audiences via Q&A sessions, lectures, panel discussions and seminars to ensure connectedness and a deeper understanding of each film screened. The approach will be intensive and an in depth analysis and scrutiny of the selected films will take place. In an incredibly atypical approach, the festival curators this year did not embrace a theme beforehand. Instead, brilliant films were first selected, analyzed and then woven into a narrative20- a radical change from the way films are selected at most film festivals. Director –General, Mani Kaul is at the helm of Osian’s Cinefan, supported ably by the Festival Director of the Festival, Indu Shrikent. In another first , the Auction coinciding with the festival this year will bring to the collector, a striking range of Indian and Asian Antiquities. Hundreds of students from various private & government schools and colleges visit the festival each year bearing testimony to the role it plays in taking forth the cause of learning & education. Mani Kaul Director – General Osian’s Cinefan “Osian’s-Cinefan’s young friends Vishal Bhardwaj, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee will along with their wonderful star actors and technicians arrive at Siri Fort during our festival and directly present in NewStream the emerging new face of Indian cinema through their films that have won both critical & popular acclaim. The festival is equally ready with a list of breathtaking experimental films for InCompetition as also a range of world cinema that is set to engage the audience in cross cultural encounters in the InDialogue section. InDialogue is not just about screening of films, it is about creating intellectual events such as in-depth lectures, panel discussions,Q & A and seminars around films and filmmakers. Thus, Osian’s-Cinef an Film Festival will this year realize its true objective of integrating and disseminating art knowledge by merging with Osian’s radically original educational initiative called Osian’s Learning Experience (OLE).” For further details, please contact: Supriya Chawla T +91 11 41743166 F +91 11 41743177 E supriya at osians.com B B Nagpal M +91 9810902198 M +91 9810542096 E bangontargetpr at gmail.com From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Fri Oct 9 16:27:59 2009 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 16:27:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Concern over fisheries rule Message-ID: <3457ce860910090357l33ec8831g5e08dedd75f37b4e@mail.gmail.com> http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/06/stories/2009100657610200.htm *Concern over fisheries rule *Special Correspondent ------------------------------ * Licence needed to fish 22 km from coast ‘An excuse for privatisation of waters’ * ------------------------------ Thiruvananthapuram: Speakers at a seminar organised by the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) here on Monday expressed concern that the proposed Central Marine Fisheries Regulation would affect the livelihood of the coastal communities. Inaugurating the seminar, KSMTF president T. Peter said the Indo-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement would facilitate the import of several species of fish at cheaper rates, depriving local fish workers of their income and livelihood. Warning He warned that any move to impose restrictions on the rights of fish workers would be met with stiff resistance. Ravindran Nair, former Joint Director, Kerala Fisheries, termed the Central Marine Fisheries Regulation as an excuse for privatisation of the waters. He pointed out that the new regulation would make it mandatory for a fisherman to possess a licence to fish 22 km away from the coast. “With fish resources moving away from the coast, fishermen have to move further into the open waters to fish, and such a restriction would directly affect their livelihood,” he said. ‘Denial of rights’ S.P. Uday Kumar, a noted anti-nuclear activist, observed that the current paradigm of development in the context of a global climate crisis did not cater to the needs of the people. It only took away their right to life. Dr. Kumar said nuclear power was not the solution to the world’s energy crisis. “The mining and milling of uranium, construction of nuclear power plants such as the one at Koodamkulam, the enormous amount of cement and steel needed for their construction and waste management – all directly affect the coastal communities.” KSMTF leaders Valerian Isaac and Anto Elias spoke. Representatives of the fishing community and the coastal regions attended the seminar. From indersalim at gmail.com Fri Oct 9 23:02:18 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 23:02:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?By_a_Danish=2C_before_=91Danish_Ca?= =?windows-1252?q?rtoons=92?= Message-ID: <47e122a70910091032t79a20775gd474e6fa593944d9@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, For reasons well known, Danish Cartoons perhaps popularized Danish, but some other kind of brains are working there too, which are of serious nature… Dancer in the Dark 2000 by Elars Von Trier, a Danish Film Director, shot by a hand held camera, to match a documentary style, perhaps, to convince the viewer that it is real, and it does, but The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the world.". But don’t trust the films critics, watch this final clip from the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5f_T2wcRI The title is profound, not only because Cinema happens in the dark, but there is a strange inability to touch the pain of the other though cinema, beyond a point. As a medium it is entertainment at the best, but the very for entertainment in life that we sometimes, unwittingly, see a dark end of our personal lives even. And at the point of time, we have nothing to share, no words, not language to communicate. The politics, perhaps, begins from there as well, but strangley obfuscates too... "Aataye hain Gaib say yeh mazameen khayal mein". ( these thoughts comes to from nothingness ,GHALIB), which is not far from what prophetic revelations claim . and If the source is darkness/space-not-known, then we are mixtures of silences. That, perhaps, means that our actions are not necssarily meant to be in sync with our thoughts. “There is no doer behind the deed” Nietzsche. That questions the State, and its machinery via Foucault’s Panopticism. In the Film, the STATE, ( representing a country ) is deeply structured to this promise of goodness ( entertainment/desire/security) and also the snatcher of very life on this pretxt or that. So, the very seat of existence that gives us the feeling of life bleeds for the sake for State. The death penalty is part of chain of event that mainfests State, as part of medieval thinking, also as part of present day American thinking which pretends humane but is clueless about humanity. The dance, or the pain becomes personal, inwardly, and we have only sadness to feel... The plot in brief: Selma is a Czechoslovakian immigrant, a single mother working in a factory in rural America. Her salvation is her passion for music, specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic Hollywood musicals. Selma harbours a sad secret: she is losing her eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't put away enough money to secure him an operation. Bill, ( typical American ) his neighbour, reveals to Selma that his materialistic wife, Linda, has exhausted all of his savings and asks Selma for a loan, which she declines to give. When a desperate neighbuor , steals her money, and then falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale. “It is here that she is pegged as a Communist sympathizer and murderess “ She was hanged, while she sang her favourite song. A curtain separates the viewer and the one whom the STATE pushed into a darkness. In the cinema, in the end, it is only a metaphor, but chilling, to realize for a moment, that what if something is forced on us (me). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pLY5zFTtc click for a bollywood song like, on the moving train,e sequence in the film With love and regards Inder salim -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 08:29:41 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:29:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha Message-ID: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> A slightly longer unedited version of the obituary on Balagopal by V Geetha that appeared in today's Hindu. Naga K. Balagopal: A Memory to be cherished V. Geetha At first it seemed a huge, obscene lie, the news of his death. It did not seem possible - he had been busy as always the weekend before, at a human rights convention in Ananthapur, to mark 10 years of Human Rights Forum the organization he and others started in 1998. That had become a pattern almost, that he would leave for the districts in the weekends, to enquire into rights violations - land grabbing by the state or private agencies for special economic zones; hazardous open cast mining, farmers' suicides, health issues in adivasi communities... Balagopal was not just another civil liberties man: A brilliant mathematician who gave up his academic vocation for a public life, a public intellectual, alive to ethical doubts and concerns, yet committed to being political and accountable in the here and now of history, he sought to link thought, action, consciousness… For many of us, the manner in which he lived his life was as important as what he said: he was like a moral compass that you turned to, to check your own political orientation and direction. Without intending to or wanting to, he became a keeper of social consciences. In this sense, it was a great public life, but nevertheless one that mattered to many, in the intimate and silent corners of their hearts and minds. For nearly two decades, Balagopal had worked hard and argued much to deepen and broaden our understanding of democracy in this country - precept and practice came together in his work, as he wrote, took up legal cases, organised fact-finding missions and called attention to the darker aspects of state power and authority in India. His civil rights work acquired great visibility in the early 1980s, when he was General Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC): those were the years of the infamous encounter deaths, which ended the lives of several idealistic communist militants belonging to the erstwhile People's War Group and their supporters in rural and tribal Andhra. During those years of the 'long knives' and draconian laws, he faced threats to his life, was kidnapped by a vigilante group, widely believed to be linked to the state police, arrested on a trumped-up charge of murdering a sub-inspector … He survived all that, and during the end of that period, around the mid-1990s, began to write of the importance of thinking about rights violations in a broader and more expansive context. While agreeing that state violence against its citizens and the impunity with which it was often carried out was the worst possible threat to democracy, he called attention to rights violations in other contexts. Structured inequality, whether of caste or gender, he argued, was as much a source of these violations. Further, he reasoned, the reactive violence of communist militants as well as the spate of killings that the latter carried out in the name of carrying out a 'class' war often ended in the deaths of vulnerable citizens or minor state functionaries, even as it left intact the real and material structures of state power. He argued too of the importance of democracy, of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution - for these had come about as a result of people's struggles and movements, and rights groups had to learn to defend these hard-won historical legacies. During this period, he wrote on other things as well - the late 1980s and early 1990s saw him respond critically to Gail Omvedt's articles on the Shetkari Sanghatna (in the *Economic and Political Weekly*). His insistence on retaining a radical class approach to the politics of the Indian peasantry helped bracket and problematize Gail’s novel approach to the unequal relationship between the country and the city. However, he was no dogmatist. In the course of thinking through the ethics and politics of communist violence, he asked deep and searching questions about left politics and theory. He drew upon theories in psychology, existentialism, and ruminated over the human condition as such, as he attempted to square the ethical imperative that lies at the heart of the socialist imagination with the sometimes violent political practice of left militants. Meanwhile, there was work to be done: Kashmir and the North-east were causes that took him away regularly from Hyderabad. His writings on Kashmir, dispassionate, wry and acute in their analysis of the Indian state and army, and the complicit role of Indian journalism in rendering murky, everyday news from the valley, were unparalleled. He took to studying other movements, especially the anti-caste movements in western and southern India, and produced, as was his wont, stunning observations on the caste order: Caste, he noted, is a production relationship, defining your access to goods and resources, limiting, restricting your choices, until you actually fought for them. This rich medley of ideas have since come to inform his many concerns, and for the past year and more have helped illuminate – for many of us – the continuing anti-people and pro-capitalist stances of the Indian state, the role of pro-state, vigilante groups such as the Salma Judum in stymieing dissent, as well as the hugely problematic use of violence by the Maoists, especially in contexts where popular mobilization is possible and capable of challenging authority. In one of his latest articles on violence and non-violence, he noted that it was important not to be dogmatic about the use of violence; equally, it was necessary to be alive to the limits of violence, about what it could achieve in the fact of capitalist rationality and state terror. He did not counsel a simplistic pacifism, rather he spoke of the importance of mobilizing people, of creating agitational movements… And this is how perhaps how he would like to be remembered: as one who trusted to radical popular protest, who at all times wished to examine the ethics of such protests, wanting to constantly test precept against practice as well as the other way around. From shuddha at sarai.net Sat Oct 10 12:17:24 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:17:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha In-Reply-To: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> References: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5AC94D0C-C908-4E24-B911-87296BBC077E@sarai.net> Dear Nagraj, Many thanks for posting this obituary on Balagopal. His sudden, and unexpected death certainly leaves us all a lot poorer. His totally non-partisan commitment to the rights of vulnerable people will always remain exemplary. And in a society where people from the sciences are often bulldozed into abdicating any sense of involvement in society, his life, which included being a mathematician as well as a civil rights activist, of teaching himself law, of disagreeing, when necessary, not just with the state but also with everyone, including his own former comrades, on matters of ethical principles will have much for us all to learn from. In today's climate, where the so-called war on Naxalism, leaves both the state and its clients in the media unable to think in any nuanced terms, a life such as Balagopal was all the more significant. I never met him, but always wanted to, thanks for bringing him alive by posting this tribute, best Shuddha On 10-Oct-09, at 8:29 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > A slightly longer unedited version of the obituary on Balagopal by > V Geetha > that appeared in today's Hindu. > Naga > > > > K. Balagopal: A Memory to be cherished > > V. Geetha > > At first it seemed a huge, obscene lie, the news of his death. It > did not > seem possible - he had been busy as always the weekend before, at a > human > rights convention in Ananthapur, to mark 10 years of Human Rights > Forum the > organization he and others started in 1998. That had become a pattern > almost, that he would leave for the districts in the weekends, to > enquire > into rights violations - land grabbing by the state or private > agencies for > special economic zones; hazardous open cast mining, farmers' suicides, > health issues in adivasi communities... > > Balagopal was not just another civil liberties man: A brilliant > mathematician who gave up his academic vocation for a public life, > a public > intellectual, alive to ethical doubts and concerns, yet committed > to being > political and accountable in the here and now of history, he sought > to link > thought, action, consciousness… For many of us, the manner in which > he lived > his life was as important as what he said: he was like a moral > compass that > you turned to, to check your own political orientation and direction. > Without intending to or wanting to, he became a keeper of social > consciences. In this sense, it was a great public life, but > nevertheless one > that mattered to many, in the intimate and silent corners of their > hearts > and minds. > > For nearly two decades, Balagopal had worked hard and argued much > to deepen > and broaden our understanding of democracy in this country - > precept and > practice came together in his work, as he wrote, took up legal cases, > organised fact-finding missions and called attention to the darker > aspects > of state power and authority in India. His civil rights work > acquired great > visibility in the early 1980s, when he was General Secretary of the > Andhra > Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC): those were the years of the > infamous encounter deaths, which ended the lives of several idealistic > communist militants belonging to the erstwhile People's War Group > and their > supporters in rural and tribal Andhra. During those years of the 'long > knives' and draconian laws, he faced threats to his life, was > kidnapped by a > vigilante group, widely believed to be linked to the state police, > arrested > on a trumped-up charge of murdering a sub-inspector … He survived > all that, > and during the end of that period, around the mid-1990s, began to > write of > the importance of thinking about rights violations in a broader and > more > expansive context. > > While agreeing that state violence against its citizens and the > impunity > with which it was often carried out was the worst possible threat to > democracy, he called attention to rights violations in other contexts. > Structured inequality, whether of caste or gender, he argued, was > as much a > source of these violations. Further, he reasoned, the reactive > violence of > communist militants as well as the spate of killings that the > latter carried > out in the name of carrying out a 'class' war often ended in the > deaths of > vulnerable citizens or minor state functionaries, even as it left > intact the > real and material structures of state power. He argued too of the > importance > of democracy, of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution - for > these had > come about as a result of people's struggles and movements, and rights > groups had to learn to defend these hard-won historical legacies. > > During this period, he wrote on other things as well - the late > 1980s and > early 1990s saw him respond critically to Gail Omvedt's articles on > the > Shetkari Sanghatna (in the *Economic and Political Weekly*). His > insistence > on retaining a radical class approach to the politics of the Indian > peasantry helped bracket and problematize Gail’s novel approach to the > unequal relationship between the country and the city. However, he > was no > dogmatist. In the course of thinking through the ethics and > politics of > communist violence, he asked deep and searching questions about left > politics and theory. He drew upon theories in psychology, > existentialism, > and ruminated over the human condition as such, as he attempted to > square > the ethical imperative that lies at the heart of the socialist > imagination > with the sometimes violent political practice of left militants. > > Meanwhile, there was work to be done: Kashmir and the North-east > were causes > that took him away regularly from Hyderabad. His writings on Kashmir, > dispassionate, wry and acute in their analysis of the Indian state > and army, > and the complicit role of Indian journalism in rendering murky, > everyday > news from the valley, were unparalleled. He took to studying other > movements, especially the anti-caste movements in western and southern > India, and produced, as was his wont, stunning observations on the > caste > order: Caste, he noted, is a production relationship, defining your > access > to goods and resources, limiting, restricting your choices, until you > actually fought for them. > > This rich medley of ideas have since come to inform his many > concerns, and > for the past year and more have helped illuminate – for many of us > – the > continuing anti-people and pro-capitalist stances of the Indian > state, the > role of pro-state, vigilante groups such as the Salma Judum in > stymieing > dissent, as well as the hugely problematic use of violence by the > Maoists, > especially in contexts where popular mobilization is possible and > capable of > challenging authority. In one of his latest articles on violence and > non-violence, he noted that it was important not to be dogmatic > about the > use of violence; equally, it was necessary to be alive to the > limits of > violence, about what it could achieve in the fact of capitalist > rationality > and state terror. He did not counsel a simplistic pacifism, rather > he spoke > of the importance of mobilizing people, of creating agitational > movements… > > And this is how perhaps how he would like to be remembered: as one who > trusted to radical popular protest, who at all times wished to > examine the > ethics of such protests, wanting to constantly test precept against > practice > as well as the other way around. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 kaksanjay at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 12:33:42 2009 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:33:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha In-Reply-To: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> References: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> Dear Nagaraj Would anybody be able to point me towards any material on Kashmir that Balagopal (and the others at APCLC) had generated in the late 80's, early 90's, and which may be on the net? I met Balagopal only recently, and very briefly, and thanked him for the important intercessions that the AP groups had mae. He said one has not been able to do enough, and was keen to enquire into the situation of Doda and Rajouri, both highly militarised—and vastly ignored—parts of Jammu & Kashmir Best Sanjay Kak On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 8:29 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > A slightly longer unedited version of the obituary on Balagopal by V Geetha > that appeared in today's Hindu. > Naga > > > > K. Balagopal: A Memory to be cherished > > V. Geetha > > At first it seemed a huge, obscene lie, the news of his death. It did not > seem possible - he had been busy as always the weekend before, at a human > rights convention in Ananthapur, to mark 10 years of Human Rights Forum the > organization he and others started in 1998. That had become a pattern > almost, that he would leave for the districts in the weekends, to enquire > into rights violations - land grabbing by the state or private agencies for > special economic zones; hazardous open cast mining, farmers' suicides, > health issues in adivasi communities... > > Balagopal was not just another civil liberties man: A brilliant > mathematician who gave up his academic vocation for a public life, a public > intellectual, alive to ethical doubts and concerns, yet committed to being > political and accountable in the here and now of history, he sought to link > thought, action, consciousness… For many of us, the manner in which he > lived > his life was as important as what he said: he was like a moral compass that > you turned to, to check your own political orientation and direction. > Without intending to or wanting to, he became a keeper of social > consciences. In this sense, it was a great public life, but nevertheless > one > that mattered to many, in the intimate and silent corners of their hearts > and minds. > > For nearly two decades, Balagopal had worked hard and argued much to deepen > and broaden our understanding of democracy in this country - precept and > practice came together in his work, as he wrote, took up legal cases, > organised fact-finding missions and called attention to the darker aspects > of state power and authority in India. His civil rights work acquired great > visibility in the early 1980s, when he was General Secretary of the Andhra > Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC): those were the years of the > infamous encounter deaths, which ended the lives of several idealistic > communist militants belonging to the erstwhile People's War Group and their > supporters in rural and tribal Andhra. During those years of the 'long > knives' and draconian laws, he faced threats to his life, was kidnapped by > a > vigilante group, widely believed to be linked to the state police, arrested > on a trumped-up charge of murdering a sub-inspector … He survived all that, > and during the end of that period, around the mid-1990s, began to write of > the importance of thinking about rights violations in a broader and more > expansive context. > > While agreeing that state violence against its citizens and the impunity > with which it was often carried out was the worst possible threat to > democracy, he called attention to rights violations in other contexts. > Structured inequality, whether of caste or gender, he argued, was as much a > source of these violations. Further, he reasoned, the reactive violence of > communist militants as well as the spate of killings that the latter > carried > out in the name of carrying out a 'class' war often ended in the deaths of > vulnerable citizens or minor state functionaries, even as it left intact > the > real and material structures of state power. He argued too of the > importance > of democracy, of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution - for these had > come about as a result of people's struggles and movements, and rights > groups had to learn to defend these hard-won historical legacies. > > During this period, he wrote on other things as well - the late 1980s and > early 1990s saw him respond critically to Gail Omvedt's articles on the > Shetkari Sanghatna (in the *Economic and Political Weekly*). His insistence > on retaining a radical class approach to the politics of the Indian > peasantry helped bracket and problematize Gail’s novel approach to the > unequal relationship between the country and the city. However, he was no > dogmatist. In the course of thinking through the ethics and politics of > communist violence, he asked deep and searching questions about left > politics and theory. He drew upon theories in psychology, existentialism, > and ruminated over the human condition as such, as he attempted to square > the ethical imperative that lies at the heart of the socialist imagination > with the sometimes violent political practice of left militants. > > Meanwhile, there was work to be done: Kashmir and the North-east were > causes > that took him away regularly from Hyderabad. His writings on Kashmir, > dispassionate, wry and acute in their analysis of the Indian state and > army, > and the complicit role of Indian journalism in rendering murky, everyday > news from the valley, were unparalleled. He took to studying other > movements, especially the anti-caste movements in western and southern > India, and produced, as was his wont, stunning observations on the caste > order: Caste, he noted, is a production relationship, defining your access > to goods and resources, limiting, restricting your choices, until you > actually fought for them. > > This rich medley of ideas have since come to inform his many concerns, and > for the past year and more have helped illuminate – for many of us – the > continuing anti-people and pro-capitalist stances of the Indian state, the > role of pro-state, vigilante groups such as the Salma Judum in stymieing > dissent, as well as the hugely problematic use of violence by the Maoists, > especially in contexts where popular mobilization is possible and capable > of > challenging authority. In one of his latest articles on violence and > non-violence, he noted that it was important not to be dogmatic about the > use of violence; equally, it was necessary to be alive to the limits of > violence, about what it could achieve in the fact of capitalist rationality > and state terror. He did not counsel a simplistic pacifism, rather he spoke > of the importance of mobilizing people, of creating agitational movements… > > And this is how perhaps how he would like to be remembered: as one who > trusted to radical popular protest, who at all times wished to examine the > ethics of such protests, wanting to constantly test precept against > practice > as well as the other way around. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 12:42:29 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:42:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> References: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Nagaraj Many many thanks for this article you posted. I had met Mr. Balgaopal only once in a PUCL meeting here at Chennai, and was quite impressed with his views. In particular, his ideas on law and freedom were quite good, particularly in the context of Naxalism and the Mecca Masjid blasts, which was the topic he spoke on. If we really wish to pay a tribute to him, it would be an honour by practicing ourselves the one principle he himself focused upon: we are responsible towards the other fellow human beings as well. If we can just remember this and follow it up with our actions, it would be enough of a tribute to the departed soul. Rakesh From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 12:56:15 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:56:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> References: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910100026s18b617end1e33d7821e74f0e@mail.gmail.com> Dear Sanjay Kak, I have a few of Balagopal pieces in soft copy, and also some of his writings but can' tremember now whether any of them pertain to Kashmir. I do have xeroxes of joint factfindings to Kashmir from the early 1990s but not sure whether APCLC was then a part of them. Someone just forwarded a link to HRF publications. Have not opened it yet but will forward it to you.udda Yes Shudda, in addition to his huge capacity for work and his integrity, Balagopal's theoretical contributions to the rights movement in India has been extraordinary. Naga 2009/10/10 Sanjay Kak > Dear Nagaraj > > Would anybody be able to point me towards any material on Kashmir that > Balagopal (and the others at APCLC) had generated in the late 80's, early > 90's, and which may be on the net? > I met Balagopal only recently, and very briefly, and thanked him for the > important intercessions that the AP groups had mae. He said one has not been > able to do enough, and was keen to enquire into the situation of Doda and > Rajouri, both highly militarised—and vastly ignored—parts of Jammu & Kashmir > > Best > > Sanjay Kak > > > On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 8:29 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > >> A slightly longer unedited version of the obituary on Balagopal by V >> Geetha >> that appeared in today's Hindu. >> Naga >> >> >> >> K. Balagopal: A Memory to be cherished >> >> V. Geetha >> >> At first it seemed a huge, obscene lie, the news of his death. It did not >> seem possible - he had been busy as always the weekend before, at a human >> rights convention in Ananthapur, to mark 10 years of Human Rights Forum >> the >> organization he and others started in 1998. That had become a pattern >> almost, that he would leave for the districts in the weekends, to enquire >> into rights violations - land grabbing by the state or private agencies >> for >> special economic zones; hazardous open cast mining, farmers' suicides, >> health issues in adivasi communities... >> >> Balagopal was not just another civil liberties man: A brilliant >> mathematician who gave up his academic vocation for a public life, a >> public >> intellectual, alive to ethical doubts and concerns, yet committed to being >> political and accountable in the here and now of history, he sought to >> link >> thought, action, consciousness… For many of us, the manner in which he >> lived >> his life was as important as what he said: he was like a moral compass >> that >> you turned to, to check your own political orientation and direction. >> Without intending to or wanting to, he became a keeper of social >> consciences. In this sense, it was a great public life, but nevertheless >> one >> that mattered to many, in the intimate and silent corners of their hearts >> and minds. >> >> For nearly two decades, Balagopal had worked hard and argued much to >> deepen >> and broaden our understanding of democracy in this country - precept and >> practice came together in his work, as he wrote, took up legal cases, >> organised fact-finding missions and called attention to the darker aspects >> of state power and authority in India. His civil rights work acquired >> great >> visibility in the early 1980s, when he was General Secretary of the Andhra >> Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC): those were the years of the >> infamous encounter deaths, which ended the lives of several idealistic >> communist militants belonging to the erstwhile People's War Group and >> their >> supporters in rural and tribal Andhra. During those years of the 'long >> knives' and draconian laws, he faced threats to his life, was kidnapped by >> a >> vigilante group, widely believed to be linked to the state police, >> arrested >> on a trumped-up charge of murdering a sub-inspector … He survived all >> that, >> and during the end of that period, around the mid-1990s, began to write of >> the importance of thinking about rights violations in a broader and more >> expansive context. >> >> While agreeing that state violence against its citizens and the impunity >> with which it was often carried out was the worst possible threat to >> democracy, he called attention to rights violations in other contexts. >> Structured inequality, whether of caste or gender, he argued, was as much >> a >> source of these violations. Further, he reasoned, the reactive violence of >> communist militants as well as the spate of killings that the latter >> carried >> out in the name of carrying out a 'class' war often ended in the deaths of >> vulnerable citizens or minor state functionaries, even as it left intact >> the >> real and material structures of state power. He argued too of the >> importance >> of democracy, of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution - for these had >> come about as a result of people's struggles and movements, and rights >> groups had to learn to defend these hard-won historical legacies. >> >> During this period, he wrote on other things as well - the late 1980s and >> early 1990s saw him respond critically to Gail Omvedt's articles on the >> Shetkari Sanghatna (in the *Economic and Political Weekly*). His >> insistence >> on retaining a radical class approach to the politics of the Indian >> peasantry helped bracket and problematize Gail’s novel approach to the >> unequal relationship between the country and the city. However, he was no >> dogmatist. In the course of thinking through the ethics and politics of >> communist violence, he asked deep and searching questions about left >> politics and theory. He drew upon theories in psychology, existentialism, >> and ruminated over the human condition as such, as he attempted to square >> the ethical imperative that lies at the heart of the socialist imagination >> with the sometimes violent political practice of left militants. >> >> Meanwhile, there was work to be done: Kashmir and the North-east were >> causes >> that took him away regularly from Hyderabad. His writings on Kashmir, >> dispassionate, wry and acute in their analysis of the Indian state and >> army, >> and the complicit role of Indian journalism in rendering murky, everyday >> news from the valley, were unparalleled. He took to studying other >> movements, especially the anti-caste movements in western and southern >> India, and produced, as was his wont, stunning observations on the caste >> order: Caste, he noted, is a production relationship, defining your access >> to goods and resources, limiting, restricting your choices, until you >> actually fought for them. >> >> This rich medley of ideas have since come to inform his many concerns, and >> for the past year and more have helped illuminate – for many of us – the >> continuing anti-people and pro-capitalist stances of the Indian state, the >> role of pro-state, vigilante groups such as the Salma Judum in stymieing >> dissent, as well as the hugely problematic use of violence by the Maoists, >> especially in contexts where popular mobilization is possible and capable >> of >> challenging authority. In one of his latest articles on violence and >> non-violence, he noted that it was important not to be dogmatic about the >> use of violence; equally, it was necessary to be alive to the limits of >> violence, about what it could achieve in the fact of capitalist >> rationality >> and state terror. He did not counsel a simplistic pacifism, rather he >> spoke >> of the importance of mobilizing people, of creating agitational movements… >> >> And this is how perhaps how he would like to be remembered: as one who >> trusted to radical popular protest, who at all times wished to examine the >> ethics of such protests, wanting to constantly test precept against >> practice >> as well as the other way around. >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to 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 aiindex at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 12:57:36 2009 From: aiindex at gmail.com (Harsh Kapoor) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:27:36 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Balagopal obit by V. Geetha In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> References: <564b2fca0910091959v68836c8fka3b2e2d4353c12fa@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910100003p14fb6b44v88f6d9ef45e19e25@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Kashmir: Will The Pain Never End? Impunity of policing and aimlessness of politics: A report A Publication of HRF, PDF & APCLC December 2007 report in pdf version (716 kB) http://www.humanrightsforum.org/Kashmir-pdf.pdf On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 9:03 AM, Sanjay Kak wrote: > Dear Nagaraj > > Would anybody be able to point me towards any material on Kashmir that > Balagopal (and the others at APCLC) had generated in the late 80's, early > 90's, and which may be on the net? > I met Balagopal only recently, and very briefly, and thanked him for the > important intercessions that the AP groups had mae. He said one has not been > able to do enough, and was keen to enquire into the situation of Doda and > Rajouri, both highly militarised—and vastly ignored—parts of Jammu & Kashmir > > Best > > Sanjay Kak > > > On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 8:29 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > >> A slightly longer unedited version of the obituary on Balagopal by V Geetha >> that appeared in today's Hindu. >> Naga >> >> >> >> K. Balagopal: A Memory to be cherished >> >> V. Geetha >> >> At first it seemed a huge, obscene lie, the news of his death. It did not >> seem possible - he had been busy as always the weekend before, at a human >> rights convention in Ananthapur, to mark 10 years of Human Rights Forum the >> organization he and others started in 1998. That had become a pattern >> almost, that he would leave for the districts in the weekends, to enquire >> into rights violations - land grabbing by the state or private agencies for >> special economic zones; hazardous open cast mining, farmers' suicides, >> health issues in adivasi communities... >> >> Balagopal was not just another civil liberties man: A brilliant >> mathematician who gave up his academic vocation for a public life, a public >> intellectual, alive to ethical doubts and concerns, yet committed to being >> political and accountable in the here and now of history, he sought to link >> thought, action, consciousness… For many of us, the manner in which he >> lived >> his life was as important as what he said: he was like a moral compass that >> you turned to, to check your own political orientation and direction. >> Without intending to or wanting to, he became a keeper of social >> consciences. In this sense, it was a great public life, but nevertheless >> one >> that mattered to many, in the intimate and silent corners of their hearts >> and minds. >> >> For nearly two decades, Balagopal had worked hard and argued much to deepen >> and broaden our understanding of democracy in this country - precept and >> practice came together in his work, as he wrote, took up legal cases, >> organised fact-finding missions and called attention to the darker aspects >> of state power and authority in India. His civil rights work acquired great >> visibility in the early 1980s, when he was General Secretary of the Andhra >> Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC): those were the years of the >> infamous encounter deaths, which ended the lives of several idealistic >> communist militants belonging to the erstwhile People's War Group and their >> supporters in rural and tribal Andhra. During those years of the 'long >> knives' and draconian laws, he faced threats to his life, was kidnapped by >> a >> vigilante group, widely believed to be linked to the state police, arrested >> on a trumped-up charge of murdering a sub-inspector … He survived all that, >> and during the end of that period, around the mid-1990s, began to write of >> the importance of thinking about rights violations in a broader and more >> expansive context. >> >> While agreeing that state violence against its citizens and the impunity >> with which it was often carried out was the worst possible threat to >> democracy, he called attention to rights violations in other contexts. >> Structured inequality, whether of caste or gender, he argued, was as much a >> source of these violations. Further, he reasoned, the reactive violence of >> communist militants as well as the spate of killings that the latter >> carried >> out in the name of carrying out a 'class' war often ended in the deaths of >> vulnerable citizens or minor state functionaries, even as it left intact >> the >> real and material structures of state power. He argued too of the >> importance >> of democracy, of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution - for these had >> come about as a result of people's struggles and movements, and rights >> groups had to learn to defend these hard-won historical legacies. >> >> During this period, he wrote on other things as well - the late 1980s and >> early 1990s saw him respond critically to Gail Omvedt's articles on the >> Shetkari Sanghatna (in the *Economic and Political Weekly*). His insistence >> on retaining a radical class approach to the politics of the Indian >> peasantry helped bracket and problematize Gail’s novel approach to the >> unequal relationship between the country and the city. However, he was no >> dogmatist. In the course of thinking through the ethics and politics of >> communist violence, he asked deep and searching questions about left >> politics and theory. He drew upon theories in psychology, existentialism, >> and ruminated over the human condition as such, as he attempted to square >> the ethical imperative that lies at the heart of the socialist imagination >> with the sometimes violent political practice of left militants. >> >> Meanwhile, there was work to be done: Kashmir and the North-east were >> causes >> that took him away regularly from Hyderabad. His writings on Kashmir, >> dispassionate, wry and acute in their analysis of the Indian state and >> army, >> and the complicit role of Indian journalism in rendering murky, everyday >> news from the valley, were unparalleled. He took to studying other >> movements, especially the anti-caste movements in western and southern >> India, and produced, as was his wont, stunning observations on the caste >> order: Caste, he noted, is a production relationship, defining your access >> to goods and resources, limiting, restricting your choices, until you >> actually fought for them. >> >> This rich medley of ideas have since come to inform his many concerns, and >> for the past year and more have helped illuminate – for many of us – the >> continuing anti-people and pro-capitalist stances of the Indian state, the >> role of pro-state, vigilante groups such as the Salma Judum in stymieing >> dissent, as well as the hugely problematic use of violence by the Maoists, >> especially in contexts where popular mobilization is possible and capable >> of >> challenging authority. In one of his latest articles on violence and >> non-violence, he noted that it was important not to be dogmatic about the >> use of violence; equally, it was necessary to be alive to the limits of >> violence, about what it could achieve in the fact of capitalist rationality >> and state terror. He did not counsel a simplistic pacifism, rather he spoke >> of the importance of mobilizing people, of creating agitational movements… >> >> And this is how perhaps how he would like to be remembered: as one who >> trusted to radical popular protest, who at all times wished to examine the >> ethics of such protests, wanting to constantly test precept against >> practice >> as well as the other way around. >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to 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 nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 13:08:32 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:08:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] HRF publications Message-ID: <564b2fca0910100038s641e2f96j8ea39972d3ec61e@mail.gmail.com> Sanjay Kak, Below is the link to HRF publications. Am taking the liberty of sending this on the sarai list, in case any others are interested. Naga > > Human Rights Forum (HRF), Balagopal was closely associated with, has > recently put > all it's reports and bulletins online: > > http://www.humanrightsforum.org/ > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com From siddharth.narrain at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 13:14:24 2009 From: siddharth.narrain at gmail.com (siddharth narrain) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:14:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Lawrence Liang- Tribute to K. Balagopal Message-ID: <1773a06d0910100044l270a548an4c65ed55dcb8d282@mail.gmail.com> *The Passing away of a Hero: Goodbye Balagopal* A sense of irony is the only way for me to describe how I felt when I heard about Balagopal’s death. Ordinary people leading ordinary lives die of heart attacks. And despite the simplicity with which he led his life and interacted with people, every time one met Balagopal or heard him you always knew you were in the presence of someone extraordinary. Whenever he left after any meeting, Balagopal left you a little scared about whether you would ever see him again. As a result of the position that he took- against the violence of the state as well as the violence of the Maoists, you were always left with the lurching fear that any point of time, you would be given the news that Balagopal had been killed in an encounter. At the same time it is perhaps not surprising that despite living a life which was scripted towards a violent death, it was only appropriate that his death transcended any partisan act of violence. Film maker Deepa Dhanraj captures the essence of Balagopal when she describes him as a ‘moral force’ whose authority emerged from the integrity with which he led his life and the courage with which he stood by his belief. If Balagopal was a regular anti violent activist or a pacifist, then there would have been nothing surprising about his stance on violence, and to argue for the importance of non violence would hardly be an act of courage. But for someone who had spent a better part of his life in struggles, and in battles against the impunity of the state, the commitment to an ethical position on violence becomes a deeply ethical choice of bravery. In an ironic way Balagaopal could be seen as a true inheritor of the Gandhian legacy, of leading a particular kind of life, and through such a life aspiring to change the world around you. In an interview with Janam Saxi, Balagopal once stated “The Indian constitution has had a habit, right from its inception, to destroy democratic values completely in practice without any recourse to laws. This has grown very much recently. The apparatus of the police is the chief machinery for this destruction. The duty to safeguard democratic values from these limitations is a very important duty……. While performing this duty it is of no use to as the question in this form: is there or is there not at least a bourgeoisie type of democracy”. I can think of very few who followed this duty with the same kind of clarity, conviction and humility as Balagopal did. The first time that I met and heard Balagopal was in a workshop organized by PUCL in Chennai. I was a young student, and like many young students, whether of the revolutionary or the conservative variety, my main attribute was a nonchalant cynicism. Curiously Balagopal began by speaking of his initial love for mathematics. He did his bachelors, his masters a Phd and even a post doctorate in mathematics, and spoke with immense fondness of his obsession with abstraction. He then moved on to his encounter with various peoples movements and struggles, and his descent from the world of pure abstraction to the very material world of injustice and violence. For those who have heard Balagopal speak and have been amazed by his clarity of thought and analysis, you cannot help but think of how his love for mathematical precision clearly survived in a very different form. It was one of those moments when you felt you just had to drop everything and follow this man. In a world where the epithet of hero is just too generously used, I can safely say ‘Balagopal you were a hero in the truest sense of the word to many of us’. And at the same time I cannot help but feel that perhaps this descent from the heights of abstraction to the very ordinary and fragile business of activism is also what marked Balagopal as different from most activists. An abstract transcendental idea of rights was certainly not something for Balagopal, and yet he did not allow himself to be so immersed in the reality of struggles so as to forget any kind of moral claim that may be made of a movement. In an article on moving the debate beyond the terms set by the binaries of violence- non violence Balagopal argued that “To say that one should not be dogmatic about violence may be morally a little unsettling but it is a defensible position even without adopting a relativistic attitude towards the preciousness of life or a casual attitude towards one’s moral responsibility for injury caused in the course of a struggle”. There will be a lot of time for us to think about ways in which we learn from his life and work, but for the moment let us spend sometime remembering the man who would be found standing outside a meeting venue selling books and pamphlets before he proceeded to go to the podium to make the most insightful speech you were likely to hear. Let us remember the man who when told that finally Justice Pasayat had retired, remarked that it was unfortunate that his decisions would not be retiring with him, and let us remember him most importantly in the days to come when violence and non violence will be offered to us again to choose, as though it were a real choice. Goodbye Balagopal, we will miss you immensely but thank you for giving us the freedom to not have to make false choices. From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 10 15:57:46 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:27:46 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Actors/Actresses Message-ID: <8CC17AB7186D018-6234-19D0C@webmail-d087.sysops.aol.com> Yellowcat co. is auditioning actors and actresses to perform in its new piece for young audiences. Starting october 22, there will be a 4-week rehearsal & workshopping period. when ready, the performance will travel to schools in & around delhi. Performances will take place during school hours (8am - 2pm) so actors MUST be available to perform during those times. If you are interested in performing for young audiences/children then mail your cv to mail at yellowcatt.org or contact sukhesh on 9811809008. From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 10 16:56:11 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:26:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910060533v5bd0ad1cw7a34404f7533d147@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <268149.79784.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Inder   1. You can speak for yourself as not having seen a 'tota' in Kashmir. Please do not speak for me.   2. Your dismissive contempt for factual "research based projects" is interesting. Obviously you are uncomfortable with facts. You are imputing that Dr Bakshi Jehangir (bird-watcher) and Imran Dar & Mithas Dar (reserchers) are liars.   3. Since the given links (photographs of the 'totas'-parakeets) are not your understanding of what is a 'tota' in Kashmir, you should give some idea (through pics) of what is a 'tota' in your view.   4. Your comment that Al Qaeda sees "tota' as an Islamic Bird is ridiculous.   5. "Sodur" in Kashmir is 'Lake'. I tried to guide you towards this by informing you about the various landmarks named after "Sodur" around the Lakes.   6. I told you about a place named  Sodur-Khon (apart from Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Kot.). It is a point recognised at the inlet to Dal Lake where the Dal is supposed to be the deepest.   7. Your question as to why Lal Ded used "sodras" (variant of 'sodur') instead of saying Wular or Dal is  like asking why (in English) a poet would use 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake' instead of using the name for a 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake'. Bizzare question.   8. You take too many liberties with Lal Ded by saying that "her well known verse ( vaakh ) on hindu muslim unity is well known jem". That is trivialising Lal Ded and distorting the 'Vaakh' in case you are referrring to 'shiv chui thali thali rozan, mozan hyond tai mussalman, trukh hai chukh paan parznav, soi chai sahibas saety zani zaan'   Lal Ded through recurrant references in her poetry is seen as having surrendered herself to the concept of 'shiv'. In this vaakh too she talks abou 'shiv' being resident in you which transcends any concept of 'hyond' and 'mussalman'.   She goes on to call for recognising the 'trukh' in yourself. "Trukh" is from the philosophical treatise of "Trikha" which is also known variously known as "Kashmir Shaivism" which in turn had it's roots in the "Bhairav Tantra".   Some scholars read "trukh" as "wise". Some replace "hyond" by "bhatta". Some use "shivas" instead of "sahibas".   Since I have some interest in Lal Ded, I would be obliged if you could elaborate upon how this 'vaakh' talks about Hindu-Muslim Unity or any other references in her poetry that seek (what you call) "reconcillation between these two drifting identities ".   Scholars who question this 'vaakh' as being an authentic one from Lal Ded is because of the use of the word "hyond" (variant of Hindu). Everywhere else the word used by Lal Ded is "bhatta". Even in our lifetimes the word "hyond" or even "hindu" is not common currency when referring to local Kashmiri Pandits (Bhattas).   I see it differently though and I have no way of questioning the authencity of the 'vaakh' as being a Lal Ded one.   I see Lal Ded rejecting whatever the terms "hyond" (hindu) and "mussalmaan" represented and instead rooting for surrender to "shiv" and urging the following of the path of the 'trukh' (Trikha). As is obvious, I do not see the Kashmiri Pandit (the Bhatta) as being automatically a "Hindu".   Again, as I wrote earlier, some scholars translate "trukh" as "wise". So the jury is out on this. What is clear however, is the advice on recognising (surrender to) "shiv" in you and transcending any recognitions such as "hyond" and "mussalman"   9. Your digression is a repetition of your refusal to focus on realities and propagate your own fanciful thinking on Kashmir.   If there was no "Islamic Agenda" in Kashmir, where did the coalition Muslim United Front, the MUF of 1987 elections (not 1989) crop up from. Don't miss the word "Muslim". Was there a "Hindu" agenda driven politics or governance in Kashmir  that compelled the formation of a "Muslim" alliance?   You have yourself (and Sanjay Kak in an earlier mail) spoken about role played by 'India' in the last 2 decades, which is quite close to the formation of the Islam driven Muslim United Front (MUF) of 1987.   Whether in the MUF of 1987 or the subsequent "Azaadi" movement, the essential drive comes from the "Islamic Identity"   I hope this will be my last conversation piece with you in this thread.   Kshmendra   --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "reader-list" Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:03 PM Dear Kshmendra ji The links to support the evidence of Parrot ( the green bird ) in Kashmir obviously confirms that you have not seen a parrot personally. Let us be honest and say that we both have not seen a Tota in kashmir, Be sure, all kashmiris will follow to what i am saying, except these few research based projects to see a tota in kashmir. Different shaded birds, some light greens even,  are still flying in kashmiri forests, and thanks for the link. Hope the forests live for ever and the birds too. This summer bird parrot is always welcome in kashmir, but... Besides that, metaphorically the absence of this green bird is not a good news for organizations like Al Qaeda who see tota as Islamic bird. about sound ' sodras '. I am not etymologist, which i feel becomes a slippery  game after some time. but for large bodies of water, we have Dal, or Wular, so not sure why Sodur is used, and why it means sea. Lal Ded obviously is one of the greatest inspiration behind all the meaningful poety in the valley. and her well known verse ( vaakh ) on hindu muslim unity is well known jem. She obviously thought of reconcillation between these two drifting identities was urgently addressed by saints even, which is also need of the time, and that is why i see ' present'  in the folk. That is not bereft of well known conflict: kashmir conflict. let me  digress a little : I am not saying that Kasshmir was a heaven before 1947, or before Maharaja or was a firdos during Yousuf shah check's rule, but something terrible happened in 1947 which politician at the helm could not grasp. Sheikh was a real hero of the hour, but he was ditched by Nehru and later by Indira, who also changed into a mere adminstrator, a corrupt on,  in his later years. Many things happened in between, but let us see a cmmon denominator between Sri Lanka's treatment of Tamils  ( now defeated LTTE ), and West Pakistan's treatment of East Pakistan ( now bangladesh ), and India's treatment of MUF in 1989 assembly elections which directly resulted in violence with active support of unemployed American mujahadeens in pakistan and local humiliated  groups. There never was islamic agenda in Kashmir.  Kashmiri pandits  were loyal to Maharaja but Sheikh prevented KPs in 1947, wjhich goes to his credit, and what is extra ordinary about Sheikh that he never gave imporatnce  to Jinnah, so Kashmir deserved a free state in 1947 which India could have supported, but alas. So, when violence is loathed by one and all, for real reasons, which is not serving even the radicals in kashmir,  how will the very angry and humiliated Kashmiris vent their anger,  India has done very badly during these last two decades. Sad that security forces were tempted to do what they did and are still doing. What militans did is shameful too, but, how to balance violence with violence. So, Kashmiris, will discover a culture, of thier own, which will include a renewed understanding of their folk, even if it means distortion, who cares, may be that too is aesthetics, a new one But, what it means, in the end, is question i cant answer even. with love and regrds inder salim On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Inder > > 1. > Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens. > > I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html. > > I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/. > > As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html > > Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973 > > 2. > I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota". > > My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'. > > Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed. > > I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot. > > It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes. > > "Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?) > > 3. > One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine. > > 4. > Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention. > > I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" > Cc: "reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM > > Thanks dear > Kshmendra > and dear > Anananya > > i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... > > Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it > existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor > in apple orchids. > >  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there > is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in > kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in > kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue > how this is surname in Kashmir. > >  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the > miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this > "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... > > i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of > humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a > world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of > the world.". > > Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached > to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is > why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is > limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly > a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about > Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the > present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a > possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is > political in nature at the same time. > Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover > our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of > responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, > even. > > A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad > and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our > stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and > performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. > It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is > why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical > uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible > future for those who dissent... > > As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the > language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in > the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us > convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is > migratory, or migrated since... > > with love > inder salim > > > > > On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir > wrote: > > > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > > best wishes, > > Ananya > > > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > > School of English, University of Leeds > > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > > Dear Inder > > > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > > > Kshmendra > > > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > From: Inder Salim > > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > To: "reader-list" > > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > > > Dear All > > Freedom means different for different people. > > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > > sensitizes the soul. > > the song is: > > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Phare bagas te kari guftar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Janavar chu vanan zaar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > Mate haitav ami sund baar > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > > > Release the bird from your hands > > Release the bird from your hands, > > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > > Release the bird from your hands > > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > > Release the bird from your hands > > It is a conglomeration of songs, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > This bird is singing a sad number, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > > Release the bird from your hands. > > …………………………. > > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > > complexities of > > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > > poet, or a bird is not defined. > > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > > inside the heart, > > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > > > With love and regards > > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > 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/> -- 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 kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 10 17:56:43 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:26:43 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <803439.54833.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> For Jatasundari Devi.   May you access this reponse as 'sneakily' as you wrote from  "some friends' office mail ID"   1. Your passionate defense of Nakshabi is understandable since he did you a favour, or rather, by relying on his work, you did yourself a favour.   2. I would never dare to 'get after' your man. I did not call Nakshabi a 'plagiarist'. Please read my mail again.   3. You suggest that Nakshabi based his 'work' on Shuka Saptiti, confining himself to 52 instead of 70 tales. I did not suggest that. I only said that some say so. That includes you now.   4. You think Nakshabi can be called a  "self-censoring coward or a bad translator". I cannot say so.      5. Thank you for the info that "Zia was a hakim and contributed to the incorporation of Indian ingredients into the Unnani tibb".   6. You have called 'nonsense' the 2 weblinks from the US National Library of Medicine. I cannot say anything to that.   7. I agree that Nakshabi "could not have been painting in the18th century". Does not fit in with generally know biography.   8. I stand corrected. "Shuka" it is and not "Suka". Thanks. "Spashta uchcharan etc..." is important.   9. You falter (I speculate) in your 'speculation' about "sodras" (from 'sodur'). The lines in the poem talk about towing a boat across the "sodur" and about crossing shores.   Your mail was very enjoyable.   An educative digression: (apparently from Aditya Narayan Dhairyasheel Haksar's translation of a verse from Shuka Saptiti)   "The best of the lover's couches is higher on the sides sunken at the centre it will also bear the strong poundings of a couple's passion   The middling bed is flat of surface so that the night will often pass with rarely any contact between the bodies two.   The worst is raised at the centre, and both its sides slope down; even adepts in the art cannot make love on it continuously"   Kshmendra       --- On Wed, 10/7/09, Comet Media Foundation wrote: From: Comet Media Foundation Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "Kshmendra Kaul" Cc: "reader-list" , "Inder Salim" , "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" , "bazaz002 at umn.edu" Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 6:13 PM Dear Inder, Ananya and Kshmendra, I'm tossing myself right into your conversation because Zia-ud-din Nakshabi once did me a great favour or let's say I did myself a favour by relying on his work so I have to defend him. Kshemendra 1. Why are you getting after my man Zia, calling him a plagiarist? He lived in the 14th century, when such concepts did not exist and he must have thought he was sharing his delight and augmenting the reputation of the works he was translating, re-contextualising and re-telling for a wide Farsi-culture-influenced Central Asian public. Incidentally, it's my reading that he cut the Tota's tales from 70 to 52 because he couldn't explain the cultural practices / references in some of them to his readers, and with some other stories, he was afraid of getting into trouble with the ulema. Apart from his literary work Zia was a hakim and contributed to the incorporation of Indian ingredients into the Unnani tibb. Call him a self-censoring coward or a bad translator, but such a prayog-karta and rasik (man of science and art) cannot be labelled a plagiarist! 2. The two weblinks you gave to the US National Library of Medicine are nonsense. Even if he could do calligraphy and miniature paintings (though it's not inconceivable) Zia could not have been painting in the18th century! And if the word Kashmir in this ahistorical citation got you excited, let me tell you he hung about in the shadow of then new Qutub Minar the whole time he lived in India, in a mango garden and house of a nobleman patron in the Mehrauli area who gave him the leisure to carry out his research and do his compilations and translations. 3. Please write 'shuka' and not 'suka' when referring to the Shuka Saptati (Seventy Tales of a Parrot). "Spashta uchcharan etc..." or at least as far as we can take it Romanic letters. Inder Salim Can I speculate about sodur / sodras ? I think it is the metaphysical concept of sudoor (सुदूर) -- a faraway, unknown, desirable and inaccessible place -- that Lalleshwari was yearning for. Think of it as the sea, the cloud-filled sky, the turbulent Wular in the monsoons. The pre-fix 'su' indicates a positive attitude to the place, not a fearful one as in the English notion of the 'unknown'. Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Ami shudoorer-o-piyashi" or "I'm a seeker after the sudoor". Ananya Sharp, sharp! Slam on and provocate without inihibitions! They say in my mother tongue, "Beshi katha, baaje katha", so I'll try to stop my rotten kathas at this point.  With love to all Jatasundari Devi (writing sneakily from some friends' office mail ID to avoid detection) From ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de Sat Oct 10 22:40:10 2009 From: ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de (Britta Ohm) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:10:10 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?Fwd=3A_G=F6ttingen_Film_Festival=3A_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?Call_for_Films_-_Deadline_15=2E_December_2009?= References: Message-ID: <0DEB8BAD-76CA-499C-B63F-46661462AAD2@zedat.fu-berlin.de> Anfang der weitergeleiteten E-Mail: > Von: "Engelbrecht, Beate" > Datum: 10. Oktober 2009 18:53:11 MESZ > An: "ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de" > Betreff: Göttingen Film Festival: Call for Films - Deadline 15. > December 2009 > > > 10th Göttingen International > Ethnographic Film Festival > 12 – 16 May, 2010 > > Call for Films: Submission deadline: 15 December 2009 > > http://www.gieff.de/ > > The festival promotes documentary cinema with a special emphasis on > new films, videos or interactive media (published after 1.1.2007) > dealing with socio-cultural processes in a wide sense of the term. > The festival is open to all filmmakers, but especially those coming > from anthropology, sociology, folklore and neighbouring disciplines. > It provides a great opportunity for international co-operation in > Visual Anthropology and documentary filmmaking. > > The festival encourages young filmmakers to submit their films, as > the festival specially supports STUDENT FILMS and awards the best > with theStudent Film Award 2010 . > > - Furthermore a SPECIAL AWARD is given in 2010 by the Centro > Inconri Umani in Ascona/Switzerland for the best film promoting > intercultural understanding in the context of natural disasters or > human conflicts. > > - GIEFF 2010 also presents a special program on the filmic > documentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage. > > The festival addresses film authors, producers, distributors, and > viewers. > It aims for discussions at the screenings and afterwards between the > various groups present to promote the intercultural dialogue on the > different aspects of film work. > > The Festival is a meeting point of young students of anthropology, > sociology and media studies, who are interested in the use of film > as research method, mode of publishing and communicating research > results. > Göttingen International Ethnographic Film Festival e.V. > event at gieff.de > phone: +49/551/5024-170 > fax: +49/551/5024-322 > ------------------------------------------ Britta Ohm Solmsstr. 36 10961 Berlin Germany +49-(0)30-69507155 From indersalim at gmail.com Sat Oct 10 23:37:19 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:37:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <268149.79784.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <47e122a70910060533v5bd0ad1cw7a34404f7533d147@mail.gmail.com> <268149.79784.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910101107g1c413529pa46e69c6d795dbfd@mail.gmail.com> Kshmendra: "There is a Tota in Kashmir", and "I hope this will be my last conversation piece with you in this thread". Inder Salim: There is no Tota in Kashmir, and i hope this is not my last conversation piece with you in this thread. Dear Kshmendra, You may think, Al Qaeda are ridiculous to see Parrot as an Islamic bird, but if u read Faisal Devi ji’s book Landscapes of Jihad you will agree, it is true. Well, that is that, I am not hell bent to oppose to everything what you say, but, in general, i have lot of fun with mails on the list, and if they make u uncomfortable, i am sorry, i am too simple for that, unlike great Nietzsche, who is believed to make people uncomfortable. but i guess, i'm always within my rights to expect a reflection from you. Even silence is one such way/form, but that is another layer, which perhaps, comes through a deep contemplative understanding of words like ' shiv' . Right now, i feel, Kashmiri pandits have almost appropriated this sound and impose their own interpretation to it, which will be eternally limited, since Shiv is beyond, perhaps, very simple, life like, bereft of rituals, and even isms, if one applies some slices of Abhinav Gupta commentary on the idea of Shiv. I am not conceptual 'shiv' expert, let alone Sada Shiv, which perhaps, lal Ded was grappling with... no wonder, why most of KP’s dislike Bimla Raina’s way of re-reading Lal Ded. But I respect her, even if I don’t agree with her at some points. She is remarkable woman poet writing VAKHS in Kashmiri. Yes, just a question: was Abhinav gupta or Lal Ded a Nationalist? A hypothetical question: how would both of them react to present day ‘Azadi’ in Kashmir ? would they support the idea of State, or the people of Kashmir?. You will perhaps, agree that Lal Ded was/is people's poet because she mixed with people, uttered verses that were meaningful to them, to all shades, of all identities, and , if she had chosen to write in hard core Sanskrit. imagine, the fate of such writers: Ghalib's entire Persian verses are so unpopular, and as some scholars say, a little less deeper in comparison to his Urdu ones. Islam was not something just born in the world when Lal Ded was around in 14th ceuntry. So, the concept ' Islam ' is as good as any other concept, which we may accept or not, simple. True, fanatic form of a concept is always there, like the Bear who has always an excuse to kill the Goat. No wonder that, people of all shades, identities, give a good name to their fanaticism and do what selfishly suits them best. KP’s do violence to KPs, and Muslims do violence to Muslims and so on. That is violence, which we need to talk about, and not ‘the concept’ which is always there in nature, like air, or sun shine, like Islam or Hinduism, Sikhism etc. I disagree that poets and saint don’t think of conflicts around them, and only think about their salvation or nirvana etc. I guess, it is a mixture of both, as Lal Ded was not conventionally an ascetic, but a woman who wanted to restore the sensible. She was not silent on issues. She was the pulse of her times, our times even. even if the 'hyond' is not uttered by Lal Ded, i still see the entire concept not mismatching with what 'shiv' upholds. At one point of history Kashmir, Buddhists were so fanatic ( not all ) that they would slay the opponent if he was outwitted in a discussion on thought. (Source Moti Lal Saqi ). Brahmincal form of Pandits is well known for their aversion to any return of those just converted to other faith under duress and so on... Well, let us not go back too much in the past. The fact is that Kashmir is a Muslim Majority area and they don’t like too much of historical references of their non-islamic past. Partition 1947 can be seen a reason for this, but that is still manageable, but this later on Indian unfortunate subversion of democratic ways to returning to normalcy was too much for kashmiris to digest. Here, you give all the benefit of doubts to Indian State, but the people in Kashmir see India as ruthless oppressor who not only humiliated the Kashmiri sentiment since Sheikh’s47, but during elections in 1989, when MUF was thrown out almost like MujiburRahman in pre 1971 East Pakistan election. There are many comparisons in the world. Your objections to Muslim word is because you don’t see the historical fact which led to such a front. Was it not again Rajeev of Congress party who embraced Farooq of historical NC , which was similar to Indira Sheikh accord. Needless to say that people hated Sheikh for that accord, and I personally feel that he humiliated himself by entering into that accord. I feel he was drugged in Delhi, but for someone who is a lover of the State, literally, even such a thing becomes justifiable for him. Now, may be India scored a point by unfurling Tri-colour on the dead Sheikh in 1982 but the fact remains that people saw him in ‘white’ only. Later on, people saw him in both black and white, because , people see always what is underneath the garment, and react, in micro reality which is as dynamic as it is at macro level. And strangely we have different stands against different compositions, but both are posited with a similar quest. Yes, my personal take on Azadi is not something which is meant to insult the State only, but it is about human bondage. And I see both folk and contemporary, poetry and art, and other cultural expressions as vital tools to uplift the human spirit to feel liberation. A mere salute to the State does elevate the spirits of a too domesticated middle class boring citizen of this world, but not me, sorry. So, most likely, my version of Azadi wont suit most of radicals in Kashmir, even, Besides that I keep on talking about love, in universal terms all the time. We have truly little time for that But still, Love and regards Inder salim On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 4:56 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Inder > > 1. You can speak for yourself as not having seen a 'tota' in Kashmir. Please do not speak for me. > > 2. Your dismissive contempt for factual "research based projects" is interesting. Obviously you are uncomfortable with facts. You are imputing that Dr Bakshi Jehangir (bird-watcher) and Imran Dar & Mithas Dar (reserchers) are liars. > > 3. Since the given links (photographs of the 'totas'-parakeets) are not your understanding of what is a 'tota' in Kashmir, you should give some idea (through pics) of what is a 'tota' in your view. > > 4. Your comment that Al Qaeda sees "tota' as an Islamic Bird is ridiculous. > > 5. "Sodur" in Kashmir is 'Lake'. I tried to guide you towards this by informing you about the various landmarks named after "Sodur" around the Lakes. > > 6. I told you about a place named  Sodur-Khon (apart from Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Kot.). It is a point recognised at the inlet to Dal Lake where the Dal is supposed to be the deepest. > > 7. Your question as to why Lal Ded used "sodras" (variant of 'sodur') instead of saying Wular or Dal is  like asking why (in English) a poet would use 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake' instead of using the name for a 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake'. Bizzare question. > > 8. You take too many liberties with Lal Ded by saying that "her well known verse ( vaakh ) on hindu muslim unity is well known jem". That is trivialising Lal Ded and distorting the 'Vaakh' in case you are referrring to 'shiv chui thali thali rozan, mozan hyond tai mussalman, trukh hai chukh paan parznav, soi chai sahibas saety zani zaan' > > Lal Ded through recurrant references in her poetry is seen as having surrendered herself to the concept of 'shiv'. In this vaakh too she talks abou 'shiv' being resident in you which transcends any concept of 'hyond' and 'mussalman'. > > She goes on to call for recognising the 'trukh' in yourself. "Trukh" is from the philosophical treatise of "Trikha" which is also known variously known as "Kashmir Shaivism" which in turn had it's roots in the "Bhairav Tantra". > > Some scholars read "trukh" as "wise". Some replace "hyond" by "bhatta". Some use "shivas" instead of "sahibas". > > Since I have some interest in Lal Ded, I would be obliged if you could elaborate upon how this 'vaakh' talks about Hindu-Muslim Unity or any other references in her poetry that seek (what you call) "reconcillation between these two drifting identities ". > > Scholars who question this 'vaakh' as being an authentic one from Lal Ded is because of the use of the word "hyond" (variant of Hindu). Everywhere else the word used by Lal Ded is "bhatta". Even in our lifetimes the word "hyond" or even "hindu" is not common currency when referring to local Kashmiri Pandits (Bhattas). > > I see it differently though and I have no way of questioning the authencity of the 'vaakh' as being a Lal Ded one. > > I see Lal Ded rejecting whatever the terms "hyond" (hindu) and "mussalmaan" represented and instead rooting for surrender to "shiv" and urging the following of the path of the 'trukh' (Trikha). As is obvious, I do not see the Kashmiri Pandit (the Bhatta) as being automatically a "Hindu". > > Again, as I wrote earlier, some scholars translate "trukh" as "wise". So the jury is out on this. What is clear however, is the advice on recognising (surrender to) "shiv" in you and transcending any recognitions such as "hyond" and "mussalman" > > 9. Your digression is a repetition of your refusal to focus on realities and propagate your own fanciful thinking on Kashmir. > > If there was no "Islamic Agenda" in Kashmir, where did the coalition Muslim United Front, the MUF of 1987 elections (not 1989) crop up from. Don't miss the word "Muslim". Was there a "Hindu" agenda driven politics or governance in Kashmir  that compelled the formation of a "Muslim" alliance? > > You have yourself (and Sanjay Kak in an earlier mail) spoken about role played by 'India' in the last 2 decades, which is quite close to the formation of the Islam driven Muslim United Front (MUF) of 1987. > > Whether in the MUF of 1987 or the subsequent "Azaadi" movement, the essential drive comes from the "Islamic Identity" > > I hope this will be my last conversation piece with you in this thread. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:03 PM > > Dear Kshmendra ji > > The links to support the evidence of Parrot ( the green bird ) in > Kashmir obviously confirms that you have not seen a parrot personally. > Let us be honest and say that we both have not seen a Tota in kashmir, > Be sure, all kashmiris will follow to what i am saying, except these > few research based projects to see a tota in kashmir. Different shaded > birds, some light greens even,  are still flying in kashmiri forests, > and thanks for the link. Hope the forests live for ever and the birds > too. This summer bird parrot is always welcome in kashmir, but... > > Besides that, metaphorically the absence of this green bird is not a > good news for organizations like Al Qaeda who see tota as Islamic > bird. > > about sound ' sodras '. I am not etymologist, which i feel becomes a > slippery  game after some time. but for large bodies of water, we have > Dal, or Wular, so not sure why Sodur is used, and why it means sea. > Lal Ded obviously is one of the greatest inspiration behind all the > meaningful poety in the valley. and her well known verse ( vaakh ) on > hindu muslim unity is well known jem. She obviously thought of > reconcillation between these two drifting identities was urgently > addressed by saints even, which is also need of the time, and that is > why i see ' present'  in the folk. That is not bereft of well known > conflict: kashmir conflict. > > let me  digress a little : > I am not saying that Kasshmir was a heaven before 1947, or before > Maharaja or was a firdos during Yousuf shah check's rule, but > something terrible happened in 1947 which politician at the helm could > not grasp. Sheikh was a real hero of the hour, but he was ditched by > Nehru and later by Indira, who also changed into a mere adminstrator, > a corrupt on,  in his later years. Many things happened in between, > but let us see a cmmon denominator between Sri Lanka's treatment of > Tamils  ( now defeated LTTE ), and West Pakistan's treatment of East > Pakistan ( now bangladesh ), and India's treatment of MUF in 1989 > assembly elections which directly resulted in violence with active > support of unemployed American mujahadeens in pakistan and local > humiliated  groups. > > There never was islamic agenda in Kashmir.  Kashmiri pandits  were > loyal to Maharaja but Sheikh prevented KPs in 1947, wjhich goes to his > credit, and what is extra ordinary about Sheikh that he never gave > imporatnce  to Jinnah, so Kashmir deserved a free state in 1947 which > India could have supported, but alas. > > So, when violence is loathed by one and all, for real reasons, which > is not serving even the radicals in kashmir,  how will the very angry > and humiliated Kashmiris vent their anger,  India has done very badly > during these last two decades. Sad that security forces were tempted > to do what they did and are still doing. What militans did is shameful > too, but, how to balance violence with violence. So, Kashmiris, will > discover a culture, of thier own, which will include a renewed > understanding of their folk, even if it means distortion, who cares, > may be that too is aesthetics, a new one > > But, what it means, in the end, is question i cant answer even. > > with love and regrds > inder salim > > On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > > > Dear Inder > > > > 1. > > Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens. > > > > I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html. > > > > I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/. > > > > As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html > > > > Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973 > > > > 2. > > I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota". > > > > My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'. > > > > Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed. > > > > I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot. > > > > It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes. > > > > "Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?) > > > > 3. > > One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine. > > > > 4. > > Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention. > > > > I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry. > > > > Kshmendra > > > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > From: Inder Salim > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" > > Cc: "reader-list" > > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM > > > > Thanks dear > > Kshmendra > > and dear > > Anananya > > > > i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... > > > > Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it > > existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor > > in apple orchids. > > > >  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there > > is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in > > kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in > > kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue > > how this is surname in Kashmir. > > > >  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the > > miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this > > "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... > > > > i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of > > humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a > > world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of > > the world.". > > > > Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached > > to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is > > why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is > > limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly > > a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about > > Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the > > present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a > > possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is > > political in nature at the same time. > > Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover > > our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of > > responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, > > even. > > > > A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad > > and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our > > stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and > > performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. > > It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is > > why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical > > uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible > > future for those who dissent... > > > > As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the > > language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in > > the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us > > convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is > > migratory, or migrated since... > > > > with love > > inder salim > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > wrote: > > > > > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > > > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > > > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > > > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > > > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > > > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > > > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > > > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > > > best wishes, > > > Ananya > > > > > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > > > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > > > School of English, University of Leeds > > > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > > > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > > > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > > > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > > > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > > > > Dear Inder > > > > > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > > > > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > > > > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > > > > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > > > > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > > > > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > > > > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > > > > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > > > > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > > > > > Kshmendra > > > > > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > > > From: Inder Salim > > > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > To: "reader-list" > > > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > > > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > > > > > Dear All > > > Freedom means different for different people. > > > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > > > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > > > sensitizes the soul. > > > the song is: > > > > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Phare bagas te kari guftar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Janavar chu vanan zaar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Mate haitav ami sund baar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > > > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > > > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > Release the bird from your hands, > > > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > It is a conglomeration of songs, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > This bird is singing a sad number, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > …………………………. > > > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > > > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > > > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > > > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > > > > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > > > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > > > > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > > > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > > > > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > > > complexities of > > > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > > > poet, or a bird is not defined. > > > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > > > inside the heart, > > > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > > > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > > > > > With love and regards > > > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > 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/> > > > > -- > > 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 missedt at googlemail.com Sun Oct 11 01:46:38 2009 From: missedt at googlemail.com (tee sagoo) Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:16:38 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] out now /popsamiti:#1 paper and debate are online Message-ID: *Hello, sorry if I've already posted this notice the reader list, best wishes, Tajender * *OUT NOW* / popsamiti:#1 / free pdf download http://www.popsamiti.com/paper.html artists and writers *Diana Ali *Shifting Identities;*Akaaro*: Gaurav Gupta Textile; *Dr Kishore Budha* The caste system cannot die, long live the caste system; *Amarjit Chandan* Untitled; *Jimmy Dabhi *Imagine A New South Asia; *Kanwal Dhaliwal* Series - The Roots; *Arvind Dubey* Laut Aao Nino; *Bhajan Hunjan* Map; *Archana Kapoor* An unwanted heirloom: The demise of the handloom sari across India; *Aliya Khan* Tanha; *Marcus Richards* Global Culture: Western culture is not the culture of everyone; *Tajender Sagoo* Map; *Mohan Sanjeevan* Iyanthira Malar; *Aparna Sharma* Confessions of a documentarist; *Dr Shihan De Sliva Jayasuriya* From Africa to Asia: Cultural memory of a creole community; *The Sugar Cake Girls* Chutney soca *WATCH* the debate at http://www.popsamiti.com/events.html or http://www.youtube.com/popsamiti2009 Motherland Pop TALK; Debating South Asian arts & culture panel; Dr Kishore Budha, Parminder Vir & Parmjit Singh. artists; Dina Begum & Priya Saujani For enquiries contact: tajender at popsamiti.com From danishsheikh726 at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 10:20:53 2009 From: danishsheikh726 at gmail.com (Danish Sheikh) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:20:53 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Online Symposium on Judicial Review of Anti Terrorism Legislation Message-ID: The Indian Journal of Constitutional Law, Volume 3 Online Symposium The Board of Editors of the Indian Journal of Constitutional Law proudly announces the release of the 3rd Edition of the Journal on October 3rd this year. In collaboration with the Constitutional Law Society, NALSAR University of Law, we are now delighted to organize the First Online Symposium to mark this release. ‘Judicial Review of Anti Terrorism Legislation: The Post 9/11 Experience and Normative Experiences for Judicial Review’ by Prof. Kent Roach will form the subject piece of this Online Symposium. In this article, Prof.Roach examines the inter-play between deference to the decisions of the Executive and Legislature and existing norms of Judicial Review in a context that has arisen of the post 9/11 era of Anti-Terrorism efforts. In doing so, he proposes that while Judicial Review of Anti-Terrorism measures can be justified by the need to protect the rights of unpopular minorities and the nature of proportionality review, the surge of such efforts owing to an increased need of security demands a certain amount of creativity in reviewing such efforts which ought to inevitably be influenced by deference to the decision making capacity of the other two organs of the State. This piece is set against a background depicting the set contemporary scenario in Anti-terrorism measures in the three major regions of India, the United States and Europe. Prof. Christina Eckes from the Amsterdam Centre European Law and Public Policy, University of Amsterdam and Dr.Shylashri Shankar from the Centre for Policy research, India will be the Primary Respondents to Prof.Roach’s article and will challenge the propositions put forth by him as well as the normative justifications backing them. Ms.Aparna Chandra will be an additional Respondent to the thread. The Online Symposium will be published on the Constitutional Law Society’s online discussion platform at the ‘CLS Forum’ on October 11, 2009. We would like to invite you to be a part of this discussion over the week. Please visit our website www.ijcl.net for more details on the Online Symposium and for access to the 3rd Volume of the Journal. Thank you The Board of Editors The Indian Journal of Constitutional Law -- How happy is the blameless vestal's lot ! The world forgetting; by the world forgot, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Each prayer accepted, each wish resigned From anansi1 at earthlink.net Sun Oct 11 21:10:05 2009 From: anansi1 at earthlink.net (Paul D. Miller) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:40:05 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Subject: [Reader-list] Obama vs Right Wing Frenzy Message-ID: <15339907.1255275606262.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Obama, Right Wing Frenzy -- and the Left By Mark Solomon Some have pointed at past attacks on Democratic presidents to contend that there is every little about the current hysteria that has not been seen before. But there is something different about the frenzied and relentless right wing assault on Barack Obama. The vitriolic fear mongering and lies about Obama's health care reform, the calculated fanning of racism and anti- communism, organized disruptions of congressional town meetings replete with gun-toting intimidators, slanderous and frenzied attacks without boundaries -- constitute a qualitative leap into an abyss of violent rhetoric and occasional violent acts that have rarely been seen before. Fueling that frenzy is significant right wing corporate money that has heavily financed emerging groups that have galvanized protests on the right. Among those formations, some have cynically appropriated symbols from the American Revolution to manipulate and sustain anger against Obama and the government through contrived "tea parties" and vitriolic demonstrations freighted with racist smears. The most reactionary sectors of the corporate elite (especially oil, gas coal and insurance money) are not impressed by Obama's cautious and at times temporizing policymaking. Obama's appeals to bipartisanship regularly fall on deaf ears. The right is not encouraged by centrist policies that fall well within sustaining the institutional domination of capital. Rather, it senses that the country is at a dangerous transformational moment -- symbolized by the Obama presidency. Eight years of right wing rule brought severe blows that led to the right's defeat in 2008. The toll of Wall Street's financial collapse and the economic crisis of rising joblessness and social dislocation, the drain of resources from the hopeless Iraq war and the more hopeless Afghan venture, health care and environmental crises, assorted scandals that shredded Washington's claim to moral authority -- all led to a powerful convergence of various forces -- labor, youth, women, African Americans, Latinos and other nationalities that responded to Obama's call for change. It is both the potential to advance a more democratic and egalitarian society inherent in the Obama presidency and the power of an emerging progressive majority that is the target of the right wing assault. Both represent for the right a frightening promise of social transformation. Whatever the insufficiencies of Obama's health proposals, the right wing (abetted by assorted "moderates") senses in those proposals an historic effort to undermine vast privately held wealth by effecting a major redistribution of that wealth. The right rails against a tepid "public option" because it perceives an historic precedent -- a "slippery slope" according to their house intellectuals at the Weekly Standard --to government "socialist" control of the health care industry. The heavy infusion of funds into the campaign against health care reform and against the Obama presidency has abetted the rallying of a large constituency representing a complex and often bewildering array of ideologies and programs. But some elements of that convergence of right wing forces are clear. The historic ascendancy of an African American to the presidency has stirred deep wellsprings of racism grounded in paranoid fear that racial and national minorities are taking wealth and power from whites -- ironically wealth and power that they never possessed. The wail of a demonstrator in Washington that "we want our country back" was a plea for the return of unmitigated white supremacy -- for a world unaltered by irresistible social and demographic change, for reversal of African American advance symbolized by Obama, for ending immigration spawned by the upheavals of globalization. Immigration has now broadened the range of racism, stoking the anxieties of a major sector of the right wing movement. Anti-communism, another weapon of the right wing arsenal, deeply embedded in the country's history, has been revived to paint Obama as variously a communist or socialist (or perversely as a fascist, a hypocritical manipulation of a most frightening image by a fascist- tinged current). Anti-communism has been resurrected as "big government" driven by jack boots running health care and enforcing a a reversal of the "natural order" of white supremacy. Finally, right wing populism has been reintroduced to exploit genuine anxieties of those who fear impending economic collapse, long-term joblessness, and a government that has, especially in the last decade, remorselessly lied to them. Right wing trends in populism of the late 19th century berated banks and railroads while directing the rage of white farmers and workers towards on African Americans (actually abetting those banks and railroads). Current rightist populism demagogically mimics working class anger at multi- trillion dollar bailouts to banks. It utilizes the old McCarthyite tactic of attacking "liberal elites" that allegedly manipulate the powers of government to coerce the mass with unwanted and repressive programs. Beneath the anti-corporate rhetoric is the real objective--to cultivate searing hatred for government --- at least government that has been obliged to seek social cohesion by pursuing modest steps towards equality. Orchestrated by corporate and Republican operatives and Fox media, the racists, anti-communists, anti- environmentalists, anti-choice and anti-gay rights elements, "birthers," "tea baggers," religious fundamentalists, anti-taxers -- and some driven by confusion, fear and desperation in an imploding economy -- are bound together by a single, overriding factor: resentment and anger at Barack Obama as the symbol of unwelcome change and the power of liberal government. That animus towards Obama enabled a distinct minority to nevertheless galvanize its splintered constituencies, to frame the political debate and to overshadow the broad forces that drove Obama to the White House. While analogies are never perfect, it is instructive to recall that a clear minority, driven by paranoia, anti-Semitic scapegoating, racism and nationalism in early 1930s Germany was able to take power in the face of a paralyzed center and a divided left. The stakes in the current right wing drive to decapitate the Obama presidency and restore the Bush nightmare (or worse) require clear-eyed resistance to the right wing's attempts to undermine Obama and crucially, to topple the broad social movement that brought him to the presidency. On the left, there appears to be a general understanding of the importance of stanching the right wing offensive against the present administration -- while subjecting that administration to grass roots pressure to steer it in a progressive direction. However, some influential left voices are engaging in an one-dimensional attacks on Obama that sow confusion, demoralization and demobilization that however unintentional, detract from the primary need to combat the right wing. (The pseudo-left fringe that defines Obama as a stalking horse for a ruling class conspiracy is not considered in this article.) For example, a prominent peace activist, demonstrating against Obama at his Martha's Vineyard vacation site declared that in calling Bush a war criminal we must also call Obama a war criminal. Another voice on the left recently published a more sophisticated, but no less disorienting attack in an article titled "Bush's Third Term? You're Living It." Faithful to its title, the article, posted on prominent left websites, recites a catalog of deeply institutionalized imperial and national security polices passed from administration to administration -- the largest military budget in history, defense of executive privilege, continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a "Bush third term" honeycombed with Wall St. operatives that orchestrated the massive bailout of the finance industry. The point, of course, is that Bush's third term is Obama first term. To reach that conclusion a selective scalpel had to be applied to Obama's brief record as President. Some comparisons with Bush ("continuing his policy of extraordinary rendition") are questionable. Torture have been formally ruled out by the present administration. But rendition, though not clearly rejected, is nearly paralyzed by hesitancy. Other aspects of military and national security policy such as complete withdrawal from Iraq, escalation in Afghanistan, release of White House visitor logs, torture indictments, claims of executive privilege -- are either yet to be finalized or are frozen for the moment by internal conflicts within the administration. The "Bush third term" analogy also requires the omission of Obama policies that reflect the influence of the multilateralist wing of the military and foreign policy establishment -- to an extent the influence of progressive forces. Can one imagine George W. Bush opening the door to the elimination of nuclear weapons? Would Bush have canceled the provocative European missile shield that has riled the Russians? However tenuous and cautious the Obama approach, would Bush have opened the door to Cuba? Would he have condemned the Honduras coup? In the domestic sphere, it is unimaginable that George W. Bush would launch a major stimulus, however short of overwhelming need, to boost a shattered economy, to call for Wall St. re- regulation, for institutionalized consumer protection and for urgent attention to the environmental crisis? Pointing out positive aspects of Obama's brief record is not meant to negate justified criticism or to offer a mechanical balance sheet devoid of analysis of its principal elements.Some of his administration's policy choices are riven by serious contradictions such as its claim to re-ignite a Latin American good neighbor policy that is undercut by a plan to establish military bases in Columbia or its demand for a freeze on Israeli settlements that is countered by its retreat before Netanyahu and its obstruction of the Goldstone report on Israeli crimes in Gaza. However, to close our eyes to the positive and to offer one-dimensional condemnation is to perilously neglect the internal splits in ruling circles that provide openings for progressives and to weaken the spirit and resolve of progressives to reinvigorate the social movement that brought Obama to the presidency. Those Obama policies that reinforce imperial strategic interests and the dominance of the financial sector should be subjected to criticism and opposition -- first and foremost from the forces that put him in office. Obama the candidate promised change, but he is a cautious, pragmatic politician who bends at times to the left (especially when he feels the weight of that "bottom up" movement that he talked about when campaigning) but who carefully assesses and responds to the pressures of powerful ruling blocs that oppose his agenda. President Barack Obama understands a progressive platform. His recent media interviews demonstrated an acute understanding of single payer health care and of various forms of socially grounded health programs around the world. But given his assessment of the power of insurance and pharmaceutical interests arrayed against even tepid reform, Obama was not going to carry the ball for meaningful universal health care without a powerful, united push from his left. Standing in the wings are forces, at least as powerful as those opposed to universal health care, geared to prevent serious measures to combat the environmental crisis and to stop the Employee Free Choice Act. Defeating those forces requires the urgent unity of a reinvigorated progressive movement. Crucial to the fight against the right wing offensive is the need to pressure the Obama administration to sharpen its policies in a progressive direction.The administration's vague and temporizing approach to vital issues like health care undermines the clarity and vitality of the majority on the left and center, thus weakening the fight against the right. Organizing for America, the 13-million-person list of Obama supporters has had little success in urging its members to mobilize to support vaguely-defined "quality health care," thus stifling efforts to counter the resurgence of the right wing and to reach out and win that large segment on the right that is motivated by deep economic insecurity and distrust of government. The task of invigorating Organizing for America falls to the left which should be involved in reawakening the progressive agenda that largely motivated the Obama coalition in the first place. A way forward at this critical juncture is suggested by an event that took place in Boston in late September to "talk back to the G20." A packed public meeting at Northeastern University was sponsored by the Majority Agenda Project -- dedicated to the principle of the inseparability of the crises in the economy, the environment and foreign policy and need to mobilize the majority that supports progressive policies to stem those crises. The meeting before a predominantly young, multiracial audience was addressed by an economist who briefly surveyed the damaging bailout of the financial system; by a student whose parents are now jobless and who may be forced to leave college, by two Latina housekeepers at the Boston Hyatt Hotel who were replaced by contract workers at half their wages (bringing many in the audience to tears), by two African American women fighting foreclosure of their homes, by a sociologist who produced data to demonstrate the country is center-left not center- right, by a young Iraq war veteran who made the connection between wasteful military spending and the crisis at home, by a medical doctor who described through personal experience the magnitude of the crisis in health care, by an African American environmental activist who surveyed the fight against climate catastrophe in his community and a by leader of the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party who drew together the many strands of crisis into a coherent whole. In reporting on the results small group discussion, a student pointed out that the meeting had put a human face on growing suffering, had demonstrated the inseparability of the various crises and the compelling need for all those affected by those crises and working for change to stand together. The country is again at a critical crossroads that may well determine the outcome of the fight against the right wing and the fate of a progressive agenda. Whether the war in Afghanistan will be escalated or whether a path will be taken to ending US and NATO intervention will impact a range of issues from a a new stimulus to create green jobs, to solving the crisis of health care, to serious engagement with the impending climate catastrophe. In coming days, the rallies, protests and lobbying to end the war in Afghanistan should be the basis for the broadest movement to embrace the thousands who converged in Detroit to seek minimal aid in paying rent and utilities to the military families, to the millions of jobless, to the millions who are caught in the health care crisis and to all of us facing the environmental crisis. Now is the time to resurrect the alliance that defeated the right in 2008. That fight goes on and so must the quest for the unity of all progressive forces. From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 12:33:51 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:33:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?By_a_Danish=2C_before_=91Danish_Ca?= =?windows-1252?q?rtoons=92?= In-Reply-To: <9a38651a0910100120i765e3732t1ed01ca7ddb5aa98@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910091032t79a20775gd474e6fa593944d9@mail.gmail.com> <9a38651a0910100120i765e3732t1ed01ca7ddb5aa98@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910110003h3ef06c43g6981623172bcb699@mail.gmail.com> Thanks Dulali Nag ji about Dancer in the Dark. I was just thinkng about Lal Ded's ( 14th century kashmiri saint-poet) verse: she used two words in a quartrain VACHUN ( song )and NACHUN ( dance ) she declares that master gifted her a song, which suggested me to enter inside from outside. and since then i am dancing naked. Dancer in the dark in that sense is a naked spinning truth of our existential beings. so, one can never say what Darkness, with all the shades of darkness, actually means, and how to differentiate ouside from inside, but one can perhaps, see how a continus welding between existential realities and distant looking political realities shape our respective beings and our nothingness too. ( what J.P Satre talked about, perhpas, ) Anyway, the leading lady in the film, as we know, Bjork is also an composer, singer, besides a great actress. i saw Indian Tabla in one of her concerts on youtube. love inder salim On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:50 PM, DULALI NAG wrote: > Thank you Inder. I don't have words to express how I felt. > > On Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 11:02 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Dear All, >> For reasons well known, Danish Cartoons perhaps popularized Danish, >> but some other kind of brains are working there too, which are of >> serious nature… >> >> Dancer in the Dark 2000 by Elars Von Trier, a Danish Film Director, >> shot by a hand held camera, to match a documentary style, perhaps, to >> convince the viewer that it is real, and it does, but >> >> The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst >> artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the >> world.". >> >>  But don’t  trust the films critics, watch this final clip from the movie >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5f_T2wcRI >> >> The title is profound, not only because Cinema happens in the dark, >> but there is a strange inability to touch the pain of the other though >> cinema,  beyond a point. As a medium it is entertainment at the best, >> but the very for entertainment in life that we sometimes, unwittingly, >> see a dark end of our personal lives even.  And at the point of time, >> we have nothing to share, no words, not language to communicate.  The >> politics, perhaps, begins from there as well, but strangley obfuscates >> too... >> >> "Aataye hain Gaib say yeh mazameen khayal mein". ( these thoughts >> comes to from nothingness ,GHALIB), which is not far from  what >> prophetic revelations claim . and If the source is >> darkness/space-not-known, then we are mixtures of silences. That, >> perhaps, means that our actions are not necssarily meant to be in sync >> with our thoughts. “There is no doer behind the deed” Nietzsche. That >> questions the State, and its machinery via Foucault’s Panopticism. >> >> In the Film, the STATE, ( representing a country ) is deeply >> structured to this promise of goodness ( >> entertainment/desire/security) and also the snatcher of very life on >> this pretxt or that. So, the very seat of existence that gives us the >> feeling of life bleeds for the sake for State.  The  death  penalty is >> part of chain of event that mainfests State, as part of medieval >> thinking, also as part of  present day American thinking  which >> pretends humane but is clueless about humanity. The dance, or the pain >> becomes personal, inwardly,  and we have only sadness to feel... >> >> The plot in brief: >> Selma is a Czechoslovakian immigrant, a single mother working in a >> factory in rural America. Her salvation is her passion for music, >> specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic >> Hollywood musicals. Selma harbours a sad secret: she is losing her >> eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't >> put away enough money to secure him an operation.  Bill, ( typical >> American ) his neighbour,  reveals to Selma that his materialistic >> wife, Linda, has exhausted all of his savings and asks Selma for a >> loan, which she declines to give. When a desperate neighbuor , steals >> her money, and then falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the >> drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale.  “It is here that she >> is pegged as a Communist sympathizer and murderess “ >> >> She was hanged, while she sang her favourite song. >> >> A curtain separates the viewer and the one whom the STATE pushed into >> a darkness. >> In the cinema, in the end, it is only a metaphor, but chilling, to >> realize for a moment, that what if something is forced on us (me). >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pLY5zFTtc >> click for a bollywood song like, on the moving train,e sequence in the >> film >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 11 14:26:57 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:56:57 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Pukar Theatre, Delhi is looking for Actors(Male / Female ), Anchors, Scriptwriters & Production Executives In-Reply-To: <876911.88193.qm@web45709.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <876911.88193.qm@web45709.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8CC1867EC4ECC22-50A8-D761@webmail-d076.sysops.aol.com> Hi , Pukar group is a theatre and event management entity formed with only purpose to entertain its audience at the best. In this moment of entertainment boom, we in Pukar focus our energies to give all kind of services according to the taste and prefrences of our cliets with a blend of Pukarism. Yes, we are similar to all other groups in the market, however bieng similar we perfom unique.   We dont belive doing diffrent all time infact we loved to stay among masses and entertain them in thier special way! There is nothing in this world which can be achieved through enthusiasm and enthusiasm is our strenth. While woking with Pukar, You just dont get work infact you find family,Pukar family. We have already raised the voice now we need your support to have everlasting say! our last event was at India Habbitat Centre, lodhi road. it was a green bollywood theatre show, sponsered by IHC.   Pukar is a voice raised ! We pray and believe, that with god’s grace, Pukar will be your word. Services: Street plays Main stream plays Theatre dramas Work shops Event management Promotion sevices, exhibitions Production services like: Films Documentaries Corporate ads and films we want actors(male female both), anchors(for events, should be entertaining and good at communicating with masses), scriptwriters, produ ction executives( handeling operations in events). auditions will be held in few days. exact date we will informed to you. it will not be a paid job. after selection you will be a part of pukar, you will be ur team member(once you get yourself register with us). Shweta Sharma Marketing Head PUKAR THEATRE www.pukartheatre.com 9818036019   From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 11 14:53:58 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:23:58 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Hoonur.com - An intiative by Balaji Telefilms Ltd. Message-ID: <8CC186BB2675970-50A8-D94F@webmail-d076.sysops.aol.com> Hoonur is a free online classified website which gives independent professionals and businesses from the entertainment, television, media and advertising a chance to promote and share their services. Simply put, at Hoonur you can: •Hire actors, writers, production staff and get hired! •Showcase your talent, portfolio, audio, video, images etc and improve your chances of selection •Promote your entertainment, television, production related business services Easy registration. Quick response. Free listings. A platform for people connected with the entertainment, television media and advertising, Hoonur allows you to showcase your products, sell your services, promote your talent and get a casting call. People who will use Hoonur You can be an aspiring actor looking to for your big break or an established script writer who is looking for assistant script writers. Production houses can promote their services, look for new talent, hire production staff etc. Hoonur members are: •Artists / Performers •Production Staff •Distribution companies •Sales & Marketing •Consultant / coordinators •Studios & Locations •Suppliers / Vendors •Technical Staff •Post production You can avail the free classified service, create your business identity, showcase your talents and connect with people in the entertainment, television, media and advertising industry who are=2 0 looking for you. Want to get started? Log on to http://www.hoonur.com/register/ . From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 14:57:45 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:57:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true Message-ID: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write. But here it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, and there is a lot to imagine: To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we see it in historical perspective, then the hindu identity looks as much visible as Muslim . It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from their collective memory. We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving behind home and hearth, friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for that. Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities. Muslims help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what politically remains elusive. But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was surprised by something more than a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That is that. On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who are now married and living independently. During his month long stay in his village he spent nights at homes of different friends. It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who was offering him to have sex with his wife. Mr. Anil, said no, no, but Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife was born. Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which followed by a repeat next day even. One woman between two friends: one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s wife was not a willing partner in all of that. Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew since 1990. Anil and Nazir have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even accept the most dangerous offer. This Kashmiri woman’s role easily falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. Nazir’s offer to Anil comes because of two reasons. One, that Nazir had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and can not offer him a gift. Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir, I am wondering? And, as we know, woman suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the victim: as usual a woman. But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must be feeling guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman. Or is Anil to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the presence of her husband. Comments please With love and regards Inder salim -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sun Oct 11 13:48:31 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:18:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Obama Presidency of 12 days - Nobel Peace Prize Message-ID: <197105.86863.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Jan 20, 2009 - Obama becomes the 44th President of USA   Feb 1, 2009 - Deadline for nominations for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.   Within 12 days of Obama becoming President, he was nominated for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.   Oct 9, 2009 - Obama is awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize within 9 months of his Presidency.   Quite amusing. Looks like the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has made a mockery of the Prize.   Now, every action taken by Obama that could even remotely be interpreted as 'war escalation' will further mock his having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.   ABC News quotes Michael Worek, author of "Nobel: A Century of Prize Winners," as saying:   """"'"It would be like awarding the Oscar halfway through the movie. You're not saying it's a bad movie, you aren't knocking it. But we just don't know how it ends,"""""""   A sensible Obama would politely refuse accepting the Prize in keeping with his declaration "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize,"    The Prize is awarded to Obama the "person" and not to Obama President of USA. In the context of the Prize, there is little sense in his saying:   """""I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.""""    In any case, since when did "people in all nations" place the trust of their "aspirations held" in the hands of "American leadership"?   Kshmendra       From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 16:31:51 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:31:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics! Message-ID: <1f9180970910110401qffe2576h975b9be905517e88@mail.gmail.com> What is so much there to probe about love affairs between people of different faiths? What is there to probe into cases of conversion from on faith to other so long as proselytizing is perfectly recognized as constitutional and legal in secular India?  You convince me by reason (or even  by giving me soaps) that Islam or Christianity is a better faith than Hiduism; I start thinking that Hinduism is really not good for ME and take a decision to covert as a Muslim or a Christian. How can then one assume that all this happen only because of inflow of mysterious foreign funds plus destabilizing motivations linked with it? Why the mysterious inflow of foreign funds, rather,is not checked by routine regulatory measures than by resorting to ways producing hypes and instilling fears in the minds of people about forcible conversion? True that parents of at least two Hindu girls allegedly lured by the activists of so called 'Love Jihadis' did come up with habeous corpus writs following the disappearance of these girls from their houses. It may also be true that the girls ultimately decide to go back to their parents on the basis of own choice, in a court of law. But why should this be a reason for widespread fear about girls of mature age being trapped into 'Love Jihad'? What is the connection between love, choice of life partner on the one side, and the interventions by the parents of girls,the  police and the court on the other in making out such inter religion love marriages involving conversions as a huge security threat for the entire nation? Would it not have made more sense for the media to take up such stories beyond the 'user friendly' but boundlessly ridiculous new coinage in the lexicon of hate politics like "Love Jihad"? The latest response to the so called Love Jihad by the VHP and the obscur Durgavahini is also being enthusiastically propagated by a section of the Malayalam press; the eveninger Flash News(of M/s Kerala Kaumudi)on 10th October  carried a two page featured item  about how Durgavahini, the womens wing of the VHP is planning to appear in a big way by campaigning in favour of imposing more parental controls on educated Hindu girls. Going by such reports, moral policing perhaps even more ugly than the one resorted by Sri Ram Sene in Karnataka is to set to take off in Kerala under the direct patronage of VHP employing its women cadres.(Fortunately, not many of them are here around for the time being though the Flash News & Co apparently want to get them more popularity and legitimacy.) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 10:19 AM Subject: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad ? To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com Kerala HC wants probe into 'love jihad' http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kerala-hc-wants-probe-into-love-jihad/523630/ Kerala has a new concern: "love jihad". The state High Court on Wednesday directed the Kerala Police and Union Home Ministry to probe the alleged movement, under which young Muslim boys reportedly target college girls for conversion by feigning love. The court also asked the state and Centre to look into the sources that "fund" the love jihad, the number of girls who have got "trapped in the racket" in the past three years and its extremist links, if any. Justice K T Sankaran was hearing anticipatory bail applications of two Muslim youths, accused of "luring" two MBA students into marriage for reportedly the purpose of religious conversion. The court rejected their bail pleas. The two youths were allegedly associated with Campus Front, a student outfit of the right-wing Muslim organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Earlier this month, the parents of the two girls had filed a habeus corpus in the high court after their daughters were found missing. On being produced in court, the girls deposed that they were "trapped" by the youths and forced to convet to Islam. Allowing them to go with their parents, the court had asked the police to probe the charges of forced conversion after trapping girls in love affairs. The students, originally residents of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, had been studying in a college in Pathanamthitta. According to them, one of them fell in love with a senior and eloped to marry him. This senior allegedly "handed over" the other girl to his friend. The girls told the court that they were taken to a centre in Malappuram where they were given literature and shown visuals promoting religious extremism. Police officials admit that there are cases of girls having been converted forcibly or "trapped" into adopting Islam. "The groups focused on girls from well-settled families, a majority of them Hindus," sources said. Senior PFI leader Naseerudheen Elamaram refuting charges against his organisation said, "Religious conversion is not a crime; conversion takes place to Hinduism and Christianity also... One cannot paint all love affairs as cases of forced conversions meant for extremist activity." -------------------------------------- Conversion: court seeks details DGP told to file a statement Two persons file petitions for anticipatory bail High Court also seeks statement from Centre http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/01/stories/2009100154570500.htm Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Director General of Police to furnish the court details regarding the number of cases in which women of other religion were forcibly converted to Islam. Justice K. T. Sankaran, while considering anticipatory bail petitions, directed the DGP to file a statement within three weeks on the following aspects as well: is there a movement called `Romeo Jihad' or `Love Jihad' working in the State; if so, what are their plans and projects; which organisations are involved in such activities; where does the money come for all these activities; how many school and college students and youngsters were thus converted into Islam in the last three years; does the alleged project have an all-India basis and magnitude; has it got financial support from abroad; is there any connection between the `Love Jihad' movement and counterfeiting, smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorist activities? The anticipatory bail petition was filed by Shahan Sha and Sirajudeen who have been charged with abduction and forcibly converting two MBA students to Islam. According to the police, the petitioners feigning love had abducted the girls and put pressure on them to convert to Islam. They were taken to a person who was stated to be an organiser of the women's wing of the Popular Front of India. The girls were later produced before the High Court after their parents filed a habeas corpus petition. The court allowed them to go with their parents as per their request. The court, which went through the case diary, said there were indications that several similar instances took place in the State. It was stated that there was a movement called Romeo Jihad or Love Jihad, conceived by a section of the Muslims, by which Muslim boys were directed to pretend love to girls of other religion and get them converted to Islam. The court pointed out that every citizen was entitled to "freedom of conscience and the right to freely to profess, practice and propagate religion as enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution. This right did not extend to the right to compel a person professing a religion to convert to another religion." __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others. . __,_._,___ -- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From yasir.media at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 23:39:55 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:09:55 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [Hillpark] Re: pk at TED India In-Reply-To: References: <5af37bb0910080553w59b4eb0ew43539fdb33e7865d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910111109x47772aaao71d24b3660e2b582@mail.gmail.com> another stupid visa block !!!! I think we should maintain some kind of visa rejection blog / register. This is extremely exasperating. Monica didnt get a visa for Pk earlier I knowa and Yogi Sikand had problems as wellattending conference !! no Awab going to invited to TEDIndia gets stopped. Outrageous !!! yasie ---------- you know whats sad is that Awab still hasnt gotten his visa for India to go to this -M On Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 5:53 PM, yasir ~يا سر wrote: > > > http://www.techgoss.com/Story/266S12-Pakistani-blogger-invited-to-TED--Infosys-Campus.aspx > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed to hillpark @ googlegroups -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- From kauladityaraj at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 23:50:27 2009 From: kauladityaraj at gmail.com (Aditya Raj Kaul) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:50:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'Security situation has deteriorated in J&K' Message-ID: <6353c690910111120p2c79b6d4x41e207ac4cc02737@mail.gmail.com> 'Security situation has deteriorated in J&K' STAFF WRITER 21:21 HRS IST *Jammu, Oct 11(PTI)* Lambasting Jammu and Kashmir for linking Prime Minister's employment package with return of Kashmir pandits to valley, Panun Kashmir today said that security scenario in Kashmir has deteriorated and the causalities among the security forces have assumed alarming proportions. "Security scenario in Kashmir has deteriorated and the causalities among the security forces have assumed alarming proportions. Infiltration on the borders has also increased," Convenor Panun Kashmir, Dr Agnishakher told reporters here. "Every day reports of the killings of high ranking officials of security apparatus are highly disturbing and the government needs to take strong measures to bring the situation under control," he said. "Cross-border Infiltration has also increased. There are also reports of highly trained terrorists waiting to sneak in the state with active cooperation of the neighbouring country. It calls for immediate review of the overall security scenario by the State of India", Dr Agnishkher said. Link - http://www.ptinews.com/news/326390_-Security-situation-has-deteriorated-in-J-K- From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Sun Oct 11 15:51:28 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:51:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Need sculpting teacher for Visually Impaired artist in Bombay Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Neha Trivedi Date: Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 3:32 PM Subject: Need a sculpting teacher for a Visually Impaired artist in Bombay To: Neha Trivedi Hi Guys So since my mad network last time helped me find a piano teacher this time i am on a hunt for a sculptor who teaches. I am finding a teacher for a commercial artist who lost her sight recently and loves to paint.Since she lost her sight she wants to learn sculpting but has been turned down from all the mainstream schools she has contacted. She lives at mahalaxmi. So anyone in and around would be of enormous help. Travelling a little for someone who is good and willing to teach is not a problem. So if you either know someone directly or have heard of a place i can explore please let me know. Feel free to circulate this around to anyone you think will help us locate someone. thanks a ton to everyone cheers neha From anansi1 at earthlink.net Sun Oct 11 21:20:14 2009 From: anansi1 at earthlink.net (Paul Miller) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:50:14 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Obama vs Right Wing Frenzy In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910091032t79a20775gd474e6fa593944d9@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910091032t79a20775gd474e6fa593944d9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <50ABFDAE-A34D-4A88-89C5-5CA5BCE5326A@earthlink.net> Obama, Right Wing Frenzy -- and the Left By Mark Solomon Some have pointed at past attacks on Democratic presidents to contend that there is every little about the current hysteria that has not been seen before. But there is something different about the frenzied and relentless right wing assault on Barack Obama. The vitriolic fear mongering and lies about Obama's health care reform, the calculated fanning of racism and anti- communism, organized disruptions of congressional town meetings replete with gun-toting intimidators, slanderous and frenzied attacks without boundaries -- constitute a qualitative leap into an abyss of violent rhetoric and occasional violent acts that have rarely been seen before. Fueling that frenzy is significant right wing corporate money that has heavily financed emerging groups that have galvanized protests on the right. Among those formations, some have cynically appropriated symbols from the American Revolution to manipulate and sustain anger against Obama and the government through contrived "tea parties" and vitriolic demonstrations freighted with racist smears. The most reactionary sectors of the corporate elite (especially oil, gas coal and insurance money) are not impressed by Obama's cautious and at times temporizing policymaking. Obama's appeals to bipartisanship regularly fall on deaf ears. The right is not encouraged by centrist policies that fall well within sustaining the institutional domination of capital. Rather, it senses that the country is at a dangerous transformational moment -- symbolized by the Obama presidency. Eight years of right wing rule brought severe blows that led to the right's defeat in 2008. The toll of Wall Street's financial collapse and the economic crisis of rising joblessness and social dislocation, the drain of resources from the hopeless Iraq war and the more hopeless Afghan venture, health care and environmental crises, assorted scandals that shredded Washington's claim to moral authority -- all led to a powerful convergence of various forces -- labor, youth, women, African Americans, Latinos and other nationalities that responded to Obama's call for change. It is both the potential to advance a more democratic and egalitarian society inherent in the Obama presidency and the power of an emerging progressive majority that is the target of the right wing assault. Both represent for the right a frightening promise of social transformation. Whatever the insufficiencies of Obama's health proposals, the right wing (abetted by assorted "moderates") senses in those proposals an historic effort to undermine vast privately held wealth by effecting a major redistribution of that wealth. The right rails against a tepid "public option" because it perceives an historic precedent -- a "slippery slope" according to their house intellectuals at the Weekly Standard --to government "socialist" control of the health care industry. The heavy infusion of funds into the campaign against health care reform and against the Obama presidency has abetted the rallying of a large constituency representing a complex and often bewildering array of ideologies and programs. But some elements of that convergence of right wing forces are clear. The historic ascendancy of an African American to the presidency has stirred deep wellsprings of racism grounded in paranoid fear that racial and national minorities are taking wealth and power from whites -- ironically wealth and power that they never possessed. The wail of a demonstrator in Washington that "we want our country back" was a plea for the return of unmitigated white supremacy -- for a world unaltered by irresistible social and demographic change, for reversal of African American advance symbolized by Obama, for ending immigration spawned by the upheavals of globalization. Immigration has now broadened the range of racism, stoking the anxieties of a major sector of the right wing movement. Anti-communism, another weapon of the right wing arsenal, deeply embedded in the country's history, has been revived to paint Obama as variously a communist or socialist (or perversely as a fascist, a hypocritical manipulation of a most frightening image by a fascist- tinged current). Anti-communism has been resurrected as "big government" driven by jack boots running health care and enforcing a a reversal of the "natural order" of white supremacy. Finally, right wing populism has been reintroduced to exploit genuine anxieties of those who fear impending economic collapse, long-term joblessness, and a government that has, especially in the last decade, remorselessly lied to them. Right wing trends in populism of the late 19th century berated banks and railroads while directing the rage of white farmers and workers towards on African Americans (actually abetting those banks and railroads). Current rightist populism demagogically mimics working class anger at multi- trillion dollar bailouts to banks. It utilizes the old McCarthyite tactic of attacking "liberal elites" that allegedly manipulate the powers of government to coerce the mass with unwanted and repressive programs. Beneath the anti-corporate rhetoric is the real objective--to cultivate searing hatred for government --- at least government that has been obliged to seek social cohesion by pursuing modest steps towards equality. Orchestrated by corporate and Republican operatives and Fox media, the racists, anti-communists, anti- environmentalists, anti-choice and anti-gay rights elements, "birthers," "tea baggers," religious fundamentalists, anti-taxers -- and some driven by confusion, fear and desperation in an imploding economy -- are bound together by a single, overriding factor: resentment and anger at Barack Obama as the symbol of unwelcome change and the power of liberal government. That animus towards Obama enabled a distinct minority to nevertheless galvanize its splintered constituencies, to frame the political debate and to overshadow the broad forces that drove Obama to the White House. While analogies are never perfect, it is instructive to recall that a clear minority, driven by paranoia, anti-Semitic scapegoating, racism and nationalism in early 1930s Germany was able to take power in the face of a paralyzed center and a divided left. The stakes in the current right wing drive to decapitate the Obama presidency and restore the Bush nightmare (or worse) require clear-eyed resistance to the right wing's attempts to undermine Obama and crucially, to topple the broad social movement that brought him to the presidency. On the left, there appears to be a general understanding of the importance of stanching the right wing offensive against the present administration -- while subjecting that administration to grass roots pressure to steer it in a progressive direction. However, some influential left voices are engaging in an one-dimensional attacks on Obama that sow confusion, demoralization and demobilization that however unintentional, detract from the primary need to combat the right wing. (The pseudo-left fringe that defines Obama as a stalking horse for a ruling class conspiracy is not considered in this article.) For example, a prominent peace activist, demonstrating against Obama at his Martha's Vineyard vacation site declared that in calling Bush a war criminal we must also call Obama a war criminal. Another voice on the left recently published a more sophisticated, but no less disorienting attack in an article titled "Bush's Third Term? You're Living It." Faithful to its title, the article, posted on prominent left websites, recites a catalog of deeply institutionalized imperial and national security polices passed from administration to administration -- the largest military budget in history, defense of executive privilege, continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a "Bush third term" honeycombed with Wall St. operatives that orchestrated the massive bailout of the finance industry. The point, of course, is that Bush's third term is Obama first term. To reach that conclusion a selective scalpel had to be applied to Obama's brief record as President. Some comparisons with Bush ("continuing his policy of extraordinary rendition") are questionable. Torture have been formally ruled out by the present administration. But rendition, though not clearly rejected, is nearly paralyzed by hesitancy. Other aspects of military and national security policy such as complete withdrawal from Iraq, escalation in Afghanistan, release of White House visitor logs, torture indictments, claims of executive privilege -- are either yet to be finalized or are frozen for the moment by internal conflicts within the administration. The "Bush third term" analogy also requires the omission of Obama policies that reflect the influence of the multilateralist wing of the military and foreign policy establishment -- to an extent the influence of progressive forces. Can one imagine George W. Bush opening the door to the elimination of nuclear weapons? Would Bush have canceled the provocative European missile shield that has riled the Russians? However tenuous and cautious the Obama approach, would Bush have opened the door to Cuba? Would he have condemned the Honduras coup? In the domestic sphere, it is unimaginable that George W. Bush would launch a major stimulus, however short of overwhelming need, to boost a shattered economy, to call for Wall St. re- regulation, for institutionalized consumer protection and for urgent attention to the environmental crisis? Pointing out positive aspects of Obama's brief record is not meant to negate justified criticism or to offer a mechanical balance sheet devoid of analysis of its principal elements.Some of his administration's policy choices are riven by serious contradictions such as its claim to re-ignite a Latin American good neighbor policy that is undercut by a plan to establish military bases in Columbia or its demand for a freeze on Israeli settlements that is countered by its retreat before Netanyahu and its obstruction of the Goldstone report on Israeli crimes in Gaza. However, to close our eyes to the positive and to offer one-dimensional condemnation is to perilously neglect the internal splits in ruling circles that provide openings for progressives and to weaken the spirit and resolve of progressives to reinvigorate the social movement that brought Obama to the presidency. Those Obama policies that reinforce imperial strategic interests and the dominance of the financial sector should be subjected to criticism and opposition -- first and foremost from the forces that put him in office. Obama the candidate promised change, but he is a cautious, pragmatic politician who bends at times to the left (especially when he feels the weight of that "bottom up" movement that he talked about when campaigning) but who carefully assesses and responds to the pressures of powerful ruling blocs that oppose his agenda. President Barack Obama understands a progressive platform. His recent media interviews demonstrated an acute understanding of single payer health care and of various forms of socially grounded health programs around the world. But given his assessment of the power of insurance and pharmaceutical interests arrayed against even tepid reform, Obama was not going to carry the ball for meaningful universal health care without a powerful, united push from his left. Standing in the wings are forces, at least as powerful as those opposed to universal health care, geared to prevent serious measures to combat the environmental crisis and to stop the Employee Free Choice Act. Defeating those forces requires the urgent unity of a reinvigorated progressive movement. Crucial to the fight against the right wing offensive is the need to pressure the Obama administration to sharpen its policies in a progressive direction.The administration's vague and temporizing approach to vital issues like health care undermines the clarity and vitality of the majority on the left and center, thus weakening the fight against the right. Organizing for America, the 13-million-person list of Obama supporters has had little success in urging its members to mobilize to support vaguely-defined "quality health care," thus stifling efforts to counter the resurgence of the right wing and to reach out and win that large segment on the right that is motivated by deep economic insecurity and distrust of government. The task of invigorating Organizing for America falls to the left which should be involved in reawakening the progressive agenda that largely motivated the Obama coalition in the first place. A way forward at this critical juncture is suggested by an event that took place in Boston in late September to "talk back to the G20." A packed public meeting at Northeastern University was sponsored by the Majority Agenda Project -- dedicated to the principle of the inseparability of the crises in the economy, the environment and foreign policy and need to mobilize the majority that supports progressive policies to stem those crises. The meeting before a predominantly young, multiracial audience was addressed by an economist who briefly surveyed the damaging bailout of the financial system; by a student whose parents are now jobless and who may be forced to leave college, by two Latina housekeepers at the Boston Hyatt Hotel who were replaced by contract workers at half their wages (bringing many in the audience to tears), by two African American women fighting foreclosure of their homes, by a sociologist who produced data to demonstrate the country is center-left not center- right, by a young Iraq war veteran who made the connection between wasteful military spending and the crisis at home, by a medical doctor who described through personal experience the magnitude of the crisis in health care, by an African American environmental activist who surveyed the fight against climate catastrophe in his community and a by leader of the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party who drew together the many strands of crisis into a coherent whole. In reporting on the results small group discussion, a student pointed out that the meeting had put a human face on growing suffering, had demonstrated the inseparability of the various crises and the compelling need for all those affected by those crises and working for change to stand together. The country is again at a critical crossroads that may well determine the outcome of the fight against the right wing and the fate of a progressive agenda. Whether the war in Afghanistan will be escalated or whether a path will be taken to ending US and NATO intervention will impact a range of issues from a a new stimulus to create green jobs, to solving the crisis of health care, to serious engagement with the impending climate catastrophe. In coming days, the rallies, protests and lobbying to end the war in Afghanistan should be the basis for the broadest movement to embrace the thousands who converged in Detroit to seek minimal aid in paying rent and utilities to the military families, to the millions of jobless, to the millions who are caught in the health care crisis and to all of us facing the environmental crisis. Now is the time to resurrect the alliance that defeated the right in 2008. That fight goes on and so must the quest for the unity of all progressive forces. From anansi1 at earthlink.net Sun Oct 11 21:20:33 2009 From: anansi1 at earthlink.net (Paul D. Miller) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:50:33 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Subject: [Reader-list] Obama vs Right Wing Frenzy Message-ID: <24896996.1255276233308.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Obama, Right Wing Frenzy -- and the Left By Mark Solomon Some have pointed at past attacks on Democratic presidents to contend that there is every little about the current hysteria that has not been seen before. But there is something different about the frenzied and relentless right wing assault on Barack Obama. The vitriolic fear mongering and lies about Obama's health care reform, the calculated fanning of racism and anti- communism, organized disruptions of congressional town meetings replete with gun-toting intimidators, slanderous and frenzied attacks without boundaries -- constitute a qualitative leap into an abyss of violent rhetoric and occasional violent acts that have rarely been seen before. Fueling that frenzy is significant right wing corporate money that has heavily financed emerging groups that have galvanized protests on the right. Among those formations, some have cynically appropriated symbols from the American Revolution to manipulate and sustain anger against Obama and the government through contrived "tea parties" and vitriolic demonstrations freighted with racist smears. The most reactionary sectors of the corporate elite (especially oil, gas coal and insurance money) are not impressed by Obama's cautious and at times temporizing policymaking. Obama's appeals to bipartisanship regularly fall on deaf ears. The right is not encouraged by centrist policies that fall well within sustaining the institutional domination of capital. Rather, it senses that the country is at a dangerous transformational moment -- symbolized by the Obama presidency. Eight years of right wing rule brought severe blows that led to the right's defeat in 2008. The toll of Wall Street's financial collapse and the economic crisis of rising joblessness and social dislocation, the drain of resources from the hopeless Iraq war and the more hopeless Afghan venture, health care and environmental crises, assorted scandals that shredded Washington's claim to moral authority -- all led to a powerful convergence of various forces -- labor, youth, women, African Americans, Latinos and other nationalities that responded to Obama's call for change. It is both the potential to advance a more democratic and egalitarian society inherent in the Obama presidency and the power of an emerging progressive majority that is the target of the right wing assault. Both represent for the right a frightening promise of social transformation. Whatever the insufficiencies of Obama's health proposals, the right wing (abetted by assorted "moderates") senses in those proposals an historic effort to undermine vast privately held wealth by effecting a major redistribution of that wealth. The right rails against a tepid "public option" because it perceives an historic precedent -- a "slippery slope" according to their house intellectuals at the Weekly Standard --to government "socialist" control of the health care industry. The heavy infusion of funds into the campaign against health care reform and against the Obama presidency has abetted the rallying of a large constituency representing a complex and often bewildering array of ideologies and programs. But some elements of that convergence of right wing forces are clear. The historic ascendancy of an African American to the presidency has stirred deep wellsprings of racism grounded in paranoid fear that racial and national minorities are taking wealth and power from whites -- ironically wealth and power that they never possessed. The wail of a demonstrator in Washington that "we want our country back" was a plea for the return of unmitigated white supremacy -- for a world unaltered by irresistible social and demographic change, for reversal of African American advance symbolized by Obama, for ending immigration spawned by the upheavals of globalization. Immigration has now broadened the range of racism, stoking the anxieties of a major sector of the right wing movement. Anti-communism, another weapon of the right wing arsenal, deeply embedded in the country's history, has been revived to paint Obama as variously a communist or socialist (or perversely as a fascist, a hypocritical manipulation of a most frightening image by a fascist- tinged current). Anti-communism has been resurrected as "big government" driven by jack boots running health care and enforcing a a reversal of the "natural order" of white supremacy. Finally, right wing populism has been reintroduced to exploit genuine anxieties of those who fear impending economic collapse, long-term joblessness, and a government that has, especially in the last decade, remorselessly lied to them. Right wing trends in populism of the late 19th century berated banks and railroads while directing the rage of white farmers and workers towards on African Americans (actually abetting those banks and railroads). Current rightist populism demagogically mimics working class anger at multi- trillion dollar bailouts to banks. It utilizes the old McCarthyite tactic of attacking "liberal elites" that allegedly manipulate the powers of government to coerce the mass with unwanted and repressive programs. Beneath the anti-corporate rhetoric is the real objective--to cultivate searing hatred for government --- at least government that has been obliged to seek social cohesion by pursuing modest steps towards equality. Orchestrated by corporate and Republican operatives and Fox media, the racists, anti-communists, anti- environmentalists, anti-choice and anti-gay rights elements, "birthers," "tea baggers," religious fundamentalists, anti-taxers -- and some driven by confusion, fear and desperation in an imploding economy -- are bound together by a single, overriding factor: resentment and anger at Barack Obama as the symbol of unwelcome change and the power of liberal government. That animus towards Obama enabled a distinct minority to nevertheless galvanize its splintered constituencies, to frame the political debate and to overshadow the broad forces that drove Obama to the White House. While analogies are never perfect, it is instructive to recall that a clear minority, driven by paranoia, anti-Semitic scapegoating, racism and nationalism in early 1930s Germany was able to take power in the face of a paralyzed center and a divided left. The stakes in the current right wing drive to decapitate the Obama presidency and restore the Bush nightmare (or worse) require clear-eyed resistance to the right wing's attempts to undermine Obama and crucially, to topple the broad social movement that brought him to the presidency. On the left, there appears to be a general understanding of the importance of stanching the right wing offensive against the present administration -- while subjecting that administration to grass roots pressure to steer it in a progressive direction. However, some influential left voices are engaging in an one-dimensional attacks on Obama that sow confusion, demoralization and demobilization that however unintentional, detract from the primary need to combat the right wing. (The pseudo-left fringe that defines Obama as a stalking horse for a ruling class conspiracy is not considered in this article.) For example, a prominent peace activist, demonstrating against Obama at his Martha's Vineyard vacation site declared that in calling Bush a war criminal we must also call Obama a war criminal. Another voice on the left recently published a more sophisticated, but no less disorienting attack in an article titled "Bush's Third Term? You're Living It." Faithful to its title, the article, posted on prominent left websites, recites a catalog of deeply institutionalized imperial and national security polices passed from administration to administration -- the largest military budget in history, defense of executive privilege, continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a "Bush third term" honeycombed with Wall St. operatives that orchestrated the massive bailout of the finance industry. The point, of course, is that Bush's third term is Obama first term. To reach that conclusion a selective scalpel had to be applied to Obama's brief record as President. Some comparisons with Bush ("continuing his policy of extraordinary rendition") are questionable. Torture have been formally ruled out by the present administration. But rendition, though not clearly rejected, is nearly paralyzed by hesitancy. Other aspects of military and national security policy such as complete withdrawal from Iraq, escalation in Afghanistan, release of White House visitor logs, torture indictments, claims of executive privilege -- are either yet to be finalized or are frozen for the moment by internal conflicts within the administration. The "Bush third term" analogy also requires the omission of Obama policies that reflect the influence of the multilateralist wing of the military and foreign policy establishment -- to an extent the influence of progressive forces. Can one imagine George W. Bush opening the door to the elimination of nuclear weapons? Would Bush have canceled the provocative European missile shield that has riled the Russians? However tenuous and cautious the Obama approach, would Bush have opened the door to Cuba? Would he have condemned the Honduras coup? In the domestic sphere, it is unimaginable that George W. Bush would launch a major stimulus, however short of overwhelming need, to boost a shattered economy, to call for Wall St. re- regulation, for institutionalized consumer protection and for urgent attention to the environmental crisis? Pointing out positive aspects of Obama's brief record is not meant to negate justified criticism or to offer a mechanical balance sheet devoid of analysis of its principal elements.Some of his administration's policy choices are riven by serious contradictions such as its claim to re-ignite a Latin American good neighbor policy that is undercut by a plan to establish military bases in Columbia or its demand for a freeze on Israeli settlements that is countered by its retreat before Netanyahu and its obstruction of the Goldstone report on Israeli crimes in Gaza. However, to close our eyes to the positive and to offer one-dimensional condemnation is to perilously neglect the internal splits in ruling circles that provide openings for progressives and to weaken the spirit and resolve of progressives to reinvigorate the social movement that brought Obama to the presidency. Those Obama policies that reinforce imperial strategic interests and the dominance of the financial sector should be subjected to criticism and opposition -- first and foremost from the forces that put him in office. Obama the candidate promised change, but he is a cautious, pragmatic politician who bends at times to the left (especially when he feels the weight of that "bottom up" movement that he talked about when campaigning) but who carefully assesses and responds to the pressures of powerful ruling blocs that oppose his agenda. President Barack Obama understands a progressive platform. His recent media interviews demonstrated an acute understanding of single payer health care and of various forms of socially grounded health programs around the world. But given his assessment of the power of insurance and pharmaceutical interests arrayed against even tepid reform, Obama was not going to carry the ball for meaningful universal health care without a powerful, united push from his left. Standing in the wings are forces, at least as powerful as those opposed to universal health care, geared to prevent serious measures to combat the environmental crisis and to stop the Employee Free Choice Act. Defeating those forces requires the urgent unity of a reinvigorated progressive movement. Crucial to the fight against the right wing offensive is the need to pressure the Obama administration to sharpen its policies in a progressive direction.The administration's vague and temporizing approach to vital issues like health care undermines the clarity and vitality of the majority on the left and center, thus weakening the fight against the right. Organizing for America, the 13-million-person list of Obama supporters has had little success in urging its members to mobilize to support vaguely-defined "quality health care," thus stifling efforts to counter the resurgence of the right wing and to reach out and win that large segment on the right that is motivated by deep economic insecurity and distrust of government. The task of invigorating Organizing for America falls to the left which should be involved in reawakening the progressive agenda that largely motivated the Obama coalition in the first place. A way forward at this critical juncture is suggested by an event that took place in Boston in late September to "talk back to the G20." A packed public meeting at Northeastern University was sponsored by the Majority Agenda Project -- dedicated to the principle of the inseparability of the crises in the economy, the environment and foreign policy and need to mobilize the majority that supports progressive policies to stem those crises. The meeting before a predominantly young, multiracial audience was addressed by an economist who briefly surveyed the damaging bailout of the financial system; by a student whose parents are now jobless and who may be forced to leave college, by two Latina housekeepers at the Boston Hyatt Hotel who were replaced by contract workers at half their wages (bringing many in the audience to tears), by two African American women fighting foreclosure of their homes, by a sociologist who produced data to demonstrate the country is center-left not center- right, by a young Iraq war veteran who made the connection between wasteful military spending and the crisis at home, by a medical doctor who described through personal experience the magnitude of the crisis in health care, by an African American environmental activist who surveyed the fight against climate catastrophe in his community and a by leader of the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party who drew together the many strands of crisis into a coherent whole. In reporting on the results small group discussion, a student pointed out that the meeting had put a human face on growing suffering, had demonstrated the inseparability of the various crises and the compelling need for all those affected by those crises and working for change to stand together. The country is again at a critical crossroads that may well determine the outcome of the fight against the right wing and the fate of a progressive agenda. Whether the war in Afghanistan will be escalated or whether a path will be taken to ending US and NATO intervention will impact a range of issues from a a new stimulus to create green jobs, to solving the crisis of health care, to serious engagement with the impending climate catastrophe. In coming days, the rallies, protests and lobbying to end the war in Afghanistan should be the basis for the broadest movement to embrace the thousands who converged in Detroit to seek minimal aid in paying rent and utilities to the military families, to the millions of jobless, to the millions who are caught in the health care crisis and to all of us facing the environmental crisis. Now is the time to resurrect the alliance that defeated the right in 2008. That fight goes on and so must the quest for the unity of all progressive forces. From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon Oct 12 09:05:33 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:35:33 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] FICA presents ART21 Season 5 preview, New Delhi In-Reply-To: <032501ca47f1$4e5b57e0$eb1207a0$@com> References: <032501ca47f1$4e5b57e0$eb1207a0$@com> Message-ID: <8CC19042FA269F8-52F4-1D3CE@webmail-m069.sysops.aol.com> This October in New Delhi Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art presents art: 21- Art in the Twenty-First Century Season 5 This event is part of Art21 Access ‘09, a celebration of contemporary art and Season 5 of Art:21-Art in the Twenty-First Century sponsored by Art21. Art21 Access 09 is held at over 300 museums, schools, libraries, art spaces, and community centers around the world. Visit art21.org for more information. Film screenings followed by panel discussions   Fantasy                 featuring Cao Fei, Mary Heilmann, Jeff Koons, Florian Mae-Aichen Venue:                   Library, Goethe Institut - Max Mueller Bhavan,  3, Kasturba Gandhi Marg Date/Time:          October 11, 2009, 5 pm Panelists:              Amitabha Bagchi, Bharti Kher, Shuddhabrata Sengupta and Madhu Sarin   Systems                featuring Julie Mehretu, John Baldessari, Kimsooja and Allan McCollum Venue:                   Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhawan, Ferozeshah Road, Connaught Place Date/Time:          October 15, 2009, 5 pm Pan elists:              Colin Gonsalves, Ashok Lall, Mukul Kesavan and Vivan Sundaram   Transformation featuring Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Yinka Shonibare Venue:                   Auditorium, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli road Date/Time:          October 24, 2009, 5 pm Panelists:              Anita Dube, Pushpamala N, Maya Rao and Shukla Sawant   Compassion        featuring William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo and Carrie Mae Weems Venue:                   Auditorium, British Council Division, British High Commission, 17 Kasturbha Gandhi Marg Date/Time:          October 28, 2009, 5 pm Panelists:              Sheba Chhachhi, Amar Kanwar, Dilip Simeon and Susan Visvanathan   FICA is grateful to Goethe Insitut - Max Mueller Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and British Council for hosting the events     The events are free and open to public.  For more information please contact FICA, D 17 8, First Floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase I, New Delhi 110020. Ph: 65474005/6 or email us at info at ficart.org   Episodes of Season 1 to 4 of Art: 21 will be screened through the month at the FICA Reading Room, D 42, Defence Colony, New Delhi. Please check schedule at www.ficart.org   ----------- ABOUT FICA   The Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), established in 2007, works within and outside the gallery space to broaden the audience for contemporary Indian art, enhance opportunities for artists, and establish a continuous dialogue between the arts and the public through education and active participation in public art projects. FICA’s main annual programmes are the Emerging Artist Award, Public Art Grant and the Research Fellowship. Educational programmes are aimed at not only school and college students but also a general audience, through regular thematic workshops by professionals and regular talks/interactive forums. Each workshop/talk is designed is custom made to suit the age, background and type of participants.   Since its inception FICA has slowly and steadily increased its activities and networked with various groups of students, scholars, artists, resource persons, educators and organizations to  develop active space which allows for art to be accessed by a larger audience. One of such major steps is the opening of the FICA Reading Room, an open=2 0access archive with a large collection of books, journals, magazines and catalogues on modern and contemporary art from India and around the world. www.ficart.org      ABOUT ART21   Over the past ten years, Art21 has established itself as the preeminent chronicler of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century. The organization has used the power of digital media to expose millions of people of all ages to contemporary art and artists and has created a new paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process.   In addition to its PBS series and year-round series-based education and public programs efforts, Art21 has expanded its film production and educational efforts in recent years. Several new initiatives have been launched in the past year, including the premiere of the new short-format documentary series Art21–Exclusive on multiple online platforms and expansion of the Art21 Blog. New programs are also in the works, including a feature film as well as Art21 Educators, an ongoing professional development program for teachers. www.art21.org   From shuddha at sarai.net Mon Oct 12 10:06:05 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:06:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A Face Towel in Allahabad, 1984 Message-ID: <902FA7AC-6C32-49FF-9601-1EA32786E8E0@sarai.net> Dear All, Here is a text I was asked to write for Outlook magazine's, recent issue commemorating twenty five years since 1984. It's an interesting issue to look at for anyone who like me, came of age in the late 1980s. best Shuddha ------------------------------------------------ A Face Towel in Allahabad, 1984 Shuddhabrata Sengupta (Published with the title, Actors Studio, in Outlook, Volume XLIX, No. 41, October 19, 2009) http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262208 The late prime minister V.P. Singh’s memoir Manzilon se Zyaada Safar has an interesting episode pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan’s political baptism in Allahabad in 1984. The episode is not so much an event as it is an image. An image, which by its very opacity, by its presentation of a mask where we would normally expect to meet a face, continues to exercise a certain strange power. V.P. Singh, who was at that time the president of the UP state Congress party, recalls seeing Bachchan (whom he did not know of, he says, as he did not watch films) for the first time with his face “...covered in a towel”. Ever since I have read this, I can no longer see Amitabh Bachchan, not even retrospectively, without his face- towel on. Rajiv Gandhi and his close advisors had decided that fielding Bachchan in the Lok Sabha elections for the Allahabad seat was a winning proposition. Bachchan was a friend, an Allahabad lad who had a cathartic place on the national stage and a decisive influence on the hairstyles and angst of millions. Bachchan came to see V.P. Singh to discuss the impending election, together with Arun Nehru, and covered his face with a towel, so as not to be recognised. The superstar’s incognito entry into political life, shielded by a towel, was the muted beginning of a new phase in the relationship between politics and images, which would see more masks, less faces. After all, the year was 1984. The peace that stunned us all in the aftermath of the November pogrom of Sikhs in Delhi and the industrial accident at Bhopal was a war. Truth was a lie. And what could a well-known face be if it were not to be a mask. Whether disguised, or in the spotlight, political actors (not all of whom are ‘actor-politicians’) from that moment on in 1984, have been masked men and women. The greater their claims to our attention, the more crafty the fashioning of their enigmas. Some have masks made of electronic gauze that flicker to life on prime-time television when they are invoked by the babble of the charlatans also known as anchors. Others have statuesque masks of stone and bronze. Some are a grimace, others are a smile. Some masks are made up of seemingly rash words, others of carefully weighed silences. It has nowadays become commonplace to call politicians mukhotas or masks that cover other more oblique, darker realities. The rancid darkness behind masks can bridge the opaque backroom deal with the visible spectacle and the performed massacre. The disturbing image of a crowd wearing almost life-like Narendra Modi masks invokes a dystopic vision of a cloned tyrant (waiting for a science-fiction film called the ‘Boys from Gujarat’) whose power lies not in his distance from those he rules over, but from the uncanny and intimate proximity that is leveraged by his sinister ability to brand the faces of the multitude with his own features, and by their desire to jettison their own particularities in order to gain his grimace. When the electorate dons the Modi mask, it can turn itself into a crowd that no longer has the capacity to ‘lose face’ at the disasters meted out in its name. So, what exactly did Amitabh Bachchan, Big B, Big Boss, the erstwhile angry young man, a sometime corporation, now a poet of banal blogging and a robustly ageing piece of handsomely upholstered furniture in every television owner’s living space, contribute to the political life of our greasy republic? What Bachchan brought to Indian politics was not necessarily charisma alone (and it isn’t only filmstars that generate charisma in any case). He did of course have a headstart in terms of a flawless performance of sincerity. A quality that has stood by him at his murkiest moments. As a politician, he never quite exhausted the finely tuned ‘sincerity quotient’ in his self-presentation, even as he orchestrated the careful mix between a performative ‘son of the soil’ modesty and a grandiose Bollywood baritone. It was the same alloy of intimate ease with the common man or woman and a simultaneously aloof hauteur that later marked Bachchan’s avuncular presence on television quiz shows. Seeing Bachchan the patriarch pump, cajole and console contestants with a teflon smoothness that makes even his hairpiece look ragged is to witness what might have made Bachchan the political meteor that he once was. Seeing Bachchan ‘do’ Thackeray in films like Sarkar Raj is to watch him give even the darkest of political forces the gossamer shine of his careful blend of sincerity and cynicism. In a recent blog post Bachchan writes, “Politics is a complicated world—a world where if you are unable to play the game, you remain a novice and a stranger eternally. I admire those who’ve remained in it for long years. I admire the guile with which they steer their boats...those who pursue this line do so with utmost dedication, passion.” One could of course read this statement as it is, and take it at face value, as an expression of genuine admiration on the part of a man who tried, failed and so applauds the successes of others, even while he makes a case for his own naive inability to play the game. Or, one could read it against the grain, and consider it to be a report card given by a proud teacher to good students. Acharya Amitabh applauding the graduation of the masked princes who now rule us, who perform better on TV than they do on the streets, or in their offices, or even in the assembly. Bachchan was probably the pioneer who bridged the shadows of backroom cronyism with the spotlight of increasingly televised public life. Perhaps, like pioneers often are, he was occasionally clumsy and awkward while trying out the moves. But the deftness and dexterity of his true successors—and they now shine in every political party—suggests that what began in Allahabad in 1984 is today a full-blown revolution in the highly public performance of sincerity. The masks that these new pretenders wear empower them to give the right-sounding answers even to the wrong questions. They will rake in the billions. Inhein lock kiya jaye? Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Oct 12 16:37:43 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:43 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910101107g1c413529pa46e69c6d795dbfd@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <735919.83666.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Inder   1. The presence of "tota" (parakeet = parrot) in Kashmir is not a matter of opinion between you and me. I evidenced it for you with references from others.   I have already requested you  "Since the given links (photographs of the 'totas'-parakeets) are not your understanding of what is a 'tota' in Kashmir, you should give some idea (through pics) of what is a 'tota' in your view."   Instead you parrot a No! No!   yor'a chu'sai loth'i loth'i pyaal'a pilvaan o'ra chu'ham pajji sumb kal'a gilvaan   (slow, gentle and silently i offer you a cup to drink from  ferociously you shake a no with your rice-basket head)   2. I did not call the Al Qaeda 'ridiculous' but called 'ridiculous' your suggestion that the Al Qaeda sees the parrot as an Islamic Bird.   Whatever Faisal Devji may or may not have written, the importance or non-importance of 'green' for the Al Qaeda can be gauged by the colour of their Flag. It is Black, in the manner of Black Flags that Mohammed reportedly used to carry into battle.   3. Your mails do not make me uncomfortable. You amuse me often with what you write. When you are quite obviously trying to manufacture fact from the fiction of your imagination, it gives me an opportunity to delve into matters and in the process try and educate myself too a bit.   4. I do not agree with you that KPs have appropiated "shiv". They cannot. No one has exclusivity of rights in meditating upon that concept. Nor do you need to be a 'conceptual expert' on "shiv" to explore the connected thinking.   5. Who are these "most KPs" that you refer to? Bimla Raina is highly respected as a poetess. I am surprised you see her work as "re-reading Lal Ded" instead of her own meditations.   6. You will have to yourself ask Abhinavgupt and Lal Ded whether they were  "Nationalists" and how they react to the "Aazadi" movement. Their views do not interest me. This so called "Aazadi" is in it's essence driven by the desire for an Islamic Nation State.   7. As religions go, Islam is just one amongst them. No disagreement on that.  It is what is propagated in the name of any religion that causes concern whether the religion is Islam or Hinduism or any other.      8. Please do not misrepresent what I said. I do not object to the 'Muslim' word in MUF. It has to be there since it is the Muslim United Front. Objecting to it would be denying the obvious.   9. You give a long lecture on Indira and Sheikh and Rajeev and NC and Congress. Quite meaningless. Just a tactic by you to shift focus.       You do not answer the crucial question on the infusion of the "Islamic Factor' into the politics of Kashmir which later on picked up the "Aazadi" avtaar:        """""" Was there a "Hindu" agenda driven politics or governance in Kashmir  that compelled the formation of a "Muslim" alliance?"     Kshmendra --- On Sat, 10/10/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song To: "reader-list" Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009, 11:37 PM Kshmendra: "There is a Tota in Kashmir", and "I hope this will be my last conversation piece with you in this thread". Inder Salim: There is no Tota in Kashmir, and  i hope this is not my last conversation piece with you in this thread. Dear Kshmendra,  You may think, Al Qaeda are ridiculous to see Parrot as an Islamic bird, but if u read Faisal Devi ji’s book Landscapes of Jihad you will agree, it is true. Well, that is that, I am not hell bent to oppose to everything what you say, but, in general,  i have lot of fun with mails on the list, and if they make u uncomfortable, i am sorry, i am too simple for that, unlike great Nietzsche, who is believed to make people uncomfortable. but i guess, i'm always within my rights to expect a reflection from you. Even silence is one such way/form, but that is another layer, which perhaps, comes through a  deep contemplative understanding of words like ' shiv' . Right now, i feel, Kashmiri pandits have almost appropriated  this sound and impose their own interpretation to it, which will be eternally limited, since Shiv is beyond, perhaps, very simple, life like, bereft of rituals, and even isms, if one applies some slices of Abhinav Gupta commentary  on the idea of Shiv. I am not conceptual 'shiv' expert, let alone Sada Shiv, which perhaps, lal Ded was grappling with... no wonder, why most of KP’s dislike Bimla Raina’s way of re-reading Lal Ded.  But I respect her, even if I don’t agree with her at some points. She is remarkable woman poet writing VAKHS in Kashmiri. Yes, just a question:  was Abhinav gupta or Lal Ded a Nationalist? A hypothetical question: how would both of them react to present day ‘Azadi’ in Kashmir ?  would they support the idea of State, or the people of Kashmir?. You will perhaps, agree that Lal Ded was/is people's poet because she mixed with people, uttered verses that were meaningful to them, to all shades, of all identities, and , if she had chosen to write in  hard core Sanskrit.  imagine, the fate of such writers: Ghalib's entire Persian verses are so unpopular, and as some scholars say,  a little less deeper in comparison to  his Urdu ones. Islam was not something just born in the world when Lal Ded was around in 14th ceuntry. So, the concept ' Islam ' is as good as any other concept, which we may accept or not, simple. True, fanatic form of a concept is always there, like the Bear who has always an excuse to kill the Goat. No wonder that, people of all shades, identities, give a good name to their fanaticism and do what selfishly suits them best. KP’s do violence to KPs, and Muslims do violence to Muslims  and so on.  That is  violence, which we need to talk about, and not ‘the concept’ which is always there in nature, like air, or sun shine, like Islam or Hinduism, Sikhism etc. I disagree that poets and saint don’t think of conflicts around them, and only think about their salvation or nirvana etc.  I guess, it is a mixture of both, as Lal Ded was not conventionally an ascetic, but a woman who wanted to restore the sensible. She was not silent on issues.  She was the pulse of her times, our times even. even if the 'hyond' is not uttered by Lal Ded, i still see the entire concept not mismatching with  what 'shiv' upholds. At one point of history Kashmir,   Buddhists were so fanatic ( not all )  that they would slay the opponent if he was outwitted in a discussion on thought. (Source Moti Lal Saqi ). Brahmincal form of Pandits is well known for their aversion  to any return of those just converted to other faith under duress and so on... Well, let us not go back too much in the past. The fact is that Kashmir is a Muslim Majority area and they don’t like too much of historical references of their non-islamic past. Partition 1947 can be seen a reason for this, but that is still manageable, but this later on Indian unfortunate subversion of democratic ways to returning to normalcy was too much for kashmiris to digest. Here, you give  all the benefit of doubts  to Indian State, but the people in Kashmir  see India as ruthless oppressor who  not only humiliated the Kashmiri sentiment since Sheikh’s47, but during elections in 1989, when MUF was thrown out almost like MujiburRahman in  pre 1971 East Pakistan election. There are many comparisons in the world. Your objections to Muslim word is because you don’t see the historical fact which led to such a front. Was it not again Rajeev of Congress party who embraced Farooq of historical NC , which was similar to Indira Sheikh accord. Needless to say  that people hated Sheikh for that accord, and I personally feel that he humiliated himself by entering into that accord. I feel he was drugged in Delhi, but for someone who is a lover of the State, literally, even such a thing becomes justifiable for him. Now, may be India scored a point by unfurling Tri-colour on the dead Sheikh in 1982 but the fact remains that people saw him in ‘white’ only. Later on, people saw him in both black and white, because , people see always what is underneath the garment, and react, in micro reality which is as dynamic as it is at macro level. And strangely we have different stands against different compositions, but both are posited with a similar quest. Yes, my personal take on Azadi is not something which is meant to insult the State only, but it is about human bondage. And I see both folk and contemporary, poetry and art, and other cultural expressions as vital tools to uplift the human spirit to feel liberation. A mere salute to the State does elevate the spirits of a too domesticated middle class boring citizen of this world, but not me, sorry. So, most likely, my version of Azadi wont suit most of radicals in Kashmir, even, Besides that I keep on talking about love, in universal terms all the time. We have truly little time for that But still, Love and regards Inder salim On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 4:56 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > Dear Inder > > 1. You can speak for yourself as not having seen a 'tota' in Kashmir. Please do not speak for me. > > 2. Your dismissive contempt for factual "research based projects" is interesting. Obviously you are uncomfortable with facts. You are imputing that Dr Bakshi Jehangir (bird-watcher) and Imran Dar & Mithas Dar (reserchers) are liars. > > 3. Since the given links (photographs of the 'totas'-parakeets) are not your understanding of what is a 'tota' in Kashmir, you should give some idea (through pics) of what is a 'tota' in your view. > > 4. Your comment that Al Qaeda sees "tota' as an Islamic Bird is ridiculous. > > 5. "Sodur" in Kashmir is 'Lake'. I tried to guide you towards this by informing you about the various landmarks named after "Sodur" around the Lakes. > > 6. I told you about a place named  Sodur-Khon (apart from Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Kot.). It is a point recognised at the inlet to Dal Lake where the Dal is supposed to be the deepest. > > 7. Your question as to why Lal Ded used "sodras" (variant of 'sodur') instead of saying Wular or Dal is  like asking why (in English) a poet would use 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake' instead of using the name for a 'sea' or 'ocean' or 'lake'. Bizzare question. > > 8. You take too many liberties with Lal Ded by saying that "her well known verse ( vaakh ) on hindu muslim unity is well known jem". That is trivialising Lal Ded and distorting the 'Vaakh' in case you are referrring to 'shiv chui thali thali rozan, mozan hyond tai mussalman, trukh hai chukh paan parznav, soi chai sahibas saety zani zaan' > > Lal Ded through recurrant references in her poetry is seen as having surrendered herself to the concept of 'shiv'. In this vaakh too she talks abou 'shiv' being resident in you which transcends any concept of 'hyond' and 'mussalman'. > > She goes on to call for recognising the 'trukh' in yourself. "Trukh" is from the philosophical treatise of "Trikha" which is also known variously known as "Kashmir Shaivism" which in turn had it's roots in the "Bhairav Tantra". > > Some scholars read "trukh" as "wise". Some replace "hyond" by "bhatta". Some use "shivas" instead of "sahibas". > > Since I have some interest in Lal Ded, I would be obliged if you could elaborate upon how this 'vaakh' talks about Hindu-Muslim Unity or any other references in her poetry that seek (what you call) "reconcillation between these two drifting identities ". > > Scholars who question this 'vaakh' as being an authentic one from Lal Ded is because of the use of the word "hyond" (variant of Hindu). Everywhere else the word used by Lal Ded is "bhatta". Even in our lifetimes the word "hyond" or even "hindu" is not common currency when referring to local Kashmiri Pandits (Bhattas). > > I see it differently though and I have no way of questioning the authencity of the 'vaakh' as being a Lal Ded one. > > I see Lal Ded rejecting whatever the terms "hyond" (hindu) and "mussalmaan" represented and instead rooting for surrender to "shiv" and urging the following of the path of the 'trukh' (Trikha). As is obvious, I do not see the Kashmiri Pandit (the Bhatta) as being automatically a "Hindu". > > Again, as I wrote earlier, some scholars translate "trukh" as "wise". So the jury is out on this. What is clear however, is the advice on recognising (surrender to) "shiv" in you and transcending any recognitions such as "hyond" and "mussalman" > > 9. Your digression is a repetition of your refusal to focus on realities and propagate your own fanciful thinking on Kashmir. > > If there was no "Islamic Agenda" in Kashmir, where did the coalition Muslim United Front, the MUF of 1987 elections (not 1989) crop up from. Don't miss the word "Muslim". Was there a "Hindu" agenda driven politics or governance in Kashmir  that compelled the formation of a "Muslim" alliance? > > You have yourself (and Sanjay Kak in an earlier mail) spoken about role played by 'India' in the last 2 decades, which is quite close to the formation of the Islam driven Muslim United Front (MUF) of 1987. > > Whether in the MUF of 1987 or the subsequent "Azaadi" movement, the essential drive comes from the "Islamic Identity" > > I hope this will be my last conversation piece with you in this thread. > > Kshmendra > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > To: "reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:03 PM > > Dear Kshmendra ji > > The links to support the evidence of Parrot ( the green bird ) in > Kashmir obviously confirms that you have not seen a parrot personally. > Let us be honest and say that we both have not seen a Tota in kashmir, > Be sure, all kashmiris will follow to what i am saying, except these > few research based projects to see a tota in kashmir. Different shaded > birds, some light greens even,  are still flying in kashmiri forests, > and thanks for the link. Hope the forests live for ever and the birds > too. This summer bird parrot is always welcome in kashmir, but... > > Besides that, metaphorically the absence of this green bird is not a > good news for organizations like Al Qaeda who see tota as Islamic > bird. > > about sound ' sodras '. I am not etymologist, which i feel becomes a > slippery  game after some time. but for large bodies of water, we have > Dal, or Wular, so not sure why Sodur is used, and why it means sea. > Lal Ded obviously is one of the greatest inspiration behind all the > meaningful poety in the valley. and her well known verse ( vaakh ) on > hindu muslim unity is well known jem. She obviously thought of > reconcillation between these two drifting identities was urgently > addressed by saints even, which is also need of the time, and that is > why i see ' present'  in the folk. That is not bereft of well known > conflict: kashmir conflict. > > let me  digress a little : > I am not saying that Kasshmir was a heaven before 1947, or before > Maharaja or was a firdos during Yousuf shah check's rule, but > something terrible happened in 1947 which politician at the helm could > not grasp. Sheikh was a real hero of the hour, but he was ditched by > Nehru and later by Indira, who also changed into a mere adminstrator, > a corrupt on,  in his later years. Many things happened in between, > but let us see a cmmon denominator between Sri Lanka's treatment of > Tamils  ( now defeated LTTE ), and West Pakistan's treatment of East > Pakistan ( now bangladesh ), and India's treatment of MUF in 1989 > assembly elections which directly resulted in violence with active > support of unemployed American mujahadeens in pakistan and local > humiliated  groups. > > There never was islamic agenda in Kashmir.  Kashmiri pandits  were > loyal to Maharaja but Sheikh prevented KPs in 1947, wjhich goes to his > credit, and what is extra ordinary about Sheikh that he never gave > imporatnce  to Jinnah, so Kashmir deserved a free state in 1947 which > India could have supported, but alas. > > So, when violence is loathed by one and all, for real reasons, which > is not serving even the radicals in kashmir,  how will the very angry > and humiliated Kashmiris vent their anger,  India has done very badly > during these last two decades. Sad that security forces were tempted > to do what they did and are still doing. What militans did is shameful > too, but, how to balance violence with violence. So, Kashmiris, will > discover a culture, of thier own, which will include a renewed > understanding of their folk, even if it means distortion, who cares, > may be that too is aesthetics, a new one > > But, what it means, in the end, is question i cant answer even. > > with love and regrds > inder salim > > On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > > > Dear Inder > > > > 1. > > Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens. > > > > I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html. > > > > I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/. > > > > As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html > > > > Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973 > > > > 2. > > I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota". > > > > My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'. > > > > Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed. > > > > I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot. > > > > It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes. > > > > "Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?) > > > > 3. > > One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine. > > > > 4. > > Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention. > > > > I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry. > > > > Kshmendra > > > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > From: Inder Salim > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" > > Cc: "reader-list" > > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM > > > > Thanks dear > > Kshmendra > > and dear > > Anananya > > > > i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such... > > > > Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it > > existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor > > in apple orchids. > > > >  i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there > > is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in > > kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in > > kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue > > how this is surname in Kashmir. > > > >  i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the > > miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this > > "idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty.... > > > > i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of > > humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a > > world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of > > the world.". > > > > Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached > > to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is > > why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is > > limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly > > a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about > > Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the > > present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a > > possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is > > political in nature at the same time. > > Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover > > our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of > > responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players, > > even. > > > > A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad > > and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our > > stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and > > performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me. > > It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is > > why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical > > uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible > > future for those who dissent... > > > > As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the > > language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in > > the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us > > convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is > > migratory, or migrated since... > > > > with love > > inder salim > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > wrote: > > > > > > The further questions to be asked, then, are: > > > a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird? > > > b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence) > > > c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous? > > > d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity? > > > e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.' > > > In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape! > > > Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it. > > > best wishes, > > > Ananya > > > > > > Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir > > > Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature > > > AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow > > > School of English, University of Leeds > > > Leeds LS2 9JT, UK > > > www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html > > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi > > > http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/ > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > > > Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15 > > > To: reader-list; Inder Salim > > > Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu > > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > > > > Dear Inder > > > > > > Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide. > > > > > > The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you. > > > > > > - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana) > > > > > > - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) > > > > > > - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants > > > > > > - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir > > > > > > - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses. > > > > > > - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir" > > > > > > - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt. > > > > > > Kshmendra > > > > > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > > > > From: Inder Salim > > > Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song > > > To: "reader-list" > > > Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" , bazaz002 at umn.edu > > > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM > > > > > > Dear All > > > Freedom means different for different people. > > > For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands. > > > The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively > > > sensitizes the soul. > > > the song is: > > > > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Phare bagas te kari guftar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Chavi yavun te vure shehjar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Ye chu nagman hund tandar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Janavar chu vanan zaar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > Mate haitav ami sund baar > > > Athe travtohan janavar > > > > > > ( below: a word to word translation ) > > > > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > Release the bird from your hands, > > > It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart. > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees. > > > Release the bird from your hands > > > It is a conglomeration of songs, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > This bird is singing a sad number, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > Dont take the responsibility of his captivity, > > > Release the bird from your hands. > > > …………………………. > > > In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps, > > > who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’: > > > Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small > > > yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ). > > > > > > Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo > > > Zaar mein totas van te lo lo > > > > > > What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a > > > Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India. > > > > > > This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the > > > complexities of > > > Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist, > > > poet, or a bird is not defined. > > > The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning > > > inside the heart, > > > but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird, > > > if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird. > > > > > > With love and regards > > > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > 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/> > > > > -- > > 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 kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Oct 12 17:27:08 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:57:08 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?By_a_Danish=2C_before_=E2=80=98Danish_Car?= =?utf-8?b?dG9vbnPigJk=?= In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910110003h3ef06c43g6981623172bcb699@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <762053.52910.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> I have often wondered why Lalleshwari (naked if she danced) didn't die of Pneumonia in a  Freezing Kashmir and instead only died when she was 70.   The image of "A Naked Dancing Lal" is quite romantically attractive. So to speak a "Dancing Dervish" and Naked too. Wowwww!!!!!    "Nachun" has another meaning in Kashmiri apart from "dance". It also means to "wander around".   Did she move around naked?   Had Lal (pronounced Lull) transcended any recognition of the "shame" with which society recognised nakedness? Was she that disconnected from the world around her?   Her "gorr" (Guru) gave her the advice to enter the 'inside' from her 'outside'. The external accqusitions and accomplishments were not for her. That certainly rendered her "naked" in dealing with wordly matters.    Did she remain unclothed? I wonder.   Lal was not a raving mad lunatic. Even if she had no interest in wearing clothes, it is unlikely that the people around her would let her wander around naked.     Kshmendra   --- On Sun, 10/11/09, Inder Salim wrote: From: Inder Salim Subject: Re: [Reader-list] By a Danish, before ‘Danish Cartoons’ To: "reader-list" Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 12:33 PM Thanks Dulali Nag ji about Dancer in the Dark. I was just thinkng about Lal Ded's ( 14th century  kashmiri saint-poet) verse: she used two words in a quartrain VACHUN ( song )and  NACHUN ( dance ) she declares that master gifted her a song, which suggested me to enter inside from outside. and since then i am dancing naked. Dancer in the dark in that sense is a naked spinning truth of our existential beings. so, one can never say what Darkness, with all the shades of darkness, actually means, and how to differentiate ouside from inside,  but one can perhaps, see how a continus welding between existential realities and distant looking political realities shape our respective beings and our nothingness too.  ( what J.P Satre talked about, perhpas,  ) Anyway, the leading lady in the film, as we know, Bjork is also an composer, singer, besides a great actress. i saw Indian Tabla in one of her concerts on youtube. love inder salim On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:50 PM, DULALI NAG wrote: > Thank you Inder. I don't have words to express how I felt. > > On Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 11:02 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Dear All, >> For reasons well known, Danish Cartoons perhaps popularized Danish, >> but some other kind of brains are working there too, which are of >> serious nature… >> >> Dancer in the Dark 2000 by Elars Von Trier, a Danish Film Director, >> shot by a hand held camera, to match a documentary style, perhaps, to >> convince the viewer that it is real, and it does, but >> >> The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst >> artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the >> world.". >> >>  But don’t  trust the films critics, watch this final clip from the movie >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5f_T2wcRI >> >> The title is profound, not only because Cinema happens in the dark, >> but there is a strange inability to touch the pain of the other though >> cinema,  beyond a point. As a medium it is entertainment at the best, >> but the very for entertainment in life that we sometimes, unwittingly, >> see a dark end of our personal lives even.  And at the point of time, >> we have nothing to share, no words, not language to communicate.  The >> politics, perhaps, begins from there as well, but strangley obfuscates >> too... >> >> "Aataye hain Gaib say yeh mazameen khayal mein". ( these thoughts >> comes to from nothingness ,GHALIB), which is not far from  what >> prophetic revelations claim . and If the source is >> darkness/space-not-known, then we are mixtures of silences. That, >> perhaps, means that our actions are not necssarily meant to be in sync >> with our thoughts. “There is no doer behind the deed” Nietzsche. That >> questions the State, and its machinery via Foucault’s Panopticism. >> >> In the Film, the STATE, ( representing a country ) is deeply >> structured to this promise of goodness ( >> entertainment/desire/security) and also the snatcher of very life on >> this pretxt or that. So, the very seat of existence that gives us the >> feeling of life bleeds for the sake for State.  The  death  penalty is >> part of chain of event that mainfests State, as part of medieval >> thinking, also as part of  present day American thinking  which >> pretends humane but is clueless about humanity. The dance, or the pain >> becomes personal, inwardly,  and we have only sadness to feel... >> >> The plot in brief: >> Selma is a Czechoslovakian immigrant, a single mother working in a >> factory in rural America. Her salvation is her passion for music, >> specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic >> Hollywood musicals. Selma harbours a sad secret: she is losing her >> eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't >> put away enough money to secure him an operation.  Bill, ( typical >> American ) his neighbour,  reveals to Selma that his materialistic >> wife, Linda, has exhausted all of his savings and asks Selma for a >> loan, which she declines to give. When a desperate neighbuor , steals >> her money, and then falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the >> drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale.  “It is here that she >> is pegged as a Communist sympathizer and murderess “ >> >> She was hanged, while she sang her favourite song. >> >> A curtain separates the viewer and the one whom the STATE pushed into >> a darkness. >> In the cinema, in the end, it is only a metaphor, but chilling, to >> realize for a moment, that what if something is forced on us (me). >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pLY5zFTtc >> click for a bollywood song like, on the moving train,e sequence in the >> film >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 rohitrellan at aol.in Mon Oct 12 17:53:20 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:23:20 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for entries - We Care Filmfest 2010 In-Reply-To: <11b7f4f40910120003p2f9c9dc7s7b0b32b9982bac6@mail.gmail.com> References: <11b7f4f40910120003p2f9c9dc7s7b0b32b9982bac6@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <8CC194DEAC33471-54CC-1526C@webmail-m021.sysops.aol.com> Sub:  WE CARE FILM FESTIVAL ON DISABILITY ISSUES 2010: CALL FOR ENTRIES   Dear friends,   We Care Filmfest-2009 organised by the National Trust, BROTHERHOOD and UN Information Centre (UNIC) in collaboration with Oxfam India and Asian Academy of Film & Television received overwhelming response from India and abroad.  Entries were received from United States, United Kingdom, Israel, the Philippines, Italy and Spain.  We Care Filmfest has become a brand across the globe when it comes to film festival on disability issues.   We Care Filmfest has also received media attention from India and around the world.   Encouraged by last year’s response, Brotherhood, UN Information Centre and Asian Academy of Film and Television are pleased to announce call for entries for the 7th edition of We Care Filmfest.  The theme will be “Dignity and Justice for all”.    Through the film festival, we aim to promote the rights of persons with disabilities as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which came into force on 3 May 2008.    The film festival will be held in two phases.    During the first phase (September 2009 – November 2009), the festival (Retrospective We Care Filmfest) will travel to various cities of India and award-winning short films and documentaries of the last three years will be screened in these cities.  These films will also be screened in various institutes of Mass Communication, Journalism and film making.  The purpose will be to promote We Care Filmfest and motivate students to make short films and documentaries for upcoming We Care Filmfest-2010.    During December 2009 – January 2010, received films and documentaries will be short-listed by the preview committee for screening during the film festival.   During the second phase (February 2010 – April 2010), the We Care Filmfest-2010 will hold screenings in different cities across the country.  We would invite students of Mass Communication and Journalism to rate the films and documentaries and be part of a participatory rating process which would give alternate opinion on the quality and content of these films. This will be in addition to an independent jury who will also adjudge the films,    As UNCRPD has entered into force on 3 May 2008, we will organize the Award Ceremony on May 3, 2010.  During the award ceremony we will 1) release a souvenir along with the report of the Wecare Filmfest-2010, 2) distribute award to the awardees and 3) Release DVD/CD of the award-winning films.   We are enclosing herewith the details regarding “CALL FOR ENTRIES” for We Care Filmfest-2010.   With regards     Satish Kapoor Director We Care Filmfest +919811012065, +9899472065 Email:  wecarefilmfest at gmail.com           From yasir.media at gmail.com Mon Oct 12 23:16:41 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:46:41 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Interfaith Conference @ Arts Council - 12 Oct 09 Message-ID: <5af37bb0910121046s3a5e1f00xf18f2c6914b095a3@mail.gmail.com> *Sindh Sufi Institute* Cordially invites you to attend the Interfaith Conference on Karachi: A centre of Interfaith and Tolerance *First Session* Mr. Illahi Bux Soomro Former Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan Chairperson Mr. Mazhar-ul-Haq Siddiqui Vice Chancellor University of Sindh Chief Guest Speakers Dr. Ghulam Ali Alana Dr. Pascal Robert Dr. Jaffar Ahmed Mahtab Akbar Rashdi Professor Aijaz Qureshi Lunch *Second Session* Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Former Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan Chairperson Ms Zaheda Hina Chief Guest Speakers Mr. Amar Jalel Dr. Sayed Sikander Mehdi Programme: Venue: Arts Council Karachi Day and Date: Wednesday 14 October 2009 Time: 11.30 A.M. R.S.V.P Khadim Hussain Soomro Suleman Jatoi Chairman Cell: 03332269709 Sindh Sufi Institute Cell: 0300-2350742 From indersalim at gmail.com Mon Oct 12 23:27:00 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:27:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?By_a_Danish=2C_before_=91Danish_Ca?= =?windows-1252?q?rtoons=92?= In-Reply-To: <762053.52910.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <47e122a70910110003h3ef06c43g6981623172bcb699@mail.gmail.com> <762053.52910.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910121057l26651e66t95d31089b56c29c0@mail.gmail.com> Dear Dulali thanks yes, the song ( dogana ) ' i had seen it all, i had seen trees,... leaves in the breeze..." is something which i really enjoyed again and again. it somehow suggested that we had enough of cinema, enough of image, now why not to return to the real. and being a female she was reflecting to the conventional male, so toned with feminist thought, and which suits me to understaind the present, whether through a metaphor or reality directly. i actually stated the artcile with Danish cartoons which were criticized a lot by fanatics, and this film was criticized ' as bad joke' but , i liked the film and, unlike the cartoons which are okay, but no match to the intensity of thought which the film generated. just see the way, how she said, i had seen it all, and threw her specs down on the ground confidently, but gave away her life for retoring eye sight for her son. with love inder Dear Kshmendra thanks i really share the thoughts on Lal, yes, i never appreciated the idea of Lal Ded as some one romaing naked, just because a supreficial meaning of a verse suggested that, but unfortunately that is popular opinion, but that does not mean i dont like naked fakirs, or sadus, i have actually witnessed a naked sadhu in AmarNath Cave some years back, not shivering, but a quite normal one. Saint Sarmad who was beheaded by Aurangzeb was a naked fakir, and his rubaayees in persian are really jems of sufi poetry. At the moment, there is still a naked fakir in North of kashmir, i heard but not seen, and poeple say that he lives all naked, both in winter and summer, and hudreds of people come to have a deedar of him love regards is On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 5:27 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > I have often wondered why Lalleshwari (naked if she danced) didn't die of Pneumonia in a  Freezing Kashmir and instead only died when she was 70. > > The image of "A Naked Dancing Lal" is quite romantically attractive. So to speak a "Dancing Dervish" and Naked too. Wowwww!!!!! > > "Nachun" has another meaning in Kashmiri apart from "dance". It also means to "wander around". > > Did she move around naked? > > Had Lal (pronounced Lull) transcended any recognition of the "shame" with which society recognised nakedness? Was she that disconnected from the world around her? > > Her "gorr" (Guru) gave her the advice to enter the 'inside' from her 'outside'. The external accqusitions and accomplishments were not for her. That certainly rendered her "naked" in dealing with wordly matters. > > Did she remain unclothed? I wonder. > > Lal was not a raving mad lunatic. Even if she had no interest in wearing clothes, it is unlikely that the people around her would let her wander around naked. > > > Kshmendra > > --- On Sun, 10/11/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > From: Inder Salim > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] By a Danish, before ‘Danish Cartoons’ > To: "reader-list" > Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 12:33 PM > > Thanks Dulali Nag ji > about Dancer in the Dark. I was just thinkng about Lal Ded's ( 14th > century  kashmiri saint-poet) verse: > > she used two words in a quartrain VACHUN ( song )and  NACHUN ( dance ) > she declares that master gifted her a song, which suggested me to > enter inside from outside. and since then i am dancing naked. > > Dancer in the dark in that sense is a naked spinning truth of our > existential beings. so, one can never say what Darkness, with all the > shades of darkness, actually means, and how to differentiate ouside > from inside,  but one can perhaps, see how a continus welding between > existential realities and distant looking political realities shape > our respective beings and our nothingness too.  ( what J.P Satre > talked about, perhpas,  ) > > Anyway, the leading lady in the film, as we know, Bjork is also an > composer, singer, besides a great actress. i saw Indian Tabla in one > of her concerts on youtube. > > > love > inder salim > > > On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 1:50 PM, DULALI NAG wrote: > > Thank you Inder. I don't have words to express how I felt. > > > > On Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 11:02 PM, Inder Salim wrote: > >> > >> Dear All, > >> For reasons well known, Danish Cartoons perhaps popularized Danish, > >> but some other kind of brains are working there too, which are of > >> serious nature… > >> > >> Dancer in the Dark 2000 by Elars Von Trier, a Danish Film Director, > >> shot by a hand held camera, to match a documentary style, perhaps, to > >> convince the viewer that it is real, and it does, but > >> > >> The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst > >> artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the > >> world.". > >> > >>  But don’t  trust the films critics, watch this final clip from the movie > >> > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5f_T2wcRI > >> > >> The title is profound, not only because Cinema happens in the dark, > >> but there is a strange inability to touch the pain of the other though > >> cinema,  beyond a point. As a medium it is entertainment at the best, > >> but the very for entertainment in life that we sometimes, unwittingly, > >> see a dark end of our personal lives even.  And at the point of time, > >> we have nothing to share, no words, not language to communicate.  The > >> politics, perhaps, begins from there as well, but strangley obfuscates > >> too... > >> > >> "Aataye hain Gaib say yeh mazameen khayal mein". ( these thoughts > >> comes to from nothingness ,GHALIB), which is not far from  what > >> prophetic revelations claim . and If the source is > >> darkness/space-not-known, then we are mixtures of silences. That, > >> perhaps, means that our actions are not necssarily meant to be in sync > >> with our thoughts. “There is no doer behind the deed” Nietzsche. That > >> questions the State, and its machinery via Foucault’s Panopticism. > >> > >> In the Film, the STATE, ( representing a country ) is deeply > >> structured to this promise of goodness ( > >> entertainment/desire/security) and also the snatcher of very life on > >> this pretxt or that. So, the very seat of existence that gives us the > >> feeling of life bleeds for the sake for State.  The  death  penalty is > >> part of chain of event that mainfests State, as part of medieval > >> thinking, also as part of  present day American thinking  which > >> pretends humane but is clueless about humanity. The dance, or the pain > >> becomes personal, inwardly,  and we have only sadness to feel... > >> > >> The plot in brief: > >> Selma is a Czechoslovakian immigrant, a single mother working in a > >> factory in rural America. Her salvation is her passion for music, > >> specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic > >> Hollywood musicals. Selma harbours a sad secret: she is losing her > >> eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't > >> put away enough money to secure him an operation.  Bill, ( typical > >> American ) his neighbour,  reveals to Selma that his materialistic > >> wife, Linda, has exhausted all of his savings and asks Selma for a > >> loan, which she declines to give. When a desperate neighbuor , steals > >> her money, and then falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the > >> drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale.  “It is here that she > >> is pegged as a Communist sympathizer and murderess “ > >> > >> She was hanged, while she sang her favourite song. > >> > >> A curtain separates the viewer and the one whom the STATE pushed into > >> a darkness. > >> In the cinema, in the end, it is only a metaphor, but chilling, to > >> realize for a moment, that what if something is forced on us (me). > >> > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pLY5zFTtc > >> click for a bollywood song like, on the moving train,e sequence in the > >> film > >> > >> With love and regards > >> Inder salim > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> > >> 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/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 00:02:22 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:02:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: ZNet Daily Commentary: War And Peace Prizes by Howard Zinn In-Reply-To: References: <200910110321.95f493@zcommunications.org> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910121132wc91a6d3jcaff5e460c21ced@mail.gmail.com> Piece on the peace prize to Obama by Zinn, the historian and activist who wrote that remarkable book A People's History of the United States. Naga War And Peace Prizes Oct 10, 2009 By *Howard Zinn* Howard Zinn's ZSpace Page / ZSpace I was dismayed when I heard Barack Obama was given the Nobel peace prize. A shock, really, to think that a president carrying on two wars would be given a peace prize. Until I recalled that Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Henry Kissinger had all received Nobel peace prizes. The Nobel committee is famous for its superficial estimates, won over by rhetoric and by empty gestures, and ignoring blatant violations of world peace. Yes, Wilson gets credit for the League of Nations - that ineffectual body which did nothing to prevent war. But he had bombarded the Mexican coast, sent troops to occupy Haiti and the Dominican Republic and brought the US into the slaughterhouse of Europe in the first World War, surely among stupid and deadly wars at the top of the list. Sure, Theodore Roosevelt brokered a peace between Japan and Russia. But he was a lover of war, who participated in the US conquest of Cuba, pretending to liberate it from Spain while fastening US chains on that tiny island. And as president he presided over the bloody war to subjugate the Filipinos, even congratulating a US general who had just massacred 600 helpless villagers in the Phillipines. The Committee did not give the Nobel prize to Mark Twain, who denounced Roosevelt and criticised the war, nor to William James, leader of the anti-imperialist league. Oh yes, the committee saw fit to give a peace prize to Henry Kissinger, because he signed the final peace agreement ending the war in Vietnam, of which he had been one of the architects. Kissinger, who obsequiously went along with Nixon's expansion of the war, with the bombing of peasant villages in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Kissinger, who matches the definition of a war criminal very accurately, is given a peace prize! People should be given a peace prize not on the basis of promises they have made - as with Obama, an eloquent maker of promises - but on the basis of actual accomplishments towards ending war, and Obama has continued deadly, inhuman military action in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Nobel peace committee should retire, and turn over its huge funds to some international peace organization which is not awed by stardom and rhetoric, and which has some understanding of history. Howard Zinn is the author of "A People's History of the United States," "Voices of a People's History" (with Anthony Arnove), and "A Power Governments Cannot Suppress." Source: The Guardian ------------------------------ *From:* Z Net - The Spirit Of Resistance Lives *URL:* http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/commentaries/4009 The tool to turn commentary mailings off or on can be found in your account admin interface, under "View/Edit My Account". To view commentaries online go here: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/commentaries/ Comment on this commentary: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/commentaries/4009#AddComment Print Temporarily toggle off commentary and other Sustainer mailings. < http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/removeMailing/?account=NTg5MTA1czBubjR5> (You can turn them back on from your account page at any time. You will not lose permissions or other Sustainer benefits nor will this interrupt your donations.) Terminate your Sustainer Account < http://www.zcommunications.org/admin/account/terminate/589105> (You will have to enter your password in the form that appears. Doing this will terminate your donations and permissions. To get new permissions and other features, you would have to rejoin later.) Visit your account page and make changes of any sort you may desire. < http://www.zcommunications.org/admin/account/view/589105> (You will have to enter your password in the field that appears.) From indersalim at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 00:09:45 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:09:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <6581f1af0910120014t52611d0avc00a55baf1d01a6a@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> <6581f1af0910120014t52611d0avc00a55baf1d01a6a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910121139x7b434d42wb5ed22822c4c89c7@mail.gmail.com> Thanks dear Nandni when i heard this, i was myself shocked. I had no urge to know the details, and Anil too was not keen to tell me more than what he told. all i can add to it that if feel sad regards love is On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 12:44 PM, Nandini Sen wrote: > It seems extremely strange and I sincerely wonder if the bond of friendship > can be carried as far as the woman of the house being offered as a > gift.Where have you encountered this story and how can you vouch for its > veracity? Given the fact that it actually happened, is it just because of > friendship and an honest desire to gift something unique to a friend or > there is much more to it than meets the eye? I suspect the latter. Women > have always paid with their bodies which have been commodified in the > patriarchal set up. This,however, seems different as the woman is seen to > have some agency but does not use it. Please let me know more on this story. > Warm Regards, > Nandini > > > Nandini.C.Sen (PhD) > Asst. Professor. > D.U. > On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write.  But here >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually >> happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the hindu identity looks as >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  their collective memory. >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  behind home and hearth, >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that >> time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities.  Muslims >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what >> politically remains elusive. >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he >> is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That >> is that. >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who >> are now married and living independently. During his month long stay >> in his village he spent nights at homes of  different friends. >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who  was >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. Anil, said no, no, but >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to >> his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman between two friends: >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since 1990. Anil and Nazir >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even >> accept the most dangerous offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very >> nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir >> had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement >> during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman.  Or is Anil >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the >> presence of her husband. >> >> Comments please >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 10:07:04 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:07:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [YSC] US firms bribe Indian Officials: Indian Envoy In-Reply-To: <5c57aee50910121811i13c1e998ye107843e5d481924@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c57aee50910121811i13c1e998ye107843e5d481924@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nityanand Jayaraman Date: Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 6:41 AM Subject: [YSC] US firms bribe Indian Officials: Indian Envoy To: icjb-planninglist , youthforsocialchange at googlegroups.com US firms involved in bribery: Indian envoy Daily Pioneer - New Delhi,India In 2001, Dow Chemicals had acquired stakes in the Union Carbide India (Ltd), which was responsible for the *Bhopal gas* tragedy. *...* ------------------------------ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Youth for Social Change" mailing list. To post to this group, send email to youthforsocialchange at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to youthforsocialchange-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/youthforsocialchange -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 11:40:32 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:40:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Campaign for Survival and Dignity Date: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM Subject: [forestrights] The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas To: forestcampaign at gmail.com *A Pretext to Impose Brutal Repression: the Government's "Offensive" Is a Formula for Bloodshed and Injustice * The Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a national platform of adivasi and forest dwellers' mass organisations from ten States, unequivocally condemns the reported plans for a military “offensive” by the government in the country's major forest and tribal areas. This offensive, ostensibly targeted against the CPI (Maoist), is a smoke screen for an assault against the people, especially adivasis, aimed at suppressing all dissent, all resistance and engineering the takeover of their resources. Certain facts make this clear: - *The government tells us that this offensive will make it possible for the “state to function” in these areas and fill the “vacuum of governance.” This is grossly misleading.* The Indian state is very, very active in these areas, often in its most brutal and violent form. A vivid example is the illegal eviction of more than 3,00,000 families by the Forest Departments a few years ago. Laws have been totally disregarded; Constitutional protections for adivasi rights blatantly ignored and their rights over water, forest and land (jal, jangal, jamin) glaringly violated. Every month an increasing number of people are jailed, beaten and killed by the police. If this is the picture of what “absence” of the state means, people are terrified of what the “presence” of the state will mean. It can only mean converting brutalized governance into militarized rule, a total negation of democracy. - *This is not a war over “development.” People's struggles in India today are over democracy and dignity - *Meaningful development must contribute to strengthening the right of all people to* *their resources and their production, and thereby to control over their own destiny. For generations, adivasis have fought for their Constitutional rights and entitlements. More recently, mass democratic movements have fought for new laws and policies, such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), the Forest Rights Act, the right to work and the right to food, in addition to earlier laws like the Minimum Wages Act, the Restoration of Alienated Lands Acts, and land reform and moneylending laws. These laws make it possible for people to fight for greater control over their lives, their livelihoods, their lands and their forests. However these laws are respected more in the breach; if the government wants “development”, let it first stop the blatant disregard of its own laws. Let people determine the path of their own development, in accordance with their rights over their resources and the type of infrastructure they desire. The Constitution itself requires this kind of planning. The claim that “development” can be provided through military force is both absurd and ridiculous. - *This war is not about “national security”; it is about ‘securing’ the interests of global and Indian capital and big business. *Any government worried about security would send its troops against mining mafias, the forest mafias, violent vigilante groups like the salwa judum and others. Rather than being curbed, these killers are in fact supported by the police. Have the security forces ever been deployed to defend the people struggling to protect themselves, their forests, their livelihoods and their futures? The answer is no. The notion of “security” being advanced by the government clearly has nothing to do with the people. Rather, it is to enable big business to engage in robbery and expropriation of resources, which they have decided will be one of their main sources of accumulation. Hence, mining, “infrastructure”, real estate, land grabbing, all aimed at super-profits, are being projected as “development” needed by the people. Huge amounts of international and government money are being pumped into so-called “forestry projects” which displace people from their lands and destroy biodiversity (even while they are trumpeted as a strategy for climate change). The UPA is rushing into agreements with the US and other imperial countries to throw open mining and land to international exploitation. But where do the forests, land, water and minerals lie? They are found in the forest and tribal areas, where people - some organised under the CPI (Maoist), some organized under democratic movements, some in spontaneous local struggles, some simply fighting in whatever manner they can – are resisting the destruction of their homes, resources and their lives. The “offensive against the Maoists” is only a subterfuge to crush this citizens’ resistance and to provide an excuse for more abuse of power, more brutality and more injustice. - *The government knows perfectly well that it cannot destroy the CPI (Maoist), or any people's struggle, through military action.* How can the armed forces identify who is a “Maoist” and who is not? The use of brute military force will result in the slaughter of thousands of people in prolonged, bloody and brutal guerrilla warfare. This has been the result of every “security offensive” in India's history from Kashmir to Nagaland. So why do this? And why now? Unless the goal has nothing to do with “wiping out the Maoists” and everything to do with having an excuse for the permanent presence of lakhs of troops, arms and equipment in these areas. To protect and serve whom? - *Hence the need for fear mongering and hysteria about Maoist “sympathisers” and their “infiltration” into “civil society.” *The government has a very long history of labeling any form of dissent as “Naxalite” or “Maoist.”* *The Maoists' politics are known; their positions are public; the only secret aspect of their work is their personal identities and military tactics. We who work in these areas do not fear this bogey of “infiltration” in our groups by Maoists, for the different stands taken by our organizations and theirs are clear, and in some areas there are open disputes. This scaremongering is just an excuse to justify a crackdown on all forms of dissent and democratic protest in these areas, a crushing of all people's resistance, and the branding of any questioning, any demand for justice, as “Maoist.” In the final analysis, *peace and justice will only come to India's workers, peasants, adivasis, dalits and other oppressed sections through the mass democratic struggle of the people.* A democratic struggle requires democratic space. The conversion of a region into a war zone, by anyone, is unacceptable. In the forest areas in particular, there is now a need for a new peace, one that can only be achieved through a genuine democratic dialogue between the political forces involved. For this to happen, this horrific “offensive” must first be called off. If the government really wishes to claim that it is committed to protecting people and their rights, let its actions comply with the requirements of law, justice and democracy. *Bharat Jan Andolan, National Front for Tribal Self Rule, Jangal Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (Mah), Adivasi Mahasabha (Guj), Adivasi Jangal Janjeevan Andolan (D&NH), Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan (Raj), Madhya Pradesh Jangal Jeevan Adhikar Bachao Andolan, Jan Shakti Sanghatan (Chat), Peoples Alliance for Livelihood Rights, Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Orissa Jan Sangharsh Morcha, Campaign for Survival & Dignity (Ori), Orissa Jan Adhikar Morcha, Adivasi Aikya Vedike (AP), Campaign for Survival and Dignity – TN, Bharat Jan Andolan (Jhar).* __._,_.___ . __,_._,___ From kaksanjay at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 11:48:27 2009 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:48:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> Dear Inder I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, and not because I am a prude. You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst?" If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I doubt whether he has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think it is as important for the likes of us—and you included, Inder—who could fruitfully use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own projections. As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil exists, or the story is "true", is immaterial. What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of this particular text for me. In particular I draw your attention to the following paragraph: "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes because of two reasons. One, that Nazir had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and can not offer him a gift. Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir, I am wondering?" Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain why the thought crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri Pandit is "still a purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what you call "group sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who has spent a great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for complex, layered readings of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be the last person to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. Warmly Sanjay Kak On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim wrote: > Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write. But here > it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually > happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, > and there is a lot to imagine: > > To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and > other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we > see it in historical perspective, then the hindu identity looks as > much visible as Muslim . > > It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that > the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from their collective memory. > > We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and > other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of > erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. > Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian > articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving behind home and hearth, > friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for > that. Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that > time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see > lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities. Muslims > help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their > children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what > politically remains elusive. > > But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was > surprised by something more than a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 > graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and > a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he > is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That > is that. > > On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who > are now married and living independently. During his month long stay > in his village he spent nights at homes of different friends. > > It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid > night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who was > offering him to have sex with his wife. Mr. Anil, said no, no, but > Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to > his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife > was born. Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which > followed by a repeat next day even. One woman between two friends: > one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but > Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s > wife was not a willing partner in all of that. > > Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew since 1990. Anil and Nazir > have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into > Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even > accept the most dangerous offer. This Kashmiri woman’s role easily > falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very > nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. > > Nazir’s offer to Anil comes because of two reasons. One, that Nazir > had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does > not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s > presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is > poor and can not offer him a gift. Is KP still a purer breed in > Kashmir, I am wondering? > > And, as we know, woman suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was > Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went > with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement > during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the > victim: as usual a woman. > > But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what > happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring > this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not > see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must > be feeling guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. > > Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he > sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, > who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman. Or is Anil > to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the > presence of her husband. > > Comments please > > With love and regards > Inder salim > > > > > > -- > > 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 chandni.parekh at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 11:49:22 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:49:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Seminar: Understanding LGBT Individuals, Nov 5, Hyderabad In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Read the details at http://psychologynews.posterous.com/seminar-understanding-gay-lesbian-bisexual-an Participants will learn about sexual orientation, sexual identity and relevant clinical issues when working with GLBT individuals. It is intended for anyone in the helping fields with training in counseling and therapy. This includes but is not limited to psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, medical professionals, and para medical professionals, in addition to students in training in the helping fields. This program will be presented by Dr. Melissa Bartsch, Ph.D., a counseling psychologist from America. From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Oct 13 12:36:46 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:36:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Nagraj, Thanks for posting this. I think this statement makes a very sharp point. The areas that are being targetted are not zones where the state is not active. It is, in fact, hugely active. The problem is not that there is 'no development'. 'Development' which has translated as largesse to rapacious and extractive mining and logging operations that have encroached on forest land and the rights of forest dwellers, is the problem. The planned, 'military style' offensive is the inauguration of a Latin American style Junta operation in South Asia. We will mark this moment in the histories written in the future as the moment when the Indian elites and their client state organs began to unravel because of their own greed. Of course, the Maoists, who are just another proto-state power on the make, are no saviours of the forests. Their power lies in their capacity to extract and extort protection moneys from the very corporations that they claim to fight. Their is an objective synergy between their power, and the power of the corporations. This is neither revolutionary politics, nor the defence of the poor by a conscientious state, it is a civil war based on who can extract how much from the land, exactly as unravelled in Central Africa. This is only the beginning. The Moghul Empire's demise, after the seeming zenith of the reign of Shahjahan began with the way in which Aurungzeb committed the empire into a terminal struggle with insurgencies at the fringes and the heart of the territory of the empire, more or less close to where the wars are raging today. Can we see a pattern? thanks Shuddha On 13-Oct-09, at 11:40 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Campaign for Survival and Dignity > Date: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM > Subject: [forestrights] The Government's Planned "Offensive" in > Adivasi and > Forest Areas > To: forestcampaign at gmail.com > > > > > *A Pretext to Impose Brutal Repression: the Government's > "Offensive" Is a > Formula for Bloodshed and Injustice * > > The Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a national platform of > adivasi and > forest dwellers' mass organisations from ten States, unequivocally > condemns > the reported plans for a military “offensive” by the government in the > country's major forest and tribal areas. This offensive, ostensibly > targeted > against the CPI (Maoist), is a smoke screen for an assault against the > people, especially adivasis, aimed at suppressing all dissent, all > resistance and engineering the takeover of their resources. Certain > facts > make this clear: > > > - > > *The government tells us that this offensive will make it > possible for > the “state to function” in these areas and fill the “vacuum of > governance.” > This is grossly misleading.* The Indian state is very, very > active in > these areas, often in its most brutal and violent form. A vivid > example is > the illegal eviction of more than 3,00,000 families by the Forest > Departments a few years ago. Laws have been totally disregarded; > Constitutional protections for adivasi rights blatantly ignored > and their > rights over water, forest and land (jal, jangal, jamin) > glaringly violated. > Every month an increasing number of people are jailed, beaten > and killed by > the police. If this is the picture of what “absence” of the > state means, > people are terrified of what the “presence” of the state will > mean. It can > only mean converting brutalized governance into militarized > rule, a total > negation of democracy. > - > > *This is not a war over “development.” People's struggles in > India today > are over democracy and dignity - *Meaningful development must > contribute > to strengthening the right of all people to* *their resources > and their > production, and thereby to control over their own destiny. For > generations, > adivasis have fought for their Constitutional rights and > entitlements. More > recently, mass democratic movements have fought for new laws and > policies, > such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act > (PESA), the Forest > Rights Act, the right to work and the right to food, in addition > to earlier > laws like the Minimum Wages Act, the Restoration of Alienated > Lands Acts, > and land reform and moneylending laws. These laws make it > possible for > people to fight for greater control over their lives, their > livelihoods, > their lands and their forests. However these laws are respected > more in the > breach; if the government wants “development”, let it first stop > the blatant > disregard of its own laws. Let people determine the path of > their own > development, in accordance with their rights over their > resources and the > type of infrastructure they desire. The Constitution itself > requires this > kind of planning. The claim that “development” can be provided > through > military force is both absurd and ridiculous. > - > > *This war is not about “national security”; it is about > ‘securing’ the > interests of global and Indian capital and big business. *Any > government > worried about security would send its troops against mining > mafias, the > forest mafias, violent vigilante groups like the salwa judum and > others. > Rather than being curbed, these killers are in fact supported by > the police. > Have the security forces ever been deployed to defend the people > struggling > to protect themselves, their forests, their livelihoods and > their futures? > The answer is no. The notion of “security” being advanced by the > government > clearly has nothing to do with the people. Rather, it is to > enable big > business to engage in robbery and expropriation of resources, > which they > have decided will be one of their main sources of accumulation. > Hence, > mining, “infrastructure”, real estate, land grabbing, all aimed at > super-profits, are being projected as “development” needed by > the people. > Huge amounts of international and government money are being > pumped into > so-called “forestry projects” which displace people from their > lands and > destroy biodiversity (even while they are trumpeted as a > strategy for > climate change). The UPA is rushing into agreements with the US > and other > imperial countries to throw open mining and land to international > exploitation. But where do the forests, land, water and minerals > lie? They > are found in the forest and tribal areas, where people - some > organised > under the CPI (Maoist), some organized under democratic > movements, some in > spontaneous local struggles, some simply fighting in whatever > manner they > can – are resisting the destruction of their homes, resources > and their > lives. The “offensive against the Maoists” is only a subterfuge > to crush > this citizens’ resistance and to provide an excuse for more > abuse of power, > more brutality and more injustice. > - > > *The government knows perfectly well that it cannot destroy the CPI > (Maoist), or any people's struggle, through military action.* > How can the > armed forces identify who is a “Maoist” and who is not? The use > of brute > military force will result in the slaughter of thousands of > people in > prolonged, bloody and brutal guerrilla warfare. This has been > the result of > every “security offensive” in India's history from Kashmir to > Nagaland. So > why do this? And why now? Unless the goal has nothing to do with > “wiping out > the Maoists” and everything to do with having an excuse for the > permanent > presence of lakhs of troops, arms and equipment in these areas. > To protect > and serve whom? > - > > *Hence the need for fear mongering and hysteria about Maoist > “sympathisers” and their “infiltration” into “civil society.” *The > government has a very long history of labeling any form of > dissent as > “Naxalite” or “Maoist.”* *The Maoists' politics are known; their > positions are public; the only secret aspect of their work is > their personal > identities and military tactics. We who work in these areas do > not fear this > bogey of “infiltration” in our groups by Maoists, for the > different stands > taken by our organizations and theirs are clear, and in some > areas there are > open disputes. This scaremongering is just an excuse to justify > a crackdown > on all forms of dissent and democratic protest in these areas, a > crushing of > all people's resistance, and the branding of any questioning, > any demand for > justice, as “Maoist.” > > > In the final analysis, *peace and justice will only come to India's > workers, > peasants, adivasis, dalits and other oppressed sections through the > mass > democratic struggle of the people.* A democratic struggle requires > democratic space. The conversion of a region into a war zone, by > anyone, is > unacceptable. In the forest areas in particular, there is now a > need for a > new peace, one that can only be achieved through a genuine democratic > dialogue between the political forces involved. For this to happen, > this > horrific “offensive” must first be called off. If the government > really > wishes to claim that it is committed to protecting people and their > rights, > let its actions comply with the requirements of law, justice and > democracy. > > > *Bharat Jan Andolan, National Front for Tribal Self Rule, Jangal > Adhikar > Sangharsh Samiti (Mah), Adivasi Mahasabha (Guj), Adivasi Jangal > Janjeevan > Andolan (D&NH), Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan (Raj), Madhya Pradesh Jangal > Jeevan Adhikar Bachao Andolan, Jan Shakti Sanghatan (Chat), Peoples > Alliance > for Livelihood Rights, Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Orissa Jan Sangharsh > Morcha, Campaign for Survival & Dignity (Ori), Orissa Jan Adhikar > Morcha, > Adivasi Aikya Vedike (AP), Campaign for Survival and Dignity – TN, > Bharat > Jan Andolan (Jhar).* > > __._,_.___ > . > > __,_._,___ > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 14:16:33 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:16:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: I would say this is a battle where now the Maoists would like to turn themselves into the elites, and so there is a battle between two groups, one which wants to become the elites and the others who are already the elites. The only idea is to gain the power to make decisions to just suit themselves, without having any compassion or understanding of the entire situation, the complexities attached to it and any realization that such violence is not going to solve problems; it hardly has in any context. The Naxals have done exactly what the state wanted them to do, which is to use violence. The state would have been in trouble if people had agitated non-violently or organized themselves into a vote bank and shown the upper castes a place, but now it's very easy for the elites to brand Naxals as terrorists, torture people in any any way they like, and get away with it in the name of 'war against terror'. Rakesh From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 13 15:09:12 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:39:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Trend of China-India friendship irreversible - Ambassador Zhang Yan Message-ID: <995417.35201.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "Trend of China-India friendship irreversible"  Zhang Yan   (Although there are certain forces in the world that do not want to see China and India join hands, bilateral relations are standing at a new starting point, facing exciting new opportunities for development.)   In the second term of the United Progressive Alliance government, China-India relations have experienced a smooth transition and taken on a new momentum of sound development. In June this year, Chinese President Hu Jintao met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Both leaders reiterated they would jointly promote the sound development of bilateral relations, enhance mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen communication and coordin ation, and push forward the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership between the two countries towards continuous, stable, and healthy development.   In his congratulatory message to Premier Wen Jiabao on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China, Prime Minister Singh reaffirmed the same sentiment. In August, Chinese State Councillor Mr. Dai Bingguo paid a successful visit to India and held in-depth talks with Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan on the boundary question and exchanged views on bilateral, regional, and international issues. In September, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests of India, visited China and exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including climate change, environment and forests with his Chinese counterparts.   In terms of economic and trade cooperation, in 2008 China became India’s largest trade partner and India the 10th largest trade partner of China. The global financial crisis has seriously impacted the real economy of both countries and caused a downturn in our industrial production and exports. The two countries do face huge challenges to sustain the growth of our bilateral trade. In spite of this, China and India as two emerging markets are still outperforming others on the whole. We have advantages such as vast markets and strong domestic demand, which have made our two countries powerhouses for the recovery of the world economy.   Both sides should tap the potentials for economic cooperation, work together to improve the trade structure and look for new areas for growth, correct the trade imbalance, oppose trade protectionism in all forms, accommodate mutual trade concerns, and create a sound environment for trade and mutual investment. We should actively discuss the feasibility of a Regional Trade Agreement, make full use of the mechanisms of Economic and Financial Dialogue and the Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Trade, so as to create solid foundation for the steady development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation — with a view to expanding our bilateral trade to $60 billion by 2010.   In international affairs, the two sides have maintained effective cooperation and coordination within the framework of the China-India-Russia Trilateral Mechanism, BRIC, the G20, and other forums. China and India have been making joint efforts on major international issues, including climate change, the Doha Round talks, the global financial crisis, countering terrorism, energy and food security, etc., with a view to protecting the interests of our two countries and other developing countries, and promoting a fair, just, and reasonable international system.   There are good reasons for China and India to work closely on global issues. Both are developing countries, share historical experiences, and face similar tasks today. The combined population of the two countries accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s total. With the growing economic strength, China and India are enjoying a status and role that are much more appreciated in the world arena. Our common concerns and interests in international affairs require us to consolidate our coordination and cooperation.   The simultaneous emergence of China and India is an eye-catching phenomenon in today’s world. China welcomes India’s development and its bigger role in international affairs. We hope the Indian side adopts the same attitude towards China. China and India should become cooperative partners instead of competitive rivals. Both countries should seek for a win-win result instead of a zero-sum game.   It is a strategic choice made by both governments and peoples, proceeding from the common and fundamental interests of both countries, to establish the China-India Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. President Hu Jintao said recently that China has always, from a strategic and long-term perspective, firmly and unswervingly promoted harmonious, good neighbourly, and friendly cooperation between China and India. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on his part, stated that the Indian government would give top priority to its relations with China and there is enough room in the world for the two countries to achieve development. Although there are certain forces in the world that do not want to see China and India join hands, the historical trend of bilateral friendship is irreversible.   China has made impressive economic progress, but it is still a developing country. The major task in the foreseeable future remains the development of the national economy and improvement of the people’s livelihood. China will firmly pursue the path of peaceful development, and pose no threat to other countries. Its development means opportunity to India and other countries. Even when China becomes stronger, it will continue to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, and will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. This is the solemn commitment the Chinese government has made to the whole world.   Recently, the Indian media reported abundantly on the India-China boundary issue. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China has repeatedly clarified the Chinese position toward the boundary question. Indian leaders and senior officials also refuted the reports in one voice and called for media restraint. As a matter of fact, with the efforts of both sides, the China-India boundary areas generally remain peaceful and tranquil. China strictly acts in accordance with the agreements. At the same time, both governments have been continuously seeking a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution through negotiation. The China-India Special Representative talks have made significant progress. The boundary question is an issue left over by history, sensitive and complicated, which needs to be resolved with more patience and wisdom. It is dialogue rather than story-making that would solve the issue.   In the process of globalisation, there is a strong trend of economic integration between countries. They complement each other in different ways to achieve common development. In recent years, some Chinese companies have come to India. They not only undertake projects but also contribute in many ways to the Indian economy, especially in infrastructure development. To my knowledge, those companies usually hire a lot of local workers. Take Huawei India as an example. Over 80 per cent of its staff members are locals, most of them professional and technical personnel. Among those Chinese people who come to India to work on the projects, they are required by the projects. They work along with their Indian colleagues and learn form each other. They will return to China once they complete the project.   Therefore, the Chinese companies in India are an indispensable part of economic cooperation between China and India. If we manage this properly, it will yield a win-win situation. As for the national security concerns on the part of the Indian side, I can assure you that the Chinese Government will never allow Chinese companies to engage in any acts that may undermine national security of other countries, including India.   Media play a unique role in bilateral relations. People of the two countries increase their mutual understanding and friendship through objective reporting. A positive public opinion environment is conducive and necessary to the development of bilateral relations. Indian media serve as a ‘window’ or a ‘bridge’ to the Indian public to understand China. The opinions and perspectives of the Indian media on China and on bilateral relations may influence and even shape the image of China in the eyes of the Indian government and people. The media should keep abreast with the paces of the bilateral relations and tap more positive information, so as to convey objective messages to the two peoples and serve as a booster to promote bilateral relations.   Looking ahead, I foresee a more and more active relationship. The two sides are busy working on matters relating to the Indian President’s visit to China. A hotline between the two sides will be ready soon. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has invited Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to visit China at his convenience. A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of China, India, and Russia will be soon held in India. The two countries are also actively preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2010, coinciding with the activities of the China Festival in India and the India Festival in China. All those interactions will push the bilateral relations to a new height.   I am of the view that the China-India relations are standing at a new starting point, facing new opportunities for development. As Chinese Ambassador to India, I am encouraged by the potential of our bilateral relations and confident about its future.   (The writer is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of India.)   http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/12/stories/2009101255150800.htm   From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 13 16:10:13 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:40:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah Hamdan' of Kashmir) Message-ID: <634725.4678.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> The 'advisory' listed below is apparently from a translation in Dr Abdul Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an authority on Sufism in Kashmir.   The list is from "Zakhiraat ul Mulak", written by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (14th century) who is much reverred in Kashmir as "Shah Hamdan".     1) The Hindus will not construct any new temples under the rule of Muslims.     2) They will not repair old temples fallen into ruins.     3) They will respect Muslims.      4) They will not dress like Muslims.      5) They will not ride a horse with saddle & bridle.     6) They will not put on a ring on their fingers.   7) They will not carry swords or bows & arrows.   8) They will not adopt Muslim names.     9) They will not harbour spies or act as spies.     10) If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not oppose it.     11) If a Muslim comes to attend a Hindu meeting he will be respectfully received.     12) They will receive Muslim travelers into their houses & provide them hospitality.     13) They will not prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their temples & shrines.     14) They will not mourn their dead loudly.     15) They will not buy Muslim slaves.     16) They will not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims.     17) They will not sell intoxicating drinks.     18) They will not carry their dead near the grave-yards of Muslims.     19) They will not openly practice their customs & usages among Muslims.     20) They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be distinguished from  Muslims     Kshmendra   From c.anupam at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 16:34:43 2009 From: c.anupam at gmail.com (anupam chakravartty) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:34:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah Hamdan' of Kashmir) In-Reply-To: <634725.4678.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <634725.4678.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <341380d00910130404jc9a6416mb26d6fe08d2c747f@mail.gmail.com> Dear Kshmendra and all, Painful research on your part, I must say. Can you also reproduce the original text, as it has been seen on many occasions we are misled by such translations? I tried looking for it and still trying. Anupam On 10/13/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > The 'advisory' listed below is apparently from a translation in Dr Abdul > Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an > authority on Sufism in Kashmir. > > The list is from "Zakhiraat ul Mulak", written by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (14th > century) who is much reverred in Kashmir as "Shah Hamdan". > >   1) The Hindus will not construct any new temples under the rule of > Muslims. > >   2) They will not repair old temples fallen into ruins. > >   3) They will respect Muslims. > >   4) They will not dress like Muslims. > >   5) They will not ride a horse with saddle & bridle. > >   6) They will not put on a ring on their fingers. > >   7) They will not carry swords or bows & arrows. > >   8) They will not adopt Muslim names. > >   9) They will not harbour spies or act as spies. > >   10) If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not oppose > it. > >   11) If a Muslim comes to attend a Hindu meeting he will be respectfully > received. > >   12) They will receive Muslim travelers into their houses & provide them > hospitality. > >   13) They will not prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their temples & > shrines. > >   14) They will not mourn their dead loudly. > >   15) They will not buy Muslim slaves. > >   16) They will not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims. > >   17) They will not sell intoxicating drinks. > >   18) They will not carry their dead near the grave-yards of Muslims. > >   19) They will not openly practice their customs & usages among Muslims. > >   20) They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be > distinguished from  Muslims > > > Kshmendra > > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 siddharth.narrain at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 17:38:40 2009 From: siddharth.narrain at gmail.com (siddharth narrain) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:38:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Meeting in the Memory of K. Balagopal- Fri 16th October (5 pm) at Ashirvad In-Reply-To: References: <1773a06d0910130427t2ada08ableaddb229ce592b41@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1773a06d0910130508o23b1e98cqf4d135d32f051e0a@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, There will be a meeting in memory of human rights activist and lawyer, K. Balagopal. Balagopal, who was an inspiration to many in the civil liberties and human rights movement in India, died of a cardiac arrest on October 8th. Balagopal was the founder member of Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) and later of Human Rights Forum. ,He was also an advocate who fought several cases to obtain justice for the poor without charge. Known for his principled stands and sharp legal mind, he lived and worked with utmost simplicity and commitment—a comrade and a friend whose loss is irreparable. Balagopal was known across the country for his profound scholarship and, more than that, fearless activism in the arena of human rights covering a wide range of issues. Please forward this email to others who might be interested in coming. There will also be a screening of a short film put together by Deepa Dhanraj from interviews conducted with Balagopal over the years. *Venue*: Ashirvad, no. 30, St Mark's Road Cross *Date*: October 16th (Friday) *Time*: 5pm to 7pm (tea will be served at 4:30 pm) In solidarity, Siddharth From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 18:06:06 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:06:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910130536x24f66938h1643781d4268decc@mail.gmail.com> Shudda, There is a lot in what you say, but I suspect the situation is more complex. For one, though the Maoists I hear still carry out extortions from industry, I suspect that their position against anti-poor industrialization has gotten, or forced to become sharper simply because resistance to industrialization is happening all over. Hence the impending repression might result in a much weaker Maoist movement, which will be harmful to many people of those areas and to the resistance to industrialization in general. (I say this notwithstanding my numerous serious problems with Maoist practice). Two, I think the impending repression is not exclusively with the aim of then making it easier for corporates to exploit the mineral resources of these states. The state is not merely a more autonomous actor, it also has the political ends of strangling the Maoist movement (which I very much doubt it will be able to do). Three, Rakesh, I think a bland comparison of state and Maoist denies their history, and enormous work in Andhra and other places in the 1970s and 1980s and beyond. It requires specific historical analysis as to why and when they moved away from mass movement as a central strategy, and also were forced to do so by extreme state repression from the 1980s. There is grim newness in what might unfold in Chattisgarh, but I wonder if there actually are continuities in state repression that goes back to the mid-1980s. And those who bear the brunt of it are ordinary people as we know. I remember chatting with Balagopal in 1993 about encounter deaths in 1993, and he said, "270 have been killed until I left Hyderabad yesterday. But I don't know if any more have been killed since." More later, Shudda. Naga On 13/10/2009, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > > Dear Nagraj, > Thanks for posting this. I think this statement makes a very sharp point. > The areas that are being targetted are not zones where the state is not > active. It is, in fact, hugely active. The problem is not that there is 'no > development'. 'Development' which has translated as largesse to rapacious > and extractive mining and logging operations that have encroached on forest > land and the rights of forest dwellers, is the problem. The planned, > 'military style' offensive is the inauguration of a Latin American style > Junta operation in South Asia. We will mark this moment in the histories > written in the future as the moment when the Indian elites and their client > state organs began to unravel because of their own greed. Of course, the > Maoists, who are just another proto-state power on the make, are no saviours > of the forests. Their power lies in their capacity to extract and extort > protection moneys from the very corporations that they claim to fight. Their > is an objective synergy between their power, and the power of the > corporations. This is neither revolutionary politics, nor the defence of the > poor by a conscientious state, it is a civil war based on who can extract > how much from the land, exactly as unravelled in Central Africa. This is > only the beginning. > > > The Moghul Empire's demise, after the seeming zenith of the reign of > Shahjahan began with the way in which Aurungzeb committed the empire into a > terminal struggle with insurgencies at the fringes and the heart of the > territory of the empire, more or less close to where the wars are raging > today. Can we see a pattern? > > > thanks > > > Shuddha > On 13-Oct-09, at 11:40 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Campaign for Survival and Dignity > Date: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM > Subject: [forestrights] The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and > Forest Areas > To: forestcampaign at gmail.com > > > > > > > > > *A Pretext to Impose Brutal Repression: the Government's "Offensive" Is a > Formula for Bloodshed and Injustice * > > > The Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a national platform of adivasi and > forest dwellers' mass organisations from ten States, unequivocally condemns > the reported plans for a military “offensive” by the government in the > country's major forest and tribal areas. This offensive, ostensibly > targeted > against the CPI (Maoist), is a smoke screen for an assault against the > people, especially adivasis, aimed at suppressing all dissent, all > resistance and engineering the takeover of their resources. Certain facts > make this clear: > > > > > - > > > *The government tells us that this offensive will make it possible for > the “state to function” in these areas and fill the “vacuum of > governance.” > This is grossly misleading.* The Indian state is very, very active in > these areas, often in its most brutal and violent form. A vivid example > is > the illegal eviction of more than 3,00,000 families by the Forest > Departments a few years ago. Laws have been totally disregarded; > Constitutional protections for adivasi rights blatantly ignored and > their > rights over water, forest and land (jal, jangal, jamin) glaringly > violated. > Every month an increasing number of people are jailed, beaten and > killed by > the police. If this is the picture of what “absence” of the state > means, > people are terrified of what the “presence” of the state will mean. It > can > only mean converting brutalized governance into militarized rule, a > total > negation of democracy. > - > > > *This is not a war over “development.” People's struggles in India > today > are over democracy and dignity - *Meaningful development must > contribute > to strengthening the right of all people to* *their resources and their > production, and thereby to control over their own destiny. For > generations, > adivasis have fought for their Constitutional rights and entitlements. > More > recently, mass democratic movements have fought for new laws and > policies, > such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), the > Forest > Rights Act, the right to work and the right to food, in addition to > earlier > laws like the Minimum Wages Act, the Restoration of Alienated Lands > Acts, > and land reform and moneylending laws. These laws make it possible for > people to fight for greater control over their lives, their > livelihoods, > their lands and their forests. However these laws are respected more in > the > breach; if the government wants “development”, let it first stop the > blatant > disregard of its own laws. Let people determine the path of their own > development, in accordance with their rights over their resources and > the > type of infrastructure they desire. The Constitution itself requires > this > kind of planning. The claim that “development” can be provided through > military force is both absurd and ridiculous. > - > > > *This war is not about “national security”; it is about ‘securing’ the > interests of global and Indian capital and big business. *Any > government > worried about security would send its troops against mining mafias, the > forest mafias, violent vigilante groups like the salwa judum and > others. > Rather than being curbed, these killers are in fact supported by the > police. > Have the security forces ever been deployed to defend the people > struggling > to protect themselves, their forests, their livelihoods and their > futures? > The answer is no. The notion of “security” being advanced by the > government > clearly has nothing to do with the people. Rather, it is to enable big > business to engage in robbery and expropriation of resources, which > they > have decided will be one of their main sources of accumulation. Hence, > mining, “infrastructure”, real estate, land grabbing, all aimed at > super-profits, are being projected as “development” needed by the > people. > Huge amounts of international and government money are being pumped > into > so-called “forestry projects” which displace people from their lands > and > destroy biodiversity (even while they are trumpeted as a strategy for > climate change). The UPA is rushing into agreements with the US and > other > imperial countries to throw open mining and land to international > exploitation. But where do the forests, land, water and minerals lie? > They > are found in the forest and tribal areas, where people - some organised > under the CPI (Maoist), some organized under democratic movements, some > in > spontaneous local struggles, some simply fighting in whatever manner > they > can – are resisting the destruction of their homes, resources and their > lives. The “offensive against the Maoists” is only a subterfuge to > crush > this citizens’ resistance and to provide an excuse for more abuse of > power, > more brutality and more injustice. > - > > > *The government knows perfectly well that it cannot destroy the CPI > (Maoist), or any people's struggle, through military action.* How can > the > armed forces identify who is a “Maoist” and who is not? The use of > brute > military force will result in the slaughter of thousands of people in > prolonged, bloody and brutal guerrilla warfare. This has been the > result of > every “security offensive” in India's history from Kashmir to Nagaland. > So > why do this? And why now? Unless the goal has nothing to do with > “wiping out > the Maoists” and everything to do with having an excuse for the > permanent > presence of lakhs of troops, arms and equipment in these areas. To > protect > and serve whom? > - > > > *Hence the need for fear mongering and hysteria about Maoist > “sympathisers” and their “infiltration” into “civil society.” *The > government has a very long history of labeling any form of dissent as > “Naxalite” or “Maoist.”* *The Maoists' politics are known; their > positions are public; the only secret aspect of their work is their > personal > identities and military tactics. We who work in these areas do not fear > this > bogey of “infiltration” in our groups by Maoists, for the different > stands > taken by our organizations and theirs are clear, and in some areas > there are > open disputes. This scaremongering is just an excuse to justify a > crackdown > on all forms of dissent and democratic protest in these areas, a > crushing of > all people's resistance, and the branding of any questioning, any > demand for > justice, as “Maoist.” > > > > > In the final analysis, *peace and justice will only come to India's > workers, > peasants, adivasis, dalits and other oppressed sections through the mass > democratic struggle of the people.* A democratic struggle requires > democratic space. The conversion of a region into a war zone, by anyone, is > unacceptable. In the forest areas in particular, there is now a need for a > new peace, one that can only be achieved through a genuine democratic > dialogue between the political forces involved. For this to happen, this > horrific “offensive” must first be called off. If the government really > wishes to claim that it is committed to protecting people and their rights, > let its actions comply with the requirements of law, justice and democracy. > > > > > *Bharat Jan Andolan, National Front for Tribal Self Rule, Jangal Adhikar > Sangharsh Samiti (Mah), Adivasi Mahasabha (Guj), Adivasi Jangal Janjeevan > Andolan (D&NH), Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan (Raj), Madhya Pradesh Jangal > Jeevan Adhikar Bachao Andolan, Jan Shakti Sanghatan (Chat), Peoples > Alliance > for Livelihood Rights, Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Orissa Jan Sangharsh > Morcha, Campaign for Survival & Dignity (Ori), Orissa Jan Adhikar Morcha, > Adivasi Aikya Vedike (AP), Campaign for Survival and Dignity – TN, Bharat > Jan Andolan (Jhar).* > > > __._,_.___ > . > > > __,_._,___ > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 rohitrellan at aol.in Tue Oct 13 19:21:09 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:51:09 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Short Film Completion Fund 2009/10 In-Reply-To: <8CC1A22E336D888-620-3737@webmail-m071.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CC1A22E336D888-620-3737@webmail-m071.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC1A23592C9EE4-620-3813@webmail-m071.sysops.aol.com> Short Film Completion Fund 2009/10    The Short Film Completion Fund provides finance and support for short films that show outstanding potential but lack the funds to finish.    A fund of £70,000 has been made available to support projects in 2010. The fund is part of the New Cinema Fund's programme to enable directors and producers to push their creative boundaries, develop new talent and to invest in short films that illustrate unique ideas and an innovative approach.    The total fund available to this call for submissions for the Short Film Completion Fund 2009-2010 is £70,000. This is the only call for submissions to cover completion of short films in  2010, and it is anticipated that up to 14 films may be offered funding.  The closing date for this call for submissions is Monday 30 November 2009.    The Completion Fund has supported more than 70 films over the past seven years enabling entrepreneurial and enterprising filmmakers to complete their projects and providing them with a platform to kick-start the exhibition of their film.    Filmmakers are now invited to apply to the Short Film Completion Fund 2009-2010.    For The guidelines and applications forms ,please log on to  http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/shortguidelines   To apply to the Short Film Completion Fund 2009-2010 please submit:    a fully completed Completion Fund 2009-201020application form    copies of your film on DVD clearly labelled with the name of the film   and the name of the applicant    CVs for the producer and director of your film    a clear explanation of the works to be undertaken in post-production with a corresponding schedule required in order to deliver a fully synchronised Digibeta master of your film suitable for exhibition    a budget indicating your estimate of the costs to complete the film specifying your preferred suppliers. The budget will need to include provision for the delivery materials required by the UK Film Council.    Please email all this to completionfund at mayavisionint.com and send a hard copy with the DVDs to:    Completion Fund 2009-2010  Maya Vision International Ltd  6 Kinghorn Street  London EC1A 7HW    The closing date for entries for this call is 5pm, Monday 30 November 2009. Applications received after this date will not be eligible for consideration.    From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 13 19:47:35 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:17:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah Hamdan' of Kashmir) In-Reply-To: <341380d00910130404jc9a6416mb26d6fe08d2c747f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <722673.14898.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Anupam   I forgot to include the crowning-glory edict which follows the "List". It is something like:   """"" If the "Dhimmis" (Non-Muslims under 'protection') do not follow the 'conditions', they will not enjoy security and it will be lawful for Muslims to take their lives and possessions as though they were the lives and possesions of unbelievers in a state of war with the faithful."""""""   I presume "take their lives" meant to take them into "slavery". Or was it 'death'?   There was no 'painful' reasearch by me. The translation is extensively documented in a number of published works.    I do not have access to the original text. It is listed in the collection of British Museum. Microfilm available at University of Chicago Library. It ia also listed in the collection of  National Library of the Czech Republic (199 folios).   The "List" is apparently translated from folios 94a-95a. (I cannot confirm from which 'original text').   The "List' is reproduced in the following published works:   1. (As I wrote earlier) ...in Dr Abdul Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an authority on Sufism in Kashmir. He is a former Head of Deptt. of History in University of Kashmir.   2. "Kashmir: Past and Present - Unravelling the Mystique" by Prof Mohan Lal Koul    3. "A History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir (1320-1819)" by R K Parimu   4. "Sources of Indian Tradition" Ed A T Embree (it so appears)   5. "History and  Culture  of the  Indian People" R C Majumdar (it so appears)   6. "Ethics of Civilization" by Sanderson Beck (quoted from 'Sources of Indian Tradition')   You might also want to look at this translation provided by Prof Alexandra Cuffel http://www.macalester.edu/~cuffel/hamadani.htm   Kshmendra   --- On Tue, 10/13/09, anupam chakravartty wrote: From: anupam chakravartty Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah Hamdan' of Kashmir) To: "Kshmendra Kaul" Cc: "sarai list" Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 4:34 PM Dear Kshmendra and all, Painful research on your part, I must say. Can you also reproduce the original text, as it has been seen on many occasions we are misled by such translations? I tried looking for it and still trying. Anupam On 10/13/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > The 'advisory' listed below is apparently from a translation in Dr Abdul > Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an > authority on Sufism in Kashmir. > > The list is from "Zakhiraat ul Mulak", written by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (14th > century) who is much reverred in Kashmir as "Shah Hamdan". > >   1) The Hindus will not construct any new temples under the rule of > Muslims. > >   2) They will not repair old temples fallen into ruins. > >   3) They will respect Muslims. > >   4) They will not dress like Muslims. > >   5) They will not ride a horse with saddle & bridle. > >   6) They will not put on a ring on their fingers. > >   7) They will not carry swords or bows & arrows. > >   8) They will not adopt Muslim names. > >   9) They will not harbour spies or act as spies. > >   10) If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not oppose > it. > >   11) If a Muslim comes to attend a Hindu meeting he will be respectfully > received. > >   12) They will receive Muslim travelers into their houses & provide them > hospitality. > >   13) They will not prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their temples & > shrines. > >   14) They will not mourn their dead loudly. > >   15) They will not buy Muslim slaves. > >   16) They will not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims. > >   17) They will not sell intoxicating drinks. > >   18) They will not carry their dead near the grave-yards of Muslims. > >   19) They will not openly practice their customs & usages among Muslims. > >   20) They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be > distinguished from  Muslims > > > Kshmendra > > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 Oct 13 20:50:41 2009 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:50:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Discussion on steps to tackle FTA needed: Isaac Message-ID: <3457ce860910130820v580f7e56s9ac47852e045e05e@mail.gmail.com> *Discussion on steps to tackle FTA needed: Isaac * *Date:13/10/2009* *URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/13/stories/2009101352650300.htm* Staff Reporter ALAPPUZHA: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has called for discussions on how the Kerala coast and the people living along the coast could be saved from the consequences of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. Inaugurating a seminar organised by the Kerala Gazetted Officers Association on the ASEAN deal and its impact on the fishing sector here on Monday, Dr. Isaac said the Centre, which was cutting down even essential rations for the common man in the name of reducing expenses, was also opposing the States attempt to protect the fishing sector through efforts like introduction of the Aquarium Reforms Bill. The ASEAN deal and globalization were obstacles for the development of the fishing sector, he said, adding that ways to rescue the coast from the ill-effects of these had to be discussed and solutions evolved at the earliest. KGOA organizing committee convener K.M. Kunjumon, Municipal chairman P.P. Chitharanjan, Fisheries former deputy director T.D. Velayudhan, Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation general secretary T. Peter, State Matsya Thozhilali Federation vice-president T.J. Anjalose and others also spoke. From akmalik45 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 13 22:02:50 2009 From: akmalik45 at yahoo.com (A.K. Malik) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:32:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <142748.27559.qm@web112108.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Dear Mr Salim and Mr Kak, I am unable to understand the logic of the story/incident making it a Hindu-Muslim love/friendship story.There is nothing Hinduism or Muslimism in the context of the incident, it is purely a private affair between three adult persons. From a pure legalistic angle Sec 497 of the Indian Penal Code states as under: "Section 497. Adultery Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall be punishable as an abettor." It is obvious that the husband's consent was there.But if the wife had also consented as seems evident ,it is a completely private affair between themselves and they need not be ashamed of it since all are adults and have consented without any duress.If there is remorse on the part of any individual,the process is irreversible.The only obvious advice would be not to get tempted by such offers in future and refrain from it. However if the wife had not consented, it would amount to be rape under Sec 376 punishable appropriately. I also agree with Mr Kak that the story/incident is not in good taste.The intent of the author is also not understandable. With regards, (A.K.MALIK) --- On Tue, 10/13/09, Sanjay Kak wrote: > From: Sanjay Kak > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true > To: "Inder Salim" > Cc: "reader-list" > Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 11:48 AM > Dear Inder > > I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, > and not because I > am a prude. > You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest > Nazir to meet a > psychoanalyst?" > If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I > doubt whether he > has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think > it is as > important for the likes of us—and you included, > Inder—who could fruitfully > use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own > projections. > > As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil > exists, or the story > is "true", is immaterial. > What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of > this particular > text for me. > In particular I draw your attention to the following > paragraph: > "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two > reasons. One, that Nazir had > actually experienced group sex during his activist days, > and does not see it > as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s > presence in his home, > which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and > can not offer him a > gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir,  I > am wondering?" > > Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain > why the thought > crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri > Pandit is "still a > purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? > And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what > you call "group > sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... > this is clearly your > insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? > > I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who > has spent a > great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for > complex, layered readings > of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be > the last person > to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. > I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. > > Warmly > > Sanjay Kak > > On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim > wrote: > > > Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to > write.  But here > > it is, in simple words, with very little of what might > have actually > > happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing > to generalize, > > and there is a lot to imagine: > > > > To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, > One Muslim and > > other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no > contrast, but if we > > see it in historical  perspective, then  the > hindu identity looks as > > much visible as Muslim . > > > > It is here that both the communities have a bond, a > strange one that > > the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  > their collective memory. > > > > We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley > to Jammu and > > other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually > thought of > > erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are > associated with India. > > Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long > list of Indian > > articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  > behind home and hearth, > > friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir > policy for > > that.  Hate between these two communities hit the > lowest during that > > time, but times, as we know have different things in > store, and we see > > lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two > communities.  Muslims > > help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too > support their > > children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper > than what > > politically remains elusive. > > > > But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his > village he was > > surprised by  something more than  a warm > hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 > > graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is > still unemployed and > > a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in > shambles, and he > > is thinking to dispose that property to live decently > in Jammu. That > > is that. > > > > On entering his village he met his class mates and > other friends who > > are now married and living independently. During his > month long stay > > in his village he spent nights at homes of  > different friends. > > > > It happened one night, during his stay when he was > surprised by a mid > > night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name > changed), who  was > > offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. > Anil, said no, no, but > > Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something > meaningful to > > his friend, something different, so the idea of > offering him his wife > > was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he > initially hesitated, which > > followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman > between two friends: > > one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a > group sex, but > > Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal > like, as Nazir’s > > wife was not a willing partner in all of that. > > > > Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since > 1990. Anil and Nazir > > have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily > translated into > > Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of > nights, and even > > accept the most dangerous offer.  This  > Kashmiri woman’s  role easily > > falls into the popular feminist discourse, and > questions the very > > nature of male oriented agendas around our political > spectrum. > > > > Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two > reasons. One, that Nazir > > had actually experienced group sex during his activist > days, and does > > not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in > the Anil’s > > presence in his home, which he knew not how to > express, because he is > > poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a > purer breed in > > Kashmir,  I am wondering? > > > > And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in > Kashmir. First it was > > Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome > wherever they went > > with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their > sexual excitement > > during nights at different hide outs in different > homes. And the > > victim: as usual a woman. > > > > But what happened at Nazir’s home has different > layering besides what > > happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are > perhaps restoring > > this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which > Nazir could not > > see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am > sure, Nazir too must > > be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil > told me. > > > > Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a > psychoanalyst? Is he > > sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is > simply a male, > > who does not know how to measure the dignity of a > woman.  Or is Anil > > to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless > woman in the > > presence of her husband. > > > > Comments please > > > > With love and regards > > Inder salim > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > 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 indersalim at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 22:04:03 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:04:03 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910130934m51c12ea2p47b4014bfabe7f2a@mail.gmail.com> Dear Sanjay i was expecting such a comment, which i knew i will find difficult to reflect, but i took the risk to post it, and the intention was to higlight the sufferings of women. There must be numerous other such details which are potent to speak about Women's issues, but this one came to me and i posted it as it is. Perhaps, i should have restrictied to the narrative strictly, but that was instanly done, so yes, in a sense, it becomes my story, but as i warned in post, that this is one such, so no need to generalize, but at the same time, it compled me to talk about it, and know what others think about it. I posted this tragic piece , i called it tragic, because i see the silent pain of women in Kashmir, the voice of which we need to hear more clearly, which has not happned so far, i am afraid. and the moment Mr. Anil ( name changed ) told me i was truley pained, but dont we have such layers in kashmir as i narrated. Dont you know that Kashmiri Pandits never ate food in a Mulsim houses, akin to a typical Brahmin who never ate in a Dalit home, but always wanted to make sex with their women folk. This is true about many socieities where different Hierarchies do exist. In general, i stll feel, that Kashmiri Pandit imagine/think as genotypes/purer/inheritor etc of kashmiri past , which also places the kashmir issue in historical perespective, a bit more, if not entirely... I guess, the difference between the two is not based on hate only, but a strange deep intimacy which creates its own twisted reality. my own life with a friend called Nazir ( not name changed ) is a long story, and may be have seen some images in my little blog from exhibition titld EVOKING NAZIR, which has nothing to do with this nazir ( name changed one ), but there are layers, which are painful and celebratory at the same time. So, the posting of such story is not because i wanted to talk about that imperative only, but primarily about the pain of WOMAN which we rarely come to know. Women have suffered endlessly in Kashmir, why kashmir only, always, in the past where ever conflicts went to battle fields for a just resolution. and as you may agree, we hardly hear such voices of the voiceless in written history, So, i guess, we need to take care of those voices as well, irrespective of the fact which side we stand. Needless to emphasize here, that i personally stand for the Kashmir issue as it stands as people's issue, something which Indian stane never considred, and something which Pakistani state cleverly brushes aside too, So, i dont see, why focusing a kashmiri ex-militant/activist's behaviour, who treated his wife very badly, should not be seen something which speaks about the women who suffered. Moving away from the intention of my posting would perhaps lead to further supression of the voiceless. I am not claiming to represent that voice, but it was a little effort, and, unfortunatly it looks only negative meaning is erupting out, so may be you can help me can restructure the entire narrative, ... And i strongy feel how to talk about that pain of voiceless, even environmental issues, without altering the Kashmir issue as it exists, is also need of the hour, It is a fact that lot of activist/militant called freedom fighters as well, or mujahdeen etc, have abandoned their acitivism and have married or returned to barracks, if one can say like that. To my knowledlge, largely they are living in a poor condition, I guess, we rarely get to know about such individuals in kashmir who were roring once with courage, Time, i guess changes lot sometimes, Sheikh Mohd Abudullah, was great hero in his youth, but times changed him too, and he sold kashmir to India very clandestinely. I am not drawing a comparison between this ex-militan Nazir and Sheikh but we can see how a man can change, and change for the worst even. One such is Nazir, but there must be hundreds like that and who might be going throuh hudreds of different things in life right now, who knows, and you know the complexites of living in a traditional society in kashmir, it is not easy, first to go to fight Indian forces, and secondly to return to and live, marry and have children. Returning from war, not dead , is no that life which we might talk plainly, I just happend to travel once in a bus from Jammu to Delhi with a man in his forties. He too was ex-activist/militant ( what he to me, very hesitatingly) and i have seen tears in his eyes while he talked about his school mate freind Sanjay. Now, while writing it looks fiction and the problem is that we often generalize it as is a trend: the style media which generally does so, but i dont see such things happenig in kashmir, except this one, And in your own film, Jash-e-azadi, you have rightly higlighted the problem of increasing Psychiatric cases in kashmir, and so is there is a possiblity to cure them, or , if not , what.... ( if one of them forces his wife to sleep with a wife ) , what is the solution then, or we simply brush it under the carpet, Here, i see this woman ( victim ) who has no space to protest, and if she has, she is likely to loose her family life, and even, may be stoned to death, how sad... Kashmir has gone through hell, and is still going through, and we know how women face it all. If u remember, how i photographed from a distance, two army jawans talking to two women in kashmir, which again, higlighted the problems of the most vulnerable, besides children hope this will suffice,and i am really conscious about the fact that after listening such a thing, may be other forms of expressions could have fallen in, say a poem or something else, but, it was too instant... with love and regards is On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Sanjay Kak wrote: > Dear Inder > > I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, and not because I > am a prude. > You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a > psychoanalyst?" > If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I doubt whether he > has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think it is as > important for the likes of us—and you included, Inder—who could fruitfully > use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own projections. > > As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil exists, or the story > is "true", is immaterial. > What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of this particular > text for me. > In particular I draw your attention to the following paragraph: > "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir had > actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does not see it > as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s presence in his home, > which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and can not offer him a > gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir,  I am wondering?" > > Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain why the thought > crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri Pandit is "still a > purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? > And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what you call "group > sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your > insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? > > I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who has spent a > great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for complex, layered readings > of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be the last person > to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. > I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. > > Warmly > > Sanjay Kak > > On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write.  But here >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually >> happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the hindu identity looks as >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  their collective memory. >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  behind home and hearth, >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that >> time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities.  Muslims >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what >> politically remains elusive. >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he >> is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That >> is that. >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who >> are now married and living independently. During his month long stay >> in his village he spent nights at homes of  different friends. >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who  was >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. Anil, said no, no, but >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to >> his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman between two friends: >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since 1990. Anil and Nazir >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even >> accept the most dangerous offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very >> nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir >> had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement >> during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman.  Or is Anil >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the >> presence of her husband. >> >> Comments please >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 indersalim at gmail.com Tue Oct 13 22:36:38 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:36:38 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <142748.27559.qm@web112108.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> <142748.27559.qm@web112108.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910131006vdd8c7d2r25e3fba4c351531b@mail.gmail.com> it also becomes interesting to notice that only Nandni ji wrote, and i quote "Women have always paid with their bodies which have been commodified in the patriarchal set up" but thanks Mr. Malik for the reflection. and i hope you may clarify your expression '"is not in good taste " given the above reflection by Nandni ji. what our Law says on such thing can wait. rather, i must add, more clearly, that if the woman had consented to sleep with the guest, then i might not have even remotely considered its posting it on the list. with regards is On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 10:02 PM, A.K. Malik wrote: > Dear Mr Salim and Mr Kak, >                             I am unable to understand the logic of the story/incident making it a Hindu-Muslim love/friendship story.There is nothing Hinduism or Muslimism in the context of the incident, it is purely a private affair between three adult persons. > From a pure legalistic angle Sec 497 of the Indian Penal Code states as under: > "Section 497. Adultery > >    Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall be punishable as an abettor." > It is obvious that the husband's consent was there.But if the wife had also consented as seems evident ,it is a completely private affair between themselves and they need not be ashamed of it since all are adults and have consented without any duress.If there is remorse on the part of any individual,the process is irreversible.The only obvious advice would be not to get tempted by such offers in future and refrain from it. > However if the wife had not consented, it would amount to be rape under Sec 376 punishable appropriately. > I also agree with Mr Kak that the story/incident is not in good taste.The intent of the author is also not understandable. > With regards, > > (A.K.MALIK) > > > --- On Tue, 10/13/09, Sanjay Kak wrote: > >> From: Sanjay Kak >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true >> To: "Inder Salim" >> Cc: "reader-list" >> Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 11:48 AM >> Dear Inder >> >> I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, >> and not because I >> am a prude. >> You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest >> Nazir to meet a >> psychoanalyst?" >> If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I >> doubt whether he >> has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think >> it is as >> important for the likes of us—and you included, >> Inder—who could fruitfully >> use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own >> projections. >> >> As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil >> exists, or the story >> is "true", is immaterial. >> What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of >> this particular >> text for me. >> In particular I draw your attention to the following >> paragraph: >> "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two >> reasons. One, that Nazir had >> actually experienced group sex during his activist days, >> and does not see it >> as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >> presence in his home, >> which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and >> can not offer him a >> gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir,  I >> am wondering?" >> >> Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain >> why the thought >> crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri >> Pandit is "still a >> purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? >> And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what >> you call "group >> sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... >> this is clearly your >> insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? >> >> I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who >> has spent a >> great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for >> complex, layered readings >> of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be >> the last person >> to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. >> I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. >> >> Warmly >> >> Sanjay Kak >> >> On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim >> wrote: >> >> > Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to >> write.  But here >> > it is, in simple words, with very little of what might >> have actually >> > happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing >> to generalize, >> > and there is a lot to imagine: >> > >> > To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, >> One Muslim and >> > other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no >> contrast, but if we >> > see it in historical  perspective, then  the >> hindu identity looks as >> > much visible as Muslim . >> > >> > It is here that both the communities have a bond, a >> strange one that >> > the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from >> their collective memory. >> > >> > We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley >> to Jammu and >> > other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually >> thought of >> > erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are >> associated with India. >> > Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long >> list of Indian >> > articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving >> behind home and hearth, >> > friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir >> policy for >> > that.  Hate between these two communities hit the >> lowest during that >> > time, but times, as we know have different things in >> store, and we see >> > lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two >> communities.  Muslims >> > help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too >> support their >> > children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper >> than what >> > politically remains elusive. >> > >> > But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his >> village he was >> > surprised by  something more than  a warm >> hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> > graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is >> still unemployed and >> > a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in >> shambles, and he >> > is thinking to dispose that property to live decently >> in Jammu. That >> > is that. >> > >> > On entering his village he met his class mates and >> other friends who >> > are now married and living independently. During his >> month long stay >> > in his village he spent nights at homes of >> different friends. >> > >> > It happened one night, during his stay when he was >> surprised by a mid >> > night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name >> changed), who  was >> > offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. >> Anil, said no, no, but >> > Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something >> meaningful to >> > his friend, something different, so the idea of >> offering him his wife >> > was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he >> initially hesitated, which >> > followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman >> between two friends: >> > one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a >> group sex, but >> > Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal >> like, as Nazir’s >> > wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> > >> > Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since >> 1990. Anil and Nazir >> > have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily >> translated into >> > Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of >> nights, and even >> > accept the most dangerous offer.  This >> Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> > falls into the popular feminist discourse, and >> questions the very >> > nature of male oriented agendas around our political >> spectrum. >> > >> > Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two >> reasons. One, that Nazir >> > had actually experienced group sex during his activist >> days, and does >> > not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in >> the Anil’s >> > presence in his home, which he knew not how to >> express, because he is >> > poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a >> purer breed in >> > Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> > >> > And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in >> Kashmir. First it was >> > Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome >> wherever they went >> > with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their >> sexual excitement >> > during nights at different hide outs in different >> homes. And the >> > victim: as usual a woman. >> > >> > But what happened at Nazir’s home has different >> layering besides what >> > happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are >> perhaps restoring >> > this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which >> Nazir could not >> > see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am >> sure, Nazir too must >> > be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil >> told me. >> > >> > Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a >> psychoanalyst? Is he >> > sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is >> simply a male, >> > who does not know how to measure the dignity of a >> woman.  Or is Anil >> > to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless >> woman in the >> > presence of her husband. >> > >> > Comments please >> > >> > With love and regards >> > Inder salim >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > >> > 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: >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the >> city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net >> with subscribe in the subject header. >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list >> List archive: > > > > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From shuddha at sarai.net Tue Oct 13 23:25:14 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:25:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: <564b2fca0910130536x24f66938h1643781d4268decc@mail.gmail.com> References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910130536x24f66938h1643781d4268decc@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4A3EB5A2-1313-4080-A57C-26E950464275@sarai.net> Dear Nagraj, agreed with you on all counts. SThe people we call the Maoists today have been made who they are by the brutality of state repression, let us not forget, that the antecedents of today's CPI(Maoist) goes back (at least in part) to People War Group, which in turn goes back to the CP Reddy group of the All India Co Ordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR). The co ordination committee, if I am not mistaken, evolved into the Charu Mazumdar line original 'Naxalites' of the CPI (ML), while the CP Reddy group, mainly based in Andhra, actually rejected the fetish of 'red terror' advocated by Mazumdar, in favour of militant mass action. It was the brutal state repression of these mass actions, from the late sixies that continued right onto NT Rama Rao's first stint in power, in the eighties, especially in Srikakulam, Warangal and the coastal districts that laid the foundations of the chimera that has evolved into the CPI (Maoist). I see the state as the midwife, through repression and blatant exploitation of the most vulnerable sections of society, of the spectre of contemporary Maoism in India. And of course, it will make an attempt to crush its own 'illegitimate' progeny (remember how often 'mainstream' politicians call the Maoists, 'misguided children', thereby providing us with an inadvertent insight into the deeply Oedipal nature of this conflict) politically, and militarily, and of course it is bound to fail. What will happen in the interim is that this 'war' will rapidly lose whatever little ideological moorings it has (on either side) and slide rapidly into an all out military campaign that will wreck massive havoc with the lives of ordinary people. And there is absolutely no denying the fact that the first bullets in this long and dirty war were fired by the guns that belong to the Indian state, so I, for one, like you, am not in favour of creating an 'equivalence' between the state and the Maoists, even though, like you, I am totally against the totalitarian vision that maoism represents politically. best Shuddha most of which evolved into the or On 13-Oct-09, at 6:06 PM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > Shudda, > There is a lot in what you say, but I suspect the situation is more > complex. For one, though the Maoists I hear still carry out > extortions from industry, I suspect that their position against > anti-poor industrialization has gotten, or forced to become sharper > simply because resistance to industrialization is happening all > over. Hence the impending repression might result in a much weaker > Maoist movement, which will be harmful to many people of those > areas and to the resistance to industrialization in general. (I say > this notwithstanding my numerous serious problems with Maoist > practice). > Two, I think the impending repression is not exclusively with the > aim of then making it easier for corporates to exploit the mineral > resources of these states. The state is not merely a more > autonomous actor, it also has the political ends of strangling the > Maoist movement (which I very much doubt it will be able to do). > Three, Rakesh, I think a bland comparison of state and Maoist > denies their history, and enormous work in Andhra and other places > in the 1970s and 1980s and beyond. It requires specific historical > analysis as to why and when they moved away from mass movement as a > central strategy, and also were forced to do so by extreme state > repression from the 1980s. There is grim newness in what might > unfold in Chattisgarh, but I wonder if there actually are > continuities in state repression that goes back to the mid-1980s. > And those who bear the brunt of it are ordinary people as we know. > I remember chatting with Balagopal in 1993 about encounter deaths > in 1993, and he said, "270 have been killed until I left Hyderabad > yesterday. But I don't know if any more have been killed since." > More later, Shudda. > Naga > > On 13/10/2009, Shuddhabrata Sengupta wrote: > Dear Nagraj, > > Thanks for posting this. I think this statement makes a very sharp > point. The areas that are being targetted are not zones where the > state is not active. It is, in fact, hugely active. The problem is > not that there is 'no development'. 'Development' which has > translated as largesse to rapacious and extractive mining and > logging operations that have encroached on forest land and the > rights of forest dwellers, is the problem. The planned, 'military > style' offensive is the inauguration of a Latin American style > Junta operation in South Asia. We will mark this moment in the > histories written in the future as the moment when the Indian > elites and their client state organs began to unravel because of > their own greed. Of course, the Maoists, who are just another proto- > state power on the make, are no saviours of the forests. Their > power lies in their capacity to extract and extort protection > moneys from the very corporations that they claim to fight. Their > is an objective synergy between their power, and the power of the > corporations. This is neither revolutionary politics, nor the > defence of the poor by a conscientious state, it is a civil war > based on who can extract how much from the land, exactly as > unravelled in Central Africa. This is only the beginning. > > > The Moghul Empire's demise, after the seeming zenith of the reign > of Shahjahan began with the way in which Aurungzeb committed the > empire into a terminal struggle with insurgencies at the fringes > and the heart of the territory of the empire, more or less close to > where the wars are raging today. Can we see a pattern? > > > thanks > > > Shuddha > On 13-Oct-09, at 11:40 AM, Nagraj Adve wrote: > >> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> From: Campaign for Survival and Dignity >> >> Date: Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM >> Subject: [forestrights] The Government's Planned "Offensive" in >> Adivasi and >> Forest Areas >> To: forestcampaign at gmail.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *A Pretext to Impose Brutal Repression: the Government's >> "Offensive" Is a >> Formula for Bloodshed and Injustice * >> >> >> The Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a national platform of >> adivasi and >> forest dwellers' mass organisations from ten States, unequivocally >> condemns >> the reported plans for a military “offensive” by the government in >> the >> country's major forest and tribal areas. This offensive, >> ostensibly targeted >> against the CPI (Maoist), is a smoke screen for an assault against >> the >> people, especially adivasis, aimed at suppressing all dissent, all >> resistance and engineering the takeover of their resources. >> Certain facts >> make this clear: >> >> >> >> >> - >> >> >> *The government tells us that this offensive will make it >> possible for >> the “state to function” in these areas and fill the “vacuum of >> governance.” >> This is grossly misleading.* The Indian state is very, very >> active in >> these areas, often in its most brutal and violent form. A vivid >> example is >> the illegal eviction of more than 3,00,000 families by the Forest >> Departments a few years ago. Laws have been totally disregarded; >> Constitutional protections for adivasi rights blatantly ignored >> and their >> rights over water, forest and land (jal, jangal, jamin) >> glaringly violated. >> Every month an increasing number of people are jailed, beaten >> and killed by >> the police. If this is the picture of what “absence” of the >> state means, >> people are terrified of what the “presence” of the state will >> mean. It can >> only mean converting brutalized governance into militarized >> rule, a total >> negation of democracy. >> - >> >> >> *This is not a war over “development.” People's struggles in >> India today >> are over democracy and dignity - *Meaningful development must >> contribute >> to strengthening the right of all people to* *their resources >> and their >> production, and thereby to control over their own destiny. For >> generations, >> adivasis have fought for their Constitutional rights and >> entitlements. More >> recently, mass democratic movements have fought for new laws >> and policies, >> such as the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act >> (PESA), the Forest >> Rights Act, the right to work and the right to food, in >> addition to earlier >> laws like the Minimum Wages Act, the Restoration of Alienated >> Lands Acts, >> and land reform and moneylending laws. These laws make it >> possible for >> people to fight for greater control over their lives, their >> livelihoods, >> their lands and their forests. However these laws are respected >> more in the >> breach; if the government wants “development”, let it first >> stop the blatant >> disregard of its own laws. Let people determine the path of >> their own >> development, in accordance with their rights over their >> resources and the >> type of infrastructure they desire. The Constitution itself >> requires this >> kind of planning. The claim that “development” can be provided >> through >> military force is both absurd and ridiculous. >> - >> >> >> *This war is not about “national security”; it is about >> ‘securing’ the >> interests of global and Indian capital and big business. *Any >> government >> worried about security would send its troops against mining >> mafias, the >> forest mafias, violent vigilante groups like the salwa judum >> and others. >> Rather than being curbed, these killers are in fact supported >> by the police. >> Have the security forces ever been deployed to defend the >> people struggling >> to protect themselves, their forests, their livelihoods and >> their futures? >> The answer is no. The notion of “security” being advanced by >> the government >> clearly has nothing to do with the people. Rather, it is to >> enable big >> business to engage in robbery and expropriation of resources, >> which they >> have decided will be one of their main sources of accumulation. >> Hence, >> mining, “infrastructure”, real estate, land grabbing, all aimed at >> super-profits, are being projected as “development” needed by >> the people. >> Huge amounts of international and government money are being >> pumped into >> so-called “forestry projects” which displace people from their >> lands and >> destroy biodiversity (even while they are trumpeted as a >> strategy for >> climate change). The UPA is rushing into agreements with the US >> and other >> imperial countries to throw open mining and land to international >> exploitation. But where do the forests, land, water and >> minerals lie? They >> are found in the forest and tribal areas, where people - some >> organised >> under the CPI (Maoist), some organized under democratic >> movements, some in >> spontaneous local struggles, some simply fighting in whatever >> manner they >> can – are resisting the destruction of their homes, resources >> and their >> lives. The “offensive against the Maoists” is only a subterfuge >> to crush >> this citizens’ resistance and to provide an excuse for more >> abuse of power, >> more brutality and more injustice. >> - >> >> >> *The government knows perfectly well that it cannot destroy the >> CPI >> (Maoist), or any people's struggle, through military action.* >> How can the >> armed forces identify who is a “Maoist” and who is not? The use >> of brute >> military force will result in the slaughter of thousands of >> people in >> prolonged, bloody and brutal guerrilla warfare. This has been >> the result of >> every “security offensive” in India's history from Kashmir to >> Nagaland. So >> why do this? And why now? Unless the goal has nothing to do >> with “wiping out >> the Maoists” and everything to do with having an excuse for the >> permanent >> presence of lakhs of troops, arms and equipment in these areas. >> To protect >> and serve whom? >> - >> >> >> *Hence the need for fear mongering and hysteria about Maoist >> “sympathisers” and their “infiltration” into “civil society.” *The >> government has a very long history of labeling any form of >> dissent as >> “Naxalite” or “Maoist.”* *The Maoists' politics are known; their >> positions are public; the only secret aspect of their work is >> their personal >> identities and military tactics. We who work in these areas do >> not fear this >> bogey of “infiltration” in our groups by Maoists, for the >> different stands >> taken by our organizations and theirs are clear, and in some >> areas there are >> open disputes. This scaremongering is just an excuse to justify >> a crackdown >> on all forms of dissent and democratic protest in these areas, >> a crushing of >> all people's resistance, and the branding of any questioning, >> any demand for >> justice, as “Maoist.” >> >> >> >> >> In the final analysis, *peace and justice will only come to >> India's workers, >> peasants, adivasis, dalits and other oppressed sections through >> the mass >> democratic struggle of the people.* A democratic struggle requires >> democratic space. The conversion of a region into a war zone, by >> anyone, is >> unacceptable. In the forest areas in particular, there is now a >> need for a >> new peace, one that can only be achieved through a genuine democratic >> dialogue between the political forces involved. For this to >> happen, this >> horrific “offensive” must first be called off. If the government >> really >> wishes to claim that it is committed to protecting people and >> their rights, >> let its actions comply with the requirements of law, justice and >> democracy. >> >> >> >> >> *Bharat Jan Andolan, National Front for Tribal Self Rule, Jangal >> Adhikar >> Sangharsh Samiti (Mah), Adivasi Mahasabha (Guj), Adivasi Jangal >> Janjeevan >> Andolan (D&NH), Jangal Jameen Jan Andolan (Raj), Madhya Pradesh >> Jangal >> Jeevan Adhikar Bachao Andolan, Jan Shakti Sanghatan (Chat), >> Peoples Alliance >> for Livelihood Rights, Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Orissa Jan Sangharsh >> Morcha, Campaign for Survival & Dignity (Ori), Orissa Jan Adhikar >> Morcha, >> Adivasi Aikya Vedike (AP), Campaign for Survival and Dignity – TN, >> Bharat >> Jan Andolan (Jhar).* >> >> >> __._,_.___ >> . >> >> >> __,_._,___ >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to 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 > > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 00:00:34 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910131130s6fdb2431ifbca68f37da924ca@mail.gmail.com> "had actually experienced what you call "group sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly?" No, Dear Sanjay, you are not reading it incorrectly, Nazir ( name changed ) had experienced such things during his activist days, what his friend Anil told me, and was not even thinking about it during those days, and that may have affacted his mind, and that is why he visited his guest, in the middle of night, who was sleeping in other room, and made an offer through a whisper. As we see it was not dscussed earlier, or planned, it must have occured to him suddenly, or it was his fantasy to make his guest experince similar thing which he experienced earlier, to repeat what he did one, to make his partern in the act, and only a psychologist can make deeper analyses of it all. As i see, sometimes, some acts happen first and are later on thought about. may be this too was one such, so again, very difficult to comment upon, given the political issue which is historically quite heavier . yes, i remember, Gh. Mohd Shad, my teacher once, who read a poem in Shahitya Academy Delhi few years back, in kashmiri and then in english, it was titled THAR NANUK, ( heads and tails ) and the content of that poem was the pain of a woman in kashmir who suffered at the hands of a both a militant and a sevurity man. he used the sounds of approaching foot steps in the poem which really made all of us silent and shocked at the same time. as much i was on hearing what Anil ( name changed ) told me. regards is On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Sanjay Kak wrote: > > Dear Inder > > I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, and not because I am a prude. > You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst?" > If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I doubt whether he has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think it is as important for the likes of us—and you included, Inder—who could fruitfully use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own projections. > > As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil exists, or the story is "true", is immaterial. > What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of this particular text for me. > In particular I draw your attention to the following paragraph: > "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir,  I am wondering?" > > Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain why the thought crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri Pandit is "still a purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? > And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what you call "group sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? > > I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who has spent a great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for complex, layered readings of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be the last person to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. > I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. > > Warmly > > Sanjay Kak > > On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write.  But here >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually >> happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the hindu identity looks as >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  their collective memory. >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  behind home and hearth, >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that >> time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities.  Muslims >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what >> politically remains elusive. >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he >> is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That >> is that. >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who >> are now married and living independently. During his month long stay >> in his village he spent nights at homes of  different friends. >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who  was >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. Anil, said no, no, but >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to >> his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman between two friends: >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since 1990. Anil and Nazir >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even >> accept the most dangerous offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very >> nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir >> had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement >> during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman.  Or is Anil >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the >> presence of her husband. >> >> Comments please >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 06:55:04 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:55:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910131130s6fdb2431ifbca68f37da924ca@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910122318s10570ee4pf87fda97266af8e9@mail.gmail.com> <47e122a70910131130s6fdb2431ifbca68f37da924ca@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910131825t4d002d44r1e9743234ae085d9@mail.gmail.com> This one is again true, way back in 90s one of our friends was a naib tehsildar in Anantnag, a Magistrate now, a nice person with a sense of humour all the time, and see what it changed into: Few years back, i met another friend of his, who told me about that friend like this: This Naib Tehsildar used to tell his wife that what is happening outside to women in the neighbourhood, Most of it fantasy, For example Mrs. A was gangraped by unknown security foreces in the night, and after some days again Mrs. B and her daughter in law were raped by unknown persons and so on. And when his friend tod him why you are saying lies to your wife, and he replied, which was again shocking, that he is mentally making her wife strong, in case a rape happnes in acutality. Just to convince her wife that these thing are normal in kashmir now. sad, again best is /On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 12:00 AM, Inder Salim wrote: > "had actually experienced what you call "group sex" in his activist > days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your insight, or am > I reading your narrative incorrectly?" > > No, Dear Sanjay, you are not reading it incorrectly,  Nazir ( name > changed ) had experienced such things during his activist days,  what > his friend Anil told me, and was not even thinking about it during > those days,  and that may have affacted his mind, and that is why he > visited his guest, in the middle of night, who was sleeping in other > room, and made an offer through a whisper.  As we see it was not > dscussed earlier, or planned, it must have occured to him suddenly, or > it was his fantasy to make his guest experince similar thing which he > experienced earlier, to repeat what he did one,  to make his partern > in the act,  and only a psychologist can make deeper analyses of it > all. > > As i see, sometimes, some acts happen first and are later on thought > about. may be this too was one such,  so again, very difficult to > comment upon, given the political issue which is historically quite > heavier . > > yes, i remember, Gh. Mohd Shad, my teacher once, who read a poem in > Shahitya Academy Delhi few years back, in kashmiri and then in > english, > it was titled THAR NANUK, ( heads and tails ) and the content of that > poem was the pain of a woman in kashmir who suffered at the hands of a > both a militant and a sevurity man. he used the sounds of approaching > foot steps in the poem which really made all of us silent and shocked > at the same time. > > as much i was on hearing what Anil ( name changed ) told me. > > > regards > is > > > On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Sanjay Kak wrote: >> >> Dear Inder >> >> I found your post quite disturbing, and even distasteful, and not because I am a prude. >> You say at the end: "Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst?" >> If Nazir does exist, a poor Kashmiri, a former militant, I doubt whether he has access to the services of a psychoanalyst. But I think it is as important for the likes of us—and you included, Inder—who could fruitfully use the tools of psychoanalysis to interrogate our own projections. >> >> As far as I am concerned, whether Nazir exists, or Anil exists, or the story is "true", is immaterial. >> What matters is your telling of it: you are the author of this particular text for me. >> In particular I draw your attention to the following paragraph: >> "Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in Kashmir,  I am wondering?" >> >> Since you are "wondering" Inder, could you care to explain why the thought crossed your mind, the surprising idea that the Kashmiri Pandit is "still a purer breed in Kashmir"? Purer than what? And how? >> And the insight that Nazir had actually experienced what you call "group sex" in his activist days, and did not see it as sin... this is clearly your insight, or am I reading your narrative incorrectly? >> >> I dont wish to over-read your narrative, but as someone who has spent a great deal of time—even on this list—arguing for complex, layered readings of the simplest things, you of all people, Inder, should be the last person to author a clunky, crude, and often puerile narrative. >> I look forward to a more nuanced unpacking of your tale. >> >> Warmly >> >> Sanjay Kak >> >> On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >>> >>> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write.  But here >>> it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually >>> happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, >>> and there is a lot to imagine: >>> >>> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and >>> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we >>> see it in historical  perspective, then  the hindu identity looks as >>> much visible as Muslim . >>> >>> It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that >>> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  their collective memory. >>> >>> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and >>> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of >>> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. >>> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian >>> articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  behind home and hearth, >>> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for >>> that.  Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that >>> time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see >>> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities.  Muslims >>> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their >>> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what >>> politically remains elusive. >>> >>> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was >>> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >>> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and >>> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he >>> is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That >>> is that. >>> >>> On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who >>> are now married and living independently. During his month long stay >>> in his village he spent nights at homes of  different friends. >>> >>> It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid >>> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who  was >>> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. Anil, said no, no, but >>> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to >>> his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife >>> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which >>> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman between two friends: >>> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but >>> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s >>> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >>> >>> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since 1990. Anil and Nazir >>> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into >>> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even >>> accept the most dangerous offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >>> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very >>> nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. >>> >>> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir >>> had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does >>> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >>> presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is >>> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in >>> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >>> >>> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was >>> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went >>> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement >>> during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the >>> victim: as usual a woman. >>> >>> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what >>> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring >>> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not >>> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must >>> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. >>> >>> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he >>> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, >>> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman.  Or is Anil >>> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the >>> presence of her husband. >>> >>> Comments please >>> >>> With love and regards >>> Inder salim >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> 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 > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 07:16:54 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:16:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Women principal war victims Message-ID: <47e122a70910131846n5f6f9753o51b5d4c722c797c3@mail.gmail.com> http://www.afrol.com/Categories/Women/wom006_drc_victims.htm Women comprise some 80 per cent of internally displaced persons and refugees when there is a war. Women and girls are also victims of rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, sexual humiliation and mutilation. Until now, however, their voice is seldom heard when "the important men" talk peace and war. Women as victims of war and women's role in peace building has been an important topic of discussion in several forums, most notably the United Nations, lately. There has been a special focus on the war, its victims and the peace process in the Great Lakes region. Atoki Ileka, representing Congo Kinshasa (DRC), told the UN Security Council that the recognition of women as equal partners in the prevention of war "is an important step. Recognizing their contribution to peace-building, however, is even more critical. Women must be involved in conflict resolution so that they could use their creativity to build consensus and find solutions for peace." He emphasized that women and children "are the first victims" of the war in his country, "which has a devastating impact on all aspects of life in" the DRC. Blaming Ugandan and Rwandan troops for horrible acts of violence against women, particularly in Kisingani, he told the Council that "those women have resisted rape and were subsequently bled dry and their bodies rubbed with pepper and salt in every orifice. In other incidents, women militants were arrested and raped, along with schoolgirls. The barbaric practice of collective rape has also served to spread the HIV/AIDS virus." Equal testimonies of acts of violence against women are also reported from the other side in the conflict, and attributed Government troops and its allies. "The security of women is the best indicator of the security of a nation" Women and girls are vulnerable both in times of peace and war, due to profound gender inequalities that still characterize societies. They comprise some 80 per cent of internally displaced persons and refugees on a worldwide scale. Women and girls are also victims of rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, sexual humiliation and mutilation. Reversing this situation requires political will and determination to fulfil all commitments concerning the protection and promotion of the women’s rights. In the words of the President of the Security Council, "women are half of every community, are they therefore not half of every solution?" How can we, in good conscience, bring warlords to the negotiating table and not women, the representative of the UN's agency for women, UNIFEM asked. - No full-scale assessment of the impact of armed conflict on women has yet taken place. Ironically, it has happened for children, but not yet for women - their primary caretakers and among those most affected by conflict, she went on. "International protection and assistance systematically neglect women and girls. There are thousands of children born of rape and forced impregnation." After conflicts, resources are depleted, infrastructure is destroyed, and social, economic and political relationships are strained. Successful reconstruction depends upon the use of every available resource. Women represent the most precious and underutilised of these resources, as it was shown in the Burundi peace process. At the beginning of the negotiation, the majority of proposals crafted by Burundian women at a recent conference held in Arusha from 17 - 20 July were accepted by the nineteen conflict parties. On this occasion, the key recommendations made by the women included: the establishment of mechanisms to punish and put an end to war crimes such as rape and sexual violence; guarantees for women's rights to property, land and inheritance; measures to ensure women's security and safe return; and guarantees that girls have the same rights as boys to all levels of education. In Burundi, women's voices were heard, but obviously not enough, as the conflict is going on with renewed force, lead by male warlords. Meanwhile, Burundian women are left fleeing the country to an uncertain future in Tanzanian refugee camps, where their security neither is provided for, according to new reports. -- From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 07:54:53 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:54:53 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Fwd=3A_Asian_Marxist_Review=2C_Edi?= =?windows-1252?q?tor=92s_Note_-_Autumn_2009_Written_by_Lal_Khan_in?= =?windows-1252?q?_Lahore_Tuesday=2C_13_October_2009?= In-Reply-To: <1f9180970910131923l43135042ud0bd118714e4556f@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910131923l43135042ud0bd118714e4556f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910131924y5fe8e70cgce8cada455aeac45@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Venugopalan K M Date: Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 7:53 AM Subject: Asian Marxist Review, Editor’s Note - Autumn 2009 Written by Lal Khan in Lahore Tuesday, 13 October 2009 To: venukm http://www.marxist.com/asian-marxist-review-editors-note-autumn-2009.htm Written by Lal Khan in Lahore The declining economic and financial power of the United States has its political ramifications throughout the whole of the Middle East, as social upheaval increases and the reactionary regimes fear for their very survival in the coming period... (On the other side)"..regimes of this volatile region, from Hamid Karzai to Zardari to Manmohan Singh, are trying to impose and sustain capitalism that has rotted to the core. These rulers have racked their brains to pass off shame as honour, cowardice as courage, pusillanimity and ignorance as wisdom, humiliation as virtue and wholehearted acceptance of imperialist domination as moral regeneration. The immense poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, deprivation, wars and terror that stalk these lands is threatening the basic fabric of human culture and civilization. This cannot endure.." -- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 08:14:11 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:14:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] two thrid married indian women victims of Domestic violence Message-ID: <47e122a70910131944xca5c9cdm54b676c765f3dbc4@mail.gmail.com> what is domestic violence ? http://www.ijcm.org.in/article.asp?issn=0970-0218;year=2008;volume=33;issue=2;spage=73;epage=76;aulast=Kaur Domestic violence can be described as the power misused by one adult in a relationship to control another. It is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse. This violence can take the form of physical assault, psychological abuse, social abuse, financial abuse, or sexual assault. The frequency of the violence can be on and off, occasional or chronic. "Domestic violence is not simply an argument. It is a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another. Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, emotional insults and economic deprivation as a way to dominate their victims and get their way". (Susan Scheter, Visionary leader in the movement to end family violence) [3] The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 says that any act, conduct, omission or commission that harms or injures or has the potential to harm or injure will be considered domestic violence by the law. Even a single act of omission or commission may constitute domestic violence - in other words, women do not have to suffer a prolonged period of abuse before taking recourse to law. The law covers children also. [4] Domestic violence is perpetrated by, and on, both men and women. However, most commonly, the victims are women, especially in our country. Even in the United States, it has been reported that 85% of all violent crime experienced by women are cases of intimate partner violence, compared to 3% of violent crimes experienced by men. [5] Thus, domestic violence in Indian context mostly refers to domestic violence against women. .......................................................................................................................... Two-third married Indian women victims of domestic violence: UN http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=56501 Domestic violence can be described as the power misused by one adult in a relationship to control another. It is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse. This violence can take the form of physical assault, psychological abuse, social abuse, financial abuse, or sexual assault. The frequency of the violence can be on and off, occasional or chronic. "Domestic violence is not simply an argument. It is a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another. Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, emotional insults and economic deprivation as a way to dominate their victims and get their way". (Susan Scheter, Visionary leader in the movement to end family violence) [3] The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 says that any act, conduct, omission or commission that harms or injures or has the potential to harm or injure will be considered domestic violence by the law. Even a single act of omission or commission may constitute domestic violence - in other words, women do not have to suffer a prolonged period of abuse before taking recourse to law. The law covers children also. [4] Domestic violence is perpetrated by, and on, both men and women. However, most commonly, the victims are women, especially in our country. Even in the United States, it has been reported that 85% of all violent crime experienced by women are cases of intimate partner violence, compared to 3% of violent crimes experienced by men. [5] Thus, domestic violence in Indian context mostly refers to domestic violence against women. ............................................................................................................................ ............................ From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 08:18:06 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:18:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Domestic Violence in Kashmir Message-ID: <47e122a70910131948v3892a08dwc100abf8149a1f50@mail.gmail.com> Dear all book review by J.A Mir http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14293 The book, under review, titled “Domestic Violence against Women in the Kashmir Valley” by Dr. B. A. Dabla is an empirical and factual study on the subject. The book is based on four chapters—Introduction, Methodology, Findings of the Study and Suggestions. The book has been published by Jay Kay Book shop Srinagar. It has a wonderful get up and a good quality paper. The cover page carries a photograph of a distressed woman with tearful eyes, wrinkled face which perhaps reflect the psycho-social torture that she has undergone, dried and cracked brown lips which say everything about her miseries and at the back side, it portrays a very beautiful face of a young girl with very attractive eyes perhaps made or destined to meet the same fate as of the former once she gets married. Both the pictures represent two different facets of social life of women. The author introduces the problem and highlights the context and objectives of it in the very introduction of the book. In the second chapter, the author explores on the methods and techniques used for the empirical study. The study is based on the 200 interviews of women out of which 157 were married, 42 un-married and a divorcee. All the erstwhile six districts have been covered and a proper proportion has been maintained to balance the findings of the study. Different variables have been adopted by the author to make the work a comprehensive one. A detailed account of methodology followed is provided in the second chapter which will be helpful for the budding scholars to design their field studies in effective and efficient manner. The study highlights that 63 per cent of the respondents feel discriminated within the families in the areas of education, gifts, food, property, employment etc. with varying degrees. The 32 percent (27/87) of the working women respondents face condemnation from In-laws for their work and 48.27 percent among them feel that their In-laws are jealous of their work. The author contests that “attainment of the working role by the married women develops certain degree of jealousy among In-laws family members. In the post-marital situation, it certainly contributes to the enormity and intensity of domestic violence” (p 25). If pre-marital situation is analyzed, women face a strange dilemma. I think they are caught between devil and the deep sea. On the one side, not having a job puts them in a disadvantageous position in getting married because job has a “market value” and on the other side, having a job puts them into trouble after marriage. Though, only a minority of respondents 50/157 (31.84 per cent) and 15/157 (09. 55 per cent) claimed of physical harassment/beating at the hands of husbands and In-laws respectively, yet this cannot be underestimated. While majority of such women (75 per cent) experienced physical harassment only once, yet for some (07.00 per cent) it had been a regular feature of domestic life. More serious is the psychological torture which was experienced by the 39.49 per cent of the respondents. The demand of dowry has added to the complexity of the problem. A good percentage of the respondents (39.49) had faced the dowry demand by In-laws and only around 09 per cent of the respondents were asked by their husbands for precious gifts. The threat of divorce is “hanging sword on their heads” and traditional values and religion have been instrumental in subjugating the women. The Author argues that “the religion too, like traditions, plays a certain definitive role vis-à-vis the practices related to domestic violence against women. Its social dynamics partly determines the nature, degree and efficacy of these practices. It is more so in our societies where, in some cases, it seems difficult to differentiate between religion and tradition. In actuality, the traditional values in our societies have mostly been determined by the religion” (pp—72-73). The author precisely draws co-relation between joint family, illiteracy and domestic violence, on the one hand, and on the other, between nuclear family, education and non-violence within the families. The data illustrates the same in concrete terms and it is on this basis that the Author logically sees the remedy in the universal education. The Author also highlights that the women are more tyrant towards women than men. One of the most serious challenges that women face within the family, which is least reported, is the sexual harassment at the hands of near relatives especially cousins, In-laws, and surprisingly grand father as reported by a respondent and distant relatives. 33 per cent (66/200) of the respondents had categorically mentioned molestation, 25 per cent of whom had to face it during the raids by the armed forces, unsurprisingly, which in turn has a lot of serious implication on the victims of molestation. The book has some limitations. It does not speak anything about the Domestic Violence Act 2005. The year-wise data of crime against women is readily available at National Crime Bureau and State Crime Bureau which, if included, would have enriched the Introduction chapter. If a definite number of men would have been interviewed for the deeper inquiry, it would have certainly added another dimension to such a vital study. All in all, the book is an objective study based on the factual data collected through a proper method from all the erstwhile districts of the Kashmir Valley and the arguments made by the Author are substantially supported by the data. It is an unbiased work of a great researcher. The book opens up many new questions for research and many topics for serious debates and discussion. The targets have been objectively met and the Author deserves all praise for it. (Reviewer is Assistant Professor, P.G. Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir. He can be reached at darpolsc at gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 08:19:06 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:19:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Kashmir watch Message-ID: <47e122a70910131949i345f0a10nbbc7f7820d96b880@mail.gmail.com> Kashmir Watch, Sep 4 http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showexclusives.php?subaction=showfull&id=1252061684&archive=&start_from=&ucat=15&var1news=value1news By: Mamoona Ali Kazmi According to a recent report of National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB), violence against women is rampant in India, with southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh having the worst record for crimes against women. For the year 2007-08, NCRB recorded 24,738 cases of crimes committed against women including 1,070 cases of rape, 1,564 cases of kidnapping and abduction, 613 cases of dowry deaths and 11,335 cases of domestic violence in Andhra Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has also witnessed a stepping of crime against women with the state recording 21,215 cases of violence including 2,066 cases of dowry death, 1,532 cases of rape and 3,819 cases of kidnapping. The NCRB also highlighted many incidents of rape of minor girls committed by the police personnel. Similarly, Haryana a small state has recorded 4,645 incidents of crime with as many as 269 cases of dowry deaths and 488 cases of rape. Bihar leads in cases of domestic violence with 59 percent of married women suffering domestic violence. The NCRB recorded 7,548 cases of crime with 1,555 rape cases, 1,172 dowry death cases and 1,260 kidnapping and abduction cases in the state. These are the statistics of only the reported cases whereas several cases of violence against women goes unreported due to social stigmas attached to them and due to the fear of reprisals and threats from the culprits. Women in India suffer at different levels and due to different reasons. Violence against women in India is conducted irrespective of caste and class. Women in general and low caste women in particular are the victims of violence. Even the Hindu religion does not provide any security to this creature. The Hindu Holy text sanctify the killing of infant girls, by parents who deem themselves not capable of shouldering the responsibility of having a girl child. The Hindu holy book Bhagvad Gita calls women embodiment of the worst desires and justifies the killing of women. “Killing of a woman, a shudra or an atheist is not sinful. Woman is an embodiment of the worst desires, hatred, deceit, jealously and bad character. Women should never be given freedom”. Bhagvad Gita (Manu 1X. 17 and V.47, 147).The modern democratic India follows these religious teachings of hatred and enmity towards women. The change does come but only in the techniques of the violence. In past, in Hindu society new born girls were buried alive now new born baby girls are either strangled to death or aborted during pregnancy. According to a UNICEF report released in December 2006, about 7,000 fewer girls than expected are born daily in India, and about 10 million fewer girls than expected were born in the past 20 years due to sex discrimination. Women in India are considered a stigma to honour and are victim of almost all kinds of violence such as rape, domestic violence, abduction, dowry deaths and honour killings. The women living in insurgency infested areas are victims of duel violence. On the one hand they are victimized by army personnel and on the other by rival ethnic groups. Similarly, women other than Hindus particularly Muslims and Christians are victims of hate crime. Not all sexual harassment and rape cases are reported in India. But by considering the reported cases it becomes evident that in India a women is raped every 29th minute. The NCRB unearthed some extremely disturbing trends in India. Statistics suggest that in 2005 around 50 women were raped and 480 molested and abducted every day. The gravity of the problem is that Indian laws are not very strict for such type of violence against women. No capital punishment is awarded in such cases. Apart from harassment, throwing strong acids such sulphuric acid on the face of the girls and women is rampant in India. This is the most heinous and severe punishment deserving crime. There is no separate law to deal with acid attackers in India. Organizations such as the Campaign and Struggle against Acid Attacks on Women (CSAAAW) are fighting to get acid attacks recognised as a separate crime and an extension of other forms of gender violence. Even a small state like Bangladesh realized the gravity of acid attacks and introduced death penalty against the crime. The Indian government has promised a new law to tackle increasing acid attacks, but that brings no cheer to those who know all too well what they are fighting against a system of hierarchies that rationalises violence. The problem is not acid but the thinking of men that they can control and dictate terms to the women in their lives. There is a need of a law that can restrict the sale of acid and bring offenders to justice. Law only cannot correct these social imbalances there is need that these laws should be implemented in true spirit. Dowry deaths are also frequent in India. This is the worst crime against the women next to rape. A married girl is burnt to death or killed or tortured by her in-laws and husband for not providing enough gifts or money to them by her parents. Every day 50 cases of dowry related violence are reported and every 3rd minute a case of violence against women is registered in India. Apart from these several women in the tribal areas of India are killed on the pretext of practicing witchcraft. Low casts girls especially dalits in their childhood are made Devdasis to serve God in the temple and they have to leave their home and stay in the temple complex. These girls grew up in the temples and are exploited afterwards Honour killings are widespread in India and 95 percent of victims of such killings are women. Honour killings in India are classified broadly into two segments, those undertaken by families to protect the honour of individual families and those ordered by caste panchayats to protect caste honour. History of honour killings showed that the victims were beaten to death or pushed into a corn bin. In some cases, the women were asked to get into a narrow tunnel which would be covered with a slab so that they would die of suffocation. Women who were perceived to sully family honour were either murdered or forced to commit suicide. In some cases, unprivileged and dispossessed families living in a feudal society murdered girls the moment they felt they would not be able to protect them from the evil intentions of an all-powerful local zamindar or a chieftain. Brinda Karat MP and CPI (M) Polit Bureau member said, “I had asked a question in parliament on the number of killings related to honour that had taken place so far and the reply I received from the government was that they do not recognize such a category and, therefore, there was no separate collection of such data”. There is no legal definition of the term honour killing or honour crime. As a result, the perpetrators of such crimes more often than not get away with murder, torture, assault, and violation of laws regarding atrocities committed on the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. And they continue to commit them with impunity. There is a need that Indian government should take urgent measures to create awareness through education on the need to end such social crimes against women and initiate comprehensive measures to curb honour killings, acid attacking, rape and dowry deaths etc. In India, there is no respect for women, Dalits and minorities. The government needs to realise that acid attacks and other brutal assaults on women are a manifestation of an ingrained inequality. These attacks are not just about the women they target, they are also about the society that allows such attacks, the hierarchies it has internalised and the voices of protest it has silenced. -- From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 10:45:06 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:45:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Project evaluating impact of Govt.'s withdrawal of CBSE board exam Message-ID: Here's a mail from Priya Nadkarni, a student at the Indian School of Business. She is working on a research project along with her professor. Do write to her, if you can help out. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Priya Nadkarni Date: Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:08 PM Hey, Hope you are doing good. I am working on a project on evaluating the impact of the Government's withdrawal of the CBSE board exam (for tenth standard). I am trying to access as much academic and other literature on this as I can. It is a little tough to get hold of academic research done on India, specifically. If any of you know any educationists or academics or researchers who have looked at the following aspects and can pass on the details to me, I would be grateful and would treat you to a cold beverage of your choice, whenever I meet you next. :) 1) Impact of testing on academic effort put in by students. 2) The impact of testing on input by schools. 3) The impact of testing on input by parents (particularly expenditures on children’s education) 4) Impact of testing on psychological welfare of students. Please get in touch with me at this email address, if you think you know anyone. My number is 09666407406. Thanks. Regards, Priya From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 11:02:51 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:02:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Impact Of Peasant Suicides On Women_Preliminary Findings In-Reply-To: <839977.30606.qm@web23507.mail.ird.yahoo.com> References: <839977.30606.qm@web23507.mail.ird.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910132232p2d71d8ah57b65d35e3540306@mail.gmail.com> ** *Printer Friendly Version * Impact Of Peasant Suicides On Women Preliminary Findings of a Study *By Ranjana Padhi * 13 October, 2009 *Countercurrents.org* http://www.countercurrents.org/padhi131009.htm The havoc caused by capitalist-intensive agriculture in a deeply traditional and feudal society is borne out in the daily lives of women, dalits, children, youth and the elderly. This study addresses the social implications of the agrarian crisis and shows how the economic and social realms are inextricably linked in the lived reality of peasant women. The picture of the grinning Punjabi farmer in calendars was mere propaganda of the Green Revolution as there’s depression, alienation and suicide written on many young faces today. In this article, I share some preliminary findings of a survey of women of 125 families across 10 districts of the Malwa region – the region most affected by the agrarian crisis in Punjab. This survey has been made possible with the active support and co-operation of BKU Ekta (Ugrahan), Punjab Kisan Union and BKU Ekta (Dakonda). The findings will show the aftermath of farmer suicides triggered by indebtedness and other related reasons. Interviews have been held in 47 villages across the districts of Ferozepur, Muktsar, Bhatinda, Moga, Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Barnala and Faridkot. Approximately 40% of the sample is of dalit landless agricultural labourers while the rest are largely small and marginal peasants. 80% of those who committed suicide are between age 21 and 50 – the most productive years in a person’s life. There are also 4 suicides of women; and a number of cases where double or even triple suicides have happened in a single day. The mode of suicide is consumption of pesticide in 70% case. Since agriculture is per se based on family labour with the household economy being an integral part of the agricultural economy, these interviews of mothers, wives and other female relatives reveals the total number of affected people to be 595 i.e., five times the number of suicides. Of this total, the percentage of dependents (below 18 and above 60) forms 55%. The sheer burden of managing the needs and demands of fatherless families takes its toll on women in the form of depression and other health problems caused by the overwhelming psychological pressure of grinding poverty. And most importantly, women’s economic activities in tending to livestock, fodder collection, and doing all kinds of work within the house to make ends met are still not accorded the status of labour. Housework, childcare and nursing of the elderly become more arduous and uphill in the face of an agrarian crisis that has finally left women with all the traditional responsibilities in families without any semblance of protection. The restriction on women’s mobility restricts almost all Jat Sikh women from taking on wage work. It is the Majhabi, Ramdasia and Ravidasia Sikh women who work on daily wages largely and seem proud of it too. A 65 year-old Jat Sikh woman who has nobody to look after her has defied caste norms and resorted to wage work by picking cowdung for Rs 450 per month. Seasonal labour like picking gaajar and muli or cotton picking fetches Rs 50-60 per day. Most get such work for a maximum of two to three months a year. The widow’s pension of Rs 250/- per month given by the Punjab government seems a mockery in today’s times and even this paltry amount does not reach many for months on end! Over 65% women are engaged in work pertaining to livestock and fodder collection. Household expenses are met by selling milk to local shops or collected by Nestle or Verka agents in some areas. They are able to make Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per month. Even while in deep anxiety to make ends meet through any other work available like tailoring and weaving, 94% of the women are engaged in intense domestic labour and 54% in caring and nursing the elderly. It is women who are somehow running these fatherless families against all odds as the institutions of marriage and family seem unable to offer even the semblance of support it is traditionally meant to. The devaluation of women in Punjab is most evident in its declining sex ratio. As per the 2001 census data, it is 876 females per 1,000 males while the national average is 933. The poor in Punjab are paying a heavy price in the form of dowry; many suicides are related either directly or indirectly to increased indebtedness because of dowry. Even families where suicides have taken place, the minimum expectation of dowry was Rs 2 lakhs among Jat Sikhs while amongst the landless it was over Rs 60,000. While 74% of families in the sample are in debt for agricultural or housebuilding purposes, these debts are often related to social practices like dowry or health care and surgeries. Of the 46% of families who have used loans for dowry and marriage, 89% are landless labourers and small and marginal farmers. Of the 36% families who have used loan money for health reasons, 82% have resorted to private health care for surgeries involving stones in the gall bladder or kidney, accidents, hysterectomies, eye surgeries, hernia – what should be available in public hospitals as a basic right to any citizen. Incidences of stomach cancer -caused by the heavy presence of pesticides in the ground water and on cotton crops - and heart problems caused by intense mental stress involve huge expenses exceeding 1 or 2 lakhs at times. Most people resort to traveling to Bikaner for free cancer treatment by traveling in a local train, which is now popularly called Cancer Train. While 14% women agreed they get some sort of support from their mother’s families or in-laws, a clear 86% said there’s no support from anywhere. Lack of sleep is faced by 47% women in the sample while anxiety with or without reason is experienced by 67%. Fear and nervousness accompanied by palpitations in the chest is experienced by 16% while 35% complained of fatigue and intense physical weakness. The biggest concern of most women is the future of the children. Women are entering fresh loans to somehow provide a decent education to children while the even poorer families see a higher rate of school drop outs. A rigid caste structure characterized by an invincible pride of being landowning Jat Sikhs prevents many young people from stepping out of agriculture while the prospects of employment seem bleak because there has been little or no growth in the secondary and tertiary sectors in Punjab. A majority of the youth in villages visited suffer from drug addiction, helping themselves to dubious supplies of allopathic drugs. Young girls are seen a responsibility by mothers and brothers – whose marriage often entails sale of land or fresh debts even after a suicide has taken place in the family. For mothers who are barely in control of their own lives, a decent marriage of a daughter is the only aspiration. Internalizing and living the ramifications of patriarchal ideology thus leads to the reproduction of subordination in the next generation of women. At times of such economic crisis, the devaluation of women and women’s labour is further worsened as daring to dream beyond the existing reality becomes impossible when mass suicides are happening. Ranjana Padhi is a feminist activist based in Delhi. Conatct email id: *ranjanapadhi at yahoo.co.uk* From c.anupam at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 12:08:23 2009 From: c.anupam at gmail.com (anupam chakravartty) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:08:23 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah Hamdan' of Kashmir) In-Reply-To: <722673.14898.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <341380d00910130404jc9a6416mb26d6fe08d2c747f@mail.gmail.com> <722673.14898.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <341380d00910132338p24296751od021f12c49f0e112@mail.gmail.com> Dear Kshmendra, The Mir is also known Saa'dat, who was very popular among the Kashmiris in the 14th Century. Whether the possible conversions that happened during his time by coercion or through free will is still unproven. One cannot say whether this Tajik thinker and poet was exclusively referring to Hindus because it is in form of a categorical imperatives ("thou shalt not...") typically characterised by a negation, which usually is used to exclude one set of people from others (here for example, they were the Muslims). In this case, the mannerisms prescribed in form of imperatives are also asserting the characteristics of the Muslims as distinct and a finite identity from people following other religions although the injunctions are directed towards non-Muslims (for which no definite characteristics have been stated but only those which is in contrast with the Muslims) However, we are talking about a 14th-century society when several rulers following varied customs and traditions were molding the mores of the society. The British, for example imposed their administration which many of us were very happy to follow although some of it is in deep contrast to so called mores of an Indian society. If he is popular in Kashmir, it is not because of these imperatives but because he was also considered a figurehead as asserted many of the sources mentioned by you. Moreover, Kshmendra, what is your motivation bringing this "list" on to Sarai ? Do you want to say that there are section of hardcore Islamists who want to impose these rules again in Kashmir? What's so new about it? Dont we have Bal Thackerays, Togadias, Singhals around? With regards, Anupam On 10/13/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > Dear Anupam > > I forgot to include the crowning-glory edict which follows the "List". It is > something like: > > """"" If the "Dhimmis" (Non-Muslims under 'protection') do not follow the > 'conditions', they will not enjoy security and it will be lawful for Muslims > to take their lives and possessions as though they were the lives and > possesions of unbelievers in a state of war with the faithful.""""""" > > I presume "take their lives" meant to take them into "slavery". Or was it > 'death'? > > There was no 'painful' reasearch by me. The translation is > extensively documented in a number of published works. > > I do not have access to the original text. It is listed in the collection of > British Museum. Microfilm available at University of Chicago Library. It ia > also listed in the collection of  National Library of the Czech Republic > (199 folios). > > The "List" is apparently translated from folios 94a-95a. (I cannot confirm > from which 'original text'). > > The "List' is reproduced in the following published works: > > 1. (As I wrote earlier) ...in Dr Abdul Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in > Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an authority on Sufism in Kashmir. > He is a former Head of Deptt. of History in University of Kashmir. > > 2. "Kashmir: Past and Present - Unravelling the Mystique" by Prof Mohan Lal > Koul > > 3. "A History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir (1320-1819)" by R K Parimu > > 4. "Sources of Indian Tradition" Ed A T Embree (it so appears) > > 5. "History and  Culture  of the  Indian People" R C Majumdar (it so > appears) > > 6. "Ethics of Civilization" by Sanderson Beck (quoted from 'Sources of > Indian Tradition') > > You might also want to look at this translation provided by Prof Alexandra > Cuffel > http://www.macalester.edu/~cuffel/hamadani.htm > > Kshmendra > > > --- On Tue, 10/13/09, anupam chakravartty wrote: > > > From: anupam chakravartty > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Advisory on Non-Muslims (by the Sufi (?) 'Shah > Hamdan' of Kashmir) > To: "Kshmendra Kaul" > Cc: "sarai list" > Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 4:34 PM > > > Dear Kshmendra and all, > > Painful research on your part, I must say. Can you also reproduce the > original text, as it has been seen on many occasions we are misled by > such translations? > > I tried looking for it and still trying. > > Anupam > > > > On 10/13/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: >> The 'advisory' listed below is apparently from a translation in Dr Abdul >> Qayum Rafiqi's book "Sufism in Kashmir". Dr Rafiqi is considered to be an >> authority on Sufism in Kashmir. >> >> The list is from "Zakhiraat ul Mulak", written by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani >> (14th >> century) who is much reverred in Kashmir as "Shah Hamdan". >> >>   1) The Hindus will not construct any new temples under the rule of >> Muslims. >> >>   2) They will not repair old temples fallen into ruins. >> >>   3) They will respect Muslims. >> >>   4) They will not dress like Muslims. >> >>   5) They will not ride a horse with saddle & bridle. >> >>   6) They will not put on a ring on their fingers. >> >>   7) They will not carry swords or bows & arrows. >> >>   8) They will not adopt Muslim names. >> >>   9) They will not harbour spies or act as spies. >> >>   10) If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not >> oppose >> it. >> >>   11) If a Muslim comes to attend a Hindu meeting he will be respectfully >> received. >> >>   12) They will receive Muslim travelers into their houses & provide them >> hospitality. >> >>   13) They will not prevent Muslim travelers from staying in their temples >> & >> shrines. >> >>   14) They will not mourn their dead loudly. >> >>   15) They will not buy Muslim slaves. >> >>   16) They will not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims. >> >>   17) They will not sell intoxicating drinks. >> >>   18) They will not carry their dead near the grave-yards of Muslims. >> >>   19) They will not openly practice their customs & usages among Muslims. >> >>   20) They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be >> distinguished from  Muslims >> >> >> Kshmendra >> >> >> >> >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to 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 kmvenuannur at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 14:13:34 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:13:34 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: AlterNet: Ridiculous Study Blames Feminism for Non-Existent 'Happiness Gap' Between Men and Women In-Reply-To: <20091014083847.3837499802C@55771-app1.alternet.org> References: <20091014083847.3837499802C@55771-app1.alternet.org> Message-ID: <1f9180970910140143y59184116qc86b1c97a6cbfda3@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 2:08 PM Subject: AlterNet: Ridiculous Study Blames Feminism for Non-Existent 'Happiness Gap' Between Men and Women To: kmvenuannur at gmail.com This story has been forwarded to you from http://www.alternet.org by kmvenuannur at gmail.com ------------------------------------- Ridiculous Study Blames Feminism for Non-Existent 'Happiness Gap' Between Men and Women http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/143260 Much-discussed study claims that women are more depressed relative to men in recent decades, when it actually suggests that neither marriage nor children make women happy. ------------------------------------- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 18:07:56 2009 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:07:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Marine Act will harm fish workers: forum Message-ID: <3457ce860910140537o371bfb72t59f55c008d3ff4d5@mail.gmail.com> *Marine Act will harm fish workers: forum* *Date:14/10/2009* *URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/14/stories/2009101454860600.htm* Ignatius Pereira ------------------------------ * NFF wants traditional fish workers out of Act’s purview Forum to hold State, national-level discussions * ------------------------------ KOLLAM: T. Peter, secretary of the National Fish workers Forum (NFF), has said that The Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Act 2009, in its present form, will be strongly opposed by fish workers all over the country. He added that the Act “appears to be completely inimical to traditional fish workers.” Talking to *The Hindu *on Sunday, he said the Kerala unit of the NFF would hold a discussion on the Act in Thiruvananthapuram on October 16. After that a national-level discussion would be organised at Puducherry on October 27. Representatives from all coastal State units of the NFF would attend the sessions. He said that NFF was the first forum to demand a Marine Fisheries Act for India. “It was mainly to control the operation of foreign fishing vessels on Indian waters. But, paradoxically the draft Bill contains provisions that discourage traditional fish workers from deep sea fishing, which in turn would help foreign fishing vessels to take over those waters. The draft Bill even proposes docking facilities for foreign vessels,” he pointed out. The NFF wanted the traditional fishing sector to be excluded from the purview of the Act, he said. “These fishermen already have State government permits. Asking them to go for a Central government registration is like asking vehicle owners to cancel State registrations and take a Central one,” Mr. Peter said. The Act would also nullify the Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act 1980 and the Kerala Monsoon Fishery (Pelagic) Protection Act 2007. Moreover, while the proposed Central Act mentions that the Coast Guard would be the enforcement agency, it did not mention which would be the registration agency. “The draft Bill was prepared without consulting anyone from the traditional fishing sector. Though the draft Bill is in circulation, the text is in English. Traditional fishermen, who are the main stakeholders, must be given a copy of the same in their language to understand things better and make suggestions,” he said. However, Mr. Peter said, the fishermen were willing to cooperate with provisions of the Act that aimed at conservation and regeneration of fish stock and ensure fishing in an environmentally sustainable manner, apart from maintenance of law and order in the maritime zones of the country. From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 20:46:28 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:46:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The Government's Planned "Offensive" in Adivasi and Forest Areas In-Reply-To: <4A3EB5A2-1313-4080-A57C-26E950464275@sarai.net> References: <46002a710910120754g68da8de4t2b8bbd0639e93a4e@mail.gmail.com> <502e41c10910122233qf1efb3aia355e3a7e0e8dab8@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910122310g3f71e471pe0de3ab4cfaa2ba0@mail.gmail.com> <564b2fca0910130536x24f66938h1643781d4268decc@mail.gmail.com> <4A3EB5A2-1313-4080-A57C-26E950464275@sarai.net> Message-ID: Dear Shuddha and Nagraj First of all, I think the first categorical thing to be stated and which must be stated is that, violence in any form is wrong, be it that perpetrated by the Naxalites, or by the state. If God forbid, one of my relatives is killed because he/she is a Hindu (hypothetically say by a Muslim), I may in my anger go and kill the Muslim who did it, but that would never mean that my action is right. (Though I may not get a death sentence for that as per the manner and conduct of judgement in India) To justify the violence of Naxals would be akin to justifying my action as well in the example I stated. This is extremely important since Naxalism has been said to emerge out of the reasons of the failure of the state in discharging its responsibilities, and the exploitation of the tribals, and their disenchantment with the state due to their inhumane treatment at the hands of the authorities.If this were to be accepted, Bhopal gas victims should also organize bomb blasts tomorrow till Warren Anderson was extradited and brought to India to be sentenced for crimes against humanity!! I accept that Naxalism is not merely a law and order problem, but it doesn't mean that it's right. It neither means that I support the state action against Naxalism as well. But then, I can't say that the state's action is wrong and the Naxal action is right, for after all, they didn't secure a democratic legitimacy of their actions from the people they claim to support as well. And even if they did so, the question of human rights will still remain. If the Naxals, tribals, Dalits, Blacks, have their human rights, so do the policemen, the paramilitary forces and those serving the state in their capacities. I also have the least of sympathies for the Indian state. It is only reaping what it had sown. If the Indian state had forgotten the logic of practicality (or pragmatism) as well as order and stability (in which Godse & Nehru joined hands to kill Gandhi's ideas), we wouldn't have had come to this passe. Today, India is democratic in name only. Elections don't constitute democracy; listening to each other's views and respecting them does. Understanding the issue, disseminating proper and requisite information among the people, channelizing proper discussions so that more can get an idea about the issue, and then take stands on it, is what constitutes real democracy. But we were more concerned about being a pragmatic and order state (not to be anarchic, which is what Gandhi was not against but Godse & Nehru were), and the end result is there for all to see. In the name of order, Naxals have to be silenced. In the name of development and scientific temper, dams have to be built (or even SEZ's) and tribals have to be resettled. Never mind the fact that even the oustees of the Hirakud dam built during Nehru's times have not been compensated adequately by the Indian authorities; now it seems the entire countryside is up for grabs. As if farmer's suicides were not enough, the govt. has now thought of an adequate plan to get rid of these suicides, by simply grabbing the farmers' land and forcing them into urban slums (to constitute as appeasement-based vote banks). All this still doesn't support the Naxalite point of view. The Naxals have turned what was a battle for people's rights into an unnecessary ideological battle. Since I have read a little bit about China, I can certainly say that Mao was no textbook style communist, he was only a pragmatist who believed in securing power for himself, and whatever were the means to do it, he did. The fact that he didn't stop his wife from trying to use his name to get her personal works done (including allowing her to gain substantial control of the armed militias), as well as the use of the Cultural Revolution to ensure that he was not sidelined, are a testimony to this fact. The Naxals have learnt from Mao to only ensure they are considered important, and have been waging a struggle which is hopeless for the very people they are fighting for. First of all, they claim that they can fight the Indian state, whose brutality is already well documented and known going by the experiences of Kashmir and the North-East. And if that is not enough, Salwa Judum is there for all to see. Even nationalists among my friends dislike the Salwa Judum, but of course, for the Naxals, such movements only help in getting recruits for their false movement. As if that was not enough, they attack the policemen and kill informers as well. What will that help in, or how can that help in serving their ideology? They have been forcing landowners to pay hafts or extortion money in return for protecting them. How is this different from what the Shiv Sena used to in Mumbai during the 70's and the 80's, particularly from the non-Marathis? And was/is that justifiable? They have been extorting those trucks which operate in the area, the rich people, even businessmen as well as those who employ tribals for tendu-patta collection (an important economic activity in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh). But all through the power flowing from the barrel of the gun (as Mao said). In that sense, how are they different from the state? The only difference is that the state fought for the 'rich', the Naxals fight for the 'poor'. But their means are wrong, and when means are wrong, what's the use of even having the right 'ends'? Let's not forget the man who was made the father of the Nation (ironical because neither did he want honor for himself, nor did he believe in the kind of nation he has been made father of), and his sayings. He has categorically said in his own biography: 'Both means and ends are important'. People sympathize with Naxals because they fight for the poor. Sympathy for the poor however doesn't and shouldn't mean that we take guns and start killing those serving in the district administration. It means fighting for institutional changes so that we may die, but those who are unfortunately born poor in the future generations, have their rights secured for them and are able to live with dignity. Institutional building is not an easy task, I accept. And before others say anything, let me even further add and say that I personally am a very violent human being. The dreams I experience of violence are even beyond description, and my own self is shocked with such images which I have in my mind. But that never means that I accept those activites are right; they would never be in any situation. Hence, we have to think of ensuring that institutions (be they political, economic, cultural or social, administrative) work and work well. And that would require going beyond the paradigm of violence and use of innovative ideas coupled with time-tested means to solve problems. It does take time, but it is the only right method we have. And we can't give up on it, come what may. We don't have a choice. If the Naxals had done what Jean Dreze, Aruna Roy, Amartya Sen and others have done, they would have done the Indian state a great service. Their objective of changing the nature of the Indian state would have been achieved long ago, considering they started in 1967 and it has been 42 years since then. Their cause is right, but with such wrong means, they will only help destroying the tribals and others they claim they fight for. As for the Indian state, all state-supporters of violence should realize that legitimate authority to conduct violence (considered an inherent part in definition of state by Max Weber) doesn't mean that the state uses violent means to silence all dissent and do as those controlling the state please. It means that violence should only be used as a strategically defensive measure to be used only when the freedoms and rights of people are under threat (specifically physical threat, including that of loss of lives or physical injury). Otherwise, that legitimacy will only be eroded to give more fodder for Naxals. And anyways, intrinsically it would still remain wrong, come what may. (because of the human rights argument). Which is why I don't support the current action of the govt, and the intention they are fighting for (both what they claim and that I think they are actually fighting for) Rakesh From indersalim at gmail.com Wed Oct 14 21:46:15 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:46:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: References: <47e122a70910110227q3f27b24amc8b162da68ee79e4@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910140916g42fc9febhf2810075c782f01@mail.gmail.com> Dear Shbar thanks for response, i will come again on this entire thing again, but deconstructing a lot, i met this man Anil , a kashmiri but a stranger, in a train, who told me this about his school time friend Nazir. so may be he narrrated me something which has not actually happned, but i trusted him and posted the story as it is, so nothing to dig deeper in but, even if i knew him, wont it be unethical to expose him, and his freind Nazir back in kashmir. and who will take the responibltiy of the victim , his wife? what if she is attacked by the those who consider her sinful after knowing the story, That is why, i raised the issue, of the voiceless, which does not mean that we can make the vulneralble more vulnerable with love and regards inder salim On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:28 AM, SHABIR DAR wrote: > it is obviously very shocking to read ur piece. Has it really happened that > a man out of his personal compulsons or whatever, gifts his wife's modesty > to his friend. i can not deny i might not have happened. Bt i m nt convinced > with ur stry. if u could have interviewed both friends, and the woman and > put their excerpts, ur stry cud have been mre credible. Inderji i m a > journalist, so i wanna to know more abt it. If u can plz let me know more > abt this stry, i wl b obliged. > Regards > Shabir Dar > Journalist > > > On 10/10/09, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult to write.  But here >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what might have actually >> happened that night. This is just one case, so nothing to generalize, >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct identities, One Muslim and >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no contrast, but if we >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the hindu identity looks as >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, a strange one that >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase from  their collective memory. >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley to Jammu and >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising actually thought of >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are associated with India. >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that long list of Indian >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out leaving  behind home and hearth, >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian Kashmir policy for >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit the lowest during that >> time, but times, as we know have different things in store, and we see >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two communities.  Muslims >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus too support their >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really deeper than what >> politically remains elusive. >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited his village he was >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is still unemployed and >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite in shambles, and he >> is thinking to dispose that property to live decently in Jammu. That >> is that. >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and other friends who >> are now married and living independently. During his month long stay >> in his village he spent nights at homes of  different friends. >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was surprised by a mid >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name changed), who  was >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. Anil, said no, no, but >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift something meaningful to >> his friend, something different, so the idea of offering him his wife >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he initially hesitated, which >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman between two friends: >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was a group sex, but >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too animal like, as Nazir’s >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since 1990. Anil and Nazir >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily translated into >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for couple of nights, and even >> accept the most dangerous offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and questions the very >> nature of male oriented agendas around our political spectrum. >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two reasons. One, that Nazir >> had actually experienced group sex during his activist days, and does >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning in the Anil’s >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to express, because he is >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still a purer breed in >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in Kashmir. First it was >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s welcome wherever they went >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for their sexual excitement >> during nights at different hide outs in different homes. And the >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different layering besides what >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are perhaps restoring >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, which Nazir could not >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am sure, Nazir too must >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil told me. >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a psychoanalyst? Is he >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or he is simply a male, >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a woman.  Or is Anil >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless woman in the >> presence of her husband. >> >> Comments please >> >> With love and regards >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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/> > > > -- > Shabir Dar > Rising Kashmir, Srinagar > > Cell: 9469243828 -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 10:28:33 2009 From: rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com (Rajkamal Goswami) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:28:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN Message-ID: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> 665 million in India defecate in open: UN http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm I strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a socio-cultural, historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is highly ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation practices. 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced are parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community defecating practices which are of special significance to many, particularly women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern India, women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the open and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the forefathers of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human race today, did defecate in the open. 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In many parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges something ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open toilets? A case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are very low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. In some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are none. And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open toilets, to say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open ones, you might end up paying to get sick! 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then the plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there are numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. The climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal matters also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change experts should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is the second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & has large carbon footprint. 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be able to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a substantially large amount is anyway decomposed. 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because health like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education is primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of self rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across social, economic & geographic strata & sections. regards, RAJKAMAL, -- Rajkamal Goswami PhD Student in Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 Mobile: 09740362460 Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 Web: www.atree.org From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 11:25:27 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:25:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ranga Shankara's Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course'09 In-Reply-To: <873fa2d90910142242r608b7634ob33d7936f89ea2e5@mail.gmail.com> References: <1428f2a70910140128t4a52dfb1s388be0884a010fec@mail.gmail.com> <1428f2a70910142241s52758379u64127e792d612640@mail.gmail.com> <873fa2d90910142242r608b7634ob33d7936f89ea2e5@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ranga Shankara Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 11:12 AM Subject: Ranga Shankara's Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course'09 To: rsblr at googlegroups.com *Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course ‘09* *6 to 8 Nov AND 13 to 5 Nov* *(Six Days)* * * *Facilitated by Sadanand Menon* Ranga Shankara announces the third edition of its very successful Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course from 6 to 8 Nov and 13 to 15 Nov (over two sessions of the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival ’09). The Course, launched at the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival 2007, provides a unique opportunity to learn the essence of art appreciation by developing new ways "seeing and listening". Renowned culture critic Sadanand Menon will spearhead the Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course 2009. A well-known writer on critical issues of politics and culture, Sadanand Menon is also a photographer and stage light designer. He has served as the Arts Editor for The Economic Times. The course will examine and discuss theatre, cinema, dance, photography and music over six days (spread over two weekends) through lectures, film screenings, plays, as well as interaction with directors and actors. The course will thus look at, and analyse the formal structures of various works of art as well as consider them in the context of the historical period and cultural framework in which they were produced. Over the years the course has seen the participation of eminent personalities such as Prof. U R Ananthamurthy, Girish Karnad, T M Krishna, Satyadev Dubey, Ratan Thiyam and Aruna Sayeeram. *Course Fee*: Rs 4000 Students get a special offer. Fee only Rs.500 *Venue*: In and around Ranga Shankara *Medium of Instruction*: English Application available at Ranga Shankara from 15 Oct onwards. Please call 26493982 or write to rstheatre at gmail.com for more details *Hurry!! limited seats only!!* -- Ranga Shankara 36/2, 8th Cross J P Nagar, II Phase Bangalore - 560 078 P: 080-26493982 / 26592777 E: rstheatre at gmail.com W: www.rangashankara.org From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu Oct 15 15:16:13 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:46:13 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Urgent appeal for Rahat Floods- Karnataka, A.P & Maharashtra In-Reply-To: <200910150111.9ce4ad6aefa327@rly-me08.mx.aol.com> References: <200910150111.9ce4ad6aefa327@rly-me08.mx.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC1B937786651A-1920-9486@webmail-d089.sysops.aol.com> Dear Friends,  Thanks for an overwhelming support to VASTRA-SAMMAN during the Joy of Giving week. Even before the campaign ended the horror of the massive floods sweeping Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Maharashtra started unfolding before us.  This is an URGENT APPEAL to join GOONJ in its campaign ‘RAHAT FLOODS’ to provide support to the victims of one of the worst floods in the last hundred years. The situation is grim and millions of people are affected by the devastation. GOONJ has been working extensively in disaster relief for many years now. During the devastating Bihar floods last year, with large-scale civic participation, GOONJ channelised about 1500 tonnes of material. More recently, in Cyclone Aila in West Bengal, we were again actively involved in relief operations. With a wide network of organizations and people present in most of the affected districts we are confident of reaching relief at the earliest possible. While the dispatch of material has already started the need based relief efforts will continue for the next few months.  Possible options for joining this campaign  Material support (Needed- large quantities of..)  * Dry ration- Rice, pulses, biscuits, packed eatables * Water purifier tablets * Basic medicines * Sarees & Children clothing * Tarpaulins and thick plastic sheets * Bed sheets, Blankets & Mosquito nets * Export surplus/ Cotton cloth for making sanitary napkins * Stoves, cooking and water storage utensils/buckets * Lanterns, candles, matchbox, torch & batteries * Feeding bottles, ropes * all kind of usable clothing & footwear.  (For the list of collection centers, please log on to www.goonj.info)  Logistical support- * Transport support to reach the material to effected areas * Space for collection centers * Facilities for local pickups * Transportation of material from different cities to GOONJ processing centers in a few cities. Financial support- Donations in India- Please send cash/cheque/draft in the name of GOONJ and send it to GOONJ.., J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 76 (Kindly send your full name, address & Pan No. with the contribution for receipt/accounting purpose. (All donations to GOONJ in India are tax exempted u/s 80 G of IT act.) Overseas donation can reach us through Cheque (in the name of GOONJ with your full particulars) or by wire transfer with an information on ruchikagoonj at gmail.com      Rotate it (valid only for overseas donations) through Wacovia Bank, New York swift code-2000193008933, GOONJ, A/C No- 2591101004644 Bank- Canara Bank, H block, market Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 76 Swift Code- CNRBINBBDFS Contact- GOONJ  H.O Delhi- J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 76 Tel.- 011-26972351, 41401216 E-mail-mailgoonj at gmail.com Mumbai- Mr. Rohit Singh Tel.- 9322381600, Email- rohitgoonj1 at gmail.com  Chennai- Mr. Vimal Tel.- 9092877543, Email- vimalgoonj at gmail.com Kolkata- Mr. Iftikar Tel.- 9748691735, Email- iftikargoonj at gmail.com Jalandhar- Ms. Daljeet Tel.- 9855023391, Email- daljeetgoonj at gmail.com Saharsa (Bihar)- Mr. Sheoji Tel.- 9631568989, Email- sheojigoonj at gmail.com Voluntary set ups- Hyderabad- Mr. Ramana Tel.- 9849600002 Email- ramanatsv at yahoo.com & Ms. Nitu Tel.- 9908607775, Email- nitu.dhasmana at gmail.com (please call between 7.00 p.m. & 9.00 p.m. only) Bangalore- Ms. Smitha Tel.- 9986213181 & Mr. Sushil Tel.- 9350539922 Email- goonjbangalore at gmail.com Pune- Ms. Gauri Bapat Tel.- 9881090695 Email- goonjpune at gmail.com Do spread the word, talk to your friends & relatives, help us to organise campaigns in the offices, residential areas and schools. With best, Anshu Gupta (Ashoka Fellow) Founder Director GOONJ.. Sent By: Goonj J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi, 110076 From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 15 15:33:55 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:03:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Rajkamal   Very interesting perspectives.   A few thoughts, not meant to criticise:   Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it.   The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in some places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the "Humanure".   I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of the living environment.   We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and are instead treated as untouchables.     You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a centuries has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human excreta into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the residences along the shores.   "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle this. These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, Camp Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid)   There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what happens in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities (urban areas).   An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of Sewage Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and Residential Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the filtered waste into Manure.   Just a few thoughts.   Kshmendra   --- On Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami wrote: From: Rajkamal Goswami Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM 665 million in India defecate in open: UN http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm I strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a socio-cultural, historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is highly ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation practices. 1.        Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced are parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community defecating practices which are of special significance to many, particularly women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern India, women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the open and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. 2.      Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the forefathers of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human race today, did defecate in the open. 3.       We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In many parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. 4.      When the government & non-government run toilets charges something ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open toilets? A case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are very low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. In some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are none. And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open toilets, to say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open ones, you might end up paying to get sick! 5.      From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then the plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff.  In India there are numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. The climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal matters also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change experts should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is the second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & has large carbon footprint. 6.      The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be able to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a substantially large amount is anyway decomposed. 7.      The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because health like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education is primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of self rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across social, economic & geographic strata & sections. regards, RAJKAMAL, -- Rajkamal Goswami PhD Student in Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 Mobile: 09740362460 Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 Web: www.atree.org _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 Thu Oct 15 17:49:22 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:19:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "Country Profile: Pakistan" (delightful Nadeem Paracha) Message-ID: <145687.91922.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> (New word: Imbananament. What does it mean? Allowing to slip through???)   Some gems from the Nadeem Paracha Blog-piece:   - The state of Pakistan occupies an area which was home to some of the earliest Neanderthal settlements, some of whose decedents can still be found hiding in caves in the mountains of North Pakistan. The only difference is, in the Stone Ages, these Neanderthals were armed with clubs and stones, and today they are armed with guns and bombs. Remarkably though, they remain as furry as they were millions of years ago.   - .... Pakistan ..... has faced many regional confrontations, usually brought on by its continuing habit of poking its nose where it doesn’t belong.   - Created to meet the demands of Indian Muslims who wanted to have their own boxing ring ...   -  The west wing - present-day the Not-Quite-Arab Republic of Pakistan - stretches from the Arabian Sea to the Himalayas and - according to famous patriots and military geniuses like Munawar Hussain and Zaid Hamid – the country actually stretches all the way to New Delhi, Kabul, Tashkent and maybe even Beijing (the last needs to be conquered because Chinese eat frogs and frogs are makru, even if some people say that they taste just like chicken).   - Civilian politics in Pakistan in the last few decades has been tarnished by corruption, inefficiency, confrontations, and bad breath between various institutions and/or whatever institutions that are left in the country. Actually, the word political institution is an oxymoron when discussed in the context of Pakistani politics and state.   - In fact, instability is the only stable tradition in Pakistan; a tradition that is being passionately upheld by a series of TV talk shows because political stability would mean lack of viewership and advertising revenues for the channels and a drastic drop in popcorn sales that could turn people into boring book readers which is so passé.   - Pakistan’s place on the world stage shifted after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US. It dropped its support for the Neanderthal regime in Afghanistan and was propelled into the front line in the fight against terrorism, becoming a key ally of the Elders of Zion and assorted secret Freemason societies.   - However, Pakistani forces have struggled to maintain control over the restive Neanderthal regions along the Afghan border, where Neanderthal militants are firmly entrenched with sophisticated dish antennas hidden in their turbans and bombs strapped around their tummies which they claim is only a weight reducing exercise. But nobody (except maybe the brilliant Lord Imran Khan), believes them.   - In the spring of 2009, the government attempted to reduce disaffection in the troubled north-western Swat district by agreeing to the imposition of the Whipping Women Law. Far from improving security, this move allowed the Neanderthals to tighten their grip on the region, and the agreement broke down after only a few whips.   - Tensions with India over Kashmir have resurfaced regularly ever since the partition of the sub-continent, and the two nuclear-armed (but empty bellied) powers have on numerous occasions been on the brink of renewed conflict that promises to be as exciting as a close Twenty20 cricket match on a bouncy pitch. Or, at least, that’s what most Pakistani and Indians think. Idiots.   - Asif Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zardari won the presidential race of September 6, 2008, by a big majority. His election by Pakistan’s legislators came a few weeks after his predecessor General P. Mush Bonaparte resigned amidst tears under threat of impeachment that, however, has now turned into an imbananament!   - Many Pakistanis do not approve of American drone attacks, even if they usually manage to kill the scum of the earth. However, it is likely Pakistanis would have hailed the drone attacks had they come from the Saudis who are our brothers and we their camels.   - More than 100 private FM radio stations have been licensed. Fake American accents and low IQ levels are firm prerequisites for success.   - ...... unlicensed FM stations are said to operate in the tribal areas of North-West Frontier Province. They are usually operated by Neanderthal RJs, of which DJ Fazalullah In Da Caaaaave is the most popular.   - The broadcasting regulator can order a halt to the carriage of foreign TV channels via cable. However, the spouting of utter nonsense and hate speeches on local channels is allowed. Keeps popcorn sales from falling.   - ..... literacy level of around 50 per cent. Out of these, perhaps a mere 5 per cent actually make the effort to read a newspaper and those who do read newspapers they read dailies that spout utter nonsense and scribble hate speeches. Nadeem F. Paracha of the Daily Zion is one such iblees.     Full read at: http://blog.dawn.com:91/dblog/2009/10/15/country-profile-pakistan/   From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 15 18:34:29 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:04:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] (Pakistan) GHQ attack - beyond conspiracy theories Message-ID: <624008.65102.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "GHQ attack -- beyond conspiracy theories"   Thursday, October 15, 2009 By Shakir Husain (The writer lives in Karachi) General Headquarters (GHQ) is the nerve centre of the Pakistani military and is guarded by an Infantry battalion, along with a similar number of defence security guards (DSG). Well over a thousand military officials work at the GHQ and they are responsible for running Pakistan's military machine. Ten terrorists created mayhem for around 22 hours, disrupting normal operations within GHQ. It took a team of SSG commandos who were brought in from 70 kilometres away to end the stand-off after the terrorists took hostages in a building within the GHQ. All the terrorists were Pakistani citizens. The one surviving terrorist, Dr Usman, is a well-known jihadi, with links to groups in Punjab. The civilian intelligence apparatus had received intelligence about such an attack at the GHQ and informed their military counterparts a few weeks before the attack took place. These are the facts. Around the facts news anchors and our favourite conspiracy theorists have been frothing at the mouth with conspiracy theories, which involve the Americans, the Israelis, the Indians, the Afghans, and the list keeps multiplying by the hour. I'm personally waiting till they get to the Angolans. While the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been mentioned, it has only been a cursory mention at best, with the focus on the "hidden hand" which is trying to destabilise Pakistan. The mindset can be encapsulated by a statement made by Liaquat Baloch of the Jamaat-e-Islami on a special debate set up by a local television channel on the Kerry-Lugar Bill. Mr Baloch stated that the jihadis killing Pakistani civilians and the military were "misguided" and were only doing so because the Americans were in Afghanistan. It all starts with "if the Americans were not in Afghanistan…" to give the impression that these are peace-loving people who are only killing and maiming Pakistani citizens because they are "misguided." "Misguided" adults do not kill innocent people. Religious parties like the Jamaat have a long history of entanglement with organisations like the TTP and various other jihadi outfits, and have never come out and condemned them for their actions. Another guest on the same show was the attractive yet hysterical Marvi Memon of the PML-Q. Yes, they are still around. One of her reasons for rejecting the Kerry-Lugar Bill was the clause which calls for Pakistan dismantling training facilities for terrorist groups and not providing any territory to them to launch attacks on another state. Her inexplicable logic was that if we accepted this clause, then we would lose the "moral high ground" in the future. Moral high ground? The Pakistani state has very little reason to claim the moral high ground. Our soil has been used to conduct operations in other states and individuals like A Q Khan have sold nuclear secrets to other countries for profit. She called the clause "lethal" because we would admit that we had training facilities on our soil in the past and our territory had been used in the past. This is an educated parliamentarian's view and shows the quality of substance during any sort of debate in Pakistani politics. By denying the facts we are not achieving or retaining any sort of "moral high ground" but are losing a sense of what her former leader Pervez Musharraf called "ground realities." Losing touch with reality is a dangerous thing. It is dangerous because by believing the garbage we are trying to sell to the people, our decision-making process becomes flawed. When companies juggle numbers to paint a rosy picture to the shareholders in the Annual Report, the top management is aware of the shortcomings and the potential dangers that they pose. Until and unless the leadership of all political parties and the military establishment unanimously accept the dangers posed to the very existence of the Pakistani state by these jihadi groups and organisations like the TTP, this battle has already been lost. The TTP and its cohorts have executed four high-impact attacks in the past ten days, which have taken a total of 140 lives. This is not the work of "misguided" people. These are cold-blooded killers who have no hesitation in carrying out what they have been indoctrinated to believe is a "higher cause." The government has been announcing the operation in South Waziristan for months now; yet, for some reason, the assault has not begun. Ministers in shiny suits and garish ties who have been threatening to wipe out the scourge of terrorism in South Waziristan remind me of schoolyard brawls where a boy would ask his friends to hold him back otherwise he would demolish the opponent in a sort of noora kushti. So the enemy has had a couple of months to prepare for what's coming and the element of surprise is gone. They must have collected supplies and equipment, and managed to dig in for the long fight ahead. In the meantime, they have launched these four attacks meaning to let the government, and more importantly the military, know that they can punch above their weight and give anyone a bloody nose – not just the civvies. The symbolism of the attacks have not been lost on anyone either. The UN Food Programme was targeted to let the goras know that they're not safe. The suicide bombing in Swat, which had been declared clear of the TTP, to let everyone know that it was still susceptible. Then there was Peshawar, to let everyone know who's boss. And then, of course, one of the most heavily-guarded installations in the country, the GHQ, to let the army know that even their headquarters wasn't safe. Ordinary people cannot help but ask that if ten civilians can tie up two battalions for 22 hours, then how safe are they? Like societies, military forces must evolve; and they have evolved. The Pakistani Army has been geared to fight a set-piece battle since its inception. After fighting three wars with India, this is understandable. Yet, today the greatest threat to Pakistan is internal, and not external. Even if the TTP and its friends are being "handled" by the "foreign hand" as the nutters would have us believe on a regular basis, the bulk of the fighting is being done by Pakistani citizens. Sure we have a smattering of Uzbeks and Arabs running around in the North; but the bulk of the recruits are Pakistani kids recruited from madrasas all over the country. We have the intelligence assets and systems in place to find out the who, when and what – it's time to change our collective mindset and kill the enemy before they inflict more damage to an already battered state. The military needs to understand that we need more counterinsurgency troops, equipment, and training. And not tanks, submarines, and other high-priced items which are being peddled. This is a battle which requires agility, mobility, and lucid minds – not hysterical rabblerousing.   Email: shakir at gmail.com http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=203197   From rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 18:36:10 2009 From: rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com (Rajkamal Goswami) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:36:10 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> References: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> Message-ID: <9d0d777b0910150606l73bfcfe4l44a39c21bfc292d1@mail.gmail.com> > Dear Kashmendra, > > > > Thanks for the valuable insights and the cases. What appalls me is the > complete lack of empathy for the marginalized sections of the society & > targeting them for all the problems of the socio-environment sphere. > > > > Classic example is the cry-out of the western world ( and doles of World > Bank soft loans) to replace wood-based fuel with LPG in the poorer sections. > The justification being that less dependence on wood-more trees-more natural > carbon sequestration & less global warming-arresting climate change. And > what is more appalling & also frustrating is the extraordinary eagerness > shown by our executive to grab this dole-outs! I have personally seen how > LPG distribution to far-flung tribal settlements in Mizoram state was > carried out with lot of pomp & show by the NTCA (erstwhile Project Tiger). > 3 months down the line & all that was left was empty cylinders & dusty > gas-stoves! Reason? Because there were only mud roads connecting these > forest settlements to the nearest small town ( 30kms away) with no regular > transport. Hence the cylinders never got refilled & the villagers went back > to the fuel wood which was right there, in their backyard! > > > > In the20 year old debate about climate change & reduction of GHGs, there > has been absolutely no talk about a section of our country who has, on an > average, more than one car at disposal. During peak hours it is common to > see sedans & suvs just having a driver! How many initiatives has been taken > by the executive to address these issues? How much thought has gone to > streamline & improve the PTS on a countrywide scale? I hail from a very > small town called Tezpur, which is about 200 kms east of Guwahati, on the > north bank of Brahmaputra. I have seen the sleepy town with a few cycles, > cycle-rickshaws & a handful of mobikes & cars (we knew how many of them were > there), transform to a mini traffic chaos! Almost every second guy has a > mobike & every sixth one a car! And during peak hours you can see one-way > no-entry signs which is no-entry only for the cycle-rickshaws! While the > smoky cars & the bikes trudges along! > > > > Just a couple of first hand-cases to exemplify the blame that is being > passed (almost always) on the socio-economically poor & marginalized. And > that’s how and where the state fails! > > > > > > thanks > > > > *Rajkamal Goswami,* > > * > > * > > *From:* Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > *Sent:* Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:34 PM > *To:* sarai list; rajkamal; Rajkamal Goswami > *Subject:* Re: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > > > > Dear Rajkamal > > > > Very interesting perspectives. > > > > A few thoughts, not meant to criticise: > > > > Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), > human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in > India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it. > > > > The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in some > places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the "Humanure". > > > > I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of > human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of the > living environment. > > > > We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta > collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and are > instead treated as untouchables. > > > > You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in > Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a centuries > has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human excreta > into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the > residences along the shores. > > > > "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle this. > These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, Camp > Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid) > > > > There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not > treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease > with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what happens > in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities (urban > areas). > > > > An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of Sewage > Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and Residential > Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the filtered > waste into Manure. > > > > Just a few thoughts. > > > > Kshmendra > > > > > > --- On *Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami *wrote: > > > From: Rajkamal Goswami > Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" > Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM > > 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > > http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm > < > http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm > >I > strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. > > > > Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a socio-cultural, > historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of > contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is > highly > ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily > responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation > practices. > > > > 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of > defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced are > parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community > defecating practices which are of special significance to many, > particularly > women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern > India, > women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the open > and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t > socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. > > > > 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the forefathers > of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human race > today, did defecate in the open. > > > > 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In many > parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. > > > > 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges something > ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open toilets? A > case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are very > low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. In > some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are none. > And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open toilets, > to > say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open ones, > you might end up paying to get sick! > > > > 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then > the > plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there are > numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. > The > climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal > matters > also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change > experts > should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way > with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is > the > second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally > harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & has > large carbon footprint. > > > > 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building > toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks > accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be able > to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such > bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a substantially > large amount is anyway decomposed. > > > > 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor > health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because health > like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education is > primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of > self > rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across > social, > economic & geographic strata & sections. > > regards, > > RAJKAMAL, > -- > Rajkamal Goswami > PhD Student in Conservation Science > Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) > Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. > Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. > Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 > Mobile: 09740362460 > Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 > > Web: www.atree.org > _________________________________________ > 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/> > > > From indersalim at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 19:40:35 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:40:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <595316.32927.qm@web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> References: <47e122a70910140916g42fc9febhf2810075c782f01@mail.gmail.com> <595316.32927.qm@web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910150710p6c2c1dd6h94e2fcd7fd1d1b18@mail.gmail.com> Thanks dear Gowhar cant see myself 'provocative', since 'the summit' is too far, and even at the summit moralities spin unpridictably, so no claims whatsoever, i think of Ghalib, Kab voh sunta hai khani meri, aur phir voh be zubani meri, ( please give a good rendering to this geat couplet in english, i hesitate ) i wish we could speak in Kashmiri, about this and even about the present ' provocative' post ) and i guess, it would be markedly different, for example, if Salman Rushdie had written Satanic Verses in Arabic, it might not have created any controversy, but in English ... Similarly, the post which looked too provocative might have created some different feel , if i had narrated to you and others in kashmiri, since the narrater told me the sotry in that language. Although i am not too serious about what i call ' intentions, but still, i feel Again, about the priority, of what looks too shocking to us, is also distored, because some issues are, life saving, or commodifed and others are banal,or crazy at the most, even if vital to the 'distribution of sensiblites', horizontally. We perhaps, dont know, how to raise the issue, and so violence. The violence, the most universal element in the world, more than the air which we inhale. So, again, the cost of writing in other language becomes a risky affair. and i often take the risk, for reasons known to me and sometimes not even known to me, which is similar to the conditioning of all of us, i guess. But, even with mother tongue, as a natural tool to communicate, we still are guaranteeless on the path to the summit, although It would be different, but... at the end of day we are too alone, not alone physically, but in larger sense, and i think of Momin, Tum Meray Kisi Tarah na huya, varna dunya meain kaya nahi hota. ( the line is adapted beautifully by Aga Shahid Ali in his poem,) . Ah, we could have sang a duet, if it was not guns in our hands. Yes, the idea of bringing the other into my ' idea of essences' is because , perhaps, often this lack makes me restless, and boring at times, since we have surplus of time and energy, and dont know how to consume the flame. Again, the word 'lack', looks Lacanian, but i see it, as 'we' who are too imperfect to do things properly, and are chaotic therefore, but, since we inherit craft, our past lazily , and so we feel delighted on doing this or that in our niches, but the fact remains, we can unable, to say a thing which aims to cover the whole. The poet is trying, but realizes he is actually a ' Badakhwar' and not truly a ' wali' That is the lack and that perhaps, made people like Jean Genet support Palestanian momvement, but who said at the same time , that if they are looking for another state, and another beauracracy, another police and army, then i am not too interested in the project. The same goes with me. I am hardly interested to live in a free kashmir if it makes no difference between the existing States, say India, say Pakistan. etc. Well, that does not mean that poeple should not a spontaneous reaction to what is happeing and what it means to reclaim the lost territory, which in kashmiri translates back to , ( please donate some good expression in Kashmiri, and then back to Englih ) I know one artist Oreet, who is an Isreali, a non-muslim perhaps, but has done work on the recent wall in Gaza stip. She looks performing in front of Jewish Wailing Wall but far removed from the traditon of mere Belief. It is here, i feel free to write anything that comes to me, i distort , i twist, i paint that, mix words and spice, some leaves of tea in, and morning breeze, and so casually, or careless ot realize if that becomes tasteless, or ambigous. But i need to be, and so words, images, actions, come to me, since i eat food, drink tea and talk to people, to be, and to be makes me feel low at times, and high even, dull and sharp even. But we remain elusive to each other, we shake hands and with someone we happnen make love even, but as we know, it hardly translate in the knowledge of the other, Few years back,I just happened to have dinner at a freinds place in Srinagar in the company of Arundhati Roy and suddenly i declared that i am not a beleiver, which again shocked some, who even subtly reflected to that, perhaps, i was a guest, but i could see such a statement is not welcome in Kashmir. Because, a non-beleiver in our political terminology is a ' communist' which i was never perhaps, although i was part of the progressive Artists group in Kashmir. that is 1986. But , still after many years, and i guess after many more decades more, a non-beleiver would be seen as a communist only, and not seen some who admires Mansoor Halaj kind of vision. with love and regards inder salim But, now, when we have On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:14 AM, gowhar fazli wrote: > visited my yahoo account after a long time...  and looked for your posts... found couple of them very very interesting.  I wish I had your persistence and depth!! > > I don't know if i have told you that i admire you for striking your own path and cutting through shaff and going to essences... though i do at times find you too provocative due to my prudish and conventional upbringing!! > > Why are you not on facebook.  It is an interesting and wider forum and lots of Kashmiris of all shades around too to pick there brains! > > > > --- On Wed, 10/14/09, Inder Salim wrote: > >> From: Inder Salim >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true >> To: "reader-list" >> Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9:46 PM >> Dear Shbar >> thanks for response, >> >> i will come again on this entire thing again, but >> deconstructing a lot, >> >> i met this man Anil , a kashmiri but a stranger, in a >> train, who told >> me this about his school time friend >> Nazir.   so may be he narrrated >> me something which has not actually happned, but i trusted >> him and >> posted the story as it is, so nothing to dig deeper in >> but, even if i knew him, wont it be unethical to expose >> him, and his >> freind Nazir back in kashmir. and who will take the >> responibltiy >> of the victim , his wife? what if she is attacked by the >> those who >> consider her sinful after knowing the story, >> >> That is why, i raised the issue, of the voiceless, which >> does not mean >> that we can make the vulneralble more vulnerable >> >> with love and regards >> inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:28 AM, SHABIR DAR >> wrote: >> > it is obviously very shocking to read ur piece. Has it >> really happened that >> > a man out of his personal compulsons or whatever, >> gifts his wife's modesty >> > to his friend. i can not deny i might not have >> happened. Bt i m nt convinced >> > with ur stry. if u could have interviewed both >> friends, and the woman and >> > put their excerpts, ur stry cud have been mre >> credible. Inderji i m a >> > journalist, so i wanna to know more abt it. If u can >> plz let me know more >> > abt this stry, i wl b obliged. >> > Regards >> > Shabir Dar >> > Journalist >> > >> > >> > On 10/10/09, Inder Salim >> wrote: >> >> >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult >> to write.  But here >> >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what >> might have actually >> >> happened that night. This is just one case, so >> nothing to generalize, >> >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct >> identities, One Muslim and >> >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no >> contrast, but if we >> >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the >> hindu identity looks as >> >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, >> a strange one that >> >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase >> from  their collective memory. >> >> >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the >> valley to Jammu and >> >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising >> actually thought of >> >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are >> associated with India. >> >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that >> long list of Indian >> >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out >> leaving  behind home and hearth, >> >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian >> Kashmir policy for >> >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit >> the lowest during that >> >> time, but times, as we know have different things >> in store, and we see >> >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two >> communities.  Muslims >> >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus >> too support their >> >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really >> deeper than what >> >> politically remains elusive. >> >> >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited >> his village he was >> >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. >> Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is >> still unemployed and >> >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite >> in shambles, and he >> >> is thinking to dispose that property to live >> decently in Jammu. That >> >> is that. >> >> >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and >> other friends who >> >> are now married and living independently. During >> his month long stay >> >> in his village he spent nights at homes >> of  different friends. >> >> >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was >> surprised by a mid >> >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name >> changed), who  was >> >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. >> Anil, said no, no, but >> >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift >> something meaningful to >> >> his friend, something different, so the idea of >> offering him his wife >> >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he >> initially hesitated, which >> >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman >> between two friends: >> >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was >> a group sex, but >> >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too >> animal like, as Nazir’s >> >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since >> 1990. Anil and Nazir >> >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily >> translated into >> >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for >> couple of nights, and even >> >> accept the most dangerous >> offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and >> questions the very >> >> nature of male oriented agendas around our >> political spectrum. >> >> >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two >> reasons. One, that Nazir >> >> had actually experienced group sex during his >> activist days, and does >> >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning >> in the Anil’s >> >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to >> express, because he is >> >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still >> a purer breed in >> >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in >> Kashmir. First it was >> >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s >> welcome wherever they went >> >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for >> their sexual excitement >> >> during nights at different hide outs in different >> homes. And the >> >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different >> layering besides what >> >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are >> perhaps restoring >> >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, >> which Nazir could not >> >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am >> sure, Nazir too must >> >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil >> told me. >> >> >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a >> psychoanalyst? Is he >> >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or >> he is simply a male, >> >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a >> woman.  Or is Anil >> >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless >> woman in the >> >> presence of her husband. >> >> >> >> Comments please >> >> >> >> With love and regards >> >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> 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: >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Shabir Dar >> > Rising Kashmir, Srinagar >> > >> > Cell: 9469243828 >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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: > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From geetaseshu at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 20:52:09 2009 From: geetaseshu at gmail.com (geeta seshu) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:52:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <47e122a70910150710p6c2c1dd6h94e2fcd7fd1d1b18@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910140916g42fc9febhf2810075c782f01@mail.gmail.com> <595316.32927.qm@web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> <47e122a70910150710p6c2c1dd6h94e2fcd7fd1d1b18@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6df6732b0910150822o37077a40l69cb69bf7812823f@mail.gmail.com> well, when the initial shock and revulsion at this extordinary account receded somewhat, I tried to make sense of the incident. Some of the responses and Inder Salim's reactions to the responses did help, especially Nandini Sen's comment on the commodification of women, though I couldn't figure out whether the woman had any agency at all. Quite obviously, she didn't. I am puzzled as to whether an incident like this can be re-framed in the context of the Hindu-Muslim relationship in Kashmir - the lost, sometimes momentarily regained, elusive frendship that Inder Salim is so desperately searching for. Also, a thought just occured to me - where are the stories of women seeking such friendships across the communities? What was the relationship of Hindu and Muslim women in Kashmir - did they share any space at all - childhood friendships, shareed memories of studenthood, or of community living... Perhaps then we can make some sense of this bizzare notion of male bonding and how false it is, at the cost of the women of Kashmir. Apart from the issues of friendship and patriarchy Inder Salim's reading of this account throws up, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of sadness at the aberrations such prolonged conflicts ave on human relationships. In my initial shock, I also wondered at the veracity of the story. But if we look around us - even in the lap of consumerism and alienation that we are confronted with in a city like Mumbai - where I am located - how many such aberrations will come up, violent, unjust and shorn of all love and dignity. Slowly, these aberrations become the norm.... Geeta On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 7:40 PM, Inder Salim wrote: > Thanks dear Gowhar > cant see myself 'provocative', since 'the summit' is too far, and > even at the summit moralities spin unpridictably, so no claims > whatsoever, i think of Ghalib, Kab voh sunta hai khani meri, aur phir > voh be zubani meri, ( please give a good rendering to this geat > couplet in english, i hesitate ) > > i wish we could speak in Kashmiri, about this and even about the > present ' provocative' post ) and i guess, it would be markedly > different, for example, if Salman Rushdie had written Satanic Verses > in Arabic, it might not have created any controversy, but in English > ... Similarly, the post which looked too provocative might have > created some different feel , if i had narrated to you and others in > kashmiri, since the narrater told me the sotry in that language. > Although i am not too serious about what i call ' intentions, but > still, i feel > > Again, about the priority, of what looks too shocking to us, is also > distored, because some issues are, life saving, or commodifed and > others are banal,or crazy at the most, even if vital to the > 'distribution of sensiblites', horizontally. We perhaps, dont know, > how to raise the issue, and so violence. The violence, the most > universal element in the world, more than the air which we inhale. > > So, again, the cost of writing in other language becomes a risky > affair. and i often take the risk, for reasons known to me and > sometimes not even known to me, which is similar to the conditioning > of all of us, i guess. > > But, even with mother tongue, as a natural tool to communicate, we > still are guaranteeless on the path to the summit, although It would > be different, but... > > at the end of day we are too alone, not alone physically, but in > larger sense, and i think of Momin, Tum Meray Kisi Tarah na huya, > varna dunya meain kaya nahi hota. ( the line is adapted beautifully by > Aga Shahid Ali in his poem,) . Ah, we could have sang a duet, if it > was not guns in our hands. > > Yes, the idea of bringing the other into my ' idea of essences' is > because , perhaps, often this lack makes me restless, and boring at > times, since we have surplus of time and energy, and dont know how to > consume the flame. Again, the word 'lack', looks Lacanian, but i see > it, as 'we' who are too imperfect to do things properly, and are > chaotic therefore, but, since we inherit craft, our past lazily , and > so we feel delighted on doing this or that in our niches, but the fact > remains, we can unable, to say a thing which aims to cover the whole. > The poet is trying, but realizes he is actually a ' Badakhwar' and > not truly a ' wali' > > That is the lack and that perhaps, made people like Jean Genet > support Palestanian momvement, but who said at the same time , that > if they are looking for another state, and another beauracracy, > another police and army, then i am not too interested in the project. > The same goes with me. I am hardly interested to live in a free > kashmir if it makes no difference between the existing States, say > India, say Pakistan. etc. > Well, that does not mean that poeple should not a spontaneous > reaction to what is happeing and what it means to reclaim the lost > territory, which in kashmiri translates back to , ( please donate some > good expression in Kashmiri, and then back to Englih ) > > I know one artist Oreet, who is an Isreali, a non-muslim perhaps, but > has done work on the recent wall in Gaza stip. She looks performing > in front of Jewish Wailing Wall but far removed from the traditon of > mere Belief. > > It is here, i feel free to write anything that comes to me, i distort > , i twist, i paint that, mix words and spice, some leaves of tea in, > and morning breeze, and so casually, or careless ot realize if that > becomes tasteless, or ambigous. > > But i need to be, and so words, images, actions, come to me, since i > eat food, drink tea and talk to people, to be, and to be makes me feel > low at times, and high even, dull and sharp even. But we remain > elusive to each other, we shake hands and with someone we happnen make > love even, but as we know, it hardly translate in the knowledge of the > other, > > Few years back,I just happened to have dinner at a freinds place in > Srinagar in the company of Arundhati Roy and suddenly i declared that > i am not a beleiver, which again shocked some, who even subtly > reflected to that, perhaps, i was a guest, but i could see such a > statement is not welcome in Kashmir. Because, a non-beleiver in our > political terminology is a ' communist' which i was never perhaps, > although i was part of the progressive Artists group in Kashmir. that > is 1986. But , still after many years, and i guess after many more > decades more, a non-beleiver would be seen as a communist only, and > not seen some who admires Mansoor Halaj kind of vision. > > with love and regards > inder salim > > But, now, when we have > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:14 AM, gowhar fazli > wrote: > > visited my yahoo account after a long time... and looked for your > posts... found couple of them very very interesting. I wish I had your > persistence and depth!! > > > > I don't know if i have told you that i admire you for striking your own > path and cutting through shaff and going to essences... though i do at times > find you too provocative due to my prudish and conventional upbringing!! > > > > Why are you not on facebook. It is an interesting and wider forum and > lots of Kashmiris of all shades around too to pick there brains! > > > > > > > > --- On Wed, 10/14/09, Inder Salim wrote: > > > >> From: Inder Salim > >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true > >> To: "reader-list" > >> Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9:46 PM > >> Dear Shbar > >> thanks for response, > >> > >> i will come again on this entire thing again, but > >> deconstructing a lot, > >> > >> i met this man Anil , a kashmiri but a stranger, in a > >> train, who told > >> me this about his school time friend > >> Nazir. so may be he narrrated > >> me something which has not actually happned, but i trusted > >> him and > >> posted the story as it is, so nothing to dig deeper in > >> but, even if i knew him, wont it be unethical to expose > >> him, and his > >> freind Nazir back in kashmir. and who will take the > >> responibltiy > >> of the victim , his wife? what if she is attacked by the > >> those who > >> consider her sinful after knowing the story, > >> > >> That is why, i raised the issue, of the voiceless, which > >> does not mean > >> that we can make the vulneralble more vulnerable > >> > >> with love and regards > >> inder salim > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:28 AM, SHABIR DAR > >> wrote: > >> > it is obviously very shocking to read ur piece. Has it > >> really happened that > >> > a man out of his personal compulsons or whatever, > >> gifts his wife's modesty > >> > to his friend. i can not deny i might not have > >> happened. Bt i m nt convinced > >> > with ur stry. if u could have interviewed both > >> friends, and the woman and > >> > put their excerpts, ur stry cud have been mre > >> credible. Inderji i m a > >> > journalist, so i wanna to know more abt it. If u can > >> plz let me know more > >> > abt this stry, i wl b obliged. > >> > Regards > >> > Shabir Dar > >> > Journalist > >> > > >> > > >> > On 10/10/09, Inder Salim > >> wrote: > >> >> > >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult > >> to write. But here > >> >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what > >> might have actually > >> >> happened that night. This is just one case, so > >> nothing to generalize, > >> >> and there is a lot to imagine: > >> >> > >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct > >> identities, One Muslim and > >> >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no > >> contrast, but if we > >> >> see it in historical perspective, then the > >> hindu identity looks as > >> >> much visible as Muslim . > >> >> > >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, > >> a strange one that > >> >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase > >> from their collective memory. > >> >> > >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the > >> valley to Jammu and > >> >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising > >> actually thought of > >> >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are > >> associated with India. > >> >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that > >> long list of Indian > >> >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out > >> leaving behind home and hearth, > >> >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian > >> Kashmir policy for > >> >> that. Hate between these two communities hit > >> the lowest during that > >> >> time, but times, as we know have different things > >> in store, and we see > >> >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two > >> communities. Muslims > >> >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus > >> too support their > >> >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really > >> deeper than what > >> >> politically remains elusive. > >> >> > >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited > >> his village he was > >> >> surprised by something more than a warm hug. > >> Mr. Anil is a 1990 > >> >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is > >> still unemployed and > >> >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite > >> in shambles, and he > >> >> is thinking to dispose that property to live > >> decently in Jammu. That > >> >> is that. > >> >> > >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and > >> other friends who > >> >> are now married and living independently. During > >> his month long stay > >> >> in his village he spent nights at homes > >> of different friends. > >> >> > >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was > >> surprised by a mid > >> >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name > >> changed), who was > >> >> offering him to have sex with his wife. Mr. > >> Anil, said no, no, but > >> >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift > >> something meaningful to > >> >> his friend, something different, so the idea of > >> offering him his wife > >> >> was born. Anil accepted the offer after he > >> initially hesitated, which > >> >> followed by a repeat next day even. One woman > >> between two friends: > >> >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was > >> a group sex, but > >> >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too > >> animal like, as Nazir’s > >> >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. > >> >> > >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew since > >> 1990. Anil and Nazir > >> >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily > >> translated into > >> >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for > >> couple of nights, and even > >> >> accept the most dangerous > >> offer. This Kashmiri woman’s role easily > >> >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and > >> questions the very > >> >> nature of male oriented agendas around our > >> political spectrum. > >> >> > >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes because of two > >> reasons. One, that Nazir > >> >> had actually experienced group sex during his > >> activist days, and does > >> >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning > >> in the Anil’s > >> >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to > >> express, because he is > >> >> poor and can not offer him a gift. Is KP still > >> a purer breed in > >> >> Kashmir, I am wondering? > >> >> > >> >> And, as we know, woman suffered terribly in > >> Kashmir. First it was > >> >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s > >> welcome wherever they went > >> >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for > >> their sexual excitement > >> >> during nights at different hide outs in different > >> homes. And the > >> >> victim: as usual a woman. > >> >> > >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different > >> layering besides what > >> >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are > >> perhaps restoring > >> >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, > >> which Nazir could not > >> >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am > >> sure, Nazir too must > >> >> be feeling guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil > >> told me. > >> >> > >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a > >> psychoanalyst? Is he > >> >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or > >> he is simply a male, > >> >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a > >> woman. Or is Anil > >> >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless > >> woman in the > >> >> presence of her husband. > >> >> > >> >> Comments please > >> >> > >> >> With love and regards > >> >> Inder salim > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> -- > >> >> > >> >> 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: > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > Shabir Dar > >> > Rising Kashmir, Srinagar > >> > > >> > Cell: 9469243828 > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> > >> 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: > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > > -- > > 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 karthik.natarajan at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 21:03:31 2009 From: karthik.natarajan at gmail.com (Karthik Natarajan) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:03:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: <9d0d777b0910150606l73bfcfe4l44a39c21bfc292d1@mail.gmail.com> References: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> <9d0d777b0910150606l73bfcfe4l44a39c21bfc292d1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Rajkamal, at the cost of sounding insensitive, and politically incorrect i disagree with you. i read through the article a dozen times, and i dont really see where they point out the poor indians as the cause for the poor standards of hygiene? nor do i see anyone blaming them for the decline of hygiene here. tho' it is a fact that those below the poverty line have a difficulty with hygiene, i mean at some point every indian has taken a dump or a lean on the road somewhere, there is no denying that fact, but then there is also no denying that the so called privileged urban dwelling middle class and above have the option of going indoors in public buildings (malls/shops/restaurants) to let go, vs the poor wouldnt have it that way. i dont know of any culture/social construct where a taking a shit is a cultural necessity. at the cost of being politically correct or at-least sensitive we rant about marginalization of the poor, but the issue remains, 665 million of us are going to defecate on the street, most are doing it now, most of those would belong to the poor sections primarily because healthcare and sanitation is a tall claim in quiet a few places in india. its not blaming the poor for low health standards, i think the article is only pointing out that the problem exists. and we have poor health standards because we have poor health standards, the defecating in the open is a definite cause. i wish we were more sensitive to the actual issue at hand of how we need to improve living conditions, and not focus on economic insensitivity. political correctness never worked for progress. the only offense here is that i am sure we have access to these figures, and i am sure we know what needs to be done, and yet, we have trains that still let go of their waste on tracks, and we dont have enough public toilets to use. and we are offended that someone pointed out that we have a problem, not that we are not doing anything to solve it. i apologize if i did sound rude anywhere in the reply, but i feel really strongly about this issue and also feel strongly about the fact that we arent doing enough about it. On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 6:36 PM, Rajkamal Goswami wrote: > > Dear Kashmendra, > > > > > > > > Thanks for the valuable insights and the cases. What appalls me is the > > complete lack of empathy for the marginalized sections of the society & > > targeting them for all the problems of the socio-environment sphere. > > > > > > > > Classic example is the cry-out of the western world ( and doles of World > > Bank soft loans) to replace wood-based fuel with LPG in the poorer > sections. > > The justification being that less dependence on wood-more trees-more > natural > > carbon sequestration & less global warming-arresting climate change. And > > what is more appalling & also frustrating is the extraordinary eagerness > > shown by our executive to grab this dole-outs! I have personally seen how > > LPG distribution to far-flung tribal settlements in Mizoram state was > > carried out with lot of pomp & show by the NTCA (erstwhile Project > Tiger). > > 3 months down the line & all that was left was empty cylinders & dusty > > gas-stoves! Reason? Because there were only mud roads connecting these > > forest settlements to the nearest small town ( 30kms away) with no > regular > > transport. Hence the cylinders never got refilled & the villagers went > back > > to the fuel wood which was right there, in their backyard! > > > > > > > > In the20 year old debate about climate change & reduction of GHGs, there > > has been absolutely no talk about a section of our country who has, on an > > average, more than one car at disposal. During peak hours it is common to > > see sedans & suvs just having a driver! How many initiatives has been > taken > > by the executive to address these issues? How much thought has gone to > > streamline & improve the PTS on a countrywide scale? I hail from a very > > small town called Tezpur, which is about 200 kms east of Guwahati, on the > > north bank of Brahmaputra. I have seen the sleepy town with a few cycles, > > cycle-rickshaws & a handful of mobikes & cars (we knew how many of them > were > > there), transform to a mini traffic chaos! Almost every second guy has a > > mobike & every sixth one a car! And during peak hours you can see one-way > > no-entry signs which is no-entry only for the cycle-rickshaws! While the > > smoky cars & the bikes trudges along! > > > > > > > > Just a couple of first hand-cases to exemplify the blame that is being > > passed (almost always) on the socio-economically poor & marginalized. > And > > that’s how and where the state fails! > > > > > > > > > > > > thanks > > > > > > > > *Rajkamal Goswami,* > > > > * > > > > * > > > > *From:* Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] > > *Sent:* Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:34 PM > > *To:* sarai list; rajkamal; Rajkamal Goswami > > *Subject:* Re: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > > > > > > > > Dear Rajkamal > > > > > > > > Very interesting perspectives. > > > > > > > > A few thoughts, not meant to criticise: > > > > > > > > Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), > > human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in > > India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it. > > > > > > > > The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in some > > places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the > "Humanure". > > > > > > > > I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of > > human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of > the > > living environment. > > > > > > > > We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta > > collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and > are > > instead treated as untouchables. > > > > > > > > You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in > > Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a > centuries > > has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human > excreta > > into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the > > residences along the shores. > > > > > > > > "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle > this. > > These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, > Camp > > Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid) > > > > > > > > There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not > > treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease > > with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what > happens > > in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities (urban > > areas). > > > > > > > > An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of Sewage > > Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and > Residential > > Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the > filtered > > waste into Manure. > > > > > > > > Just a few thoughts. > > > > > > > > Kshmendra > > > > > > > > > > > > --- On *Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami >*wrote: > > > > > > From: Rajkamal Goswami > > Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > > To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" > > > Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM > > > > 665 million in India defecate in open: UN > > > > > http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm > > < > > > http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm > > >I > > strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. > > > > > > > > Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a socio-cultural, > > historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of > > contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is > > highly > > ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily > > responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation > > practices. > > > > > > > > 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of > > defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced are > > parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community > > defecating practices which are of special significance to many, > > particularly > > women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern > > India, > > women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the > open > > and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t > > socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. > > > > > > > > 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the > forefathers > > of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human > race > > today, did defecate in the open. > > > > > > > > 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In many > > parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. > > > > > > > > 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges > something > > ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open toilets? > A > > case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are > very > > low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. In > > some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are > none. > > And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open toilets, > > to > > say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open > ones, > > you might end up paying to get sick! > > > > > > > > 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then > > the > > plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there > are > > numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. > > The > > climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal > > matters > > also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change > > experts > > should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way > > with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is > > the > > second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally > > harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & > has > > large carbon footprint. > > > > > > > > 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building > > toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks > > accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be > able > > to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such > > bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a > substantially > > large amount is anyway decomposed. > > > > > > > > 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor > > health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because > health > > like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education > is > > primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of > > self > > rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across > > social, > > economic & geographic strata & sections. > > > > regards, > > > > RAJKAMAL, > > -- > > Rajkamal Goswami > > PhD Student in Conservation Science > > Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) > > Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. > > Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. > > Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 > > Mobile: 09740362460 > > Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 > > > > Web: www.atree.org > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net< > http://us.mc572.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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/> -- karthik natarajan 0091 99232 27049 [using webmail] From tarunbhartiya at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 22:12:06 2009 From: tarunbhartiya at gmail.com (Tarun Bhartiya) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:42:06 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Chirki, Open Shit and Kidney Stones Message-ID: As Chirki said Chirki Chane Ke Khet Mein, Chirka Jagah Jagah Rangat Alag Alag Hai, Khushboo Judaa Judaa Great pre–dawn coven of shitting women is a nice image but what about day time pissing or even a bit of stomach upset? I think people have done some work on kidney conditions of women and lack of privacy. From indersalim at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 22:29:42 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:29:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true In-Reply-To: <6df6732b0910150822o37077a40l69cb69bf7812823f@mail.gmail.com> References: <47e122a70910140916g42fc9febhf2810075c782f01@mail.gmail.com> <595316.32927.qm@web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> <47e122a70910150710p6c2c1dd6h94e2fcd7fd1d1b18@mail.gmail.com> <6df6732b0910150822o37077a40l69cb69bf7812823f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910150959y188d03ddh547685c371d6a49@mail.gmail.com> Dear Geeta ji "What was the > relationship of Hindu and Muslim women in Kashmir" - so elegantly put across by you, thanks a lot yes, it is true that 'femnine' has disappeared from our conceptual thoughts, although woman is physically there, but she is not, like i am writing, writing not. A romantic version of 'her' obviously commidifed the said subject, which further got reduced to a dot by prevelant male chauvinism in our society,manily living in Metros ( some middle/upper middle class mentality dont see it as such) but the violence against woment in our sub-continent is too sad. I wish, you had come to my little show-presentation/performance at The Loft in Mumbai recently, EVOKING NAZIR ( not this name changed one ). Yes, it was male to male restoration of that past, in reality and in fiction, both ontologcially and emprically, which i saw veering towards issues, both burning in kashmir and beyond. Some imges are uplaoded at http://indersalim.livejournal.com .plz have a look. the male to male in that case was too innocently dealt those days. Even now, when i look back and see Kashmir it was qute safe for a woman to retrun back home safely without escort even. It is a fact that we dont have a word for Rape in kashmir, althought domestic violence must have been always, as we know from Lal Ded , 14th century mystic saint poet, how badly she was treated by her in-laws and husband. the fact remains that rape was heard in Kashmir. It is a recent, So, looking back does mean also restore that sensitivity towards women in kashmir and elsewhere at the same time. My inder salim, poster, is one such poster, which i did during Gujarat Riots, again desperately seeking hindu-muslim reconcillation, but as i said, that was one layer, deeper down it was Evoking Nazir, which is a process, inwardly moving to realize the self. one more point. The protagonist of Kashmir poetry, as we see in other sufi poetry as well, but too overwhelmingly, we have a woman each time speaking on behalf of the poet, Not just one poet,and one poem but most of the sufi poetry in kashmir has that unique element in it, which speaks a lot about my instant reaction on hearing about the same woman who was a subject of metaphysical delight for the most sensible lot in kashmir but alas with love and regards inder salim On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 8:52 PM, geeta seshu wrote: > well, when the initial shock and revulsion at this extordinary account > receded somewhat, I tried to make sense of the incident. Some of the > responses and Inder Salim's reactions to the responses did help, especially > Nandini Sen's comment on the commodification of women, though I couldn't > figure out whether the woman had any agency at all. Quite obviously, she > didn't. > > I am puzzled as to whether an incident like this can be re-framed in the > context of the Hindu-Muslim relationship in Kashmir - the lost, sometimes > momentarily regained, elusive frendship that Inder Salim is so desperately > searching for. Also, a thought just occured to me - where are the stories ofWhat was the > relationship of Hindu and Muslim women in Kashmir - > women seeking such friendships across the communities? did they share any space > at all - childhood friendships, shareed memories of studenthood, or of > community living... Perhaps then we can make some sense of this bizzare > notion of male bonding and how false it is, at the cost of the women of > Kashmir. > > Apart from the issues of friendship and patriarchy Inder Salim's reading of > this account throws up, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of sadness at > the aberrations such prolonged conflicts ave on human relationships. In my > initial shock, I also wondered at the veracity of the story. But if we look > around us - even in the lap of consumerism and alienation that we are > confronted with in a city like Mumbai - where I am located - how many such > aberrations will come up, violent, unjust and shorn of all love and dignity. > Slowly, these aberrations become the norm.... > > Geeta > > > > > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 7:40 PM, Inder Salim wrote: >> >> Thanks dear Gowhar >> cant see myself 'provocative', since  'the summit' is too far, and >> even at the summit moralities spin unpridictably, so no claims >> whatsoever, i think of Ghalib, Kab voh sunta hai khani meri, aur phir >> voh be zubani meri, ( please give a good rendering  to this geat >> couplet in english, i hesitate ) >> >>  i wish we could speak in Kashmiri, about this and even about the >> present ' provocative'  post ) and i guess, it would be  markedly >> different, for example, if Salman Rushdie had written Satanic Verses >> in Arabic, it might not have created any controversy, but in English >> ... Similarly, the post which looked too provocative might have >> created some different feel , if i had narrated to you and others in >> kashmiri, since the narrater told me the sotry in that language. >> Although i am not too serious about what i call ' intentions, but >> still, i feel >> >> Again, about the priority, of what looks too shocking to us, is also >> distored, because some issues are, life saving, or commodifed and >> others are banal,or crazy at the most, even if vital to the >> 'distribution of sensiblites', horizontally. We perhaps, dont know, >> how to raise the issue, and so violence.  The violence, the most >> universal element in the world, more than the air which we inhale. >> >>  So, again, the cost of writing in other language becomes a risky >> affair. and i often take the risk, for reasons known to me and >> sometimes not even known to me, which is similar to the conditioning >> of all of us, i guess. >> >>   But, even with mother tongue, as a natural tool to communicate, we >> still are guaranteeless on the path to the summit, although It would >> be different, but... >> >> at the end of day we are too alone, not alone physically, but in >> larger sense, and i think of Momin, Tum Meray Kisi Tarah na huya, >> varna dunya meain kaya nahi hota. ( the line is adapted beautifully by >> Aga Shahid Ali  in his poem,) . Ah, we could have sang a duet, if it >> was not guns in our hands. >> >> Yes, the idea of bringing the other into my ' idea of essences' is >> because , perhaps, often this lack makes me restless, and boring at >> times, since we have surplus of time and energy, and dont know how to >> consume the flame.  Again, the word 'lack', looks Lacanian, but i see >> it, as 'we' who are too imperfect to do things properly, and are >> chaotic therefore, but, since we inherit craft, our past lazily , and >> so we feel delighted on doing this or that in our niches, but the fact >> remains, we can unable, to say a thing which aims to cover the whole. >> The poet is trying, but realizes he is actually a  ' Badakhwar' and >> not truly a ' wali' >> >>  That is the lack and that perhaps, made people like Jean Genet >> support Palestanian momvement, but who  said at the same time , that >> if they are looking for another state, and another beauracracy, >> another police and army,  then i am not too interested in the project. >> The same goes with me. I am hardly interested to live in a free >> kashmir if it makes no difference between the existing States, say >> India, say Pakistan. etc. >>  Well, that does not mean that poeple should not a spontaneous >> reaction to what is happeing and what it means to reclaim the lost >> territory, which in kashmiri translates back to , ( please donate some >> good expression in Kashmiri, and then back to Englih ) >> >> I know one artist Oreet, who is an Isreali, a non-muslim perhaps, but >> has done work on the recent wall in Gaza stip. She looks performing >> in front of Jewish Wailing Wall but far removed from the traditon of >> mere Belief. >> >> It is here, i feel free to write anything that comes to me,  i distort >> , i twist, i paint that, mix words and spice, some leaves of tea in, >> and morning breeze, and so casually, or  careless ot realize if that >> becomes tasteless, or ambigous. >> >> But i need to be, and so words, images, actions, come to me, since i >> eat food, drink tea and talk to people, to be, and to be makes me feel >> low at times, and high even, dull and sharp even. But we remain >> elusive to each other, we shake hands and with someone we happnen make >> love even, but as we know, it hardly translate in the knowledge of the >> other, >> >>  Few years back,I just happened to have dinner at a freinds place in >> Srinagar in the company of Arundhati Roy and suddenly i declared that >> i am not a beleiver, which again shocked some, who even subtly >> reflected to that, perhaps, i was a guest, but i could see such a >> statement is not welcome in Kashmir. Because, a non-beleiver in our >> political terminology is a ' communist' which i was never perhaps, >> although i was part of the progressive Artists group in Kashmir. that >> is 1986. But , still after many years, and i guess after many more >> decades more, a non-beleiver would be seen as a communist only, and >> not seen some who admires Mansoor Halaj kind of vision. >> >> with love and regards >> inder salim >> >> But, now, when we have >> >> On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:14 AM, gowhar fazli >> wrote: >> > visited my yahoo account after a long time...  and looked for your >> > posts... found couple of them very very interesting.  I wish I had your >> > persistence and depth!! >> > >> > I don't know if i have told you that i admire you for striking your own >> > path and cutting through shaff and going to essences... though i do at times >> > find you too provocative due to my prudish and conventional upbringing!! >> > >> > Why are you not on facebook.  It is an interesting and wider forum and >> > lots of Kashmiris of all shades around too to pick there brains! >> > >> > >> > >> > --- On Wed, 10/14/09, Inder Salim wrote: >> > >> >> From: Inder Salim >> >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true >> >> To: "reader-list" >> >> Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9:46 PM >> >> Dear Shbar >> >> thanks for response, >> >> >> >> i will come again on this entire thing again, but >> >> deconstructing a lot, >> >> >> >> i met this man Anil , a kashmiri but a stranger, in a >> >> train, who told >> >> me this about his school time friend >> >> Nazir.   so may be he narrrated >> >> me something which has not actually happned, but i trusted >> >> him and >> >> posted the story as it is, so nothing to dig deeper in >> >> but, even if i knew him, wont it be unethical to expose >> >> him, and his >> >> freind Nazir back in kashmir. and who will take the >> >> responibltiy >> >> of the victim , his wife? what if she is attacked by the >> >> those who >> >> consider her sinful after knowing the story, >> >> >> >> That is why, i raised the issue, of the voiceless, which >> >> does not mean >> >> that we can make the vulneralble more vulnerable >> >> >> >> with love and regards >> >> inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:28 AM, SHABIR DAR >> >> wrote: >> >> > it is obviously very shocking to read ur piece. Has it >> >> really happened that >> >> > a man out of his personal compulsons or whatever, >> >> gifts his wife's modesty >> >> > to his friend. i can not deny i might not have >> >> happened. Bt i m nt convinced >> >> > with ur stry. if u could have interviewed both >> >> friends, and the woman and >> >> > put their excerpts, ur stry cud have been mre >> >> credible. Inderji i m a >> >> > journalist, so i wanna to know more abt it. If u can >> >> plz let me know more >> >> > abt this stry, i wl b obliged. >> >> > Regards >> >> > Shabir Dar >> >> > Journalist >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > On 10/10/09, Inder Salim >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult >> >> to write.  But here >> >> >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what >> >> might have actually >> >> >> happened that night. This is just one case, so >> >> nothing to generalize, >> >> >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> >> >> >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct >> >> identities, One Muslim and >> >> >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no >> >> contrast, but if we >> >> >> see it in historical  perspective, then  the >> >> hindu identity looks as >> >> >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> >> >> >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, >> >> a strange one that >> >> >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase >> >> from  their collective memory. >> >> >> >> >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the >> >> valley to Jammu and >> >> >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising >> >> actually thought of >> >> >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are >> >> associated with India. >> >> >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that >> >> long list of Indian >> >> >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out >> >> leaving  behind home and hearth, >> >> >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian >> >> Kashmir policy for >> >> >> that.  Hate between these two communities hit >> >> the lowest during that >> >> >> time, but times, as we know have different things >> >> in store, and we see >> >> >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two >> >> communities.  Muslims >> >> >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus >> >> too support their >> >> >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really >> >> deeper than what >> >> >> politically remains elusive. >> >> >> >> >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited >> >> his village he was >> >> >> surprised by  something more than  a warm hug. >> >> Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> >> >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is >> >> still unemployed and >> >> >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite >> >> in shambles, and he >> >> >> is thinking to dispose that property to live >> >> decently in Jammu. That >> >> >> is that. >> >> >> >> >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and >> >> other friends who >> >> >> are now married and living independently. During >> >> his month long stay >> >> >> in his village he spent nights at homes >> >> of  different friends. >> >> >> >> >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was >> >> surprised by a mid >> >> >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name >> >> changed), who  was >> >> >> offering him to have sex with his wife.  Mr. >> >> Anil, said no, no, but >> >> >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift >> >> something meaningful to >> >> >> his friend, something different, so the idea of >> >> offering him his wife >> >> >> was born.  Anil accepted the offer after he >> >> initially hesitated, which >> >> >> followed by a repeat next day even.  One woman >> >> between two friends: >> >> >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was >> >> a group sex, but >> >> >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too >> >> animal like, as Nazir’s >> >> >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> >> >> >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew  since >> >> 1990. Anil and Nazir >> >> >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily >> >> translated into >> >> >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for >> >> couple of nights, and even >> >> >> accept the most dangerous >> >> offer.  This  Kashmiri woman’s  role easily >> >> >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and >> >> questions the very >> >> >> nature of male oriented agendas around our >> >> political spectrum. >> >> >> >> >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes  because of two >> >> reasons. One, that Nazir >> >> >> had actually experienced group sex during his >> >> activist days, and does >> >> >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning >> >> in the Anil’s >> >> >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to >> >> express, because he is >> >> >> poor and can not offer him a gift.  Is KP still >> >> a purer breed in >> >> >> Kashmir,  I am wondering? >> >> >> >> >> >> And, as we know, woman  suffered terribly in >> >> Kashmir. First it was >> >> >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s >> >> welcome wherever they went >> >> >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for >> >> their sexual excitement >> >> >> during nights at different hide outs in different >> >> homes. And the >> >> >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> >> >> >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different >> >> layering besides what >> >> >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are >> >> perhaps restoring >> >> >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, >> >> which Nazir could not >> >> >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am >> >> sure, Nazir too must >> >> >> be feeling  guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil >> >> told me. >> >> >> >> >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a >> >> psychoanalyst? Is he >> >> >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or >> >> he is simply a male, >> >> >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a >> >> woman.  Or is Anil >> >> >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless >> >> woman in the >> >> >> presence of her husband. >> >> >> >> >> >> Comments please >> >> >> >> >> >> With love and regards >> >> >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> >> >> 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: >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > Shabir Dar >> >> > Rising Kashmir, Srinagar >> >> > >> >> > Cell: 9469243828 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> 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: >> > >> > __________________________________________________ >> > Do You Yahoo!? >> > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> > http://mail.yahoo.com >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 taraprakash at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 22:38:22 2009 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (taraprakash) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:08:22 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true References: <47e122a70910140916g42fc9febhf2810075c782f01@mail.gmail.com><595316.32927.qm@web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com><47e122a70910150710p6c2c1dd6h94e2fcd7fd1d1b18@mail.gmail.com> <6df6732b0910150822o37077a40l69cb69bf7812823f@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: May be the woman did not have any agency in it. Still to say "quite obviously" about it without actually investigating the whole affair, will confine us in the structure, a mere ism. Since we don't have facts about it, and we are allowed to exercise guesswork, we can try some play on it. May be the guy had a guilt of sleeping with a sex worker the other night. So he tells his wife he wouldn't mind her sleeping with the guy in the other room; he will talk to that other guy if she wants it. Or this couple are upfront about their sexuality. So this wife wants to have sex with this other guy who probably is more muscular, a hunk. And the husband volunteers to initiate the talk. A more likely scenario can be the couple could not produce any children. I don't remember any mention of kids in the saga. So they talk to this other guy, the only guy they are close in a way that they could approach him for solution. I think I know it wasn't the case, but still ... ----- Original Message ----- From: "geeta seshu" To: "Inder Salim" Cc: "reader-list" Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:22 AM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true > well, when the initial shock and revulsion at this extordinary account > receded somewhat, I tried to make sense of the incident. Some of the > responses and Inder Salim's reactions to the responses did help, > especially > Nandini Sen's comment on the commodification of women, though I couldn't > figure out whether the woman had any agency at all. Quite obviously, she > didn't. > > I am puzzled as to whether an incident like this can be re-framed in the > context of the Hindu-Muslim relationship in Kashmir - the lost, sometimes > momentarily regained, elusive frendship that Inder Salim is so desperately > searching for. Also, a thought just occured to me - where are the stories > of > women seeking such friendships across the communities? What was the > relationship of Hindu and Muslim women in Kashmir - did they share any > space > at all - childhood friendships, shareed memories of studenthood, or of > community living... Perhaps then we can make some sense of this bizzare > notion of male bonding and how false it is, at the cost of the women of > Kashmir. > > Apart from the issues of friendship and patriarchy Inder Salim's reading > of > this account throws up, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of sadness > at > the aberrations such prolonged conflicts ave on human relationships. In my > initial shock, I also wondered at the veracity of the story. But if we > look > around us - even in the lap of consumerism and alienation that we are > confronted with in a city like Mumbai - where I am located - how many such > aberrations will come up, violent, unjust and shorn of all love and > dignity. > Slowly, these aberrations become the norm.... > > Geeta > > > > > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 7:40 PM, Inder Salim wrote: > >> Thanks dear Gowhar >> cant see myself 'provocative', since 'the summit' is too far, and >> even at the summit moralities spin unpridictably, so no claims >> whatsoever, i think of Ghalib, Kab voh sunta hai khani meri, aur phir >> voh be zubani meri, ( please give a good rendering to this geat >> couplet in english, i hesitate ) >> >> i wish we could speak in Kashmiri, about this and even about the >> present ' provocative' post ) and i guess, it would be markedly >> different, for example, if Salman Rushdie had written Satanic Verses >> in Arabic, it might not have created any controversy, but in English >> ... Similarly, the post which looked too provocative might have >> created some different feel , if i had narrated to you and others in >> kashmiri, since the narrater told me the sotry in that language. >> Although i am not too serious about what i call ' intentions, but >> still, i feel >> >> Again, about the priority, of what looks too shocking to us, is also >> distored, because some issues are, life saving, or commodifed and >> others are banal,or crazy at the most, even if vital to the >> 'distribution of sensiblites', horizontally. We perhaps, dont know, >> how to raise the issue, and so violence. The violence, the most >> universal element in the world, more than the air which we inhale. >> >> So, again, the cost of writing in other language becomes a risky >> affair. and i often take the risk, for reasons known to me and >> sometimes not even known to me, which is similar to the conditioning >> of all of us, i guess. >> >> But, even with mother tongue, as a natural tool to communicate, we >> still are guaranteeless on the path to the summit, although It would >> be different, but... >> >> at the end of day we are too alone, not alone physically, but in >> larger sense, and i think of Momin, Tum Meray Kisi Tarah na huya, >> varna dunya meain kaya nahi hota. ( the line is adapted beautifully by >> Aga Shahid Ali in his poem,) . Ah, we could have sang a duet, if it >> was not guns in our hands. >> >> Yes, the idea of bringing the other into my ' idea of essences' is >> because , perhaps, often this lack makes me restless, and boring at >> times, since we have surplus of time and energy, and dont know how to >> consume the flame. Again, the word 'lack', looks Lacanian, but i see >> it, as 'we' who are too imperfect to do things properly, and are >> chaotic therefore, but, since we inherit craft, our past lazily , and >> so we feel delighted on doing this or that in our niches, but the fact >> remains, we can unable, to say a thing which aims to cover the whole. >> The poet is trying, but realizes he is actually a ' Badakhwar' and >> not truly a ' wali' >> >> That is the lack and that perhaps, made people like Jean Genet >> support Palestanian momvement, but who said at the same time , that >> if they are looking for another state, and another beauracracy, >> another police and army, then i am not too interested in the project. >> The same goes with me. I am hardly interested to live in a free >> kashmir if it makes no difference between the existing States, say >> India, say Pakistan. etc. >> Well, that does not mean that poeple should not a spontaneous >> reaction to what is happeing and what it means to reclaim the lost >> territory, which in kashmiri translates back to , ( please donate some >> good expression in Kashmiri, and then back to Englih ) >> >> I know one artist Oreet, who is an Isreali, a non-muslim perhaps, but >> has done work on the recent wall in Gaza stip. She looks performing >> in front of Jewish Wailing Wall but far removed from the traditon of >> mere Belief. >> >> It is here, i feel free to write anything that comes to me, i distort >> , i twist, i paint that, mix words and spice, some leaves of tea in, >> and morning breeze, and so casually, or careless ot realize if that >> becomes tasteless, or ambigous. >> >> But i need to be, and so words, images, actions, come to me, since i >> eat food, drink tea and talk to people, to be, and to be makes me feel >> low at times, and high even, dull and sharp even. But we remain >> elusive to each other, we shake hands and with someone we happnen make >> love even, but as we know, it hardly translate in the knowledge of the >> other, >> >> Few years back,I just happened to have dinner at a freinds place in >> Srinagar in the company of Arundhati Roy and suddenly i declared that >> i am not a beleiver, which again shocked some, who even subtly >> reflected to that, perhaps, i was a guest, but i could see such a >> statement is not welcome in Kashmir. Because, a non-beleiver in our >> political terminology is a ' communist' which i was never perhaps, >> although i was part of the progressive Artists group in Kashmir. that >> is 1986. But , still after many years, and i guess after many more >> decades more, a non-beleiver would be seen as a communist only, and >> not seen some who admires Mansoor Halaj kind of vision. >> >> with love and regards >> inder salim >> >> But, now, when we have >> >> On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:14 AM, gowhar fazli >> wrote: >> > visited my yahoo account after a long time... and looked for your >> posts... found couple of them very very interesting. I wish I had your >> persistence and depth!! >> > >> > I don't know if i have told you that i admire you for striking your own >> path and cutting through shaff and going to essences... though i do at >> times >> find you too provocative due to my prudish and conventional upbringing!! >> > >> > Why are you not on facebook. It is an interesting and wider forum and >> lots of Kashmiris of all shades around too to pick there brains! >> > >> > >> > >> > --- On Wed, 10/14/09, Inder Salim wrote: >> > >> >> From: Inder Salim >> >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir story, but true >> >> To: "reader-list" >> >> Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9:46 PM >> >> Dear Shbar >> >> thanks for response, >> >> >> >> i will come again on this entire thing again, but >> >> deconstructing a lot, >> >> >> >> i met this man Anil , a kashmiri but a stranger, in a >> >> train, who told >> >> me this about his school time friend >> >> Nazir. so may be he narrrated >> >> me something which has not actually happned, but i trusted >> >> him and >> >> posted the story as it is, so nothing to dig deeper in >> >> but, even if i knew him, wont it be unethical to expose >> >> him, and his >> >> freind Nazir back in kashmir. and who will take the >> >> responibltiy >> >> of the victim , his wife? what if she is attacked by the >> >> those who >> >> consider her sinful after knowing the story, >> >> >> >> That is why, i raised the issue, of the voiceless, which >> >> does not mean >> >> that we can make the vulneralble more vulnerable >> >> >> >> with love and regards >> >> inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:28 AM, SHABIR DAR >> >> wrote: >> >> > it is obviously very shocking to read ur piece. Has it >> >> really happened that >> >> > a man out of his personal compulsons or whatever, >> >> gifts his wife's modesty >> >> > to his friend. i can not deny i might not have >> >> happened. Bt i m nt convinced >> >> > with ur stry. if u could have interviewed both >> >> friends, and the woman and >> >> > put their excerpts, ur stry cud have been mre >> >> credible. Inderji i m a >> >> > journalist, so i wanna to know more abt it. If u can >> >> plz let me know more >> >> > abt this stry, i wl b obliged. >> >> > Regards >> >> > Shabir Dar >> >> > Journalist >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > On 10/10/09, Inder Salim >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> Even if I was a writer, I will find it difficult >> >> to write. But here >> >> >> it is, in simple words, with very little of what >> >> might have actually >> >> >> happened that night. This is just one case, so >> >> nothing to generalize, >> >> >> and there is a lot to imagine: >> >> >> >> >> >> To begin with, Kashmir has two distinct >> >> identities, One Muslim and >> >> >> other Hindu identity. Proportion wise there is no >> >> contrast, but if we >> >> >> see it in historical perspective, then the >> >> hindu identity looks as >> >> >> much visible as Muslim . >> >> >> >> >> >> It is here that both the communities have a bond, >> >> a strange one that >> >> >> the cruel times of 1990 could not erase >> >> from their collective memory. >> >> >> >> >> >> We all know Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the >> >> valley to Jammu and >> >> >> other parts of India when Kashmiri uprising >> >> actually thought of >> >> >> erasing all those traces in Kashmir which are >> >> associated with India. >> >> >> Kashmiri Pandit was one such visible face of that >> >> long list of Indian >> >> >> articles. So, KP’s had to move out >> >> leaving behind home and hearth, >> >> >> friends and fields, and I largely blame Indian >> >> Kashmir policy for >> >> >> that. Hate between these two communities hit >> >> the lowest during that >> >> >> time, but times, as we know have different things >> >> in store, and we see >> >> >> lot of hugs and warm exchanges between the two >> >> communities. Muslims >> >> >> help KPs as and when they visit valley, and Hindus >> >> too support their >> >> >> children outside Kashmir. The bond is really >> >> deeper than what >> >> >> politically remains elusive. >> >> >> >> >> >> But, when Mr. Anil ( named changed ) a KP visited >> >> his village he was >> >> >> surprised by something more than a warm hug. >> >> Mr. Anil is a 1990 >> >> >> graduate but could not find a job in Jammu and is >> >> still unemployed and >> >> >> a bachelor. His family’s ancestral land is quite >> >> in shambles, and he >> >> >> is thinking to dispose that property to live >> >> decently in Jammu. That >> >> >> is that. >> >> >> >> >> >> On entering his village he met his class mates and >> >> other friends who >> >> >> are now married and living independently. During >> >> his month long stay >> >> >> in his village he spent nights at homes >> >> of different friends. >> >> >> >> >> >> It happened one night, during his stay when he was >> >> surprised by a mid >> >> >> night whisper. It was his friend, Nazir ( name >> >> changed), who was >> >> >> offering him to have sex with his wife. Mr. >> >> Anil, said no, no, but >> >> >> Nazir insisted and wanted sincerely to gift >> >> something meaningful to >> >> >> his friend, something different, so the idea of >> >> offering him his wife >> >> >> was born. Anil accepted the offer after he >> >> initially hesitated, which >> >> >> followed by a repeat next day even. One woman >> >> between two friends: >> >> >> one hindu and other muslim. In simple words it was >> >> a group sex, but >> >> >> Anil is now guilty and feels that it was too >> >> animal like, as Nazir’s >> >> >> wife was not a willing partner in all of that. >> >> >> >> >> >> Nazir is an ex-militant, which Anil knew since >> >> 1990. Anil and Nazir >> >> >> have an inbuilt trust between them and that easily >> >> translated into >> >> >> Anil’s willingness to stay at his home for >> >> couple of nights, and even >> >> >> accept the most dangerous >> >> offer. This Kashmiri woman’s role easily >> >> >> falls into the popular feminist discourse, and >> >> questions the very >> >> >> nature of male oriented agendas around our >> >> political spectrum. >> >> >> >> >> >> Nazir’s offer to Anil comes because of two >> >> reasons. One, that Nazir >> >> >> had actually experienced group sex during his >> >> activist days, and does >> >> >> not see it as sin, and secondly he saw a meaning >> >> in the Anil’s >> >> >> presence in his home, which he knew not how to >> >> express, because he is >> >> >> poor and can not offer him a gift. Is KP still >> >> a purer breed in >> >> >> Kashmir, I am wondering? >> >> >> >> >> >> And, as we know, woman suffered terribly in >> >> Kashmir. First it was >> >> >> Nazir and his friends who were given hero’s >> >> welcome wherever they went >> >> >> with arms, and were obviously not stopped for >> >> their sexual excitement >> >> >> during nights at different hide outs in different >> >> homes. And the >> >> >> victim: as usual a woman. >> >> >> >> >> >> But what happened at Nazir’s home has different >> >> layering besides what >> >> >> happens during group sex etc. Anil and Nazir are >> >> perhaps restoring >> >> >> this bond at the cost of a dignity of a woman, >> >> which Nazir could not >> >> >> see that evening, and Anil is seeing it now. I am >> >> sure, Nazir too must >> >> >> be feeling guilty somewhere in his heart, Anil >> >> told me. >> >> >> >> >> >> Now the question is do we suggest Nazir to meet a >> >> psychoanalyst? Is he >> >> >> sick, or is he too a victim of circumstances. Or >> >> he is simply a male, >> >> >> who does not know how to measure the dignity of a >> >> woman. Or is Anil >> >> >> to blame for what he agreed to do with a helpless >> >> woman in the >> >> >> presence of her husband. >> >> >> >> >> >> Comments please >> >> >> >> >> >> With love and regards >> >> >> Inder salim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> >> >> 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: >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > Shabir Dar >> >> > Rising Kashmir, Srinagar >> >> > >> >> > Cell: 9469243828 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> 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: >> > >> > __________________________________________________ >> > Do You Yahoo!? >> > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> > http://mail.yahoo.com >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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 rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com Thu Oct 15 23:37:17 2009 From: rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com (Rajkamal Goswami) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:37:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: References: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> <9d0d777b0910150606l73bfcfe4l44a39c21bfc292d1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <9d0d777b0910151107x4bea2d5bkd138aec828165f3c@mail.gmail.com> Dear Karthik, You are every where! You have written a rambling version of my point#7! And you could have said the same thing in 3-4 sentences, Get informed on a few REALITIES karthik. 1. Defecating in the open DOESNOT mean defecating on the streets! 2. Whatever western agencies say are not sacred. What is the veracity of such a number? What method do they use? 3. We CAN"T do anything about it! WE can't bring changes at those scales. 4. Poverty is an IMPORTANT part of human society. The day when we can erase all INEQUITIES, human society will cease to EXIST! 5. Some cultures & societies as free to defecate in the open as much as you have the freedom to defecate inside a closed claustrophobic latrine. We are no one to PREACH them what they should do and what they shouldn't just because we are in a position to do so. Thanks On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:03 PM, Karthik Natarajan < karthik.natarajan at gmail.com> wrote: > Dear Rajkamal, > at the cost of sounding insensitive, and politically incorrect i disagree > with you. > > i read through the article a dozen times, and i dont really see where they > point out the poor indians as the cause for the poor standards of hygiene? > nor do i see anyone blaming them for the decline of hygiene here. tho' it > is a fact that those below the poverty line have a difficulty with hygiene, > i mean at some point every indian has taken a dump or a lean on the road > somewhere, there is no denying that fact, but then there is also no denying > that the so called privileged urban dwelling middle class and above have the > option of going indoors in public buildings (malls/shops/restaurants) to let > go, vs the poor wouldnt have it that way. > > i dont know of any culture/social construct where a taking a shit is a > cultural necessity. > > at the cost of being politically correct or at-least sensitive we rant > about marginalization of the poor, but the issue remains, 665 million of us > are going to defecate on the street, most are doing it now, most of those > would belong to the poor sections primarily because healthcare and > sanitation is a tall claim in quiet a few places in india. its not blaming > the poor for low health standards, i think the article is only pointing out > that the problem exists. > > and we have poor health standards because we have poor health standards, > the defecating in the open is a definite cause. > > i wish we were more sensitive to the actual issue at hand of how we need to > improve living conditions, and not focus on economic insensitivity. > political correctness never worked for progress. > > the only offense here is that i am sure we have access to these figures, > and i am sure we know what needs to be done, and yet, we have trains that > still let go of their waste on tracks, and we dont have enough public > toilets to use. and we are offended that someone pointed out that we have a > problem, not that we are not doing anything to solve it. > > i apologize if i did sound rude anywhere in the reply, but i feel really > strongly about this issue and also feel strongly about the fact that we > arent doing enough about it. > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 6:36 PM, Rajkamal Goswami < > rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com> wrote: > >> > Dear Kashmendra, >> > >> > >> > >> > Thanks for the valuable insights and the cases. What appalls me is the >> > complete lack of empathy for the marginalized sections of the society & >> > targeting them for all the problems of the socio-environment sphere. >> > >> > >> > >> > Classic example is the cry-out of the western world ( and doles of World >> > Bank soft loans) to replace wood-based fuel with LPG in the poorer >> sections. >> > The justification being that less dependence on wood-more trees-more >> natural >> > carbon sequestration & less global warming-arresting climate change. And >> > what is more appalling & also frustrating is the extraordinary eagerness >> > shown by our executive to grab this dole-outs! I have personally seen >> how >> > LPG distribution to far-flung tribal settlements in Mizoram state was >> > carried out with lot of pomp & show by the NTCA (erstwhile Project >> Tiger). >> > 3 months down the line & all that was left was empty cylinders & dusty >> > gas-stoves! Reason? Because there were only mud roads connecting these >> > forest settlements to the nearest small town ( 30kms away) with no >> regular >> > transport. Hence the cylinders never got refilled & the villagers went >> back >> > to the fuel wood which was right there, in their backyard! >> > >> > >> > >> > In the20 year old debate about climate change & reduction of GHGs, there >> > has been absolutely no talk about a section of our country who has, on >> an >> > average, more than one car at disposal. During peak hours it is common >> to >> > see sedans & suvs just having a driver! How many initiatives has been >> taken >> > by the executive to address these issues? How much thought has gone to >> > streamline & improve the PTS on a countrywide scale? I hail from a very >> > small town called Tezpur, which is about 200 kms east of Guwahati, on >> the >> > north bank of Brahmaputra. I have seen the sleepy town with a few >> cycles, >> > cycle-rickshaws & a handful of mobikes & cars (we knew how many of them >> were >> > there), transform to a mini traffic chaos! Almost every second guy has a >> > mobike & every sixth one a car! And during peak hours you can see >> one-way >> > no-entry signs which is no-entry only for the cycle-rickshaws! While the >> > smoky cars & the bikes trudges along! >> > >> > >> > >> > Just a couple of first hand-cases to exemplify the blame that is being >> > passed (almost always) on the socio-economically poor & marginalized. >> And >> > that’s how and where the state fails! >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > thanks >> > >> > >> > >> > *Rajkamal Goswami,* >> > >> > * >> > >> > * >> > >> > *From:* Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] >> > *Sent:* Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:34 PM >> > *To:* sarai list; rajkamal; Rajkamal Goswami >> > *Subject:* Re: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >> > >> > >> > >> > Dear Rajkamal >> > >> > >> > >> > Very interesting perspectives. >> > >> > >> > >> > A few thoughts, not meant to criticise: >> > >> > >> > >> > Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), >> > human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in >> > India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it. >> > >> > >> > >> > The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in some >> > places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the >> "Humanure". >> > >> > >> > >> > I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of >> > human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of >> the >> > living environment. >> > >> > >> > >> > We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta >> > collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and >> are >> > instead treated as untouchables. >> > >> > >> > >> > You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in >> > Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a >> centuries >> > has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human >> excreta >> > into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the >> > residences along the shores. >> > >> > >> > >> > "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle >> this. >> > These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, >> Camp >> > Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid) >> > >> > >> > >> > There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not >> > treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease >> > with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what >> happens >> > in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities (urban >> > areas). >> > >> > >> > >> > An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of Sewage >> > Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and >> Residential >> > Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the >> filtered >> > waste into Manure. >> > >> > >> > >> > Just a few thoughts. >> > >> > >> > >> > Kshmendra >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > --- On *Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami > >*wrote: >> > >> > >> > From: Rajkamal Goswami >> > Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >> > To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" < >> rajkamal at atree.org> >> > Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM >> > >> > 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >> > >> > >> http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm >> > < >> > >> http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm >> > >I >> > strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. >> > >> > >> > >> > Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a >> socio-cultural, >> > historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of >> > contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is >> > highly >> > ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily >> > responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation >> > practices. >> > >> > >> > >> > 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of >> > defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced >> are >> > parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community >> > defecating practices which are of special significance to many, >> > particularly >> > women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern >> > India, >> > women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the >> open >> > and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t >> > socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. >> > >> > >> > >> > 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the >> forefathers >> > of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human >> race >> > today, did defecate in the open. >> > >> > >> > >> > 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In >> many >> > parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. >> > >> > >> > >> > 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges >> something >> > ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open >> toilets? A >> > case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are >> very >> > low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. >> In >> > some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are >> none. >> > And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open >> toilets, >> > to >> > say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open >> ones, >> > you might end up paying to get sick! >> > >> > >> > >> > 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then >> > the >> > plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there >> are >> > numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. >> > The >> > climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal >> > matters >> > also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change >> > experts >> > should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way >> > with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is >> > the >> > second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally >> > harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & >> has >> > large carbon footprint. >> > >> > >> > >> > 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building >> > toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks >> > accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be >> able >> > to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such >> > bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a >> substantially >> > large amount is anyway decomposed. >> > >> > >> > >> > 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor >> > health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because >> health >> > like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education >> is >> > primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of >> > self >> > rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across >> > social, >> > economic & geographic strata & sections. >> > >> > regards, >> > >> > RAJKAMAL, >> > -- >> > Rajkamal Goswami >> > PhD Student in Conservation Science >> > Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) >> > Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. >> > Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. >> > Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 >> > Mobile: 09740362460 >> > Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 >> > >> > Web: www.atree.org >> > _________________________________________ >> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> > Critiques & Collaborations >> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net< >> http://us.mc572.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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/> >> > > > > -- > karthik natarajan > 0091 99232 27049 > [using webmail] > -- Rajkamal Goswami PhD Student in Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 Mobile: 09740362460 Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 Web: www.atree.org From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Fri Oct 16 01:24:13 2009 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:54:13 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Time Bank @ Frieze/London Message-ID: If you're in London, this is a one-day project at Frieze http://www.e-flux.com/app/webroot/timebank/projects.html Time Currency, current times. On October 15th, 2009, time/bank will present a one-day exhibition of time-based currency prototypes at the Frieze Art Fair. We have asked a group of artists, architects, writers, activists and designers to suggest what they think would be the best representation for the exchange of time between each other, and to design a symbolic currency that is backed by trust within a cultural community, rather than by gold or state authority. Can this token of exchange be represented, and if so, how? time/bank’s currency is issued in half-hour, one hour, six, twelve and twenty-four hour denominations. The prototypes presented at Frieze, have been designed / proposed by: Julieta Aranda Mary Blackburn François Bucher Cabinet Magazine Carolina Caycedo Dexter Sinister Wilson Díaz Ana María Millan Jimmie Durham Harrell Fletcher Liam Gillick Francesca Grassi Nikolaus Hirsch Zak Kyes Alevtina Kakhidze Raimundas Malasauskas Morten N. Halvorsen John Miller Naeem Mohaiemen Sarah Morris Carlos Motta Olaf Nicolai Hans Ulrich Obrist Koo Jeong-A Raqs Media Collective Viktor Rosdahl Mariana Silva Michael Smith Sean Snyder Nedko Solakov Mladen Stilinovic Bik Van der Pol Anton Vidokle W.A.G.E. Lawrence Weiner Judi Werthein Florian Zeyfang From karthik.natarajan at gmail.com Fri Oct 16 02:01:46 2009 From: karthik.natarajan at gmail.com (Karthik Natarajan) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:01:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: <9d0d777b0910151107x4bea2d5bkd138aec828165f3c@mail.gmail.com> References: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> <9d0d777b0910150606l73bfcfe4l44a39c21bfc292d1@mail.gmail.com> <9d0d777b0910151107x4bea2d5bkd138aec828165f3c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 11:37 PM, Rajkamal Goswami < rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com> wrote: > Dear Karthik, > You are every where!(i honestly dont know what that means) You have > written a rambling version of my point#7! And you could have said the same > thing in 3-4 sentences, > my 'ramblings' are aimed at you making a non-issue an issue, the issue is > that 660 million don not have access to what we would consider a set > standard of hygiene, i know you would cringe at the word standard, as to who > sets these standards and why have them, but then again, if you think that > defecating in the open is not contributing to this issue, then i think we > need to start over from the very beginning. > > Get informed on a few REALITIES karthik. (tried my best to understand the > logic here... here is what i got.) > > 1. Defecating in the open DOESNOT mean defecating on the streets! > defacing in the open is understandably not in the streets only, but unless > u are talking about people, like dogs, covering them up once they do the > due, i think we can consider the consequences to be the same! i am sure that > flies and germs dont discriminate. > > 2. Whatever western agencies say are not sacred. What is the veracity of > such a number? What method do they use? > i am sure we have trust issues with figures that the west generate, but > unless the figure is completely false, i am going to presume that it is > true. is the issue with the number or with the fact that someone actually > looked into this matter? and while we are discussing the credibility of this > number, i wonder if there exists any literature on the number of made up > figures that the UN or any international agency for that matter releases > each year. > > 3. We CAN"T do anything about it! WE can't bring changes at those scales. > if we dont believe we cant offer better hygiene to our own citizens, why > are we even a country? we cant do anything about those who live in poor > hygiene and die because of it? > > 4. Poverty is an IMPORTANT part of human society. The day when we can erase > all INEQUITIES, human society will cease to EXIST! > no one is talking of eradicating poverty. i am only talking of > acknowledging its presence and acting to reduce it. and i am hoping human > society will continue to exist beyond economic misery, i still have faith > that we are better than the money we make. and please do explain how poverty > is IMPORTANT? its present yes, its evident yes again, but i think this is > the first time i have heard poverty being important. > > 5. Some cultures & societies as free to defecate in the open as much as you > have the freedom to defecate inside a closed claustrophobic latrine. We are > no one to PREACH them what they should do and what they shouldn't > just because we are in a position to do so. > > no one wants to preach, we only want people to live better lives, i wonder if your attitude towards education is also similar, in that you would rather we dont learn because teaching could be taken as preaching and a better way of living is no good if good hygiene means the confines(seriously?) of a toilet for those 5 minutes, then please consider it as a favor to us lesser mortals who have given in to the western habits and know no better. if i may apply the same logic to other fields of practice too, i wonder why we shun cannibalism, or discrimination against groups or any such thing that you would consider under change of a social practice. i might be repeating myself here, but i dont think the point really came across clearly, lets please focus on how we can get better health standards to those who dont have it. we have real issues to focus on. and i think further talks can be on a more one on one basis, too many people would recieve further exchanges if any and we can try minimizing discomfort to those unwilling. > Thanks > best, > > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:03 PM, Karthik Natarajan < > karthik.natarajan at gmail.com> wrote: > >> Dear Rajkamal, >> at the cost of sounding insensitive, and politically incorrect i disagree >> with you. >> >> i read through the article a dozen times, and i dont really see where they >> point out the poor indians as the cause for the poor standards of hygiene? >> nor do i see anyone blaming them for the decline of hygiene here. tho' it >> is a fact that those below the poverty line have a difficulty with hygiene, >> i mean at some point every indian has taken a dump or a lean on the road >> somewhere, there is no denying that fact, but then there is also no denying >> that the so called privileged urban dwelling middle class and above have the >> option of going indoors in public buildings (malls/shops/restaurants) to let >> go, vs the poor wouldnt have it that way. >> >> i dont know of any culture/social construct where a taking a shit is a >> cultural necessity. >> >> at the cost of being politically correct or at-least sensitive we rant >> about marginalization of the poor, but the issue remains, 665 million of us >> are going to defecate on the street, most are doing it now, most of those >> would belong to the poor sections primarily because healthcare and >> sanitation is a tall claim in quiet a few places in india. its not blaming >> the poor for low health standards, i think the article is only pointing out >> that the problem exists. >> >> and we have poor health standards because we have poor health standards, >> the defecating in the open is a definite cause. >> >> i wish we were more sensitive to the actual issue at hand of how we need >> to improve living conditions, and not focus on economic insensitivity. >> political correctness never worked for progress. >> >> the only offense here is that i am sure we have access to these figures, >> and i am sure we know what needs to be done, and yet, we have trains that >> still let go of their waste on tracks, and we dont have enough public >> toilets to use. and we are offended that someone pointed out that we have a >> problem, not that we are not doing anything to solve it. >> >> i apologize if i did sound rude anywhere in the reply, but i feel really >> strongly about this issue and also feel strongly about the fact that we >> arent doing enough about it. >> >> On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 6:36 PM, Rajkamal Goswami < >> rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> > Dear Kashmendra, >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Thanks for the valuable insights and the cases. What appalls me is the >>> > complete lack of empathy for the marginalized sections of the society & >>> > targeting them for all the problems of the socio-environment sphere. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Classic example is the cry-out of the western world ( and doles of >>> World >>> > Bank soft loans) to replace wood-based fuel with LPG in the poorer >>> sections. >>> > The justification being that less dependence on wood-more trees-more >>> natural >>> > carbon sequestration & less global warming-arresting climate change. >>> And >>> > what is more appalling & also frustrating is the extraordinary >>> eagerness >>> > shown by our executive to grab this dole-outs! I have personally seen >>> how >>> > LPG distribution to far-flung tribal settlements in Mizoram state was >>> > carried out with lot of pomp & show by the NTCA (erstwhile Project >>> Tiger). >>> > 3 months down the line & all that was left was empty cylinders & dusty >>> > gas-stoves! Reason? Because there were only mud roads connecting these >>> > forest settlements to the nearest small town ( 30kms away) with no >>> regular >>> > transport. Hence the cylinders never got refilled & the villagers went >>> back >>> > to the fuel wood which was right there, in their backyard! >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > In the20 year old debate about climate change & reduction of GHGs, >>> there >>> > has been absolutely no talk about a section of our country who has, on >>> an >>> > average, more than one car at disposal. During peak hours it is common >>> to >>> > see sedans & suvs just having a driver! How many initiatives has been >>> taken >>> > by the executive to address these issues? How much thought has gone to >>> > streamline & improve the PTS on a countrywide scale? I hail from a very >>> > small town called Tezpur, which is about 200 kms east of Guwahati, on >>> the >>> > north bank of Brahmaputra. I have seen the sleepy town with a few >>> cycles, >>> > cycle-rickshaws & a handful of mobikes & cars (we knew how many of them >>> were >>> > there), transform to a mini traffic chaos! Almost every second guy has >>> a >>> > mobike & every sixth one a car! And during peak hours you can see >>> one-way >>> > no-entry signs which is no-entry only for the cycle-rickshaws! While >>> the >>> > smoky cars & the bikes trudges along! >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Just a couple of first hand-cases to exemplify the blame that is being >>> > passed (almost always) on the socio-economically poor & marginalized. >>> And >>> > that’s how and where the state fails! >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > thanks >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > *Rajkamal Goswami,* >>> > >>> > * >>> > >>> > * >>> > >>> > *From:* Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] >>> > *Sent:* Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:34 PM >>> > *To:* sarai list; rajkamal; Rajkamal Goswami >>> > *Subject:* Re: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Dear Rajkamal >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Very interesting perspectives. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > A few thoughts, not meant to criticise: >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), >>> > human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in >>> > India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in >>> some >>> > places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the >>> "Humanure". >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of >>> > human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of >>> the >>> > living environment. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta >>> > collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and >>> are >>> > instead treated as untouchables. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in >>> > Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a >>> centuries >>> > has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human >>> excreta >>> > into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the >>> > residences along the shores. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle >>> this. >>> > These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, >>> Camp >>> > Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid) >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not >>> > treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease >>> > with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what >>> happens >>> > in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities >>> (urban >>> > areas). >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of >>> Sewage >>> > Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and >>> Residential >>> > Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the >>> filtered >>> > waste into Manure. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Just a few thoughts. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Kshmendra >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > --- On *Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami >> >*wrote: >>> > >>> > >>> > From: Rajkamal Goswami >>> > Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >>> > To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" < >>> rajkamal at atree.org> >>> > Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM >>> > >>> > 665 million in India defecate in open: UN >>> > >>> > >>> http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm >>> > < >>> > >>> http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm >>> > >I >>> > strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a >>> socio-cultural, >>> > historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of >>> > contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is >>> > highly >>> > ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily >>> > responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation >>> > practices. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of >>> > defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced >>> are >>> > parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community >>> > defecating practices which are of special significance to many, >>> > particularly >>> > women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern >>> > India, >>> > women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the >>> open >>> > and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t >>> > socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the >>> forefathers >>> > of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human >>> race >>> > today, did defecate in the open. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In >>> many >>> > parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges >>> something >>> > ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open >>> toilets? A >>> > case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are >>> very >>> > low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. >>> In >>> > some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are >>> none. >>> > And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open >>> toilets, >>> > to >>> > say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open >>> ones, >>> > you might end up paying to get sick! >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better >>> then >>> > the >>> > plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there >>> are >>> > numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal >>> matter. >>> > The >>> > climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal >>> > matters >>> > also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change >>> > experts >>> > should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly >>> way >>> > with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean >>> is >>> > the >>> > second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally >>> > harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & >>> has >>> > large carbon footprint. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building >>> > toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks >>> > accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be >>> able >>> > to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that >>> such >>> > bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a >>> substantially >>> > large amount is anyway decomposed. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a >>> poor >>> > health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because >>> health >>> > like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education >>> is >>> > primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of >>> > self >>> > rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across >>> > social, >>> > economic & geographic strata & sections. >>> > >>> > regards, >>> > >>> > RAJKAMAL, >>> > -- >>> > Rajkamal Goswami >>> > PhD Student in Conservation Science >>> > Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) >>> > Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. >>> > Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. >>> > Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 >>> > Mobile: 09740362460 >>> > Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 >>> > >>> > Web: www.atree.org >>> > _________________________________________ >>> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >>> > Critiques & Collaborations >>> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net< >>> http://us.mc572.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=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/> >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> karthik natarajan >> 0091 99232 27049 >> [using webmail] >> > > > > -- > Rajkamal Goswami > PhD Student in Conservation Science > Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) > Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. > Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. > Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 > Mobile: 09740362460 > Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 > > Web: www.atree.org > -- karthik natarajan 0091 99232 27049 [using webmail] From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 16 12:54:19 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:24:19 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] BRIEFS , A Festival of Short Films: YOUR short films , Calcutta Message-ID: <8CC1C48CF55F660-3C30-8C8E@webmail-d014.sysops.aol.com> Short film or video productions. YOUR films. Any subject. Just come and screen them at the Seagull Open House. Contact Megha Malhotra or Bishan Samaddar at (033) 2455 6942/43 for submissions. Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009 Time: 2:00pm - 8:00pm Location: The Seagull Arts and Media Resoruce Centre Street: 36C, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Bhowanipur [between Bijoli and Bharati cinemas], Calcutta From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 16 16:28:50 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:58:50 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Workshop in Choreography Skills by Mandeep Raikhy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC1C66C6F01B69-1360-98D@webmail-m020.sysops.aol.com> Hello!   Here is the Gati event for October 2009. Hope to see you there! Workshop in Choreography Skills by Mandeep Raikhy Saturday, October 31 12 noon – 5 pm The Gati Forum D-36, Nizamuddin East Basement New Delhi - 110013 This intensive interactive workshop will take a look at the concepts of space, time and dynamics in ways that they can possibly inform a choreographic process. Through improvisation and task-based explorations, the participants will get a chance to experience a range of different approaches to the process of translating initial ideas into movement form. The aim of the workshop is to empower the participants with a set of skills that would help them develop and refine their personal choreographic voice. Eligibility: 2 years of dance or choreographic experience Mandeep Raikhy is a dance practitioner based in Delhi. He finished a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre at Laban, London, in 2005 and has been regularly working with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, London, since. He has also been regularly conducting release-based technique classes for professional dancers in Delhi and is currently working very closely with Gati Dance and The Danceworx to develop a supportive environment for contemporary dance in the city. The registration fee for this workshop is Rs. 400/-. To register please contact Varun Sharma at 9868864170 or 01141825766 by Saturday, October 24, 2009.   -- The Gati Forum D-36, Basement Nizamuddin East New Delhi-110013. Ph 011-41825766 Website www.gatidance.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 16 16:30:55 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:00:55 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] SCHEME FOR AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO YOUNG ARTISTES IN DIFFERENT CULTURAL FIELDS Message-ID: <8CC1C671195F8A1-1360-9C2@webmail-m020.sysops.aol.com> Ministry of Culture operates the Scheme for Award of Scholarships to Young Artistes in Different Cultural Fields to support advanced training, within India, to young artistes of outstanding promise in the fields of Indian Classical Music, Indian Classical Dances, Light Classical Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Mime, Folk, Traditional and Indigenous Arts. Under this Scheme, 400 Scholarships are awarded every year to young artistes in the age group of 18 to 25 years (as on 1st April of the relevant year) who have undergone a minimum of 5 years of training with their Guru/Institute. Online applications are invited from eligible young artistes for award of Scholarships for the year 2009. Details of the Scheme, Instructions for Applicants and the Application Form are available on the website of the Ministry: www.indiaculture.nic.in 31st October, 2009 is the last date for receipt of applications Only online applications will be accepted From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Fri Oct 16 16:33:36 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:33:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Teacher Plus Photography Contest: Send entries by Dec 15, 2009 Message-ID: http://www.teacherplus.org/photo-contest/the-teacher-plus-photography-contest From image.science at donau-uni.ac.at Fri Oct 16 17:48:27 2009 From: image.science at donau-uni.ac.at (Image Science) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:18:27 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] live09 Conference Program Message-ID: <4AD880B30200007D0000911E@gwgwia.donau-uni.ac.at> Re:live09 Third World Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology. (Partner: Department for Image Science, Danube University Krems) MELBOURNE 26-29 November 2009 The Media Art History national and international conference committees would like to invite you to attend the Re:live media art history conference. Banff 2005 :: Berlin 2007 :: Melbourne 2009 Over three stimulating days, historians, curators, media artists, creative arts practitioners and theorists at the forefront of their practice will explore the latest research and theories; CONFERENCE SESSIONS on the HISTORIES OF:: :: art-science-technology :: biology :: the environment :: liveness :: the life of machines :: innovation :: RELIVE PROGRAM Thurs, Nov. 26 Keynote: Lisa GITELMAN Fri, Nov 27 :: Session 1: Paul THOMAS (Chair), Su BAKER (Introduction from VCA), STELARC (Prosthetic Head), Lucas IHLEIN (Fluxorchestra), :: Session 2: Ross HARLEY (Chair), Stephen JONES (Bush Video), Eva KEKOU (The City as a projection space), Francesca FRANCO (The first computer art show at the 1970 Venice Biennale. An experiment or product of the bourgeois culture?), :: Session 3: Kim MACHAN (Chair), Larissa HJORTH (Cartographies of the mobile: the personal as political), Chris CHESTER (Converging technologies of spatial navigation in computer games and portable digital devices), Sam HINTON (Constructing the First Person Shooter), Ingrid RICHARDSON (Playing Outside the Magic Circle: the Hybrid Corporealities of Mobile Gaming), :: Session 4: Leon MARVELL (Chair), Susan BALLARD (Erewhon: framing media utopia in the antipodes), Darren TOFTS (Writing media art into (and out of) history), Gabriel Menotti GONRING (Executable Cinema: Demos, Screensavers and Videogames as Audiovisual Formats) :: Session 5: Paul THOMAS (Chair), Cat HOPE (Earth Pulse: vibrational data as artistic inspiration), Joanna WALEWSKA (Relationship of art and technology: Edward Ihnatowicz's philosophical investigation on the problem of perception), Monika GORSKA-OLESINKA (Polish digital poetry - lack of "prehistoric" artifacts or missing narrative?), :: Session 6: Ross HARLEY (Chair), Tapio MÄKELÄ (Satellite imaginaries: performing newness and sublime in geospatial media arts), Mathias FUCHS (postvinyl), :: Session 7: Melinda RACKHAM (Chair), Andres BURBANO (Between punched film and the first computers, the work of Konrad ZUSE), Marianne SCHMIDT (Virtureal), Daniela Alina PLEWE (Transactional Art as a Form of Interactive Art), :: Session 8: Darren TOFTS (Chair), McKenzie WARK (The Life and Times of Nettime.org), Mark GUGLIELMETTI (A-Life: the creation and development of new modes of realism), Mike PHILLIPS (A Lost SuperHighway: Tales from a Notworked Dis-Locative Media History). :: Session 9: Anna MUNSTER (Chair), Ionat ZURR (How does zoë transform bio into media?), Natasha VITA-MORE (Interconnected Significance: Human Enhancement and Radical Life Extension), Jens HAUSER (Still, Living: Staging the Ephemeral between Nature Morte and Art Involving Biotechnology) :: Session 10: Lisa GYE (Chair), Leon MARVELL & Rudy RUCKER (Lifebox Immortality & How We Got There), Gebhard SENGMÜLLER (VSSTV - Rediscovery and Re-Interpretation of a Televisionary Parallel Universe), Manosh CHOWDHURY (Perfoming the Universe: The Elephant Clock as a Discoursive Apparatus) Keynote: Douglas KHAN Sat Nov 28 :: Session 1: Oliver GRAU (Chair), Paul SERMON (Telematic Practice and Research Discourses), Katja KWASTEK (*Your number is 96 - please be patient* - Modes of Liveness and Presence investigated through the lens of interactive artworks), Mike LEGETT (Early Video Art as Private Performance) :: Session 2: Alessio CAVALLARO (Chair), Hector RODRIGUEZ (The Black Box), Brogan BUNT (Pre-Socratic Media Theory), Jung-Yeon MA (A Short History of Media Art Events in Japan and Korea since late 1990s: Japan Media Arts Festival and Seoul International Media Art Biennale) :: Session 3: Eleanor GATES-STUART (Chair), Nina WENHART (ARS ELECTRONICA re:shaping a city's cultural identity), Thomas MICAL (Blurring Media-Architecture in 2009), Stefano RAIMONDI (Nanoart: First Steps Beyond the Columns of Hercules) :: Session 4: Ted COLLESS (Chair), Danielle WILDE (A New Performativity : Wearables and Body-Devices), Michael Century (Telematic Improvisation), Laura BELOFF (The Hybronaut and Other Unexpected Approaches to Wearable Technology) :: Session 5: Larissa HJORTH (Chair), Andrea GLEINIGER (*Architekturen des Augenblicks* - a phenomenological view on the medialization of urban space), Cat HOPE (Earth Pulse: vibrational data as artistic inspiration.), Denisa KERA (Apocalypse and Media Art) :: Session 6: Darren TOFTS (Chair), Allison DE FREN (Disarticulating the Artificial Woman), Audrey SAMSON (Haunted profiles; social networking sites and the crisis of death.), Margaret SEYMOUR (Cyborgs and robots: imitation or provocation?) :: Session 7: Melinda RACKHAM (Chair), Lucas IHLEIN (Re-Enacting Expanded Cinema: Three Case Studies), Ryszard W. KLUSZCZYNSKI (Viewer as Performer), Marcin SKLADANEK (Metadesign and Media Art) :: Session 8: Daniel PALMER (Chair), NIgel Llwyd William HELYER (The Sonic Commons; and the privatisation of the aural vis-à-vis), Chris SALTER (The Stage as Organism: Liveness, Dynamics and Expression in Early Twentieth Century Scenography), Slavko KACUNKO (Live Media Art and Japan*s Role: A historical and contemporary sideview) :: Session 9: Paul BROWN (Chair), Ken FRIEDMAN (Intermedia, Multimedia, and Media: Recovering a History), Zita JOYCE (Networked communities in New Zealand media arts), Ernest EDMONDS (The Art of Conversation) :: Session 10: Leon MARVELL (Chair), Lizzie MULLER (An indeterminate archive for David Rokeby*s *The Giver of Names*), Robrecht VANDERBEEKEN (Relive the Virtual: An Analysis of Unplugged Performance-installations), Robert SWEENY (Open (Source) Classroom) :: Session 11: Kim MACHAN (Chair), Suzette WORDEN (Art-Science Connections for the visualisation of minerals: historical precedents for media arts), Morten SONDERGAARD (Beyond the Point One Zero World), Anne-Marie DUGUET (Natural phenomena actualized through technology). :: Session 12: Sean CUBITT (Chair), Jon CATES (RE:COPYing-IT-RIGHT AGAIN), Edward SHANKEN (Reprogramming Systems Aesthetics: A Strategic Historiography), Kathy Rae HUFFMAN (EXCHANGE and EVOLUTION: World Wide Video / Long Beach) Keynote: Zhang GA Sun Nov 29 :: Session 1: Paul THOMAS (Chair), Panel: Ross HARLEY, John CONOMO, Anne FINNEGAN, Danni ZUVELLA (Australia Video Art Histories: A media arts archeology for the future) :: Session 2: Lisa GYE (Chair), Mike STUBBS (Abandon Normal Devices - they dont seem to work), Lissa MITCHELL (Negotiating the future - a new media collection in a public art museum), Rosana MONTEIRO (Reconfiguration of knowledges. Medical images between art, science and technology.) :: Session 3: Eleanor GATES-STUART, Ian CLOTHIER (Animating the Inanimate: Haiku robots, multiplicities of time and intercultural context), Caroline LANGILL (The Living Effect: Autonomous Behaviour in Early Electronic Media Art), Sarah KENDERDINE (The Relocation of Theatre: Making UNMAKEABLELOVE) :: Session 4: Helen STUCKEY (Chair), Roger MALINA (The History Of Intimate Science: Artists beyond the senses), Elena Giulia ROSSI (Posthuman Bodies in New Media Art), Allison DE FREN (Disarticulating the Artificial Female) :: Session 5: Ted COLLESS (Chair), Martin CONSTABLE and Adele TAN (Visual Digitality: Towards Another Understanding), Dimitris CHARITOS (Locative media art practices: locating meaning and narrative in hybrid spaces), Anders CARLSSON (The Forgotten Pioneers of Creative Hacking and Social Networking - Introducing the Demoscene) :: Session 6: Alessio CAVALLARO (Chair), Michael CENTURY (Telematic Improvisation), Katja KWASTEK (Modes of Liveness and Presence in interactive processes), Lawrence BIRD (Re-animating the technical body in the Metropolis tales: Lang, Tezuka, Rintaro), :: Session 7: Sean CUBITT (Chair), Nina WENHART (ARS ELECTRONICA - re:shaping a city's cultural identity), Darko FRITZ (Histories of live meetings - case study: five conferences on computer-generated art and related theories in Zagreb, 1968 - 1978), Ana PERAICA (Overcoming media arts) :: Session 8: Alessio CAVALLARO (Chair), Virginia PITTS (A dance with time: the media art of Shona McCullogh, Pia EDNIE-BROWN (Technologies of Vitality and a Changing Innovation Climate.) :: Plenary Session: Paul THOMAS (Chair) SEAN CUBITT and PAUL THOMAS :: Co Chairs Re:live09 :: Third International Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology Conference :: The main conference will be held at Faculty of VCA and Music, University of Melbourne, the selected Keynotes (as listed above) will be held in the evenings at the BMW Edge at Federation Square. National Committee :: Oron CATTS, Edward COLLESS, Eleanor GATES-STUART, Lisa GYE, Ross Rudesch HARLEY, Larissa HJORTH, Kim MACHAN, Leon MARVELL, Anna MUNSTER, Daniel PALMER, Melinda RACKHAM, Darren TOFTS International advisory board :: Andreas BROECKMANN, Berlin; Paul BROWN, London/Cotton Tree; Annick BUREAUD, Paris; Sara DIAMOND, Toronto; Diana DOMINGUES, Caxias do Sul; Timothy DRUCKREY, New York; Oliver GRAU, Krems; Gunalan NADARAJAN, Baltimore; Linda D. HENDERSON, Austin; Erkki HUHTAMO, Los Angeles; Douglas KAHN, Davis; Ángel KALENBERG, Montevideo; Ryszard KLUSZCZYNSKI, Lodz; Machiko KUSAHARA,Tokyo; Roger MALINA, Paris; W.J.T. MITCHELL, Chicago; Christiane PAUL, New York; Miklos PETERNAK, Budapest, Edward SHANKEN, Amsterdam; Barbara STAFFORD, Chicago; Jeffrey SHAW, Sydney; Peter WEIBEL, Karlsruhe; Steven WILSON, San Francisco Further information can be found at www.mediaarthistory.org Leonardo Education Forum (LEF), Melbourne, 26th of November 2009 http://www.leonardo.info/isast/lef.html (with: Paul THOMAS, Oliver GRAU, Ian CLOTHIER a.o.) :: forwarded by the Department for Image Science :: partner of Re:live and home of the Master of Arts programm in MediaArtHistories www.donau-uni.ac.at/mediaarthistories :: join the MediaArtHistories platform on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaarthistories#/group.php?gid=36056054067 From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Sat Oct 17 12:10:38 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:10:38 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Reg: An interview of a writer Message-ID: Hi to all Please do read this interview. It discusses about how a figure probably living some 3,00,000 years ago has been turned into a caricature of war and righteousness by a few goons, as also about how the very word Hindu and its ideas have been constructed, either with or without intentions. It's a great interview indeed, and maybe we have to read original texts to actually realize what is Hindu in the real sense and in the constructed sense, or at least what the original texts said and how is it different from what is now told to us. Regards Rakesh Link: http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262348 Article: *Interview* *“Ram Was Happy With Sita...Indulging In Every Way...And Then He Threw Her Out” - * *Internationally acclaimed Sanskrit scholar and author on her learned and rambunctious 780-page opus* *Sheela Reddy Interviews Wendy Doniger * *Internationally acclaimed Sanskrit scholar and author *Wendy Doniger* was famously at the receiving end of an egg thrown by an enraged Hindu at a London lecture in 2003. Since then, she has continued to infuriate the Hindutva brigade with her unorthodox views on Hinduism and its sacred texts, earning for herself the epithet: “crude, lewd and very rude in the hallowed portals of Sanskrit academics”. Undeterred, Doniger has gone on to write a learned and rambunctious 780-page opus, *The Hindus: An Alternative History*, which is out this week in its Indian edition. Some excerpts of an interview with* Sheela Reddy: *You have faced much flak from the Hindu right wing for your writings. Why? * You’ll have to ask them why. It doesn’t seem to me to have much to do with the book. They don’t say, “Look here, you said this on page 200, and that’s a terrible thing to say.” Instead, they say things not related to the book: you hate Hindus, you are sex-obsessed, you don’t know anything about the Hindus, you got it all wrong. The objections seem to be a) I presume to know things about Hindus that they didn’t know; and b) I was saying things about the Ramayana which they didn’t like. *If whatever you say about the Ramayana is all there in the texts, why don’t we recognize it? Who bowdlerized it and when? * It happened over the centuries. After all, the oldest Ramayana is well over 2,000 years old. Over the years things have happened, Hinduism has changed a lot. It probably started with the Bhakti movement —in the sense of the passionate worship of a single god. Rama did things in the Ramayana that the Bhakti movement wouldn’t have said about him, had they written the Ramayana. Until recently, there wasn’t only one way to tell the Ramayana. That’s why Hinduism is such a wonderful religion. *So puritanism crept into the Ramayana around the 10th century? * Yes, I guess so. It’s not just puritanism, but the idea that Rama was a perfect man and couldn’t have made a mistake. Did you, for instance, know that in the Tulsidas version, the real Sita never went with Ravan to Lanka, but a chhaya (shadow) Sita went to Lanka? *So how do you explain the many versions of the Ramayana - many of them very subversive texts – that have survived along with the Ramayana we now know? * That’s why Hinduism is such a wonderful religion. It’s because people are allowed to have their own texts: there was no Pope or ulemas to say you may not tell the story that way—until now. You have groups that say Rama would never have sent Sita away so we have the shadow Sita who went to Lanka instead of the real Sita. Then you have other stories that say that in fact Lakshman was really in love with Sita , which of course Tulsidas doesn’t say, and neither does Valmiki. And you have stories in which Sita is the sister of Ravana. Until recently, there was no one who said there was only one way to tell the Ramayana. Everyone in India knew that the stories were told differently, because women married into different families and right away there was a different story. And no one would say that you got it wrong. *Is it in Valmiki’s version that Rama thinks his father, Dasaratha, is a sex-addict?* Lakshman is the one who actually says it. The word he uses is kama-sakta which means hopelessly attached to lust. *You also suggest that because Rama is afraid of turning into a sex addict like his father, he throws Sita out after enjoying sex with her? * You have a chapter in Valmiki’s Ramayana where Rama was so happy with Sita, they drank wine together, they were alone, enjoying themselves in every way, indulging in various ways, not just the sexual act. And in the very next chapter he says I’ve got to throw you out. So I’m suggesting: what is the connection between those two things? And what does it mean that Rama knows that Dasaratha, his father, disgraced himself because of his attachment to his young and beautiful wife. So I’m taking pieces of the Ramayana and putting them together and saying these are not disconnected. In Valmiki’s Ramayana, Lakshmana uses the word kama-sakta, meaning addicted to lust, to describe his father Dasaratha. *So you are saying his fear of following in his father’s footsteps is making him betray his own sexuality? * Yes, I am. Or even of being perceived that way. Remember he keeps repeating: “People will say….” Maybe he knows that his love for Sita is much purer than Dasaratha’s love for Kaikeyi. But even so, he is afraid that people who noticed Dasaratha’s love for Ram will say that like his father, he too is keeping a woman he should not because he’s so crazy about her. So he fears public opinion will connect him with his father. Yes, I think that’s there -- but it’s not the only thing there is in the Ramayana. It’s just something others haven’t pointed out, so I thought I’d better point it out. *Isn’t that foolhardy, especially when you are already the target of Hindu outrage?* Not really. There’s no point in writing a book if you don’t say what you believe. Otherwise you have to stop writing, and I didn’t want to do that. My real fear is that I might not be able to return to India and that’s a very sad thing for me. Two of my colleagues can’t go back to India because there are court cases against them for blasphemy. But I think liberal forces are gaining ground in India. The Supreme Court threw out the last blasphemy case saying it was nonsense. I am hoping to return to India next year. *What has been the response so far from American Hindus?* My favourite one on Amazon accuses me of being a Christian fundamentalist and my book a defence of Christianity against Hinduism. And of course, I’m not a Christian, I’m a Jew! I’m very Jewish, and all my writing is very Jewish. *Historians point out that the first temple for Ram was built only in 10thcentury AD, whereas the Ramayana was composed between 3 rd century BC and 3rd century AD. How do you explain it?* Well, in order to have a temple you have to have a real movement. You have to have a lot of money, land, a whole system of building temples, which the Hindus did not have at first. The Buddhist were the first to build temples—the stupas. But Hindu worship originally was the puja. The king of course had royal ceremonies like the ashwamedha and so on. But Hindu people mainly did their own puja—you had the family priests, you had your Agni sacrifices. But it took the Bhakti movement to organize Ram or Shiva worship. The Kama Sutra does not refer to temple worship, it talks only of festivals you go to. Hinduism underwent changes from the organized religion of the Vedic period before you had temple worship. Most Indians now are ‘neo-Vedantic’. They think Hinduism is spiritual—the sensual was suppressed, censored during British rule. *So temples to Ram came at the same time when the Ramayana was becoming more straitlaced? * Exactly. People invested in how Rama should be. When you build a great big temple to a man who was perfect, then you can’t tell these kind of stories in that kind of a temple. *While Valmiki is generally said to be the author of the Ramayana, the older books-- two to six—have no mention of him? * Well, we don’t know who Valmiki was. It’s unlikely that one person wrote the whole Ramayana. Certainly unlikely that Vyasa wrote the Mahabharata—it was too great a book for a single author. Things were added on in Ramayana’s first and seventh book later on. For instance, in the seventh book we have a story long before the story of Rama and Sita about how Ravana raped one of the great apsaras, Rambha. And she comes weeping, dirty and bleeding, to her husband, who asks: “What has happened to you?” When he finds out, he curses Ravana that if he ever touches a woman against her will, his head will shatter into a thousand pieces. So that story is then told in the Ramayana to explain why Ravana didn’t force himself on Sita despite keeping her in his house all those years. In the earlier Ramayana, there’s nothing about this. Ravana doesn’t force himself on Sita for other reasons – he doesn’t want to or because she has a power over him. This is a later idea that creeps in. In the later books, they started telling stories about Valmiki, who may have been the author of the earlier books but didn’t talk about himself. Tradition has it that Valmiki wrote the Ramayana, but there’s no way of telling if it’s true. It’s so interesting that the Balmikis, who were Untouchables, just took his name and have their own stories about Valmiki -- how he wasn’t a Brahmin, but a robber. Until this (Hindutva) crowd got hold of the internet, people didn’t say you can’t tell the Ramayana that way. It wasn’t a Hindu idea. *Do you think the Ramayana’s evolution has been brought to a stop by the “internet brigade” of the Hindu Right?* Absolutely not. India is a big country. People are still free and telling the Ramayana their own way. Have you seen the film Sita Sings the Bluesby Nina Pillai? It’s a very funny Ramayana. I am editing an anthology of Hindu texts where there is a Marathi text called *Ashvamedha*, which is a satire on the sacrifice. Satire is still alive in India, and retelling the Ramayana hasn’t yet closed down. The sad thing is that the simplified version is widespread, and most people will know it by what they see on television. Or read in the Amar Chitra Katha comics, which has had an enormous influence. This version is also the cleaned-up version. In fact, it cleans up all the Hindu gods—it is Christianised in many ways. The story of Skanda, for instance, where Agni interrupts Shiva and Parvati making love in order to catch his seed in his hands and throws it in the Ganges, is transformed in the Amar Chitra version into Agni arriving at Shiva’s court, where Shiva sits side by side with Parvati, ending up with Shiva actually climbing a tree to pluck a seed which he then gives to Agni. *You refer to a time in Hinduism “of glorious sexual openness and insight.” When did the sense of shame and denial creep in? * I don’t know when it started but it became powerful under the British. You’ve got Protestant missionaries in India saying, “My God! You people are oversexed. Look at the carvings at Khajuraho and the temple dancers!” The British made the upper caste Hindus, the kind of Hindus that wanted to please the British, ashamed of those aspects of their religion. It was under the British that the worst kind of rewriting and censorship happened. *So why haven’t historians in the modern period revived the suppressed texts? * It’s sad that most Indians will know Ramayana from the simplified, cleaned-up versions of the television and Amar Chitra Katha. Most historians, at least those who know Sanskrit, know what’s there. But most people don’t know Sanskrit. Of those who do, many are Brahmins who have an investment in this prudish hyper-Hinduism. The general public is what I call neo-Vedantic: they believe Hinduism is spiritual, philosophical. The British loved Hindu philosophy, so did Europeans and even the Americans—they loved Vivekananda and the philosophical Hinduism he brought to the West. The great leaders of the nineteenth century came from this non-sensual aspect of Hinduism and that is what Hindus who read English and worked for the British by and large thought was Hinduism. That is what they were proud of. The Gita is the most important example of this. The Gita has always been well-known and well-loved in Hinduism but it is by no means the most important book for most Hindus for most of Hindu history. Most Hindus have other books that were important to them than the Gita like the Upanishads, the Puranas, Tulsidas’s and Kamban’s Ramayana. But the British loved the Gita—it was the first book to be translated from Sanskrit to English. And ever since the British period, many Hindus have believed that the Gita is their most important book. It has become a very important book but it was made central. *You once described the Gita as a book of war? * It’s another of those things where I am so badly misquoted. Twenty years ago I gave a talk on the Gita in Philadelphia and a newspaper wrote that I had said something bad about the Gita, which I never said and which has been quoted for 20 years. I’ve written about the Gita, and it is indeed a book of war. In the sense that if you read it in the Mahabharata, it takes place when Arjuna doesn’t want to enter the battlefield and fight. By the end of it, he fights. It says the body is not real, only the soul, so it doesn’t matter if you kill your brother. *Critics accuse you of eroticisation of Hinduism. Why? * The accusation that I only write about sex is crazy when you read a list of my books. The best book I’ve written is about dreams and maya —*Dreams, Illusions and other Realities*. My second best book is about the origins of evil in Hindu mythology. They mention I translated the Kama Sutra but don’t tell you that I also translated the Rig Veda and the Laws of Manu. I think I have a double disadvantage among the Hindutva types. One is that I’m not a Hindu and the other is that I am not a male. I suppose the third is that I’m not a Brahmin, but I don’t even get there because I’m not a Hindu! I think it’s considered unseemly in the conservative Hindu view for a woman to talk about sex—that’s something men talk about among themselves. *Have you ever been tempted to maintain a discreet silence on the sensual aspect of Hinduism in order not to entangle with the Hindu right wing and not tarnish your academic reputation?* Never. My mother was a terrific revolutionary and iconoclast and she raised me not to care about what other people said if I thought I was doing the right thing. So it’s just not in me to do that. My feeling is more that if no one is saying it, someone has got to say it. When I write, I try not to tell all the stories of Krishna as a charming little baby because everybody knows those things. So I say, what about the stories people don’t know like Krishna’s lies and the amazing things he does. If Krishna is God and he lies and lets the battle happen, this is something to know about the vision of the day, the vision of God. These raise interesting questions about the nature of God. I am 68 years old, I have publishers who will take what I write, so I have nothing to lose. I can’t be fired. They might kill me, but I’m going to die soon anyway. Like my favourite actor John Garfield says to some gangsters who want him to throw a fight: “What can you do? Show me! Everybody dies.” It’s a wonderful line. *Why do you call your book “An Alternative History” ?* Books about Hinduism are about spiritualism, about Brahmins , about men…I wanted to write a book about the more worldly aspects of Hinduism, about its concerns with women, lower castes, children, animals. I wanted to show there was a rich source of information for alternative people. I also wanted to show an alternative history to the BJP version—about Babur’s mosque being built over a Ram temple sort of thing or that monkeys built a bridge to Lanka. It was also an alternative to the way British wrote Indian history: all about kings and battles. I wanted to write an alternative to the old fashioned, political history of kings. *Is Ram a historical figure?* There may have been a man named Rama, but Valmiki’s Ramayana is not his story. Ramayana is a story that an author made up. Whether there was a king or not, we don’t know. And if there was a king, we don’t know if he said the words that Valmiki put in the mouth of Rama. We don’t even know, as Romila Thapar has pointed out, that the Lanka of the Ramayana is the Sri Lanka of today. There’s a lot of evidence that they are not the same place at all. *Why do you call yourself a “recovering orientalist”. * I was trained 50 years ago in the old-fashioned way Sanskritists were trained—I learnt Latin and Greek. And I didn’t learn Bengali and Tamil as my students now do. They didn’t teach any other Indian language along with Sanskrit in those days. Ancient India is all that one studied—so in that sense I was trained as an Orientalist. That’s why in my book I couldn’t say nearly as much about the medieval and modern period as I could about ancient India—I couldn’t get to the sources because I know only Sanskrit. But I am recovering from the Orientalist training I received 50 years ago. I’m learning about the other periods. ------------------------------ *A shorter version of this interview appears in print* From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 17 12:32:22 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:02:22 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] XVII Safdar Hashmi Memorial Lecture 2009 , "Activist Theatre : Recovering a Tradition" In-Reply-To: <000e0cd24280bf283e047619a8bb@google.com> References: <000e0cd24280bf283e047619a8bb@google.com> Message-ID: <8CC1D0EE8C036CF-1DA0-DABF@webmail-m019.sysops.aol.com> XVII Safdar Hashmi Memorial Lecture XVII Safdar Hashmi Memorial Lecture 2009     SAMIK BANDYOPADHYAY "Activist Theatre: Recovering a Tradition"     Friday, 23rd October 6 pm   Muktdhara Auditorium Banga Sanskriti Bhavan 18-19 Bhai Veer Singh Marg, near Gol Market New Delhi 110001     (This is the road between Gol Market and St. Columba's School. Coming from south and east delhi, take ashok road up to gol dak khana, then kali bari marg, and turn immediately right. Coming from west and north delhi, take mandir marg, gol market, turn right on bhai veer singh marg. most bus routes for shivaji stadium take this road and will drop you in front of muktdhara. Coming from west and south-west delhi, from rml hospital, take baba kharag singh marg where there is the construction of the express metro, gol dak khana, then left at  kali bari marg, and turn immediately right.)   jananatyamanch at gmail.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 17 14:07:02 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:37:02 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Film Bazaar India 2009 , November 24 - 26 2009 , Goa Message-ID: <8CC1D1C22742435-1DA0-DFF7@webmail-m019.sysops.aol.com> For filmmakers: Work in Progress lab - call for entries - deadline end of this month http://filmbazaarindia.com/?page_id=115 Exhibit at the market: Stands + 2 badges http://filmbazaarindia.com/?page_id=234 Register online: Rs 5,000/- inclusive of lunches and daily cocktail hour http://filmbazaarindia.com/wp-login.php?action=register Nov 24-26, 2009 Goa Marriott Resort Rent a Stand at FB 2009 « Film Bazaar Source: filmbazaarindia.com - 2 non-transferable Film Bazaar registrations for your Company Representatives including daily Film Bazaar lunches and cocktails From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 18 16:54:09 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:24:09 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] INTERNSHIP at Chilsag Chillies Group Message-ID: <8CC1DFCA51AF2C2-1C1C-1051D@webmail-m016.sysops.aol.com> To apply for an internship, please send us a letter in response to the questions below. The purpose of this letter is to help us get to know you and to design an internship that best suits your needs. Each season we will select interns from among the letters we receive. In your letter, please include your answers to the following questions: Why would you like to be an intern at Chilsag Chillies? What do you hope to learn or do during your internship? Describe 2-3 goals that you would like to achieve in your work with us. There is a lot we do here at Chilsag in which you can be involved. The more specific you are able to be in describing your goals, the more likely we will be to help you meet them. Your goals may relate to areas of Costume Designing, Marketing, Stage Lighting, Choreography, Yoga exercises, Graphic/Web Designing,Theatre Research. During your internship you will be asked to choose a principal project to improve our programs or resources. If you have an idea of what kind of project you would like to do, you may propose it here as a part of your written goals. If you haven’t decided specifically what your main project will be, please focus on your personal goals for the internship in this letter and propose a project during your internship. Do you have any prior experience, training, or knowledge that would be relevant to this internship? What kind of time commitment can you offer? What are your scheduling preferences? Thank you for your thoughtful response to these questions! We will look forward to hearing from you! Expectations: We expect a willingness to work hard and high standards of performance. Intern should be a self-motivated student. Please email us your letter to: Zia Ali Chilsag at gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ ABOUT US “Theatre is the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” Chilsag International is non profit Indian Theatre organization founded by Sachin Gupta in 2003. In its 5 year history, the Chilsag has produced Twelve original theatre productions, international tours, Launched a Theatre magazine, established Theatre Laboratory and, through its reputed acting Academy, trained hundreds of new actors. Chilsag International also maintains a global network of research centers in key cities around the world that provide inputs on the latest in world theatre. The company functions through its nine divisions which work independently but consistently towards promoting theatre. The nine main divisions: -Chilsag Theatre Company -Chilsag Theatre in education -Chilsag Theatre n Corporate -Chilsag Acting Academy -Chilsag Films Productions -Theatre Pasta Theatre Magazine -Theatre Research Laboratory -Chilsag Communications -> Chilsag In Action From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Sun Oct 18 19:01:28 2009 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:01:28 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?=91New_fisheries_Bill_will_margina?= =?windows-1252?q?lise_fisherfolk=92?= Message-ID: <3457ce860910180631g499741a0m9e16440bdff0ae0b@mail.gmail.com> *‘New fisheries Bill will marginalise fisherfolk’ * *Date:17/10/2009* *URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/17/stories/2009101760090600.htm* Special Correspondent Thiruvananthapuram: Participants at a seminar organised by the Kerala Swatantra Malsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) here on Friday said the new Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2009, and the Coastal Management Zone notification would lead to the marginalisation of traditional fisherfolk and leave them at the mercy of corporate interests. T.D. Velayudhan, former Joint Director, Kerala Fisheries, alleged that the Union government was allowing its fisheries policy to be guided by corporate interests. “Fishworkers are an eco-system community, sharing an organic and historical bond with the sea, and any regulation that restricts this bond is bound to deeply affect the community as a whole,” he said. He questioned the directive of the Centre in framing such a law that directly interfered with the licensing and regulation of fisheries. T. Peter, State president, KSMTF, who chaired the seminar, said the new Bill restricting the fishing area to a distance of 22 km (12 nautical miles) from the coastline would directly impact the livelihood of traditional and small-scale fishermen who usually venture up to 50 km from the coastline. “According to the new Bill, if a fisherman crossed 22 km, he would be immediately detained by the Coast Guard.” From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 18 16:44:00 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:14:00 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Request from Time Out : Questionnaire for Short Filmmakers Message-ID: <8CC1DFB3A888B11-1C1C-10481@webmail-m016.sysops.aol.com> Hi, calling all film makers to please answer this questionnaire asap (max by 18th oct evng) and mail it across to sen.jaideep at gmail.com Sorry for the short notice! Thanks guys! Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel From: Jaideep Sen Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:55:20 +0530 Subject: Request from Time Out Hi, This is a request from the magazine Time Out, Bangalore. We are currently working on a special feature on short filmmakers, which we expect to publish in our editions from Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. We have put down a few questions for you below here – this questionnaire has been sent out to a select bunch of filmmakers. I request you to take a few minutes to respond to us, and Please do pass this on to as many filmmakers that you know, and would like to include as part of this feature.  Unfortunately, we have a perpetually tight deadline to work with – I hope you understand, and we need to get this edition to print by Sunday, Oct 17. I completely realise the extremely short period of time that we’re conducting this in, but I do hope you will understand, and take a few minutes to respond to us. Please do feel free to call me if you require any kind of clarifications. I also request you to please include your full names, and details about the films that you have made, in your responses. I hope to hear from you at the earliest. Questionnaire for short filmmakers What area of short filmmaking currently needs the most attention: funding, production, direction at the editing stage, or something else? How would you like to make a case out for short films as a valid art form that merits being placed alongside any other art form in festivals and shows? What will it take for more short films made in India to reach international audiences? Do you find short films to be cluttered with larger agendas, and messages related to specific concerns? Do you believe the medium is restricted to such intentions? What are the different media, and avenues, through which it is practical for short filmmakers to get their work out to the world? Have you personally been involved in any kind of indie or independent channels? Are there any initiatives that you would like to see – apart from funding prospects and theme-based competitions, to encourage upcoming short filmmakers? What is the ultimate acknowledgement – not just in terms of certain awards, or references from the film industry – that you would like to associate to your work? Do you feel the need to take the subject of filmmaking deeper into the curricula of educational institutions, so that students can think of a camera as easily as they can access pencils and brushes? How would you support such initiatives? How familiar are you with local and regional short films from other countries? Do you agree that it is healthy to cultivate more such regional groups? Do you believe that short films allow the aspect of language to be reduced in the context of reaching out to larger audiences, despite barriers? So that the message comes through clearly, without having to be caught up in dialogues, especially in animated, or musical, and even silent forms? Wish you a very happy Diwali. My best, Jaideep Jaideep Sen +91 98454 03417 Assistant Editor Time Out, Bangalore -- Jaideep Sen +91 98454 03417 Assistant Editor Time Out, Bangalore -- Jaideep Sen +91 98454 03417 Assistant Editor Time Out, Bangalore From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sun Oct 18 15:03:50 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:33:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?b?QSBsb3ZlIHN0b3J5IOKAmG11cmRlcmVk4oCZIGlu?= =?utf-8?q?_Srinagar?= Message-ID: <145776.55347.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> (Did any of the 'commentators' who usually highlight such issues on SARAI Reader List post anything on this? Protest Marches? Petitions?   Maybe I missed seeing it)    THE STORY : Hindu boy from Jammu marries Muslim girl from Srinagar. Girl converts to Hinduism. The Hindu boy is picked up by the Police and is found hanging in his cell. Allegedly the boy has been tortured and murdered by the Police.   Tarun Vijay in his Blog-piece makes some telling comments:   - Surprisingly the incident, so brutal and tragic hasn’t found an echo in the elite human-rightist circles of Delhi and the self-righteous media which had taken up the Rizwan case of Kolkata at a greater war footing than it has shown regarding Chinese incursions. - "The writerati, who declare love’s supremacy whenever the boy is someone else and the girl is a Hindu .....  are maintaining a studied silence. None has spoken so far. None has tried to invoke the wrath of the Women’s Commission, none has bothered to take a delegation of women to Jammu in the name of secularism and its prophets. And none has found it a deserving case for a heated debate on the sparkling channels discussing who should win — love or the colour of your faith?" -  "Because the girl was a Muslim turned Hindu and the boy, unfortunately happened to be  Hindu. Because the culprit in this case is Srinagar, the reservoir of all that is sacred in secular pantheon and the boy belongs to the Hindu Jammu and hence anything that would demand a condemnation of the Taliban in Srinagar must be held back and forgotten?"     Kshmendra ( Pay heed to the 'Message' and not who the "Messenger' is)     "A love story ‘murdered’ in Srinagar"   Tarun Vijay  Thursday October 15, 2009   Rajneesh was a small trader from Jammu often going on business trips to Srinagar. He fell in love with a girl and married her. He wanted to be faithful to his beloved from Srinagar, who was beautiful and had unflinching trust in her life partner. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to have love bloom between Jammu and Srinagar. But it was more than that. The boy from Jammu was a Hindu and the girl from Srinagar, a Muslim. Ameena was her name and she changed her name to Anchal Sharma after marriage. A month after the marriage the boy was picked up from his Jammu house by the Kashmir police and taken to Srinagar for "investigation". The police never registered his name, Rajneesh Sharma, as the accused who is being taken to Srinagar, but instead named his brother Pawan Sharma in police records, to confuse and hide the real identity. The smell of a plot was there the moment they took the boy hustled in a jeep and covered with a blanket. The boy never returned home to celebrate his first Diwali with Anchal nee Ameena. He was found dead hanging with an iron grill in his Srinagar cell. Police said he committed "suicide". An inconsolable Anchal alleged that her parents bribed police to murder her beloved because he dared to marry a Muslim girl from the valley. Anchal’s father works in Srinagar’s police department, hence the influence was obvious. This week Anchal would have been celebrating Diwali with her husband Rajneesh but for if this ultimate Taliban act. Surprisingly the incident, so brutal and tragic hasn’t found an echo in the elite human-rightist circles of Delhi and the self-righteous media which had taken up the Rizwan case of Kolkata at a greater war footing than it has shown regarding Chinese incursions. Rajneesh's "murder" in a police post in Srinagar wouldn’t have occurred if Rajneesh was a "Rizwan" and the girl had remained an Ameena. The writerati, who declare love’s supremacy whenever the boy is someone else and the girl is a Hindu (the final test one has to pass to be declared secular in this land of self-flagellation) are maintaining a studied silence. None has spoken so far. None has tried to invoke the wrath of the Women’s Commission, none has bothered to take a delegation of women to Jammu in the name of secularism and its prophets. And none has found it a deserving case for a heated debate on the sparkling channels discussing who should win — love or the colour of your faith? Why? Because the girl was a Muslim turned Hindu and the boy, unfortunately happened to be  Hindu. Because the culprit in this case is Srinagar, the reservoir of all that is sacred in secular pantheon and the boy belongs to the Hindu Jammu and hence anything that would demand a condemnation of the Taliban in Srinagar must be held back and forgotten? The girl, Anchal nee Ameena, said sobbingly in Jammu that the Srinagar police tortured her husband just for his crime of marrying a Muslim girl. The mother of the girl knew about the affair but insisted the boy convert to Islam, which Rajneesh refused. Anchal says Rajneesh was tortured in the police custody putting pressure on him to convert and when he refused consistently, he was murdered. The Jammu papers have reported quoting the postmortem report that police tortured the boy in custody, broke his legs, crushed his knee, gave him electric shocks and peeled his nails before declaring his "suicide". In cold blood. In Srinagar. In a police post. He was married on August 21, "picked up" without an arrest warrant on September 29 and was found dead in police custody on October 4. Though a magisterial inquiry was ordered, no FIR was lodged till yesterday, that is, October 14, when a chief judicial magistrate in Jammu ordered an inquiry against 11 accused persons in Srinagar. The Buddhists of Ladakh and the Hindus of Jammu have been complaining for long that Srinagar has become an alien land for them. It discriminates against them on the basis of religion. The Amarnath Shrine agitation is a recent pointer to what Srinagar does to its minorities. The forced exile of half a million Hindus from the valley is another example of the attitude that the only Muslim-majority state of India has exhibited towards non-Muslims. For a detailed factsheet regarding Srinagar’s blatant communal bias against Jammu, please see my column. ( http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3396388,flstry-1.cms ) A couple of years before, the Buddhist Association of Ladakh gave a memorandum to the central government. A part of it said: 1. During 1992-99, 24 Buddhist girls from Leh district were converted to Islam and a majority of them were taken to Kargil and Srinagar. 2. Twelve villages with hamlets of Buddhists, comprising 651 families (numbering approximately 5,000) located at 40km to 60km from Kargil town were targeted for conversions. Till 2002, 72 boys and girls were converted to Islam, according to the survey conducted by the Ladakh Buddhist Association. 3. Muslims of Kargil are not allowing the LBA to repair and reconstruct a 40-year-old Gompa comprising three rooms and lying in a shambles. 4. Cremation of dead Buddhists is not allowed at Kargil and the body has to be moved at a remote Buddhist area. 5. No Buddhist sarai is allowed to be constructed at Kargil though there has been a demand for the last 35 years. 6. Kargil has 20% Buddhist population. Yet (a) only one Buddhist was appointed patwari out of 24 patwaris, the rest were all Muslims. (b) In 1998, 40 employees for Class IV were appointed in the education department; out of these only one was Buddhist, that too after his conversion to Islam. Similar complaints, with proven statistics were given regarding discrimination against Buddhists in the area of Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS), admission to medical and engineering colleges and allocation of development funds received from the central government. That’s Srinagar. So who is going to help Anchal? She seems to be a courageous beloved of her "slain" husband and has been facing media crews with grit. She has refused an ex gratia grant by the state government and has demanded a CBI inquiry. The state leaders, who made a beeline to Shopian, have not bothered to say even a word of sympathy, leave aside visiting her. Her only "crime": she loved Rajneesh.   http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indus-calling/entry/a-love-story-murdered-in   From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Oct 18 23:47:14 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:47:14 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?A_love_story_=91murdered=92_in_Sri?= =?windows-1252?q?nagar?= In-Reply-To: <145776.55347.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <145776.55347.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910181117x7beb239bj332728d4b2db4641@mail.gmail.com> i dont see Sarai Reader List as some enclopedia of all that is happening or that has happened so far. So not a question of missing it or not missing. Hindu boy marrying a Muslim girl is as much dangerous as Muslim boy marrying a Hindu Girl in J&K. and we have reasons the doubt the role played by the police. We have similar stories coming from UP etc because of inter caste marraiges, and even mercy killings abroad. It is a women's issue at the core and all the sensible secitons of the society need to protest about such crimes. to my knowledge there will be hardly anybody on the List who will not condemn the mruder by police, if not otherwise inder salim On Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 3:03 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: > > (Did any of the 'commentators' who usually highlight such issues on SARAI Reader List post anything on this? Protest Marches? Petitions? > > Maybe I missed seeing it) > > THE STORY : Hindu boy from Jammu marries Muslim girl from Srinagar. Girl converts to Hinduism. The Hindu boy is picked up by the Police and is found hanging in his cell. Allegedly the boy has been tortured and murdered by the Police. > > Tarun Vijay in his Blog-piece makes some telling comments: > > - Surprisingly the incident, so brutal and tragic hasn’t found an echo in the elite human-rightist circles of Delhi and the self-righteous media which had taken up the Rizwan case of Kolkata at a greater war footing than it has shown regarding Chinese incursions. > > - "The writerati, who declare love’s supremacy whenever the boy is someone else and the girl is a Hindu .....  are maintaining a studied silence. None has spoken so far. None has tried to invoke the wrath of the Women’s Commission, none has bothered to take a delegation of women to Jammu in the name of secularism and its prophets. And none has found it a deserving case for a heated debate on the sparkling channels discussing who should win — love or the colour of your faith?" > > -  "Because the girl was a Muslim turned Hindu and the boy, unfortunately happened to be  Hindu. Because the culprit in this case is Srinagar, the reservoir of all that is sacred in secular pantheon and the boy belongs to the Hindu Jammu and hence anything that would demand a condemnation of the Taliban in Srinagar must be held back and forgotten?" > > > Kshmendra > ( Pay heed to the 'Message' and not who the "Messenger' is) > > > "A love story ‘murdered’ in Srinagar" > > Tarun Vijay  Thursday October 15, 2009 > > Rajneesh was a small trader from Jammu often going on business trips to Srinagar. He fell in love with a girl and married her. > > He wanted to be faithful to his beloved from Srinagar, who was beautiful and had unflinching trust in her life partner. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to have love bloom between Jammu and Srinagar. But it was more than that. The boy from Jammu was a Hindu and the girl from Srinagar, a Muslim. Ameena was her name and she changed her name to Anchal Sharma after marriage. > > A month after the marriage the boy was picked up from his Jammu house by the Kashmir police and taken to Srinagar for "investigation". The police never registered his name, Rajneesh Sharma, as the accused who is being taken to Srinagar, but instead named his brother Pawan Sharma in police records, to confuse and hide the real identity. > > The smell of a plot was there the moment they took the boy hustled in a jeep and covered with a blanket. > > The boy never returned home to celebrate his first Diwali with Anchal nee Ameena. > > He was found dead hanging with an iron grill in his Srinagar cell. Police said he committed "suicide". An inconsolable Anchal alleged that her parents bribed police to murder her beloved because he dared to marry a Muslim girl from the valley. Anchal’s father works in Srinagar’s police department, hence the influence was obvious. > > This week Anchal would have been celebrating Diwali with her husband Rajneesh but for if this ultimate Taliban act. Surprisingly the incident, so brutal and tragic hasn’t found an echo in the elite human-rightist circles of Delhi and the self-righteous media which had taken up the Rizwan case of Kolkata at a greater war footing than it has shown regarding Chinese incursions. > > Rajneesh's "murder" in a police post in Srinagar wouldn’t have occurred if Rajneesh was a "Rizwan" and the girl had remained an Ameena. > > The writerati, who declare love’s supremacy whenever the boy is someone else and the girl is a Hindu (the final test one has to pass to be declared secular in this land of self-flagellation) are maintaining a studied silence. None has spoken so far. None has tried to invoke the wrath of the Women’s Commission, none has bothered to take a delegation of women to Jammu in the name of secularism and its prophets. And none has found it a deserving case for a heated debate on the sparkling channels discussing who should win — love or the colour of your faith? > > Why? > > Because the girl was a Muslim turned Hindu and the boy, unfortunately happened to be  Hindu. Because the culprit in this case is Srinagar, the reservoir of all that is sacred in secular pantheon and the boy belongs to the Hindu Jammu and hence anything that would demand a condemnation of the Taliban in Srinagar must be held back and forgotten? > > The girl, Anchal nee Ameena, said sobbingly in Jammu that the Srinagar police tortured her husband just for his crime of marrying a Muslim girl. The mother of the girl knew about the affair but insisted the boy convert to Islam, which Rajneesh refused. Anchal says Rajneesh was tortured in the police custody putting pressure on him to convert and when he refused consistently, he was murdered. The Jammu papers have reported quoting the postmortem report that police tortured the boy in custody, broke his legs, crushed his knee, gave him electric shocks and peeled his nails before declaring his "suicide". In cold blood. > > In Srinagar. In a police post. He was married on August 21, "picked up" without an arrest warrant on September 29 and was found dead in police custody on October 4. Though a magisterial inquiry was ordered, no FIR was lodged till yesterday, that is, October 14, when a chief judicial magistrate in Jammu ordered an inquiry against 11 accused persons in Srinagar. > > The Buddhists of Ladakh and the Hindus of Jammu have been complaining for long that Srinagar has become an alien land for them. It discriminates against them on the basis of religion. The Amarnath Shrine agitation is a recent pointer to what Srinagar does to its minorities. The forced exile of half a million Hindus from the valley is another example of the attitude that the only Muslim-majority state of India has exhibited towards non-Muslims. For a detailed factsheet regarding Srinagar’s blatant communal bias against Jammu, please see my column. ( http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3396388,flstry-1.cms ) > > A couple of years before, the Buddhist Association of Ladakh gave a memorandum to the central government. A part of it said: > > 1. During 1992-99, 24 Buddhist girls from Leh district were converted to Islam and a majority of them were taken to Kargil and Srinagar. > > 2. Twelve villages with hamlets of Buddhists, comprising 651 families (numbering approximately 5,000) located at 40km to 60km from Kargil town were targeted for conversions. Till 2002, 72 boys and girls were converted to Islam, according to the survey conducted by the Ladakh Buddhist Association. > > 3. Muslims of Kargil are not allowing the LBA to repair and reconstruct a 40-year-old Gompa comprising three rooms and lying in a shambles. > > 4. Cremation of dead Buddhists is not allowed at Kargil and the body has to be moved at a remote Buddhist area. > > 5. No Buddhist sarai is allowed to be constructed at Kargil though there has been a demand for the last 35 years. > > 6. Kargil has 20% Buddhist population. Yet (a) only one Buddhist was appointed patwari out of 24 patwaris, the rest were all Muslims. (b) In 1998, 40 employees for Class IV were appointed in the education department; out of these only one was Buddhist, that too after his conversion to Islam. > > Similar complaints, with proven statistics were given regarding discrimination against Buddhists in the area of Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS), admission to medical and engineering colleges and allocation of development funds received from the central government. > > That’s Srinagar. > > So who is going to help Anchal? She seems to be a courageous beloved of her "slain" husband and has been facing media crews with grit. She has refused an ex gratia grant by the state government and has demanded a CBI inquiry. The state leaders, who made a beeline to Shopian, have not bothered to say even a word of sympathy, leave aside visiting her. > > Her only "crime": she loved Rajneesh. > > http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indus-calling/entry/a-love-story-murdered-in > > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From anant_umn at yahoo.co.uk Tue Oct 13 08:28:46 2009 From: anant_umn at yahoo.co.uk (anant maringanti) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:28:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Doctoral and Post-doctoral fellowships at NIAS In-Reply-To: <4b84e4260910121944k1d0bd0b3o9fddbc79041ba36d@mail.gmail.com> References: <4b84e4260910121944k1d0bd0b3o9fddbc79041ba36d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <8d5106ed0910121958o3fd61d16l658cea48f17deb6a@mail.gmail.com> Apologies for making a plug for a program I am associated with. This program (see below) could be a great career-shaping opportunity - small coherent international research team focused on an area that is just opening up at the junction of transnational studies, globalization studies and urban studies - all focused on medium towns in India. anant * * Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships *National Institute of Advanced Studies* * * * * The National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) is a multidisciplinary research institute located in Bangalore. We are searching for two Ph.D. students and one Post-Doctoral Fellow to work in a new research programme of the School of Social Sciences, entitled ‘Provincial Globalisation: The Impact of Reverse Transnational Flows in India’s Regional Towns’. This is an international collaborative programme of the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research (ASSR), University of Amsterdam (UvA), and NIAS, beginning in January 2010. The doctoral fellowships will be for four years beginning in August 2010 and the post-doc position for two years beginning in May 2010. *Eligibility for doctoral fellowships:** * The fellowships are open to those who have completed / are completing (by July 2010) a Master’s degree in in sociology, social anthropology, geography, or related social sciences, with at least 55 % marks. Candidates with M.Phil. degrees or relevant research experience will be preferred. Selected candidates should have excellent writing skills in English and a good knowledge of Kannada or Telugu (spoken and written). The selected candidates will undergo a year of coursework and research training prior to fieldwork, half of which will be conducted at NIAS and the other half at ASSR, Amsterdam. The fellowships will provide four years of support as well as funding for research and other expenses related to the programme. *Required qualifications for the post-doctoral fellowship: * The post-doctoral fellow will design and carry out an independent project on the economics of transnational migration and resource flows. Candidates should have finished a Ph.D. degree in economics, preferably with specialization in migration studies. The successful candidate will have strong quantitative and analytical skills and an ability to utilise diverse data sources. This is a full-time two-year position based at NIAS. *Applications:* The deadline for applications is *December 31, 2009*. Short-listed candidates will be invited to NIAS for an interview in mid-February 2010. Interested candidates should write to Provincial.Globalisation at gmail.com, or check the NIAS website, for further details on the research programme and application process. Applicants should submit their curriculum vitae including the names and addresses of three referees, copies of relevant degree certificates, a writing sample, and a short statement of purpose (3-5 pages) based on the outline of the research programme (posted on the NIAS website, http://www.nias.res.in/), to: Dr. Carol Upadhya National Institute of Advanced Studies Indian Institute of Science Campus Bangalore 560012 India Email: Provincial.Globalisation at gmail.com, carol.upadhya at gmail.com -- Dr. Carol Upadhya Associate Professor School of Social Sciences National Institute of Advanced Studies Indian Institute of Science Campus Bangalore 560012 India office: +91 80 2218 5000/ 5141 (ext) cell: +91(0) 97408 50141 carol at nias.iisc.ernet.in carol.upadhya at gmail.com From press at tank.tv Tue Oct 13 18:24:18 2009 From: press at tank.tv (tank.tv press) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:54:18 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] www.tank.tv: Now Showing Jean-Charles Hue, until November 3rd. Message-ID: <78c84f090910130554q12279b47r9dd1870de67129f7@mail.gmail.com> Dear Friends, Please find information below regarding the new exhibition on www.tank.tv from Jean-Charles Hue. For more details or images relating to the exhibition please contact press at tank.tv Kind Regards Caroline tank.tv *Now Showing: Jean-Charles Hue **14th October - 3rd November 2009* "(The) world of travellers enables me to develop several themes recurrent in my work: belief, crooks, popular and invented speech, music and people who have a certain bent for fantasy". Jean-Charles Hue Oscillating between fiction and documentary Hue's focus on the Hispanic and French Gypsy communities captures difficult moments and unsettling characters. Rather than falling into the traditional trap of artist as ethnographer Hue's concentration on visual texture and his own gypsy heritage forces the viewer into a state of moral hesitation. Jean-Charles Hue, a free online exhibition from 14th October to 3rd November 2009 at www.tank.tv, is part of tank .tv's 2009 Solo Show Programme. -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - tank.tv 2nd Floor Princess House 50 - 60 Eastcastle Street London W1W 8EA press at tank.tv T: +44 (0)207323 3475 F: +44 (0)207631 4280 http://www.tank.tv - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Now showing: Jean-Charles Hue 14th October - 3rd November 2009 Fresh Moves - Out now! Order your copy on www.tank.tv "A significant archive of creative practices in the early years of twenty-first century England" Tyler Coburn, Tomorrow Unlimited --- tank.tv is an inspirational showcase for innovative work in film and video. Dedicated to exhibiting and promoting emerging and established international artists, www.tank.tv acts as a major online gallery and archive for video art. A platform for contemporary moving images. From rajkamal at atree.org Thu Oct 15 16:48:20 2009 From: rajkamal at atree.org (rajkamal) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:48:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN In-Reply-To: <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <9d0d777b0910142158j68dbc82q1ea112c265c3e18b@mail.gmail.com> <780762.49608.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <001a01ca4d89$36ee5dd0$a4cb1970$@org> Dear Kashmendra, Thanks for the valuable insights and the cases. What appalls me is the complete lack of empathy for the marginalized sections of the society & targeting them for all the problems of the socio-environment sphere. Classic example is the cry-out of the western world ( and doles of World Bank soft loans) to replace wood-based fuel with LPG in the poorer sections. The justification being that less dependence on wood-more trees-more natural carbon sequestration & less global warming-arresting climate change. And what is more appalling & also frustrating is the extraordinary eagerness shown by our executive to grab this dole-outs! I have personally seen how LPG distribution to far-flung tribal settlements in Mizoram state was carried out with lot of pomp & show by the NTCA (erstwhile Project Tiger). 3 months down the line & all that was left was empty cylinders & dusty gas-stoves! Reason? Because there were only mud roads connecting these forest settlements to the nearest small town ( 30kms away) with no regular transport. Hence the cylinders never got refilled & the villagers went back to the fuel wood which was right there, in their backyard! In the20 year old debate about climate change & reduction of GHGs, there has been absolutely no talk about a section of our country who has, on an average, more than one car at disposal. During peak hours it is common to see sedans & suvs just having a driver! How many initiatives has been taken by the executive to address these issues? How much thought has gone to streamline & improve the PTS on a countrywide scale? I hail from a very small town called Tezpur, which is about 200 kms east of Guwahati, on the north bank of Brahmaputra. I have seen the sleepy town with a few cycles, cycle-rickshaws & a handful of mobikes & cars (we knew how many of them were there), transform to a mini traffic chaos! Almost every second guy has a mobike & every sixth one a car! And during peak hours you can see one-way no-entry signs which is no-entry only for the cycle-rickshaws! While the smoky cars & the bikes trudges along! Just a couple of first hand-cases to exemplify the blame that is being passed (almost always) on the socio-economically poor & marginalized. And that’s how and where the state fails! thanks Rajkamal Goswami, From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:34 PM To: sarai list; rajkamal; Rajkamal Goswami Subject: Re: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN Dear Rajkamal Very interesting perspectives. A few thoughts, not meant to criticise: Traditionally, in Agriculture, in many parts of the world (if not all), human excreta, after composting has been used as a manure. Certainly in India and China. The word "Humanure" has been coined for it. The native wisdom in how to process the "Humanure" has given way in some places to "Thermphilic composting" and commercial selling of the "Humanure". I think the problem comes up in such situations where the recycling of human excreta cannot be done in a manner to make it an integral part of the living environment. We have in India the additional 'social' dimension where human excreta collecting "sweepers" are not afforded the dignity of their labour and are instead treated as untouchables. You might have heard of the 'strangulation by weeds' of the Lakes in Kashmir. This change in what were pristine water bodies for many a centuries has been attributed (amongst other factors) to the dumping of human excreta into them from the "Houseboats" and what is flushed into them from the residences along the shores. "Dry Toilets" (Self-Composting Toilets) have been proposed to tackle this. These are already used in many places such as Construction-Work Sites, Camp Sites. (any questions about affordabilty would be very valid) There is no doubt in this that when the human excreta is not treated/re-cycled/composted, it becomes a breeding site for disease with various available means of transmission. This is exactly what happens in Non-Agricultural, Non-Farming environments of Towns and Cities (urban areas). An essential part of any competent Urban Planning is inclusion of Sewage Treatment Plants that recycle the water for use in Municipal and Residential Landscaping (Household and not Industrial Sewage) and compost the filtered waste into Manure. Just a few thoughts. Kshmendra --- On Thu, 10/15/09, Rajkamal Goswami wrote: From: Rajkamal Goswami Subject: [Reader-list] 665 million in India defecate in open: UN To: "sarai list" , "rajkamal" Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 10:28 AM 665 million in India defecate in open: UN http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/15/in-india-665-million-defecate-in-open-un.htm I strongly oppose this westernized view of sanitation & hygiene. Defecating in the open is not just a hygienic issue but a socio-cultural, historical, economic, political & environmental issue. The point of contention being that health is jeopardized due to open-defecation is highly ridiculous. I argue that its failure of the state which is primarily responsible for the poor health rather than the prevalent defecation practices. 1. Many cultures & society across India has age-old tradition of defecating in the open. Most parts where open defecation is practiced are parts with water scarcity & low rainfall. There are many community defecating practices which are of special significance to many, particularly women as a social-bonding exercise. For eg, in many parts of northern India, women go out in groups early at dawn to relieve themselves out in the open and socialize with other woman from the village, who otherwise can’t socialize because of restrictive customs like *purdah/ghoongat*. 2. Nomadic man never defecated in closed toilets! Even the forefathers of Hispanics & the Caucasians, who are the so-called ‘developed’ human race today, did defecate in the open. 3. We assume that access to toilets is economically driven. In many parts of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP & MP this assumption doesn’t hold true. 4. When the government & non-government run toilets charges something ranging from 1-10 INR to use toilets, whom can we blame for open toilets? A case example is Bangalore where the frequency of even paid toilets are very low (1 per 5 kms) & moreover there locations are haphazard and ad-hoc. In some locations we find 2-3 toilets whereas in a few places there are none. And the hygienic conditions of these toilets are worse than open toilets, to say the least! So if you choose to use public toilets instead of open ones, you might end up paying to get sick! 5. From environmental perspective, open toilets are way better then the plush toilets with toilet papers and other fancy stuff. In India there are numerous coprophagous animals like dogs, pigs that eat the fecal matter. The climatic conditions also ensure that the feces decompose fast. Fecal matters also support a large microbial & insect biodiversity. Climate change experts should swear by defecation in the open as the most carbon-unfriendly way with zero carbon foot-print & zero GHG emission. Using water to clean is the second best option while using toilet paper is the most environmentally harmful way as paper manufacturing industry is highly water-intensive & has large carbon footprint. 6. The initial capital as well as environmental costs of building toilets is high with large carbon-footprints. Sewers and septic tanks accumulate wastes and dump them at point locations, which might not be able to handle such high magnitudes of in-flow. Open toilets ensure that such bulk flow doesn’t take place & before the eventual drainage a substantially large amount is anyway decomposed. 7. The UN is highlighting the wrong issue. The main issue of a poor health condition is not because we defecate in the open but because health like other essential services viz. roadways, railways, water, education is primarily a state responsibility and the state, even after 60+ years of self rule, has failed to ensure the distribution of these services across social, economic & geographic strata & sections. regards, RAJKAMAL, -- Rajkamal Goswami PhD Student in Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Royal Enclave, Sri Ramapura, Jakkur P.O. Bangalore 560 064 Karnataka, India. Phone: 080-23635555, extn: 207 Mobile: 09740362460 Fax: 91 80 2353 0070 Web: www.atree.org _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 Oct 19 16:40:25 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:10:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Tryst with chaos - "Will Kashmir be an abode of tolerance once again" Message-ID: <742132.72480.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "Tryst with chaos"   " Will Kashmir be an abode of tolerance once again"   EXPERIENCE BY ARSHI JAVED I opened my eyes to mayhem, bullets and bombs. Political uncertainty had gripped my native city-Kashmir. I was born in 1988 when armed insurgency broke out in valley. During the formative years life meant firings, cross firings, crackdowns and curfews. A long day of 24 hours was squeezed to 6 or 7 hours for us. Markets and schools would open at 10 in the morning only to close down at 4 in the afternoon. My canvas of life never brimmed with joy, it will always grim, blood oozed out of it. One left home without the surety of returning back to their homes without any confirmation of seeing their loved ones again. I don’t remember playing with dolls or watching cartoons. My favorite toy was gun and my mother says that I always threw tantrums for buying a Kalashnikov. Conflict always takes a toll on the psyche of children. I perhaps realized the meaning of life first time when I moved out of valley for touring other states of India. Unlike me, my peers outside the valley were fearless, confident and their day extended much beyond 5 in the afternoon. I couldn’t relate to them because no political conflict pulled the strings of their life. As soon as I realized and understood the realities around me, the conflict outside traversed in and forced me to think a bit differently. Out of sufferings emerge the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. The changing social definitions perturbed me. The syncretism that integrated all the religions, castes and creeds was reduced to books Mistrust had crept in, friends had become foes, and politics ruled supreme, above emotions and values. Kashmiri Hindus had taken a flight to other states of India leaving their home and hearths behind. The secular social fabric which was a pride of Kashmir had been torn down. Conflict gave us a legacy of widows and orphans and they mushroomed across all the corners of valley. Women have become the worst sufferers of all and continue to reel under the fear. Some were raped, molested, made to live as half-widows-a term coined for women whose husbands disappeared mysteriously in the years of militancy. Some turned bereaved mothers and sisters. Their Hindu counterparts who left the valley during mass exodus suffocate and bear insults in the relief camps across India. Be it a traitor, a government loyalist or a militant, he belonged to a family. And, the pain of losing your kin remains the same regardless of the social tags. Recent medical research’s conducted in valley suggest that over the last 20 years women have been target victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Growing up in a conflict zone like Kashmir, that has become a bone of contention between two nuclear giants India and Pakistan, I have figured out that there is an immense need of addressing the grassroots issues other than he big issues that will be solved with the help of international actors. I am a BA final year student and wish to apply for social policy and social work at Oxford. My conviction in upholding the human dignity and human rights, freedom of individual made me to participate in a number of debates, seminars, elocution competitions at my school level. My endeavor was never about getting the first prize but it was withholding the principles I believed in. I participated in a number of debates and group discussions- few of them organized by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, directorate of ecology (Kashmir division), ANHAD- an Non government organisation. At some stage in my high school realized a media interaction is essential for promoting the libertarian, egalitarian and secular set of ideas I believe in. I began writing on various social issues and luckily my writings were placed in renowned newspapers. While in college I began my journey as a feature writer in a widely read local daily Greater Kashmir.  The earliest feature I jotted down was about Shivratri - a revered festival of Kashmiri Hindus which is believed to be a day when Lord Shiva married Godess Parvati. It was my idea of letting the new generation know that some other festival besides Eid was celebrated in Kashmir valley and how Muslims celebrated this festival along with their Hindu neighbours and friends. Besides, a tribute to the religious diversity which Kashmir enjoyed once. I wrote on issues ranging from disability concerns, domestic violence and its effect on children, old aged men deserted by their children tracing life of minorities-like Tibetan Buddhists who are living a life of exile in Kashmir. I did a series of stories with orphans of conflict living in the various orphanages of the valley. I was awarded the best budding writer title in by the Rotary Club of Kashmir. One of my writing over disability communication has been awarded a first prize by Ali Yavar Jung Institute for the hearing handicapped. I have also worked as a volunteer for various non government organizations. I assisted relief operations during 2005 when the deadly earthquake stuck Kashmir.   If given a chance, I would like to enter the reputable university with an aim of acquiring an in-depth knowledge, using the university as a platform to share my ideas and experiences with myriad fellows. It would provide me a space for interacting, associating and trying to find a middle ground for resolving the conflicts and uplifting the sufferers. Being a woman myself and having seen women suffering around, I understand their pain and anguish. I would love to get involved in programmes that aim at emancipating the women. I will bring forth issues that woman confront, provide them knowledge about laws and legal safeguards, empower them socially, involve them in decision making and assess their role in decision making at family, work and nation. Later in my life, I have a dream of starting a magazine which will deal with the issues of women and having a publishing house of own which will promote women writers in particular. I aim to use my energy in helping woman entrepreneurs throughout the Kashmir valley -micro-financing them, promoting them and their products. I would like to be instrumental in restoring Kashmir to its earlier position of being in the vanguard of the advancement of human civilization and helping in the restoration of its pluralistic culture. My ability will be synergized in a direction of establishing gender and gender perspectives as important themes in academic disciplines and its raising consciousness about gender issues in private life. I promise to work with utmost dedication. Most of all I will make sure that I will return to my roots and contribute towards the development of my people. Moreover, being a part of the big, positive social change.   http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=16_10_2009&ItemID=38&cat=11#Print%20This%20Story   From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Mon Oct 19 16:59:56 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:59:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?b?RndkOiBb4LSV4LWH4LSw4LSz4LSCXSBGd2Q6IHJl?= =?utf-8?b?cG9ydCBvZiBqZWV2YW4gdHYgLi4uLi5ESFJNIC4uLmFuZCBhdHRvY2l0?= =?utf-8?q?ies_against_dalits_/interview_of_brp_bhaskar?= In-Reply-To: <51429e4e-30f5-48fe-929e-265aa6450192@k17g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> References: <51429e4e-30f5-48fe-929e-265aa6450192@k17g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910190429wf4e7d0cq3567071b2573510c@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: venukm Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 4:00 PM Subject: [കേരളം] Fwd: report of jeevan tv .....DHRM ...and attocities against dalits /interview of brp bhaskar To: zeroneutral-2bigotry at googlegroups.com, Greenyouth , keralaexchange at googlegroups.com, Cde Shankar ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: geedha geedha Date: Oct 18, 10:48 pm Subject: report of jeevan tv .....DHRM ...and attocities against dalits /interview of brp bhaskar To: grey youth movement --http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7yWIgB2x7Y geedha --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ കേരള ചര്‍ച്ചാവേദി. To post to this group, send email to keralaexchange at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to keralaexchange-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/keralaexchange?hl=ml -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Mon Oct 19 17:05:20 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:35:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "On trail of Punjabi Taliban" Message-ID: <877578.97268.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "On trail of Punjabi Taliban"   By Nasir Jamal Saturday, 17 Oct, 2009   LAHORE: A day after the triple-strike in Lahore, officials, counter-crime experts and academics in the province grappled with the question of how to deal with the upsurge in violence and the discourse was dominated by analysis of who the Punjabi Taliban were and what background they came from.   The province’s security agencies admitted the presence of ‘individual’ militants branded as Punjabi Taliban in southern Punjab as well as elsewhere.   ‘The government and its security agencies are fully alive to the threat and are taking requisite action. But it would be wrong to say that militants have consolidated their position to a level where they can operate under the banner of Punjabi Taliban,’ argued a senior Punjab police official who has worked with different intelligence agencies.   This was consistent with a provincial intelligence report prepared some time ago on activities of militant groups operating out of southern Punjab.   Although the report dismissed what it termed the much-hyped theory that the Taliban have ‘set in’ in the districts (of Bahawalpur, Multan and D.G. Khan divisions), it acknowledged the potential threat of Talibanisation in some areas if ‘timely action by law enforcement agencies, coupled with concrete development activity, was not taken’.   The report concluded: ‘Poverty-stricken, feudalistic, extremely religious and illiterate south Punjab could possibly provide shelter to the Taliban and other jihadi outfits. It has potential to become a nursery or a major centre of recruitment for sectarian organisations. Talibanisation appears to be in its infancy stage. Timely action by law enforcement agencies, coupled with concrete development activity, could avert this danger.’   In a talk with Dawn on Friday, a senior police official listed a number of arrests made in different parts of the province, including southern Punjab, and recovery of arms cache in the recent past and claimed that in doing so, police had averted a number of possible suicide raids and sectarian attacks.   He maintained that militant organisations like Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami and Jaish-i-Mohammad operating out of southern Punjab had a long history of linkages with the Taliban in Afghanistan and tribal areas of the NWFP who provide them sanctuary and support.   ‘Nobody denies that the militants belonging to these organisations have strong links with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and facilitate their operations in Punjab. But this is also true for the militants operating from many other parts of Punjab and the rest of the country,’ he added.   Another senior police official surmised the term Punjabi Taliban was just a myth coined and being propagated to destabilise Punjab by the so-called friends and foes (read America and India) of Pakistan.   ‘It’s a stable Punjab which is blocking their designs to harm Pakistan,’ he said.   A senior police officer from Bahawalpur wondered: ‘If the so-called Punjabi Taliban from south Punjab are so big in number why none of the thousands of those arrested or killed during the recent military operation in Swat was found to be from this area.’   The Punjab police say that only one militant, Abid alias Hanzala, out of 11 who had blown themselves up or were killed in as many acts of terrorism during 2007 and 2008 was from a southern Punjab district, Rahimyar Khan.   The rest of them were Mehsuds from South Waziristan. Similarly, all the eight suspected suicide attackers who were either arrested or those who were able to escape arrest during 2007 and 2008 came from South and North Waziristan, Mansehra and DI Khan. Five of them belonged to the Mehsud tribe, according to police.   But there have surely been some signs of change this year. Analysts argue that the active involvement of militants operating out of southern districts of Punjab in a series of terror attacks during this year has brought the ‘Punjabi Taliban’ into sharp focus.   ‘Earlier, the Punjab-based sectarian and jihadi groups, which were either involved in Kashmir or in sectarian killings within the country, used to only facilitate militants coming from tribal areas of the NWFP by providing them logistical support for carrying out terrorist operations. Now they have become entwined with militants operating under the banner of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and changed their strategy.   ‘They are pursuing a different agenda, which is to challenge the state (of Pakistan) and pull it down, and are actively involved in the terrorist acts as indicated by their involvement in terror raids on Sri Lanka team and Manawan police training centre earlier this year (and multiple attacks on security installations this week),’ Lahore-based defence and political analyst Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi said.   The official from Bahawalpur acknowledged that southern Punjab had proportionately produced greater number of militants because of the presence there of groups fighting in occupied Kashmir in the past.   Also, he conceded, a number of top jihadi and sectarian leaders belonged to southern Punjab. But he insisted that there were no sanctuaries or training camps anywhere in the region.   On the basis of how much the official concede, shall we then say that the militants have an operational network in place in southern Punjab to build on? ‘That network is intact in spite of the arrests and killings of a number of militants in recent years. The area was never cleared and militant organisations and groups continue to recruit in southern districts of the province, which are also used as sanctuaries by militants after carrying out their operations elsewhere in the country,’ an analyst said.   ‘How can you get rid of militancy without demolishing the ideological infrastructure that helps to create this mindset?’ he wondered. But he acknowledged that it was a difficult task and required political consensus.   Amir Rana, an Islamabad-based analyst, said the term Punjabi Taliban was coined by Afghan Taliban groups to distinguish militants from Punjab and it became popular after the militant attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad last year.   He said the Punjabi Taliban was not a homogenous group and also included Kashmiri and Urdu-speaking people. ‘You would also find some Burmese and Bengali immigrants living in Karachi in the ranks of the so-called Punjabi Taliban,’ he elaborated.   Dr Hasan Rizvi said that linkages between the militants from Punjab and the Taliban in the NWFP had deepened (in recent years) as the militants shifted their training camps in the tribal areas to avoid action by the government.   He said religious extremism was not confined to southern Punjab alone. ‘You will find a similar situation in central Punjab as well. Religious extremism is very sharply visible in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, etc. But the problem with southern Punjab is that some of its areas are not under effective state control. There are areas in DG Khan where the government’s authority is weak, which helps the militants to find sanctuary there. Further, the close proximity of these areas to Balochistan and tribal areas of the NWFP also provides the militants an easy escape route.’   Dr Rizvi, however, dismissed calls for a military operation in the region. ‘It (operation) is not needed because these areas, in spite of weak government authority, are not out of the state’s control. The better option would be to gather credible intelligence on the activities of militants in these areas and then take action.’   http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-on+trail+of+punjabi+taliban--bi-08 From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Mon Oct 19 18:00:47 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:00:47 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [humanrights-movement:2053] Who Killed Karkare? book by S.M. Mushrif [Former IG Police, Maharashtra] In-Reply-To: <82afb4ca0910190510s744b7190o6e8651944959ee5c@mail.gmail.com> References: <216421500910190507u2c6ba364o2180128871142b0c@mail.gmail.com> <82afb4ca0910190510s744b7190o6e8651944959ee5c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910190530i5b9cfa02g2f1167ab1401b24c@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rights Support Centre Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 5:40 PM Subject: [humanrights-movement:2053] Who Killed Karkare? book by S.M. Mushrif [Former IG Police, Maharashtra] To: humanrights-movement at googlegroups.com Just Published / October 2009 Book:  Who Killed Karkare? The real face of terrorism in India by S.M. Mushrif [Former, IG Police, Maharashtra] 320 pages p/b Price: Rs 300 / US $25 ISBN-10: 81-7221-036-1; ISBN-13: 978-81-7221-036-6 Year: 2009 Publishers: Pharos Media Publishing Pvt Ltd Pharos Media is pleased to inform about our new book “Who Killed Karkare? — The real face of terrorism in India” written by a former senior police officer. For the first time, it probes deep into the "Islamic terrorism" in India. Of particular interest is the book's detailed study of the 26/11 attack on Mumbai during which Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed. >From the back cover of the book: Political violence, or terrorism, by State as well as by non- State actors has a long history in India. The allegation that sections of and individual Indian Muslims indulged in “terrorism” surfaced for the first time with the ascent of the Hindutva forces in mid-1990s and became state policy with the BJP’s coming to power at the Centre. With even “secular” media joining the role as stenographers of security agencies, this became an accepted fact so much so that common Indians and even many Muslims started believing in this false propaganda. This book, by a former senior police officer, with a distinguished career that included unearthing the Telgi scam, peeps behind the propaganda screen, using material mostly in the public domain as well as his long police experience. It comes out with some startling facts and analysis, the first of its kind, to expose the real actors behind the so-called “Islamic terrorism” in India whose greatest feat was to murder the Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare who dared to expose these forces and paid with his life for his courage and commitment to truth. While unearthing the conspiracy behind the murder of Karkare, this book takes a hard look at some of the major incidents attributed to “Islamic terrorism” in India and finds them baseless. How to order Payments can be made by Credit Card,  Cheque, Draft, Money Order, Internet Banking (HDFC Bank India), or even dropping a cheque at any HDFC Bank ATM in India. By a credit card you can order now by seeing the section below, for other payment methods email us for more information at: books at pharosmedia.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to humanrights-movement at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to humanrights-movement+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From anansi1 at earthlink.net Tue Oct 20 07:43:14 2009 From: anansi1 at earthlink.net (Paul D. Miller) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:13:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Taqwacore: Muslim Punk Rock!!! Message-ID: <22361787.1256004794513.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Rather intriguing film... Paul aka Dj Spooky Blurb: URL: http://www.taqwacore.com/ Three years in the making, this feature documentary follows the progression of the Muslim Punk scene: from its imaginary inception in a novel written by a white-convert named Michael Muhammad Knight to a full-blown, real-life scene of Muslim punk bands and their fans. When he was 17, Michael Knight left his mother’s home in Rochester to study Islam at a Pakistani madrassa. It was his first act of rebellion – against his abusive, schizophrenic, white-supremacist father. Years later, burned out on the demands of religious dogma, Mike rebelled once more – by penning a Muslim Punk manifesto called The Taqwacores. His work of fiction struck a chord with young Muslims around the world and before long, real-life Taqwacore bands were creating a scene. This film follows Michael and his band of Muslim punks as they journey across the U.S. and Pakistan, transforming their worlds, their religion and themselves through the spirit of Taqwacore. From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 20 14:06:01 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:36:01 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] About Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury Message-ID: <429352.88548.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> I have not seen much mention on the SARAI Reader List of the persecution suffered by the Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Choudhury. Usually there are many on this List who fervently pick up such 'causes' and participate in relevant 'protests' and 'petitions'.   Maybe I have missed seeing it.   Or, is there something about Salah Uddin Choudhury that he could be deemed as ignoble and ignorable. What could that be.   Kshmendra     "Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury"     Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award winning anti Jihadist Muslim journalist in Bangladesh. He is the editor of Weekly Blitz. This newspaper has both print and online edition reaching mostly policymakers, politicians, entrepreneurs, students, think tanks, civil and millitary officials, clergies and cross section of people in the world. Weekly Blitz is the largest and most infleutial English language newspaper published in Bangladesh. Online edition of the only anti Jihadist newspaper in the Muslim world is available online on www.weeklyblitz.net Journalist, writer, poet, lyrist, author, political analyst and peace activist, Choudhury, started his career in journalism in 1989 as the Correspondent of TASS, state news agency of Soviet Union. Later he was promoted as the Chief Correspodent of Itar-Tass in Bangladesh. On November 29, 2003, he was arrested at Zia International Airport in Bangladesh on his way to Israel to attend a peace conference. Choudhury was tortured, imprisoned and denied medical treatment in prison. Government brought sedition, treason and blasphemy charges against him for confronting religious extremism, advocating inter-faith dialogue and demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. He was released on April 30, 2005 after imprisonment of seventeen months. Although released on bail, Choudhury continues to face sedition, treason and blasphemy charges and the trial continues in a court in Dhaka. Sedition bears capital punishment [death penalty] according to law in Bangladesh. Choudhury is the recipient of PEN USA Freedom to Write Award in 2005; American Jewish Committee's Moral Courage Award in 2006; Monaco Media Award in 2007 and Key to Englewood City [USA] in 2007. He has written a number of books on various issues. His latest book titled 'Injustice and Jihad' was published in October 2007. Italian publication house Neftasia Editore has published Choudhury's book titled 'Non Sono Colpevole' in May 2008. Choudhury's latest book titled 'Inside Madrassa', which contains descriptive and elaborate information on condition of Madrassas in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Muslim nations has been published in October 2009. This book is a result of comprehensive research by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury for several years. Interested people can buy a copy of this book by contacting Blitz Publications, ediblitz at yahoo.com In today's world, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is perhaps the most quoted Bangladeshi journalist in the international media. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Washington Times, The Australian, The Berliner Zeitung, The Jewish State, The Jewish Week, The Guardian and many other leading international and regional dailies and periodicals have published numerous editorials on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Office of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper, Weekly Blitz was bombed by Islamist millitants in Dhaka [Bangladesh] in July 2006. On October 5, 2006, armed terrorists attacked the his office and physically assaulted him. On 18th March 2008, members of Rapid Action Battalion [infamous of extra-judicial murders] abducted Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at gun point from his office. He was blind-folded and physically assaulted. Because of quick actions by US Peace Activist Dr. Richard L Benkin and Rep. Mark Steven Kirkand other esteemed members of United States Congress, Choudhury escaped RAB's deathtrap. On February 22, 2009, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper office was once again attacked by the armed thugs belonging to ruling party. He and his staffs were physically assaulted and the attackers looted his laptop along with two manuscripts of his un-published books. US Congress, European Parliament, Australian Senate passed resolutions demanding dropping of the false case of Mr. Choudhury and to give him proper security and stop all forms of harrassments. But, Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka, instead of showing minimum respect to such calls, withdrew police protection from the residence of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in May 2008. Shoaib Choudhury is a permanent member of PENUSA; Advisory Board Member of Islam-Israel Fellowship; Director, Forcefield NFP. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is invited by many prestigious institutions in the world for giving lecture on the topic of his work. Yale University [New Haven, USA] and Rutgers University [New Jersey, USA] invited Choudhury to give lecture during October and November 2009.   http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/2948     ARTICLES by Salah Uddin Choudhury: http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/2948#articles       From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Tue Oct 20 15:22:58 2009 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:22:58 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Open letter to Noam Chomsky In-Reply-To: <004001ca514f$953141e0$0801a8c0@winea7e178c4a2> References: <004001ca514f$953141e0$0801a8c0@winea7e178c4a2> Message-ID: <564b2fca0910200252p1328f698m7695c4cd923198d1@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nirmalangshu Mukherji Dear Prof. Chomsky, I saw your support to the statemement issued by Sanhati in the form of a letter to the prime minister—endorsed by some intellectuals from India and abroad. Three points are transparent: (a) the Indian government IS planning a massive armed operation in the tribal-hilly areas in the eastern part of the country, (c) the poorest of the poor and the historically marginalised will suffer the most in terms of loss of lives, livelihood and habitat, and (c) for whatever it's worth, an all out campaign by democratic forces is needed to resist the armed invasion of people's habitat by any party. To that extent, the statement does bring out the urgency of the matter. What is not so transparent from the statement is the condition that has brought about this state of affairs. It is said that large-scale neo-liberal policies—including formation of SEZs and encroachment of tribal habitats for mining and other forms of exploitation—has led to mass impoverishment. So, in desperation, the poor have allegedly taken up arms to defend themselves. This picture is wrong in (i) ascribing the so-called armed struggle to the people, and (ii) being silent about the *specific* source of the current aggression by the state, namely, the armed operations of CPI (Maoist). The statement is otherwise right about the *general* situation: sinister neo-liberal policies, growing impoverishment and marginalisation of the poor, and the resulting anger thereof. Hundreds of organisations working at the grass roots level across the country are engaged in a variety of struggles against state repression and the insidious economic policies of the government. This includes many Gandhian, liberal and leftist organisations and individuals. Importantly, some of these—such as the organisations led by veteran activists Kanu Sanyal and Asim Chatterjee, among many others in Bengal, Andhra, Bihar, Orissa and elsewhere—also subscribe to maoism and are known initiators of the original naxalbari movement. Thus, the labels ‘maoist’ and ‘naxalite’ apply to a much wider category of organisations and individuals than the CPI (Maoist). Needless to say, even the wider category of maoists, not to mention just the CPI (Maoist), forms a tiny fraction of the broad democratic resistance to the policies of the state. The current armed operations of the state are directed ostensibly against the CPI (Maoist) in the areas under its control. The state of course makes no such distinction in public; by identifying the wider category with the narrower one, it is constructing the opportunity to target the entire left-democratic fraternity in due course. To put the point differently, although the undeclared target of the state covers the entirety of left-democratic forces—as evidenced, for example, in the growing attacks on industrial workers especially in the private sector—the declared target currently consists of CPI (Maoist) and its area of control. The significance of this specificity is wholly missing from the statement you endorsed. The identification of CPI (Maoist) with the entire resistance movement suits CPI (Maoist) as well. Its Supreme Commander recently declared from his hideout from a guerrilla-controlled area: ‘People, who are the makers of history, will rise up like a tornado under *our party’s leadership* to wipe out the reactionary blood-sucking vampires ruling our country ... our party’s influence has grown stronger and *it* has now come to be recognised as the only genuine alternative before the people.’ ( http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/we-shall-certainly-defeat-the-government, emphasis added). We will evaluate the factual content of this declaration below. For now, it is interesting to note the character of the propaganda: somehow the propagandistic interests of CPI (Maoist), the state, and the corporate media suitably converge. The Supreme Commander’s claim is grimly endorsed by the prime and the home ministers of India; according to them, the ‘naxalite menace’ is the greatest threat to internal security. It is also endorsed by the corporate media: the ‘menace’ is said to have spread in 15 of about 25 states, and in 180 of about 500 districts of the country—the numbers accelerating each month to encourage the prospect of a ‘civil war’ soon across the country. The Central government frequently convenes high-profile meetings of chief ministers, secretaries, and police chiefs of the country to meet the challenges posed by the menace. Cutting-edge special forces, carved out of the paramilitary forces, are being constructed and deployed in ‘naxal-infested’ areas. In recent months, even the army and the air force are beginning to enter into the picture. Naxalite actions—widespread arson, mass killings, and the ability to take on the security forces—are prominently reported in the corporate media with ill-concealed awe. This strand of the naxalite movement never had it so big in its close to 40 years of existence in hideouts in remote jungles. As for the factual content of this dramatic story, I will briefly record some facts that do not find a place in the three-pronged propaganda. - CPI (Maoist) is a comparatively new organisation formed in 2004 when two naxalite factions Maoist Coordination Committee (MCC) and People’s War Group (PWG)—located primarily in some tribal-inhabited jungle areas in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively—decided to join hands after fighting a bloody war for area-control among themselves for close to two decades. By 2006, CPI (Maoist) was almost completely wiped out from Andhra after their presence there for close to forty years. They also lost major areas in Bihar. The organisation has basically shifted to two of the most backward, tiny, and newly-formed states of Jharkhand and Chatthisgarh. As noted, even there, their presence is basically centered in the areas of dense forest and adjacent tribal-dominated villages, especially in the Bastar district. Ostensibly, as the jungles extend from their headquarters, they have also developed some hideouts and some armed squads to create enough violence to mark their ‘presence’ in West Bengal, Orissa, and elsewhere. To sum, they have essentially failed to emerge out of portions of jungles of eastern India after over four decades of campaign for this particular strand of ‘Marxism-Leninism-Maoism’. - The organisation has no presence whatsoever in the vast agrarian and industrial terrains of the rest of the country. It has no trade union, no peasant organisation worth its name, no penetration in the dalit, youth, and women’s movements. But it seems to have captured the imagination of sections of elite, urban, and ‘radical’ intelligentsia in Calcutta and Delhi who have impressive connections with some Indian intellectuals settled in universities abroad, as the statement you endorsed highlights (earlier, this intellectual support used to come from Bombay and Hyderabad). The phenomenon is historically familiar. - ‘The only genuine alternative before the people’ is viewed as a terrorist organisation by none other than Kanu Sanyal and many other active maoists, not to speak of broad spectrums of left parties and organisations most of whom do not find a representation in the statement. The basic reason why Sanyal calls CPI (Maoist) ‘terrorists’ is as follows. Ever since its inception in 1969, this brand of maoism rejected all classical forms of mass struggle and adopted the sinister doctrine of individual annihilation of ‘class enemies’. ‘Class enemies’ typically consisted of hapless, poorly armed police constables, petty landlords and traders, and an assorted category of ‘informers and traitors’. Most notably, the category of ‘class enemies’ also included grass-root cadres—not their leaders—of the parliamentary left. In the states of West Bengal and Andhra, where this campaign originated, the parliamentary left was typically the only organisation present at the grass root. The annihilation of these ‘class enemies’—typically, middle peasants, school teachers, party wholetimers, etc—effectively meant capturing of areas, by means of guns and knives, already under the left. To that end, the squads first targetted their own maoist fraternity who refused to subscribe to their murderous politics. After the ‘renegades’ were silenced, the next target was cadres of CPI(M), CPI, etc. This ‘red terror’ basically led to the dismantling of democratic movements in the erstwhile red bastions. In West Bengal, a neo-fascist regime of the Congress Party won the elections handsomely and watched the mutual killings of the left with glee. Once the task was accomplished, the government turned on the maoists and the remaining left and white terror ruled West Bengal for five years. During the nightmare, all forms of democratic movements virtually disappeared from the state as lumpen youth accompanied by paramilitary forces roamed the streets. In time, almost all of the initiators of this campaign realised their grave mistakes and those who survived encounters, long imprisonment, and psychological collapse, returned to classical mass lines in a variety of forms, including participation in the elections. However, a fragment continued the murderous politics in the jungles of Andhra and Bihar in the form of two organisations MCC and PWG, later unifying into CPI (Maoist), as noted. Two recent—and contrasting—events in the neighbourhood throw significant light on the consequences of this brand of politics. In Sri Lanka, a vast freedom movement of Tamil nationalism arose about three decades ago. As the movement became progressively militant, it gave rise to a formidable militarist organisation: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). LTTE declared armed struggle, systematically eliminated all other groups advocating Tamil liberation, took to the jungles, and launched a civil war. There were several rounds of ‘negotiations’ between the government and the LTTE, often with international effort. LTTE refused to give up arms and join the democratic process; thus, it used each pause in the hostilities to consolidate its forces. After over twenty years of bloody war with Sri Lankar security forces, resulting in incalculable suffering of Tamil people, the LTTE was recently wiped out from Sri Lanka. The calamity facilitated the emergence of a neo-fascist regime in Colombo; it also left behind nearly a million hapless Tamil refugees at the mercy of this government. With all moderate forces from both the sides eliminated from the scene, the Tamil freedom movement is now faced with a historical setback after over hundred thousand deaths. The Supreme Commander (Op. Cit), whose organisation was trained in guerrilla warfare by former commandos of LTTE, agrees with the consequences: ‘There is no doubt that the movement for a separate sovereign Tamil Eelam has suffered a severe setback with the defeat and considerable decimation of the LTTE. The Tamil people and the national liberation forces are now leaderless.’ But he puts the blame elsewhere: ‘The jingoistic rallies and celebrations organised by the government and Sinhala chauvinist parties all over Sri Lanka in the wake of Prabhakaran’s death and the defeat of the LTTE show the national hatred for Tamils nurtured by Sinhala organisations and the extent to which the minds of ordinary Sinhalese are poisoned with such chauvinist frenzy.’ Nonetheless, he hopes that ‘the ground remains fertile for the resurgence of the Tamil liberation struggle. Even if it takes time, the war for a separate Tamil Eelam is certain to revive, taking lessons from the defeat of the LTTE.’ Although he is prepared to learn—perhaps, tactical—‘lessons’, he does not seem to have any problems with the militarist, sectarian, and exclusivist politics of the LTTE. In sharp contrast, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN(M)) also launched a civil war against a ruthless feudal monarchy protected by the Royal Nepalese Army after all democratic methods failed. The war lasted nearly a decade with the CPN(M)-directed People’s Liberation Army dominating vast terrains of the country with massive popular support. The basic point to note is that what CPN(M) strove for during the armed struggle—republic, constituent assembly, supremacy of the parliament created by universal franchise, etc.—India already has. Once that was achieved in Nepal, a genuine armed struggle—far far superior than anything Indian 'maoists' have ever envisaged—was immediately brought to a halt. CPN (M) proved its point by winning over 40% of the seats in the interim parliament after the republic was established. With this mandate in hand, innovative, peaceful but militant processes were then adopted to broaden the democratic base even in a context in which the possibility of a counter-revolution orchestrated by the ousted monarch, the army and the ruling elites of India loomed large. The current impasse in Nepal is about the supremacy of the parliament over the army. As the leader of CPN(M) Prachanda points out, the democratic movement is at a crossroads due to this seminal conflict. Indian republicanism addressed and solved that problem 60 years ago. During the war, PWG—followed by CPI (Maoist)—maintained close contact with CPN(M). But after the CPN(M) joined—in fact, established—the democratic process in Nepal, the CPI (Maoist) does not find any lessons to be learned. This time the blame is on CPN(M). As the Supreme Commander (Op. Cit.) puts it: ‘It is indeed a great tragedy that the CPN(M) has chosen to abandon the path of protracted people’s war and pursue a parliamentary path in spite of having de facto power in most of the countryside.’ In a letter to CPN(M), CPI (Maoist) ‘advised’ the former not to give up armed struggle until the ‘old order’ is smashed and the CPN (M) is able to seize power all by itself to usher in ‘new democratic revolution’. However, the Supreme Commander remains optimistic since ‘given the great revolutionary traditions of the CPN(M), we hope that the inner-party struggle will repudiate the right opportunist line pursued by its leadership, give up revisionist stands and practices, and apply minds creatively to the concrete conditions of Nepal.’ So, the statesman-like leadership of Prachanda is ‘revisionist’. Beyond the bluster, it is not difficult to discern that, no matter what, the CPI (Maoist) is not prepared to give up its fatal policies. They are not open to any debates, no one can enter their ‘liberated zones’ without unconditional support to their line. Like Prabhakaran and his LTTE, having meticulously secured hideouts for themselves in ‘impregnable’ dense forests protected by squads armed with sophisticated weapons, they are prepared to carry on ‘protracted war’ for many years before their inevitable decimation. In the process, not only will the tribals under their control suffer immensely, it will give the growingly authoritarian state a golden opportunity to smash whatever avenues of hard-won democratic resistance still remain in place. As noted, the CPI (Maoist) has exactly two channels of ‘popular’ support: the tribals they control and a section of ‘radical’, urban intelligentsia. It is the support of the latter that gives the CPI (Maoist) significant propaganda mileage and a false impression of invincibility and popular support. By posing the current military preparations of the state only as a state vs. people conflict, the statement you endorsed effectively exonerates the CPI (Maoist) and plays into their hands. Sincerely Nirmalangshu Mukherji Department of Philosopy University of Delhi Nirmalangshu Mukherji Professor of Philosophy University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Web: people.du.ac.in/~nmukherji/ Ph: 27666253 (Res) 27666629 (Off) From jeebesh at sarai.net Tue Oct 20 18:55:37 2009 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:55:37 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Death of 'Soul of Capitalism' Message-ID: <44A50727-5D06-4781-AD8C-2D33F8AE6BB7@sarai.net> dear all, this text is from the heart of capitalism. warmly jeebesh Oct. 20, 2009, 12:50 a.m. EDT Death of 'Soul of Capitalism:' Bogle, Faber, Moore 20 reasons America has lost its soul and collapse is inevitable http://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-soul-is-lost-and-collapse-is-inevitable-2009-10-20 By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Jack Bogle published "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism" four years ago. The battle's over. The sequel should be titled: "Capitalism Died a Lost Soul." Worse, we've lost "America's Soul." And worldwide the consequences will be catastrophic. That's why a man like Hong Kong's contrarian economist Marc Faber warns in his Doom, Boom & Gloom Report: "The future will be a total disaster, with a collapse of our capitalistic system as we know it today." No, not just another meltdown, another bear market recession like the one recently triggered by Wall Street's "too-greedy-to-fail" banks. Farber is warning that the entire system of capitalism will collapse. Get it? The engine driving the great "American Economic Empire" for 233 years will collapse, a total disaster, a destiny we created. OK, deny it. But I'll bet you have a nagging feeling maybe he's right, the end may be near. I have for a long time: I wrote a column back in 1997: "Battling for the Soul of Wall Street." My interest in "The Soul" -- what Jung called the "collective unconscious" -- dates back to my Ph.D. dissertation: "Modern Man in Search of His Soul," a title borrowed from Jung's 1933 book, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul." This battle has been on my mind since my days at Morgan Stanley 30 years ago, witnessing the decline. Has capitalism lost its soul? Guys like Bogle and Faber sense it. Read more about the soul in physicist Gary Zukav's "The Seat of the Soul," Thomas Moore's "Care of the Soul" and sacred texts. But for Wall Street and American capitalism, use your gut. You know something's very wrong: A year ago "too-greedy-to-fail" banks were insolvent, in a near-death experience. Now, magically they're back to business as usual, arrogant, pocketing outrageous bonuses while Main Street sacrifices, and unemployment and foreclosures continue rising as tight credit, inflation, skyrocketing Federal debt killing taxpayers. Yes, Wall Street has lost its moral compass. They created the mess, now, like vultures, they're capitalizing on the carcass. They have lost all sense of fiduciary duty, ethical responsibility and public obligation. Here are the Top 20 reasons American capitalism has lost its soul: 1. Collapse is now inevitable Capitalism has been the engine driving America and the global economies for over two centuries. Faber predicts its collapse will trigger global "wars, massive government-debt defaults, and the impoverishment of large segments of Western society." Faber knows that capitalism is not working, capitalism has peaked, and the collapse of capitalism is "inevitable." When? He hesitates: "But what I don't know is whether this final collapse, which is inevitable, will occur tomorrow, or in five or 10 years, and whether it will occur with the Dow at 100,000 and gold at $50,000 per ounce or even confiscated, or with the Dow at 3,000 and gold at $1,000." But the end is inevitable, a historical imperative. 2. Nobody's planning for a 'Black Swan' While the timing may be uncertain, the trigger is certain. Societies collapse because they fail to plan ahead, cannot act fast enough when a catastrophic crisis hits. Think "Black Swan" and read evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond's "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." A crisis hits. We act surprised. Shouldn't. But it's too late: "Civilizations share a sharp curve of decline. Indeed, a society's demise may begin only a decade or two after it reaches its peak population, wealth and power." Warnings are everywhere. Why not prepare? Why sabotage our power, our future? Why set up an entire nation to fail? Diamond says: Unfortunately "one of the choices has depended on the courage to practice long-term thinking, and to make bold, courageous, anticipatory decisions at a time when problems have become perceptible but before they reach crisis proportions." Sound familiar? "This type of decision-making is the opposite of the short-term reactive decision-making that too often characterizes our elected politicians," thus setting up the "inevitable" collapse. Remember, Greenspan, Bernanke, Bush, Paulson all missed the 2007-8 meltdown: It will happen again, in a bigger crisis. 3. Wall Street sacked Washington Bogle warned of a growing three-part threat -- a "happy conspiracy" -- in "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism:" "The business and ethical standards of corporate America, of investment America, and of mutual fund America have been gravely compromised." But since his book, "Wall Street America" went over to the dark side, got mega-greedy and took control of "Washington America." Their spoils of war included bailouts, bankruptcies, stimulus, nationalizations and $23.7 trillion new debt off-loaded to the Treasury, Fed and American people. Who's in power? Irrelevant. The "happy conspiracy" controls both parties, writes the laws to suit its needs, with absolute control of America's fiscal and monetary policies. Sorry Jack, but the "Battle for the Soul of Capitalism" really was lost. 4. When greed was legalized Go see Michael Moore's documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story." "Disaster Capitalism" author Naomi Klein recently interviewed Moore in The Nation magazine: "Capitalism is the legalization of this greed. Greed has been with human beings forever. We have a number of things in our species that you would call the dark side, and greed is one of them. If you don't put certain structures in place or restrictions on those parts of our being that come from that dark place, then it gets out of control." Greed's OK, within limits, like the 10 Commandments. Yes, the soul can thrive around greed, if there are structures and restrictions to keep it from going out of control. But Moore warns: "Capitalism does the opposite of that. It not only doesn't really put any structure or restrictions on it. It encourages it, it rewards" greed, creating bigger, more frequent bubble/bust cycles. It happens because capitalism is now in "the hands of people whose only concern is their fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders or to their own pockets." Yes, greed was legalized in America, with Wall Street running Washington. 5. Triggering the end of our 'life cycle' Like Diamond, Faber also sees the historical imperative: "Every successful society" grows "out of some kind of challenge." Today, the "life cycle" of capitalism is on the decline. He asks himself: "How are you so sure about this final collapse?" The answer: "Of all the questions I have about the future, this is the easiest one to answer. Once a society becomes successful it becomes arrogant, righteous, overconfident, corrupt, and decadent ... overspends ... costly wars ... wealth inequity and social tensions increase; and society enters a secular decline." Success makes us our own worst enemy. Quoting 18th century Scottish historian Alexander Fraser Tytler: "The average life span of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years" progressing from "bondage to spiritual faith ... to great courage ... to liberty ... to abundance ... to selfishness ... to complacency ... to apathy ... to dependence and ... back into bondage!" Where is America in the cycle? "It is most unlikely that Western societies, and especially the U.S., will be an exception to this typical 'society cycle.' ... The U.S. is somewhere between the phase where it moves 'from complacency to apathy' and 'from apathy to dependence.'" In short, America is a grumpy old man with hardening of the arteries. Our capitalism is near the tipping point, unprepared for a catastrophe, set up for collapse and rapid decline. 15 more clues capitalism lost its soul ... is a disaster waiting to happen Much more evidence litters the battlefield: Wall Street wealth now calls the shots in Congress, the White House America's top 1% own more than 90% of America's wealth The average worker's income has declined in three decades while CEO compensation exploded over ten times The Fed is now the 'fourth branch of government' operating autonomously, secretly printing money at will Since Goldman and Morgan became bank holding companies, all banks are back gambling with taxpayer bailout money plus retail customer deposits Bill Gross warns of a "new normal" with slow growth, low earnings and stock prices While the White House's chief economist retorts with hype of a recovery unimpeded by the "new normal" Wall Street's high-frequency junkies make billions trading zombie stocks like AIG, FNMA, FMAC that have no fundamental value beyond a Treasury guarantee 401(k)s have lost 26.7% of their value in the past decade Oil and energy costs will skyrocket Foreign nations and sovereign funds have started dumping dollars, signaling the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency In two years federal debt exploded from $11.2 to $23.7 trillion New financial reforms will do little to prevent the next meltdown The "forever war" between Western and Islamic fundamentalists will widen As will environmental threats and unfunded entitlements "America Capitalism" is a "Lost Soul" ... we've lost our moral compass ... the coming collapse is the end of an "inevitable" historical cycle stalking all great empires to their graves. Downsize your lifestyle expectations, trust no one, not even media. Faber is uncertain about timing, we are not. There is a high probability of a crisis and collapse by 2012. The "Great Depression 2" is dead ahead. Unfortunately, there's absolutely nothing you can do to hide from this unfolding reality or prevent the rush of the historical imperative dead ahead. From chintangirishmodi at gmail.com Wed Oct 21 15:08:40 2009 From: chintangirishmodi at gmail.com (Chintan) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:08:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Young animation film maker seeks financial support Message-ID: Hi Debanjan Nandy, a dear friend of mine, seeks financial support to join the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Beaconsfield, UK for an MA in Animation Film Direction. He's an NID alumnus, and has worked with Famous Studios (Mumbai), OGS Animation (Kolkata), Galloping Films (Australia), MTV (Mumbai) and UNICEF. What follows is Deb's appeal. If you know anyone who might be able to help, do get in touch with Deb at debanjan.nandy at gmail.com He'd be happy to mail you a pdf document with samples of his work. This is a bit urgent, since Deb has to pay his fees by November 10. Would be glad if you could share this with your contacts at the earliest. Thanks Chintan -- Dear Ma’am/ Sir, I am Debanjan Nandy from Mumbai, India. I am an animation film maker and a graduate in Animation Film Design from the National Institute of Design (NID) - India’s premier design institute. After graduation, I have worked professionally for four years on various projects with studios like Famous House of Animation, Famous Studios, Mumbai, OGS Animation (Kolkata) and Galloping Films (Australia), MTV (Mumbai) and UNICEF. Some of the projects included television commercials like Cadbury’s, Tata Sky, Sony Pix, ICICI Prudential, UNICEF and many more and also on television series like Jonny Bravo. While creating animation for children in the areas of education and entertainment, awareness campaigns etc., I feel the need to undergo professional training in Animation Direction to convey my stories more effectively. Currently, I have secured a place among eight students in the world for a two year extensive course to learn the craft of Animation film Direction (MA in Animation Direction) at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Beaconsfield, UK (http://www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk/). NFTS receives half its funding from the Government of UK – the Department of Culture, Media and Sport; and the other half from the Film and Television industry. Therefore, it is part-private and part-public funded. It is a higher education establishment providing post-graduate education. It has been nominated as a Skillset Screen Academy and has a long standing reputation as UK’s leading centre of excellence in Film and Television training. The MA course is validated by the Royal College of Art, London. With my four years of industry experience, including days and nights of hardship, I am looking forward to learning a lot more in order to design great films. The expense of higher study at NFTS is huge (GBP 50,000 / INR 4,250,000). And with respect to the foreign exchange rates, the amount is massive and substantially high. Working hard to becoming a successful screen-storyteller is a dream, and I would like to proceed forward for education in such a prestigious school. I would be thankful to receive any kind of financial help, in the form of scholarships or grants from your institution/individuals that would help me sign up for the course successfully. My course begins in January, and I need to pay my tuition fees by 10th of November 2009. I am looking for funding for my cost of living in the UK that can open a window to my tuition fees that the bank has agreed to give me as an educational loan. If I am granted a scholarship/grant/sponsorship to aid my higher education in UK, I aim to learn to direct good films to tell good stories to the world around, so as to elevate the value and quality of life. After completion of the course in Animation Direction, I look forward to work on educational programs for children to help them learn. I would like to thank you for your precious time. I would be highly obliged if you can consider me for a scholarship/grant/funding. Herein I attach the recommendation letters of two of my tutors at NID who are well-known figures in the animation film industry .Also is an attached files of few images from various projects that I have worked on. In case you would like to see more of my work, I will be glad to share it with you. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Yours faithfully, Debanjan Nandy. Email:debanjan.nandy at gmail.com Mobile: +91 98333 59569 From difusion at medialab-prado.es Wed Oct 21 15:51:39 2009 From: difusion at medialab-prado.es (Medialab-Prado comunicacion) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:21:39 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for collaborators> VISUALIZAR'09: PUBLIC DATA, DATA IN PUBLIC Message-ID: <4ADEE0B3.5050000@medialab-prado.es> CALL FOR COLLABORATORS *VISUALIZAR'09: PUBLIC DATA, DATA IN PUBLIC **International Project Development Workshop and International Seminar* *November 12 to 27, 2009 at **Medialab-Prado (Madrid, Spain)* * **Deadline for registrations: November 11, 2009 * http://medialab-prado.es/visualizar This new edition will focus on the implications of using data structure visualization to aid in public processes of decision-making. The goal is to offer new ways to make public data available to everyone, in formats that make it possible to reuse them and foster citizen innovation processes. Topics such as water wasting, patent registrations, Internet piracy, H1N1evolution or the use of social networks in politics will be addressed. Collaborators can join any of the developing teams that will carry out the selected proposals, depending on their particular interests and skills, thus contributing with their knowledge and skills and at the same time learning from the other group members and from the leading tutors: Ben Cerveny (Stamen), Aaron Koblin, and Manuel Lima, with the support of Bestiario collective. Collaborators' profile: The call is aimed at artists, engineers, programmers, software developers, designers, film & video makers, architects, hackers, psychologists, sociologists, journalists, ecologists, physicists, chemists, biologists or any other person interested in participating in the development of selected proposals. Medialab-Prado will cover for the stay of a limited number of participants. No entry fees. Event directed by José Luis de Vicente. *More information and online submission form: * http://medialab-prado.es/article/visualizar09_call_for_collaborators visualizar (at) medialab-prado.es Venue: *Medialab-Prado* Plaza de las Letras Alameda, 15 28014 Madrid (Spain) T. +34 914 202 754 -- Nerea García Garmendia Comunicación / Press 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 iram at sarai.net Wed Oct 21 21:19:39 2009 From: iram at sarai.net (Iram Ghufran) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:49:39 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Announcing The Nigah QueerFest '09! In-Reply-To: <8c9003440910202155g7c17861dm3d2102cfab4f94c6@mail.gmail.com> References: <1cc7ed890910201059v7ffa8834t22307d4dcbbda050@mail.gmail.com> <8c9003440910202155g7c17861dm3d2102cfab4f94c6@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4ADF2D93.10505@sarai.net> > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: *Nigah* > > Date: Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 11:29 PM > Subject: Announcing The Nigah QueerFest '09! > To: > > > Dear All, > > We are excited and happy to announce The Nigah QueerFest '09! For the > third year running, your community funded festival is back with films, > visual art, performances, talks, interactions and parties -- all > thanks to your support. > > We will be launching the festival at 7pm on Friday, 23rd Oct, at Max > Mueller Bhawan, Kasturba Gandhi Marg. All details are now at > www.thequeerfest.com . > > See you at the festival! For volunteer opportunities or any other > inquiries, please email us at contact at nigah.org > . > > best, > the Nigah Team > > -- > Meet the new NIGAH community Blog > http://nigahdelhi.blogspot.com/ > > > > > -- > Priya Sen > Sarai-CSDS > 29, Rajpur Road, Civil Lines > Delhi - 110054 > priya at sarai.net From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed Oct 21 23:02:14 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:32:14 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for submissions to the 2010 Oberhausen Festival In-Reply-To: <19304922.20091021173348@kurzfilmtage.de> References: <19304922.20091021173348@kurzfilmtage.de> Message-ID: <8CC208B8FFCB391-11C4-6BE1@webmail-m069.sysops.aol.com> 56th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, 29 April - 4 May 2010     Call for submissions to the 2010 Oberhausen Festival   After the record year of 2009 - nearly 600 films, more than 18,000 visitors and over 1,100 accreditations from more than 50 countries -, the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen is now calling for submissions to its 2010 competitions.   The 56th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen will take place from 29 April to 4 May 2010 and present five competitions: International, German, Children_s and Youth Films, films from North Rhine-Westphalia and the MuVi Award for the best German music video with separate regulations. The Festival will award a total of around 40,000 Euros of prize money. German productions must have been completed after 01/01/2009, international productions after 01/01/2008.   - deadline for international submissions: 15 January 2010   - deadline for German submissions: 15 February 2010   All suitable submissions to the International and German Competition will be previewed for the Children_s and Youth Film Competition. The competition line-up will be announced in mid-March 2010.   The Festival will also continue its Open Screening in 2010. This is a chance for all filmmakers who submitted films that were not selected to show their works to the festival audience after all, on one condition: they must present their films personally in Oberhausen. Films must be registered and will be shown in the order of registration. Registration will open with the announcement of the competition line-up in March. Attention: programme time is limited, so it_s advisable to register quickly.   Information about film formats, regulations and the entry form are available as downloads at www.kurzfilmtage.de, _Submission_ section.   Oberhausen, 21 October 2009   Press contact: Sabine Niewalda, Fon +49 (0)208 825-3073, niewalda at kurzfilmtage.de                 From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu Oct 22 10:58:57 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:28:57 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] 11th Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival opens with "Hooked" In-Reply-To: <8CC20EF8289B3ED-4148-10904@webmail-m054.sysops.aol.com> References: <44046239524871164936@vikas> <8CC20EF8289B3ED-4148-10904@webmail-m054.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC20EFAF720FEE-4148-1092E@webmail-m054.sysops.aol.com> REGISTRATION     Delegates who have registered online can collect their Accreditation card from  Siri Fort Auditorium  August Kranti Marg,  New Delhi - 110049    The registration will closed from 5:00pm, 22nd October 2009.    A. Entry to the Festival screening will be through Registration as a Delegate.    B. Only person above 18 years of age can Register as Delegate.    C. Application for Registration will be scrutinized by the Festival management and status will be informed in due course.    D. The Festival reserves the right to reject any application (s).    E. The following category of people can Register as Delegate-Film Makers, Film Theorists, Critics, all those associated with the production and business of Film, Media students, Press and Film Lovers.   F. One time Registration fee for the duration of the Festival is Rs.300/- (Three Hundred Rupees).    G. The Registration card can be collected from Siri Fort from 23rd October 2009.    H. Delegate Registration card is essential to buy tickets.    I. Bags, Water bottles, Camera, Cell phone etc are not allowed in the complex.    J. The following category will be exempt from paying the Registration Fee:    Festival Guests.    Accredited members of the Press.      There are two Kinds of Registration:      1. Online Registration: Delegate fills the form-on-line, gets a confirmation via an email and is requested to carry a copy of this to the venue and collect the accreditation card on payment of Rs.300/- (Three Hundred Rupees).    2. On-spot : Registration-beginning 23rd October, Patrons who have not Registered on-line in advance can Register themselves at the festival venues to be able to watch the Festival films. However, in order to avoid the rush and the consequent waiting time, patrons are advised to register on-line in advance    Your application alone neither constitutes nor guarantees your accreditation. If you have questions regarding Registration or the Passes,    please email us at cinefan at osians.com  From indersalim at gmail.com Thu Oct 22 17:26:21 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:26:21 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Death of 'Soul of Capitalism' In-Reply-To: <44A50727-5D06-4781-AD8C-2D33F8AE6BB7@sarai.net> References: <44A50727-5D06-4781-AD8C-2D33F8AE6BB7@sarai.net> Message-ID: <47e122a70910220456h4c52acf3r2c689abec0046dc7@mail.gmail.com> Dear Jebeesh thanks for forwarding very thought provoking pieces on the List, this one too 'inevitable fall of amercia ' is what many people have been predicting, but this one seems more scientific, although intrepretation of 'the fall' would be different at differnt levels, but frightening in any case, because ' catastrophic' consequences for the rest of us and them as well. it was very recent in history that Modern Americanism/Western amalgmated scinece, arts, literature and other social conceptual frames to help human being in distress, but it seems that more its ' capitalistic' modes rendered the earlier demons dysfunctional, the more it gave birth to new ones. Right now, the present, which is pregnant with ' a depression' after it fornicated with ' spending beyond means' we are likely to inherit 'monostrous results' very soon, if not by '2012', but but around, and pass on its terrible side effects to future generations. No choice, perhaps... The term ' globalisation' then would look different what it defines itself right now, because the unethical practices of very ' capitalistic ' legacy would function in a very brutal manner and compel the commoner and strongheaded 'groups' to embrace violence, violence in its terrible form, as never seen before, perhaps. Do, we presently look paranoid, or it is actually? Although slippery to say, but ironcially the present opposition, such as Muslim Fundamentalism: Jehad, to this American failing 'Hegemony', might come handy to slow down its fall. Because of deep nexus/intimacy between the two; and the very opposition which is embedded in the popular anti-west might actually discover a path for their exit from crises. So, i dont see Americanism disappearing, but unfortunately re-appearing as demon in our own backyards with different names, forms and colours. Because the producers of the Oil, and the its Consumers, primarily West, have manifested a genetic kind of bonding by now, which is defining modern world politics at the moment. The rest which includes India, besides china too are running on paths strewn with banana peels. Who can write a global economy, i guess there will be different way of looking at it, but not contradicting too radically, i guess. Oh, this Fall, so predictable so far, but holding a strange unpridictablity, almost hidden within its black hole, if one can say so, and that might contain some possiblities of good future/hope as well. The Rest as against the American/West have a long list of left overs: people stricken with poverty and underdeveloopment, where modernity failed to heal the wound inflicted by the past demons. Perhaps, lot of gloss which accompanied with modernity kept it away from reaching the masses at the same time. Good, paradoxically, See, how Indian banks , for their indifference to the right consumer/needy celebrate 'No Crunch' in their accounts in comparision to Banking system in the West/America. So, some Believer kind of Analysts, here, in our part of the world, might feel that there never was a SOUL in Americanism, but , i feel there was, which, we could not save. which is sad. But was it the duty of the west only to protect its 'soul' by looking around its shoulders, which it failed ? for this reason, we hear most of Believers ( of any religion ) here, complaining that modernity tried to snatch God from their hands, but we ( the believers ) always felt otherwise. No, sorry, the Believers, were holding the tail of spirit only, like West's misinterpretation of the very spirit defined , say, 'morality' through capitalism, which never functioned. It was always like, a factory which was designed to produce X number of bags in a day, but it never, and the moment it was pushed to commit the machinery to its full potential, it over heated , and a short circuit, time and again. This applies to our dogmatic system of Believers too. So, i guess, something else might bring us closer to our ' collective unconscious' , if somehting is terribly wrong with our notion of facts, which seems true, and that we may debate.. Yesteday, i happned to see, a book cover, Ancient Futures. i had no urge to know its contents, but it was cool on the eye, and eye within the eye with love inder salim On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 6:55 PM, Jeebesh wrote: > dear all, this text is from the heart of capitalism. warmly jeebesh > > Oct. 20, 2009, 12:50 a.m. EDT > > Death of 'Soul of Capitalism:' Bogle, Faber, Moore > 20 reasons America has lost its soul and collapse is inevitable > > http://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-soul-is-lost-and-collapse-is-inevitable-2009-10-20 > > By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch > > ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Jack Bogle published "The > Battle for the Soul of Capitalism" four years ago. The battle's over. > The sequel should be titled: "Capitalism Died a Lost Soul." Worse, > we've lost "America's Soul." And worldwide the consequences will be > catastrophic. > > That's why a man like Hong Kong's contrarian economist Marc Faber > warns in his Doom, Boom & Gloom Report: "The future will be a total > disaster, with a collapse of our capitalistic system as we know it > today." > > No, not just another meltdown, another bear market recession like the > one recently triggered by Wall Street's "too-greedy-to-fail" banks. > Farber is warning that the entire system of capitalism will collapse. > Get it? The engine driving the great "American Economic Empire" for > 233 years will collapse, a total disaster, a destiny we created. > > OK, deny it. But I'll bet you have a nagging feeling maybe he's right, > the end may be near. I have for a long time: I wrote a column back in > 1997: "Battling for the Soul of Wall Street." My interest in "The > Soul" -- what Jung called the "collective unconscious" -- dates back > to my Ph.D. dissertation: "Modern Man in Search of His Soul," a title > borrowed from Jung's 1933 book, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul." This > battle has been on my mind since my days at Morgan Stanley 30 years > ago, witnessing the decline. > > Has capitalism lost its soul? Guys like Bogle and Faber sense it. Read > more about the soul in physicist Gary Zukav's "The Seat of the Soul," > Thomas Moore's "Care of the Soul" and sacred texts. > > But for Wall Street and American capitalism, use your gut. You know > something's very wrong: A year ago "too-greedy-to-fail" banks were > insolvent, in a near-death experience. Now, magically they're back to > business as usual, arrogant, pocketing outrageous bonuses while Main > Street sacrifices, and unemployment and foreclosures continue rising > as tight credit, inflation, skyrocketing Federal debt killing taxpayers. > > Yes, Wall Street has lost its moral compass. They created the mess, > now, like vultures, they're capitalizing on the carcass. They have > lost all sense of fiduciary duty, ethical responsibility and public > obligation. > > Here are the Top 20 reasons American capitalism has lost its soul: > > 1. Collapse is now inevitable > > Capitalism has been the engine driving America and the global > economies for over two centuries. Faber predicts its collapse will > trigger global "wars, massive government-debt defaults, and the > impoverishment of large segments of Western society." Faber knows that > capitalism is not working, capitalism has peaked, and the collapse of > capitalism is "inevitable." > > When? He hesitates: "But what I don't know is whether this final > collapse, which is inevitable, will occur tomorrow, or in five or 10 > years, and whether it will occur with the Dow at 100,000 and gold at > $50,000 per ounce or even confiscated, or with the Dow at 3,000 and > gold at $1,000." But the end is inevitable, a historical imperative. > > 2. Nobody's planning for a 'Black Swan' > > While the timing may be uncertain, the trigger is certain. Societies > collapse because they fail to plan ahead, cannot act fast enough when > a catastrophic crisis hits. Think "Black Swan" and read evolutionary > biologist Jared Diamond's "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or > Succeed." > > A crisis hits. We act surprised. Shouldn't. But it's too late: > "Civilizations share a sharp curve of decline. Indeed, a society's > demise may begin only a decade or two after it reaches its peak > population, wealth and power." > > Warnings are everywhere. Why not prepare? Why sabotage our power, our > future? Why set up an entire nation to fail? Diamond says: > Unfortunately "one of the choices has depended on the courage to > practice long-term thinking, and to make bold, courageous, > anticipatory decisions at a time when problems have become perceptible > but before they reach crisis proportions." > > Sound familiar? "This type of decision-making is the opposite of the > short-term reactive decision-making that too often characterizes our > elected politicians," thus setting up the "inevitable" collapse. > Remember, Greenspan, Bernanke, Bush, Paulson all missed the 2007-8 > meltdown: It will happen again, in a bigger crisis. > > 3. Wall Street sacked Washington > > Bogle warned of a growing three-part threat -- a "happy conspiracy" -- > in "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism:" "The business and ethical > standards of corporate America, of investment America, and of mutual > fund America have been gravely compromised." > > But since his book, "Wall Street America" went over to the dark side, > got mega-greedy and took control of "Washington America." Their spoils > of war included bailouts, bankruptcies, stimulus, nationalizations and > $23.7 trillion new debt off-loaded to the Treasury, Fed and American > people. > > Who's in power? Irrelevant. The "happy conspiracy" controls both > parties, writes the laws to suit its needs, with absolute control of > America's fiscal and monetary policies. Sorry Jack, but the "Battle > for the Soul of Capitalism" really was lost. > > 4. When greed was legalized > > Go see Michael Moore's documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story." > "Disaster Capitalism" author Naomi Klein recently interviewed Moore in > The Nation magazine: "Capitalism is the legalization of this greed. > Greed has been with human beings forever. We have a number of things > in our species that you would call the dark side, and greed is one of > them. If you don't put certain structures in place or restrictions on > those parts of our being that come from that dark place, then it gets > out of control." > > Greed's OK, within limits, like the 10 Commandments. Yes, the soul can > thrive around greed, if there are structures and restrictions to keep > it from going out of control. But Moore warns: "Capitalism does the > opposite of that. It not only doesn't really put any structure or > restrictions on it. It encourages it, it rewards" greed, creating > bigger, more frequent bubble/bust cycles. > > It happens because capitalism is now in "the hands of people whose > only concern is their fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders > or to their own pockets." Yes, greed was legalized in America, with > Wall Street running Washington. > > 5. Triggering the end of our 'life cycle' > > Like Diamond, Faber also sees the historical imperative: "Every > successful society" grows "out of some kind of challenge." Today, the > "life cycle" of capitalism is on the decline. > > He asks himself: "How are you so sure about this final collapse?" The > answer: "Of all the questions I have about the future, this is the > easiest one to answer. Once a society becomes successful it becomes > arrogant, righteous, overconfident, corrupt, and decadent ... > overspends ... costly wars ... wealth inequity and social tensions > increase; and society enters a secular decline." Success makes us our > own worst enemy. > > Quoting 18th century Scottish historian Alexander Fraser Tytler: "The > average life span of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 > years" progressing from "bondage to spiritual faith ... to great > courage ... to liberty ... to abundance ... to selfishness ... to > complacency ... to apathy ... to dependence and ... back into bondage!" > > Where is America in the cycle? "It is most unlikely that Western > societies, and especially the U.S., will be an exception to this > typical 'society cycle.' ... The U.S. is somewhere between the phase > where it moves 'from complacency to apathy' and 'from apathy to > dependence.'" > > In short, America is a grumpy old man with hardening of the arteries. > Our capitalism is near the tipping point, unprepared for a > catastrophe, set up for collapse and rapid decline. > > 15 more clues capitalism lost its soul ... is a disaster waiting to > happen > > Much more evidence litters the battlefield: > > Wall Street wealth now calls the shots in Congress, the White House > > America's top 1% own more than 90% of America's wealth > > The average worker's income has declined in three decades while CEO > compensation exploded over ten times > > The Fed is now the 'fourth branch of government' operating > autonomously, secretly printing money at will > > Since Goldman and Morgan became bank holding companies, all banks are > back gambling with taxpayer bailout money plus retail customer deposits > > Bill Gross warns of a "new normal" with slow growth, low earnings and > stock prices > > While the White House's chief economist retorts with hype of a > recovery unimpeded by the "new normal" > > Wall Street's high-frequency junkies make billions trading zombie > stocks like AIG, FNMA, FMAC that have no fundamental value beyond a > Treasury guarantee > > 401(k)s have lost 26.7% of their value in the past decade > > Oil and energy costs will skyrocket > > Foreign nations and sovereign funds have started dumping dollars, > signaling the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency > > In two years federal debt exploded from $11.2 to $23.7 trillion > > New financial reforms will do little to prevent the next meltdown > > The "forever war" between Western and Islamic fundamentalists will widen > > As will environmental threats and unfunded entitlements > > "America Capitalism" is a "Lost Soul" ... we've lost our moral > compass ... the coming collapse is the end of an "inevitable" > historical cycle stalking all great empires to their graves. Downsize > your lifestyle expectations, trust no one, not even media. > > Faber is uncertain about timing, we are not. There is a high > probability of a crisis and collapse by 2012. The "Great Depression 2" > is dead ahead. Unfortunately, there's absolutely nothing you can do to > hide from this unfolding reality or prevent the rush of the historical > imperative dead ahead. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 rohitrellan at aol.in Thu Oct 22 17:26:28 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:56:28 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Public Screening at IIC: The Land of Vanishing Lakes Message-ID: <8CC2125D2B38ADB-39B4-B7C9@webmail-m013.sysops.aol.com> Toxics Link’s Environment & Health Public Lecture Series The most popular lakes of NCR have disappeared. The 2 billion year old water bodies of the Aravallis – Surajkund, Badkhal and Damdama, have all dried up. This film looks at the nexus between the corrupt bureaucracy with the construction and the mining mafia. With exclusive bytes from Retired Forest officers, Environmentalists and Scientists, we piece together the whole story behind the current mess. This film opens with a few short interviews, which talk about what led to the disappearance of the lakes due to illegal & irresponsible mining and construction of farm houses in the notified forest area of the Aravallis. We talk to experts on the principle of sustainable mining and through their comments, the land-mafia-admin-police-miner nexus comes out, and the utter helplessness of the situation gets revealed. The latter part of the film explores the realm of PILs filed by Magsaysay award winner Advocate M. C. Mehta that led to the court banning all mining operations in the area. The Haryana government, apparently oblivious, to the ruling went ahead with inviting bids for mining leases for Sirohi and Khori Jamalpur mines. The climax questions the Haryana Government’s claim of bringing back water to its lakes before the Commonwealth Games without any concrete plans for the same. The residents of the area — who have seen the tourist flow getting reduced to a trickle over the years — complain that no effort was ever made to maintain the water flow to the historical Surajkund which is now a fleeting shadow of its past. An alarm had been sounded in the hydrological report submitted by the Ministry of Environment in its affidavit before the forest bench of Supreme Court in August last year. It had mentioned that these used mining pits were found ‘‘filled with water’’ leading to ‘‘massive evaporation of groundwater’’ — about 8.86 lakh ccm of fresh water. The film ends with a ray of hope in spite of apparent ecological disaster and offers a way-ahead in devastated areas. Speakers: * Ms. Ishani K Dutta – Director, The Land Of Vanishing Lakes * Mr. R. K. Srinivasan – Senior Research Officer, Centre for Science and Environment * Mr. R. P. Balwan – Retd. Forest Officer, Haryana Govt. Date: 23rd October 2009, Friday Time: 6:30 p.m. Venue: Conference Room I, India International Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi (In collaboration with India International Centre) For further information and RSVP, please contact: Pragya Majumder – pragya at toxicslink.org Tel: 24320711, 24328006 Email: info at toxicslink.org From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Thu Oct 22 20:04:06 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:04:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Fwd=3A_=5Bindiathinkersnet=5D_Ambe?= =?windows-1252?q?dkar=92s_Lost_Boys=3F_-_Ajit_Sahi?= In-Reply-To: <757233.53727.qm@web58305.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <757233.53727.qm@web58305.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910220734n51f7677bha08771ecce205eca@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Abhiyya Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 10:11 AM Subject: [indiathinkersnet] Ambedkar’s Lost Boys? - Ajit Sahi To: *"DHRM teaches against drug addiction and alcoholism and encourages dalit education. How can it be a terrorist organisation?"* * * *"We propagate the ideals of Babasaheb [BR] Ambedkar and the Buddhist values that he preached. All dalits should follow Ambedkar’s life"* *Ambedkar’s Lost Boys?* ** *A DALIT ORGANISATION IN KERALA IS ACCUSED OF TERRORIST LINKS* *AJIT SAHI,** Editor-at-Large* http://www.tehelka.com/story_main43.asp?filename=Ne241009ambedkars_lost.asp [image: image] *Men in black* DHRM activists *PHOTOS:* AJIT SAHI AT FIRST sight, 27-year-old VV Selvaraj looks more the assistant manager with Idea Cellular that he was until six years ago than the firebrand — and controversial — dalit leader he has quickly turned out to be in Kerala. He appears even less the man with the dubious distinction of being India’s first dalit activist the police say they are probing for possible links with terrorism, as they indeed are. It all started on the morning of September 23, 2009, when Siva Prasad, 61, a retiree in an idyllic suburb 50 km north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, was brutally attacked with swords on his morning walk and died on the way to the hospital. Once a driver for US Embassy officials in New Delhi, Prasad earned enough to build a house in this suburb of Varkala, where he returned 13 years ago to join his wife, daughter and son. By evening, police had arrested K Das, a top functionary of the Dalit Human Rights Movement (DHRM), a quasi-political outfit floated by Selvaraj in December 2007, and accused him of masterminding the killing. Over the next few days, six others, including DHRM’S legal adviser, known as ‘Advocate Asokan’, were picked up for Prasad’s murder. Then, on September 29, Kerala Director- General of Police (DGP) Jacob Punnoose made a stunning claim. “We know the existence of the organisation [DHRM] and its activities,” he told reporters at Kochi. “We are now looking into [allegations] whether it has any terrorist links.” ‘DHRM teaches against drug addiction and alcoholism and encourages dalit education. How can it be a terrorist organisation?’ *SHASHIKALA,* *44, DHRM Member* The state’s topmost police officer’s sensational claim brought sharp focus on Selvaraj’s fledgling outfit. The police are yet to offer any evidence to back the DGP’s claim. (The DGP’s office said he was travelling overseas and unavailable for comment.) Prasad’s widow, Saraswati S, told TEHELKA that her husband had no political interests, and she hadn’t heard of the DHRM until the police told her that the group had killed her husband. Varkala police chief, P Anil Kumar, refused to divulge their leads on DHRM’S involvement in the murder. “They killed Prasad to get public attention and prove their strength in their ranks,” Kumar told TEHELKA. [image: image] *Hapless* DHRM members Podiyan and Shantha, whose son Shivalal is among the missing In Varkala, a clutch of villages with roughly 40,000 people, the divide among dalits over the DHRM has got sharper since the murder. Shiv Sena activist N Babu — yes, Bal Thackeray’s party has struck roots here — claims that DHRM men regularly attack dalits, including him, who refused to join them. “They are criminals,” Babu says. Several women in his municipal ward, with about 300 dalit families, claim DHRM men often roughed them up. But then, many others in the same ward swear by the DHRM. “My husband would drink all day and was a total waster,” 29-year-old Kochumol, a mother of three, says. “He turned a teetotaler after attending DHRM study circles.” Soon, she followed him to these Sunday gatherings where, over five hours, Ambedkar’s life would be recalled and advice given on daily affairs. Cultural shows at the end were a big hit. Despite their meagre earnings as wage labourers — they call themselves ‘coolies’ — everyone would gladly pay Rs 30 for the events. ‘DHRM activists are the prime accused in Siva Prasad’s murder. Now people want to have nothing to do with them’ *V SIVANKUTTY,* *BJP District President, Thiruvananthapuram* But today, Kochumol’s husband, also named Babu, has gone underground, fearing arrest.. Selvaraj says 35 DHRM men are in police custody or jails, picked up over the last three weeks. Hundreds have possibly run away. In village Thachode, Podiyan, 52, and his wife, Shantha, are clueless on the whereabouts of their son, Shivalal. All three are DHRMmembers. The say that on September 22, a day before Prasad’s murder, two plainclothes policemen dragged Shivalal away. “My son has never caused anyone harm,” says Shantha. “I beg the police to free him.” (Varkala police chief Anil Kumar denied that Shivalal was in their custody.) For now, DHRM has stopped all activities. Having taken anticipatory bail, Selvaraj is lying low. He called this reporter to a village in Ernakulam district, 260 km north of Thiruvananthapuram along the coast, to a house not his own. After the interview (see box), he quickly left the area. Selvaraj’s fear of the police may not be entirely misplaced. When I visited dalits in Podiyan’s village on October 12, about a dozen policemen landed up suddenly and began questioning me. “Your T-shirt had us worried,” their boss said. HIS REFERENCE is to the black T-shirts with Ambedkar’s face, which Selvaraj made mandatory for DHRM members. Selvaraj also mandated they wear jeans, a practice few follow since the arrests began. Selvaraj may have a point in saying that neither the political parties nor the government has taken kindly to the DHRM. In a state where centuries old anti-dalit violence is legendary, DHRM has spread its influence quickly by articulating the dalits’ desire for dignity. DHRM also issued I-cards to its volunteers. Selvaraj says its total membership topped 10,000. Alarmingly for the political parties, it has political ambitions. A DHRM activist fought — and lost — this year’s Lok Sabha elections as an Independent from the Attingal constituency, winning about 5,000 votes. Perhaps the BJP, striving to grow influence among Kerala dalits, feels the greatest threat from the DHRM. “I was once a BJP member,” says Selvaraj. “But dalits need to be on their own because every political party treats them as pawns.” For now, though, Selvaraj’s social reform and political ambitions are subordinated to the needs to extricate his and his outfit’s name from charges of terrorism. *WRITER’S EMAIL* ajit at tehelka.com *‘CBI Should Probe Whether We Have Terrorist Links’* *V V Selvaraj of DHRM claims its ideology is non-violent* [image: image] *Is DHRM linked with terrorism?* We demand an inquiry by the CBI to investigate this false allegation. Five lakh dalits have been influenced by our ideology, which is non-violent. There was not a single criminal case against us until Siva Prasad’s murder. Why isn’t the Kerala Police showing any proof? *What is the ideology of DHRM?* We propagate the ideals of Babasaheb [BR] Ambedkar and the Buddhist values that he preached. All dalits should follow Ambedkar’s life. *Have you converted to Buddhism?* We don’t have to convert to Buddhism to follow its principles. *Do you give arms training or do your members bear arms? *Never. *Why should the Kerala Police be hostile towards you?* Our influence among dalits has alarmed all the political parties, including the CPI(M), the Congress, the BJP and the Shiv Sena. They have all ganged up against us because dalits don’t go to their rallies anymore. DHRM is now the mainstream. *The police claim to have proof of DHRM involvement in Siva Prasad’s murder. *They have no evidence. They arrested K Das because he was a popular leader. *What are the activities of DHRM? *We teach people how to read and write and fill applications to use government schemes for livelihood. We hold study classes every Sunday. *From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 42, Dated October 24, 2009* *With Regards Abi* “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst” *- Aristotle* __._,_.___ Messages in this topic ( 1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages [image: Yahoo! Groups] Change settings via the Web(Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest| Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others. . __,_._,___ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com Thu Oct 22 20:28:21 2009 From: rashmi.sawhney at gmail.com (Rashmi Sawhney) Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:58:21 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] CFP - Intersecting Contexts: Media Cultures, Politics and Identity in South Asia, 21st ECMSAS, Bonn, 2010 Message-ID: <91290c60910220758x7997b5d3yaeaacceab13e3c2f@mail.gmail.com> With apologies for cross posting. -- Call for Papers: We are seeking papers for the panel 'Intersecting Contexts: Media Cultures, Politics and Identity in South Asia' to be convened as part of the 21st European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies from 26-29 July 2010 at the University of Bonn, Germany. The ECMSAS brings together scholars from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world every two years, and provides a great opportunity to share a perspective on the range of current research in the area of South Asian studies, across disciplines. For more details on the conference see http://www.ecmsas.org/ Panel Description: Intersecting Contexts: Media Cultures, Politics and Identity in South Asia Recent international interest in 'Bollywood' often presents an exotic and somewhat overwhelming discourse in relation to South Asian film and media cultures. This particular formation of Indian film culture - which has come to stand in for the general contemporary visual cultural idiom of South Asia in some contexts - obscures other cultures of media production and reception in the subcontinent. This panel seeks to present new research addressing the cultural contexts of television and ‘marginal’ cinemas in South Asia, with a particular focus on the politics of production, audiences and genre. We encourage submissions that go beyond purely textual analysis and papers that explore inter-disciplinary methodologies drawing from ethnography, media, cultural and critical studies in addressing the production of content and meaning in the subcontinent (and among the transnational/ transcultural consumers of this media). Some indicative topics that would be relevant to this panel (but not limited to) are: • The politics of power through production: how and by which groups of media producers are historical and social events in South Asia being represented to national and transnational audiences? • How are dominant 'national' histories of film and media rewritten, challenged or unfixed through sub-cultures of production? • In what ways are discourses on gender, nationalism, sexuality, ethnicity, race or class expressed by mainstream media texts across South Asia and how do different sections of the public negotiate meanings from these discourses? • Which political themes and concerns are expressed across different media audiences and across borders in the subcontinent? • How can film and media cultures be understood through localized urban culture: the spatio-temporal sites of cinema theatres and their surroundings; the performative spaces of fanclubs; social networking and digital technology as performative sites of media production and consumption; the performative spaces of live shows and award ceremonies. We particularly welcome transnational comparative studies; research that focuses on specific regional case studies of production and reception; and site-specific ethnographic and archive-based historiographical research. The panel is being organized as a full-day event, comprising of a morning and afternoon slot of 2.30 hours each; individual paper presentations should be no more than 20 minutes. Please submit a 250 word abstract along with a brief biographical note to both the panel conveners (Rashmi Sawhney: rashmi.sawhney at dit.ie; Shakuntala Banaji: s.banaji at ioe.ac.uk) by 30th November 2009 at the latest. Thank you. -- Dr. Rashmi Sawhney, Centre for Transcultural Research and Media Practice, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. E: rashmi.sawhney at dit.ie; W: www.ctmp.ie Dr. Shakuntala Banaji, Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media, Institute of Education, University of London, England. E: s.banaji at ioe.ac.uk; W: www.childrenyouthandmedia.org.uk From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 23 10:27:39 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:57:39 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Invitation : Nigah Queerfest '09 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC21B47AFEA340-45D0-1D531@webmail-d056.sysops.aol.com> THE NIGAH QUEERFEST '09   23 October to 1st November Siddhartha Hall, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan   Nigah is a queer collective that works on issues of gender and sexuality. Based in Delhi, the group tries to create inclusive and safe queer spaces using media, training, and conversations.   The Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan  and Nigah would like to welcome you to the varied program of the Nigah Queerfest 2009.                   The schedule includes:   Opening Night Friday, October 23, 7.00 pm   Photography Exhibition "Fantasy" Curated by Sunil Gupta October 24 to November 1, 10am to 6pm                                                      “Queer subcultures the world over have been the repository of fantastical other lives. In the face of oppressive realities they have famously responded by honing     their powers of expressive imagination; be it in language or dress codes. Images have played a very significant role in this.  At times like now, post Article 377, there is a shift in societal norms that empower us to make visible our desires. How would you visualize your queer fantasies? “ -  Nigah     An Evening of Queer Performances                                October 28, 7pm to 9 pm    The Nigah Queerfest presents an entertaining evening of varied queer performances. Performing artists will be: Sukesh Arora (Theatre), Gautam Bhan (Stand Up Comedy), Mandeep Raikhy (Dance), Pramada Menon (Stand Up Comedy), Sumathy (Music)     Presentation by Ins A Komminga Followed by Panel Discussion - Ins A Komminga, Shivaji Pannikar & Sunil Gupta October 29, 7 pm to 9 pm   Shivaji Pannikar speaks on the Need to create a Queer Discourse on Indian Art; Ins A Komminga speaks of his_her experience as an intersex artist and Sunil Gupta presents the work of Queering the Lens. The three panelists bring together a range of meditations on how they think, speak and express desire, and battle against both internal and external hesitations and confinements while doing so.   Ins A Komminga is an German artist and intersex-activist. 1998 Ins got the diploma in free visual arts of the university for arts in Bremen, one year later a scholarship at the “Werkstatt Altena”. Since 2002 he_she attend at postgraduate study of the Tulane university Orleans. 2004 he_she was cofounder of the group 1-0-1 intersex.     For details on the above programs please visit website: http://www.thequeerfest.com/   Or contact: 011-23329506/011-23329890 Extension: 110/112   From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 12:14:53 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:14:53 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Charter of Compassion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Excerpts: The Charter of Compassion is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the centre of religious, moral and political life. Compassion is the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other, and lies at the heart of all religious and ethical systems. One of the most urgent tasks of our generation is to build a global community where men and women of all races, nations and ideologies can live together in peace. Religion, which should be making a major contribution to this endeavour, is often seen as part of the problem. All too often, the voices of extremism drown out those of kindness, forbearance and mutual respect. Today, our world has become dangerously polarised and many of our policies—political, economic, financial and environmental—are no longer sustainable. We are all bound together—socially, economically and politically—as never before. The Charter for Compassion will be launched on 12 November. In addition to participating in one of the many launch events, we invite each individual to adopt the charter as their own, to make a lifelong commitment to live with compassion. We cannot afford to be paralysed by global suffering. We have the power to work together energetically for the wellbeing of humanity, and counter the despairing extremism of our time. Many of us have experienced the power of compassion in our own lives; we know how a single act of kindness and empathy can turn a life around. History also shows that the action of just a few individuals can make a difference. In a world that seems to be spinning out of control, we need such action now. *Karen Armstrong is winner of the TED Prize in 2008 and the 2009 Common Ground Award for Compassion. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.* ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jaya http://khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=§ion=opinion&xfile=data/opinion/2009/October/opinion_October113.xml A link from Khaleej Times. The world could do with a lot more compassion and empathy. Its important to believe that each one of us is equally worthy: to make another person feel valued is I think the best form of 'giving'. jaya From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 12:22:04 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:22:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Job Vacancies: Program Manager & Community Facilitator with Ashoka's Youth Venture in Bombay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The details are at http://groups.google.com/group/options-unlimited/browse_thread/thread/6a54095cd51081bc Job Vacancies: Program Manager & Community Facilitator with Ashoka's Youth Venture in Bombay ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vipin Thekkekalathil Date: 2009/10/22 Subject: please pass this to your network. Hello Wonderful people, Youth Venture is a global movement that inspires, invests, and *s*upports young people to lead *s*ocial change. We believe it is critical that people discover early on in their lives that they can lead *s*ocial change. We invest in young people to design and lead their own initiatives that create *s*ocial impact. Visit at www.youthventureindia.org We are currently hiring for 2 positions. Please send this to your networks or to people you know who might be interested. Thanks a ton! Warmly, Vipin From rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 13:37:42 2009 From: rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com (Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:37:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A Face Towel in Allahabad, 1984 In-Reply-To: <902FA7AC-6C32-49FF-9601-1EA32786E8E0@sarai.net> References: <902FA7AC-6C32-49FF-9601-1EA32786E8E0@sarai.net> Message-ID: <7271ec560910230107v59ba81b5td675fb41231605e8@mail.gmail.com> Dear Shuddha, great true interpretation indeed, in the present political world. ----- "Or, one could read it against the grain, and consider it to be a report card given by a proud teacher to good students. Acharya Amitabh applauding the graduation of the masked princes who now rule us, who perform better on TV than they do on the streets, or in their offices, or even in the assembly. Bachchan was probably the pioneer who bridged the shadows of backroom cronyism with the spotlight of increasingly televised public life. Perhaps, like pioneers often are, he was occasionally clumsy and awkward while trying out the moves. But the deftness and dexterity of his true successors—and they now shine in every political party—suggests that what began in Allahabad in 1984 is today a full-blown revolution in the highly public performance of sincerity. The masks that these new pretenders wear empower them to give the right-sounding answers even to the wrong questions. They will rake in the billions. Inhein lock kiya jaye?" Regards, Rajen. > > > > > > > -- Rajen. From rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 13:48:31 2009 From: rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com (Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:48:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics! In-Reply-To: <1f9180970910110401qffe2576h975b9be905517e88@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910110401qffe2576h975b9be905517e88@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <7271ec560910230118x759ede47p1690070e62367c6c@mail.gmail.com> Dear Venu, the concept of winning over with "love" is not a new concept, High Court of Karnataka is also keen to know the full impact of these missing girls from communities, Karnataka has over 34 cases of missing girls in last ten months, and two girls is only tip of the iceberg.It may be interesting for you to know that this missing girls are not only from "Hindu " but also from different followers of faith and communities.That the media woke up to this new kind of reportage to sensationalise the trivial issue of matter of choice by any adult female is the issue. Regards, Rajen. On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Venugopalan K M wrote: > What is so much there to probe about love affairs between people of > different faiths? > What is there to probe into cases of conversion from on faith to other > so long as proselytizing is perfectly recognized as constitutional and > legal in secular India? > You convince me by reason (or even by giving me soaps) that Islam or > Christianity is a better faith than Hiduism; I start thinking that > Hinduism is really not good for ME and take a decision to covert as a > Muslim or a Christian. > How can then one assume that all this happen only because of inflow of > mysterious foreign funds plus destabilizing motivations linked with > it? > Why the mysterious inflow of foreign funds, rather,is not checked by > routine regulatory measures than by resorting to ways producing hypes > and instilling fears in the minds of people about forcible conversion? > True that parents of at least two Hindu girls allegedly lured by the > activists of so called 'Love Jihadis' did come up with habeous corpus > writs following the disappearance of these girls from their houses. > It may also be true that the girls ultimately decide to go back to > their parents on the basis of own choice, in a court of law. > > But why should this be a reason for widespread fear about girls of > mature age being trapped into 'Love Jihad'? What is the connection > between love, choice of life partner on the one side, and the > interventions by the parents of girls,the police and the court on the > other in making out such inter religion love marriages involving > conversions as a huge security threat for the entire nation? > > Would it not have made more sense for the media to take up such > stories beyond the 'user friendly' but boundlessly ridiculous new > coinage in the lexicon of hate politics like "Love Jihad"? > The latest response to the so called Love Jihad by the VHP and the > obscur Durgavahini is also being enthusiastically propagated by a > section of the Malayalam press; the eveninger Flash News(of M/s Kerala > Kaumudi)on 10th October carried a two page featured item about how > Durgavahini, the womens wing of the VHP is planning to appear in a big > way by campaigning in favour of imposing more parental controls on > educated Hindu girls. Going by such reports, moral policing perhaps > even more ugly than the one resorted by Sri Ram Sene in Karnataka is > to set to take off in Kerala under the direct patronage of VHP > employing its women cadres.(Fortunately, not many of them are here > around for the time being though the Flash News & Co apparently want > to get them more popularity and legitimacy.) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: > Date: Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 10:19 AM > Subject: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad ? > To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com > > > > > Kerala HC wants probe into 'love jihad' > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kerala-hc-wants-probe-into-love-jihad/523630/ > > Kerala has a new concern: "love jihad". The state High Court on > Wednesday directed the Kerala Police and Union Home Ministry to probe > the alleged movement, under which young Muslim boys reportedly target > college girls for conversion by feigning love. > > The court also asked the state and Centre to look into the sources > that "fund" the love jihad, the number of girls who have got "trapped > in the racket" in the past three years and its extremist links, if > any. > > Justice K T Sankaran was hearing anticipatory bail applications of two > Muslim youths, accused of "luring" two MBA students into marriage for > reportedly the purpose of religious conversion. The court rejected > their bail pleas. > > The two youths were allegedly associated with Campus Front, a student > outfit of the right-wing Muslim organisation Popular Front of India > (PFI). > > Earlier this month, the parents of the two girls had filed a habeus > corpus in the high court after their daughters were found missing. On > being produced in court, the girls deposed that they were "trapped" by > the youths and forced to convet to Islam. Allowing them to go with > their parents, the court had asked the police to probe the charges of > forced conversion after trapping girls in love affairs. The students, > originally residents of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, had been > studying in a college in Pathanamthitta. According to them, one of > them fell in love with a senior and eloped to marry him. This senior > allegedly "handed over" the other girl to his friend. The girls told > the court that they were taken to a centre in Malappuram where they > were given literature and shown visuals promoting religious extremism. > > Police officials admit that there are cases of girls having been > converted forcibly or "trapped" into adopting Islam. "The groups > focused on girls from well-settled families, a majority of them > Hindus," sources said. > > Senior PFI leader Naseerudheen Elamaram refuting charges against his > organisation said, "Religious conversion is not a crime; conversion > takes place to Hinduism and Christianity also... One cannot paint all > love affairs as cases of forced conversions meant for extremist > activity." > > -------------------------------------- > > Conversion: court seeks details > > DGP told to file a statement > > > Two persons file petitions for anticipatory bail > > High Court also seeks statement from Centre > > > http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/01/stories/2009100154570500.htm > > Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Director > General of Police to furnish the court details regarding the number of > cases in which women of other religion were forcibly converted to > Islam. > > Justice K. T. Sankaran, while considering anticipatory bail petitions, > directed the DGP to file a statement within three weeks on the > following aspects as well: is there a movement called `Romeo Jihad' or > `Love Jihad' working in the State; if so, what are their plans and > projects; which organisations are involved in such activities; where > does the money come for all these activities; how many school and > college students and youngsters were thus converted into Islam in the > last three years; does the alleged project have an all-India basis and > magnitude; has it got financial support from abroad; is there any > connection between the `Love Jihad' movement and counterfeiting, > smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorist activities? > > The anticipatory bail petition was filed by Shahan Sha and Sirajudeen > who have been charged with abduction and forcibly converting two MBA > students to Islam. According to the police, the petitioners feigning > love had abducted the girls and put pressure on them to convert to > Islam. They were taken to a person who was stated to be an organiser > of the women's wing of the Popular Front of India. The girls were > later produced before the High Court after their parents filed a > habeas corpus petition. The court allowed them to go with their > parents as per their request. > > The court, which went through the case diary, said there were > indications that several similar instances took place in the State. > > It was stated that there was a movement called Romeo Jihad or Love > Jihad, conceived by a section of the Muslims, by which Muslim boys > were directed to pretend love to girls of other religion and get them > converted to Islam. > > The court pointed out that every citizen was entitled to "freedom of > conscience and the right to freely to profess, practice and propagate > religion as enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution. This right > did not extend to the right to compel a person professing a religion > to convert to another religion." > > __._,_.___ > Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic > Messages > Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) > Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch > format to Traditional > Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe > Recent Activity > Visit Your Group > Give Back > > Yahoo! for Good > > Get inspired > > by a good cause. > > Y! Toolbar > > Get it Free! > > easy 1-click access > > to your groups. > > Yahoo! Groups > > Start a group > > in 3 easy steps. > > Connect with others. > > . > __,_._,___ > > > -- > > > > -- > > > > You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot > build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you > will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a > whole. > -AMBEDKAR > > > > http://venukm.blogspot.com > > http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur > > http://kmvenuannur.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/> -- Rajen. From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 14:31:52 2009 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:31:52 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Aijaz Ahmad on Kashmir! Message-ID: <4fcaee300910230201h41ce562fn33a6c5f46566d559@mail.gmail.com> http://www.greaterkashmir.net/full_story.asp?Date=23_10_2009&ItemID=12&cat=9 The test of Indian democracy is in Kashmir *ACROSS THE TABLE* *Eminent Marxist theorist, political commentator and a widely read postcolonial scholar and author Aijaz Ahmad talks about Kashmir, Indo Pak relations, rise of Hindutva and many vital issues in an exclusive interview with* *Greater Kashmir Correspondent Faheem Aslam. **Your impressions about Kashmir? * Well, this is my second visit to Kashmir where I remained confined to the Kashmir University campus only. But each time I have come to Kashmir, I have found a greater, should we say relaxation, lesser intrusive presence of the security apparatus. Five years ago, coming into Srinagar airport was coming to a garrison town. It is a sort of withdrawal of the security apparatus that is visible. Now I don’t know what that means in practical terms, but this is my impression. Second is a relaxed civic existence as compared to the past. But all I am taking about is driving from the airport to the campus. *How do you see a solution emerging about Kashmir conflict given the “strained” relations between India and Pakistan? * Let me put it this way. One of the Chinese sages said that problems are of three types. Ones that can be solved immediately; ones that cannot be solved now, but can be solved in next generation, and the ones for which we cannot foresee a solution. So you have to first ask what kind of problem you are facing. So I think the Kashmir problem—because it is caught between two competing nation states— it is best not to talk of final solution because one is just not in sight. You can only talk of interim arrangement and short-term solution. Within that frame, I think there have been three different problems in Kashmir. One is between the Kashmiri people and the Indian state. Second is between India and Pakistan which are fighting over Kashmir as Kashmir is the only part of the sub-continent where the partition did not give stable boundaries. So there is this conflict between these states and their claims and counter claims. But the third problem which gets submerged under these---but anytime these two problems become less will emerge—is the nationality problem within Greater Kashmir. You are a multi-national—multi-ethnic is the fashionable word I should use. You are composite of four or five different nationalities. So autonomy of Kashmir and how is it related to autonomy within Kashmir and is the issue you have to resolve. And part of the problem is that the Kashmir problem gets reduced to problem of Kashmiri Muslims, and that is ultimately what Pakistan has come to realize. *Can you elaborate?* I mean Pakistan is willing for a settlement if you give the Valley to them. I have talked to very high officials in Pakistan government who would settle for that. So Pakistan itself has a communal view of the Kashmir problem. Give us the Muslims and you keep the non-Muslims! Now what is happened in the first phase of the Afghan War from around 1980 to the withdrawal of Soviet troops and thereafter Taliban, Pakistan used the conflict in Afghanistan and dependence of US on Afghanistan to train lot of people for foreign intervention in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and intervene in Kashmir in a very massive way. And the Americans looked the other way because they needed Pakistan there. During that period, what then happened is that the nationality question of the Kashmiris, whish is essentially a secular question, got overshadowed by a Jehadi ideology and a kind of a Pakistan-Punjabi- hard Sunni Islam was sought to be superimposed over this very softer Islam in Kashmir. And the nationality question became a religious question. Now what has happened since 9/11 is that Pakistan is being pressed to break with those Jehaidis or militants… So what now actually remains and what has been the case over the last few years, is really again a question of how the nationality question in Kashmir can be settled properly. Your relationship with the Indian state. Secession is simply not on the cards. Whether I am for independence or against it is actually irrelevant. Neither regional nor international situation permits it. And you cannot become independent unless that larger configuration changes. You have to have a very different kind of a semblance. *What kind of semblance? * My view is that the Indian state has to do two things; one which gets talked about, although never gets done, is that promise of maximum autonomy for Kashmiris. But another thing that doesn’t get talked about and which ruffles many feathers is that there has been so much violence in Kashmir and Kashmiri people are so deeply wounded by it that, in my view, alienation is not going to go by holding elections and doing this PDP vs NC. I hold a bold and radical position that you have to have something like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in which you really know who did what to whom even if that means getting personnel of Indian army into the docks and their victims coming in front of them and saying so and so did this to me and my family. That confrontation has to take place. A victim should be able to stand up and get recognition of what got done to him. And find some kind of justice. What has been lost cannot be restored. But truth has to be told on the face. Alienation has to go and it can be reduced through free and fair political processes, through extra economic investment, rebuilding of Kashmiri civil institutions, jobs etc… That can reduce it. But beyond all that is the pain in the heart which doesn’t go away by development. The women were raped. Families whose brothers, daughters were killed. That pain is enduring. And any decent civilized government should recognize that and do something about it. And I think one step you can take is by establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in which everyone will have right to come and confront the victimizer and will then be protected by the state so that no one can go back and do it again. Other is what they always talk about, but they never do, and I don’t think these two nations are capable of doing that, is really to soften the borders. You have to recognize that there is no international border in Kashmir, there is only cease-fire line. That ceasefire line has to go, firing has to go. And therefore economic cultural unity of the people of Greater Kashmir has to be restored. You have to rebuild economic cultural relations. There are various ways of doing it. First you do culture and trade; then you issue identity cards with which you should be able to cross the cease-fire line easily. *How do you see the government of India and J&K handling the issue of human rights violations in Kashmir? * Look they are acting the way modern states function which is to deny it; to push it under the carpet; deny it publicly in the media. Inside the consultation rooms they know what exactly what has happened. But for all practical purposes, in terms of public action, they push it under the carpet. And hope that through these mechanisms of throwing money in terms of development, holding elections, and resorting to system of clientilism—you find clients in political party—you can solve the issue. What I am saying is that that you just cannot do it because the scale of that has been so massive…I haven’t even lived in Kashmir. Yet I met a Hindu DSP. We sat at one corner. And he started talking and said what has happed to the Kashmiri Muslim households. They won’t even talk to each other about the hurtful and shameful things. After this kind of injury, do you think elections are going to resolve the problem? *Is Kashmir a Human Rights or a political issue because the discourse is often taken to the former direction?* I am allergic to the term human rights. It is an American coinage. Everybody has human rights. I think we have to get down to the grit of the problem. You have to deal with the history and past and see what has been done. Yes the problem may be connected to human rights, but there are people whose rights have been violated in such a fundamental way. So if somebody’s mother was killed, now telling him that we will give you scholarship is not fair. His problem is that she was killed by the security personal. So accounting of that is essential, and not in the human rights way, but in the way like South Africa. *There are an estimated seven lakh security personnel stationed in Kashmir. The government claims that there are only a few hundred militants. How do you see this disparity?* It still gives you the highest concentration of security personnel in any area in the world, including Afghanistan. If the state itself says there are a few hundred militants, then your question answers itself. Then the security personnel must be here to control population. For few hundreds, you don’t need an army; Army doesn’t find small group of militants. So seven hundred thousand troops where there is hardly any fighting going on must be for population control! *Where do you see the role of pro-freedom groups in resolution of Kashmir dispute?* You see there are several kinds of groups involved. Under the slogan of freedom, some people are bargaining for greater role in Kashmiri politics for themselves. You become a much bigger leader if Delhi recognizes that you are a leader. This is also the government’s tool. You know it interests me to see what freedom means to people. I think for lot of people it means freedom from the oppression of the Indian state…There are groups who clearly say azadi means independent state of Kashmir. There are others who leave that very ambiguous. There are some who would never commit themselves to the straightforward idea. Then there are tendencies which under freedom are actually wanting to secede from India and accede to Pakistan. My sense is that in Kashmir, as in most countries in modern word, electoral arena, no matter how corrupt it is, is an arena in which different power groups contest to show large representation they have in the population. I think you have to participate in that arena. I think Mr Geelani asks for an Indian passport even though he does not consider himself to be the part of India. But in order to travel he has to have a passport. I think that is perfectly OK. The Indian government says you are an Indian citizen, so let it be true to its word, likewise they can go on talking about Azadi, but election time they have to contest in that arena, and show strong they are. *How do you evaluate the role of Indian media in reflecting the Kashmir conflict?* Look, the print medium brings in editors, sits down with them and tell them that a newspaper is a business. The task is to make money. That is what I am, I am a businessman. News is there to decorate the advertisement. One is that. You have to keep the business community very happy otherwise you lose advertisements. Likewise TV. The second issue is the mindset. And there I want to say it to you that there is no struggle in mainland India or in Kashmir that media has ever reported. You know documented cases of hundreds, in some years thousands of rapes of women, do they report it? No they don’t! And if they report it, they report it as the law and order situation. They have the viewpoint of the Indian upper-class, the Indian liberal state and the Indian national security state. This is the framework within which they report anything. *How do you view the “rise” of India in economic global scenario?* I think first I want to put in perspective the scale of this “rise” of India. If you apply UNDP standards of poverty—that is to say two dollars a day—over 70 percent of Indians fall below the poverty line. Then to talk of becoming great power is fantasy. What has happened is that India economy has been able to register growth rate of seven to eight percent, but that has created in India a large and prosperous middle class which is very euphoric. They have access to commodities, houses that their parents would never image, that is very gung-ho. And media just follows that. China India tensions I believe are largely Indian media and Indian rightwing creation. You know, even the Indian government is not interested in that. Recently Indian newspapers said Chinese soldiers had crossed over to the Indian boundaries. The Indian foreign secretary threatened to register defamation cases against those correspondents. The problem from Chinese side is that of the boundary claims of Arunachal Pradesh, but this you can’t resolve. You can say we can keep talking. Let’s cooperate on everything. We will not budge, they will not budge, but we can normalize. What has happened in India is that post liberalization from 1989 onwards, there has been an enormous shift of identification with the United States. And there is the notion that your strategic interests are tied up with United States. The United States wants to use and build India against China. *India claims Kashmir to be its “Atoot Ang”. Where do you place this view and has there been any change in it?* I know no state in the world which will not describe the territory which it considers its own territory as its attot ang. Pakistan knew that Bangladesh would go, they would not let it go without war. India has not shifted from attog ang. At the same time because Kashmir is not an international boundary, nobody recognize it like that, India has to recognize Kashmir as a dispute. The very fact that they keep negotiating with Pakistan shows that it is a dispute between India and Pakistan. And India and Pakistan have to work out how to resolve this dispute, but India will not let go off its attot ang, so talk about how to normalize it. So it is in that context Vajapayee-Musharraf talked about softening the boundaries. *Do you mean Kashmir closer to resolution during the time of Musharraf? * You see it is not about Nawaz Sharief or Musharraf. There are two different factors. One is the American that formally things remain as they are, but they have to soften the borders. So that is both sides feeling US pressure. Pakistan is a weaker country it has to accede to US pressures in a different way than India. The other is Pakistan’s attitude. You know not now, but during earlier period, there is a realist wing which says that Pakistan territorial claim on Kashmir has been terrible for Pakistan. That you train these Jehaids for Kashmir but they are blowing Pakistan. Then there is this liberal wing which says that Kashmir needs to be resolved. Then there is in Army and intelligence agencies which say it is just the matter of time that sooner or later the Americans will have to leave Afghanistan. And once that happens, we can again go to Kashmir. So it is not about Musharraf. That time what happened was that this liberal wing had become dominant and Musharraf was a more liberal officer who didn’t like Jehaids. And because he was Chief of Army, he would get the army to agree to things that this poor Zaradri, whose only mission is to make money, won’t be able to do. *How do you see the “rise” of Hindutva forces in India and their growing influence on Indian politics? * I have written a lot on it. Look one way of talking about it is that RSS was established in 1920. It grew but grew very very slowly until the partition… It was after the emergency and after the decade of Nehruvian state that they gained importance in India and in a sense, they began to fill the vacuum left open by the collapse of the Congress after the Emergency. Then again they didn’t go very far, but they kept growing. Two or three things happened. One is that Congress itself started playing games on the issue of communalism. Indira Gandhi played Hindu card in Jammu. Indira Gandhi palyed Brindavale card against the Akalis and Punjabis. Her son, Rajiv Gandhi opened the locks of Babri Majid. So there was a sort of soft Hindutva against hard Hindutva circulating in different parts of India… I think Hindutva has made inroads in north Indian middle class. There are only two political forces in India. There are communists on Left and Hindutva forces on right… I think Hindutva is speading in Bureaucracy regardless of the electoral logic, partly because they come from same classes, and partly because half the big state of India are being ruled by them. And when they formed the government, the biggest plank of the BJP was to put RSS men in positions of power, wherever government appointments took place, and to funnel lot of state funds to RSS fronts. *What is the status of Muslims in India especially after they are hunted in wake of Mumbai attacks?* Well there is some truth to that perception. Considerable sections of the state agencies, like police forces, have been communalized. But I was so impressed at the time of the Mumbai attacks. Within four hours, the Home Minister gave a press conference and said no Indian is involved in this, this is a foreign attack. And he made sure that the TV repeated that statement. Why? How do you know? They asked top security forces if Indians are involved, they said no. In order to protect the Muslims of India, you have to go and say and no Indian is involved. So you know there is both a sort of communilzation of the security forces, and the same time, at some of the highest level, there is a great pre-occupation with engagement…At some level what is happening to the Gujarat victims is the same. But now I think the High And Supreme Courts are getting more and more closer to Narender Modi on Gujarat. So there is also a sense that if in India a certain kind of Jehadism is growing among some sections of Muslims, it is because of Gujarat, so if you give justice to Gujarat, you can control it. *A year back, Arundhati Roy made a comment “India needs Azadi from Kashmir as much as Kashmir needs Azadi from India”. How do you react to that?* I think the writing of that article by Arundhati is a very courageous act. It is very important because she is now an international figure and it is not simply that it appears in an Indian journal. But at the same time, she has the tendency toward sensationalism. On the formulation, my position is actually the opposite. That, the test of Indian democracy/secularism is in Kashmir. If India becomes free of Kashmir, India will be much more communal, much less democratic. It is by proving to the world, and to Indians, that a Muslim Majority state in Indian can live with the same rights, with same sense of security, that the rest of India does. From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 23 16:22:28 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:52:28 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] International Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship, GWU, USA Message-ID: <8CC21E60C81D184-18D8-90D0@webmail-m098.sysops.aol.com> The Documentary Center at The George Washington University is pleased to announce the expansion of the International Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship that will take place May 26 - July 8, 2010. We seek twenty emerging filmmakers from across the globe to attend an intensive six-week cross-cultural exchange and professional development opportunity on the campus of The George Washington University, located in the heart of Washington, DC. Please visit the following link to the Fellowship web page and you will find our press release, a link to the on-line application, and a downloadable flyer that you can distribute. http://www.gwu.edu/doccenter/fellowship.htm We would appreciate your help in our outreach effort to filmmakers who you believe would be good candidates for this unique program. Should you have any questions about the Fellowship, please do not hesitate to contact us at gwdocfel at gwu.edu. We thank you in advance for your assistance. Sincerely yours, Nina Gilden Seavey Director, The Documentary Center Co-Director, The Center for Innovative Media School of Media and Public Affairs The George Washington University 805 21st St. NW Suite 519 Washington, DC 20052 (202) 994-6787 (voice) (202) 994-5806 (fax) http://www.gwu.edu/doccenter From indersalim at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 16:22:59 2009 From: indersalim at gmail.com (Inder Salim) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:22:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Aijaz Ahmad on Kashmir! In-Reply-To: <4fcaee300910230201h41ce562fn33a6c5f46566d559@mail.gmail.com> References: <4fcaee300910230201h41ce562fn33a6c5f46566d559@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70910230352w5854e974gfa5f32ca062cc143@mail.gmail.com> Thanks Dear Wali reading Aijaz Ahmad is always in insight into many nauances which normally one tends to ignore. from the present interview few quotes: PAKISTAN ITSELF HAS COMMUNAL VIEW ON KASHMIR PROBLEM because they can settle if Kashmir if the valley merges with them. and that means PAKISTAN-PUNJABI-HARD SUNNI ISLAM would superimpose over the VERY SOFTER ISLAM IN KASHMIR. which Ijaz feels will not resolve THE NATIONALITY QUESTION IN KASHMIR given the fact the secession is no on the cards, and also the elections or offering scholarships to the victims is not helping the larger issue, which is between India and Pakistan but within Kashmir as well. FIRST YOU DO CULTURE AND TRADE between Kashmir and kashmir and beyond. Culture is a priority for Ijaz, even over trade, I AM ALLERGIC TO TERM HUMAN RIGHTS, IT IS AMERICAN COINAGE. but accounting fo that is essential, and not in the human rights way, but the way in south africa. The army which is controling the population needs to go, AND YOU KNOW IT INTERESTES ME TO SEE WHAT FREEDOM MEANS TO PEOPLE. not in a limited sense, but deeper. NEWS IS THERE TO DECORATE THE ADVERTISEMENT it is business, and why should the true lovers of freedom go the media even, there must be something real to communicate, some sincere way ... and the this media is not interested in 70 PERCENT OF INDIANS FALL BELOW POVERTY LINE . THE TO TALK OF BECOMING GREAT POWER IS FANTASY. so, khuda hafiz to media. PAKISTAN KNEW THAT BANGLADESH WOULD GO, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LET IT GO WITHOUT WAR. and INDIA HAS NOT SHIFTED FROM ITS ATTOG ANG ON KASHMIR. so sofetning of t boundries is the solution, since there is not international boundry between kashmir of India and kashmir of Paskistan I THINK HINDUTVA IS SPERADING IN BUREAUCRACY REGADLESS OF ELECTORAL LOGIC. sad, that Gujaarat Happened but justice needs to there, be it gujarat or kashmir, and since that is not happening, and because of historical reasons ( such as no boarder in Kashmir ) Arundhati Roy said that INDIA NEEDS AZADI FORM KASHMIR AS MUCH KASHMIR NEEDS AZADI FROM INDIA. which is not far from what Aijaz said, althogh he sees it as sensationalism but it was just another expression, The fear: INDIA WILL BE MUCH COMMUNAL ( if kashmir goes to pakistan or becomes independant ) is again very serious obsevation, since it is already becoming, and solution to kashmir question is not in sight. time to do Culture.... with love inder salim From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 23 16:25:06 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:55:06 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Film screening 24.10.2009 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CC21E66A5FAA24-18D8-911F@webmail-m098.sysops.aol.com> Dear Supporter, As usual Network Services & Supporter Relations Division organizing special screening of the film on coming Saturday 24.10.2009 at India International Centre, (Next to UNICEF) Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi in the evening at 6:30 pm. You are cordially invited! October 24, 2009 - About water- He who wants water must be prepared to kill for it an old Arab saying goes. At the beginning of the 21st centaury water, the ancient source of life already is in short supply all over the world. From the heart of Africa to the Aral sea in the Kazakh steppe the film portrays different people’s lives and their struggle for water and survival. Directed by - Udo Maurer Produced by Paul Thiltges Distributions Thanks & Regards Network Services & Supporter Relations WWF-India, 172 B Lodi Estate NEW DELHI 110003 Website: www.wwfindia.org From ravikant at sarai.net Fri Oct 23 18:55:17 2009 From: ravikant at sarai.net (Ravikant) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:55:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Talk on Sharar's Guzashta Lakhnau Message-ID: <200910231855.18451.ravikant@sarai.net> You are invited to CSDS seminar Room (29 Oct, 2009,Thursday, 3.30 PM) for a Talk by CM Naim, Professor Emeritus, Univ of Chicago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._M._Naim on INTERROGATING “THE EAST,” “CULTURE,” AND “LOSS,” IN ABDUL HALIM SHARAR’S Guzashta Lakhna’u Abdul Halim ‘Sharar’ ( -1926) is considered the pioneer of the historical novel in Urdu; the other reason for his fame is his remarkable book on the history and culture of Lucknow during the heydays of the Nawabs. Commonly known as Guzashta Lakhna’u (The Lucknow of the Past), its original title was Hindustan Me Mashriqi Tamaddun ka Aakhiri Namuuna (The Last Example of Eastern Culture in India). In my paper I try to interrogate the key words in the original title, in order to more fully understand the intellectual context of the book and what could have been some tacit assumptions under-girding Sharar’s authorial enterprise. Ravikant From shuddha at sarai.net Fri Oct 23 18:55:41 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:55:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics! In-Reply-To: <7271ec560910230118x759ede47p1690070e62367c6c@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910110401qffe2576h975b9be905517e88@mail.gmail.com> <7271ec560910230118x759ede47p1690070e62367c6c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear All, Frankly, I am totally fascinated by the concept of a 'Love Jihad' and salute and admire all those who thought it up in the first place. All power to their advances. May they win as many converts as they can. And in this, I am totally non-denominational. I think we should do our best to encourage Hindu and Muslim and Christian zealots, Maoists and Ambedkarite enthusiasts, nationalists and separatists, to all carry on protracted guerilla love jihad actions, each trying to out do the other in seductive bravado, so that we, the as yet unswayed and eternally swayable, can witness and delight in the million competitive moves of a generalized amorous insurgency. It can only do wonders to the jaded libidos of our depressed society. Imagine hundreds of clandestine seduction cells going about trying to convert the billions through audacious and intelligent amourous moves. I can't wait to see this juicy scenario unfold. And frankly, while it is utterly reasonable to demand an end to hate, I find it a bit difficult to demand that one's so called enemy decides to win one over by acts of 'love'. What would one say to a love jihadi - " don't make love, make war?' What a vast improvement a love-jihad is to hectoring hate speech and the boring and utterly pointless act of planting bombs in dustbins in public places, or suicide attacks on ill paid policemen or government organized pogroms and state sponsored death squads. if all the fundamentalists of every religion and political persuasion were to suddenly turn into expert casanovas, what we would have is a vastly improved and more interesting world. And then, of course our counter- insurgent forces would also have to brush up on their 'opening lines', and possibly read the Kama-Sutra and the Perfumed Garden with care. What a massive turn-on all this would be. I would love to be a 'love jihadi', or if not to be one (I may not have all the necessary skills, even if I had the urgency of desire, and so, may not qualify as the most suitable candidate), at least to meet one, as I am always willing and open to acts of intelligent seduction. Hoping for a proliferation of love jihad as a way out of the monotony of terror and counter-terror. best Shuddha On 23-Oct-09, at 1:48 PM, Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi wrote: > Dear Venu, > the concept of winning over with "love" is not a new concept, High > Court of > Karnataka is also keen to know the full impact of these missing > girls from > communities, Karnataka has over 34 cases of missing girls in last ten > months, and two girls is only tip of the iceberg.It may be > interesting for > you to know that this missing girls are not only from "Hindu " but > also from > different followers of faith and communities.That the media woke > up to > this new kind of reportage to sensationalise the trivial issue of > matter of > choice by any adult female is the issue. > > Regards, > Rajen. > > On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Venugopalan K M > wrote: > >> What is so much there to probe about love affairs between people of >> different faiths? >> What is there to probe into cases of conversion from on faith to >> other >> so long as proselytizing is perfectly recognized as constitutional >> and >> legal in secular India? >> You convince me by reason (or even by giving me soaps) that >> Islam or >> Christianity is a better faith than Hiduism; I start thinking that >> Hinduism is really not good for ME and take a decision to covert as a >> Muslim or a Christian. >> How can then one assume that all this happen only because of >> inflow of >> mysterious foreign funds plus destabilizing motivations linked with >> it? >> Why the mysterious inflow of foreign funds, rather,is not checked by >> routine regulatory measures than by resorting to ways producing hypes >> and instilling fears in the minds of people about forcible >> conversion? >> True that parents of at least two Hindu girls allegedly lured by the >> activists of so called 'Love Jihadis' did come up with habeous corpus >> writs following the disappearance of these girls from their houses. >> It may also be true that the girls ultimately decide to go back to >> their parents on the basis of own choice, in a court of law. >> >> But why should this be a reason for widespread fear about girls of >> mature age being trapped into 'Love Jihad'? What is the connection >> between love, choice of life partner on the one side, and the >> interventions by the parents of girls,the police and the court on >> the >> other in making out such inter religion love marriages involving >> conversions as a huge security threat for the entire nation? >> >> Would it not have made more sense for the media to take up such >> stories beyond the 'user friendly' but boundlessly ridiculous new >> coinage in the lexicon of hate politics like "Love Jihad"? >> The latest response to the so called Love Jihad by the VHP and the >> obscur Durgavahini is also being enthusiastically propagated by a >> section of the Malayalam press; the eveninger Flash News(of M/s >> Kerala >> Kaumudi)on 10th October carried a two page featured item about how >> Durgavahini, the womens wing of the VHP is planning to appear in a >> big >> way by campaigning in favour of imposing more parental controls on >> educated Hindu girls. Going by such reports, moral policing perhaps >> even more ugly than the one resorted by Sri Ram Sene in Karnataka is >> to set to take off in Kerala under the direct patronage of VHP >> employing its women cadres.(Fortunately, not many of them are here >> around for the time being though the Flash News & Co apparently want >> to get them more popularity and legitimacy.) >> >> >> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> From: >> Date: Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 10:19 AM >> Subject: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad ? >> To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com >> >> >> >> >> Kerala HC wants probe into 'love jihad' >> >> >> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kerala-hc-wants-probe-into-love- >> jihad/523630/ >> >> Kerala has a new concern: "love jihad". The state High Court on >> Wednesday directed the Kerala Police and Union Home Ministry to probe >> the alleged movement, under which young Muslim boys reportedly target >> college girls for conversion by feigning love. >> >> The court also asked the state and Centre to look into the sources >> that "fund" the love jihad, the number of girls who have got "trapped >> in the racket" in the past three years and its extremist links, if >> any. >> >> Justice K T Sankaran was hearing anticipatory bail applications of >> two >> Muslim youths, accused of "luring" two MBA students into marriage for >> reportedly the purpose of religious conversion. The court rejected >> their bail pleas. >> >> The two youths were allegedly associated with Campus Front, a student >> outfit of the right-wing Muslim organisation Popular Front of India >> (PFI). >> >> Earlier this month, the parents of the two girls had filed a habeus >> corpus in the high court after their daughters were found missing. On >> being produced in court, the girls deposed that they were >> "trapped" by >> the youths and forced to convet to Islam. Allowing them to go with >> their parents, the court had asked the police to probe the charges of >> forced conversion after trapping girls in love affairs. The students, >> originally residents of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, had been >> studying in a college in Pathanamthitta. According to them, one of >> them fell in love with a senior and eloped to marry him. This senior >> allegedly "handed over" the other girl to his friend. The girls told >> the court that they were taken to a centre in Malappuram where they >> were given literature and shown visuals promoting religious >> extremism. >> >> Police officials admit that there are cases of girls having been >> converted forcibly or "trapped" into adopting Islam. "The groups >> focused on girls from well-settled families, a majority of them >> Hindus," sources said. >> >> Senior PFI leader Naseerudheen Elamaram refuting charges against his >> organisation said, "Religious conversion is not a crime; conversion >> takes place to Hinduism and Christianity also... One cannot paint all >> love affairs as cases of forced conversions meant for extremist >> activity." >> >> -------------------------------------- >> >> Conversion: court seeks details >> >> DGP told to file a statement >> >> >> Two persons file petitions for anticipatory bail >> >> High Court also seeks statement from Centre >> >> >> http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/01/stories/2009100154570500.htm >> >> Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Director >> General of Police to furnish the court details regarding the >> number of >> cases in which women of other religion were forcibly converted to >> Islam. >> >> Justice K. T. Sankaran, while considering anticipatory bail >> petitions, >> directed the DGP to file a statement within three weeks on the >> following aspects as well: is there a movement called `Romeo >> Jihad' or >> `Love Jihad' working in the State; if so, what are their plans and >> projects; which organisations are involved in such activities; where >> does the money come for all these activities; how many school and >> college students and youngsters were thus converted into Islam in the >> last three years; does the alleged project have an all-India basis >> and >> magnitude; has it got financial support from abroad; is there any >> connection between the `Love Jihad' movement and counterfeiting, >> smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorist activities? >> >> The anticipatory bail petition was filed by Shahan Sha and Sirajudeen >> who have been charged with abduction and forcibly converting two MBA >> students to Islam. According to the police, the petitioners feigning >> love had abducted the girls and put pressure on them to convert to >> Islam. They were taken to a person who was stated to be an organiser >> of the women's wing of the Popular Front of India. The girls were >> later produced before the High Court after their parents filed a >> habeas corpus petition. The court allowed them to go with their >> parents as per their request. >> >> The court, which went through the case diary, said there were >> indications that several similar instances took place in the State. >> >> It was stated that there was a movement called Romeo Jihad or Love >> Jihad, conceived by a section of the Muslims, by which Muslim boys >> were directed to pretend love to girls of other religion and get them >> converted to Islam. >> >> The court pointed out that every citizen was entitled to "freedom of >> conscience and the right to freely to profess, practice and propagate >> religion as enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution. This right >> did not extend to the right to compel a person professing a religion >> to convert to another religion." >> >> __._,_.___ >> Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic >> Messages >> Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) >> Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch >> format to Traditional >> Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe >> Recent Activity >> Visit Your Group >> Give Back >> >> Yahoo! for Good >> >> Get inspired >> >> by a good cause. >> >> Y! Toolbar >> >> Get it Free! >> >> easy 1-click access >> >> to your groups. >> >> Yahoo! Groups >> >> Start a group >> >> in 3 easy steps. >> >> Connect with others. >> >> . >> __,_._,___ >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot >> build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you >> will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a >> whole. >> -AMBEDKAR >> >> >> >> http://venukm.blogspot.com >> >> http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur >> >> http://kmvenuannur.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/> > > > > > -- > Rajen. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 19:21:51 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:21:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics! In-Reply-To: References: <1f9180970910110401qffe2576h975b9be905517e88@mail.gmail.com> <7271ec560910230118x759ede47p1690070e62367c6c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Shuddha I wish that love-jihad would have been just a move whereby zealots would have been proving that their own religion is superior and propagating love, but it's simply an epitome of an impending disaster as I see it, and here's why: 1) First of all, this love-jihad stories are coming out of Kerala and Karnataka. One parent has already filed case of his daughter having possibly been abducted or seduced by someone who is a Muslim and with the possibility of her being converted to Muslim, and the girl and her sons/daughters being used for Jihad. Frankly, I don't see what's good in that. Even if the situation were reversed and a Muslim girl were attending RSS shakhas or even Sri Rama Senas and doing what allegedly Pragya Singh has done, it could simply be an impending disaster we are looking at. And this would lead to even riots of a more convoluted and distressing kind, for now there would be easily riots sparked everywhere in the name of 'seducing other people's girls'. By the way, Shuddha, you may take a look at the propaganda VHP used in Gujarat prior to 2002 pogrom, to know what subsequently happened. One of the VHP's propaganda was that the Muslims simply abduct Hindu girls, convert them to Islam forcibly, and increase their population through this method. The end result is that irrespective of whether Modi loses or not, everybody knows there is hardly any remorse left for the butchering of Muslims in post-Godhra violence, among the majority of Gujarati civil society. And now the BJP rules in Karnataka. And there have been reports coming in the last 2-3 years that the BJP has converted Karnataka into the Hindutva laboratory of the South. Mind you, I am not against inter-religious marriages (Would love it for my own sake :P). But this 'love jihad' is simply going to lead to potential disasters if it were true as I see it. 2) The love jihad focuses on only seducing women of different religions. Where does this love jihad go when trying to seduce men of different religions? The fact is that in a patriarchal society like India, where the girl is considered a symbol of 'izzat' or honor, this is what is going to happen, whereby any kind of love-jihad is going to focus on only seducing girls. There certainly is not going to be any seduction of boys. What's more, the same boy may now be seducing more and more girls to propagate jihad. Is this the love you are supporting? And tomorrow if the women were to act as suicide bombers, whose cause will that serve? What kind of love are we going to therefore portray with such an issue? This will only be used as a communal propaganda and thereby create further restrictions on women at large. And politics will be played around by the BJP. (Already, the BJP won in Miraj and other areas where riots took place prior to the Maharashtra assembly elections.And the Shiv Sena, which was nowhere in these areas, also won 3 seats, thanks to the riots) Seduction by the way, can't be true love. True love is way beyond that. I don't have to be seduced by the girl I love, she will catch my attention whether she be there in front of me or not. Of course, lust can be a part of love, but lust alone is not true love. And the libidos are not jaded. They have already been involved in rapes and counter-rapes of the women of the 'other' community. Women can't and shouldn't be treated just as a commodity or a symbol of winning the other community or destroying their honor. I don't think it can be supported. Lastly, protesting against one wrong doing doesn't mean one should support another wrong doing. Everything has a context and we must look into it as well. Rakesh From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 22:54:45 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:54:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene In-Reply-To: <4AE0A1C9.2050301@gmail.com> References: <4AE0A1C9.2050301@gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910231024q5c156fbfgb5b448649618e848@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mukul Dube Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 11:47 PM Subject: Re: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com Cc: Sevanti Ninan All over again, statues of stone and metal drinking sour milk... MD indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com wrote: > > *LOVE JIHAD PROPAGANDA ...* > > Somehow the media (and perhaps even a section of the judiciary /law > enforcement) have chosen to paint some stray incidents of > inter-religious love affairs as some huge conspiracy . > > The mainstream media seems to have gone after the cheap fantasy stories > that appear on fundamentalist web sites , word by word. This in turn has > led to the suspicion between communities. -- Mukul Dube D-504 Purvasha (Anand Lok Apts.) Mayur Vihar 1 Delhi 110091 India uthappam at gmail.com , arhardal at aol.com + 91 - 987 355 3167 011 - 2275 0240 __._,_.___ Messages in this topic ( 2) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other [image: Yahoo! Groups] Change settings via the Web(Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest| Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity Visit Your Group New business? Get new customers. List your web site in Yahoo! Search. Y! Messenger Group get-together Host a free online conference on IM. Celebrity Parents Spotlight on Kids Hollywood families share stories . __,_._,___ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 22:58:00 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:58:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene In-Reply-To: <4AE0A1C9.2050301@gmail.com> References: <4AE0A1C9.2050301@gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910231028y4837e0f2ra10aadf6f478ac68@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mukul Dube Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 11:47 PM Subject: Re: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com Cc: Sevanti Ninan All over again, statues of stone and metal drinking sour milk... MD indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com wrote: > > *LOVE JIHAD PROPAGANDA ...* > > Somehow the media (and perhaps even a section of the judiciary /law > enforcement) have chosen to paint some stray incidents of > inter-religious love affairs as some huge conspiracy . > > The mainstream media seems to have gone after the cheap fantasy stories > that appear on fundamentalist web sites , word by word. This in turn has > led to the suspicion between communities. -- Mukul Dube D-504 Purvasha (Anand Lok Apts.) Mayur Vihar 1 Delhi 110091 India uthappam at gmail.com , arhardal at aol.com + 91 - 987 355 3167 011 - 2275 0240 __._,_.___ Messages in this topic ( 2) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other [image: Yahoo! Groups] Change settings via the Web(Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest| Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity Visit Your Group New business? Get new customers. List your web site in Yahoo! Search. Y! Messenger Group get-together Host a free online conference on IM. Celebrity Parents Spotlight on Kids Hollywood families share stories . __,_._,___ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Fri Oct 23 22:58:24 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:58:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene In-Reply-To: <445264.64991.qm@web39506.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <4AE0A1C9.2050301@gmail.com> <445264.64991.qm@web39506.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910231028g76ee257cy2f63446227bdcd96@mail.gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sultan Ibrahim Date: Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 10:17 AM Subject: Re: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com Cc: Sevanti Ninan Thank you PUCL, you prove that humanity has not entirely waned out (see the Hindu report below). The campaign started by Sri Ram Sena of Mangalore has been taken over by the media, the police and shockingly the judiciary (pray its only a section) also followed suit, negating the principled enshrined in the time tested Constitution. The fairy tail ‘love jihad’ has given the new space for the state to enter even in the family life of people, couples who have braved the opposition of families on both sides, are now the target of police. The liberal force once again proved to be a farce. Its like the end of civilization. The victims are Muslims today, but others will not be far behind in being listed as targets under one pretext or the other. When the ‘love jihad’ campaign runs out of steam, we will be questioned for breathing air or for smiling in the moon light. Salman Khurshid, Farooq Abdullah, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Arif Mohammed Khan, MJ Abkbar, ex Airforce chief Lathif, Amir Khan, Sharuq Khan, Mohammed Asharuddin, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi ….. and there are thousands and thousands of Hindu men who have married Muslim women. Are they ‘love jihadis’ or are among the best of human souls that braved the family and society to take the call of the heart. Can these Hindu ladies be instruments in highjacking Muslim men of caliber as the Muslim cousins of Hindutwa love to believe. I have heard this story earlier that the Sangh Parivar is attempting to convert Muslim women by feigning love, each time a Muslim girl was in love with a Hindu boy. But this nonsense to frighten Muslim girls was not bought by the media, police or judiciary, but they bought it wholesale when the propagator was the Hindutwa. This unfortunate couple was in the media several times, the police of Karnataka and Kerala have investigated the allegations several times. And this is their fate now… The poor Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims are swarming into the Maoists. Perhaps the media now wants the educated young Muslims also to turn to the Maoists to engage in self defeating violence, by pushing them to the wall, actually beyond the wall. Sultan Here is their adds: Ramdas Rao, President, PUCL Bangalore 59 Shivaji Road, Shivaji Nagar Bangalaore- 560051 Ph: 9449399729 ramdas_rao at hotmail.com http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/23/stories/2009102360270700.htm *‘Love jehad’ figment of imagination: PUCL * Special Correspondent Bangalore: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has said it will file a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka High Court’s order asking a woman who had converted to Islam to marry a Muslim man from Kerala, to return to her parents’ home until the case was investigated. The PUCL will question the decision of the High Court to send the 23-year-old woman back to her family despite her statement in court that she had willingly converted and was waiting to get married under the provisions of the Special Marriages Act. Hearing the case of Siljaraj and Azghar, the court had said the facts had “national ramifications concerning security, besides the question of unlawful trafficking of women,” and ordered the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police to hold a thorough investigation to rule out the theory that this was a case of ‘love jehad’ (a loose coinage implying that women are being lured into conversion through marriage) and file a report by November 13. The girl was asked to stay with her parents until such time. “She is a major and no one has a right to thrust her back into the family. We see it as part of a pattern of continued intimidation on the basis of community and gender, first started in Dakshina Kannada,” said Ramadasa Rao of the PUCL. He feared that the girl might come under pressure of family and community during her stay with them. The whole notion of ‘love jehad’, said Professor Rao, is a “figment of the imagination” and the order will severely impact the rights of young women and men to free association and marriage. Reacting to the order, senior advocate Ravi Varma Kumar said that it violated Article 21 (of life and personal liberty) and Article 25 (of freedom of religion) of the Indian Constitution. He cited *Lata Singh vs. State of Uttar Pradesh, 2006, *in which the Supreme Court upheld the right of a person who had reached the age of majority to marry of his or her own choice. Kirti Singh, a Supreme Court advocate and legal convener of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), described the case as “absolutely shocking.” She said the question of national security was being mixed up with the simple case of a girl exercising a choice guaranteed to her under the law of the land and Constitution. “The court has taken a patriarchal role,” she said, stating that it reflected intolerance for the girl’s choices. In Bangalore, Home Minister V.S. Acharya told reporters that ‘love jehad’ appeared to be a “serious issue.” The State government would take steps to counter it. The Muslim Central Committee of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts will convene a conference of Muslims in Mangalore on November 12 to discuss issues related to ‘love jehad’. Addressing reporters in Mangalore on Thursday, committee president K.S. Mohammed Masood alleged that vested interests were attempting to tarnish the image of Islam by framing the phrase ‘love jehad’. “There is no such phrase in Islam. It is an absurd usage,” he added. --- On *Thu, 10/22/09, Mukul Dube * wrote: From: Mukul Dube Subject: Re: [indiathinkersnet] Love Jihad propaganda and the advent of Sri Ram Sene To: indiathinkersnet at yahoogroups.com Cc: "Sevanti Ninan" Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 11:47 PM All over again, statues of stone and metal drinking sour milk... MD indiathinkersnet@ yahoogroups. comwrote: > > *LOVE JIHAD PROPAGANDA ...* > > Somehow the media (and perhaps even a section of the judiciary /law > enforcement) have chosen to paint some stray incidents of > inter-religious love affairs as some huge conspiracy . > > The mainstream media seems to have gone after the cheap fantasy stories > that appear on fundamentalist web sites , word by word. This in turn has > led to the suspicion between communities. -- Mukul Dube D-504 Purvasha (Anand Lok Apts.) Mayur Vihar 1 Delhi 110091 India uthappam at gmail. com , arhardal at aol. com + 91 - 987 355 3167 011 - 2275 0240 __._,_.___ Messages in this topic ( 3) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages [image: Yahoo! Groups] Change settings via the Web(Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest| Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity - 1 New Members Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others. . __,_._,___ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 24 06:11:36 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:41:36 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] CULTURAL FUNCTIONS GRANT SCHEME (CFGS) Message-ID: <8CC2259E0538DC8-2F38-EEAD@webmail-m095.sysops.aol.com> SCHEME OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SEMINARS, FESTIVALS AND EXHIBITIONS ON CULTURAL SUBJECTS BY NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS Ministry of Culture announces the substantially modified ‘Scheme for Financial Assistance for Seminars, Festivals and Exhibitions on Cultural Subjects by Not-for-Profit Organisations’ or the Cultural Functions Grant Scheme (CFGS) in short. This Scheme, which provides financial support for seminars/symposia and research, etc., will now be open to assistance for holding festivals and exhibitions as well. All Not-for-Profit organizations, including the University Department/Centres are eligible to apply for this grant. The Government assistance which is limited to 75% of the project cost, has now a higher ceiling of Rs. 5 lakhs. Applications under the scheme can now be made round the year. Applications are invited and the scheme as well as Application Form are available on the website of the Ministry: www.indiaculture.gov.in Organisations (excepting University Departments/Centres) that want to apply under the Scheme will first need to sign up/register with NGO Partnership National Portal: www.ngo.india.gov.in All filled up applications along with enclosures are required to be sent to Post- Box/Bag No. 523, General Post Office, Gole Dak-khana, New Delhi-110001. The application should be addressed to the Section Officer (S&F), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi. For any clarification please contact Section Officer (S&F) at Telephone No. 011-23389608. The Scheme shall remain open throughout the year, but applications, duly filled in, would be taken up for consideration by the Expert Committee once every 6 to 10 weeks. From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Sat Oct 24 13:34:51 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:34:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Community of Public Policy Professionals In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: From: Aashish Kela Hi Chandni I am with the structured credit derivatives team at Nomura (previously Lehman Bros). I joined the team right after my BTech from IITB in 2006. A couple of us are setting up a website with a focus on governance and public policy & would like to connect with people keen on similar ideas from IIMC campus (www.governindia.org). We have already covered some ground and established contacts with guys from the IIMA campus and Lee Kuan Yew school. Please feel free to forward my email to others who might be interested in being a part of a vibrant community of public policy professionals. Just a note of caution - we are just looking to connect with people who would be able to give this initiative some time in the coming months and are excited about India focussed public policy work (exceptions being people who have done a lot of public policy work & maybe are busy in other initiatives). As we are just taking off it would seem prudent to start small & focussed :) Cheers Ashish (+91.9869.111.240) From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Sat Oct 24 14:17:07 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:17:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics!Dear Message-ID: <1f9180970910240147x47c64963hfc528572d9ff190e@mail.gmail.com> Dear Rajesh, Lot of if s and but s in your post..!.. Your post seems to be ambiguous on whether 'love jihad' exists. My understanding is that as a strategy for escalating state terrorism,it could exist as created by the agents of state, and not by the any jihadist.. I would argue that the real lives of loving couples are gravely threatened and distorted by this malicious propaganda. For democratic initiatives at least on the conceptual level, there is not much time left to be ambivalent about this Regards,. On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 11:01 PM, Rakesh Iyer wrote: > Dear Venu (and all) > > My response: > > 1) You are right. I should have made it clear in my reply that I have > assumed for once that the reports are true. Of course, they can be baseless. > And considering how the Indian police operates, they can be certainly > baseless. Hence, my apologies for the same. > > However, assuming they are true, they can't be a justification of the fact > that such a jihad is fine. Just because people use love as a mechanism to > get people to do jihad, which would be basically mindless killing of people > to obtain objectives which were and are not going to be fulfilled anytime, > is horrendous and deserves all condemnation it can get. > > The fact that love could be used to do such a shameful thing makes me feel > even more angry about it. If I love someone, I would be ready to die for > her/him. But here are jihadis, who can potentially kill people to express > their love for someone. > > Should such a jihad, even theoretically speaking, be supported? Isn't it > equivalent to saying that since Naxals fight for the right causes, let's > support them irrespectively of their means? And here the language of love > itself is being denigrated. > > 2) I may have agreed to a love marriage between two people because of an > externalized secular ethos before March 2008, but being someone who has been > in love and continues to experience it, I have grown tired of the secularism > idea itself.  I support it because love is more important than religion. > > Probably people should go and try to find their own love. If the BJP can't > love someone because they feel ashamed about it (being against their version > of the Indian culture), or if people on this forum can't find their love > because they are married (and they don't get it from their marriages as > well), that's a different state of matters. > > When it comes to two human beings, damn the world, damn the nation state, > they love each other, they should be allowed to express it, celebrate it and > live with it. Nobody should have the right to stop that, whoever they may > be, Dalits, Muslims, Brahmins, Chettiars,  anyone. Even animals. It's no > business of a mullah or swami or a khap panchayat to declare marriages or > love as illegal. If it pains them, let them boycott me or anybody. I have no > issues. But they have no right to stop my marriage (or me loving someone) > with someone just because that someone is not from my religion. If they have > that much of a problem, they are free not to talk to me. I hardly care. > > When all this talk about love is being done, just think of someone you love. > You will realize secularism is not required to support inter religious > marriages, love alone is enough. Where secularism can't reach, love can. > > But don't go about preaching it. It comes naturally. What's required is to > get a fair sense of what's right and what's not, and people can obey that > without having a sense of love for each other. Love is not a substitute for > the sense of fairness. Love can help in attaining that, not the one to > replace that. Keep that in mind. > > Of course, we can do with more love creation as opposed to more bomb > creation. On that, nobody can disagree here. > > Rakesh > > > -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Sat Oct 24 14:21:46 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:21:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics!Dear In-Reply-To: <1f9180970910240147x47c64963hfc528572d9ff190e@mail.gmail.com> References: <1f9180970910240147x47c64963hfc528572d9ff190e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Venu As I said, as of now it doesn't, at least not until it has been conclusively proven. I assumed that theoritically it exists, and gave my points. And the other if's and but's are used to describe examples. In simple terms it means:* love jihad does not exist until conclusively proven. * What I say is this: if they are a creation of the state, then yes it's despicable for people have a right to love others. But if it's actually taking place, then it's shameful to use love as an instrument to serve objectives like jihad. Either way, it's a denigration of love. Hope that was simple. And this is not ambiguous. Rakesh From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat Oct 24 14:48:49 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:18:49 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] "Khayal, Dadra, Ghazal, Sufi" a classical vocal concert by Sabina M Islam Rahaman In-Reply-To: <1BD0106C9D9B442CB55292BB5D92226B@mina> References: <1BD0106C9D9B442CB55292BB5D92226B@mina> Message-ID: <8CC22A221B790B1-CFC-7540@webmail-d080.sysops.aol.com> THE ATTIC, 36 REGAL BUILDINGS, NEW DELHI. TEL: 23746050     tuesday 27th october 6.30 pm “Khayal, Dadra, Ghazal, Sufi” a classical vocal concert by Sabina M Islam Rahaman   Calcutta based Sabina sings today, compositions from pure classical to light classical Hindustani music which she has learnt from the age of 5.   A Khayal, derived from medieval Persian and Indian Dhrupad is a musical expression of a thought or deep emotion with melodic and rhythmic improvisations. Dadra is a genre of light classical music mainly used in Agra and Bundelkhand. Ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. Sufi music is generally an expression of the inner, mystical dimension of Islam   Initially taught by her father Nurul Islam she continued her musical training with Pandit Aloke Chatterjee in Guwahati. She passed “Sangeet Visharad” from Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapith , Lucknow. Subsequently she studied at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy first under Pandit Sunil Bose and then Smt Subhra Guha of the Agra gharana. In 2003-04 she won the Young Artist award and a gold medal offered by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. She has performed for the Sangeet Natak Academy and at the 103rd Shastriya Sangeet Sammelan at Amritsar.   She has been performing regularly in the US at New York, Chicago, New Jersey and Wesleyan University, Connecticut. She is also a visiting teacher of Indian Classical vocal in NYC under the American Academy of Indian Classical Music as well as a B high artist of AIR Guwahati.           From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 24 16:59:19 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:29:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "Kashmir without Soul" by Kuldip Nayar Message-ID: <884217.37971.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Kuldip Nayar seems to have realised after 20 years what has been apparent to any objective observer/analyst for ever as long, that the so called "Azadi" movement in Kashmir was in it's essence inspired by and directed towards Islamisation of Kashmir.    Nayar says "The Islamic identity has taken shape ......... and the Kashmiriyat, a secular ethos, is beyond repair"   This syndicated piece by Kuldip Nayar was published in many newspapers. Reproduction below is from "Daily Star".   Amongst others, it has also been published by 'Kashmir Observer". What is interesting is to see the 'editing' by 'Kashmir Observer'.   Examples of  the Kashmir Observer (KO) editing:   - Deleted by KO : "Even Azadi is mentioned less and less because of increasing realisation that a landlocked area could not think of being independent."   - KO deletes the word "Islamic' in the sentence "Sufism has been replaced by assertive Islamic teachings"   - In the sentence "Kashmiri music is on its last legs because most of the society has been forced to acquire an Islamic edge." KO edits it into "... because society has been forced to acquire a religious edge."   - KO deletes the sentences "Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back." from the string " (talking about "Kashmiriyat" and animosity between Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh), "It may still remain a state of Jammu and Kashmir, but the soul will be missing. Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back.   - Deleted by KO : "Probably something new and modern will replace what once aroused feelings of nostalgia."   - KO deletes "sensationalised ones" in the sentence: ".. I get the feeling that the media magnifies stray incidents to sensationalised ones."   - While talking about attempts being made to reach a consensus amongst political parties before the visit of PM Manmohan Singh, KO deletes " Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat chief, is reportedly in favour of it."   - KO deletes the sentence "New Delhi will not agree to a unilateral demilitarisation, definitely not until the question has been resolved." (meaning that Pakistan also has to withdraw it's forces from Pakisatan Controlled J&K)   Kshmendra     Saturday, October 24, 2009 "Kashmir without Soul" Kuldip Nayar   It is unbelievable, but true. Srinagar has changed beyond recognition these past four years since I was last there. From the new swanky airport to the hotel, about 10 kilometres, there is modern construction. It looks as if another Noida, near Delhi, is coming up. Trees, however, have been cut mercilessly and familiar pavements dug out to accommodate fancy thoroughfares. Walls running along the road have been demolished and the rubble is still there for all to see. Probably something new and modern will replace what once aroused feelings of nostalgia. As I covered the journey to my hotel, I missed the old Kashmiri houses from where women with long trinkets would peer to see the incoming tourists.   Shops are well stocked and full of customers. Too much money is flowing and the guess is that it is from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India, in that order. The number of cars on the road is many times more than before. There are traffic jams and one has to keep the snarls in mind when one plans a trip. People move freely and I saw many women on the road without burqa or headwear.   The militancy is, by and large, over. Some terrorists strike once a while. They attacked the police at the Lal Chowk a few days ago, but I get the feeling that the media magnifies stray incidents to sensationalised ones. When attacks were a regular feature, there was a curfew after sunset. Now, people are on the road at even 11 p.m.   I did not see a single policeman on the road from the airport. Bunkers are mostly gone. I found one at Lal Chowk where some policemen stand with their fingers at the trigger of automatic weapons. Papa one or Papa two, the interrogation centres, have been closed. But the capricious detentions still take place. The biggest worry is the occasional disappearance of the youth. Incidents like the rape of two women at Shopian are rare. But whenever they take place, they infuriate the people to the extent that they come out on the streets.   The mode of search, whether of a vehicle or a person, has changed. Policemen are more polite than before and less intrusive. Still, a member of a very respectful family told me how he and his wife were stopped on the road until the helicopter of a top brass had flown over the place. A policeman wanted to search his wife but on his insistence, a woman police did so.   The anti-India feeling is there beneath the surface, and people are not afraid of saying so. However, the pro-Pakistan sentiments have practically disappeared, more so because of Kashmiris' perception of the "mess" in which the country is. Even Azadi is mentioned less and less because of increasing realisation that a landlocked area could not think of being independent.   I found the Hurriyat leaders sober. One leader told me that they had "vibes from Delhi" that something positive would emerge. They are looking forward to the talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is expected to visit Srinagar at the end of the month. There is an effort to have a consensus among the different parties, including the Hurriyat, before the prime minister's arrival. Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat chief, is reportedly in favour of it. State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also wants New Delhi to talk to all political parties, including the Hurriyat. But he has also emphasised that India should have a dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir problem.   I heard an interesting talk when sitting with the Hurriyat leaders. A young American Pakistani told them that what had surprised him, after the span of three years since his last visit, was that Kashmir was "being assimilated by India quickly." They were embarrassed but did not want to reply to him in my presence. Mirwaiz said that they would "talk to him at some other place over a cup of tea." Born in Kashmir, this young man is a member of a think-tank at Washington. He told them that free state elections, watched by a large number of Americans on televisions, had made a great impression on them. They, he said, were beginning to believe that the problem was "more or less over."   Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is more candid than his son, Omar, who is losing his popularity fast. Farooq says there are "paid lobbies" in the state to keep the problem alive. He accuses security forces, politicians and bureaucrats of having "a vested interest in the Kashmir crisis." He has a point when he says that New Delhi has failed to make headway in resolving the problem. Not many solutions are hawked about now.   There is a suggestion that both Kashmirs should be demilitarised, India withdrawing its forces from the valley and stationing them on its border, and Pakistan doing likewise and pulling out its forces from Azad Kashmir. This, however, is dependent on India and Pakistan reaching a settlement, supported by the Kashmiris. New Delhi will not agree to a unilateral demilitarisation, definitely not until the question has been resolved.   The problem of Jammu and Laddakh has become, indeed, ticklish. They do not want to stay with the valley. Jammu wants to join India and Laddakh wants a 'Union Territory' status. True, the Hurriyat has never tried to woo Jammu and has seldom cared for the Kashmiri Pandits languishing there. Still, both Jammu and Laddakh can be brought around if they were to be given autonomous status by the valley within the state.   I have no doubt that the Kashmir problem will be solved sooner or later. Yet, too much has happened in the state in the past that makes it difficult for the old Kashmir to come back to life. Familiar symbols are dying. Sufism has been replaced by assertive Islamic teachings. Kashmiri music is on its last legs because most of the society has been forced to acquire an Islamic edge. Old crafts attract fewer artisans because there is a race to earn a quick buck. The wazwan, a string of Kashmir dishes served at one sitting, is still there but new cooks are hard to get.   The re-meshing of Muslims and the Pandits, destroyed during the insurgency, looks difficult. The Islamic identity has taken shape, reportedly more in the countryside, and the Kashmiriyat, a secular ethos, is beyond repair. The animosity among the three regions Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, may dilute but will not go. It may still remain a state of Jammu and Kashmir, but the soul will be missing. Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back.   Kuldip Nayar is an eminent Indian columnist.   http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=110997     "Kashmir Observer" version at: http://www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3453:kashmir-without-a-soul&catid=8:opinion&Itemid=9       From navayana at gmail.com Sun Oct 25 16:21:16 2009 From: navayana at gmail.com (Navayana Publishing) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:21:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Navayana-Sarai talk, 3 Nov 2009: RAVIKUMAR + ANIL CHAMADIA, SANJAY KAK, AZHAGARASAN Message-ID: Navayana and Sarai invite you to the fifth in the series of Navayana-Sarai lectures on Tuesday, 3 November 2009, 3.30 p.m. at Seminar Room, CSDS. RAVIKUMAR, author of *Venomous Touch: Notes on Caste, Culture & Politics*(Samya) shall speak on “Theorising Resistance” ANIL CHAMADIA, Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha; SANJAY KAK, filmmaker; and R. AZHAGARASAN, translator of Ravikumar’s work, shall participate in a discussion on the book. Ravikmuar has pursued writing, publishing, translation and rights activism over two decades in Tamil Nadu. He has authored seven books and edited three little magazines in Tamil—Nirappirigai, Bodhi and Dalit. He has rendered from English into Tamil the writings of Edward Said, Mahasweta Devi, Isabelle Allende, Gabirel García Márquez, Michel Foucault and Augusto Boal, among others. Ravikumar is the cofounder of the publishing house Navayana, and a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing Dalit Panthers. Venomous Touch is a collection of his writings translated into English. A concern for the question of power in society – derived from his engagement with Marx, Ambedkar, Bakunin, Derrida, Foucault and other philosophers and his wide readings in Tamil literature – permeates his writings. Throbbing with righteous anger at centuries of oppression and denial against dalits, this collection of essays, as Susie Tharu says in her Foreword, acts as ‘both poison/venom and remedy’. www.navayana.org -- www.navayana.org Navayana 155, Second Floor Shahpur Jat New Delhi 110049 Landline: +91-11-26494795 Mobile: +91-9971433117 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20091025/a2176151/attachment.html From navayana at gmail.com Sun Oct 25 16:52:55 2009 From: navayana at gmail.com (Navayana Publishing) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:52:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Navayana-Sarai talk, 3 Nov 2009: RAVIKUMAR + ANIL CHAMADIA, SANJAY KAK, AZHAGARASAN Message-ID: Navayana and Sarai invite you to the fifth in the series of Navayana-Sarai lectures on Tuesday, 3 November 2009, 3.30 p.m. at Seminar Room, CSDS. RAVIKUMAR, author of *Venomous Touch: Notes on Caste, Culture & Politics*(Samya) shall speak on “Theorising Resistance” ANIL CHAMADIA, Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha; SANJAY KAK, filmmaker; and R. AZHAGARASAN, translator of Ravikumar’s work, shall participate in a discussion on the book. Ravikmuar has pursued writing, publishing, translation and rights activism over two decades in Tamil Nadu. He has authored seven books and edited three little magazines in Tamil—Nirappirigai, Bodhi and Dalit. He has rendered from English into Tamil the writings of Edward Said, Mahasweta Devi, Isabelle Allende, Gabirel García Márquez, Michel Foucault and Augusto Boal, among others. Ravikumar is the cofounder of the publishing house Navayana, and a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing Dalit Panthers. Venomous Touch is a collection of his writings translated into English. A concern for the question of power in society – derived from his engagement with Marx, Ambedkar, Bakunin, Derrida, Foucault and other philosophers and his wide readings in Tamil literature – permeates his writings. Throbbing with righteous anger at centuries of oppression and denial against dalits, this collection of essays, as Susie Tharu says in her Foreword, acts as ‘both poison/venom and remedy’. www.navayana.org -- S. Anand www.navayana.org Navayana Publishing 155, Second Floor Shahpur Jat New Delhi 110049 Landline: +91-11-26494795 Mobile: +91-9971433117 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20091025/78dc083d/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 3 Nov 2009 Ravikumar-Kak-Chamadia.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 541696 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20091025/78dc083d/attachment-0001.pdf From jeebesh at sarai.net Mon Oct 26 17:31:33 2009 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:31:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Op-ed template Message-ID: <31F12790-40FB-4804-B6CA-D04E5C002A20@sarai.net> http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2004/4/28ward.html Dear all, For all of you to create your op-ed coloum by Mr. Thomas Friedman. enjoy jeebesh From navayana at gmail.com Tue Oct 27 21:17:15 2009 From: navayana at gmail.com (Navayana Publishing) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:17:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Navayana-Sarai talk, 3 Nov 2009: RAVIKUMAR, ANIL CHAMADIA, SANJAY KAK, AZHAGARASAN Message-ID: Navayana and Sarai invite you to the fifth in the series of Navayana-Sarai lectures on Tuesday, 3 November 2009, 3.30 p.m. at Seminar Room, CSDS. RAVIKUMAR, author of *Venomous Touch: Notes on Caste, Culture & Politics*(Samya) shall speak on “Theorising Resistance” ANIL CHAMADIA, Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha; SANJAY KAK, filmmaker; and R. AZHAGARASAN, translator of Ravikumar’s work, shall participate in a discussion on the book. Ravikmuar has pursued writing, publishing, translation and rights activism over two decades in Tamil Nadu. He has authored seven books and edited three little magazines in Tamil—Nirappirigai, Bodhi and Dalit. He has rendered from English into Tamil the writings of Edward Said, Mahasweta Devi, Isabelle Allende, Gabirel García Márquez, Michel Foucault and Augusto Boal, among others. Ravikumar is the cofounder of the publishing house Navayana, and a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing Dalit Panthers. Venomous Touch is a collection of his writings translated into English. A concern for the question of power in society – derived from his engagement with Marx, Ambedkar, Bakunin, Derrida, Foucault and other philosophers and his wide readings in Tamil literature – permeates his writings. Throbbing with righteous anger at centuries of oppression and denial against dalits, this collection of essays, as Susie Tharu says in her Foreword, acts as ‘both poison/venom and remedy’. www.navayana.org -- www.navayana.org Navayana 155, Second Floor Shahpur Jat New Delhi 110049 Landline: +91-11-26494795 Mobile: +91-9971433117 From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Tue Oct 27 22:33:57 2009 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:03:57 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Oct 27: On Military/State Censors Message-ID: If in NY, hope you can make it. http://www.arteeast.org/pages/events/739/ Across Histories Artist Talk Series: Segregated Spaces — On Progress My Mobile Weighs A Ton: On Projects & Military/State Censors by Naeem Mohaiemen October 27, 2009 7 p.m. Cabinet Magazine Space 300 Nevins Street Brooklyn, New York 11215 Curated by Lauren Pearson, Across Histories is a free monthly series centered on developing an ongoing critical discussion of artistic practices in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and their diasporas. Debuted at the Elizabeth Foundation Gallery in Manhattan in September 2008 and now housed at Brooklyn's Cabinet Magazine Space, Across Histories provides a compelling platform for artists, designers, curators and art critics to present and discuss their work, oeuvres, historical moments, theories, writings and exhibitions that have had the most impact on their professional practices. This month, the series will host Naeem Mohaiemen. November 18: Murtaza Vali: CAMP's Wharfage Project, Recasting the Indian Ocean as a Space of Contact and Exchange December 16: Sam Bardaouil in conversation January 13: Hasan Elahi in conversation From kaksanjay at gmail.com Tue Oct 27 23:31:54 2009 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:31:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] "A silent hunt for dissent" In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910261033p10f6aa55y2b969cf2fffa4439@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c5369880910261033p10f6aa55y2b969cf2fffa4439@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5c5369880910271101j73d5721fsf683dac27670d50d@mail.gmail.com> >From Chattisgarh, this welcome piece of reportage. It does confirm our worst fears about what Operation Green Hunt is about. Interestingly, it appears in the New Indian Express, which is based in the south. So not to be confused with the Indian Express, which would probably never have the nerve to do a piece that shines anything but a glossy light on Tata and Essar. (Witness Indian Express' coverage of Tata's Nano cars going up in flames all over India last week... Contrast that with their euphoria of the car launch!) Best Sanjay Kak -------------------- A silent hunt for dissent Krishnamurthy Ramasubbu http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=A+silent+hunt+for+dissent&artid=zsxfDVBl6WE=&SectionID=f4OberbKin4=&MainSectionID=f4OberbKin4=&SEO=jagdalpur+bastar+chhattisgarh+Krishnamurthy+Ramasu&SectionName=cxWvYpmNp4fBHAeKn3LcnQ== 10 am, October 12 — Jagdalpur, Bastar district headquarters town in Chhattisgarh, looks like a ghost town. Large areas around the collector’s office have been cordoned off. Around 50 tribals sit in a hall waiting for a public hearing of the environmental impact assessment report of Tata Steel’s proposed Rs 10,000-crore greenfield steel project in the district’s Lohandiguda block.It’s noon by the time officials of the district administration and Tata Steel arrive. Sashi Bhu­shan Prasad, head of Tata’s environmental division, is presenting the report. His start is dramatic: “One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had a dream for a village in Jharkhand, and that is Jamshedpur. It was many times worse than our Bastar.”This is followed by, “Carbon steel…electrostatic precipitators…sodium and nitrogen oxides…automatic combustion control systems. Our technology will be better than the best in the world or at least equivalent. I will skip the technical things because you won’t appreciate them.”The audience pays no attention. For a project that will take up around 5,000 acres of tribal land comprising 11 villages, use a large quantity of water from the river Sabari and will pollute the Indravati, the audience is surprisingly disinterested. After the presentation, the collector asks if there is any objection. Total silence. No one has any objection, but Tata’s project has not progressed beyond paper work and presentations since it signed an MoU with the state government in 2005. Guarded tour 3 pm-4 pm — The hearing is over. The audience walks out towards a waiting posse of security personnel. Asked about the hearing, some pretend not to hear. One of them says, “We are from around Bastar...we have come on a tour.” They are loaded into a convoy of jeeps arranged by the government. That was the public hearing.Reportedly, the collector told the press later, “The public hearing was successful. The people of Bastar should be congratulated.” Two days earlier, on October 10, people from about a dozen villages near Raigarh expressed their opinion on another proposed plant, of Visa Steel and Power, by burning public property worth Rs 20 lakh at a public hearing. At Lohandiguda village, where Tata Steel is setting up shop, village panchayat chairman Budram Kashyap is asked why he did not attend the public hearing. “We were not allowed,’’ he says. ‘‘There was a blockade outside Lohandi­guda.” People at Kumli village nearby say Tata men blocked the roads.In these villages, Tata Steel is not a happy name, although they claim to have paid compensation for 70-75 per cent of the land in Lohandi­guda and the 10 surrounding villages.“Some people here were willing but others were not. In the other 10 villages, they don’t want to give land at all,” says Kashyap. “Even people who took compensation money were pressured. There is pressure from the government that is difficult to resist.” Fear of imprisonment The people of the other 10 villages, Badanji, Bade Paroda, Belar, Beliapal, Chindgaon, Dabpal, Dhuragaon, Kumli, Sirisaguda and Takra­guda, feel likewise.It is harvest season and a group of farmers are loading a trailer with the new paddy at Kumli. Farmer Pandey Nath says his land is not being acquired but he still opposes Tata. ‘‘Tomorrow they will have a factory near my land, pollute it and edge me out. No one wants to sell but they have all taken money now. No one was taking initially, so they sent three or four people to jail to set an example. They did impersonation, faked papers and everything they could to show that compensation had been paid,” he says to the collective nods of 10 other farmers whose lands are being acquired. Tata and the state government have promised jobs, better infrastructure, education and hea­lthcare, but people seem unmoved. “I have been to Jamshedpur,” says Kashyap. ‘‘The children of Tata employees are educated. When Tata opens here, will they give us jobs or them? If Tata were serious, they could have trained the unemployed youth of Lohandiguda.’’Tribal lands are shared and each parcel has 10 to 50 people dependent on it, according to the tribals. A single job for each piece of land will not help. Sources say Tata Steel has spent more than Rs 150 crore over the last four years to ‘‘create goodwill’’. But in villages like Kumli, the charm offensive has plainly not worked. Pankaj Nath is clear about the general mood. “We will take up weapons,’’ he says bleakly. ‘‘The men will fight with their hoes and the women with their sickles.”Kamal Gajviye, a CPI member and farmer at Kumli, is losing his land to the project. “The collector has often accused me of being a Naxalite. I am not. But I will become one, if this continues. They will all become Naxalites.”The government says there is no resistance to land acquisition, or blames it on Maoists. A high-ranking police official says people “right now’’ are unsafe because of the Maoists and subject to their pressure. ‘‘Once people are sec­ure, they can decide freely. Then if they do not want the project, it should be fine.” Ask Kashyap about this pressure from Maoists, who allegedly eliminated Vimal Meshram for acting as Tata Steel’s broker in Lohandiguda, and his reply is, “This man was killed for doing brokerage work for Tata. But there is no Maoist pressure. We never see them. How can they inti­midate or pressure us?” Lohandiguda does not have CRPF deployment, but later this year, along with other pla­ces in north Bastar, it could see paramilitary units, as part of Operation Green Hunt, a central government offensive against Maoists. Once they arrive, it might be difficult to expr­ess such dissent freely. Three hours away by bus, in the south Bastar villages of Dhurli and Bhansi in Dantewada district where Essar is planning a Rs 7,000-crore greenfield steel plant, the CRPF’s constant presence makes a difference. At Bhansi, a group of men from the paramilitary security force are having breakfast when the village panchayat chairman comes. He refuses to talk about Essar, “I won’t talk about Essar. Two of my friends were murdered over it.”‘Kill us first’At Dhurli, the panchayat chairman has run away, “Oh…,’’ says one of the men at a tea stall. ‘‘He stays in Dantewada fearing the Naxals. He probably took money from Essar.” Samruram Mar­kam, the village kotwari, says it is ‘‘a little pea­ceful now’’, but last year it was bad. ‘‘The collector is with them (Essar), so they come in with the force and threaten us. Essar came in 2005 and along with them came the CRPF camp.”The restive mood of Lohandiguda is missing in these villages. “In case our land is taken by force,” says Markam, ‘‘we have decided to asse­mble all the men, women, cattle, goat, chicken and dogs, and ask them to kill us before taking the land. We will die anyway without our land.’’ There’s a note of despair in his voice. In Raipur, N Baijendra Kumar, principal secretary to the chief minister, says mining projects have not taken off in Bastar because, “44 per cent of Bastar is forest and most of our mine­ral resources are beneath that. Environmental iss­ues come with the application of the Forest Act. Also, with tribals we have seen emotional problems when it comes to land.” He denies any direct relation between Green Hunt and mining or related activities, “There is no direct link. Some activists are trying to show a correlation. The operation will improve everything, health, education, infrastructure. Obviously it will also improve mining.”At Dhurli, an old woman drops her washing to chat, “Is it true that many soldiers are going to come next month? They say they will cut us up and throw away our bodies, after Diwali.... Is it true? ” It’s hard to answer that. — krishnamurthy.ramasubbu at gmail.com The threat of a desi East India Company The Chhattisgarh government has been insisting on setting up steel plants in the state to ensure value addition. Chief minister Raman Singh had said that companies should not behave like the East India Company and cart away only mineral raw materials from the state. As part of this plan Tata’s plant is planned in North Bastar, while Essar’s plant is planned in South Bastar. Company: Tata Steel Location: Lohandiguda block, Bastar district Displacement: 11 villages Land: 5,050 acres approximately Product: Steel from iron ore Capacity: 5.5 million tonnes per annum Estimated cost: Rs 10,000 crore Company: Essar Steel Location: Dhurli and Bhansi villages, Dantewada district Displacement: 2 villagesLand: 1500 acres approximately Product: Steel from iron ore Capacity: 3.2 million tonnes per annum Estimated cost: Rs 7,000 crore From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 20 14:18:05 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:48:05 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?=22Tablighi_Jamaat_=E2=80=93_Preaching_Ji?= =?utf-8?q?had=22_by_Salah_Uddin_Shoaib_Choudhury?= Message-ID: <156606.39722.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> "Tablighi Jamaat – Preaching Jihad"   October 14, 2009   Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury   Tablighi Jamaat [Conveying Group] is a Muslim missionary and revival movement. Their activities are not limited to the Deobandi community. Leaders of Tablighi Jamaat claim that the movement is strictly non-political in nature, with the main aim of the participants being to work at the grass roots level and reaching out to all Muslims of the world for spiritual development. Tablighi Jamat seeks to revitalize Muslims around the world. It is claimed that their ideology and practices are in strict accordance with Qur'an and Sunnah. Despite their affiliation and influence of the prominent scholars of Deoband, they do not focus any particular sect or community. It gathers its members and aids in community activities such as mosque building and education. Tabligh maintains an international headquarters, the Markaz, in Nizamuddin, Delhi and has several national headquarters to coordinate its activities in over 80 countries. Throughout its history it has sent its members to travel the world, preaching a message of peace and tolerance. It organizes preachers in groups [called Jamaats, meaning Assembly]. Each group, on average, consists of 10 to 12 Muslims who fund themselves in this preaching mission.. The second largest gathering of Muslims after the Hajj [the pilgrimage to Mecca] is known as Bishwa Ijtema, a non political gathering of Muslims from all over the world hosted by the leaders of "International Tabligh Jama'at".. It takes place in Tongi which is on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Tablighi Jamaat was founded in the late 1920s by the well known scholar Maulana Ilyas [Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhelvi] in the Mewat province of India. The inspiration for devoting his life to Islam came to Ilyas during his second pilgrimage to the Hejaz in 1926. Maulana Ilyas put forward the slogan, ´Aye Musalmano! Musalman bano´ [Urdu] which translates 'Come O Muslims! Be Muslims' [in English]. This expressed the central focus of Tablighi Jamat, which has been renewing Muslim society by renewing Muslim practice in those it feels have lost their desire to devote themselves to Allah and the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Maulana Ilyas was a prominent member of the movement and throughout Tabligh's history there has been a degree of association between scholars of Deoband and Tablighi Jamat. Tabligh was formed at a time in India when some Muslim leaders feared that Indian Muslims were losing their Muslim identity to the majority Hindu culture. In 1978, construction of the Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, England commenced.. Subsequently, the mosque became the European headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat. Ameer [Emir] or Zimmadar are titles of leadership in the movement. The first Ameer, also the founder, was Maulana Ilyas [1885-1944], second was his son Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalawi and the third was Maulana Inaam ul Hasan. Now there is a shura which includes two leaders: Maulana Zubair ul Hasan and Maulana Saad Kandhalawi. In Pakistan the duties of the Ameer are being served by Haji Abdulwahhab. Maulana Muhammad Zakariya al-Kandahlawi is also among the prestigious personalities of the Jamaat, as he compiled the famous book Fazail-e-Amal. With the ascent of Maulana Yusuf, Ilyas´ son, as its second emir (leader), the group began to expand activities in 1946, and within two decades the group reached Southwest and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Initially it expanded its reach to South Asian diaspora communities, first in Arab countries then in Southeast Asia. Once established, the Tablighi Jamaat began engaging local populations as well. Although the movement first established itself in the United States, it established a large presence in Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. It was especially prominent in France during the 1980s. The members of Tablighi Jamat are also represented in the French Council of the Muslim Faith. Tabligh's influence has grown, though, in the increasing Pakistani community in France, which has doubled in the decade before 2008 to 50,000-60,000. However, Britain is the current focus of the movement in the West, primarily due to the large South Asian population that began to arrive there in the 1960s and 1970s. By 2007, Tabligh members were situated at 600 of Britain's 1350 mosques. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the movement made inroads into Central Asia. As of 2007, it was estimated 10,000 Tablighi members could be found in Kyrgyzstan alone. By 2008 it had a presence in nearly 80 countries and had become a leading revitalist movement. However, it maintains a presence in India, where at least 100 of its Jamaats go out from Markaz, the international headquarters, to different parts of India and overseas. There are many celebrated personalities associated with this movement: These include the former Presidents of Pakistan, Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and Farooq Leghari [Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari], and former President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain who was also associated with this movement. Major General Ziaur Rahman, former President and Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, was a strong supporter and member of Tablighi Jamaat, and popularized it in Bangladesh. Lieutenant General [R] Javed Nasir of the Pakistan Army and former head of Inter-Services Intelligence along with former Prime Minister of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq have also been linked with the movement. Other well-known politicians such as Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim the former chief mininster of Sindh, and Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, former Pakistani Federal Minister for Religious Affairs have strong ties with the Tablighi activities. Many well-recognized writers and scholars, such as Dr. Nadir Ali Khan [famous Indian writer] and others are deeply related with it. Among Pakistani cricket professionals, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed; and the former Pakistani cricketers Saeed Anwar, Saleem Malik are active members. It is also widely believed that Pakistani middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf embraced Islam with the help of the Tablighi Jamaat. Others include South African batsman Hashim Amla. This movement also includes eminent directors and producers including Naeem Butt. Former renowned singer and pop star Junaid Jamshed has close links with Jamaat, and his departure from professional singing career is attributed as the result of his inclination towards this movement. Many famed actors and models including Moin Akhter, Hammad Khan Jadoon and many others are strongly affiliated with the movement. Several business men, industrialists, millionaires are actively serving in the movement. Tabligh Jamaat terror connection: Policy analysts and Islamist scholars are fiercely divided in their assessments of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic revivalist organization that has spread from its origins in India in the 1920s to the broader Muslim world. Policy communities, for their part, have depicted the Tablighi Jamaat as a "gateway to terrorism" and contend that the organization poses numerous, underestimated security risks. The group appeared peripherally in such high-profile cases as those of Jose Padilla, Richard Reid and John Walker Lindh, all of whom allegedly used the group as their stepping stone to radicalism. However, the Islamic studies community tends to depict Tablighi Jamaat, which roughly translates to "group to deliver the message of Islam," as a revivalist organization that eschews politics in its quest to reform society. What accounts for these starkly different accounts, and how can one resolve some of the deeply perplexing questions surrounding this important and secretive organization? In an attempt to better understand this movement and its social, political, and potential security implications, the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention at the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted Eva Borreguero, visiting Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University´s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, to present some of the key findings of her ongoing research on the Tablighi Jamaat. This talk drew on Borreguero´s recent fieldwork in India and Pakistan, two important centers for the Tablighi Jamaat. This USIPeaceBrieing highlights Borreguero´s arguments, as well as some of the important issues that arose during the discussion that followed her presentation. Tablighi Jamaat: Gateway to Terrorism? In Britain, France, and the United States, the Tablighi Jamaat has appeared on the fringes of several terrorism investigations, leading some to speculate that its apolitical stance simply masks "fertile ground for breeding terrorism." While acknowledging the involvement of the movement´s individuals, Borreguero discounted the claims made against the organization itself. Borreguero began her assessment by providing an historical overview of this complex movement. Maulana Muhammad Ilyas founded the Tablighi Jamaat in 1925, against the backdrop of the British Empire and a waning Muslim identity in South Asia. Believing that social, political, and economic hardships beset Muslims in India, Ilyas sought a return to a pristine form of Islam from the heterodox variants flourishing in South Asia. For nearly two decades, the Tablighi Jamaat operated mainly within South Asia. With the ascent of Maulana Yusuf, Ilyas´ son, as its second emir (leader), the group began to expand activities in 1946, and within two decades the group reached Southwest and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Initially it expanded its reach to South Asian diaspora communities, first in Arab countries then in Southeast Asia. Once established, the Tablighi Jamaat began engaging local populations as well. Although the group first established itself in the United States, Britain is the current locus of the group in the West, primarily due to the large South Asian population that began to arrive there in the 1960s and 1970s. Structure, Composition, and Work: Despite its secretive nature, Borreguero offered some insights into the organizational structure of the Tablighi Jamaat. The general conception of the group is of a nebulous collection of loosely affiliated, itinerate jamaats.. While this is one major component of the group, there is a fixed, hierarchical network of elders and mosques, and the two components do overlap. According to Borreguero, the core of the organization is comprised of "full-time" Tablighis who comprise the shura (council) and who are usually the elders of the mosques affiliated with the group. In addition to this core, there are the traveling Tablighis who undertake proselytizing missions over varying durations. Formed into jamaats of approximately ten people, these Tablighis´ missions last three days, forty days [Chilla], four months, or one year. The jamaat´s destination and desired area of focus generally determines the length of these missions. Those who go for three days concentrate on a local city, while a jamaat traveling for a month will do so throughout their country. The longer tours of four months to one year generally take the Tablighis abroad. During these tours, the jamaat—under the leadership of its emir—stays at a local mosque, which serves as its base for the duration. Four or five members of the group conduct daily ghast, during which they visit neighborhoods [or neighborhoods with large Muslim populations if in a non-Muslim country] and homes, asking the men of the household to attend mosque for Maghrib [sunset] prayers. Those who attend are offered the dawa [invitation] as the Tablighis outline their six principles and encourage attendees to form their own jamaat. Members voluntarily work for the organization and there is no registration process in the group. Participants are free to leave the movement at any time. Consequently, Tablighi Jamaat has a loose, informal recruitment process and attracts members of varying commitment. For example, some members only engage in group activities episodically, while others will do so annually. All of these factors contribute to the uncertainty regarding Tablighi Jamaat´s membership numbers. Tablighis in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have competing claims as to which comprises the movement´s international headquarters. Those in India contend that Nizamuddin [India] is the base, since the movement grew out of the Deoband school of Islam and it is in Delhi that the group was founded. However, elders in Raiwind [Pakistan] and Tongi [Bangladesh] dispute Nizamuddin´s final authority, citing their countries´ majority Muslim populations and claiming that the organization can operate more openly. South Asia is by far the most significant region for the group, with Mecca and Medina also serving as important geographical symbols. The organization is diverse and includes persons from nearly every sector of society across the countries of South Asia and beyond. Within South Asia, members of the lower-middle class and the business community have joined the group and some members even hold government posts. In the West, second and third generation Muslim diaspora make up the main pool of Tablighis. This demographic usually has little knowledge of Islam but are also not fully assimilated to culture in the West. According to Borreguero, the Tablighi Jamaat "is a source of re-Islamization that provides an alternative to religious institutions." These individuals tend to be well-educated, multilingual, and have lived in both the West and a Muslim country. She noted that the Tablighi Jamaat also has some appeal to marginal members of society [petty criminals, drug abusers, and so on] who are looking for a renewed identity that submerges them in a community of piety. Keys to the Success of the Tablighi Jamaat: Borreguero sees several salient features which explain the Tablighi Jamaat´s successful transformation from a local South Asian movement into a robust transnational phenomenon, including its simple message, its non-political character, the authority of its leadership, and its policy of secrecy.. Outstanding Concerns: Borreguero addressed the persistent question of how a group so devoted to proselytizing a pristine form of Islam and inner spiritual transformation can coexist with modern society, and specifically whether such a group warrants scrutiny because of its revivalist beliefs. While recognizing the numerous reports that link Tablighi Jamaat to militancy in various forms, her fieldwork yielded little evidence to support the most sweeping of these claims. During her interviews with Tablighis, they tended not to opine on politics. However, she conceded that for some Tablighis—as individuals—this might not be enough. She claimed that there is no evidence thus far that the group as a whole is involved with militant groups, such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan, while acknowledging the potential role that individual Tablighis may have played in them. She claimed that the Tablighi Jamaat remains neutral on these groups, neither condemning nor supporting their actions. To some analysts, this neutrality is enough to make them culpable. Borreguero admits that militant groups may try to infiltrate the Tablighi Jamaat in order to gain a cover for obtaining visas and traveling abroad. Also, individual members may come to find that the movement´s principles are too apolitical and neutral for their liking. Members of militant groups often attend the Tablighi Jamaat´s Ijtima [congregation] in Raiwind, where they hand out recruitment pamphlets. It is thus possible that a flame sparked and fueled by Tabligh could begin to burn out of control. Borreguero, however, stressed that once this extreme position is taken, the individual relinquishes his or her membership to the Tablighi Jamaat. She also believes that any overt connection with these groups is not in the best interest of the Tablighi Jamaat. As stated above, the movement´s neutrality allows cordial relations with authorities, or at least keeps them from incurring official harassment. Any collusion with militant outfits would likely invite official proscription, especially in Western societies. While much light was shed on the Tablighi Jamaat, many questions still remain. To some, its official secrecy and peripheral links to some nefarious individuals have nullified its choice to remain outside politics. But, as scholar Barbara Metcalf writes, "Islamic movements [like the Tablighi Jamaat] may have many goals and offer a range of social, moral, and spiritual satisfactions that are positive and not merely a reactionary rejection of modernity or ´the West.´ Quite simply, these movements may, in the end, have much less to do with ´us´ than is often thought." Borreguero´s insights provided a gateway to better assess the group´s motives and machinations. It may well be that the study of the Tablighi Jamaat as an apolitical traditionalist movement gives an alternate lens through which security concerns over Islamist groups´ hostility toward the West can be viewed. Every fall, over a million almost identically dressed, bearded Muslim men from around the world descend on the small Pakistani town of Raiwind for a three-day celebration of faith. Similar gatherings take place annually outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Bhopal, India. These pilgrims are no ordinary Muslims, though; they belong to a movement called Tablighi Jamaat ["Proselytizing Group"]. They are trained missionaries who have dedicated much of their lives to spreading Islam across the globe. The largest group of religious proselytizers of any faith, they are part of the reason for the explosive growth of Islamic religious fervor and conversion. Despite its size, worldwide presence, and tremendous importance, Tablighi Jamaat remains largely unknown outside the Muslim community, even to many scholars of Islam. This is no coincidence. Tablighi Jamaat officials work to remain outside of both media and governmental notice. Tablighi Jamaat neither has formal organizational structure nor does it publish details about the scope of its activities, its membership, or its finances. By eschewing open discussion of politics and portraying itself only as a pietistic movement, Tablighi Jamaat works to project a non-threatening image. Because of the movement's secrecy, scholars often have no choice but to rely on explanations from Tablighi Jamaat acolytes. As a result, academics tend to describe the group as an apolitical devotional movement stressing individual faith, introspection, and spiritual development. The austere and egalitarian lifestyle of Tablighi missionaries and their principled stands against social ills leads many outside observers to assume that the group has a positive influence on society. Graham Fuller, a former CIA official and expert on Islam, for example, characterized Tablighi Jamaat as a "peaceful and apolitical preaching-to-the-people movement." Barbara Metcalf, a University of California scholar of South Asian Islam, called Tablighi Jamaat "an apolitical, quietist movement of internal grassroots missionary renewal" and compares its activities to the efforts to reshape individual lives by Alcoholics Anonymous. Olivier Roy, a prominent authority on Islam at Paris's prestigious Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, described Tablighi Jamaat as "completely apolitical and law abiding." Governments normally intolerant of independent movements often make an exception for Tablighi Jamaat. The Bangladeshi prime minister and top political leadership, many of whom are Islamists, regularly attend their rallies, and Pakistani military officers, many of whom are sympathetic to militant Islam, even allow Tablighi missionaries to preach in the barracks. Yet, the Pakistani experience strips the patina from Tablighi Jamaat's façade. Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif [1990-93; 1997-99], whose father was a prominent Tablighi member and financier, helped Tablighi members take prominent positions. For example, in 1998, Muhammad Rafique Tarar took the ceremonial presidency while, in 1990, Javed Nasir assumed the powerful director-generalship of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's chief intelligence agency. When Benazir Bhutto, less sympathetic to Islamist causes, returned to the premiership in 1993, Tablighis conspired to overthrow her government. In 1995, the Pakistani army thwarted a coup attempt by several dozen high-ranking military officers and civilians, all of whom were members of the Tablighi Jamaat and some of whom also held membership in Harakat ul-Mujahideen, a U.S. State Department-defined terrorist organization. Some of the confusion over Tablighi Jamaat's apolitical characterization derives from the fact that the movement does not consider individual states to be legitimate. They may not become actively involved in internal politics or disputes over local issues, but, from a philosophical and transnational perspective, the Tablighi Jamaat's millenarian philosophy is very political indeed. According to the French Tablighi expert Marc Gaborieau, its ultimate objective is nothing short of a "planned conquest of the world" in the spirit of jihad. Origins and Ideology: The prominent Deobandi cleric and scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalawi [1885-1944] launched Tablighi Jamaat in 1927 in Mewat, India, not far from Delhi. From its inception, the extremist attitudes that characterize Deobandism permeated Tablighi philosophy. Ilyas's followers were intolerant of other Muslims and especially Shi´ites, let alone adherents of other faiths. Indeed, part of Ilyas's impetus for founding Tablighi Jamaat was to counter the inroads being made by Hindu missionaries. They rejected modernity as antithetical to Islam, excluded women, and preached that Islam must subsume all other religions. The creed grew in importance after Pakistani military dictator Zia ul-Haq encouraged Deobandis to Islamize Pakistan. The Tablighi Jamaat canon is bare-boned. Apart from the Qu'ran, the only literature Tablighis are required to read are the Tablighi Nisab, seven essays penned by a companion of Ilyas in the 1920s. Tablighi Jamaat is not a monolith: one subsection believes they should pursue jihad through conscience [jihad bin nafs] while a more radical wing advocates jihad through the sword [jihad bin saif]. But, in practice, all Tablighis preach a creed that is hardly distinguishable from the radical Wahhabi-Salafi jihadist ideology that so many terrorists share. Part of the reason why the Tablighi Jamaat leadership can maintain such strict secrecy is its dynastic flavor. All Tablighi Jamaat leaders since Ilyas have been related to him by either blood or marriage. Upon Ilyas' 1944 death, his son, Maulana Muhammad Yusuf [1917-65], assumed leadership of the movement, dramatically expanding its reach and influence. Following the partition of India, Tablighi Jamaat spread rapidly in the new Muslim nation of Pakistan. Yusuf and his successor, Inamul Hassan [1965-95], transformed Tablighi Jamaat into a truly transnational movement with a renewed emphasis targeting conversion of non-Muslims, a mission the movement continues to the present day. While few details are known about the group's structure, at the top sits the emir who, according to some observers, presides over a shura [Council], which plays an advisory role. Further down are individual country organizations. By the late 1960s, Tablighi Jamaat had not only established itself in Western Europe and North America but even claimed adherents in countries like Japan, which has no significant Muslim population. The movement's rapid penetration into non-Muslim regions began in the 1970s and coincides with the establishment of a synergistic relationship between Saudi Wahhabis and South Asian Deobandis. While Wahhabis are dismissive of other Islamic schools, they single out Tablighi Jamaat for praise, even if they disagree with some of its practices, such as willingness to pray in mosques housing graves. The late Sheikh ´Abd al ´Aziz ibn Baz, perhaps the most influential Wahhabi cleric in the late twentieth century, recognized the Tablighis good work and encouraged his Wahhabi brethren to go on missions with them so that they can "guide and advise them." A practical result of this cooperation has been large-scale Saudi financing of Tablighi Jamaat. While Tablighi Jamaat in theory requires its missionaries to cover their own expenses during their trips, in practice, Saudi money subsidizes transportation costs for thousands of poor missionaries. While Tablighi Jamaat's financial activities are shrouded in secrecy, there is no doubt that some of the vast sums spent by Saudi organizations such as the World Muslim League on proselytism benefit Tablighi Jamaat. As early as 1978, the World Muslim League subsidized the building of the Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, England, which has since become the headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in all of Europe. Wahhabi sources have paid Tablighi missionaries in Africa salaries higher than the European Union pays teachers in Zanzibar. In both Western Europe and the United States, Tablighis operate interchangeably out of Deobandi and Wahhabi controlled mosques and Islamic centers. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: The West's misreading of Tablighi Jamaat actions and motives has serious implications for the war on terrorism. Tablighi Jamaat has always adopted an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam, but in the past two decades, it has radicalized to the point where it is now a driving force of Islamic extremism and a major recruiting agency for terrorist causes worldwide. For a majority of young Muslim extremists, joining Tablighi Jamaat is the first step on the road to extremism. Perhaps 80 percent of the Islamist extremists in France come from Tablighi ranks, prompting French intelligence officers to call Tablighi Jamaat the "antechamber of fundamentalism." U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly adopting the same attitude. "We have a significant presence of Tablighi Jamaat in the United States," the deputy chief of the FBI's international terrorism section said in 2003, "and we have found that Al-Qaeda used them for recruiting now and in the past." Recruitment methods for young jihadists are almost identical. After joining Tablighi Jamaat groups at a local mosque or Islamic center and doing a few local dawa [proselytism] missions, Tablighi officials invite star recruits to the Tablighi center in Raiwind, Pakistan, for four months of additional missionary training. Representatives of terrorist organizations approach the students at the Raiwind center and invite them to undertake military training. Most agree to do so. Tablighi Jamaat has long been directly involved in the sponsorship of terrorist groups. Pakistani and Indian observers believe, for instance, that Tablighi Jamaat was instrumental in founding Harakat ul-Mujahideen. Founded at Raiwind in 1980, almost all of the Harakat ul-Mujahideen's original members were Tablighis. Famous for the December 1998 hijacking of an Air India passenger jet and the May 8, 2002 murder of a busload of French engineers in Karachi, Harakat members make no secret of their ties. "The two organizations together make up a truly international network of genuine jihadi Muslims," one senior Harakat ul-Mujahideen official said. More than 6,000 Tablighis have trained in Harakat ul-Mujahideen camps. Many fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s and readily joined Al-Qaeda after the Taliban defeated Afghanistan's anti-Soviet mujahideen. Another violent Tablighi Jamaat spin-off is the Harakat ul-Jihad-i Islami. Founded in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, this group has been active not only in the disputed Indian provinces of Jammu and Kashmir but also in the state of Gujarat, where Tablighi Jamaat extremists have taken over perhaps 80 percent of the mosques previously run by the moderate Barelvi Muslims. The Tablighi movement is also very active in northern Africa where it became one of the four groups that founded the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria. Moroccan authorities are currently prosecuting sixty members of the Moroccan Tablighi offshoot Dawa wa Tabligh in connection with the May 16, 2003 terrorist attack on a Casablanca synagogue. Dutch police are investigating links between the Moroccan cells and the November 2, 2004 murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. There are many other cases of individual Tablighis committing acts of terrorism. French Tablighi members, for example, have helped organize and execute attacks not only in Paris but also at the Hotel Asni in Marrakech in 1994.. Kazakh authorities expelled a number of Tablighi missionaries because they had been organizing networks advancing "extremist propaganda and recruitment." Indian investigators suspect influential Tablighi leader, Maulana Umarji, and a group of his followers in the February 27, 2002 fire bombing of a train carrying Hindu nationalists in Gujarat, India. The incident sparked a wave of pogroms victimizing both Muslims and Hindus. More recently, Moroccan authorities sentenced Yusef Fikri, a Tablighi member and leader of the Moroccan terrorist organization At-Takfir wal-Hijrah, to death for his role in masterminding the May 2003 Casablanca terrorist bombings that claimed more than forty lives. Tablighi Jamaat has also facilitated other terrorists' missions. The group has provided logistical support and helped procure travel documents. Many take advantage of Tablighi Jamaat's benign reputation. Moroccan authorities say that leaflets circulated by the terrorist group Al-Salafiyah al-Jihadiyah urged their members to join Islamic organizations that operate openly, such as Tablighi Jamaat, in order "to hide their identity on the one hand and influence these groups and their policies on the other." In a similar vein, a Pakistani jihadi website commented that Tablighi Jamaat organizational structures can be easily adopted to jihad activities. The Philippine government has accused Tablighi Jamaat, which has an 11,000-member presence in the country, of serving both as a conduit of Saudi money to the Islamic terrorists in the south and as a cover for Pakistani jihad volunteers. There is also evidence that Tablighi Jamaat directly recruits for terrorist organizations. As early as the 1980s, the movement sponsored military training for 900 recruits annually in Pakistan and Algeria while, in 1999, Uzbek authorities accused Tablighi Jamaat of sending 400 Uzbeks to terrorist training camps. The West is not immune. British counterterrorism authorities estimate that at least 2,000 British nationals had gone to Pakistan for jihad training by 1998, and the French secret services report that between 80 and 100 French nationals fought for Al-Qaeda. A Trojan Horse for Terror in America? Within the United States, the cases of American Taliban John Lindh, the "Lackawanna Six," and the Oregon cell that conspired to bomb a synagogue and sought to link up with Al-Qaeda, all involve Tablighi missionaries. Other indicted terrorists, such as "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla, and Lyman Harris, who sought to bomb the Brooklyn Bridge, were all members of Tablighi Jamaat at one time or another. According to Robert Blitzer, head of the FBI's first Islamic counterterrorism unit, between 1,000 and 2,000 Americans left to join the jihad in the 1990s alone. Pakistani intelligence sources report that 400 American Tablighi recruits received training in Pakistani or Afghan terrorist camps since 1989. The Tablighi Jamaat has made inroads among two very different segments of the American Muslim population. Because many American Muslims are immigrants, and a large subsection of these are from South Asia, Deobandi influences have been able to penetrate deeply. Many Tablighi Jamaat missionaries speak Urdu as a first language and so can communicate easily with American Muslims of South Asian origin. The Tablighi headquarters in the United States for the past decade appears to be in the Al-Falah mosque in Queens, New York. Its missionaries—predominantly from South Asia—regularly visit Sunni mosques and Islamic centers across the country. The willingness of Saudi-controlled front organizations and charities, such as the World Muslim League, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth [WAMY], the Haramain Foundation, the International Islamic Relief Organization [IIRO] and others, to spend large amounts of money to co-opt the religious establishment has helped catalyze recruitment. As a result Wahhabi and Deobandi influence dominate American Islam. This trend is apparent in the activities of Tanzeem-e Islami. Founded by long-term Tablighi member and passionate Taliban supporter, Israr Ahmed, Tanzeem-e Islami flooded American Muslim organizations with communications accusing Israel of complicity in the 9/11 terror attacks. A frequent featured speaker at Islamic conferences and events in the United States, Ahmed engages in incendiary rhetoric urging his audiences to prepare for "the final showdown between the Muslim world and the non-Muslim world, which has been captured by the Jews." Unfortunately, his conspiracy theories have begun to take hold among growing segments of the American Muslim community. For example, Siraj Wahhaj, among the best known African-American Muslim converts and the first Muslim cleric to lead prayers in the U.S. Congress, is also on record accusing the FBI and the CIA of being the "real terrorists." He has expressed his support for the convicted mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, and advocating the demise of American democracy. Tablighi Jamaat has appealed to African American Muslims for other reasons. Founded by Elijah Mohammed in the early 1930s, the Nation of Islam was essentially a charismatic African American separatist organization which had little to do with normative Islam. Many Nation of Islam members found attractive both the Tablighi Jamaat's anti-state separatist message and its description of American society as racist, decadent, and oppressive. Seeing such fertile ground, Tablighi and Wahhabi missionaries targeted the African American community with great success. One Tablighi sympathizer explained, The umma [Muslim community] must remember that winning over the black Muslims is not only a religious obligation but also a selfish necessity. The votes of the black Muslims can give the immigrant Muslims the political clout they need at every stage to protect their vital interests. Likewise, outside Muslim states like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Pakistan need to mobilize their effort, money, and missionary skills to expand and consolidate the black Muslim community in the USA, not only for religious reasons, but also as a farsighted investment in the black Muslims' immense potential as a credible lobby for Muslim causes, such as Palestine, Bosnia, or Kashmir—offsetting, at least partially, the venal influence of the powerful India-Israel lobby. Not only foreign Tablighis but also the movement's sympathizers within the United States enunciate this goal. The president of the Islamic Research Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky, a strong advocate of Tablighi missionary work, for instance, insists that "if all the Afro-American brothers and sisters become Muslims, we can change the political landscape of America" and "make U.S. foreign policy pro-Islamic and Muslim friendly." As a result of Tablighi and Wahhabi proselytizing, African Americans comprise between 30 and 40 percent of the American Muslim community, and perhaps 85 percent of all American Muslim converts. Much of this success is due to a successful proselytizing drive in the penitentiary system. Prison officials say that by the mid-1990s, between 10 and 20 percent of the nation's 1.5 million inmates identified themselves as Muslims. Some 30,000 African Americans convert to Islam in prison every year. The American political system tolerates all views so long as they adhere to the rule of law. Unfortunately, Tablighi Jamaat missionaries may be encouraging African American recruits to break the law. Harkat ul-Mujahideen has boasted of training dozens of African American jihadists in its military camps. There is evidence that African American jihadists have died in both Afghanistan and Kashmir. Tablighi Jamaat: The Future of American Islam? Tablighi Jamaat has made unprecedented strides in recent decades. It increasingly relies on local missionaries rather than South Asian Tablighis to recruit in Western countries and often sets up groups which apparently model themselves after Tablighi Jamaat but do not acknowledge links to it. In the United States, such a role is apparently played by the Islamic Circle of North America [ICNA]. Founded in 1968 as an offshoot of the fiercely Islamist Muslim Student Association, ICNA is the only major American Muslim organization that has paid open homage to Tablighi founder Ilyas. The monthly ICNA publication, The Message, has praised Ilyas as one of the four greatest Islamic leaders of the last 100 years. While the relationship between ICNA and Tablighi Jamaat is not clear, the two organizations share a number of similarities. They both embrace the extreme Deobandi and Wahhabi interpretations of Islam. ICNA demonstrates disdain for Western democratic values and opposes virtually all counterterrorism legislation, such as the Patriot Act, while providing moral and financial support to all Muslims implicated in terrorist activities. An editorial in the ICNA organ, The Message International, in September 1989 bemoaned the "uncounted number of Muslims lost to Western values" which was a "major cause for concern." In 2003 and 2004, ICNA has collected money to assist detainees suspected of terrorist activities, participated in pro-terrorist rallies, and mounted campaigns on behalf of indicted Hamas functionary Sami al-Arian. Like Tablighi Jamaat, ICNA initially drew its membership disproportionately from South Asians. As with Tablighi Jamaat, ICNA demands total dedication to missionary work from its members. Because many ICNA members spend at least thirty hours per week on their mission, their ability to independently support themselves is unclear. Many cannot hold full-time jobs. ICNA's recruitment efforts have borne fruit, though. All ICNA members are organized in small study groups of no more than eight people, called NeighborNets. As in a cult, these cells provide support and reinforcement for new recruits, who may have sought to fill a void in their lives. Its yearly convocations, patterned on the annual Tablighi Jamaat meetings in South Asia, now attract some 15,000 people. The estimated 15,000 Tablighi missionaries reportedly active in the United States present a serious national security problem. At best, they and their proxy groups form a powerful proselytizing movement that preaches extremism and disdain for religious tolerance, democracy, and separation of church and state. At worst, they represent an Islamist fifth column that aids and abets terrorism. Contrary to their benign treatment by scholars and academics, Tablighi Jamaat has more to do with political sedition than with religion. U.S. officials should focus on reality rather than rhetoric. Pakistani and Saudi support for Tablighi Jamaat is incompatible with their claims to be key allies in the war on terror. While law enforcement focuses attention on Osama bin Laden, the war on terrorism cannot be won unless al-Qaeda terrorists are understood to be the products of Islamist ideology preached by groups like Tablighi Jamaat. If the West chooses to turn a blind eye to the problem, Tablighi involvement in future terrorist activities at home and abroad is not a matter of conjecture; it is a certainty. The Tablighi Role in the Global Jihadism: However, there are indeed some links between Tablighis and the world of jihadism. First, there is evidence of indirect connections between the group and the wider radical/extremist Deobandi nexus composed of anti-Shiite sectarian groups, Kashmiri militants and the Taliban. This link provides a medium through which Tablighis who are disgruntled with the group´s apolitical program could break orbit and join militant organizations. One apparent manifestation of this nexus was a purported militant offshoot of TJ, Jihad bi al-Saif [Jihad through the Sword], which was established in Taxila, Pakistan. Members of this group were accused of plotting a coup against former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1995. Yet, because of the organization´s extreme secrecy, little is known about it other than that it is believed to have developed in reaction to the TJ´s apolitical, peaceful stance. The TJ organization also serves as a de facto conduit for Islamist extremists and for groups such as al Qaeda to recruit new members. Significantly, the Tablighi recruits do intersect with the world of radical Islamism when they travel to Pakistan to receive their initial training. We have received reports that once the recruits are in Pakistan, representatives of various radical Islamist groups, such as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, the Taliban and al Qaeda, are said to woo them actively — to the point of offering them military training. And some of them accept the offer. For example, John Walker Lindh — an American who is serving a prison sentence for aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan — traveled with Tablighi preachers to Pakistan in 1998 to further his Islamic studies before joining the Taliban. Because of the piety and strict belief system of the Tablighis and their focus on calling wayward Muslims back to an austere and orthodox Muslim faith, the movement has offered a place where jihadist spotters can look for potential recruits. These facilitators often offer enthusiastic new or rededicated Muslims a more active way to live and develop their faith. Although the TJ promotes a benign message, the same conservative Islamic values espoused by the Tablighis also are part of jihadist ideology, and so some Muslims attracted to the Tablighi movement are enticed into becoming involved with jihadists. Additionally, because of its apolitical belief system, TJ seems to leave a gap in the ideological indoctrination of the individual Tablighi because it essentially asks the novice to shun politics and public affairs. The problem in taking this belief system from theory to practice, however, is that some people find they cannot ignore what is happening in the world around them, especially when that world includes wars. This is when some Tablighis become disillusioned with TJ and start turning to jihadist groups that offer religiously sanctioned prescriptions as to how "good Muslims" should deal with life´s injustices. Once a facilitator identifies such candidates, he often will segregate them from the main congregation in the mosque or community center and put them into small prayer circles or study groups where they can be more easily exposed to jihadist ideology. [Of course, it also has been shown that a person with friends or relatives who ascribe to radical ideology can more easily be radical]. Examples of people making the jump from TJ to radical Islam are the two leading members of the cell responsible for the July 7, 2005, London bombings — Mohammed Siddique Khan and Shahzad Tanweer. Both had life-changing experiences through their exposure to TJ, though by 2001 the men had left the Tablighi mosque they had been attending in the British city of Beeston, because they found it to be too apolitical. They apparently were frustrated by the mosque´s elders, who forbid the discussion of politics in the mosque. After Khan and Tanweer left the Tablighi mosque, they began attending the smaller Iqra Learning Center bookstore in Beeston, where they reportedly were exposed to frequent political discussions about places such as Iraq, Kashmir and Chechnya. The store´s proprietors reportedly even produced jihad videos depicting crimes by the West against the Muslim world. Exposed to this environment, the two men eventually became radicalized to the point of traveling to Pakistan to attend a terrorist training camp and then returning to the United Kingdom to plan and execute a suicide attack that resulted in the death of them both. TJ also is used by jihadists as cover both for recruiting activities, as discussed above, and for travel. Like Khan and Tanweer, many jihadists desire to travel to Pakistan for training, while others want to get to Afghanistan, Kashmir or other places to fight jihad. However, the travel environment is far different today than it was in the early 1980s, when 747 jetliners packed with jihadists from Saudi Arabia and other places flew into Pakistan en route to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. Foreigners traveling to Pakistan today cannot enter the country without a visa, and Pakistani authorities are no longer inclined to issue visas to jihadists, as Jeffrey Battle and the other members of the Portland Seven had to learn the hard way. Shortly after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the friends traveled to China with the intention of entering Afghanistan by way of Pakistan. Once at the Chinese-Pakistani border, however, they found they could not enter Pakistan without a visa. After spending a frustrating month trying to obtain visas from the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, the seven aspiring jihadists decided to go their separate ways. Battle, who reportedly once served as a bodyguard for Black Panther leader Quanell X, later attempted to obtain a visa to Pakistan by saying he was affiliated with TJ. The Pakistanis, probably recognizing him from his prior [and apparently somewhat vocal] visa attempts, denied him again, though he was able to get a visa to travel to Bangladesh using the feigned connection to TJ. Unable to make his way from Bangladesh to Pakistan or Afghanistan, however, Battle returned to the United States, where he was later arrested. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of seditious conspiracy and waging war against the United States. Similarly, in the spring of 2001 the members of the so-called Lackawanna Six cell traveled to Pakistan under the pretext of studying the Islamic religion and culture at the TJ training center. In reality, the men traveled through Pakistan to Afghanistan, where they attended training at the al-Farooq camp, a training site being run by al Qaeda. Again, the men used TJ as cover for travel, though there is no indication that TJ played any real part in their alleged plot. Although the TJ organization unintentionally serves as a front for, or conduit to, militant organizations such as al Qaeda, there is no evidence that the Tablighis act willingly as a global unified jihadist recruiting arm. Rather, such activities appear to occur without the knowledge or consent of TJ leaders. Additionally, because of the very size of the organization and it activities in Muslim communities in the West, a great many Muslims have had some sort of contact with the group. TJ itself, however, is not an intentional propagator of terrorism. Investigation on Terror Connection of Tabligh Jamaat in Pakistan: Prominent amongst the Wahabi-Deobandi organisations active in the CARs, Chechnya and Dagestan are the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen [HUM--formerly known as the Harkat-ul-Ansar], the Markaz Dawa Al Irshad and its militant wing, the Lashkar-e-Toiba.A detailed paper on the HUM was disseminated on March 20,1999,and on the Markaz and its Lashkar on July 26,1998. This paper deals with the Tablighi Jamaat [TJ], which is the mother of all the Pakistan-based jehadi organisations active not only in the CARs, Chechnya and Dagestan, but also in other parts of the world. In an investigative report carried by the "News" [February 13, 1995], Mr. Kamran Khan, the well-known Pakistani journalist, brought to light for the first time the nexus between the TJ and the HUM and their role in supporting Islamic extremist movements in different countries. He quoted unidentified office-bearers of the HUM as saying as follows: "Ours is basically a Sunni organisation close to the Deobandi school of thought.. Our people are mostly impressed by the TJ. Most of our workers do come from the TJ. We regularly go to its annual meeting at Raiwind. Ours is a truly international network of genuine jehadi Muslims. We believe frontiers can never divide Muslims. They are one nation. They will remain a single entity. "We try to go wherever our Muslim brothers are terrorised, without any monetary consideration. Our colleagues went and fought against oppressors in Bosnia, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Burma, the Philippines and, of course, India. "Although Pakistani members are not participating directly in anti-Government armed resistance in Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan, many of the fighters in those Arab States had remained our colleagues during the Afghan war and we know one another very well. We are doing whatever we can to help them install Islamic governments in those States." The report also quoted the office-bearers as claiming that among foreign volunteers trained by them in their training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan were 16 African-American Muslims from various cities of the US and that funds for their activities mostly came from Muslim businessmen of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UK. The February 1998, issue of the "Newsline", a monthly of Pakistan, quoted workers of the TJ as saying that the TJ had many offices in the US, Russia, the Central Asian Republics, South Africa, Australia and France and that many members of the Chechen Cabinet, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, were workers of the TJ and participated in its proselytising activities. . One of them, merely identified as Khalil, said: " It is possible that France may become a Muslim state within my lifetime, due to the great momentum of Tablighi activity there. " According to the "Newsline", the TJ was started in the 1880s to revive and spread Islam. Its annual convention held at Raiwind in Pakistani Punjab in November every year is attended by over one million Muslims from all over the world. This is described by the "Newsline" as the second largest gathering of the Muslims anywhere in the world after the Haj in Saudi Arabia. Dr.Jassim Taqui, an Islamic scholar, wrote in the "Frontier Post" of Peshawar of January 15,1999, as follows: The TJ has been able to establish contacts and centres throughout the Muslim world. [Comment: By "Muslim world" he does not only mean Islamic countries, but all countries where there is a sizable Muslim community]. It has thousands of dedicated and disciplined workers who never question any order from the high-ups. What has helped the TJ to expand [without creating alarm in the security agencies] is its policy of a deliberate black-out of its activities. It does not interact with the media and does not issue any statements or communiqués. It believes in human communication through word of mouth. [Comment: It does not bring out any journals or other propaganda organs to explain its policies and objectives. All explanations to its workers and potential recruits are given orally]. During its training classes, it claims to have frustrated the efforts of the US Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] to penetrate it and succeeded in converting the CIA agents to Islam. The TJ claims that it never accepts money from anybody and that all its workers who volunteer to go on preaching mission have to spend their own money.. Even though the TJ claims to be apolitical and disinterested in political or administrative influence, many of its active members have come to occupy important positions. Examples are Lt.Gen. [Retired] Javed Nasir, who was the DG of the ISI during Mr.Nawaz Sharif's first tenure as the Prime Minister, and Mr.Mohammad Rafique Tarar, the President of Pakistan, who has been an active worker of the TJ for many years. "Those who are close to the inner circles believe that the Tablighis were the brain who bailed out Nawaz Sharif from the constitutional crisis. Tarar is believed to be the brain behind the Shariat Bill [which could not be passed by the Senate] and the concept of speedy justice through military courts [the military courts were declared unconstitutional by the Pakistan Supreme Court]. However, the contacts of the Tablighis had always been with Mr.Mohammad Sharif [father of former Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif] and not with the son. Mr. Nawaz is well aware of the "tariquah" [the path advocated by the TJ]. He has been with the Tabligh for a fairly long time. He takes part in their meetings on a regular basis. He donates money to their welfare projects. As usual, the Tablighis never publicise the donors or the projects or the beneficiaries. All are committed to remain silent." Writing in the "Frontier Post" of January 27, 1999, Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed, another Islamic scholar, said: "Despite its enormous significance as a mass-based religious movement that has influenced Asian, African, Arab and Western Muslims alike, the Tablighi Jamaat has received scant attention in the literature on modern Islam. Maulana Ilyas, the founder of the Tablighi Jamaat, was of the view that the Tablighi movement and politically-oriented Islamic groups, although operating in two different spheres, were complementing each other's work. Hence, there should be no competition and rivalry between them. "   http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/123722   From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 27 15:21:18 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:51:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] 'Kashmir Observer' clarifies on "Kashmir without Soul" by Kuldip Nayar Message-ID: <411538.89377.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Thank you "Kashmir Observer".   My comments were forwarded to 'Kashmir Observer' by a common friend.   "Kashmir Observer' has clarified that there was no 'unwarranted editorial interference' from them and they had carried "Kashmir without Soul" by Kuldeep Nayar as reproduced by  and 'courtesy' of "DAWN" of Pakistan.   Since then "Kashmir Observer" has amended the text to that as available on and 'courtesy' of "Daily Star" of Bangladesh. http://www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3453:kashmir-without-a-soul&catid=8:opinion&Itemid=9   The 'editorialised' version from 'DAWN' is available at http://www.dawnnews.tv/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/09-kashmir-without-a-soul--szh-01#   Kshmendra --- On Sat, 10/24/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: From: Kshmendra Kaul Subject: [Reader-list] "Kashmir without Soul" by Kuldip Nayar To: "sarai list" Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 4:59 PM Kuldip Nayar seems to have realised after 20 years what has been apparent to any objective observer/analyst for ever as long, that the so called "Azadi" movement in Kashmir was in it's essence inspired by and directed towards Islamisation of Kashmir.    Nayar says "The Islamic identity has taken shape ......... and the Kashmiriyat, a secular ethos, is beyond repair"   This syndicated piece by Kuldip Nayar was published in many newspapers. Reproduction below is from "Daily Star".   Amongst others, it has also been published by 'Kashmir Observer". What is interesting is to see the 'editing' by 'Kashmir Observer'.   Examples of  the Kashmir Observer (KO) editing:   - Deleted by KO : "Even Azadi is mentioned less and less because of increasing realisation that a landlocked area could not think of being independent."   - KO deletes the word "Islamic' in the sentence "Sufism has been replaced by assertive Islamic teachings"   - In the sentence "Kashmiri music is on its last legs because most of the society has been forced to acquire an Islamic edge." KO edits it into "... because society has been forced to acquire a religious edge."   - KO deletes the sentences "Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back." from the string " (talking about "Kashmiriyat" and animosity between Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh), "It may still remain a state of Jammu and Kashmir, but the soul will be missing. Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back.   - Deleted by KO : "Probably something new and modern will replace what once aroused feelings of nostalgia."   - KO deletes "sensationalised ones" in the sentence: ".. I get the feeling that the media magnifies stray incidents to sensationalised ones."   - While talking about attempts being made to reach a consensus amongst political parties before the visit of PM Manmohan Singh, KO deletes " Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat chief, is reportedly in favour of it."   - KO deletes the sentence "New Delhi will not agree to a unilateral demilitarisation, definitely not until the question has been resolved." (meaning that Pakistan also has to withdraw it's forces from Pakisatan Controlled J&K)   Kshmendra     Saturday, October 24, 2009 "Kashmir without Soul" Kuldip Nayar   It is unbelievable, but true. Srinagar has changed beyond recognition these past four years since I was last there. From the new swanky airport to the hotel, about 10 kilometres, there is modern construction. It looks as if another Noida, near Delhi, is coming up. Trees, however, have been cut mercilessly and familiar pavements dug out to accommodate fancy thoroughfares. Walls running along the road have been demolished and the rubble is still there for all to see. Probably something new and modern will replace what once aroused feelings of nostalgia. As I covered the journey to my hotel, I missed the old Kashmiri houses from where women with long trinkets would peer to see the incoming tourists.   Shops are well stocked and full of customers. Too much money is flowing and the guess is that it is from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India, in that order. The number of cars on the road is many times more than before. There are traffic jams and one has to keep the snarls in mind when one plans a trip. People move freely and I saw many women on the road without burqa or headwear.   The militancy is, by and large, over. Some terrorists strike once a while. They attacked the police at the Lal Chowk a few days ago, but I get the feeling that the media magnifies stray incidents to sensationalised ones. When attacks were a regular feature, there was a curfew after sunset. Now, people are on the road at even 11 p.m.   I did not see a single policeman on the road from the airport. Bunkers are mostly gone. I found one at Lal Chowk where some policemen stand with their fingers at the trigger of automatic weapons. Papa one or Papa two, the interrogation centres, have been closed. But the capricious detentions still take place. The biggest worry is the occasional disappearance of the youth. Incidents like the rape of two women at Shopian are rare. But whenever they take place, they infuriate the people to the extent that they come out on the streets.   The mode of search, whether of a vehicle or a person, has changed. Policemen are more polite than before and less intrusive. Still, a member of a very respectful family told me how he and his wife were stopped on the road until the helicopter of a top brass had flown over the place. A policeman wanted to search his wife but on his insistence, a woman police did so.   The anti-India feeling is there beneath the surface, and people are not afraid of saying so. However, the pro-Pakistan sentiments have practically disappeared, more so because of Kashmiris' perception of the "mess" in which the country is. Even Azadi is mentioned less and less because of increasing realisation that a landlocked area could not think of being independent.   I found the Hurriyat leaders sober. One leader told me that they had "vibes from Delhi" that something positive would emerge. They are looking forward to the talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is expected to visit Srinagar at the end of the month. There is an effort to have a consensus among the different parties, including the Hurriyat, before the prime minister's arrival. Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat chief, is reportedly in favour of it. State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also wants New Delhi to talk to all political parties, including the Hurriyat. But he has also emphasised that India should have a dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir problem.   I heard an interesting talk when sitting with the Hurriyat leaders. A young American Pakistani told them that what had surprised him, after the span of three years since his last visit, was that Kashmir was "being assimilated by India quickly." They were embarrassed but did not want to reply to him in my presence. Mirwaiz said that they would "talk to him at some other place over a cup of tea." Born in Kashmir, this young man is a member of a think-tank at Washington. He told them that free state elections, watched by a large number of Americans on televisions, had made a great impression on them. They, he said, were beginning to believe that the problem was "more or less over."   Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is more candid than his son, Omar, who is losing his popularity fast. Farooq says there are "paid lobbies" in the state to keep the problem alive. He accuses security forces, politicians and bureaucrats of having "a vested interest in the Kashmir crisis." He has a point when he says that New Delhi has failed to make headway in resolving the problem. Not many solutions are hawked about now.   There is a suggestion that both Kashmirs should be demilitarised, India withdrawing its forces from the valley and stationing them on its border, and Pakistan doing likewise and pulling out its forces from Azad Kashmir. This, however, is dependent on India and Pakistan reaching a settlement, supported by the Kashmiris. New Delhi will not agree to a unilateral demilitarisation, definitely not until the question has been resolved.   The problem of Jammu and Laddakh has become, indeed, ticklish. They do not want to stay with the valley. Jammu wants to join India and Laddakh wants a 'Union Territory' status. True, the Hurriyat has never tried to woo Jammu and has seldom cared for the Kashmiri Pandits languishing there. Still, both Jammu and Laddakh can be brought around if they were to be given autonomous status by the valley within the state.   I have no doubt that the Kashmir problem will be solved sooner or later. Yet, too much has happened in the state in the past that makes it difficult for the old Kashmir to come back to life. Familiar symbols are dying. Sufism has been replaced by assertive Islamic teachings. Kashmiri music is on its last legs because most of the society has been forced to acquire an Islamic edge. Old crafts attract fewer artisans because there is a race to earn a quick buck. The wazwan, a string of Kashmir dishes served at one sitting, is still there but new cooks are hard to get.   The re-meshing of Muslims and the Pandits, destroyed during the insurgency, looks difficult. The Islamic identity has taken shape, reportedly more in the countryside, and the Kashmiriyat, a secular ethos, is beyond repair. The animosity among the three regions Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, may dilute but will not go. It may still remain a state of Jammu and Kashmir, but the soul will be missing. Hindus believe that the soul is indestructible. I pray that Kashmir gets its soul back.   Kuldip Nayar is an eminent Indian columnist.   http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=110997     "Kashmir Observer" version at: http://www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3453:kashmir-without-a-soul&catid=8:opinion&Itemid=9   From kaksanjay at gmail.com Mon Oct 26 23:03:15 2009 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:03:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] "A silent hunt for dissent" Message-ID: <5c5369880910261033p10f6aa55y2b969cf2fffa4439@mail.gmail.com> >From Chattisgarh, this welcome piece of reportage. It does confirm our worst fears about what Operation Green Hunt is about. Interestingly, it appears in the New Indian Express, which is based in the south. So not to be confused with the Indian Express, which would probably never have the nerve to do a piece that shines anything but a glossy light on Tata and Essar. (Witness Indian Express' coverage of Tata's Nano cars going up in flames all over India last week... Contrast that with their euphoria of the launch!) Best Sanjay Kak -------------------- A silent hunt for dissent Krishnamurthy Ramasubbu http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=A+silent+hunt+for+dissent&artid=zsxfDVBl6WE=&SectionID=f4OberbKin4=&MainSectionID=f4OberbKin4=&SEO=jagdalpur+bastar+chhattisgarh+Krishnamurthy+Ramasu&SectionName=cxWvYpmNp4fBHAeKn3LcnQ== 10 am, October 12 — Jagdalpur, Bastar district headquarters town in Chhattisgarh, looks like a ghost town. Large areas around the collector’s office have been cordoned off. Around 50 tribals sit in a hall waiting for a public hearing of the environmental impact assessment report of Tata Steel’s proposed Rs 10,000-crore greenfield steel project in the district’s Lohandiguda block.It’s noon by the time officials of the district administration and Tata Steel arrive. Sashi Bhu­shan Prasad, head of Tata’s environmental division, is presenting the report. His start is dramatic: “One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had a dream for a village in Jharkhand, and that is Jamshedpur. It was many times worse than our Bastar.”This is followed by, “Carbon steel…electrostatic precipitators…sodium and nitrogen oxides…automatic combustion control systems. Our technology will be better than the best in the world or at least equivalent. I will skip the technical things because you won’t appreciate them.”The audience pays no attention. For a project that will take up around 5,000 acres of tribal land comprising 11 villages, use a large quantity of water from the river Sabari and will pollute the Indravati, the audience is surprisingly disinterested. After the presentation, the collector asks if there is any objection. Total silence. No one has any objection, but Tata’s project has not progressed beyond paper work and presentations since it signed an MoU with the state government in 2005. Guarded tour 3 pm-4 pm — The hearing is over. The audience walks out towards a waiting posse of security personnel. Asked about the hearing, some pretend not to hear. One of them says, “We are from around Bastar...we have come on a tour.” They are loaded into a convoy of jeeps arranged by the government. That was the public hearing.Reportedly, the collector told the press later, “The public hearing was successful. The people of Bastar should be congratulated.” Two days earlier, on October 10, people from about a dozen villages near Raigarh expressed their opinion on another proposed plant, of Visa Steel and Power, by burning public property worth Rs 20 lakh at a public hearing. At Lohandiguda village, where Tata Steel is setting up shop, village panchayat chairman Budram Kashyap is asked why he did not attend the public hearing. “We were not allowed,’’ he says. ‘‘There was a blockade outside Lohandi­guda.” People at Kumli village nearby say Tata men blocked the roads.In these villages, Tata Steel is not a happy name, although they claim to have paid compensation for 70-75 per cent of the land in Lohandi­guda and the 10 surrounding villages.“Some people here were willing but others were not. In the other 10 villages, they don’t want to give land at all,” says Kashyap. “Even people who took compensation money were pressured. There is pressure from the government that is difficult to resist.” Fear of imprisonment The people of the other 10 villages, Badanji, Bade Paroda, Belar, Beliapal, Chindgaon, Dabpal, Dhuragaon, Kumli, Sirisaguda and Takra­guda, feel likewise.It is harvest season and a group of farmers are loading a trailer with the new paddy at Kumli. Farmer Pandey Nath says his land is not being acquired but he still opposes Tata. ‘‘Tomorrow they will have a factory near my land, pollute it and edge me out. No one wants to sell but they have all taken money now. No one was taking initially, so they sent three or four people to jail to set an example. They did impersonation, faked papers and everything they could to show that compensation had been paid,” he says to the collective nods of 10 other farmers whose lands are being acquired. Tata and the state government have promised jobs, better infrastructure, education and hea­lthcare, but people seem unmoved. “I have been to Jamshedpur,” says Kashyap. ‘‘The children of Tata employees are educated. When Tata opens here, will they give us jobs or them? If Tata were serious, they could have trained the unemployed youth of Lohandiguda.’’Tribal lands are shared and each parcel has 10 to 50 people dependent on it, according to the tribals. A single job for each piece of land will not help. Sources say Tata Steel has spent more than Rs 150 crore over the last four years to ‘‘create goodwill’’. But in villages like Kumli, the charm offensive has plainly not worked. Pankaj Nath is clear about the general mood. “We will take up weapons,’’ he says bleakly. ‘‘The men will fight with their hoes and the women with their sickles.”Kamal Gajviye, a CPI member and farmer at Kumli, is losing his land to the project. “The collector has often accused me of being a Naxalite. I am not. But I will become one, if this continues. They will all become Naxalites.”The government says there is no resistance to land acquisition, or blames it on Maoists. A high-ranking police official says people “right now’’ are unsafe because of the Maoists and subject to their pressure. ‘‘Once people are sec­ure, they can decide freely. Then if they do not want the project, it should be fine.” Ask Kashyap about this pressure from Maoists, who allegedly eliminated Vimal Meshram for acting as Tata Steel’s broker in Lohandiguda, and his reply is, “This man was killed for doing brokerage work for Tata. But there is no Maoist pressure. We never see them. How can they inti­midate or pressure us?” Lohandiguda does not have CRPF deployment, but later this year, along with other pla­ces in north Bastar, it could see paramilitary units, as part of Operation Green Hunt, a central government offensive against Maoists. Once they arrive, it might be difficult to expr­ess such dissent freely. Three hours away by bus, in the south Bastar villages of Dhurli and Bhansi in Dantewada district where Essar is planning a Rs 7,000-crore greenfield steel plant, the CRPF’s constant presence makes a difference. At Bhansi, a group of men from the paramilitary security force are having breakfast when the village panchayat chairman comes. He refuses to talk about Essar, “I won’t talk about Essar. Two of my friends were murdered over it.”‘Kill us first’At Dhurli, the panchayat chairman has run away, “Oh…,’’ says one of the men at a tea stall. ‘‘He stays in Dantewada fearing the Naxals. He probably took money from Essar.” Samruram Mar­kam, the village kotwari, says it is ‘‘a little pea­ceful now’’, but last year it was bad. ‘‘The collector is with them (Essar), so they come in with the force and threaten us. Essar came in 2005 and along with them came the CRPF camp.”The restive mood of Lohandiguda is missing in these villages. “In case our land is taken by force,” says Markam, ‘‘we have decided to asse­mble all the men, women, cattle, goat, chicken and dogs, and ask them to kill us before taking the land. We will die anyway without our land.’’ There’s a note of despair in his voice. In Raipur, N Baijendra Kumar, principal secretary to the chief minister, says mining projects have not taken off in Bastar because, “44 per cent of Bastar is forest and most of our mine­ral resources are beneath that. Environmental iss­ues come with the application of the Forest Act. Also, with tribals we have seen emotional problems when it comes to land.” He denies any direct relation between Green Hunt and mining or related activities, “There is no direct link. Some activists are trying to show a correlation. The operation will improve everything, health, education, infrastructure. Obviously it will also improve mining.”At Dhurli, an old woman drops her washing to chat, “Is it true that many soldiers are going to come next month? They say they will cut us up and throw away our bodies, after Diwali.... Is it true? ” It’s hard to answer that. — krishnamurthy.ramasubbu at gmail.com The threat of a desi East India Company The Chhattisgarh government has been insisting on setting up steel plants in the state to ensure value addition. Chief minister Raman Singh had said that companies should not behave like the East India Company and cart away only mineral raw materials from the state. As part of this plan Tata’s plant is planned in North Bastar, while Essar’s plant is planned in South Bastar. Company: Tata Steel Location: Lohandiguda block, Bastar district Displacement: 11 villages Land: 5,050 acres approximately Product: Steel from iron ore Capacity: 5.5 million tonnes per annum Estimated cost: Rs 10,000 crore Company: Essar Steel Location: Dhurli and Bhansi villages, Dantewada district Displacement: 2 villagesLand: 1500 acres approximately Product: Steel from iron ore Capacity: 3.2 million tonnes per annum Estimated cost: Rs 7,000 crore From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 25 15:53:04 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:23:04 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] ART21- Transformations, at SAA, JNU on 24 Oct, 5pm / British Council on 28 Oct , 5pm In-Reply-To: <020101ca517b$75ecf050$61c6d0f0$@org> References: <020101ca517b$75ecf050$61c6d0f0$@org> Message-ID: <8CC2374458274A4-3BF8-B762@webmail-d063.sysops.aol.com> Join us for the third session of Art21 season 5 screenings on 24th Oct (Saturday), at SAA, JNU, 5-7pm. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion.     Transformation Featuring Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Yinka Shonibare  Venue: Auditorium, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli road Date/Time: October 24, 2009, 5 pm Panelists: Anita Dube, Pushpamala N, Maya Rao and Shukla Sawant  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------  Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) presents art: 21- Art in the Twenty-First Century Season 5 all October across New Delhi. For more info on FICA events visit www.ficart.org. For info on Art:21 visit www.art21.org   What’s next?   Compassion     Featuring William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo and Carrie Mae Weems Venue: Auditorium, British Council Division, 17 KG Marg Date/Time: October 28, 2009, 5 pm Panelists: Sheba Chhachhi, Amar Kanwar, Dilip Simeon and Susan Visvanathan   Seasons 1-4 are also being screened at the FICA Reading Room (D42, Defence Colony). Please check our website www.ficart.org for full schedule.   Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art D-178, First Floor, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi 110020 T: 011 6547 4005 | F: 011 2681 1268 E: info at ficart.org | W: www.ficart.org           From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 25 15:58:42 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:28:42 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Annual Long Night of Screenings at Goethe-Institut, New Delhi : 30th October 2009 , 5:00pm onwards Message-ID: <8CC23750EE69529-3BF8-B7D7@webmail-d063.sysops.aol.com> Metropoles Film Friday, 30.10.09 5 p.m. onwards Lawns/ Siddhartha Hall, Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan On 30 October Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan continues its tradition of the annual Long Night of Cinema. This time the films will be about metropolitan life, about love and survival in various European cities such as Berlin, Paris, Istanbul and Helsinki. Be prepared for some entertaining, poetic, dramatic and surprising aspects of cities that you may (never) have seen on screen before. Paris, je t'aime (2006), diverse, 5:00 pm, Duration: 120 mins In "Paris, je t'aime," celebrated directors from around the world have come together to portray Paris in a way never before imagined. Made by a team of contributors as cosmopolitan as the city itself, this portrait of the city is as diverse as its creators' backgrounds and nationalities. With each director telling the story of an unusual encounter in one of the city's neighbourhoods, the vignettes go beyond the "postcard" view of Paris to portray aspects of the city rarely seen on the big screen. Der Himmel über Berlin / Wings of desire (1987), Wim Wenders, 7:15 pm, Duration: 127 mins Told from an angel's point of view, Wings of Desire is shot in black and white, blossoming into colour only when the angels perceive the realities of humankind. Damiel, the angel, finally decides that he must experience humanity in full, and breaks through into the real world to pursue a life with Marion. Night on Earth (1991), Jim Jarmusch, 9:35 pm, Duration: 123 mins The film is a collection of five vignettes that focus on the temporary bonds formed between taxi drivers and passengers in five different cities: Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. The film begins with a Los Angeles-based snapshot and moves from city to city as the clock tick away during the late hours of the night. Crossing the Bridge, The Sound of Istandbul (2005), Fatih Akin, 11:45 pm, Duration: 90 mins Fatih Akin is in love with the city and is about to explore its sound. The film describes a western point of view, a view from a distance, of a foreign, tense, erotic, dangerous, tempting city. It is a search, an odyssey, undertaken by the protagonist to explore the musical sources, influences and perspectives of the city. Istanbul is burning. From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun Oct 25 18:32:15 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:02:15 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] An Evening of Crafty Dastans : Dastangoi at Dastkar Nature Bazaar Message-ID: <8CC238A82BD26EA-11B4-35A7@webmail-m033.sysops.aol.com> Dastangoi is a lost art of storytelling in Urdu. At its peak it regaled listeners at palaces, cafes, street corners and public arena with tales of war, magic, trickery and adventure that could last weeks, months and sometimes years. Dastangos were mimics, narrators, actors and ventriloquists but were also often the creator of their stories, weaving episodes extemporaneously. Tilism, magically enchanted realms, and Aiyyari, professional tricksters, were the peculiar preserve of Indian and Urdu Dastangos and they so expatiated on this in the oral realm that it became the longest fictional narrative ever produced in India. When finally put to print at the end of the nineteenth century the Dastan-e Amir Hamza ran into 46 mammoth volumes of over a thousand pages each, generated entirely by oral storytelling over generations. The present revival of Dastangoi was put into effect by Mahmood Farooqui under the guidance of the leading scholar of the Dastanic tradition, S. R. Faruqi. Over the last five years he and his team which has also included the actor Naseeruddin Shah, have given over hundred performances in most major cities of India and abroad. These have included tours to Pakistan and to the United States. The performances have been enthusiastically received almost everywhere since, in spite of the high Urdu medium, the Dastans still seem capable of entertaining the elite and the commoners alike. Date: Sunday, November 8, 2009 Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm Location: Amphitheatre, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Street: Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg (Near India Gate/ Rajpath) City/Town: New Delhi, India From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Tue Oct 27 23:52:11 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:52:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Launch of Book on Human Rights, Oct 31, Bombay In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: >From Vibhuti Patel ST XAVIER'S COLLEGE, MUMBAI INITIATIVE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION (MIHRE), JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION (JPC) & WOMEN'S ACTION & RESEARCH GROUP (WRAG). are pleased to invite Mr/Mrs/Ms NAME to the launch of the book ‘*UNPACKAGING HUMAN RIGHTS: CONCEPTS, CONCERNS & CAMPAIGNS’* edited by Saumya Uma. Human Rights Advocate & Executive Director, Women's Research & Action Group, followed by a Panel Discussion with the contributors Prof. Anthony Kunnath, Prof. Arvind Tiwari, Ms. Bella Das, Adv. Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Adv. Shweta Shalini and Adv. Saumya Uma on- *Date - Saturday, October 31, 2009, * *Time- 11.30am – 1.00 pm* *Venue- St Xavier's College Auditorium (across basketball court), Ground Floor Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai - 400 001.* The *Chief Guest* on the occasion will be Prof. Vibhuti Patel, Director, PGSR and Professor & Head, PG Department of Economics, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai, an Activist in women's movement, social movements and Human rights movement since 1970. She is also the Founder member of Forum Against Oppression of women, women's Centre, Forum Against Sex Determination and Sex Pre-selection, and is Associated with CEHAT, Vacha, WRAG, ICOR, MIHRE and Satya Vijay Seva Samaj in Mumbai. The meeting will also be addressed by *Fr Frazer Mascarenhas*, Principal, St Xavier's College & Fr *Allwyn D'Silva*, President, MIHRE & Justice and Peace Commission (JPC). RSVP: (regrets only) Rosebell c/o Documentation & Research Centre (DRTC) of the Justice & Peace Commission St Pius College Mumbai Tel: 228756953 *Fr Allwyn D’Silva Fr Frazer Mascarenhas Saumya Uma* *MIHRE / JPC St Xaviers College WRAG* * * * ‘UNPACKAGING HUMAN RIGHTS: CONCEPTS, CONCERNS & * * CAMPAIGNS’**- *BOOK RELEASE FUNCTION* –* * Date 31st October 2009 , 11.30-1.00pm * *Venue- St Xavier's College Auditorium Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai - 400 001.* *Programme Schedule * 1. Welcome by Fr. Frazer Mascarenhas, Principal St Xaviers College - 10 mins 2. Speech by Fr. Allwyn D’Silva on HR education and MIHRE – 10 mins 3. Book release and address by the Chief Guest Prof, Vibhuti Patel 10 Mins 5. Sharing of insights on contents of the book by editor + contributors (Saumya Uma , Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal / Adv Shweta Shalini / Prof. Anthony Kunnath / Prof. Arvind Tiwari / Ms Bella Das ) - 7 Mins each . 6. Discussion (18 mins ) 7. Vote of thanks – Ms . Bella Das *St Xavier's college, Mumbai initiative for human rights education (MIHRE) ,Justice and Peace Commission (JPC ) & Women's Action & Research Group (WRAG ). –Ph 228756953* From yasir.media at gmail.com Sun Oct 25 02:56:22 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:26:22 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] india v Pk cricket In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0910071743v5ac8728ega980c812d367d43b@mail.gmail.com> References: <5af37bb0910051624w217d9642w2a32867c45f104dd@mail.gmail.com> <240750.38430.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <5af37bb0910071103s3cbc45agcf405b587382366c@mail.gmail.com> <5af37bb0910071743v5ac8728ega980c812d367d43b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910241426k8137de9ue960b58bce1c9ad9@mail.gmail.com> wow mitha mazedar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH6eOCQJGhs From yasir.media at gmail.com Mon Oct 26 10:20:25 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:50:25 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] 2 from Mosharraf Zaidi Message-ID: <5af37bb0910252150n4dbe21b6o54be2ce57424c496@mail.gmail.com> 2 from Mosharraf Zaidi The Imaginary Republic of Extremistan /on perceptions of Pk Oct 24, 2009 ttp:// www.mosharrafzaidi.com/2009/10/24/the-imaginary-republic-of-extremistan/ http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=204848 The Best Wall of Defense /on US-Pk relations and perceptions Oct 21, 2009 http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091109/zaidi From jeebesh at sarai.net Tue Oct 27 12:59:13 2009 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:59:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Tinker.Solder.Tap : A Graphic Novel Message-ID: <358FDCEF-EEAC-4529-BC5F-A6DA65FD3AE6@sarai.net> http://www.sarai.net/publications/occasional/tinker-solder-tap (Free Download) We live in a tumultuous media environment. There is widespread confusion, uncertainty and awe at the inventiveness of the thousands of people in media networks who innovate, copy, tinker, recycle, produce, remix and relay. The protagonists of Tinker.Solder.Tap bring alive the ways in which the relationship between life and the media has been re-scripted in the various neighbourhoods of our cities. The story begins in the mid-80s, when a man returns home with an object called a VCR. The chain of effects that follows transforms irreversibly the social life of the neighbourhood and its reverberations can be felt all over the world. Produced and Designed at the Sarai Media Lab Text: Bhagwati Prasad Graphics: Amitabh Kumar Translation and Editing: Shveta Sarda Additional Research: Rakesh Kumar Singh, Lokesh Pencilling sequential comic pages: Raja Pocket Books (Raj Comics) Design and Cover: Amitabh Kumar Published by The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29, Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054, India Tel: (+91) 11 2394 2199 Fax: (+91) 11 2394 3450 Email: dak at sarai.net www.sarai.net Delhi 2009 Any part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publishers for educational and non-commercial use. The authors and publishers would, however, like to be informed. This work is part of the project, “Social and Material Life of Media Piracy” of Sarai-CSDS and Alternative Law Forum (Bangalore) supported by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada . ISBN 9788190585316 Published by the Director, CSDS. Printed by Impress, New Delhi From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Mon Oct 26 00:50:01 2009 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:50:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Love Jihad- A New Phrase Being Added to Lexicon of Hate Politics!Dear In-Reply-To: References: <1f9180970910240147x47c64963hfc528572d9ff190e@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1f9180970910251220p4a16daa8t6a8a23e02021d669@mail.gmail.com> Thanks, Rakesh.. On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 2:21 PM, Rakesh Iyer wrote: > Dear Venu > > As I said, as of now it doesn't, at least not until it has been conclusively > proven. I assumed that theoritically it exists, and gave my points. And the > other if's and but's are used to describe examples. > > In simple terms it means: love jihad does not exist until conclusively > proven. > > What I say is this: if they are a creation of the state, then yes it's > despicable for people have a right to love others. But if it's actually > taking place, then it's shameful to use love as an instrument to serve > objectives like jihad. Either way, it's a denigration of love. > > Hope that was simple. And this is not ambiguous. > > Rakesh > -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com From oishiksircar at gmail.com Mon Oct 26 12:13:30 2009 From: oishiksircar at gmail.com (OISHIK SIRCAR) Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:13:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Talk: Technology is Nature : On the Political Aesthetics of Ritwick Ghatak's Ajantrik Message-ID: <62cba67a0910252343h444e5142k43589025767dd754@mail.gmail.com> *The Department of English, University of Delhi *nvites you to a talk by *Rajarshi Dasgupta* *Technology is Nature : On the Political Aesthetics of Ritwick Ghatak's Ajantrik * Thursday , October 29, 2009, 2:30 pm Room 12 A , Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi The larger concern of this paper is vernacular articulations of Marxism in India. More specifically, it discusses a film by Ritwik Ghatak to isolate a distinct current in the cultural experiments set off by the progressive movement at the time of independence. We can see two sets of preoccupations in the aesthetic idiom shaped in the process, especially in Bengal. One dealt with contesting ideas of progress, the meaning of labour and the potential of creating a new kind of man from ordinary people. The other set addressed the experience of capitalism, marked by a conflict of mechanical and human, and an ambivalent attitude to modern technology as opposed to nature. They converged with a critique of instrumental reason and an authentic idea of human that stood at the other end of determinist notions which failed to impress most artists of the day. I would like to point out a contending stream of thought in this body of vernacular Marxism, which saw the questions of human-ness and technology very differently. As the title suggests, the paper will try to argue that technology was approached in this thought as precisely nature, of course in a different register, but all the more a mysterious, magical register. On the other hand, the question of human-ness came to be posed at the threshold of a certain kind of transcendence, but one that was immersed in material world, and which provoked the question of political practice in new directions. Contrary to its available readings, I want to suggest that ‘Ajantrik’ is an invitation to such thoughts, which help us not only to frame the question of political aesthetics in a different manner, but also make us attentive to the political in ways we do not expect. About the Speaker: Rajarshi Dasgupta has done doctoral work on the intellectual history of Marxism in the late colonial Bengal from Oxford. His publications and research interests also include refugee histories, local party politics and postcolonial governance. Formerly a Fellow with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, he is currently Assistant Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, JNU, in New Delhi. -- OISHIK SIRCAR oishiksircar at gmail.com oishik.sircar at utoronto.ca From kaksanjay at gmail.com Wed Oct 28 00:01:39 2009 From: kaksanjay at gmail.com (Sanjay Kak) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" Message-ID: <5c5369880910271131i5400fb76pfcb60343ccecbde9@mail.gmail.com> Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir Brian Till Sun, Oct 25, 2009 (2 a.m.) http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/25/terrorism-dilemmas-come-down-kashmir/ The most vital region in this world today, for U.S. interests at least, remains a maze of cloud-shearing piles of rock and sweeping valleys, both checkered by impoverished towns and men clutching AKs — but this pile is hundreds of miles from Kabul. So the logic follows: One can not tolerate an unstable Afghanistan for fear that it will become the Mecca of a perverted Islam once more; and, one cannot hope to stabilize Afghanistan without also addressing Pakistan; and Pakistan, we must understand, has almost no hope of winning its internal battle with a radicalized Pashtun militia known as the Taliban unless it engages its entire military in the exercise. But the bulk of the Pakistani military remains tied down in the Punjab, protecting the heartland from an Indian invasion; according to Farukkh Saleem, executive director of Pakistan’s Centre for Research and Security Studies, 80 percent to 90 percent of Pakistan’s military assets are in use countering the Indian threat. Sameer Lalwani, a colleague of mine at the New America Foundation, has put forward a net assessment of the nation’s capacity to wage a counter insurgency (COIN) campaign in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the moment, Lalwani — comparing the terrain, population size, language difference and a range of other factors — contends that an effective campaign will require 370,000 to 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It’s a redeployment that’s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a move would leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. Thus, Kashmir, the dispute at the center of the bloody fissure between India and Pakistan, remains the most important region to the U.S. interests — and, ironically, it exists as one of the few conflicts over which we cannot wield significant influence. There has not been a call for U.S. mediation, the boisterous Indian population likely won’t stomach American pressure, and there is no need to reiterate the loathing Pakistanis feel toward the United States. Particularly, the Pakistani military — with whom power ultimately resides and which has the capacity to undermine any progress — is well steeped in distrust of the U.S. The conflict was born from the bloody partition of India and Pakistan as the queen’s bankrupted empire sought to liquidate following World War II. Though it receives less attention than the sister conflict born from the death of the British realm — Israel/Palestine — it is likely the more severe of the pair. Between 35,000 and 50,000 have died since 1989, when the Mujahadeen victors in Afghanistan sought to make the princely state into the next theater of holy war. Kashmir is the most important example of why the U.S. cannot afford to accept the anarchy we find and allow to simmer in many parts of the world. Somalia, Juarez, Haiti: We have become too globalized and are combating problems too transmittable for the humble foreign policy that George W. Bush espoused as a candidate. Indeed, the defining struggle of our time — unlike those of previous generations, which pitted competing imperial aggressions and ambitions and competing capitalist and communist ideologies against one another — our challenge and foe exists outside the state system; it is the battle against lawlessness, backwardness and statelessness. One can’t help but think: Had John F. Kennedy’s attempt to negotiate a solution with Prime Minister Harold McMillan for Kashmir in 1963 proven fruitful, we might be living in a substantially less terrifying world. Perhaps it ought to be a lesson to us. Mediate and assist more, even if interests do not appear to be at stake — who knows when they might be. Brian Till, a columnist for Creators Syndicate, is a research fellow for the New America Foundation, a think tank in Washington. From pradeepdas4 at yahoo.com Tue Oct 20 10:24:54 2009 From: pradeepdas4 at yahoo.com (Pradeep Das) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:54:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_BADAL_DA_-_Invitation?= =?utf-8?q?_to_an_evening_of_Badal_Sircar=E2=80=99s_Theatre?= Message-ID: <838517.70889.qm@web110716.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> WEEKEND FILMS & NEEL PROTYUSH- A Theatre Group     Invite you to an evening of Badal Sircar’s Theatre - BADAL DA   * Release of book titled - Badal Sircar: Vaykti Aur Rangmanch Author: Ashok Bhowmick The book will be released by renowned theatre activist Shamsul Islam       * A Play by Badal Sircar  - Sara Rattir Direction: Pradeep Das Production: Neel Protyush   Date: 24th October, 2009, Saturday Time: 6.30 p.m.  Venue: Muktodhara Auditorium#, Banga Sanskriti Bhavan, 17-18, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Gole Market, New Delhi - 110001   Mobile: 9811912069, 9811577426, 9811216796, 9873224365, 9868572523 Email: weekendfilms at gmail.com neelprotyush at gmail.com   ****ENTRY FREE #MUKTODHARA auditorium is on Bhai Veer Singh Mar and Bhai Veer Singh Marg is the road between Gole Market and St. Columba's School.   Coming from south and east Delhi, take Ashok Road up to Gole Dak Khana, then Kali Bari Marg, and turn immediately right.   Coming from west and north Delhi, take Mandir Marg, Gole market, turn right on Bhai Veer Singh Marg. most bus routes for Shivaji Stadium take this road and will drop you in front of muktodhara.   Coming from west and south-west Delhi, from RML hospital, take Baba Kharag Singh Marg where there is the construction of the express metro, Gole Dak Khana, then left at Kali Bari Marg, and turn immediately right.) Keep up with people you care about with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how. http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/connectmore -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From press at tank.tv Tue Oct 13 18:24:18 2009 From: press at tank.tv (tank.tv press) Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:54:18 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] www.tank.tv: Now Showing Jean-Charles Hue, until November 3rd. Message-ID: <78c84f090910130554q12279b47r9dd1870de67129f7@mail.gmail.com> Dear Friends, Please find information below regarding the new exhibition on www.tank.tv from Jean-Charles Hue. For more details or images relating to the exhibition please contact press at tank.tv Kind Regards Caroline tank.tv *Now Showing: Jean-Charles Hue **14th October - 3rd November 2009* "(The) world of travellers enables me to develop several themes recurrent in my work: belief, crooks, popular and invented speech, music and people who have a certain bent for fantasy". Jean-Charles Hue Oscillating between fiction and documentary Hue's focus on the Hispanic and French Gypsy communities captures difficult moments and unsettling characters. Rather than falling into the traditional trap of artist as ethnographer Hue's concentration on visual texture and his own gypsy heritage forces the viewer into a state of moral hesitation. Jean-Charles Hue, a free online exhibition from 14th October to 3rd November 2009 at www.tank.tv, is part of tank .tv's 2009 Solo Show Programme. -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - tank.tv 2nd Floor Princess House 50 - 60 Eastcastle Street London W1W 8EA press at tank.tv T: +44 (0)207323 3475 F: +44 (0)207631 4280 http://www.tank.tv - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Now showing: Jean-Charles Hue 14th October - 3rd November 2009 Fresh Moves - Out now! Order your copy on www.tank.tv "A significant archive of creative practices in the early years of twenty-first century England" Tyler Coburn, Tomorrow Unlimited --- tank.tv is an inspirational showcase for innovative work in film and video. Dedicated to exhibiting and promoting emerging and established international artists, www.tank.tv acts as a major online gallery and archive for video art. A platform for contemporary moving images. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Mon Oct 19 13:43:23 2009 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (artNET) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:13:23 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Call=3A_soundart?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_for_SoundLAB_VII_-_extended_deadline?= Message-ID: <20091019101323.B54DA5A5.F11DD43E@192.168.0.3> Call for entries extended deadline: 31 December 2009 2010 - 10th anniversary of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne SoundLAB - sonic art project environments is happy to launch the call for its next edition to be part of this anniversary celebrations, entitled: SoundLAB VII - soundCELEBRATION sound compositions made for the 10th anniversary! For its 7th edition, planned to be launched in March 2010, SoundLAB would like to celebrate the power of sound as a tool for artistic creations and communications on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the global network it is embedded in and invites soundartists, musicians and composers to create for the 10th anniversary a special sound composition. Please find detailed information, the regulations and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1423 ------------------------------------------------ SoundLAB - sonic art project environments http://soundlab.newmediafest.org is a corporate part of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne, the experimental platform for art and new media from Cologne/Germany http://www.nmartproject.net in(at)nmartproject.net ----------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Wed Oct 21 13:07:04 2009 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (JavaMuseum) Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:37:04 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Call_for_entries?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=3A_JavaMuseum_2010_-_Celebrate!?= Message-ID: <20091021093704.C0F33221.CBA982AA@192.168.0.3> Call for proposals ongoing from 1 September 2009-1September 2010 Celebrate! 2010 - 10 Years JavaMuseum - JavaMuseum - Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010, but that's not all --> in addition [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010, as well. On this occasion, JavaMuseum is planning a big show online, entitled: "CELEBRATE!" Founded in 2000 and active since 2001 as a corporate part of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork:||cologne JavaMuseum is one of the relevant platforms for Internet based art on the net. Under the direction of Wilfried Agricola de Cologne, JavaMuseum realised more than 20 showcases and competitions of netart in a global context between 2001 and 2009 and is hosting a comprehensive collection of netart since 2000 including more than 400 artists and 1000 art works. In 2006, JavaMuseum launched - JIP - JavaMuseum Interview Project containing meanwhile more than 80 interviews with expersts and artists in the fields of digital and electronic art. On occasion of its 10th anniversary, JavaMuseum is planning to launch in autumn 2010 a netart show, entitled: Celebrate! in order to celebrate netart as an exciting, but anyway widely underestimated art genre, yet. This represents the best reason for inviting artists active on the fields of new, digital and electronic media to submit their latest or their older netart art projects which may originate from the years 2000-2010. Please find the details, regulations and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1428 -------------------------------------------------------- JavaMuseum - Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art http://www.javamuseum.org and JIP - JavaMuseum Interview Project http://jip.javamuseum.org are corporate parts of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne the experimental platform for art and new media from Cologne/Germany info[at]nmartproject.net -------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From rahul_capri at yahoo.com Wed Oct 28 05:51:04 2009 From: rahul_capri at yahoo.com (Rahul Asthana) Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:21:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910271131i5400fb76pfcb60343ccecbde9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <340262.47396.qm@web53607.mail.re2.yahoo.com> This article seems something straight out of the propaganda department of the Pakistan Army. Only Arundhati Roy fanboys can take this seriously,but then there are no dearth of those types on this list. "> But the bulk of the Pakistani military remains tied down in > the > Punjab, protecting the heartland from an Indian invasion; > according to > Farukkh Saleem, executive director of Pakistan’s Centre > for Research > and Security Studies, 80 percent to 90 percent of > Pakistan’s military > assets are in use countering the Indian threat." Sure,the poor Pakistan military is so scared of India and Indian military that it has to foster so called non state actors and send terrorists in India to kill Indian civilians.That will show them! "> Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the moment, Lalwani > — comparing > the terrain, population size, language difference and a > range of other > factors — contends that an effective campaign will > require 370,000 to > 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It’s a > redeployment > that’s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a > move would > leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. " Neither Brian Till nor Sameer Lalwani seem to have read reports coming from Pakistan by Pakistani journalists in Pakistani newspapers how the Pakistani Army has allowed the Talibans to fester under its very nose. They have refrained to take even the slightest of action against them and the poor locals have been left to fend for themselves.There have been cases where Army has been stationed quite close to Taliban strong holds but have turned a blind eye. Particularly, the Pakistani military — with whom > power > ultimately resides and which has the capacity to undermine > any > progress — is well steeped in distrust of the U.S. Lol! This has to be the most hilarious line in the article. The Pakistani army is so steeped in distrust of the US that it allows them to carry out drone attacks on their own soil in exchange of billions of dollars of aid. I wonder what would have happened if they had trusted the US. --- On Wed, 10/28/09, Sanjay Kak wrote: > From: Sanjay Kak > Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" > To: "Sarai Reader List" > Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 12:01 AM > Terrorism dilemmas come down > to Kashmir > > Brian Till > > Sun, Oct 25, 2009 (2 a.m.) > > http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/25/terrorism-dilemmas-come-down-kashmir/ > > The most vital region in this world today, for U.S. > interests at > least, remains a maze of cloud-shearing piles of rock and > sweeping > valleys, both checkered by impoverished towns and men > clutching AKs — > but this pile is hundreds of miles from Kabul. > > So the logic follows: One can not tolerate an unstable > Afghanistan for > fear that it will become the Mecca of a perverted Islam > once more; > and, one cannot hope to stabilize Afghanistan without also > addressing > Pakistan; and Pakistan, we must understand, has almost no > hope of > winning its internal battle with a radicalized Pashtun > militia known > as the Taliban unless it engages its entire military in the > exercise. > > But the bulk of the Pakistani military remains tied down in > the > Punjab, protecting the heartland from an Indian invasion; > according to > Farukkh Saleem, executive director of Pakistan’s Centre > for Research > and Security Studies, 80 percent to 90 percent of > Pakistan’s military > assets are in use countering the Indian threat. > > Sameer Lalwani, a colleague of mine at the New America > Foundation, has > put forward a net assessment of the nation’s capacity to > wage a > counter insurgency (COIN) campaign in the Federally > Administered > Tribal Areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. > > Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the moment, Lalwani > — comparing > the terrain, population size, language difference and a > range of other > factors — contends that an effective campaign will > require 370,000 to > 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It’s a > redeployment > that’s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a > move would > leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. > > Thus, Kashmir, the dispute at the center of the bloody > fissure between > India and Pakistan, remains the most important region to > the U.S. > interests — and, ironically, it exists as one of the few > conflicts > over which we cannot wield significant influence. > > There has not been a call for U.S. mediation, the > boisterous Indian > population likely won’t stomach American pressure, and > there is no > need to reiterate the loathing Pakistanis feel toward the > United > States. Particularly, the Pakistani military — with whom > power > ultimately resides and which has the capacity to undermine > any > progress — is well steeped in distrust of the U.S. > > The conflict was born from the bloody partition of India > and Pakistan > as the queen’s bankrupted empire sought to liquidate > following World > War II. Though it receives less attention than the sister > conflict > born from the death of the British realm — > Israel/Palestine — it is > likely the more severe of the pair. Between 35,000 and > 50,000 have > died since 1989, when the Mujahadeen victors in Afghanistan > sought to > make the princely state into the next theater of holy war. > > Kashmir is the most important example of why the U.S. > cannot afford to > accept the anarchy we find and allow to simmer in many > parts of the > world. Somalia, Juarez, Haiti: We have become too > globalized and are > combating problems too transmittable for the humble foreign > policy > that George W. Bush espoused as a candidate. > > Indeed, the defining struggle of our time — unlike those > of previous > generations, which pitted competing imperial aggressions > and ambitions > and competing capitalist and communist ideologies against > one another > — our challenge and foe exists outside the state system; > it is the > battle against lawlessness, backwardness and > statelessness. > > One can’t help but think: Had John F. Kennedy’s attempt > to negotiate a > solution with Prime Minister Harold McMillan for Kashmir in > 1963 > proven fruitful, we might be living in a substantially less > terrifying > world. Perhaps it ought to be a lesson to us. Mediate and > assist more, > even if interests do not appear to be at stake — who > knows when they > might be. > > Brian Till, a columnist for Creators Syndicate, is a > research fellow > for the New America Foundation, a think tank > in Washington. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 mitoo at sarai.net Wed Oct 28 10:05:54 2009 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:05:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Ram Dhamija Photograph Exhibition Message-ID: <4AE7CA2A.8020300@sarai.net> IIC PRESENTS AN INVITATION TO THE OPENING OF PREOCCUPATIONS Forty Years Of Imaging India An Exhibition of Photographs by Ram Dhamija Exhibition to be inaugurated by Satish Gujral Curated by Himman Dhamija Wednesday 28th October, 6:30 pm, IIC Annexe, Lodi Estate, New Delhi. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Wed Oct 28 16:09:14 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:39:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" In-Reply-To: <340262.47396.qm@web53607.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <65226.95484.qm@web57201.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Rahul   Brian Till is touted by his syndication agency as "one of the nation's youngest syndicated columnists". It shows.   Did you notice the attitude in his words:   """" ..... U.S. cannot afford to accept the anarchy we find and allow to simmer in many parts of the world """"""   On India being spoken about as "vicious rival", one of the comments attracted by the article says:   """""  "Vicious Rival" forsooth; who started all these Indo-Pak wars? Why, the Pakistanis, as they themselves admit, as a regular reading of their Dawn newspaper will show. Who fosters terrorist training camps? Pakistan. Who distinguishes "Friendly terrorists (i.e., anti-Indian and anti-US, but pro-Pakistan Army)" from "hostile Terrorists" (i.e., anti-Pakistan Army). Pakistan again. """"""" (By 'dennisdey')   To support the Brian Till(ish) attitudes, we are likely to see increasing number of direct (and indirectly forwarded) proposals from the Islamic Jihadists (who would have everyone believe that it is a 'secular' movement for "Aazadi" in Kashmir) and their supporters elsewhere (including those on this 'Reader List') calling on 'The Satan'; "The Imperialist-Capitalist" USA to intervene in the 'Kashmir Dispute'.   Hitherto reviled as "The Devil", the USA, will be unmasked to reveal "The God- The Saviour".   Kshmendra   --- On Wed, 10/28/09, Rahul Asthana wrote: From: Rahul Asthana Subject: Re: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" To: "Sarai Reader List" , "Sanjay Kak" Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5:51 AM This article seems something straight out of the propaganda department of the Pakistan Army. Only Arundhati Roy fanboys can take this seriously,but then there are no dearth of those types on this list. "> But the bulk of the Pakistani military remains tied down in > the > Punjab, protecting the heartland from an Indian invasion; > according to > Farukkh Saleem, executive director of Pakistan’s Centre > for Research > and Security Studies, 80 percent to 90 percent of > Pakistan’s military > assets are in use countering the Indian threat." Sure,the poor Pakistan military is so scared of India and Indian military that it has to foster so called non state actors and send terrorists in India to kill Indian civilians.That will show them! "> Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the moment, Lalwani > — comparing > the terrain, population size, language difference and a > range of other > factors — contends that an effective campaign will > require 370,000 to > 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It’s a > redeployment > that’s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a > move would > leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. " Neither Brian Till nor Sameer Lalwani seem to have read reports coming from Pakistan by Pakistani journalists in Pakistani newspapers how the Pakistani Army has allowed the Talibans to fester under its very nose. They have refrained to take even the slightest of action against them and the poor locals have been left to fend for themselves.There have been cases where Army has been stationed quite close to Taliban strong holds but have turned a blind eye. Particularly, the Pakistani military — with whom > power > ultimately resides and which has the capacity to undermine > any > progress — is well steeped in distrust of the U.S. Lol! This has to be the most hilarious line in the article. The Pakistani army is so steeped in distrust of the US that it allows them to carry out drone attacks on their own soil in exchange of billions of dollars of aid. I wonder what would have happened if they had trusted the US. --- On Wed, 10/28/09, Sanjay Kak wrote: > From: Sanjay Kak > Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" > To: "Sarai Reader List" > Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 12:01 AM > Terrorism dilemmas come down > to Kashmir > > Brian Till > > Sun, Oct 25, 2009 (2 a.m.) > > http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/25/terrorism-dilemmas-come-down-kashmir/ > > The most vital region in this world today, for U.S. > interests at > least, remains a maze of cloud-shearing piles of rock and > sweeping > valleys, both checkered by impoverished towns and men > clutching AKs — > but this pile is hundreds of miles from Kabul. > > So the logic follows: One can not tolerate an unstable > Afghanistan for > fear that it will become the Mecca of a perverted Islam > once more; > and, one cannot hope to stabilize Afghanistan without also > addressing > Pakistan; and Pakistan, we must understand, has almost no > hope of > winning its internal battle with a radicalized Pashtun > militia known > as the Taliban unless it engages its entire military in the > exercise. > > But the bulk of the Pakistani military remains tied down in > the > Punjab, protecting the heartland from an Indian invasion; > according to > Farukkh Saleem, executive director of Pakistan’s Centre > for Research > and Security Studies, 80 percent to 90 percent of > Pakistan’s military > assets are in use countering the Indian threat. > > Sameer Lalwani, a colleague of mine at the New America > Foundation, has > put forward a net assessment of the nation’s capacity to > wage a > counter insurgency (COIN) campaign in the Federally > Administered > Tribal Areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. > > Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the moment, Lalwani > — comparing > the terrain, population size, language difference and a > range of other > factors — contends that an effective campaign will > require 370,000 to > 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It’s a > redeployment > that’s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a > move would > leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. > > Thus, Kashmir, the dispute at the center of the bloody > fissure between > India and Pakistan, remains the most important region to > the U.S. > interests — and, ironically, it exists as one of the few > conflicts > over which we cannot wield significant influence. > > There has not been a call for U.S. mediation, the > boisterous Indian > population likely won’t stomach American pressure, and > there is no > need to reiterate the loathing Pakistanis feel toward the > United > States. Particularly, the Pakistani military — with whom > power > ultimately resides and which has the capacity to undermine > any > progress — is well steeped in distrust of the U.S. > > The conflict was born from the bloody partition of India > and Pakistan > as the queen’s bankrupted empire sought to liquidate > following World > War II. Though it receives less attention than the sister > conflict > born from the death of the British realm — > Israel/Palestine — it is > likely the more severe of the pair. Between 35,000 and > 50,000 have > died since 1989, when the Mujahadeen victors in Afghanistan > sought to > make the princely state into the next theater of holy war. > > Kashmir is the most important example of why the U.S. > cannot afford to > accept the anarchy we find and allow to simmer in many > parts of the > world. Somalia, Juarez, Haiti: We have become too > globalized and are > combating problems too transmittable for the humble foreign > policy > that George W. Bush espoused as a candidate. > > Indeed, the defining struggle of our time — unlike those > of previous > generations, which pitted competing imperial aggressions > and ambitions > and competing capitalist and communist ideologies against > one another > — our challenge and foe exists outside the state system; > it is the > battle against lawlessness, backwardness and > statelessness. > > One can’t help but think: Had John F. Kennedy’s attempt > to negotiate a > solution with Prime Minister Harold McMillan for Kashmir in > 1963 > proven fruitful, we might be living in a substantially less > terrifying > world. Perhaps it ought to be a lesson to us. Mediate and > assist more, > even if interests do not appear to be at stake — who > knows when they > might be. > > Brian Till, a columnist for Creators Syndicate, is a > research fellow > for the New America Foundation, a think tank > in Washington. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Wed Oct 28 16:28:11 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:58:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] About Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury In-Reply-To: <429352.88548.qm@web57207.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <53373.35513.qm@web57208.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Naeem Mohaiemen (who's work I admire) wrote to me on this topic. His mail is reproduced below.   How good or bad a journalist Salah Uddin Choudhury is, is not pertinent. Whether he also writes as "Sunita Paul" who seems to be a proven plagiarist is also not pertinent.   Is Salah Uddin Choudhury real? Yes he is.   Has he been the target of violence (whether by the State or by others)? Yes he has.   The pertinent point is the selectivity shown in touting 'causes' whether here on the Reader List or elsewhere. The hypocrisy.   Kshmendra     --- On Mon, 10/26/09, Naeem Mohaiemen wrote: From: Naeem Mohaiemen Subject: Salahuddin Shoaib Chowdhury To: "Kshmendra Kaul" Date: Monday, October 26, 2009, 6:13 PM He is also known as Sunita Paul http://www.docstrangelove.com/2009/04/03/sunita-paul-plagiarist/ Take it from me that you would not want to champion this guy. Do you want to post about this on reader list, or have me do it.     --- On Tue, 10/20/09, Kshmendra Kaul wrote: From: Kshmendra Kaul Subject: [Reader-list] About Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury To: "sarai list" Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 2:06 PM I have not seen much mention on the SARAI Reader List of the persecution suffered by the Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Choudhury. Usually there are many on this List who fervently pick up such 'causes' and participate in relevant 'protests' and 'petitions'.   Maybe I have missed seeing it.   Or, is there something about Salah Uddin Choudhury that he could be deemed as ignoble and ignorable. What could that be.   Kshmendra     "Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury"     Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award winning anti Jihadist Muslim journalist in Bangladesh. He is the editor of Weekly Blitz. This newspaper has both print and online edition reaching mostly policymakers, politicians, entrepreneurs, students, think tanks, civil and millitary officials, clergies and cross section of people in the world. Weekly Blitz is the largest and most infleutial English language newspaper published in Bangladesh. Online edition of the only anti Jihadist newspaper in the Muslim world is available online on www.weeklyblitz.net Journalist, writer, poet, lyrist, author, political analyst and peace activist, Choudhury, started his career in journalism in 1989 as the Correspondent of TASS, state news agency of Soviet Union. Later he was promoted as the Chief Correspodent of Itar-Tass in Bangladesh. On November 29, 2003, he was arrested at Zia International Airport in Bangladesh on his way to Israel to attend a peace conference. Choudhury was tortured, imprisoned and denied medical treatment in prison. Government brought sedition, treason and blasphemy charges against him for confronting religious extremism, advocating inter-faith dialogue and demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. He was released on April 30, 2005 after imprisonment of seventeen months. Although released on bail, Choudhury continues to face sedition, treason and blasphemy charges and the trial continues in a court in Dhaka. Sedition bears capital punishment [death penalty] according to law in Bangladesh. Choudhury is the recipient of PEN USA Freedom to Write Award in 2005; American Jewish Committee's Moral Courage Award in 2006; Monaco Media Award in 2007 and Key to Englewood City [USA] in 2007. He has written a number of books on various issues. His latest book titled 'Injustice and Jihad' was published in October 2007. Italian publication house Neftasia Editore has published Choudhury's book titled 'Non Sono Colpevole' in May 2008. Choudhury's latest book titled 'Inside Madrassa', which contains descriptive and elaborate information on condition of Madrassas in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Muslim nations has been published in October 2009. This book is a result of comprehensive research by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury for several years. Interested people can buy a copy of this book by contacting Blitz Publications, ediblitz at yahoo.com In today's world, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is perhaps the most quoted Bangladeshi journalist in the international media. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Washington Times, The Australian, The Berliner Zeitung, The Jewish State, The Jewish Week, The Guardian and many other leading international and regional dailies and periodicals have published numerous editorials on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Office of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper, Weekly Blitz was bombed by Islamist millitants in Dhaka [Bangladesh] in July 2006. On October 5, 2006, armed terrorists attacked the his office and physically assaulted him. On 18th March 2008, members of Rapid Action Battalion [infamous of extra-judicial murders] abducted Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at gun point from his office. He was blind-folded and physically assaulted. Because of quick actions by US Peace Activist Dr. Richard L Benkin and Rep. Mark Steven Kirkand other esteemed members of United States Congress, Choudhury escaped RAB's deathtrap. On February 22, 2009, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper office was once again attacked by the armed thugs belonging to ruling party. He and his staffs were physically assaulted and the attackers looted his laptop along with two manuscripts of his un-published books. US Congress, European Parliament, Australian Senate passed resolutions demanding dropping of the false case of Mr. Choudhury and to give him proper security and stop all forms of harrassments. But, Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka, instead of showing minimum respect to such calls, withdrew police protection from the residence of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in May 2008. Shoaib Choudhury is a permanent member of PENUSA; Advisory Board Member of Islam-Israel Fellowship; Director, Forcefield NFP. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is invited by many prestigious institutions in the world for giving lecture on the topic of his work. Yale University [New Haven, USA] and Rutgers University [New Jersey, USA] invited Choudhury to give lecture during October and November 2009.   http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/2948     ARTICLES by Salah Uddin Choudhury: http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/2948#articles             _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 yasir.media at gmail.com Wed Oct 28 19:13:04 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:43:04 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Taqwacore: Muslim Punk Rock!!! In-Reply-To: <22361787.1256004794513.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <22361787.1256004794513.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910280643s386d38e4y3c3247aeb89bfcd6@mail.gmail.com> neshtyak ! had come across them before, but the trailer is coool. dont miss it. On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 7:13 AM, Paul D. Miller wrote: > Rather intriguing film... > Paul aka Dj Spooky > > Blurb: > > URL: > http://www.taqwacore.com/ > Three years in the making, this feature documentary follows the progression > of the Muslim Punk scene: from its imaginary inception in a novel written by > a white-convert named Michael Muhammad Knight to a full-blown, real-life > scene of Muslim punk bands and their fans. > > > When he was 17, Michael Knight left his mother’s home in Rochester to study > Islam at a Pakistani madrassa. It was his first act of rebellion – against > his abusive, schizophrenic, white-supremacist father. Years later, burned > out on the demands of religious dogma, Mike rebelled once more – by penning > a Muslim Punk manifesto called The Taqwacores. His work of fiction struck a > chord with young Muslims around the world and before long, real-life > Taqwacore bands were creating a scene. This film follows Michael and his > band of Muslim punks as they journey across the U.S. and Pakistan, > transforming their worlds, their religion and themselves through the spirit > of Taqwacore. > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 kiccovich at yahoo.com Wed Oct 28 19:14:57 2009 From: kiccovich at yahoo.com (francesca recchia) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:44:57 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Taqwacore: Muslim Punk Rock!!! In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0910280643s386d38e4y3c3247aeb89bfcd6@mail.gmail.com> References: <22361787.1256004794513.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <5af37bb0910280643s386d38e4y3c3247aeb89bfcd6@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <803016.46259.qm@web113216.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> i have used it extensively with my students in iraq: they loved it! francesca recchia kiccovich at yahoo.com it +39 338 166 3648 iq +964 (0) 750 7085 681 http://www.veleno.tv/bollettini/ ________________________________ From: yasir ~يا سر To: sarai Sent: Wednesday, 28 October, 2009 6:43:04 Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Taqwacore: Muslim Punk Rock!!! neshtyak ! had come across them before, but the trailer is coool. dont miss it. On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 7:13 AM, Paul D. Miller wrote: > Rather intriguing film... > Paul aka Dj Spooky > > Blurb: > > URL: > http://www.taqwacore.com/ > Three years in the making, this feature documentary follows the progression > of the Muslim Punk scene: from its imaginary inception in a novel written by > a white-convert named Michael Muhammad Knight to a full-blown, real-life > scene of Muslim punk bands and their fans. > > > When he was 17, Michael Knight left his mother’s home in Rochester to study > Islam at a Pakistani madrassa. It was his first act of rebellion – against > his abusive, schizophrenic, white-supremacist father. Years later, burned > out on the demands of religious dogma, Mike rebelled once more – by penning > a Muslim Punk manifesto called The Taqwacores. His work of fiction struck a > chord with young Muslims around the world and before long, real-life > Taqwacore bands were creating a scene. This film follows Michael and his > band of Muslim punks as they journey across the U.S. and Pakistan, > transforming their worlds, their religion and themselves through the spirit > of Taqwacore. > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 Wed Oct 28 19:25:26 2009 From: sonia.jabbar at gmail.com (S. Jabbar) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:25:26 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" In-Reply-To: <5c5369880910271131i5400fb76pfcb60343ccecbde9@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Really? All dilemmas? >From the News International, Pakistan Time to eat humble pie Sunday, October 25, 2009 Gibran Peshimam Amidst unrelenting suicide attacks, audacious assaults on the armed forces, Operation Rah-e-Nijaat in full flow and the NRO question reaching a zenith, talking about the alarming situation in Balochistan may seem a bit trivial and off-topic. This has always been the case, hasn't it? Something always comes along pushing the issue of Pakistan's perpetually troubled province into the fringes. If it's not the secession of East Pakistan, then its Zia's coup; if it's not the Afghan Jihad, then it's political subterfuge. Today, it's the war on terror. Well, it has been a mistake each time. If there's one thing that history has shown, it is that Balochistan is a problem that just will not go away despite being continuously being pushed into the background. All those supposedly 'more urgent' issues have passed and have been resolved in their own twisted ways. Yet when the dust settled, Balochistan remained. Festered, worsened. Balochistan is Pakistan's original sin. And that readily-ignored sin has now taken a not-so-ignorable turn. Today that luxury of 'we'll-get-back-to-this-later' approach may no longer be available because the province is the limelight again for two fresh reasons. One involves the US' concern regarding the activities of the Quetta Shura and refuge for the Taliban leadership, and, more recently, Iran's concern at the activities of Jundallah, and the attacks being launched against it from Balochistan. To accompany the already discomforting murmurs regarding the possibility of the US expanding its targeting of Taliban leaders into northern Balochistan ("beyond FATA" as they would call it), there are now voices in Iran calling for the chasing of Jundallah across the border into parts of Pakistani Balochistan following a high-level suicide hit recently. This matter is serious, and will only become more serious with time. This is over and above the now traditional spectre of Balochistan's most long-standing issue ­ its own indigenous nationalist movement. You now a have troika of unique, mutually exclusive problems that will give the best in the policy business nightmares. Chess with Kasparov would be an easier and potentially less humiliating task. How does the government appease the US, whose money it needs, Iran, whose gas and regional friendship it needs, as well as the nationalists, whose antagonism will render it unable to do much about either Iran's or the US' concerns to begin with? If you think that the military and border security is overstretched dealing with the NWFP-Afghanistan border on the west, the India-Pakistan border on the East, and along the Line of Control in Kashmir, imagine what will happen if you try to secure the rugged borders and unsympathetic heartland of your country's largest province as well ­ that too amidst unprecedented hostility on the part of vast majority of the local population. The NWFP situation is nothing compared to the task of Balochistan. The pressure is on Pakistan to act now in its largest province. So what do we do? This is how it stands: Iran has beef with the Jundallah, who they say are supported by the US and Israel (some say they are supported by Saudi Arabia as well) with the help of Pakistan. The US' problem is with the Taliban are supported by anti-US groups, including Iran. Pakistan, meanwhile, complains that the Baloch nationalists are supported by outside forces. The three groups' agendas are not congruous with one another. For starters, any attempt to conflate the issues of traditional nationalist angst, quasi-ethnic/religious irredentism (or what is perceived irredentism) and religious militancy will be a big mistake. Another surefire thing is that the authorities cannot tackle each and every issue separately. They do not have the military capacity given the currently stretched resources, the political option given the Gordian Knot in terms of agendas, or the credibility/ability to do it diplomatically. The truth is that, though the three are mutually exclusive, the policy regarding one will have to be strongly based on the policy regarding the other two. There is one sustainable way out, which can, in fact, work well for Pakistan in the long run. But this will require one thing that our administrations have historically lacked: Humility. Pakistan now more than ever has to first come to terms with the fact that the nationalist movement that it has vilified for so long with barbs of traitor is in fact a legitimate movement born out of legitimate concerns. The sooner the government is able to abandon its age old policy regarding the Baloch movement, the better. Whether or not it is funded by foreign organisations is not the issue. Its basic premise is and was legitimate. Foreign infiltration only came in after the brutal suppression of Baloch rights in the past. Remember that the Pakistani state, after all, has no say in huge swaths of Balochistan thanks in no small part to the estrangement of the Baloch over the years. If the Baloch were on board in the first place, infiltrating the harsh terrain of Balochistan by foreign actors would have been a lot less possible over the years. It is with this understanding that the current situation needs to be tackled. Get back to the root cause. How it will be done is a subject that is too vast to state in mere columns. It is a subject worth a thesis-sized discourse. It will have to involve a whole lot more than a hollow Balochistan package ­ that is for sure. It will require drastic concessions; a major change in rigid archetypes. It will require ditching non-representative leadership for short-term gains. Those who argue that we will lose Balochistan in this effort should realise that at the moment, the centre does not 'have' Balochistan to begin with. In fact, keeping the province in its current political state will be only hurt the country further by allowing outside operatives to continue to infiltrate as well as marking a huge bulls-eye for neighbouring forces. Give Balochistan to the Baloch and you secure Pakistan. As it stands, there may be no other option. Time to eat humble pie. > From: Sanjay Kak > Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:39 +0530 > To: Sarai Reader List > Subject: [Reader-list] "Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir" > > Terrorism dilemmas come down to Kashmir Brian Till Sun, Oct 25, 2009 (2 > a.m.) http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/25/terrorism-dilemmas-come-down- > kashmir/ The most vital region in this world today, for U.S. interests > at least, remains a maze of cloud-shearing piles of rock and sweeping valleys, > both checkered by impoverished towns and men clutching AKs ‹ but this pile is > hundreds of miles from Kabul. So the logic follows: One can not tolerate an > unstable Afghanistan for fear that it will become the Mecca of a perverted > Islam once more; and, one cannot hope to stabilize Afghanistan without also > addressing Pakistan; and Pakistan, we must understand, has almost no hope > of winning its internal battle with a radicalized Pashtun militia known as the > Taliban unless it engages its entire military in the exercise. But the bulk > of the Pakistani military remains tied down in the Punjab, protecting the > heartland from an Indian invasion; according to Farukkh Saleem, executive > director of Pakistan¹s Centre for Research and Security Studies, 80 percent to > 90 percent of Pakistan¹s military assets are in use countering the Indian > threat. Sameer Lalwani, a colleague of mine at the New America Foundation, > has put forward a net assessment of the nation¹s capacity to wage a counter > insurgency (COIN) campaign in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the > Northwest Frontier Province. Leaving aside the strategy of COIN for the > moment, Lalwani ‹ comparing the terrain, population size, language difference > and a range of other factors ‹ contends that an effective campaign will > require 370,000 to 430,000 more troops than presently involved. It¹s a > redeployment that¹s unconscionable to the Pakistani military; such a move > would leave Pakistan vulnerable to its vicious rival. Thus, Kashmir, the > dispute at the center of the bloody fissure between India and Pakistan, > remains the most important region to the U.S. interests ‹ and, ironically, it > exists as one of the few conflicts over which we cannot wield significant > influence. There has not been a call for U.S. mediation, the boisterous > Indian population likely won¹t stomach American pressure, and there is no need > to reiterate the loathing Pakistanis feel toward the United States. > Particularly, the Pakistani military ‹ with whom power ultimately resides and > which has the capacity to undermine any progress ‹ is well steeped in distrust > of the U.S. The conflict was born from the bloody partition of India and > Pakistan as the queen¹s bankrupted empire sought to liquidate following > World War II. Though it receives less attention than the sister conflict born > from the death of the British realm ‹ Israel/Palestine ‹ it is likely the more > severe of the pair. Between 35,000 and 50,000 have died since 1989, when the > Mujahadeen victors in Afghanistan sought to make the princely state into the > next theater of holy war. Kashmir is the most important example of why the > U.S. cannot afford to accept the anarchy we find and allow to simmer in many > parts of the world. Somalia, Juarez, Haiti: We have become too globalized and > are combating problems too transmittable for the humble foreign policy that > George W. Bush espoused as a candidate. Indeed, the defining struggle of our > time ‹ unlike those of previous generations, which pitted competing imperial > aggressions and ambitions and competing capitalist and communist ideologies > against one another ‹ our challenge and foe exists outside the state system; > it is the battle against lawlessness, backwardness and statelessness. One > can¹t help but think: Had John F. Kennedy¹s attempt to negotiate a solution > with Prime Minister Harold McMillan for Kashmir in 1963 proven fruitful, we > might be living in a substantially less terrifying world. Perhaps it ought to > be a lesson to us. Mediate and assist more, even if interests do not appear to > be at stake ‹ who knows when they might be. Brian Till, a columnist for > Creators Syndicate, is a research fellow for the New America Foundation, a > think tank > in Washington. _________________________________________ reader-list: an open > discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To > subscribe: send an email to 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 yasir.media at gmail.com Wed Oct 28 19:36:22 2009 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?eWFzaXIgftmK2Kcg2LPYsQ==?=) Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:06:22 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] Blasphemy Law Seminar - Karachi Pk In-Reply-To: <5af37bb0910280637x4e057b90r7c77725d4e5b433@mail.gmail.com> References: <5af37bb0910280637x4e057b90r7c77725d4e5b433@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0910280706x44ffbaacvc5ebbb94b66229ab@mail.gmail.com> Misuse of blasphemy law criticised By Qasim A. Moini Monday, 26 Oct, 2009 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/karachi-misuse-of-blasphemy-law-criticised-609 From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 07:35:56 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:35:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [YSC] Re: "A silent hunt for dissent" In-Reply-To: <5c57aee50910281853s7a9a32c5uc02ad70b102f08ee@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c5369880910261033p10f6aa55y2b969cf2fffa4439@mail.gmail.com> <5c5369880910271101j73d5721fsf683dac27670d50d@mail.gmail.com> <9537a3140910280623k51709fmde67a093a30a6bb0@mail.gmail.com> <5c57aee50910281853s7a9a32c5uc02ad70b102f08ee@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: The most brazen and shameful crimes are being done in a veil of dishonesty, as has been the case with the Indian state since its birth. The Indian state is seeking its very legitimacy by portraying the Maoists as the other, the demon. What a shame indeed! Earlier it was the Muslims. Then it was the pseudo-seculars. Now it's the Maoists. I wonder who is up next? Rakesh From uddipana at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 10:06:13 2009 From: uddipana at gmail.com (Uddipana Goswami) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:06:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Suggestions for a French journal article Message-ID: A French journal in its next edition will be focussing on initiatives throughout the world that work in promoting social and cultural diversity in their own country, giving voices and recognition to disadvantaged communities or building up bridges between people. These initiatives may deal with politics, education, media, employment, culture, urban policies, etc. Regarding India, it wants to focus on diversity matters that are considered “specific” of Indian society or particularly important, like gaps caused by the caste system, gender issues, homosexuality, slum youths, religious discriminations, and whatever else may be relevant. It wishes to see for instance if there is any positive action that helps young people from low castes to enter universities? Any politics that promotes diversity representation in media (TV channels, newspapers)? Any arts program aimed to give cultural empowerment to socially disadvantaged kids and create bridges between lower and upper classes? The journal believes it might be interesting to focus on portraits of people, kinds of “colourful (and efficient) activists”, whose testimonials would shake stereotypes regarding the community they come from, and present solid proposals to move forward. Any suggestions in this regard are welcome. -- Uddipana Goswami www.jajabori-mon.blogspot.com From murali.chalam at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 10:07:49 2009 From: murali.chalam at gmail.com (Murali V) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:07:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala Message-ID: <4eab87870910282137k5cbf4775j69e146521712b177@mail.gmail.com> The organized anti-National forces of ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in Kerala have now launched a pogram of ‘Cultural Terrorism’ against the non-Muslim women of Kerala. This shocking fact was brought to public notice by a Malayalam Daily, Kerala Kaumudi....... PLease read the articles from the following url. http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20027 http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20036 From vivek at sarai.net Thu Oct 29 11:32:20 2009 From: vivek at sarai.net (Vivek Narayanan) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:32:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] a "sclerosis between the verbal and non verbal arts"? Message-ID: <4AE92FEC.5000006@sarai.net> ...and (why) is "the prejudice of much art towards poetry... inherently passeistic"? Caroline Bergvall (very interesting poet) writing on a recent "poetry marathon" at the Serpentine Gallery. From "Harriet", the poetry foundation blog: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2009/10/poetry-marathon-at-the-serpentine-gallery-london/#more-5946 Poetry Marathon at the Serpentine Gallery, London Poetry contributor Caroline Bergvall attended the 50-some poet, 36-hour poetry marathon at the Serpentine Gallery in London on October 17–18. Her dispatch follows: I’m writing in from London where I’ve recently been part of a highly ambitious poetry event. The internationally reputed Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park has for the past 4 years been hosting a mad type of event, an annual 36 hours live event, a more or less non-stop art marathon of presentations. This year they decided to create it as a Poetry Marathon. Some 50 poets were slated to take part, each reading for approx. 15 mins—a decent time given the chain of readings and the expected strained attention span. The event has been summarized in great detail online, complete with program notes, introductory remarks by the curator and high-end cultural entrepreneur Hans Ulrich Obrist, as well as pics and comments on many of the readers. Although amazing, I have to admit the event has left me thoughtful… The decision to dedicate a whole weekend to contemporary poetry within a public art setting was immediately exciting to me. Inevitably, linking poetry to the visual arts or, rather, to its institutions, brings poets and poetry into a more public, less specialized sphere (one might wish to discuss the meaning of the term “public” since so many arts and poetry events are corporately funded) than that provided for by dedicated poetry environments. Certainly, events organized within museums or galleries are attended well beyond what one might usually expect from a poetry reading in a literary venue. I could tally audiences from similar events in NYC, as I’ve been involved in some of these in recent times, such as MoMA’s Modern Poet series (initially created by Frank O’Hara), Dia’s commissioning of poets for some of their events programming, the NY Art Book Fair at PS1 with its many readings and talks, even the recent Whitney one-off extravaganza of poetry as entertainment, to name but a few that you may be familiar with. The array of historic art shows, notably around Concrete, Dada, and Futurist movements or those from more recent Environmental or Concept Arts, where the strict line between textual and visual exploration blissfully dissipates are another important linkage between artistic modalities. Poetic explorations of language can here be experienced in their interaction with different presentational and investigative forms; and be witnessed and discussed by a whole range of audiences otherwise often not involved in poetry. In an epoch so overly dedicated to the visual arts, where urban family outings can also take place in the malls and cafés of our large museums, the presence of poetic works at the very heart of art shows is a reminder of poetry’s and of treated language’s role in shaping the larger artistic developments we’re inheriting from the 20th century. Poets’ impact on the development of interdisciplinary arts provides a crucial, if often largely ignored, contribution to subsequent art or literary histories. It is this connecting line between the visual and the textual and literary arts that is at entry favored by the Serpentine event. The Poetry Marathon used the idea of “poetry” very loosely, nearly archaically. It is more to do with doing and making (language) than with applying the stricter and formal bounds of any art form per se. Indeed the remit for “poetry” this weekend is “performances from leading poets, writers, artists, philosophers, scholars, and musicians.” As such it is an umbrella term, a reminder that everybody writes, sometimes. However, in the context of a highly secluded British poetry culture, perhaps they’ve taken the idea one step too far. The highy diverse presence (live or remote) of poets/writers/performers, such as John Giorno, John Ashbery, Geoffrey Hill, Eileen Myles, Etel Adnan, Gerhard Rühm, Jacques Roubaud, Don Paterson, Alasdair Gray, Nick Laird, Sean Bonney, Kenny Goldsmith, Charlie Dark, Michael Horovitz, Vito Acconci or myself was promising. Here we had an internationalist (if Anglo slanted) event. A closer look revealed that only a very small handful of poets from the many (established and less established) scenes of Britain were represented. The gender and ethnicity count among these was also troublingly unequal, where this is in fact the one thing the Brit Po establishment has represented quite systematically, even at the expense of other, more formally pertinent values. This struck me as the clearest sign of the scission between visual arts and poetic practice in Britain. Indeed, to suggest that official poetry in the UK is increasingly associated with heritage art is a clear exaggeration (a recent survey found that many Londoners have no idea who John Donne is). Nevertheless, in a country where the sheer word “poetry” sends a shiver down many Brits’ backs and where the artist Tracey Emin, who opened the weekend, publishes her endlessly pre-teen poetry in GQ magazine, an aspect of the event did need to provide both a closer look at British literary poetry and a slightly more stringent definition of the operative term itself. Furthermore, although a number of the chosen artists are known for dealing with writing and language pertinently and intrinsically as part of their artwork (Susan Hiller, Tacita Dean, Sean Landers, Jimmie Durham, Jonas Mekas, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster), it was something of a disappointment to see so many of them react with undisguised anxiety at that same word, “poetry.” Otherwise lucid, articulate artists found themselves in the throes of open self loathing, “I don’t know poetry,” “I dont know what to read,” choosing to calm the audience by reading from known values such as Eliot, Ted Hughes, Lorca, and Hamburger’s Celan, rather than tracing their own engagement with writing as part of the event. Here, poetry itself was treated as a historical, in the sense of acquired, decorative, rather than productive, mode of functioning. What happened? Tim Griffin, poet and editor of Artforum, said in his opening remarks that poetic investigation might provide a needed grammar for the arts in a period of crisis. This insightful point was echoed by Eileen Myles, who reminded us that a number of poets in the late-20th and early-21st centuries have certainly at times sought out arts environments for a wider, looser, more open renewal of their forms and modes, but that it was now time for the visual arts seeking out writing and literature to query their more profound questions about writing. How and why might they be courting poets and poetry, how and why might they wish to including reading and writing as part of their practices, and more pointedly, what were poets doing at the Serpentine? So what’s the problem? Here again, it seems to me that the event confirmed that the debates between art and poetry remain superficial and usually kept on a back foot, or at arm’s length. Apart from artists or writers who specifically develop ways of working across these disciplines or modes, the cultural status quo is still very much, and in an often unexamined way, one of irreconcilable historic and formal differences between the literary and visual arts. The mood was certainly very different a year ago when the Serpentine hosted a large retrospective by the filmmaker, painter, and poet, Derek Jarman. The prejudice of much art towards poetry is that it is inherently passeistic when not informed by artistic modes. The question of writings by artists is that writing is an instrumentalized, functional activity. This ignores the fact that the whole question of applied (or writerly) language is also that of histories of language and of literary and semiotic applications. All this forms a specific skills base that is indeed pertinent to the demagogic and mediatized rhetorics of our times. The reluctance of the artists present to engage with poetic material and the absence of more British poets effectively created the feeling that the pink elephant in this open-air enclosure was language itself. Or rather, a fear of language, a fear about not controlling a knowledge of language that demands its conscious, careful, and studied semiotic and semantic manipulations across a whole range of environments. The fact that poetic and literary cultures in Britain are still resolutely separate from other artforms, unless dealing with theatrical performance, certainly plays an important part in generating this sort of sclerosis between verbal and non-verbal arts. —Caroline Bergvall, October 26, 2009 * “Recently discovered letters from Philip Larkin to Monica Jones disclose that the poet became so obsessed with the hit television show Baywatch that he considered writing to the producers and offering his services as their new leading man.” —From the 2009 Serpentine Gallery Poetry Marathon program From sub_sengupta at yahoo.co.in Thu Oct 29 12:55:59 2009 From: sub_sengupta at yahoo.co.in (subhrodip sengupta) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:55:59 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala In-Reply-To: <4eab87870910282137k5cbf4775j69e146521712b177@mail.gmail.com> References: <4eab87870910282137k5cbf4775j69e146521712b177@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <566860.19225.qm@web94708.mail.in2.yahoo.com> Indian cinema has shown some kinda love jihaad too, but regarding the scheme and scale, couldn't the author quote some more authentic source, than a church file, pardon me but what is the conviction that these christian girls, presumably have been abducted by muslim beaues. 2 weeks is another fallacy. I mean is waiting for a month safe, then?? We need to distinguish between the anguish of these psuedo political organisations at the issue of conversion, and facts.  It wouldn't certainly mean stay away or be prejudistic before falling in love, I mean carnal love is the fruits of adulthood. Regards conversion, I think it is a messed up thing, as is being brainwashed. Sad indeed  How far can moral policing go without harrassing.It's time society should take a kick at making it friendlier, so that dirty friends dont enter. When shall Indian parents, the targeted Audience I presume learn it. Anyways, could anyone provide more precise statistics. Also about how Muslim Girls lure non-muslim men? Being a man, I find this case more interesting! ________________________________ From: Murali V To: Sarai Reader-list Sent: Thu, 29 October, 2009 10:07:49 AM Subject: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala The organized anti-National forces of ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in Kerala have now launched a pogram of ‘Cultural Terrorism’ against the non-Muslim women of Kerala. This shocking fact was brought to public notice by a Malayalam Daily, Kerala Kaumudi....... PLease read the articles from the following url. http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20027 http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20036 _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 cricket scores to your friends. Try the Yahoo! India Homepage! http://in.yahoo.com/trynew From jeebesh at sarai.net Thu Oct 29 15:08:01 2009 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:08:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] India Rap Delhi Sultanate on Indian TV Message-ID: <01C80056-7EF7-4CCB-B6AD-B71748CC9425@sarai.net> This guy sings his insights with fun and smiling face :). "salwa judum vacating villages making the next exoduses... so dat u can en-cash ur sensex indexes" 'Delhi Sultanate" nails Salwa Judum and its sensex connection. Also Rajbir Singh and the killer cops ... Watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT0jyijZuUs (The TV presenters are bit confused with him ) From shuddha at sarai.net Thu Oct 29 15:55:32 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:55:32 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for proposals for an IFA project References: <3a00e93359419f1d4b17b552b96bf2f0@api.facebook.com> Message-ID: Dear All, There may be people on this list who will find this of interest. The IFA (India Foundation for Arts) is looking for proposals for study and research on a specific theme - see below. best, Shuddha > India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) would like to commission the > following project to an individual or an organization (not for > profit) based in India. > > Project: > > This projects aims at creating a book on the history, growth and > significance of the art of Kantha in Bengal. It will need to cover > the history of Kantha from its origins to its current commercial > status as boutique art, to the way Kantha has crossed over to other > countries across centuries and the significance and impact of this > material culture on the lives of women in Bengal. > > While this needs to be a serious book with rich research backing > and visual documentation, it is not meant for academic reading only > but should be accessible to anyone who is interested in the arts > and material culture. > > The proposal to IFA must contain the key research questions, the > research methodology, documentation details, the workplan, details > of collaborators and resource people if any, and a detailed budget > covering research, travel and documentation costs and professional > fees. > > A total of Rs 4 lakh has been allocated for this project. > > Please remember to include the following with your proposal: > a) Covering letter > b) Evidence of relevant research and writing ability > c) Supporting material, if any, which gives us a sense of your work > d) Your bio-data > e) A detailed budget breakdown that explains how funds will be used > f) Your address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address > g) If you are applying on behalf of an institution, please include > background information on the organization as well as the > memorandum of association/trust deed, annual reports, and audited > statements of accounts for the past three years > > Time period for completion of project: 12 months- January 2010to > December 2011 > > IFA expects the output of this commission to be a publishable > manuscript containing text and annotated visual documentation. IFA > will publish this book which will be distributed to museums, crafts > councils and Indian and international universities. > > Dateplan: > > Deadline for submission of proposals: 10th December 2009 > > Interview for chosen applicants: 2nd and 3rd week of December 2009 > > > Proposals should be sent in English by email to > arundhatighosh at indiaifa.org > > OR > > by post to: > > Deputy Director > India Foundation for the Arts > Apurva Ground Floor > No 259 4th Cross > RMV IInd Stage IInd Block > Bangalore - 560094 > > View Bulletin on Facebook | Leave a Comment | Go to Cause | Invite > Friends > > You are receiving this email because you are a member of the cause > Support the Arts. Support India Foundation for the Arts (IFA).. > To unsubscribe, leave the cause > > Causes Privacy Policy | Causes Address: PO Box 492, Berkeley, CA > 94708 United States > > Tip: Add "no-reply at causes.com" to your address book to make sure > you don't miss any opportunities to change the world. > > > > --- > This email was sent by Causes. You can disable emails here. Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From mitoo at sarai.net Thu Oct 29 15:35:20 2009 From: mitoo at sarai.net (Mitoo Das) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:35:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Call for papers from Indic studies Project CSDS Message-ID: <4AE968E0.9080404@sarai.net> Call for Papers For an International Seminar on Hindu Organizations in Education, Health and Development Work 3-4 March 2010 • Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, India We invite papers for a seminar on the varied Hindu organizations involved in education and development work, both in India and the diaspora (primarily in the context of the project’s three major country foci: India, the US and the UK). This includes guru shishya parampara, akhaadas and sampradyas; organizations set up in the late 19th and early 20th century for social and religious reform in response to colonial attacks on Hinduism and to resist conversions; institutions set up during the freedom movement, as well as after Independence, as part of nation building endeavors by leading freedom fighters; schools and hostels set up by caste groups to promote "modern" education among their respective caste brethren; institutions built by sect leaders for development work and to provide education and health care; organizations working among scheduled tribes and scheduled castes, mainly to combat Christian missionary activity and counter the influence of NGO's supported by western funding agencies; institutions set up to promote Hindu culture through Yoga, Ayurveda and other Indic knowledge systems. The present seminar is the sixth in a two-year network project series exploring the “Public Representation of a Religion called Hinduism,” funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the UK: http://www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/hinduism/. Among the areas of special interest are case studies involving specific interventions in the education and development sectors by Hindu organizations, and how these interventions are helping to shape social relations, both in India and the Diaspora (and across the divide between these two): Ø Do these institutions exemplify and offer a uniquely Hindu religious worldview? What are the theological, core beliefs of the founders of these institutions? Ø How do these institutions relate to the theological aims of the parent body and function in practice over its history? Ø How do the religious beliefs, traditions and structures of these groups or sects relate to the educational and developmental work that they undertake? Is their outreach limited to Hindus or to particular sects? How is the institution different from secular educational and social work institutions? Ø How is Hinduism represented in different types of teaching material used by religious as well as secular educational organizations? Ø To what extent are the services delivered perceived as religious in nature? What patterns emerge out of the mix of religious beliefs and educational and development activities? Ø Why have some initiatives grown rapidly, others merely survived, while others are in decline, or no longer exist? Ø What is the social, political and economic impact of these religious groups on the sections of the population they seek to reach, especially among the poorest and least educated social groups and regions of India? Ø How does the transnational profile of some organisations affect the ways in which services are delivered? Last date for submissions: November 15, 2009 Please send a 300-400 word paper proposal to Madhu Kishwar, Director, Indic Studies Project, CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054 (madhukishwar at csds.in) Updates on acceptances and a preliminary conference schedule will be provided by mid January. The network is in a position to offer some financial assistance to potential paper presenters in order to enable them to attend this meeting. Please contact John Zavos at john.zavos at manchester.ac.uk to discuss possibilities. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 16:08:56 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:08:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Responses of adolescents in Bombay can be seen here: http://psychologynews.posterous.com/what-is-eve-teasing-opinion-poll-results From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 29 16:48:52 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:18:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "India-USA Relations" Policy brief by Ashley J Tellis of 'Carnegie Endowment' Message-ID: <85287.93167.qm@web57205.mail.re3.yahoo.com> In this Policy Brief by Ashley J Tellis of 'Carnegie Endowment', he remarks: """""" For the U.S.–Indian relationship to continue bearing fruit, senior policymakers must therefore be mindful of several enduring realities:   - India would like the United States to manage its relations with China in such a way that precludes both collusion and confrontation between Washington and Beijing.   - New Delhi looks to Washington to preserve a favorable balance of power in Asia, thus enabling it to concentrate on economic development without any distracting security competition.   - India seeks a strengthened partnership with the United States and with other key American regional partners such as Japan, Singapore, and Australia.   - India desires greater American support in confronting the terrorism emanating from Pakistan even as it seeks to avert any American intervention that could disrupt the peace process in Kashmir. FULL READ at: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/us_india_3.0.pdf     Kshmendra Kaul     From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 18:59:09 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:59:09 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all I think the survey is a reflection in part of the cultural implications and the patriarchal nature of our society. Now even looking at girls is in a form eve-teasing. And what's even more hilarious is that in some cases, whistling and singing have a higher rating (of being eve-teasing) than masturbation in public!! (Probably males felt in some cases that it's a case of eve-teasing, while females felt that they hardly cared about it, as some of the figures seem to suggest) The survey basically means that if I as a male am attracted to a female, due to the nature of our society, I am not supposed to show it. I wonder what kind of society is this, and where we are heading ourselves and the future generations to. Are all attractions and feelings to be just kept under the wraps forever? As if the corruption and bitchy ideas we have had about each other being under the wraps is not enough? I can understand whistling and most of the things are not appropriate, but staring of breasts is not allowed as per this survey (or should not be allowed). The response will therefore be a not-so-subtle look at the female's breasts. Brilliant. Is that what we want? And then winking at breasts (like winking) will also be considered as eve-teasing? Then what do the females want? All males to become the new versions of Tulsidas (whose version of Ramayana has already created a God-like version of Rama, and who left his wife to become the epitome of what a bhakt of Rama should be)? And what kind of thinking is behind all this now? And by the way, clothes are only worn for protecting body from sunlight and rain, and other natural problems. Why do men and women have to wear attractive clothing? There should certainly be a debate on what is right and what is not, stating explicitly the value system behind it, so that we can actually understand what goes behind the idea of all this. Rakesh From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 29 19:39:13 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:09:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <976704.91399.qm@web57206.mail.re3.yahoo.com> I was intrigued by the example (of acts) "Talking to breasts". Perhaps it is "Talking about Breasts". Unless breasts now come pre-fitted with some Audio Response System.   It is an idiotic survey where quite obviously the kids did not comprehend fully the meaning of the "Examples of Acts"   In one set 1 out of 3 girls did not consider Masturbation; Fingering; Talking to breasts  to be Eve Teasing.   In another set 2 out of 2 girls did not consider Fingering to be Eve Teasing.   In another set 2 out of 2 girls did not consider Fingering as Eve Teasing. In this very set 1 out of 2 girls did not consider Masturbation; Rubbing; Touching; Groping as Eve Teasing but considered (in comparison) Staring; Whistling; Honking to be Eve Teasing   In another set of 23 girls, all 23 thought Whistling and Calling Names was Eve Teasing but the Eve Teasing label was given by only 12 to Talking To Breasts; only 21 to Groping; only 19 to Rubbing; only 17 to Fingering; only 18 to Stalking.   Kshmendra       --- On Thu, 10/29/09, Rakesh Iyer wrote: From: Rakesh Iyer Subject: Re: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results To: "Chandni Parekh" Cc: "Sarai List" Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 6:59 PM Dear all I think the survey is a reflection in part of the cultural implications and the patriarchal nature of our society. Now even looking at girls is in a form eve-teasing. And what's even more hilarious is that in some cases, whistling and singing have a higher rating (of being eve-teasing) than masturbation in public!! (Probably males felt in some cases that it's a case of eve-teasing, while females felt that they hardly cared about it, as some of the figures seem to suggest) The survey basically means that if I as a male am attracted to a female, due to the nature of our society, I am not supposed to show it. I wonder what kind of society is this, and where we are heading ourselves and the future generations to. Are all attractions and feelings to be just kept under the wraps forever? As if the corruption and bitchy ideas we have had about each other being under the wraps is not enough? I can understand whistling and most of the things are not appropriate, but staring of breasts is not allowed as per this survey (or should not be allowed). The response will therefore be a not-so-subtle look at the female's breasts. Brilliant. Is that what we want? And then winking at breasts  (like winking) will also be considered as eve-teasing? Then what do the females want? All males to become the new versions of Tulsidas (whose version of Ramayana has already created a God-like version of Rama, and who left his wife to become the epitome of what a bhakt of Rama should be)? And what kind of thinking is behind all this now? And by the way, clothes are only worn for protecting body from sunlight and rain, and other natural problems. Why do men and women have to wear attractive clothing? There should certainly be a debate on what is right and what is not, stating explicitly the value system behind it, so that we can actually understand what goes behind the idea of all this. Rakesh _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 Thu Oct 29 19:46:54 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:16:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala In-Reply-To: <566860.19225.qm@web94708.mail.in2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <731237.51817.qm@web57203.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Dear Subhrodip   Delightfully wicked comment by you:    " Also about how Muslim Girls lure non-muslim men? Being a man, I find this case more interesting!"   Kshmendra --- On Thu, 10/29/09, subhrodip sengupta wrote: From: subhrodip sengupta Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala To: "Murali V" , "Readers list Yousuf Sarai." Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 12:55 PM Indian cinema has shown some kinda love jihaad too, but regarding the scheme and scale, couldn't the author quote some more authentic source, than a church file, pardon me but what is the conviction that these christian girls, presumably have been abducted by muslim beaues. 2 weeks is another fallacy. I mean is waiting for a month safe, then?? We need to distinguish between the anguish of these psuedo political organisations at the issue of conversion, and facts.  It wouldn't certainly mean stay away or be prejudistic before falling in love, I mean carnal love is the fruits of adulthood. Regards conversion, I think it is a messed up thing, as is being brainwashed. Sad indeed  How far can moral policing go without harrassing.It's time society should take a kick at making it friendlier, so that dirty friends dont enter. When shall Indian parents, the targeted Audience I presume learn it. Anyways, could anyone provide more precise statistics. Also about how Muslim Girls lure non-muslim men? Being a man, I find this case more interesting! ________________________________ From: Murali V To: Sarai Reader-list Sent: Thu, 29 October, 2009 10:07:49 AM Subject: [Reader-list] Cupid plays Jihad with women of Kerala The organized anti-National forces of ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in Kerala have now launched a pogram of ‘Cultural Terrorism’ against the non-Muslim women of Kerala. This shocking fact was brought to public notice by a Malayalam Daily, Kerala Kaumudi....... PLease read the articles from the following url. http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20027 http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=20036 _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 cricket scores to your friends. Try the Yahoo! India Homepage! http://in.yahoo.com/trynew _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to 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 akmalik45 at yahoo.com Thu Oct 29 20:00:04 2009 From: akmalik45 at yahoo.com (A.K. Malik) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:30:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] [YSC] Re: "A silent hunt for dissent" In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <798629.68053.qm@web112120.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Hi Rakesh, Again dissenting with you. What do you want the Govt to do with the Maoists who are removing fish plates, taking railway employees hostages, killing innocent people? If some wrong has been done, is this the way for retaliation or dissent.In my view more stringent action needs to be taken against them. Regards, (A.K.MALIK) --- On Thu, 10/29/09, Rakesh Iyer wrote: > From: Rakesh Iyer > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] [YSC] Re: "A silent hunt for dissent" > To: youthforsocialchange at googlegroups.com, "sarai list" > Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:35 AM > The most brazen and shameful crimes > are being done in a veil of dishonesty, > as has been the case with the Indian state since its birth. > The Indian state > is seeking its very legitimacy by portraying the Maoists as > the other, the > demon. What a shame indeed! Earlier it was the Muslims. > Then it was the > pseudo-seculars. Now it's the Maoists. I wonder who is up > next? > > Rakesh > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the > city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 chandni.parekh at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 20:13:59 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:13:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Support Prajnya's Campaign against Gender Violence In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: If you want a link to post this on Twitter/Facebook: http://FundACause.posterous.com/support-prajnyas-campaign-against-gender-viol ----- >From Anupama Srinivasan *Prajnya is a Chennai-based non-profit, working on areas related to peace, justice and security. * Between 25 November and 10 December every year, Prajnya organises the 16 Days Campaign against Gender Violence . Through this campaign, we look to raise awareness of the different ways in which women in particular are vulnerable to violence, at home, at their place of work, on campuses and in public spaces.*Over 16 days, we conceptualise and organise 16 different programmes, at different locations across the city, with different partners and for different audiences. * *We do this through a broad, inclusive, structural and human rights approach to gender**‐**based violence; by forging partnerships to create a network for action; by involving diverse audiences including educational institutions, corporate groups and civil society organisations; and by working with innovative media and programme formats. * Violence against women isn’t a private concern. It affects every single one of us at every stage of life. For this reason, the 16 Days Campaign is a collective exercise that we undertake with our partners, our volunteers and our friends! Please support the campaign with a donation. And of course, please spread the word! If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please write to us at prajnya.16days at gmail.com And read about the planning process and give us your ideas at prajnya16days.blogspot.com THANK YOU!! The Prajnya Team -- Anupama Srinivasan Campaign Coordinator 16 Days Campaign against Gender Violence www.prajnya.in/16days.htm prajnya16days.blogspot.com From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 20:24:35 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:24:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [YSC] Re: "A silent hunt for dissent" In-Reply-To: <798629.68053.qm@web112120.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <798629.68053.qm@web112120.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Dear Malik jee Since you have asked for action against Maoists, here's my suggestion, which is vague, yet it is something which can be discussed: 1) Maoism is not a law and order problem. It's a problem created due to the inaction and wrong ideologist connections of the Indian state, which has been elitist. The Indian state has defined terrorism as anything which attacks the existence of the state, rather than the peaceful existence of the people it governs. This is something I totally disagree with. The first step would be to realize by those governing us that they are elitist, which they may be either consciously or unconsciously. What is required is to come out of this situation, and try to understand how the poor, particularly those in the Maoist-affected areas actually live, as also in those areas where the Naxals are not there currently, but can be attacked in later future. 2) The second is to bring about reforms in administrative structure, which includes administration, judiciary and police. Committees and commissions have been formed again and again and again, are they simply meant to waste public money? Certainly not. Let us get the administrative structure working and working well. Most of the people belonging or working in this structure belong to the middle class, which I presume most of us belong to. Let's get our actions straight first. Why be corrupt and inefficient at all in the first place, and why accept it? Let us make it work. 3) The third is about what to do with Maoists. Yes, if you kill someone, you should be caught. But is the police really equipped to deal with Maoists? If that were so, would any operation Greenhunt be actually required? Certainly not. Therefore, train the police, and equip them. And here, it not only means about training them so as to ensure they are able to fight Maoism, but more importantly, to win over the confidence of those who are caught in the crossfire. This requires even making the police realize about its civil responsibilities. And such a training is required throughout the country, and not just in Maoism-affected areas. 4) The elitist tinge within the media and the state should be constantly rebuked. The state is for the people, not the reverse. So also the media. Power-mongering and projections of superpower are all the state and the higher elites are concerned with. That's not what the citizens vote the Indian govt. vote for. When a tribal in India votes, it's for some possibility of development to take place, not for some defence project to be sanctioned or some nuclear test to be carried out. If it's so necessary to carry out nuclear tests, ask Reliance and Tatas to contribute money and space towards this. 5) Most important one: If you want to solve the issues in Naxal-dominated areas, do two things: i) Call an unconditional talk with the Maoists. Remember what Krishna said, even when Draupadi reminded him of how her pride and honor was almost torn to shreds by the act of Dusshasana, "War is always the last option. Peace should always be tried first.' When Indian culture itself says that we should strive for peace first, why not try it? If not anything, it at least gives us time to bide and prepare a better strategy as opposed to Greenhunt, and most importantly, also makes the intentions of the Maoists clear. We can make details of the meeting public as well for transparency and winning people to our side. ii) Prepare a civil administration of a different kind through training, as also of the paramilitary forces and police to be deployed and used in such areas, equipped with skills of different kinds, as opposed to those being given now. They should be effective in winning the tribals over to our side, (meaning not the state side in the current scenario, but of the side of non-violence, which if the state follows, then it's the state side). iii) Bring about improvements in administrative capabilities and ensure better solutions, change the perspectives of looking, overhaul the entire IAS exam and perspective system and hence ensure better results. This is a long haul, and if we are sincere to solve Maoism, let it reflect in our initiatives. This is seriously lacking as of now. And if we think Naxalism can be solved by sending paramilitary forces, it won't. Infact, realizing that it could be a battle which they may never win, they will do what till now is only being seen in villages, but later in cities. What will we do then? Deploy NSG guards on each street of India to ensure no terror attacks? Will India be the same as Kashmir is now? Rakesh From chandni.parekh at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 22:21:29 2009 From: chandni.parekh at gmail.com (Chandni Parekh) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:21:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Update your websites, Cabinet Secretary tells ministries In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: >From Aashish http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/oct/29/update-your-websites-cabinet-secretary-tells-ministries.htm http://im.rediff.com/news/2009/oct/29UP.pdf The two-page letter by Chandrasekhar exhorts the secretaries to "take vigorous action to revise and enhance your department's websites". He points out that several sections of the society as well as the media has often complained about the poor design and quality of several government websites. From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 05:05:00 2009 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:35:00 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Live True Life: ends NY Oct 31, continuing in Kolkata, Gijon, Zurich Message-ID: The project "LIVE TRUE LIFE OR DIE TRYING" ends in NY this Saturday, Oct 31st. If you're in NY, please do check it out before it closes. Open 10-6 Cue Art Foundation, 511 West 25th Street http://www.cueartfoundation.org/naeem-mohaiemen.html Short review by Alex Keefe http://jugaadoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/iconoclash-dhaka-naeem-mohaiemens-live.html [Spoiler Alert: PDF of parts of the show are on here] Asia Pacific Forum discussionof the project http://www.asiapacificforum.org/show-detail.php?show_id=161#430 ############ It is also showing, on a smaller scale, at these locations: Oct22 to Apr5 Feed Forward/Angel of History Laboral, Spain [AES+F, Christopher Baker, Stella Brennan, Paul Chan, Nancy Davenport, Nonny de la Peña and Peggy Weil, Hasan Elahi, Cao Fei, Bárbara Fluxá, Fernando García-Dory, Daniel García Andújar, Goldin + Senneby, Harwood, Wright, Yokokoji, Knowbotic Research + Peter Sandbichler, Langlands + Bell, Jennifer + Kevin McCoy, Margot Lovejoy, Naeem Mohaiemen, Ali Momeni + Robin Mandel, Carlos Motta, Trevor Paglen, Rachael Rakena, Fez, Fa’anana, and Brian Fuata, Stephanie Rothenberg + Jeff Crouse, System77 Consortium, Piotr Szyhalski, Tamiko Thiel + Teresa Reuter, Carey Young.] http://www.laboralcentrodearte.org/exhibitions/show/108 ############ Nov6 to Jan31 Im/possible Community Shedhalle, Zurich [Nevin Aladag, Ulf Aminde, Sabina Baumann, Perry Bard, Bureau d’Etudes, Hassan Khan, Korpys/Löffler, Heimo Lattner, Naeem Mohaiemen, p-r-o-x-y, Isabelle Stever, Tellervo Kalleinen/Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Juliane Zelwies] http://www.shedhalle.ch ############ Nov15 to Dec31 Freedom is Notional Experimenter, Kolkata [Naeem Mohaiemen, Shilpa Gupta, Naeem Mohaiemen] http://experimenter.in/ ############ Also in Romania, have other work showing: EXPLORING THE RETURN OF REPRESSION Until Nov 22 *Participanti:* Luke Fowler (GB), Jean Genet (FR), Hanif Kureishi (GB), Thomas Hirschhorn (CH), Renzo Martens (NL/CG), Alex Mirutziu (RO), Naeem Mohaiemen (BD), Sebastian Moldovan (RO), Taller Popular De Serigrafia (AR), Colm Toibin (IE), Michel Tournier (FR), Pavilion Resource Room (RO) http://www.pavilionunicredit.ro/ From murali.chalam at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 10:00:17 2009 From: murali.chalam at gmail.com (Murali V) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4eab87870910292130gdc8e9a0xa3dcc5e6f5552adc@mail.gmail.com> How about dwelling on Adam teasing as well. V Murali On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 6:59 PM, Rakesh Iyer wrote: > Dear all > > I think the survey is a reflection in part of the cultural implications and > the patriarchal nature of our society. Now even looking at girls is in a > form eve-teasing. And what's even more hilarious is that in some cases, > whistling and singing have a higher rating (of being eve-teasing) than > masturbation in public!! (Probably males felt in some cases that it's a case > of eve-teasing, while females felt that they hardly cared about it, as some > of the figures seem to suggest) > > The survey basically means that if I as a male am attracted to a female, due > to the nature of our society, I am not supposed to show it. I wonder what > kind of society is this, and where we are heading ourselves and the future > generations to. Are all attractions and feelings to be just kept under the > wraps forever? As if the corruption and bitchy ideas we have had about each > other being under the wraps is not enough? I can understand whistling and > most of the things are not appropriate, but staring of breasts is not > allowed as per this survey (or should not be allowed). The response will > therefore be a not-so-subtle look at the female's breasts. Brilliant. Is > that what we want? And then winking at breasts  (like winking) will also be > considered as eve-teasing? Then what do the females want? All males to > become the new versions of Tulsidas (whose version of Ramayana has already > created a God-like version of Rama, and who left his wife to become the > epitome of what a bhakt of Rama should be)? And what kind of thinking is > behind all this now? And by the way, clothes are only worn for protecting > body from sunlight and rain, and other natural problems. Why do men and > women have to wear attractive clothing? > > There should certainly be a debate on what is right and what is not, stating > explicitly the value system behind it, so that we can actually understand > what goes behind the idea of all this. > > Rakesh > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 Fri Oct 30 10:42:07 2009 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:42:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'The Blitzerization of Indian TV' by Trevor Selvam Message-ID: Dear all, Here is an excellent, breezy, hugely enjoyable commentary by Trevor Selvam on the ongoing televised hysteria surrounding 'Operation Greenhunt' and the conflict with Maoists in Central India. I haven't read something as enjoyable on this about Indian television in a long time, so had to pass it on. best, Shuddha Your Mama! Or The Blitzerization Of Indian TV By Trevor Selvam (Trevor Selvam is a free lance journalist) 29 October, 2009 - > Countercurrents.org In the past two weeks, I have viewed three shows on NDTV 24/7 and one on CNN-IBN live. On one NDTV show, the moderator was Mr. Vikram Chandra and the other one had the ubiquitous Ms. Barkha Dutt. The CNN- IBN show was moderated by Ms Sagarika Ghose. All three of the shows had to do with Naxalites or Maoists. The NDTV shows had the emblematic war-drum like sound effects and graphic interplay that aped the “War on Terror” style of the Fox/CNN networks. The lead caption of the “Maoist Muddle”, the talk show hosted by Ms. Dutt, had an old Western badlands style letter font in use, which would swish back and forth, when Ms. Dutt took a break. (No! they did not play the theme tune from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or Appaloosa). Ms. Ghosh’s moderation was subdued in comparison and I would say, more interested in extracting a minimum possible new thought process in this discussion. However, the two guests on this show, Mr. Gautam Navlakha of the EPW and Mr. Swapan Dasgupta of trash-the-left-any- which-way-you-can fame, took off their gloves in no time and while Mr. Navlakha could have restrained himself a wee bit, I could understand the anger he felt with the asinine, Rush Limbaugh-esque harangue of Mr. Dasgupta. A third guest, Mr. Sudipta Chackravarti, writer of the book Red Sun, attempted to steer a safer line between the absurdly nonsensical right wing cant of Dasgupta and the enraged decency of Navlakha and got nowhere in terms of contributing to the discussion. While this particular show did make an attempt at clean lines and decency in terms of format, the NDTV show, as usual, was like a Vegas-style slot machine/ video game box circus with Ms. Dutt rushing around town-hall style, impatient as hell, and making shallow summaries from time to time. Mr Vikram Chandra used his stationary command centre approach to parse everyone’s unfinished thoughts, by interrupting them and making sweeping summaries and essentially telling off those who wanted to raise larger issues. Barkha Dutt’s pancake makeup and potty- designer clothes added further vacuous glitter and frenzy to the otherwise polyvinyl theatre that she now stages frequently. I think Ms. Dutt has run out of the chutzpah that characterized her initial foray into cable news and live reporting. She has bought into the ethos that employs her i.e be true to the status quo definition of the nation, no matter what, uphold some sanctimonious interpretations of “terror, violence and democracy” and mendaciously ignore the institutionalized violence that characterizes the Indian state and all its institutions, especially the police. I am sure the fact that there are at least one hundred criminals sitting in the Indian Parliament, does not seem to have any impact whatsoever on all these apologists in her show, regarding the greatness of “the world’s largest democracy.” One of the goofy guests in the show, named Tavleen Singh, gave an “Arey Baba!” style shpeel on how great it is to be part of Indian democracy and not be part of Pakistan or China. No jingoism there! And these are experts on “the greatest threat to Indian democracy”? What is wrong with these shows? They all pander to a sensationalist, alarmist and finally a fabricated version of the facts on the ground to start with. In their rush to compete with each other they also use melodramatic terminology to describe events. During a Chukka Bundh or a Rail Roko (stopping trains during a general strike in an area, for example West Mednipur) , some channels in no time started referring to it as a “Train Hijack”. Chukka Bandh has been going on for ages. In fact in India it happens almost every day. People vent their anger by stopping trains. A hijack is something else and as a result in no time people are talking about the Taleban and prisoner swaps etc. Arnab Goswami’s Foxy network (Times Now) goes over the deep edge with Goswami almost leaking sputum from the sides of his mouth, calling the Lalgarh PCPA, a “ terrorist” outfit repeatedly during his so- called moderation of events. He invites people to speak and then trashes them continuously, hogging the limelight himself and repeatedly changing his “one basic question” several times. Santhals and tribals with traditional weaponry are called “armed Maoists and terrorists.” Even the CNN and BBC prefer to use words like militants, referring to these same incidents. Goswami, of course, is universally recognized in India as the yellowest of all TV moderators. The primary problem, as I had stated elsewhere in a previous essay, is that these Indian TV channels have not gone through the stage of development that American radio and TV shows had gone through—of nuanced, thoughtful interdictions---that preceded the Wolf- Blitzerization of Cable news. The Bill Moyers and the Amy Goodmans of PBS, NPR and Democracy Now! have for a long period of time upheld decent, selfless, incisive, conclusive interviews and glamour, glitz and circus acts have not been their bag. A tradition exists in American radio and to a certain extent in Public TV that preceded Time-Warner’s onslaught on the mind waves. India’s Doordarshan, staid and unexciting as it often may seem, does not follow this bombastic TV style that Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra espouse. But, Indian TV has missed out on the tradition of the thoughtful radio show. It has taken a leap into the nightmare Vegas style, as far as intellectual cadence goes. Pretty much like the fact that India also skipped over (for the most part) the laying down of optical fibre-glass high speed lines and jumped into the wi- fi data card and satellite disc technology, at least in some regions. Convenient, but unnatural, in some respects. There is thus a missing link in India’s media development. It is not a matter of quickly leap- frogging into the newest technology; it is very simply a question of missing out on a stage of incipient intellectual development. And that stage requires some genuflection on what it is to be a real democracy. Having elections every five years or having law courts and elected officials (even without criminal records) amounts to drawing lane markers on Indian city roads. Nobody takes it seriously or avails of it with pride. It is like an attempt at showcasing the trappings of democracy. As simple as that. When Mr. Chidambaran cajoles the country’s intellectuals and so does the West Bengal government officials, suggesting that any sympathy for the Naxalites amounts to seditious behaviour, it is the beginning of a McCarthyite era of “Un-Indian” activities. In that sense the Americanization of the Indian polity has been seamless since the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is no wonder that the Indian state, once a champion of non-alignment and independent post-colonial political direction, has done a fantastic somersault into the lap of the United States. It is unthinkable that the same forces that have just decided to “phase out ”of Iraq, have now arrived in India and are engaging in what a US commander described, only a few hours ago on NDTV, “the most advanced counter-insurgency operations” with Stryker tanks and various elements of the US Army, Airborne and Cavalry divisions and paratrooper wings, right next to New Delhi! Does Barkha Dutt care? Does Vikram Chandra give two hoots that American boots that were kicked out of Vietnam and are being kicked out elsewhere and especially out of Latin America, are now stomping around in this country? When Barkha Dutt and Vikram Chandra and others invite Indian intellectuals, historians, economists and political scientists who wish to raise some fundamental issues about Indian democracy, they are swept away by the undignified hollerings of the loafers they also invite. So first rule: Do not invite more than three people, at a time. Let them speak to a very specific and elevated concept about the actual workings of Indian democracy. Let them conclude and do not bust them up, half way, with your own impatient and argumentative vox populi style journalism. If you need to invite other people, arrange for a Part 2 of the same debate, with others. What are some other reasons? Aside from the two or three people at a time that PBS and National Public Radio invite, the calibre of the people invited also happen to be those with extraordinary historical acumen and analytical skills. Mr. Chandra, amongst the hordes he invites, brings in loafer-type MPs from the BJP and CPM to trot out their standard rhetoric on behalf of “Indian parliamentary democracy, law and order, national security and non-violence”. The BJP fellow keeps ranting hysterically about how “criminal” the Maoists are with their barrel of the gun power politics and the wily CPI(M) fellow (typical of the Bengal CPIM) snidely jibes away, with a crooked smile on his lips, at the Maoists for not “following the example of the Nepali Maoists.” Also invited are a Maoist sympathizing poet, a Gandhian activist, another EPW editor, a retired police officer (who turns out to be quite sane, decent and at least logical, despite his law and order leanings). Surprisingly, there is also a young Congress MP from Andhra, who is quite lucid that the Naxalite problem cannot be a resolved by guns and choppers, when for sixty two years the State has been absent in the lives of the Adivasis. Anyone who is decent (and the Congress MP who seems very much like one) and waits his turn, does not get the chance to lay down the facts. He or she is either shouted down or stopped short by Chandra or Dutt. Such a procession of flag bearers and party hacks and straight laced law and order folks can never provide education to the masses, who expect to imbibe something from these shows. It ends up being a five-a-side indoor football mêlée and opinions, ideas are never developed. People go home, convinced that India is a flourishing but troubled democracy, Naxalites are violent idealists backed by foreigners and terrorists, that wealth will trickle down someday to the poor if law and order is maintained and the ultimate profanity ---that if Maoists participated in the democratic process (as some other Naxalites seem to be) then they could also have their day under the sun! All these sacred Indian cows are then chewed vociferously and thenspat out like pan-masala on the walls of Indian media, for the next half hour in rapid-fire mode. By the time we are two minutes into these so-called forums, not a single assertion is made about the actual facts. There is no discussion on what constitutes “development”, no discussion on institutionalized violence, no discussion the existing statutes of the Indian constitution and how they remain unfulfilled after 60 years, no discussion on the role of the Indian Police force, dubbed as the world’s worst law-breaking and human rights violating outfit, no discussion on the charter rights of the aboriginal people of India, no discussion on the megalomaniac plans of P. Chidambaran to relocate 85% of India’s population into urban centres, no discussion on the devastating and stultifying environmental impact of damming India’s rivers and attempting to join them up (another Chidambaran hair- brained plan) and no discussion on the twenty five years of systematic development work in the Dandakaranya, which the Naxalites have engaged in from using shifting crop agriculture, innovative irrigation, land distribution, mobile educational projects, health clinics, where for 62 years the GOI has done zip. Mr. Chandra demonstrates clearly that he is not a moderator, not a listener, that he has come made up his mind and injects silly conclusions each time the bell rings for an ad and Barkha Dutt does the same with a proto yank mannerism-- “Don’t go away.” In reality, it is time to switch off. But I keep my patience till the end and until the swishing militarist/western sound effects that keep happening every few seconds, come to a final end. When I sat down to write this essay, I was reminded of a time, in the early seventies when I was in the US and the Watergate scandal had broken out and Nixon was about to be indicted. I was sitting in a room with African American friends, when one of the TV commentators, mostly white at that time, declared that American Democracy would weather this storm and the rebels in US campuses were nothing but agents of foreign left-wing governments. My buddy, who sat next to me, spat out two words-- “Your mama”! Trevor Selvam is a free lance journalist Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From anjakovacs at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 13:51:02 2009 From: anjakovacs at gmail.com (Anja Kovacs) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:51:02 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Applications: Maps for Making Change in India Message-ID: <67ee1d140910300121x54e5449dr8f66a816b3cdd73@mail.gmail.com> [Please feel free to circulate widely - apologies for cross-posting] Call for Applications: Maps for Making Change: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India Deadline: 20 November 2009 Maps for Making Change is a two-month project specifically designed for activists and supporters of social movements and campaigns in India. It provides participants with an exciting opportunity to explore how a range of digital mapping techniques can be used to support struggles for social justice. It also allows you to immediately develop and implement in practice a concrete mapping project relevant to your campaign or movement, with full technical support. Interested in joining us? Send in your application by 20 November 2009. Background Most of us think of maps as representations of territory. But have you ever wondered why bastis, slums, unauthorised colonies and monuments of minorities and poor people rarely are given prominence on maps – or at times are even absent altogether? All too often only seats of power, such as big hospitals, the colonies of the rich and diplomatic missions, receive detailed mention. This is because maps simultaneously also function as representations of relations of power and control: which places, communities, historical monuments, townships, colonies and roads are highlighted on a map reflects the power and control that various communities and classes possess or lack. In modern times, this is particularly obvious in planning processes, which incorporate maps as crucial tools in villages and cities alike. To challenge the practice of privileging the powerful on maps, and to create maps from the margins and of margins, therefore has emerged as an important aspect as well as a tool of our fights against injustice in society. Maps for Making Change Today, with the emergence of new technologies such as GPS and the Internet, mapping techniques have advanced beyond the confines of professional cartographers and can be mobilised and used to fight for social justice by anyone with an interest in maps. Are you someone concerned with the state of social justice in the country today? Are you working closely, as an activist or a supporter, with a campaign or social movement? Are you interested in exploring how digital geographical mapping techniques might help facilitate or support your advocacy and awareness raising campaigns and understanding of the power relations in society? Perhaps you already have some ideas on how maps can fit into your work, but you require technical support to put these into practice? Then this is for you. Maps for Making Change is a two-month project that will provide you with the opportunity to explore how mapping can be used to support your campaigns, struggles and movements to fight against injustice. It is jointly organised by the Centre for Internet and Society (Bangalore) and the Tactical Technology Collective (Bangalore and London), and brings together activists and technologists. Over the course of the project, participants will: * explore and share ideas about the possible uses of geographical maps within the context of campaigns and movements in India; * try out a range of mapping tools and get training and support in the creation and use of maps; * develop and implement your own mapping project, involving the creation and use as well as dissemination of maps, relevant to your campaign's or movement's advocacy and goals. Format Maps for Making Change will take the form of three workshops, with time in between each for participants to work on a mapping project of their choice. The first workshop will take place in Delhi on 3 December, and will be an introductory event, where tools and tactics will be explored and discussed and participants can determine the nature of the information they need to collect to implement their own mapping project. The second workshop will take place over 3 days during the first week of January (exact dates and location to be decided), and will involve actual work on mapping projects, using data and other resources collected by participants in the intervening time. The third workshop will be a two-day event during the first week of February (exact dates and location to be decided), and will be the time for participants to provide overall feedback, as well as to do the final touches on the projects and launch them. Not only during the workshops, but throughout the two-month project period, and at every stage of the development of your project plan, technical support will be available to help participants make your ideas a reality. The organisers will cover travel and accommodation expenses of those who are selected to participate in the project. There is no participation fee. By applying, applicants commit themselves, however, to devoting the necessary time to this project. Where relevant, an organisational commitment to allow you to do this would also be required. Who should apply? This is an event for activists and supporters of movements and campaigns based in India. Preference will be given to applicants that intend to use the project directly for their work within a campaign or movement. Applications are welcomed from individuals, but also from groups of people who are working within the same campaign or movement and who would like to develop and implement a mapping project together. Those who have been centrally involved in designing and implementing communication strategies of campaigns and movements are particularly encouraged to apply, but such a role is not at all a prerequisite to be part of Maps for Making Change. Participants from appropriate backgrounds who simply want to explore the technology and its uses without immediately implementing it will be welcome in so far as space allows. We would like to also encourage applications from students who are involved with campaigns or movements and who would like to learn these skills so as to use them in their advocacy efforts. Students will be provided with special assistance during the programme. All participants should have some familiarity with computer use. While more advanced technology skills are useful, they are not essential: technology support will be provided as required for all participants to ensure that everyone completes their own mapping project. Regretfully, we will be able to accommodate translation only from Hindi to English and vice versa, so applicants will need to be comfortable with either of these languages. How to apply Please answer the questions below in Hindi or in English. You do not need to write long responses (up to 300 words max), but please provide us with enough information to understand your involvement in and commitment to campaigns or movements for social justice, as well as your skills and interest. We also would like to know why you want to be part of the Maps for Making Change project and what are some of the contributions (of whatever kind) you could make to it. You can send your answers by email to maps4change at cis-india.org, or by post to: Maps for Making Change c/o Centre for Internet and Society No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers 14, Cunningham Road Bangalore - 560052 The last day for applications is 20 November 2009. Early applications will make us very happy though! :) *Application Questions*: Please provide answers to all the following questions. 1) Basic personal information: Name: Gender: Date of birth: Nationality: Affiliation/organisation: E-mail address (if available): Telephone and emergency contact number(s): Preferred language of communication: Veg/non veg: Anything else we should know about you (allergies, medical condition, special needs): Are you applying individually or as part of a team? If as part of a team, please provide the names of the other team members here: 2) Where are you from, where do you live now, and what is your current movement/organisational affiliation (movement/organisation you work with, its mission, position you have within it, is your organisation a non-profit, etc.)? 3) What is your wider experience of working with campaigns or movements for social justice? What kinds of initiatives have you been involved in? What kind of responsibilities have you taken up within these? 4) Have you been involved with any technology projects for non-profit organisations or campaigns or movements for social change? If so please briefly explain your experience (what worked, what didn't, what did you like, what not, etc?) and your role within the project. If you haven't been involved with such a project, please explain why you are interested in exploring the use of technology for social change. 5) Why are you interested in joining Maps for Making Change in particular? How can you and your movement/organisation benefit from your participation? 6) Do you already have an idea in mind that involves using maps for social change and that you would like to develop into a project that can support the work of the campaign or movement that you are involved with? If so, please explain. 7) To help us better understand the kind of technical support we will need to provide during Maps for Making Change, please describe your current technical expertise and ability. 8) All participants are encouraged to teach as well as to learn. What kind of contribution to the group's learning do you think you could make? If you require more information about the project or about the application process, please email us at maps4change at cis-india.org, or call us at 080 4092 6283. Looking forward to hearing from you! The Maps for Making Change Team From shankhajeet at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 14:23:35 2009 From: shankhajeet at gmail.com (shankhajeet de) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:23:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Request for Mailing list submission Message-ID: <668dbb3d0910300153w46f11b91s78460d71c4cb964c@mail.gmail.com> Screen writing Workshop Twilight film club announces a 2 month screen writing workshop exclusively for short fiction films. The workshop will be conducted by noted writer and filmmaker Sidharth Srinivasan. Interested aspirants should apply with an "original" story idea (not more than 500 words), written in English. This weekend workshop spread over two months will help participants translate their ideas into screenplay format. At the end of the workshop each participant will get a certificate of participation. Aspirants need to apply by mailing the story line at info at saimc.com. For more detail visit http://saimc.com/short_term_script_writing.asp Exciting award The best screenplay emanating from the workshop will get support of camera and editing facility of Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication to make it into a film. Last date for application: 3rd Nov 2009 Fee: Rs. 14,500/- Days: Weekends Saturdays - 5pm - 7pm Sundays - 10am - 12noon Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication, Adhchini, Shaheed Jeetsingh Marg, New Delhi - 110017 Tel : 011- 26561986 /7, mail : info at saimc.com Mobile : 9953755245, website : www.saimc.com -- Shankhajeet De 0 - 9313012087 Deputy Director - Academics Twilight Film Festival Coordinator Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts & Communication www.saimc.com From rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 14:40:45 2009 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:40:45 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: <4eab87870910292130gdc8e9a0xa3dcc5e6f5552adc@mail.gmail.com> References: <4eab87870910292130gdc8e9a0xa3dcc5e6f5552adc@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: I don't think the article was just meant for humour. I just wanted to know about the possible answers to these questions: If I like the face of a girl or the figure of a girl, and if I look at her continuously, should that be termed eve-teasing? Should it not? Is it eve teasing only if the girl notices it, in which case I can hide somewhere and look? What does the law say about it? What do you personally feel about it? What's the harm in staring at a girl? Should we adhere to the principle of not doing something against someone else's will? Or does staring affect the freedom of an individual? Or is it cultural, where women have been taught to be submissive and hence we have no cases of Adam teasing, while we have cases of Eve teasing? Or is it something else? Why not have someone answering these questions? And it doesn't require a great intellectual standard; all you require is to put your own perspective in mind? Or should we keep hiding such things under the carpet? Rakesh From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri Oct 30 14:45:38 2009 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:15:38 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Calling Female Actors for Audition In-Reply-To: <200910292352.a824aea62e77@rly-da08.mx.aol.com> References: <200910292352.a824aea62e77@rly-da08.mx.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CC2758AE2BF536-26DC-104C5@webmail-m084.sysops.aol.com> Hi   The Actor Factor Theatre Company needs a female actor for its latest critically aclaimed play in English.     The play will be staged on 20, 28 and 29 November 2009. And the rehearsals will commence from 1 November, 7:30 pm to 11 pm daily.     To register for the audition: Call +91 9873581424   Audition Details   Date: 31 October 2009   Time: 3:00 pm   Venue:   The Actor Factor Studio RZ-56 Chandan Colony Village Said-ul-azaib IGNOU Road New Delhi - 110 030   See Location Map >   For more information on The Actor Factor Theatre Company please log on to www.actorfactor.net     Best Wishes   Shashwat Srivastava   Secretary The Actor Factor Theatre Company Ph: 9871777587     From cubbykabi at yahoo.com Fri Oct 30 21:51:30 2009 From: cubbykabi at yahoo.com (kabi cubby sherman) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:51:30 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: [Citizen-Mumbai] Fw: arrests of NBA activists Message-ID: <946543.81220.qm@web94707.mail.in2.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Lena Ganesh To: freebinayak ; citizen-mumbai at googlegroups.com; peace mumbai Sent: Fri, 30 October, 2009 9:00:32 PM Subject: [Citizen-Mumbai] Fw: arrests of NBA activists apologies for cross-posting > >URGENT and IMMEDIATE > >An hour ago Police picked up Rehmat, Alok, Kailash and Kalu and others from NBA office in Khandwa. Immediately after Police came again and copied data from NBA computer. >Police may try to disperse the Dharna at Khandwa Collectorate by force tonight. >Please inform concerned citizens and Media. > >Please call to register protest and quiz Collector, SP, Khandwa and appeal to others. >Khandwa Collecotr - 2224153 (o), 2223333 (r) dm at mpkhdwa.mp.nic.in >SP - 2222100 (o), 2229998 (r) > >More when we hear from Khandwa >On behalf of Bhopal Support Group > > >Narmada Bachao Andolan >2, Sai Nagar, Mata Chowk, >Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. >Telefax : 0733 - 2228418/2270014 >E-mail : nbakhandwa at gmail.com > > ________________________________ Yahoo! India has a new look. Take a sneak peek --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Citizen-Mumbai" group. To post to this group, send email to citizen-mumbai at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to citizen-mumbai+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/citizen-mumbai?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- Add whatever you love to the Yahoo! India homepage. Try now! http://in.yahoo.com/trynew From waliarifi3 at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 22:57:46 2009 From: waliarifi3 at gmail.com (Wali Arifi) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:57:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Shopian: Rumors and leaks Message-ID: <4fcaee300910301027v353f2a6buc3c614babdd0adc4@mail.gmail.com> http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=4168&mod=1&pg=1§ionId=22&valid=true Shopian: Rumors and leaks - Part 1 *The Majlis-e-Mashawarat (MM), fear that the information leaks to PTI “at selective intervals” in the course of the CBI investigation are aimed at advancing “a suitable truth” about the case.* PARVAIZ BUKHARI traces the way the media has been used to obfuscate the truth since the beginning of the case. Posted Sunday, Oct 25 00:32:03, 2009 After the exhumation of the victims' bodies on Sept 28, the people of Shopian are eagerly awaiting findings of a continuing probe by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team to know what may have happened to sisters-in-law, Asiya and Neelofar, allegedly raped and murdered by men in uniform on May 29. Media reports about the case allow us to understand how rumors and leaks to press have become tools in the state armory to paint the massive protests around the incident and its stormy political aftermath as ill-founded. Majlis-e-Mashawarat (MM), a residents' consultative committee of 300 odd members drawn from across the district spearheading a campaign for justice to the victims' families, is also slowly piecing together the way rumors and leaks continue to be used as the CBI is carrying out its probe. In a statement issued on Oct 16, the MM accused the CBI of following a path of cover-ups similar to that of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state police and the one-man judicial probe, the Justice (Rtd) Jan Commission. Both the probes failed to identify the culprits and were widely seen across Kashmir as obfuscating the case rather than aiming to establish the truth. Commenting on periodic information leaks, particularly to the state run Press Trust of India (PTI), the MM said: “It was felt that these selective leakages at selective intervals have obviously a design to create confusion.” The statement further accused the CBI of continuing a “hush up in a systematic manner”. “It appears that the CBI team is also trying to finally conclude the left-over job of such agencies (SIT and judicial probe),” the MM statement said. The residents' consultative committee clearly expressed apprehensions that the information leaks to PTI “at selective intervals” in the course of investigation are aimed at advancing “a suitable truth” about the case. Most of the PTI reportage about the Shopian case was picked up by local English dailies in Kashmir including the well known Greater Kashmir and The Rising Kashmir. *CBI Preparing the ground: * Members of the MM, a widely respected body in Kashmir, say the CBI is trying to ''desensitize the public'' through them, in order to prepare the people to accept its final conclusions without questioning. By appearing to share information first hand with the MM, they fear that the CBI will reinforce whatever pre-determined conclusions they want to give as their findings, and use the MM's credibility to back that. As soon as the CBI formally started its probe in the Shopian case, the first thing it did was to secure a confession from Dr Nighat Chiloo (who conducted the second post-mortem examination on the victims' bodies on May 30) that the slides sent for forensic examination were not collected from the victims but from used gloves in the Pulwama hospital later. *“In a new twist to the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian, a doctor who prepared the vaginal slides of the victims has told the CBI that no samples from the duo had ever been taken,”* a PTI report said on Sept 27, 2009. It further added: *“The doctor broke down during the questioning and narrated the entire sequence of events to the CBI officials, the sources said. The sources claimed that the doctor had taken samples from gloves used in the gynaecological ward of the district hospital and prepared a slide which showed presence of semen.”* The post-mortem examinations were conducted in the adjacent district hospital of Shopian, the district where the crime had occurred. Dr Nighat was made to repeat her confession in front of the MM senior members before the information was leaked out to PTI. “Is it characterlessness or some kind of terrible pressure on her (Dr Nighat),” asked Mohammd Shafi Khan, spokesman of the MM. The confession was ostensibly secured to take care of the report sent from CBI forensic laboratory in New Delhi to SIT that had said that the vaginal swabs sent to it for examination did not belong to the victims themselves. It was first reported in *The Hindu* on Aug 11 by Praveen Swami, who often reports on Kashmir and is well known for his deep access in the state intelligence establishment. *“Experts at the Central Bureau of Investigation-managed Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) have determined that the DNA profile of tissue cells present in the slides sent by the Jammu and Kashmir police do not match with the samples from the victims' blood and viscera. Put simply, the slides supposed to have been prepared from vaginal swabs of the victims were drawn from other women,”* reported Swami. The report was followed by PTI the same day it appeared in The Hindu. *“While there was no official word from either the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Delhi or Jammu and Kashmir Government, official sources said today the two slides of vaginal swab sent by the Special Investigating Team to the CFSL do not match with that of the two victims -- Neelofar and Aasiya…The CFSL made attempts to compare the vaginal swabs with that of the viscera and blood samples of the two victims but it did not match, sources said, prompting the CFSL officials to conclude that the slides said to be prepared from vaginal swab of the victims were actually drawn from some other women,” *reported PTI of Aug 11. These reports prepared the ground for CBI to follow a predetermined track in the investigation once exhumations were conducted on Sept 28 in presence of family members and some members of MM that included a doctor invited by them as a special observer. Notably, the CBI team had postponed the exhumation by a day. Dr Nighat's “confession” was leaked to PTI on the day the exhumation was earlier planned. *Exhumation used to substantiate leaks:* As soon as Asiya's body was taken out from her grave, rumors soon spread like a wildfire that her body was fresh and all the biological evidence on her body has survived four months underground. Members of the MM say that the body had actually decomposed as expected and the rumors were calibrated to give credence to the idea that CBI will be able to nail the truth and also that the victims were martyrs to the “Islamic cause” in Kashmir. It is a strongly held belief in Muslim societies that a martyr's body does not decompose as fast after burial as that of others. The people in Shopian, particularly members of the MM believe the rumor was aimed to invoke the institution of martyrdom in Islamic faith to appease the public. The intent, they say, was to create an environment in which whatever CBI said in its conclusions later would be believed as the established truth by everybody in Muslim majority Kashmir. Numerous residents in the town spoke of the rumor having been later traced to a ruling National Conference (NC) worker in the town at whose residence the CBI team had lunch on the day of the exhumations. *Feeding the perception of a predetermined CBI conclusion: * Just as Asiya's body was laid on the table inside the tent when the re-post mortem examination was to begin a lady doctor, who was part of the CBI led forensic team from New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), immediately told the MM members present that the victim's hymen was intact. “Oopar wale ka shukur hai ki aap ki aur humari izzat bach gayi, rape nahin hua hai (Thank God yours as well as our honor is saved, no rape has happened on her (Asiya),” the lady doctor said loudly according to a member of the MM who was present. This information also found its way to a PTI report that very day without attribution to any specific CBI official. PTI reported on Sep 28, the day of exhumations: *“In the latest in the series of twists and turns in the alleged Shopian rape and murder case, a forensic probe has found that one of the two young victims was a virgin in evidence suggesting the girl may not have been raped…The forensic experts have found that Aasiya's hymen was intact, official sources said. The forensic experts shared their finding with the doctors of Mushawarat Majlis-e-Committee, an amalgam which spearheaded the 47-day agitation against the alleged rape and murder of the duo by suspected security personnel, who were present at the site, the sources said.”* Officially, the CBI later continued to maintain that the required tests on the samples collected from the exhumed bodies had not been done so far. How were the special team members of the agency, including DIG Satish Golcha that met the MM three times since the exhumation revealing conclusions to them? “They have told us clearly that rape was not committed on Asiya and that they are now trying to find out if it is a case of murder in the first place,” said Mohammd Shafi Khan, spokesman of the MM. “How did they reach this conclusion,” he asks. *Perusing the drowning theory: * A report from New Delhi in the Indian Express attributed to CBI sources has already indicated the victims died due to drowning. The Indian Express reported on Oct 09: *“Tests conducted on the exhumed bodies of two Shopian women whose deaths sparked off protests across the Valley amid allegations that they were raped and murdered are said to be indicative of “death by drowning”. Forensic experts are learnt to have verbally conveyed their findings to the CBI which is now probing the case… Though the first autopsy report had suggested rape and murder, forensic experts, going by investigations following the exhumation, were veering around to the theory that the cause of death may have been different from what was being said earlier.” * ( http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Forensic-tests-on-Shopian-bodies-point-to-drowning-theory/526972/ ) Swami of The Hindu had already indicated on July 14 that the victims died due to drowning, pointing out that the drowning theory was being worked upon from much earlier. *“Shaukat Dalal, who participated in the search for the two women, claimed that the body of one victim lay naked in the stream. Her wrists, he said, had been tied with a rope; there was froth emanating from her nose, a sign of drowning. Doctors who examined the body, however, found no rope-mark injuries or froth, and recorded that both victims were properly clothed,” *Swami's report said. This report also appears to be an early leak aimed at misdirecting investigation in the case as Dalal denied having mentioned “froth” coming out of Neelofar's nose when he saw the body. “I had said in Kashmiri (Kashmiri language) that there was some ‘Khin' (which in Kashmiri means nasal mucus, a common occurrence in cold weather) coming out of the nose,” he told this reporter. A CBI inspector Dalal identified as Vishal questioned him on Oct 5 and Oct 10 about presence of froth coming out of Neelofar's nose when he saw her dead body early morning on May 30. “He (Vishal) asked me if I knew what ‘Khin' is called in English. I said I don't know,” said Dalal. It is clear that ‘Khin' was translated as “froth” in order to be used as an indicator of death by drowning. Even before the Indian Express report appeared on Oct 9, rumors easily traced to the new Superintendent of Police Shahid Mehraj have been rife in Shopian that the tissues on which a float test was conducted by the first team of doctors were not from the lungs of the victims but their hearts. “He (the SP) told me over phone that the jars that had been marked by the first team of doctors to contain samples of lungs actually turned out to be heart tissues,” said a local resident who wished anonymity and was not aware of the Indian Express report of Oct 09. “They are working to establish drowning as the cause of death.” The float tests by the first team of doctors had ruled out drowning as a cause of death. The new rumors are also scientific in nature. The educated youth in Shopian say that ‘friends' in police tell them that CBI has found “diatoms” in the bone marrow of victims which, some doctors say, could be used to forward drowning as the cause of death. “But nobody is prepared to accept that,” Khan said. “CBI is trying to ignore the abduction of the two victims by men in uniform as stated by two witnesses whose statements have been recorded in terms of Sec 164 CrPC by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate - Shopian,” the latest MM statement added. The two eyewitnesses, Abdul Rashid Pampori and Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Lone, have deposed in the court of CJM Shopian that on May 29, around the time the incident is believed to have taken place, they had seen a blue colored police vehicle on the Rambi Ara Bridge inside which some women were screaming for help. Though both these eyewitnesses say they repeated their statements three times to the CBI investigators, the same never found its way in the media leaks. On the contrary, efforts were made early on to discredit these eyewitnesses on flimsy grounds. Swami reported in The Hindu on July 14: *“Part of the reason the Commission made so little progress towards identifying the truth was the absence of credible witnesses.* *Shopkeeper Ghulam Mohiuddin Lone claimed to have heard women's voices crying for help from inside a police truck parked on the bridge across the Rambiara river, a little after 8 p.m. on May 29. Police personnel on the bridge, Mr. Lone said, first beat him up, and then threatened to kill him if he spoke about the incident.* *Radio repairman Abdul Rashid, who was with Mr. Lone, also claimed to have heard women crying for help. Like Mr. Lone, Mr. Rashid said police officers shooed him away as he approached the truck.* *But Mr. Rashid's testimony differed from Mr. Lone's account on several counts. For example, he denied having been beaten up or threatened by the police.” * *Lost credibility:* The Jammu and Kashmir High Court that is monitoring the case has barred the CBI from sharing any information with media regarding its investigation of Shopian case. Yet, the agency appeared keen to share information/conclusions with the MM. Where is the information about what the CBI forensic team has found so far coming from? Kashmir High Court Bar Association that filed the original litigation in the state High Court withdrew from the case expressing total lack of faith in the CBI probe following the select leaks to the state run news agency, the PTI. A member of the MM said the CBI officials told him that they will “certainly find out how exactly the victims died and who is responsible” but will have to keep political considerations in mind while officially announcing its conclusions. “During our informal meetings they (CBI officials) told us that they will have to keep as reference what the CM of the state and central officials have said about the case,” said the a member of the MM pleading anonymity. Another factor indicating already existing knowledge of what the CBI will establish as the cause of death is rumors of timing the CBI will choose to announce its findings in the case. Locals say that the district police officials have been making enquiries about when the harvest season in the apple rich district reaches its peak. “They intend to announce the CBI investigation conclusions at a time when nobody in the area has time for anything except plucking and parceling their apple produce,” said an apple trader who has received several phone calls from the district police authorities asking when the harvest reaches its peak time. Most of the district's residents are involved in apple growing and its trade. The High Court has directed the CBI special team to conclude its investigation by Dec 14 when the case is scheduled for next hearing. To be contd. http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=4169&mod=1&pg=1§ionId=22&valid=true Shopian: Rumors and leaks - Part II *A close examination of the contents of the letter…clearly indicates that it was written with an intention of misdirecting the investigation, with PTI playing along, * says PARVAIZ BUKHARI. Posted Monday, Oct 26 16:59:52, 2009 Shopian continues to seethe in anger five months after the twin rape and murder in the town, alleged by men in uniform. The incident triggered such fierce mass protests here that government forces have been staying indoors to avoid confrontation. These days it is hard to find a man in uniform on the streets in this south Kashmir town, an otherwise ubiquitous sight in embattled Kashmir where the first thing that hits a visitor's eye anywhere is the heightened presence of police, CRPF and army men donning automatic AK rifles and bullet-proof gear. The Majlis-e-Mashawarat (MM), a consultative committee of residents spearheading a campaign for justice for the victims' families, commands absolute respect in the area. The MM initially reposed faith in the CBI and facilitated exhumation of the victims' bodies for a fresh forensic probe. That faith is already lost as the MM has begun to see the CBI going the same route - feeding the rumor mill and ‘selective leaks' to press like the earlier failed investigations by the state police and a government appointed one-man judicial probe. *Cover-ups from the beginning: * The whole saga of cover-ups, obfuscation and the rumor mill started off as soon as the bodies of the victims were found early morning on May 30 a kilometer apart from each other along the Ranbi Ara stream. They were reported missing by their family a few hours earlier the previous night from their orchard across the shallow stream, some two kilometers from their residence in Shopian town. Even before any investigation started and doctors were called to examine the bodies, the district police authorities, notably the Superintendent of Police Javed Mattoo, told the family, locals and the media • including this reporter - that the victims appear to have died due to drowning. The police officials maintained their drowning theory even as doctors ruled it out after a float test was done. “Superintendent of Police Shopian when contacted said that two ladies who went to Orchard at 4:PM on 29.05.09 did not return back. Relatives approached the Police Station Shopian at 12:AM and Police Party recovered the dead bodies at 6:AM today. Postmortem conducted revealed no marks of violence on the dead bodies including pubic parts,” Police statement no. S-1/09/744 of May 30, 2009 said. As soon as photographs of Asiya's body showing a deep wound in the middle above her forehead appeared, police withdrew the statement. “Please treat press note No. 744 dated 30.05.09 titled "Two ladies died in Shopian" canceled,” said the later police statement. Where did the need for the police to lie about visible marks of violence on the body come from, a question everybody in Kashmir is asking. *Intent behind cover-ups:* District police officials privately admit that the then state police intelligence chief, DGP CID Dr Ashok Bhan anxiously called the SP over phone on May 30 and asked him to hurry burial of the two dead women. “He (the SP) was told not to let the protests spread and do everything to contain the matter so that this year also doesn't go the way the last year did,” said a police officer. The police feared that the incident might trigger a situation like that by the Amarnath land row of 2008 when hundreds of thousands staged anti-India protests across Kashmir. The establishment's fears came to be close to true before a police crackdown on the separatist leaders was underway. The draconian Public Safety Act, that allows the state to detain a person for as long as two years without trial, was used against leaders and protestors alike to contain the situation. The powerful Bhan was also the first senior official who briefed chief minister Omar Abdullah about the incident at the Srinagar airport when he arrived from New Delhi a day after the incident. The Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda was away in the USA at that time. From the airport, Abdullah came straight to address a press conference and announced a one-man judicial probe by Justice (Rtd) Muzaffar Jan while going along with the initial police version that the victims “appeared to have died due to drowning”. This despite the fact, that doctors at Shopian hospital had by then actually ruled it out as the cause of death. As part of a massive shake up in the police department, Abdullah later punished Bhan by removing him as his intelligence chief when the government lost face in the wake of the judicial probe concluding that the victims were indeed raped and murdered. However, by then a series of rumors ostensibly directed at proving the police right, at least in establishing that men in uniform were not involved, had eroded the government's credibility. These rumors were directed at questioning the moral character of the victims themselves and Shakeel Ahangar, who is the brother of the younger teenaged victim and husband of the other. Some of these rumors - published in various local newspapers - like the one which said that the victims may have developed illicit relations with some men during their “frequent” visits to their orchard found their way even into the judicial probe report • despite the family maintaining that it was only the second time ever Asiya had visited the orchard. The *Indian Express* mentioned in a report on July 11, 2009: “The purpose of their regular and frequent visit to the orchard could not be established so far...It is quite possible that during these frequent visits to the orchard in last six/seven months, they (but more particularly Neelofar Jan) might have developed some relation with other persons,” the report, quoting the Jan Commission said. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shopian-panel-even-suspects-victim/488070/0 No newspaper story ever mentioned the fact that Shakeel often used to drive his wife and other sister, Romi Jan, to the orchard that he had bought just over six months before the incident. Justice Jan, who failed to identify the culprits but did not rule out involvement of “some agency of police”, later disowned these rumors saying that they were part of the police investigation mixed with his report by the government. “I don't know how it happened. Maybe CDs distributed among mediapersons have clubbed them mistakenly…I don't know,” Justice Jan was quoted in the report by *The Indian Express* as having said. *The anonymous letter leak:* * * As an unprecedented and long protest shutdown in Shopian town ended on appeals and assurances of justice from the chief justice of the state high court, information about the arrival of an anonymous letter (written purportedly by some schoolmate of Asiya) at Shopian police station was leaked to PTI. The PTI report about the letter sought to again create new confusion and suggested that Shakeel may have been involved in killing his wife and sister. PTI reported on Aug 04, 2009: “The letter, which was received at a Police station in this newly carved out district in the Kashmir valley, claims that the two were on friendly terms and this was not liked by her brother Shakeel Ahmed Ahanghar. The letter was posted immediately after unrest broke out following recovery of two bodies of Aasiya and her sister-in-law Neelofar on May 30 but it was reported to have been delivered at the police station only after the 47-day-long protests ended, sources said…The writer of the letter claimed that he had met Aasiya on the fateful day of May 29 along with Neelofar at the nearby orchards that evening." The PTI report continued, saying: “However, they were spotted by Shakeel, prompting the two women to run away from the area, the writer of the letter said while requesting the police to investigate the matter fearing the victims may have been murdered by family members.” A close examination of the contents of the letter, revealed by a police official close to the SIT and confirmed by the MM, clearly indicate that it was written with an intension of misdirecting the investigation, while the PTI was playing along. The content of the short letter, according to these sources, is like this: *“Mein Asiya ko bahut chahta tha. Hum baghoon mein miltay thay. Us din bhi hum milay aur Shakeel nay hum ko dekha* (I used to like Asiya very much. We used to meet in the orchards. That day also we met and Shakeel spotted us). The PTI report, quoting official sources said that the undated letter was written very soon after the mysterious death of the sisters-in-law. However, the use of the word “us din” (that day) suggests that the letter may actually have been written much later with a clear design of bringing Shakeel under suspicion of having murdered his wife and sister. *The mind of the judicial probe: * Earlier, the Jan Commission report had also delved in detail over the circumstances of Shakeel's marriage with Neelofar, suggesting that their different cast and social backgrounds could have provided a motive for the crime. The July 11 report in *The Indian Express* also mentioned: The report (Jan Commission) calls for a probe into the “rift” between the family of Neelofar and her in-laws. The fact that Neelofar, a woman from the upper-caste Peer family, eloped with Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar • who belongs to a family of blacksmiths…The report calls for a detailed investigation into the possible role of Neelofar's estranged brother, Zeerak Shah, a police constable. “It is required that sustained questioning/interrogation of Zeerak Shah, his associates and relatives, be carried out so as to work out the possibility of their involvement in rape and murder of Neelofar and Asiya Jan”. The report further mentioned: The commission also puts a question mark on the conduct of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar, Neelofar's husband and Asiya's brother. Claiming that he is “known for his immoral activities,” the report says: “His assets are quite disproportionate to his known source of income, thus requiring in-depth investigation to work out the possibility of Shakeel and his friends/associates in the present incident.” Locals in Shopian say that the spotlight on these official allegations was aimed at obfuscation and taking public attention away from men in uniform, including army and CRPF personnel primarily being accused of the crime from soon after the victims' bodies were found. * * *Rumor for a purpose and grapevine: * Kashmir has historically been amenable to the grapevine which has often been used by the officialdom to its advantage. (Ref Associated Press: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/29/news/adfg-rumor29 ). There even is a rumor making rounds for years now that the state police have a Dy SP rank official designated inside its Special Branch (SB) to generate and spread rumors for dealing with difficult public order situations. Interestingly, all the rumors around the Shopian twin rape and murder case appear to have either emanated from district police officials or from the investigation reports. A close scrutiny of some of the media reportage around the incident reveals how information initially reported as rumors in newspapers came to be mentioned as facts or revelations in later reports. People in Shopian say rumors have been generated all along to shield the perpetrators and the rumor mill knows the culprits (This is a common assertion in Shopian that almost everybody you talk to makes). *Missing track in the investigations: * In all the investigations so far, including the ongoing one by the CBI, circumstantial evidences have received very little or no focus at all. Strikingly, a survey of the area along Ranbi Ara reveals what is hard to miss - that the two spots where the victims' bodies were found are the only two places approachable by a vehicle in that stretch. In the dark, the area is covered by flood-lit surveillance of army and CRPF camps nearby. The bodies were deposited at these spots after 2:30 AM when the police party accompanied by Shakeel and other family members abandoned the search before resuming around 6:30 AM when the victims' bodies were found. The bodies were not seen there during the earlier search. Is that the track the investigators should follow? From naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com Fri Oct 30 22:57:50 2009 From: naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com (Naeem Mohaiemen) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:27:50 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] LIVE TRUE: on non-presence of women? Message-ID: Having a blog discussion about the non-presence of women in the images related to LIVE TRUE LIFE show at this blog. Would very much appreciate if you also posted your thoughts here. http://jugaadoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/iconoclash-dhaka-naeem-mohaiemens-live.html *A friend emailed me yesterday:* In terms of our ongoing conversation. You said you wrote women out of it.... There's one woman in one of the first few photos on the wall that sets up your engagement with the "islamist" rally; in a sari, across from journalist/photographer types. And then you refer, in essence, to women as objects of male desire, the photo about the flirtatious "girl" (I think you use that term or was it boy?) and then about the ad/milk/porn. These references, in context of what you say was a conscious attempt to remove women from the photos, seemed to reinforce a very traditional conversation on gender experience and meaning. I dunno Naeem, maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not convinced that you are doing anything all that challenging with gender and social movements here. I'm open to being enlightened. =) *I replied to her today:* I didn't actually ever say "I wrote women out of it" (not sure where you got that quote from??). What I actually said, at the Vijay Prashad panel (which you missed), was as follows: I chose very deliberately not to include images of women protesters at the leftist rally because that would allow the audience the safe self-comforting emotions of "ok the islamists are only men, but the leftists have the women with them" which is both self-comforting and self-deluding. It feeds into easy equations and of course doesn't see that the Islamists can also, when dictated by strategy, command women activists. Since the project is at least partially about camera politics (as indicated by first image's reference to the cropped/uncropped prayer cap), I also did not want to give the audience the easy out-- the familiar soothing signs of "progressives=men & women marching together", at least in this project. The woman in sari is actually leaving the site of photographs. The photographers were all trying to snap the rally, and the portion with all the women, and she walked out of it. In that image she's actually breaking through the cordon. (There's another woman as well, at the edge of the Che t-shirt.) Now regarding the portions of text, you refer to, I actually have very different readings. First of all my reading of sexual or romantic desire here is not at all about women as "objects of male desire". Why should it would be one-sided. It's about equal parts desire on both sides. Now going to the specific: The girl who flirtatiously asks about beautiful boys is also a reference to the manicured vision of male beauty, something that awakens her desire, but also confuses (when the boy is prettier than her). She's also asserting her own control, rejecting that which does not fit her own desires. "coyf porn" is both "come on your face" and "cock on your face". The latter more commonly from gay porn, so it's not by default male-female sex either. The coyf moment is also the "money shot", the moment after which the actors in the film get paid. The critique here was about journalism's need for such "coyf" moments as well. The image of the angry Muslim mob is an orgasmic moment for photo journalism. So coyf shot is used in a critical and also playful sense. There was another reference, which was "I'm trying to make some girl", which of course is the Stones song, but the lyrics change halfway through to "we're on a losing streak" which is the moment where we move from personal to the movement. Thus in so many places desire moves from personal to political. I talk about left political movements as a broken, doomed love affair. We're waiting flower in hand, hoping to get that romantic spark back. But the we here is male and female and human. From cubbykabi at yahoo.com Sat Oct 31 10:43:22 2009 From: cubbykabi at yahoo.com (kabi cubby sherman) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:43:22 +0530 (IST) Subject: [Reader-list] Fw: [INSAANIYATBOMBAY] Fwd: [ReachIndia] Sign letter demanding release of NBA activists In-Reply-To: <5dee80ec0910301608t2b6c1111qad39bd0f54fc686d@mail.gmail.com> References: <5dee80ec0910301608t2b6c1111qad39bd0f54fc686d@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <289278.84475.qm@web94701.mail.in2.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Sukla Sen To: Free Binayak Sen ; peace-mumbai ; citizen-mumbai ; INSAANIYATBOMBAY ; IHRO ; issueonline ; india-unity at yahoogroups.com; international-peace-festival ; invitesplus at yahoogroups.com Sent: Sat, 31 October, 2009 7:53:42 AM Subject: [INSAANIYATBOMBAY] Fwd: [ReachIndia] Sign letter demanding release of NBA activists Dear friends, The Madhya Pradesh government has brutally lathi-charged and arrested Narmada Bachao Andolan activists, tribals and farmers. Please read below for more information and click the link to sign the online letter to Chief Minister. Sign letter to release Narmada activists, farmes. tribals | Thousands March | Latest Update Release Narmada Valley families and activists To: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Off – Phone : 91-755- 2441581, 2441033, 2441096, Fax: 91-755-2441781 Res – Phone : 91-755-2440241, 2440242 Fax : 91-755-2540501 email : cm at mp.nic.in Dear Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan, We write to you to immediately release Narmada Bachao Andolan activists Alok Agarwal, Chitaroopa Palit, farmers and adivasis displaced by the dams on Narmada river.Ten thousand displaced families marched the streets of Khandwa on Oct 28th , and thousands were on dharna in front of the collectorate on 29th, demanding the implementation of Madhya Pradesh High Court orders to provide land to the displaced. Instead of providing alternate agricultural land for rehabilitation and sources of livelihood the Government of Madhya Pradesh has responded brutally on 29th and 30th October by lathi-charging and arresting the farmers, tribals and peaceful activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). We demand: 1) An immediate apology for lathi charging and arresting, Narmada activists and peacefully protesting people affected from Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Sardar Sarovar, Upper Veda and Maan dams. 2) Release of Narmada activists, farmers and adivasis immediately, and 3) Land-for-land rehabilitation, not beating and arresting, of displaced families as per High Court Order. 4) Action against the police officers responsible for this high handed and unlawful action. Sincerely,Click to Sign letter -- ~Somnath Mukherji ____________ _________ _________ _________ ________ Reachindia mailing list Reachindia at aidindia .org http://lists. aidindia. org/mailman/ listinfo/ reachindia __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar to learn more about INSAANIYATBOMBAY http://groups.yahoo.com/group/INSAANIYATBOMBAY MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent ActivityVisit Your Group Y! Groups blog the best source for the latest scoop on Groups. Yahoo! Groups Auto Enthusiast Zone Auto Enthusiast Zone Discover auto groups Yahoo! Groups Mom Power Community just for Moms Join the discussion . __,_._,___ Now, send attachments up to 25MB with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how. http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/photos From machleetank at gmail.com Sat Oct 31 13:58:05 2009 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen Patheja) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:58:05 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] PINK PINKY IS PINK SAFE IN A PINK PLACE: Message-ID: Pink taxi in Puebla, Mexico. And women only park in Iran And women only hotel in Riyadh And women only bus service in Mexico City. And women only cars in Tokyo And MODESTY BUSES in Jerusalem And women only taxis in Dublin And women only pink coaches in Mexico City *this list is to be continued..please add to it * With this we ask again: How do you experience public environments that are exclusively male or female. Do you see this as a strategy that 'tackles' the issue? What would you propose to make public commuting safe? (answer in any colour you like) Send us your response on the Blank Noise blog http://blog.blanknoise.org yours truly, BN team From iram at sarai.net Sat Oct 31 13:50:59 2009 From: iram at sarai.net (Iram Ghufran) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:20:59 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] an exhibition of ram dhamija's phtographs Message-ID: <4AEBF36B.7080306@sarai.net> Fwd: IIC Presents 'PREOCCUPATIONS' 40 years of Imaging India An exhibition of photographs By Ram Dhamija Curated by Himman Dhamija On since October 28 at IIC Annexe, Lodi Estate, New Delhi From iram at sarai.net Sat Oct 31 13:57:56 2009 From: iram at sarai.net (Iram Ghufran) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:27:56 +0600 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: PINK PINKY IS PINK SAFE IN A PINK PLACE In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4AEBF50C.4020202@sarai.net> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Subject: > PINK PINKY IS PINK SAFE IN A PINK PLACE: > From: > Jasmeen Patheja > Date: > Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:58:05 +0530 > To: > announcements at sarai.net, reader-list at sarai.net > > To: > announcements at sarai.net, reader-list at sarai.net > > > Pink taxi in Puebla, Mexico. > And women only park in Iran > And women only hotel in Riyadh > And women only bus service in Mexico City. > And women only cars in Tokyo > And MODESTY BUSES in Jerusalem > And women only taxis in Dublin > And women only pink coaches in Mexico City > /this list is to be continued..please add to it > / > With this we ask again: > How do you experience public environments that are exclusively male or > female. > Do you see this as a strategy that 'tackles' the issue? > What would you propose to make public commuting safe? > (answer in any colour you like) > > Send us your response on the Blank Noise blog > http://blog.blanknoise.org > > > yours truly, > BN team From thegroup.jsm at gmail.com Thu Oct 29 14:02:55 2009 From: thegroup.jsm at gmail.com (Sanjay Joshi) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:02:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] First Nainital Film Festival - 7 & 8 November 2009 -Nainital- PLEASE IGNORE THE PREVIOUS ONE Message-ID: *Cinema of Resistance * First Nainital Film Festival *In memory of Netra Singh Rawat and N S Thapa * 7 & 8 November 2009 Challet Hall, Nainital Club, Mallital, Nainital, Uttarakhand Feature Films: Garam Hawa, Bicycle Thief, Modern Times Documentary Films: Ek Minute Ka Maun, Magh Mela, Gadi Lohardaga Mail, Mahua Memoirs, Everest, Akhiri Aasmaan Children’s Films: Hip-Hip Hurrey, Children of Heaven, Open a Door *Some of Main Features of Film Festival: * - Film and Documentary Film Shows - Book Exhibition - Painting exhibition of Chitta Prosad, Zainul Abedin and Somnath Hore - Book release of Poet Viren Dangwal’s latest publication – Syahi Taal - A slide show and talk by Artist Ashok Bhowmick on "Pro People Trends in Contemporary Indian Paintings with special reference to paintings of Chitta Prosad, Zainul Abedin and Somnath Hore" ENTRY FREE. Contact: Intekhab, Mallital, Nainital, Uttarakhand Phone:09412983164, 09811577426 Email: *thegroup.jsm at gmail.com* *Yugmanch.nainital at gmail.com* Regards, Sanjay Joshi Convener THE GROUP Film group of Jan Sanskriti Manch C-303 Jansatta Apartments Sector 9, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India- 201012 Contacts: 91-9811577426, 91-120-2885017 -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Fri Oct 30 14:18:12 2009 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (VideoChannel) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:48:12 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Call_for_entries?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=3A_Found_Footage!?= Message-ID: <20091030094812.19ACB5FC.261E01F1@192.168.0.3> extended Deadline: 15 November 2009 Call for entries Christmas feature on VideoChannel - video project environments http://videochannel.newmediafest.org --> Found Footage! Details and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1569 -------------------------------------------- netEX - networked experience - http://netex.nmartproject.net powered by Media/Art/Cologne info[at]nmartproject.net ------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Fri Oct 30 13:04:28 2009 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (netEX) Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:34:28 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_netEX=3A_calls_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=26_deadlines_--=3ENovember_2009?= Message-ID: <20091030083428.2E69981E.1377F49B@192.168.0.3> netEX: calls & deadlines -->November 2009 ------------------------------------- [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne newsletter contents a) . news b) calls & deadlines --> 04 Calls: 2009 deadlines internal 20 Calls: October 2009 deadlines external 10 Calls: ongoing external/internal ------------------------------------------------ a) News --->Media/Art/Cologne announces the launch of CologneOFF V - 5th Cologne Online Film Festival on 13 Nov' 2009 in the context of Microwave New Media Arts Festival Hong Kong 13 Nov - 11 Dec 2009 and FONLAD - Digital Art Festival Guarda/Portugal 14 Nov 2009- 2 Jan 2010 http://www.mediaartcologne.org/blog/?p=53 ---> Media/Art Cologne announces NewMediaFest'2010 - the global networked event starting on 1 Jan 2010 - ending on 31 December 2010 Motto: 10th anniversary of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne http://www.mediaartcologne.org/blog/?p=72 ------------------------------------------------ b) Calls & deadlines ---> ------------------------------------------------ 2009: deadlines internal **extended Deadline: 2 November 2009 VideoChannel - video project ebvironments call: Found Footage! details and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1569 ** extended deadline 31 December call: soundart for SoundLAB VII - soundCelebrations details and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1423 Deadline 20 December 2009 VideoChannel - video project environments Call: SF - Shoah Film Collection to be released on occasion 27 January 2010 - 65th return of the Liberation of Auschwitz details and entry form on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1549 *ongoing deadline 1 September 2009 - 1 September 2010 Java Museum - Forum for internet Technology in Contemporary Art will be celebrating in 2010 its 10th anniversary and is looking for Internet based art from the years 2000-2010 details, regulations and entry form can be found on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1428 ------------------------------------------------ November 2009 deadlines: external ------------------------------------------------ 30 November One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Prague/Czech Republic http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1531 27 November Open ev+a 2010 Limerick/Ireland http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1668 25 November PlayLAB: Laboratory for experimenting with video games MediaLAB Prado Madrid/ES http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1685 23 November Free to Be…US - video online competition - YouTube http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1688 21 November SCANZ 2011: Eco Sapiens - symposion- residency - New Zealand http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1623 16 November AV Festival Middlesborough (UK) http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1623 15 November 2nd Guthman Musical Instrument Competition http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1675 15 November Hors Pistes Film Festival 2010 - Centre Pompidou Paris/F http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1671 15 November Live 2011 Grand Prix Turku/Finland http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1682 15 November Zeppelin 2009 - Festival of Souind Projects Barcelona/Spain http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1599 13 November Abundance 2010 Festival Karlstad/Sweden http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1435 11 November Vizualizar’09 - MediaLAB Prodo Madrid/Spain http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1663 7 November Oudeis - Le Vigan/France - digital, electonic art meeting http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1645 3 November mikro_makro Festival Sluspsk/Poland http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1582 7 November Fresh: Abtsractions - Video and Film Festival Bangkok/Thailand http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1593 1 November HZ Online Journal - submission articles , netart, new media art, etc http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1590 1 November 2nd Moskow International Biennale of Young Art http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1481 1 November Project proposals for Fluxspace Arlington/USA http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1494 1 November 30 Seconds Film Festival Atlanta/GA/USA) http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1629 1 November Award New Media Foundation Liedts-Meesen Ghent/Belgium http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=1348 ----------------------------------------------- Ongoing calls: external/internal ----------------------------------------------- ---> Selfshadows 2.= - net based project by Javier Bedrina -->Videos for Bivouac Projects Sumter/USA -->OUTCASTING - web based screenings -->Films and video screenings Sioux City (USA) -->Laisle screenings Rio de Janeiro/Brazil -->Videos for Helsinki based video gallery - 00130 Gallery -->Web based works for 00130 Gallery Helsinki/Finland -->Project: Repetition as a Model for Progression by Marianne Holm Hansen -->US webjournal Atomic Unicorn seeks netart and video art for coming editions -->TAGallery and more deadlines on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?page_id=4 ----------------------------------------------- NetEX - networked experience http://netex.nmartproject.net # calls in the external section--> http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?cat=3 # calls in the internal section--> http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?cat=1 ----------------------------------------------- # This newsletter is also released on http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?cat=9 # netEX - networked experiences is a free information service powered by [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne http://www.nmartproject.net - the experimental platform for art and new media from Cologne/Germany # info & contact: info (at) nmartproject.net _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 31 15:08:20 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:38:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Army Brutality (Video) Message-ID: <659181.47448.qm@web57202.mail.re3.yahoo.com> This video has been much discussed in Pakistan and elsewhere. It shows a very brutal method of investigation/questioning.   We must remember that it is only incidental that this video is (supposedly) from Pakistan. It could as well be a representation of similar brutality indulged in, in India.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD5yM9OjcO8   Kshmendra From kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com Sat Oct 31 16:28:46 2009 From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com (Kshmendra Kaul) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:58:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] Trashing Wendy Doniger's interview in 'OUTLOOK' Message-ID: <172366.99952.qm@web57204.mail.re3.yahoo.com> In one of her rare postings on this List, Monica Nirula (Moderator; SARAI Reader List) was kind enough (on 28/04/09) to bring to everyone's attention Pankaj Mishra's NYT review of Wendy  Doniger's book " THE HINDUS - An Alternative History".   "OUTLOOK" carried an interview of Wendy Doniger by Sheela Reddy - “Ram Was Happy With Sita...Indulging In Every Way...And Then He Threw Her Out” http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262348   Now Aditi Banerjee, in "OUTLOOK",  trashes that earlier interview of Wendy Doniger.   Kshmendra       Response -  OCT 28, 2009    "Oh, But You Do Get It Wrong!"   ADITI BANERJEE   Wendy Doniger (Mircea Eliade Distinguished Professor of the History of Religions in the Divinity School and in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago) was recently interviewed in Outlook with reference to her new book, The Hindus: An Alternative History.  In the interview, she (1) falsely and unfairly brands all of her critics as right-wing Hindutva fundamentalists, and (2) grossly mischaracterizes (and misquotes) the text of the Valmiki Ramayana, calling into question her “alternative” version not just of the Ramayana, but also of Hinduism and Hindu history as a whole.    Doniger’s prominence and clout as a “definitive” authority in the discourse on Indian traditions and history give her views considerable significance.  For, it is Doniger’s (and her colleagues’) versions of Hinduism and Hindu history (which are often at serious variance with traditional Hinduism as practised and understood by Hindus themselves) that form the curriculum of university courses, line the bookshelves of the “Hinduism” sections of bookstores (physical and virtual), and are given play in the Western and Indian mainstream press.    Accordingly, this latest “alternative” history could easily become known as the “canonical” history of Hinduism, because of the imbalance of power between the Western academy and the traditional institutions for learning about Hinduism (which have been marginalized and largely rendered inaccessible under British colonialism.)     "Defamation of Critics"   The introduction to the interview begins with a misleading quote: “[Doniger] has continued to infuriate the Hindutva brigade with her unorthodox views on Hinduism and its sacred texts, earning for herself the epithet: “crude, lewd and very rude in the hallowed portals of Sanskrit academics.””  The quote implicitly attributed to the “Hindutva brigade” is actually from the BBC web site:   Professor Wendy Doniger is known for being rude, crude and very lewd in the hallowed portals of Sanskrit Academics. All her special works have revolved around the subject of sex in Sanskrit texts ranging from Siva: The Erotic Ascetic to Tales of Sex and Violence...Never one to shy away from sex, she threw herself into the job of translating the [Kama Sutra] ... She was particularly interested by the parts that justify adultery and the list of ways to get rid of a man ... When she was translating it (over a period of a few years and numerous Sanskrit classes), she frequently found herself having to take cold showers. [1]   The misleading use of this quote sets the tone for the rest of the interview —heaping blame on a nebulous, undefined, straw man “Hindutva Internet Brigade” for the whole continuum of criticism of Doniger’s work—criticism that has come mostly from moderate and liberal Hindus, secularists, non-Hindu scholars and even one prominent Harvard Indologist who is not known for being friendly towards Hindus.  Rather than confront the actual criticisms, Doniger pretends that her only critics are Hindu extremists, and by rebuking this “enemy” she tries to deflect any criticism of her work.   Just as some politicians resort to picking on their weakest critic to discredit all of their critics, Doniger picks one stray comment on the Amazon web site to characterize all of her critics—when asked to describe the Hindu-American response to her book, Doniger exclaims, “My favourite one on Amazon accuses me of being a Christian fundamentalist and my book a defence of Christianity against Hinduism. And of course, I’m not a Christian, I’m a Jew!”   Doniger ignores the prolific response to her work by the American Hindu community, including dozens of published articles, countless public conferences, repeated calls for debate and dialogue between the academy and the Hindu-American community, and a recently published book analysing the representation of Hinduism in American universities.  It is totally irresponsible for such a prominent professor, whose career is built on writing about Hinduism, to stereotype and vilify the entire Hindu-American community on the basis of the actions of a few.    Doniger’s refusal to address her critics only worsens as the interview proceeds.  When asked why Hindus object to her writings, she flippantly replies:    You’ll have to ask them why. It doesn’t seem to me to have much to do with the book. They don’t say, “Look here, you said this on page 200, and that’s a terrible thing to say.” Instead, they say things not related to the book: you hate Hindus, you are sex-obsessed, you don’t know anything about the Hindus, you got it all wrong.   This is a bald lie.  The first Part of the book, Invading the Sacred, documents and refutes dozens of statements by Doniger, as illustrated by the following:   “Holi, the spring carnival, when members of all castes mingle and let down their hair, sprinkling one another with cascades of red powder and liquid, symbolic of the blood that was probably used in past centuries.”  (from Doniger’s article about Hinduism in the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia—Microsoft Encarta subsequently removed her entry in 2004; while we do not know this for a fact, one can reasonably conclude that Microsoft Encarta came to an internal conclusion about Doniger’s lack of scholarship and objectivity).   >From a newspaper article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, dated November 19, 2000, entitled "Big-screen caddy is Hindu hero in disguise" written by David O'Reilly, Inquirer Staff Writer:   "Myth scholar Wendy Doniger of the University of Chicago was on hand earlier this month to lecture on the Gita.  “The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think,” she said, in a lecture titled “The Complicity of God in the Destruction of the Human Race.”   “Throughout the Mahabharata, the enormous Hindu epic of which the Gita is a small part, Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war in order to relieve "mother Earth" of its burdensome human population and the many demons disguised as humans … The Gita is a dishonest book; it justifies war,” Doniger told the audience of about 150” (emphasis added).    Doniger may now claim that she was misquoted, but she has failed to obtain a retraction from the Philadelphia Inquirer.    Prof. Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit in the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies at Harvard University posted the following remarks about Doniger's translations to a mailing list and called her translations "UNREALIABLE" [sic] and "idiosyncratic:" Doniger's “rendering of even the first two paadas [of the Rg Veda] is more of a paraphrase than a translation;”  “In this hymn (of 18 stanzas) alone I have counted 43 instances which are wrong or where others would easily disagree.”   “Note that all 3 translations are Re-translations. Mistakes of the type mentioned above could easily have been avoided if the work of our 19th century predecessors (and contemporaries!) had been consulted more carefully … Last point: Looking at the various new translations that have appeared in the past decade or so: Why always to Re-translate something done 'several' times over already --- and why not to take up one of the zillion Un-translated Skt. texts?” [2]  Is that specific enough?    Nor can Doniger claim ignorance of these examples, having been made aware of them through emails, various conferences, journals and mailing lists by many people, including university professors, fellow scholars, and students.   As a scapegoat tactic to discredit her critics, Doniger plays both the sex card and the race card, without offering any evidence for being discriminated against on the grounds of her gender or her race: I think I have a double disadvantage among the Hindutva types.  One is that I’m not a Hindu and the other is that I am not a male.  I suppose the third is that I’m not a Brahmin, but I don’t even get there because I’m not a Hindu!  I think it’s considered unseemly in the conservative Hindu view for a woman to talk about sex—that’s something men talk about among themselves (emphasis added). But her critics have been concerned not with her gender or race but only with the content of her scholarship.  Race and sex bias are the “cards” Doniger uses to distract readers who are unfamiliar with the details of the substance of the critiques against her.     Hindu society acknowledges and celebrates any genuine scholars of Hinduism, irrespective of their gender, race or caste.  For example, the late Sir John Woodroffe / Arthur Avalon is regarded by even the most traditional and orthodox of Hindu acharyas, including the late Shankaracharya of Sringeri, as one of the great Tantric scholars of modern times—despite his being neither Hindu nor Brahmin-born.  In addition, Dr. Klaus Klostermaier, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba (Canada), is highly respected in Hindu circles.  Linda Johnsen, neither male, Hindu, nor Brahmin-born, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism (2002) among several other books, is also highly regarded for her knowledge about Hinduism.   This respect is not just academic—non-Indian spiritual gurus have been revered by Hindus as well.  Daya Mata (Faye Wright), another female, non-Hindu, non-Brahmin (by birth) of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) was highly regarded by the most traditional and orthodox of Hindu leaders, including (I have been told) the late Shankaracharya of Sringeri, a great scholar and authority on Hinduism.  Similarly, Sister Nivedita (Margaret Elizabeth Noble), female, non-Hindu, non Brahmin-born, perhaps the most prominent of Swami Vivekananda’s disciples, has been revered as a true Hindu saint by many orthodox Hindus, including Brahmins; so also has Mother (Mira Alfassa), the Frenchwoman closely associated with (and successor to) Sri Aurobindo.  I could go on with a list of lesser known women of foreign birth who are equally acknowledged as true representatives of Hinduism.  I have not even touched upon the scores of Indian women who have been revered by Hindus from the Vedic times to the modern day—e.g., Gargi, whose open debate with the great sage Yajnavalkya is prominently featured in the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad.   Moreover, the idea that “it’s considered unseemly in the conservative Hindu view for a woman to talk about sex--that’s something men talk about among themselves” is another blatantly false stereotype by Doniger.     Doniger’s contention that traditional Hindu women are not allowed to talk about sex is directly refuted by the celebrated account of the debate between Ubhaya-Bharati and Adi Shankara, one of the great intellects of the world, sage from the 8th Century CE, and father of Advaita Vedanta as known today.  Adi Shankara was challenged to a debate by Mandana Misra, a learned and well-known Purva Mimamsa scholar.  They agreed that Mandana’s wife, Ubhaya-Bharati, a renowned scholar in her own right, would be the referee and that the loser of the debate would become the disciple of the winner.  After debating for many days, Mandana Misra lost and was about to become the disciple of Adi Shankara.  However, Ubhaya-Bharati then challenged Adi Shankara to debate her, on the grounds that since she and her husband were one person upon being married, he would have to defeat both of them in order to win the debate.    Adi Shankara accepted her challenge.  The debate went well for Adi Shankara until Ubhaya-Bharati began posing intricate questions on the science of erotics (well-accepted, in the appropriate context, as a topic of sacred discourse and knowledge in Hinduism).  If it was “considered unseemly” per traditional Hinduism for women to talk about sex, the official version of the Shankara Digvijaya (accepted as authentic by the Sringeri Shankaracharya Matha) would never have mentioned Ubhaya-Bharati’s questioning of Adi Shankara.  (Adi Shankara ended up satisfactorily answering the questions on eroticism, and Ubhaya-Bharati accepted her defeat.)     There is also the celebrated account given in the Yoga Vasistha of Queen Chudalai, an advanced yogini, who initiates her husband, King Sikhidvaja, as her disciple; she tests his renunciation repeatedly and instructs him on the proper attitude towards sexual union and sensual pleasure.  Similarly, the famous Tripura Rahasya narrates Princess Hemalata’s initiation of her husband, Prince Hemachuda, into the secrets of samadhi and moksha.  Finally, the Mahabharata recounts the famous interaction between Arjuna and Urvashi—when Arjuna rejected Urvashi’s frank invitation for sexual union, she pronounced the following curse: “Since thou disregardest a woman come to thy mansion … of her own motion—a woman, besides, who is pierced by the shafts of Kama, therefore, O Partha, thou shalt have to pass thy time among females … destitute of manhood and scorned as a eunuch."    As these examples show, not only were women allowed to discuss sex, they had the authority and scriptural and social standing to challenge and teach the greatest of sages and the most royal of men with respect to all subject matters, including sex and eroticism.   Of course, it is unfortunate that the puritanical mores of Victorian British rule have corrupted modern Hindu society, restricting the open acceptance of sex and sexuality.  However, the holistic acceptance of sex and sexuality (without gender or orientation bias) inherent to Hinduism is still vibrant and alive in traditional Hinduism.   In a personal context, I can say unequivocally that despite my birth and upbringing as an American and my liberal schooling in Boston and at Yale Law School, my most honest and open discussions of sex have been with the most orthodox and “traditional” of Hindu swamis and acharyas.  They helped me unlearn the associative guilt and sexual repression of Western mores.  They also taught me that sexual desire is, in the appropriate context, an integral part of life and that there is nothing sinful  or shameful about it, and that heightened sexual energies are not antithetical to, but can be an integral part of, spiritual development for people qualified (adhikaris) for those types of sadhana or spiritual practice.   In short, playing this race and sex card may be an attempt by Doniger to elicit sympathy—but this cannot substitute for sound scholarship.  In the traditions of true academic scholarship, Doniger should let her work stand or fall on its own merits and not hide behind false victimhood.             "Misrepresentations of Valmiki Ramayana"   Apart from unfairly stereotyping and insulting her critics, most of the rest of the interview concerns Doniger’s take on the Valmiki Ramayana.   The “Interpolation” of Ravana’s Curse   According to Doniger: Things were added on in Ramayana’s first and seventh book later on. For instance, in the seventh book we have a story long before the story of Rama and Sita about how Ravana raped one of the great apsaras, Rambha ... [Her husband] curses Ravana that if he ever touches a woman against her will, his head will shatter into a thousand pieces. So that story is then told in the Ramayana to explain why Ravana didn’t force himself on Sita despite keeping her in his house all those years. In the earlier Ramayana, there’s nothing about this ... This is a later idea that creeps in.” It is incorrect for Doniger to say that the curse upon Ravana was a “later idea that [crept in]” to explain Ravana’s unwillingness to rape Sita.  The relevant incident is found in Book 6 (Yuddha Kanda), almost universally recognized as part of the original Valmiki Ramayana.  (It is the first part of Book 1 (Bala Kanda) and all of Book 7 (Uttara Kanda) that are, debatably, later interpolations.)    The account is given by Ravana in Sarga (Canto) 13 of Book 6 (Yuddha Kanda):    Once I beheld (a celestial nymph) Punjikasthala (by name) ... She was stripped of her garment and ravished by me.  She then reached the abode of Brahma ... Highly enraged, the creator forthwith addressed the following words to me: “If you (happen to) violate any other woman hence forward, your head will be forthwith split into a hundred pieces; there is no doubt about it.”  Hence, afraid (as I am) of his curse, I do not violently put Sita, a princess of the Videha territory, on my charming bed by force. [3]   There is an account of Ravana’s rape of Rambha in Book 7 (Uttara Kanda)—but it is the incident recounted in Book 6 (accepted as part of the original Valmiki Ramayana) that is explicitly offered as the reason why Ravana did not rape Sita.  The effect of the rape of Rambha is more generic:  “[Ravana] felt inclined no more to copulate with women who were unwilling to approach him." [4]      This is not mere nitpicking—the citation of the rape of Punjikasthala in Book 6 discredits Doniger’s contention that the curse on Ravana was a later interpolation interjected to conveniently explain why Ravana never raped Sita.    Rama as a “Sex-Addict”   According to Doniger, the concept of a “sex-addict” is introduced into the Valmiki Ramayana by Lakshmana calling Dasaratha kama-sakta, which she defines as “hopelessly attached to lust.”   It is not clear where Doniger picks up the term ‘kama-sakta’—the term does not appear upon a search of the text of the Valmiki Ramayana as given in the Titus online database, which is based on the following version of the text: G.H. Bhatt e.a., The Valmiki Ramayana, (Baroda 1960-1975), prepared by Muneo Tokunaga, March 12, 1993 (adaptations by John D. Smith, Cambridge, 1995.)   Further, neither the term nor its variants appear in the most logical place where Lakshmana would have used the words to describe Dasaratha, the passage in Book 2 (Ayodhya Kanda) when Lakshmana disparages the character of Dasaratha for banishing Rama.  The relevant phrases that Lakshmana uses here are the following: nripah vipariitasheha (king with perverted mind), pradharshhitaH vishhayaiH (who is outraged by sensual enjoyments) and samanimadhaH (who is possessed of passion). [5]  None of these terms translates even remotely as “sex addict / addiction”.  Addiction is something more than just being overcome by lust: addiction is a “compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance…characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal." [6]       However, for the sake of argument, I will give the benefit of the doubt to Doniger and assume that the term kama-sakta has been used by Lakshmana to describe Dasaratha in the Valmiki-Ramayana.  That in and of itself does not imply that Dasaratha was “hopelessly addicted to lust.”  Kama-sakta simply means an attachment (sakta) to desire (kama). Kama does not itself necessarily refer to sexual desire, or even erotic or romantic desire.  Dasaratha’s reluctance to allow Rama to serve as guard over Vishwamitra’s yajna, for example, or Lakshmana’s unwillingness to be parted from Rama, could equally be characterized as kama-sakta.  To assume it to mean “attachment to lust” is another in a pattern of Doniger’s ex-cathedra translations in variance with traditional Sanskrit nirukta (etymology) for which she has been repudiated before.    It has been brought to my attention that, subsequent to the original interview, as published in print and on this website, Doniger’s statements were corrected to carry the following version of Doniger’s quote on October 20: “Lakshman is the one who actually says it.   He says the king is hopelessly attached to sensual objects.  But Rama himself says (at 2.47.8) that the king is kama-atma, entirely consumed by kama.”  The deletion of the term kama-sakta and the addition of the new reference is not explained, other than as a "typo".   To offer Doniger leeway that she almost never offers her critics, I will accept the “corrected” statement—but her argument still fails.  The relevant reference—found in Sarga 53 of the Gita Press, Gorakhpur version and in Sarga 47 of the Titus database version (mentioned above)—is part of a scene where Rama reminisces about his father to Lakshmana during the first night of his banishment from Ayodhya.  Here is the exact reference: anaathaH caiva vRiddhaH ca mayaa caiva vinaakRitaH | kim kariSyati kaama aatmaa kaikeyyaa vasham aagataH ||   vRiddhascha (aged); anaathashcha ((and therefore) helpless); mayaarinaacha (deprived of my presence); kim karishhyati (what will he do); kRitaH (dominated as he is); kaamaatmaa (by his passion (for Kaikeyi)); aagataH (and who has fallen); kaikeyiivasham (into clutches of Kaikeyi).     “Aged and (therefore) helpless, deprived of my presence, what will he do, dominated as he is by his passion for Kaikeyi and who has fallen into the clutches of Kaikeyi.”   As with the phrases described above (uttered by Lakshmana in anger), Kama-atma does not necessarily mean “entirely consumed by kama.”  For example, the illustrious commentary on the Ramayana by Sivasahaya, Raamayana Siromani¸ gives the following example of using the term kama-atma in a non-sexual context:  kaama aathmaa:  kaama - abhishEka vishayiNi ichchhaa (desiring the matter of crowning) aathmaa - aathmani manasyEva yasya sah (one who had this in mind)—i.e., “the king who desired in his mind the crowning [of Rama]." [7]   Falling prey to love (Rama’s description) or being overcome by lust (Lakshmana’s description) does not make one a sex addict; if it did, then any of us could be accused of the same!  Sex was explicitly discussed and celebrated in ancient Indian / Hindu texts, as an accepted integral part of life—discussions of being overcome by desire, therefore, do not automatically translate into one being characterized or condemned as a sex-addict.  These epithets were uttered in anger and anguish by Dasaratha’s sons at the time of their separation from their family and kingdom—the epithets are indicative of their pain and anger and are not meant to be psychoanalytical judgements of Dasaratha’s character, particularly in a socio-cultural context where intense sexual enjoyment was not viewed as a vice—c.f., the accounts of Karadama rishi and Devahuti in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Yayati and Sarmishta in the Mahabharata, and Kacha and Devyani in the Mahabharata, where long periods of intense sexual union were described without any condemnation or sense of shame.     In any case, it is not necessary to get entangled into the technicality of semantics to challenge Doniger’s central thesis, which is summarized in the following excerpt from the interview: You also suggest that because Rama is afraid of turning into a sex addict like his father, he throws Sita out after enjoying sex with her? You have a chapter in Valmiki’s Ramayana where Rama was so happy with Sita, they drank wine together, they were alone, enjoying themselves in every way, indulging in various ways, not just the sexual act. And in the very next chapter he says I’ve got to throw you out.  So I’m suggesting: what is the connection between those two things?  And what does it mean that Rama knows that Dasaratha, his father, disgraced himself because of his attachment to his young and beautiful wife.  So I’m taking pieces of the Ramayana and putting them together and saying these are not disconnected.   So you are saying his fear of following in his father’s footsteps is making him betray his own sexuality? Yes, I am. Or even of being perceived that way. Note the internal contradiction in Doniger’s position—her  characterization of Rama hinges on a passage found in Book 7 (Uttara Kanda), and she has elsewhere in the interview dismissed that same Book 7 as a later interpolation!    In any event, the passage describing Rama and Sita’s “indulgence” is from Sarga 42 of Book 7 (Uttara Kanda), where Rama and Sita are enjoying their reunion after Sita’s abduction.  As described therein, during this period of two winters (i.e., two years, although in some versions, an additional half-shloka is included providing that this interlude lasted 10,000 years), Rama and Sita would spend the second half of every day together in Rama’s Ashoka-grove, enjoying heavenly music and dance and partaking of gourmet food and intoxicating drinks.  Rama and Sita are compared to other divine couples: Taking in his hand the pure nectar of flowers as intoxicating as the Maireyaka wine, Sri Rama … made Sri Sita drink it, just as Indra does Sachi ... Seated in the company of the celebrated Sita, [Rama] shone with splendour like Vasishta seated along with Arundhati.  Sri Rama, steeped in joy like gods, afforded delight thus day after day to … Sita, who resembled a divine damsel. [8]   Doniger conveniently leaves out the fact that it is in this chapter that Rama discovers that Sita is pregnant.  Delighted at this revelation, Rama asks her to tell him which desire of hers he should fulfil.  This is Sita’s response: “O Raghava!  I wish to visit the holy penance-groves and to stay, O Lord!, at the feet of sages ... living on the banks of the Ganga ... This is my greatest wish that I should stay even for one night in the penance-grove of those who live only on fruits and (edible) roots." [9]  Rama readily acquiesces to this wish, promising that she will be taken for a visit there the very next day.   Doniger claims that “in the very next chapter [Rama] says [to Sita] I’ve got to throw you out.”  This is another totally false statement by Doniger.  It is in Sarga 45 (after two intervening sargas / chapters, wherein Rama learns of the negative gossip surrounding Sita and thus decides to banish her) that Rama orders Lakshmana to take Sita to the forest and leave her there.  This is just one more instance of Doniger’s casual disregard of the facts, unbecoming of a distinguished professor with a named chair at the University of Chicago.   Of course, it is the two sargas / chapters that Doniger skips over in her “alternative” narrative that provide the reason for Rama banishing Sita: Rama is informed that he is being rebuked by the people of Ayodhya as follows: “Why does not Sri Rama censure [Sita], who formerly had been forcibly carried away by Ravana? ... Such conduct of our wives shall have to be suffered by us also, since whatever a king does, the subjects follow." [10]  The pernicious rumours are about Sita’s chastity / purity, not about Rama’s excessive lust.    When this gossip is confirmed by others, Rama summons his brothers to him, and informs them of his decision to leave Sita, providing the following explanation for his decision: “As long as the word of infamy circulates, so long one does fall in the lower regions (hell).  Infamy is censured even by the gods and fame gains credence in the world." [11]  It is the fear of losing his good name (as the result of the infamy surrounding Sita’s chastity by the gossip-mongers of Ayodhya) that impels Rama, not fear of being chastised as a sex-addict.   Nowhere is it mentioned that Rama feared he might fall victim to the “vice” of sex and that he therefore abandoned Sita – this again appears to be an example of the kind of fanciful creation for which Doniger and many of her students, now academicians at leading American universities, have become well-known.  There is no connotation of illicit or excessive indulgence in the description of Rama and Sita’s blissful interlude together in Sarga 42—to the contrary, Rama and Sita are depicted as a divine couple with the dignity and radiance of Indra and Sachi, Vasishta and Arundhati.  Rama is full of tenderness for Sita upon discovering her pregnancy.  It clearly breaks his heart to send Sita away—after giving Lakshmana the command, “[Rama] the noble one with His eyes closed, taking leave of His brothers, entered His own apartment, with his heart agitated by sorrow, deeply sighed as an elephant." [12]   In Doniger’s own words, she is “taking pieces of the Ramayana and putting them together” to come up with this far-fetched explanation.  But, one cannot play connect-the-dots with various scenes from a vast text such as the Valmiki Ramayana, stripping out the proper sequence and removing the contextual background of the critical passages, and then call it a valid textual interpretation.     Even if Doniger is reading into the text certain psychological motivations she wants to attribute to the characters, her characterization appears to be illogical--if Rama sent Sita away simply because he didn’t want to become / be characterized as a sex addict, why did he not make arrangements to claim his future heir(s), whom he knew Sita carried in her womb?      "Construction of Hindu Temples"   Doniger suggests that Hindus did not have a prominent temple-building movement—because building temples requires “a lot of money, land, a whole system of building temples, which the Hindus did not have at first”—until the Bhakti movement gathered momentum “to organize Rama or Shiva worship.”  She makes a superfluous reference to the fact that the Kama Sutra does not discuss temple worship—one wonders why the Kama Sutra would be a relevant reference for discussion of temple construction, but then one recalls the BBC quote at the beginning of this note about Doniger’s strange predilection for the Kama Sutra.   This is really the topic for another article, but it is worth quickly noting here that the Sathapatha Brahmana portion of the Shukla Yajur Veda, dating back to at least 1500 BCE, describes a special form of tabernacle, distinct from the Agni-shala of the household, for which a special fire-priest, the Agnidhra, was designated.  Through the kindling of the fire, the tabernacle became the dwelling place of the Vishvedevas (all the gods).  This is a prototype for later Hindu temples, where icons replaced the sacred fire as the focus of worship.  In other words, if one wants to be polemical, one can definitely argue that the genesis of formal temple construction vidhis – rules and methods – certainly pre-dates the advent of Buddhism.   Further, details of (at least Vaishnava) temple construction, the consecration of images for worship, and the actual procedures and rituals for temple worship are set forth in the ancient Vaikhanasa and Paancharatra Agamas.  The Vaikhanasa Agama dates back to at least the 3rd or 4th century CE, and its Kriyaa Paadha discusses temple construction and image consecration while its Charyaa Padhaa focuses on the associated rituals of worship.    There are many examples of temples from these ancient times.  A few are quickly identified here: The early phase of Chalukyan temple building began in the last quarter of the 6th century and resulted in many cave temples, including a Vaishnava temple dating back to 578 CE.  The second phase of Chalukyan temple building at Aihole, celebrated as one of the cradles of Indian temple architecture, dates back to approximately 600 CE.  Similarly, the Pallavas constructed rock-cut temples dating from 610–690 AD and structural temples between 690–900 AD, including the rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram, the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram, and the Shore Temple built by Narasimhavarman II.     "Doniger’s Larger Narrative about Hinduism"   The story Doniger wants to tell about the Ramayana fits into her larger narrative about the character of Hinduism.  Her overarching narrative is captured in her statement: “That’s why Hinduism is such a wonderful religion. It’s because people are allowed to have their own texts … there was no one who said there was only one way to tell the Ramayana ... And no one would say that you got it wrong.”   Of course, there is great diversity in Hinduism—after all, over three hundred versions of the Ramayana co-exist peaceably within the pantheon of Hindu literature.  There are no unnecessary battles about which version is the definitive version—Hinduism does not subscribe to the notion of One Book or One Prophet, which is the predominant characteristic of the Semitic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.    It is misleading to say, in a scholarly context, that just because multiple versions of a story exist, “no one [can] say that you got it wrong.” For, there is a significant difference between creating a new version of a story—e.g., Tulsidas retelling the Ramayana in his Sri Ramacharitamanasa, which does not purport to be the “original” or “corrected” version of the Valmiki Ramayana—and offering an academic explanation or interpretation of an existing story (the Valmiki Ramayana) that takes liberties with and/or misquotes the text. It is the difference between artistic interpretation and scholarly rigour. For a scholar, it is not sufficient to demonstrate that a constructed narrative or story is possible by stringing together disparate phrases and passages; rather, a scholar must show why her preferred version is more persuasive than other versions—why it is a more coherent narrative or a more insightful explanation. This is particularly important when the scholar’s preferred version sharply diverges from the canonical traditions of interpretation. This is not fundamentalism—this is what it means to be a scholar!    The diversity within Hinduism and Hindu society is one of its greatest strengths, but the danger of saying that there is no one Hindu identity is concluding that therefore there isn’t any Hindu identity.  Diversity should not be falsely treated as a lack of unity; to the contrary, e pluribus unum (from many, one).  Actually, in the Hindu framework, it would be from one, many—c.f., Bhagavad Gita (15:1): “There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.”  In other words, from One Truth flower many expressions of that same truth, from one root of dharma flower the hymns, traditions, philosophical doctrines and sacred lore that comprise the tree of Hinduism.  Or, to give a musical analogy, within one scale or raaga, many variations may be improvised.   In concrete fact, unity underlies every instance of diversity in Hinduism over the eons—that is why, for example, Adi Shankara Bhagavadpada, spiritual titan and amongst the greatest intellects of the world established the four seats of his monastic order on the four corners of India—Jyotirmath / Badrinath in the North, Puri in the East, Dwaraka in the West and Sringeri in the South—he also installed Namboodris from the deep south of Kerala as officiating priests in the Himalayan temple of Badrinath (a practice that continues to this day).   In closing, there does exist an easily recognizable non-fundamentalist Hindu identity, built upon a body of history, sacred texts and philosophical and ritualistic traditions that span several thousands of years.  This Hindu identity is diverse and multidimensional but also internally consistent—a consistent scale, as it were, upon which millions of Hindus improvise their own variations.    Aditi Banerjee received a B.A. in International Relations, magna cum laude, from Tufts University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She is a practicing attorney in London and also co-editor, Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America (Rupa & Co., June 2007)   Notes: [1] Interview with Wendy Doniger, March 27, 2002, http://www.bbc.co.uk/asianlife/tv/network_east_late/biogs/wendy_doniger.shtml, available at http://web.archive.org/web/20020911134952/......biogs/wendy_doniger.shtml.   [2] Krishnan Ramaswamy, Antonio de Nicolas and Aditi Banerjee, eds., Invading The Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America (Rupa & Co., June 2007), p. 66. See also Ailes, Gregory D., Religious Studies: a Global View (Routledge 2007), p. 260.   [3] See Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana (With Sanskrit Text and English Translation), Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Sixth Edition 2001), Book Six, Canto 13, verses 4-15, (Volume 2, pp. 266-267).   [4] Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana (With Sanskrit Text and English Translation), Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Sixth Edition 2001), Book 7, Canto 26, Verse 58 (Volume 2, p. 769).   [5] Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana Book 2, Canto 21, Verse 3.   [6] See the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction.   [7] 'See Sivasahaya,Raamayana Siromani, Parimal Publications, New Delhi, Volume 2, p. 722.   [8] See Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana (With Sanskrit Text and English Translation), Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Sixth Edition 2001), Book 7, Canto 42, Verse 19 and 24, (Volume 2, p. 819).   [9] Id. , Verses 33-34, (Volume 2, p. 820).   [10] Id., Canto 43, (Volume 2, p. 821).   [11] Id., Canto 45, Verse 13 (Volume 2, p. 825).   [12] Id.Canto 45, Verse 24-25 (Volume 2, p. 825).   Please visit www.invadingthesacred.com to learn more about the larger issues discussed in this note.   http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262511   (Listing of people who have given 'valuable inputs' available on webpage) From machleetank at gmail.com Sat Oct 31 22:50:56 2009 From: machleetank at gmail.com (Jasmeen Patheja) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:50:56 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results In-Reply-To: References: <4eab87870910292130gdc8e9a0xa3dcc5e6f5552adc@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hello, Am going to try and respond one by one to each of the emails. * kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com I was intrigued by the example (of acts) "Talking to breasts". Perhaps it is "Talking about Breasts". Unless breasts now come pre-fitted with some Audio Response System. * There are several women who have had their breasts spoken to, not their face. This is an everyday lived reality. Am hoping that women on this list and men who nod in agreement will respond to you. Or else feel free to take the plunge here for testimonials http://actionheroes.blanknoise.org/ This blog site does not suggest a way or method of responding to harassment but simply archives testimonials from women who have experienced and responded to street sexual harassment, 'teasing', assault, violence, intimidation, bullying, aggression. The opinion poll shared by Chandni was prepared by the public- blank noise volunteers and members from across age groups, largely between the age of 16- 35. We use the term 'eve teasing' in Blank Noise because the public does not respond with the same ease to an opinion poll on street sexual harassment. It is therefore a deliberate choice of words and it also gives room to probe whether and what and for whom it could be 'teasing' or flirting, or violation. Rakesh, the intention of the survey when we have used it in public spaces has always been to trigger responses and to start dialogue about "eve teasing". The general format is familiar to people and they are encouraged to come forward and put their thumb prints on what they think "eve teasing" is... this then forms the basis for a dialogue amongst the small groups who collect around the survey board. It becomes a problem if you start to analyse the survey in terms of exact numbers i.e. "x number of women between z and b ages said this, but then of that 4% said c, therefore the survey indicates... ": this kind of precision and derivation is not the intention of the survey. The survey was not created by a small group sitting in a room by themselves with a pre-decided "value system" in mind. It was created over the course of meetings in different Indian cities over 2004/2005 where volunteers were asked what they believed comprised "eve teasing" and these responses were put together. Oftentimes when we hold out the survey, women say they do not agree or what they have experienced is not listed on here, and so they are welcome to add their scribbles along the board and this leads to more discussion. I am not sure how to respond to: "Why do men and women have to wear attractive clothing?" Rakes said : *" **If I like the face of a girl or the figure of a girl, and if I look at her continuously, should that be termed eve-teasing? Should it not? " "The survey basically means that if I as a male am attracted to a female, due to the nature of our society, I am not supposed to show it. I wonder what kind of society is this, and where we are heading ourselves and the future generations to. Are all attractions and feelings to be just kept under the wraps forever?" * Perhaps your questions could find a place in these links: Street Tales of Love Lust and Possible Misinterpretations: http://blog.blanknoise.org/2009/08/street-tales-of-love-lust-and-posisble.html Annie Zaidi: http://blog.blanknoise.org/2009/08/tale-of-lovelustwhateveritwas.html#links Shreyasi Kar: http://actionheroes.blanknoise.org/2009/07/blank-noise-action-hero-shreyasi-kar.html Testimonials http://actionheroes.blanknoise.org/ Testimonials / thoughts from men on the issue of street sexual harassment: http://bnguy.blanknoise.org/ * *Thanks, Jasmeen+ Hemangini Blank Noise Team On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM, Rakesh Iyer wrote: > I don't think the article was just meant for humour. I just wanted to know > about the possible answers to these questions: > > If I like the face of a girl or the figure of a girl, and if I look at her > continuously, should that be termed eve-teasing? Should it not? Is it eve > teasing only if the girl notices it, in which case I can hide somewhere and > look? What does the law say about it? What do you personally feel about it? > What's the harm in staring at a girl? Should we adhere to the principle of > not doing something against someone else's will? Or does staring affect the > freedom of an individual? Or is it cultural, where women have been taught > to > be submissive and hence we have no cases of Adam teasing, while we have > cases of Eve teasing? Or is it something else? > > Why not have someone answering these questions? And it doesn't require a > great intellectual standard; all you require is to put your own perspective > in mind? Or should we keep hiding such things under the carpet? > > Rakesh > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 kokopeli at gmail.com Sat Oct 31 23:52:31 2009 From: kokopeli at gmail.com (Sujata & Samantak) Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:52:31 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On the "Maoist threat" to India Message-ID: <556b1d6b0910311122g537314dfy4f17e37545115a14@mail.gmail.com> Dear All, This appeared in yesterday's Guardian (UK) and has a lot to make us think. Let's see what comments ensue. Samantak The heart of India is under attack To justify enforcing a corporate land grab, the state needs an enemy ? and it has chosen the Maoists Arundhati Roy Friday October 30 2009 guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/30/mining-india-maoists-green-hunt